Chapter 2:
"Do you really think this is a productive use of my time and skills?"
"Do you have something or not, Akon?"
Sighing, Akon opened one of the drawers on the wall. The wall looked like a giant filing cabinet with drawers varying in size from top to bottom. Each drawer was coded by number so Rangiku had no idea what was in any of them, nor did she want to. She was only interested in the one Akon was opening. He took out a small pouch and held it up.
"You sure you want this?" he asked her. "Given what you told me the other day, I really think there are other ways to handle this."
"But those ways haven't worked yet. This is a surefire way to do it," Rangiku insisted. "I'm positive. You already said it would work and I trust you."
Akon sighed. "That wasn't really my concern. It's not a matter of trusting me. I was referring to Kira."
Rangiku put her hands on her hips. "I was also talking about him. Not just you."
"Oh?"
"I tried talking to him about the game and I just made things worse. When I tried to make him feel better, I made him feel worse and even Renji was upset with me. I'm through doing it that way. I don't want to make things any worse. This is the best way to do just that. I can make sure things go right and there's no risk of making him or anyone feel terrible. This way, I can get exactly what I want."
"Well, you are known to take shortcuts…"
"What was that? You mumbled something."
"Nothing." Akon looked at the pouch. "Seems like your mind is made up. You're sure you want to do this?"
"For the last time, yes. As I said, this is the best way to get the job done without added hassle."
"Ok," Akon sighed again. "In that case, let me show you how it works so there are no slip-ups. In theory."
"What do you mean in theory?"
"It means if you mess this up after I explain everything, it's not on me." If Rangiku messed things up, it would be her own fault. He took every precaution to prevent things from going awry. If things went south, it was in no way his fault. It was hers.
Akon had to make sure he excluded himself from possible punishment or guilt. The last thing he wanted was for people in his department, namely his Captain, to find out about this and receive a lecture about his incompetence.
He believed this was a misuse of the invention, but he had been given an order from a Lieutenant. He had to obey her. Besides, she was responsible for keeping the department 'in business' as several called it, seeing as how she came up with most of the suggestions and ideas for new material.
Akon opened the pouch and dumped the contents into his palm.
Rangiku stared at the two little pills the size of a grain of rice. They were a dark purple color and not very appealing to look at.
"That's it?" she asked.
Akon nodded. "As per your request, here they are."
"Just two of them?"
"Considering our lack of resources, yes. We only managed to make two of them, but all you need is one if things go the way you want."
Rangiku was excited, but curious. She wanted to know how these worked.
Akon held up the two tiny pills. "These, Lieutenant, are exactly what you ordered. Once ingested, the one who swallowed them falls into a highly suggestive state. Once that happens, they will obey the first command they hear. Only the first command. Each pill only works once, as I'm sure you've gathered."
"Well, it is a bit obvious. And given that fact, I suppose it is understandable that each pill is only good for one order."
"Exactly."
Rangiku pointed at them. "Are you sure they will work?"
"They passed all the tests."
"Good. Then I don't have to worry about them being poisonous or something."
Akon frowned. "That was your main concern?"
"Given how your Captain tends to be…"
"Why would I make something poisonous knowing that the intention was for someone to consume it without harming them?" Akon shook his head. "But I understand the question. That's why we ran tests. They are not harmful to the person who takes them."
"Great!" Rangiku tried to grab the pills but Akon closed his fist and hid it behind his back.
"However, I do have to tell you something very important," he told her. "The one thing we are uncertain of is how long the effects will last. They are a single-use pill, but it's very possible that the suggestion you give the taker will be permanent."
"Permanent?" Rangiku stopped reaching for the pills behind his back. "Meaning that the command I give them will never wear off and they'll be stuck that way forever?"
"So far. It did pass all the tests, but this is the first time we're using it on an actual Soul Reaper. It's still considered an experiment. Therefore, I suggest you word the one command very carefully."
Rangiku frowned. "Oh…" This complicated things a bit. If she got the words wrong, she would get the command wrong. If the command was everlasting, then this posed a problem if it was the wrong one.
"Which is why I suggest you use the second pill to reverse things," Akon told her. "I only have two. Just in case you mess up the first, you can use the second to try again. However, if things go well, I suggest using the second pill to change them back to normal once you got what you wanted."
Once the goal was achieved, there would be no reason to keep the command in place. Unless it was for the better.
Rangiku intended to use the pills to force Kira to be more confident. That way, he wouldn't second-guess himself so much or be a nervous wreck.
Talking to him didn't work. It just made things worse. Using these pills seemed like the best solution. Yes, it was a bit of a shortcut, but she was after results. If talking to Kira wouldn't boost his confidence, then giving him a magic pill to force him to be confident would.
A confident Kira seemed like a wonderful thing. It would be better for everyone, including him. Why would she ever want to change him back? Why would he want to go back?
It was decided in that moment that she would hold on to the second pill in case she got the wording of the command wrong. If she messed it up, then she would get a second shot at getting it right. So what if she would be unable to change him back after that? She would be improving him. It would probably be for the best.
Rangiku nodded. "I understand."
Akon gave her a wary look before putting the pills back in the pouch and handing them over. "He just has to swallow them. Come up with something clever or come right out and tell him to take it."
"Thanks a bunch, Akon," Rangiku said as she took the pouch from him. "You're the best!"
Akon watched her leave, shaking his head. "I shudder to think how she'll screw this up."
