Basically, I was having fun trying to figure out the whole Byakuya remarriage deally, and this came up. Um, no spoilers really.
Summary: Byakuya is forced into finding a wife...the entertaining way!(For us, atleast!) Basically ByaEverybody(Females only, but maybe on request...). I might even leave it up to a vote at the end. Who knows?
"The way we see it, Byakuya, we only have two options."
The Kuchiki Mansion, the Meeting Room.
"The way I see it, Shikajō, is that I have many options, and you have none."
The big-wigs of the famous noble family.
"That is untrue, Byakuya. You must abide by decisions that are made here, which are reasonable and for the good of the family."
The two biggest wigs butt heads again.
"And I will do as this council advises when I hear something that is not absolute idiocy."
A battle of the wills, neither side backing down, giving up, or showing any emotion whatsoever.
"This is why you would do best to listen to what we have to say." The grey haired, short-nosed man nearly snorted his reply, but refrained from doing so, as the terms of this battle were that both sides stay calm. Well, visually, at least.
In response, Byakuya said, without the hint of a smile, "I am always listening, but sometimes you speak in tongues. I cannot speak every language, and I have never had the intention of speaking trash."
With the smallest frown, Kuchiki Shikajō decided to end the debate so they may continue the discussion. Trust me, that makes sense if you're a Kuchiki. "Then I will put our terms in the simplest form."
Byakuya was going to say something about double tonguing, but the eyebrow raised by his uncle asked for silence, which he politely gave.
Continuing, Shikajō said, in his most even tone, "Kuchiki Byakuya, there is, in this household, already a female we could pressure into a formal marriage ceremony with you, and as she is not of our blood, she would be idea for producing an heir." It took the head of house barely a second to connect the dots to his adopted sister, and the glare he gave to his uncle confirmed it. Shikajō had not used her name, meaning that there was another option...
"However, we feel that another option, presented to us by another noble family quite recently, will be much more suitable."
"Which family introduced this idea?" Byakuya asked only so he could shout at their leaders later.
"That will become apparent soon enough" came the reply. "This method they suggested is..." and he paused slightly long enough for the dramatic atmosphere to bulk up around the room, "highly unorthodox, but does seem to solve our main problems."
Byakuya rattled off the list of his elders current peeves; "1, I will not suffer a loveless marriage. 2, you need an heir. 3, I don't spend enough time getting to know anyone to build a relationship with them. 4, you and aunt Hinako are having relationship problems, due to your lack of libi-
"Enough!" Losing his composure for a second, he cleared his throat, and wondered how the hell Byakuya could know so much about what is going on in and around the mansion. The elders slip was that he never listened to the lowly servants, who would talk when they helped Lord Kuchiki with various tasks, or prepared things for him, or combed his hair. Byakuya would say nothing, but listen to the gossip that his maids and man-servants had; gripes, rumours, and stunning facts...
Shikajō had lost his 'face' in front of the entire council, and it was clear that this rounds winner was Byakuya. Now, for the prize...
"It was presented to us as a simple task of having the head of said house introducing you to various female individuals in a friendly, casual manner. It will only be a few hours at the end of your day, until you find someone you are comfortable with. After that, you can do what you like. We just want you to try, instead of brushing off every single person who tries to get a bit closer."
"All we ask is that you spend about a week, trying the system. After that, you may choose to continue, or not."
His uncle was being serious. Not the deadly serious he was use to, but the caring serious that Byakuya didn't experience much. Knowing that his uncle usually had his best interests at heart, in contrast with most of his elders, Byakuya said, "I will consider it..."
All that Byakuya's uncle had to do was raise an eyebrow. The secret meaning passed between them, and Byakuya finally folded. "Fine. I will partake in the less-than-traditional omake process."
Smiling inwardly, Shikajō didn't know whether to be happy his nephew had decided to take his advice, or to reprimand him for that earlier comment.
"Thank you, Byakuya. I will inform Shihouin-dono immediately."
The captains eyes shot open at the sound of his former 'mentor's name. That name always spelt trouble with a capital 'Y'.
In any case, it was too late to back down. Taking back his word right after saying it was quite dishonourable, so he would have to deal with whatever the Demon Cat could cook up. And 'Trouble a la Carte' was Yoruichi's specialty.
With any luck, 'Byakuya-bo' would not have to deal with her directly.
The next day...
After receiving an invitation to the Shihouin estate in the morning, Byakuya had went to work. All day, he could feel the stress from the division working away at him. Usually, he would shake it off (mentally, of course), but his mind was doubly occupied. The paperwork after the Winter War had piled up, and the... 'meeting' he had tonight was making him... not nervous, but anxious.
Because Kuckiki-taicho didn't get nerves.
Especially since he didn't have anything to be nervous about, he reasoned. It was only a casual meeting between a man and a woman. At Shihouin Yoruichi's household. With someone he didn't know. To do things he was unaware of.
