Written for the March Challenge on Prompt Bingo, LJ.
Prompt: #15
Tamed
To many, Kurotsuchi Mayuri was a man who couldn't care less about his subordinates and squad members even if he tried. It just wasn't in him to worry about people, to burden himself with worry for someone who he'd rather have on his lab table, whose innards he would rather pick through than heal. He wasn't cut out for jobs like those of the healers – he never even bothered to try his hand at healing. To him, there was no need for a skill as useless as that – Mayuri depended more on his own chemical concoctions to help him whenever he lost a limb or injured himself in whatever way possible. That, he proclaimed, was more desirable than lying on a hard bed in a stark white room that smelled bitterly of medicine.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri – mad scientist of the Seireitei. That title wasn't one that he had come up with himself, but rather given to him by his squad mates. He knew what they whispered about him behind his back – Nemu was quite the curious lieutenant, and that proved quite useful too. It fuelled his ego, his pride for his work, and he laughed with joy whenever he even thought about it. Sometimes that high-pitched cackle that could only belong to the mad floated into the halls of the barracks, like an echo from a well, and it sent shivers up his inferiors' spines.
Despite all that though, Mayuri recently found himself pondering over how he never supervised his division like how the other captains did. He was too engrossed in his experiments, locked up day and night in his laboratory, to the extent that he never saw the light of day until Nemu came looking for him.
Why the thought suddenly crossed his mind was beyond him but, being one of the most curious individuals of Soul Society, Mayuri strived to find out why. In the evenings, he would sit at his desk and stare without seeing at his instruments on the table. He never found the answer, not until Nemu came knocking on his door one day, informing him of a certain captain who was waiting for him in the barracks.
Mayuri strode out of his lab, muttering under his breath of how scientists like himself shouldn't have their time wasted on petty matters. But once he stood facing the head of the Fourth Division herself, Mayuri found that he had ceased his quite rants, his breath caught in his throat.
"Captain Kurotsuchi," Unohana gave him a polite nod, "I've made a request for supplies to be sent to the Fourth Division this morning, but I haven't received them."
"Am I to be held responsible for the shortcomings of the lowlife around my division?" Mayuri huffed, folding his arms across his chest.
"You are the captain, are you not?"
For some reason or other, that question made Mayuri burst with fury. Whether or not it was because she said it so mildly, as if she were trying her best to hide any hints of sarcasm or mockery, or simply questioning his authority – Mayuri didn't know, and that only added to his vexation.
"Nemu!" He crooked a finger at her, and when she was close enough, gave her a hard slap across the face, causing her to stumble back. Unohana didn't make a move, merely stood there with eyes unblinking. "Give this… woman," Mayuri flicked his fingers at her as if she were a pile of trash to be disposed, "her supplies and see her off. I've no time to waste over matters as trivial as this."
"Y-yes, Mayuri-sama." And Nemu rushed down the hall and out of sight, leaving Mayuri and Unohana to stare at each other with innate animosity.
"You shouldn't treat her that way, Captain Kurotsuchi," said Unohana, voice hushed as if she were afraid to spur his anger once again.
"Are you telling me how to run my own division?" Mayuri let a sneer tug at the corners of his lips, pulling them back to reveal yellowing teeth.
"I'm only relaying advice, nothing more," she said, folding her delicate hands in front of her, and that was that. Mayuri had not the patience to entertain her, so he returned to his lab. On the way he passed Nemu, who carried three boxes filled to the brim with medicine and the like, rushing through the hallway.
"If you spill those contents over my division floor, I'll-"
Right on cue, Nemu tripped over her own foot. The boxes flew from her grasp and crashed to the floor, and she landed hard on her chest. To many, it would have been a rather painful fall, but Nemu immediately pushed herself up and started to gather the supplies, unfazed.
"Forgive me, Mayuri-sama!"
Mayuri stood there, staring at her as she went over her work. Fortunately for him, he had been further enough away to avoid being bombarded with boxes, but he couldn't say that he was pleased about that. He took a step forward, fingers curling into fists that trembled with barely contained anger. He couldn't see how Nemu could be so careless, so ignorant of his wishes. He took another step, and she withdrew slightly. Her eyes, filled with fear, flicked up to meet his. He bent down and, grabbing her by the back of her collar, pulled her up so that her knees were suspended just inches above the floor. She stared at him, wide-eyed, yet still with an air of acceptance of whatever he was going to do to her.
But then, just as he was about to backhand her with force enough to break her jaw, Unohana's words rang in his ears.
You shouldn't treat her that way, Captain Kurotsuchi.
Those words… They only made the irritation within Mayuri burn more. He wasn't one to be told off – he was the man who ran his division without any restrictions. He did whatever whenever he liked without anyone there to hold him back, but then he found himself stopped by the gentle, reserved voice of his fellow captain.
He felt his hold loosen against his will, and eventually he dropped Nemu to the floor. His fists trembled no longer, though the annoyance still nagged at the back of his now puzzled mind. Without another word, Mayuri strode down the hallway and locked himself up in his lab once again.
Around the corner, Unohana let a smile grace her lips. Sometimes, or maybe once in a full moon, even beasts could be tamed.
A review would be nice. :)