Rangiku brought the pills with her to Kira's Division. During her long walk there, she wondered how she would get him to take them. She could give them to him and tell him to swallow them, but that might not work. She was hoping he would be naive or even indicative enough to obey any order given to him. To be as suggestive as he would be if he had already taken them. If things were that easy, then she wouldn't need to pills. She knew Kira wouldn't swallow something just because he was told to do it. He wasn't stupid.
She could come right out and tell him what they were, but that also posed a problem. Kira might get offended that Rangiku thought he needed a personality make-over. That he wasn't good enough as he was. He would refuse to take them and he would be angry at her. She didn't want to hurt him. She knew what these pills suggested. Of course, he would think such a thing. She also had no luck talking to him. That always made things worse.
Coming out and saying it is what got her in this mess in the first place. She couldn't be obvious about it. Kira would refuse to take them if he knew what they were.
She could lie to him about what they were. He might still refuse to take them, though. She couldn't think of a good enough lie anyway. It would still involve her talking to him which she wanted to avoid, lest he get the wrong idea. She didn't want another misunderstanding.
Perhaps she should hide them. Yes, that seemed like a good idea. An excellent idea.
Before she had all the details worked out, she found herself standing outside Kira's office just as he was walking out.
He stopped and looked at her. "Oh. Hey."
Knowing what had to be done but still unclear on the details, she blurted out, "Kira, come to the 10th Division in a few minutes. I have something for you there."
"For me? What is it?"
"I can't tell you. It's a surprise. Just come, ok? If you don't, I'll hunt you down."
"Uh… Ok. Sure." Kira looked nervous.
"Great! See you in a few!" Rangiku ran back the way she came.
Kira was curious but very nervous. In his experience working under his prank-loving Captain for so many years, Kira knew when someone said they had a surprise for him, it wasn't a pleasant one. The last time he was told to meet someone somewhere for a surprise, he ended up covered in features and stuck to the wall by super adhesive Gin got from the 12th Division. It took him all day to get down and he had to get a new kimono.
Rangiku wasn't like Gin, even though they were childhood friends. If she had a surprise for him, it wasn't likely to be as bad as something Gin would give him. It was more likely to involve sake or something else she would like. Still, in the back of his mind, Kira feared a prank.
He would find out when he got there. Just to be safe, he would open the door slowly.
Rangiku finally had it all figured out. She grabbed the pork buns Hisagi had made for her and stuffed the pill inside. Just in case Kira didn't pick the one with the pill, she decided to put a pill in both of them. She would have him choose the one he wanted and save the second bun in case she didn't word the command correctly. Using these buns meant she would have to get her own lunch later, but this was a lot faster than making something herself and putting the pills inside.
Now to make it look pretty. She wanted Kira to see all the trouble she went through for him so he would be more inclined to eat what she offered him. She also lured him to the office by saying she had a surprise for him. What better surprise than a gift? She had to make it look like one.
She found a tin she kept cookies in and decided to use that. She ate the cookies quickly so she would have the empty tin to work with. She kept the paper lining inside, shaking off the cookie crumbs, and placed the pork buns inside. They fit perfectly. She placed the lid on top and tied the whole thing with a pink ribbon she found in her desk. Good thing she never got around to cleaning it.
She set the tin on the corner of her desk and admired her work. This was sure to get Kira to eat one of them.
Outside her office, several Soul Reaper women were gossiping. Rangiku wanted to know what was going on, but she had to wait for Kira to arrive. When one of the women shrieked, Rangiku hurried out of the office to see what had happened.
"It's that guy again from the 11th Division," said the girl. "He keeps flirting with all the women, the pig. He just ran by and slapped me on the butt!"
"He is a pig, that guy," said another.
"I'm sure he followed us back here. We walked by the dojo before and he whistled at us."
Rangiku puffed out her cheeks. "Oh, he's a dog. I heard of him. He's new. Just graduated, I think."
"Has he hit on you yet, Lieutenant?"
"Oh, yeah. Commented about my chest. I bet that's why he came here to annoy the women in this Division. Anything that will up his chances to see me."
"How do you put up with guys like that? They're animals."
"That's why I have no interest in that kind. They won't do anything for you, just make rude comments and grab you. Who needs that? Pay him no attention. Wait for one of the decent ones to show up and chase him off."
Rangiku didn't mind getting a guy's attention as long as he did something for her in return, especially if he turned out to be someone she could get involved with. It was men like the one who harassed the girls she couldn't stand. They were in it just to get a reaction. They wouldn't sweet-talk a girl or buy her dinner or flowers. Men like that disgusted her. She had to agree with the other women. Men like that were animals. She went for the decent ones with a little heart. Men who cared about the girl and performed kind gestures. Even if they didn't always show their sensitive side, she knew they cared because of the things they did without having to be asked.
For a brief moment, she thought about Gin. She didn't always understand him, but she did care about him. Only after he was gone did she realize how much he cared about her. Going so far, even becoming a villain and siding with one, just to make sure she was safe. To make her future a brighter one.
He annoyed her and infuriated her and left her confused, but she couldn't help but miss him. She thought about him often and remembered the good times they had. The times he made her smile and laugh. How she could rely on him.
He was a mystery to her, but clearly, he was her friend.
"Rangiku?"
She flinched and looked around. She caught herself thinking about him again and pondering the mysteries, forgetting that she had a mission to see through.
Kira was walking down the hall, coming closer to her. She quickly ran back into the office and waited for him to follow.
How will Rangiku screw this up? Read and find out. ^-^
Please review!