So far, he only planned to talk, but even this was a big step for Byakuya. He was a high-noble, and they weren't well known for their friendly, chatterbox image. They were more known for chilling a room, just by entering it. However, these women had caused no offence to Byakuya, and he had no reason to offend them by wasting their time outright. In fact, the only reason that he had to not warm to them was that he still felt loyal to Hisana. Surely, it would be a disrespectful act to even talk to another woman while his heart still belonged to her.
But, as his council, and his uncle, kept saying, it had been decades since his marriage had ended. Fifty years? Surely it had not been so long. Those five years were still so vivid in his memory. After she passed, he had lost interest in the beauties that life offered; walks down memory lane were complicated by the danger of metaphorical broken glass. Everything that was beautiful only reminded him of her beauty, and he could not appreciate them for being what they were. Looking at Rukia was still painful to him.
He sighed. Fifty years. Most men would have given up their love in only one, and moved on. Maybe it was finally time for him, too. Her scent had long left their marriage bed, and the few kimonos in the closet were fading in colour, moth-eaten beyond belief. The only thing pure he had left of her were his memories, and they would fade eventually as well, he knew.
But what of loving twice? Many other, lesser men could do it, and in such little time since their loss. Maybe they had to wait for their heart to heal before moving on. Maybe they needed someone to help heal the hole left by their first loves end. Maybe the second love just fit into the hole left. None of this Byakuya knew, but he had been so long without love that he was willing to think that he could come to depend on another eventually, in spite of Hisanas' memories. It had been so long since anyone had been into his heart that he desperately needed someone else to travel into it, because God knows the Byakuya himself could not stand it in their anymore.
He was about to think of some smart metaphor for something about cobwebs and spring cleaning, but it was then that Renji walked in, who saw his captain was slightly vacant, and painting on the documents he was suppose to be signing.
"Uh, taicho? You ok?"
Looking up from his reverie, Byakuya saw his fuku-taicho holding a large stack of papers, looking on with a look of worry. Byakuya knew that Renji would try and say something 'cool' (aka, rather awkward and not as smart as it was when he thought of it) if Byakuya didn't affirm his health, or something along those lines.
"I'm fine Renji. Your concern is noted."
Renji caught on to the hidden meaning in his captains words. He used my personal name, and acknowledged me in more than one sentence. He didn't even use an honorific. He's also painting that weird monster-ambassador on the requests from Unohana-taicho. What the hell could throw him like that? This is about when he noticed the other drawing, that his captain must have spent a fair amount of time on.
"Rukia? Uh, captain, why are you painting Rukia on... Hitsugaya-taichos' report?" Renji had heard rumours about Rukia spending time with 'Shiro, but he never thought that such rumours could be true. This must be what Byakuya is upset about! Hitsugaya-taicho is in for it...
"I am not painting Rukia on Hitsugaya-taichos' report, Renji. I am drawing it on Shuhei-fuku-taichos'." Hisagi? Renji had heard rumours that they were meeting at times, and Kuchiki must be boiling over-
"It is not Rukia, either."
"No? Who is- oh. Forgive me for asking, taicho." He dropped his papers semi-respectfully onto Byakuyas' desk, and turned to leave, but Byakuya stopped him with his question;
"Abarai, if a certain man were to love a woman, and she were to die, would it be morally acceptable for that man to take another wife, years later? Even if he still had feelings for his past wife?"
The sixth division had been known for having some of the brightest minds in Soul Society. Where Kurotsuchi recruited those of a startling knowledge-base, Kuchiki chose those people that could show him intelligence on other levels. The 12th lusted after scientific knowledge, but the 6th persisted in obtaining thought processes and ways of solving problems mentally, so that they may more easily deal with issues on the fly. Almost every member of the squad could think on their feet, and could defeat hollows though observing or outwitting their opponents.
Renji had been a favour to Rukia, which Byakuya had initially regretted. However, he had adapted from his days in the eleventh, and would at least attempt to find an enemy's weakness before attacking. Sometimes.
Maybe this was why it took him several seconds to figure out that his captain was talking about himself, and even then he messed it up slightly. Does this mean that the Captain has been seeing someone secretly? He decided to put that thought away to pick at later (if he remembered); he should answer the hypothetical question first.
"Well, as long as the guy tells his family and close friends/workmates his secrets eventually," he so very subtly hinted, "and given the right amount of time, I guess that it would be alright for that guy to find someone else. As long as it isn't too soon, like, a week, or something. But a few years can be a bit of a dry spell, let alone fift- uh, a decade or two..."
Watching his vice-captain shift around and gesture while making strange inferences about his previous statement left Byakuya thinking a few things. Ah, yes. Abarai never was well known for his wit, or his tact... or anything above the neck, I might add. "Thank you, Renji. Your insight has been... reasonable. However, I do believe that you are quite busy. Enjoy your day."
As Renji left, with a look of shocked surprise on his face, Byakuya thought of what he had said. It is alright to love twice, then? With this thought circulating in his head for the rest of the working day, Byakuya's headache was thumping like a war-drum as he made it back to his room.
The dates start next chapter! Squee!
And I just realised a mistake. Renji is also known for his hairdo. My mistake. Or Byakuyas', actually.