To Magnapede ( since I cannot reply to people not logged in ;-; ) - In a way, yes, it most certainly is, and I realize it makes her seem very PC (PowerChara for those who used to / do text based RP), but realize this: I'm basing Keiko's and Kenpahi's relationship off their fighting abilities and their fight. Sure, I could tone down Keiko's power, thus she would have had to use her bankai in their fight, and things would still go as they are (fight, offer to train bankai, accept, Kenpachi gets his bankai) but then what? Kenpachi would so grossly out power her, that he'd (as I view it) see no -reason- to have a rematch with her. At that point, he'd be forced to tone down on -his- powers. And if that were the case, he wouldn't have fun, would he?
Also realize, as I tried to express in the first chapter, that Keiko has (in this AU, obviously) been around for a very long time. It sucks there's no specific time line given as to when what Captain joined the Gotei 13, when which lieutenant began their training at the Shinigami academy, etc, (or, maybe there is, manga-wise, and I don't know about it) because then I could expand on that a bit more. She is a new Captain, that much is obvious, but she -has- been around as a part of the Onmitsukido for a much longer time period.
--
Weeks passed in Seireitei, and every day had a similar rhythm to the previous day. There were no unusual problems within Soul Society, nor were there any on earth, so, aside from normal everyday precautions, things remained normal. Every day, with the exception of Saturday, which Keiko dubbed as their "day off", she would practice with her squad from six in the morning to noon, have her lunch, do her paper work, then do whatever it was that she felt like until midnight rolled around, with various meetings shoved into the cycle. Progress with Kenpachi was slower than she thought humanly possible, but it was still progress none-the-less.
It took him a good three weeks to finally get the visualization technique done, and after that their sessions became grueling. She would have him sit, in silence, picturing his zanpakuto in his mind and try to communicate with it. Often he would ask her "how the fuck" was he supposed to do that, but she wouldn't answer him; she'd only tell him to shut up and keep trying. She was pretty certain that if getting a bankai did not, in turn, mean challenging her to a rematch with no holds barred, he would have tried to kill her. Eventually, after hours of silence and not doing anything physical, he would start to get fidgety and bitch. Promptly, she'd wind up smacking him and tell him to focus, and although he growled and threatened her, he did as she said and went back to the job before him.
Sitting on the boulder which had become hers, Keiko leaned back on her hands, palms pressed into the rock's surface, and looked up at Kenpachi. "It's one thing to actually communicate with your zanpakuto and then it'll refuse to tell you its name, but it's another thing entirely to not even be able to get that far," she commented, biting on her bottom lip.
Kenpachi just stared at her with one of his "no shit" looks. She had gotten used to it and ignored it.
With a sigh, she sat up and folded her arms in her lap, slouching forward. "I have another idea that might help, but you may not like it."
"If I get ta' do somethin' aside from sittin' here trying ta' do somethin' I have no idea how ta' do, fine."
"You may be, but I'm not so sure I am," she sighed before slipping off the rock and standing up. "Not going in to details, because truthfully, I don't know how to explain it, but, the gist of it is that I knock you out, enter your mind, on a spiritual level, mind you, and try to help you figure out why the fuck you can't communicate with your zanpakuto."
He grinned lecherously at her. "Dunno'. Might have a few things in there I dun want you seein'."
Keiko rolled her eyes. "Spare me. But, it's the truth. Your mind will be an open book to me. If I fuck up, I might put you in a coma."
"You serious?" he stared at her.
She shrugged. "I've never done it before, won't lie. But I understand the basics, and it's simple enough to do."
For a few moments, Kenpachi was silent as he contemplated his choices. "And what happens ta' you if you screw up?"
He was more intelligent than Keiko gave him credit for you. But, there was no point in lying. "I could die."
There was absolutely no fear in her voice. She didn't pause before answering him. She really would keep her promise, no matter the cost. "You really are a crazy bitch," he chortled.
"Now, are we going to do this, or is the great Zaraki Kenpachi going to chicken out," Keiko grinned at him, rolling her sleeves up.
With a snort, Kenpachi stood up. "What do I do?"
"Sit," she replied, pointing down at the ground. When he did, she sat next to him, but facing the other direction. "Hold onto your zanpakuto tightly and get ready to feel nauseous," she grinned at him, reaching up with the hand closest to him and pressing her pointer finger to his forehead. "Close your eyes and relax." She followed her own order and did just that. Sighing softly, she mentally chanted a few words and focused on her spirit energy. It took a few moments, but after a bit, a link formed between them, and Keiko felt as though she were falling, her stomach flipping upside down.
Hundreds of images flashed before her mind's eye: blood, screaming, dying, wars, famine. She felt despair, loneliness, emptiness. But before she could go any further, Keiko severed the link and fell forward, throwing her hands out to stop her from falling face first into the ground before she violently threw up. For a good minute, she emptied her stomach, and when there was nothing left to throw up, she dry heaved, a thin coating of sweat covering her face. The sound of cloth being ripped caught her ears, and when she looked up, Kenpachi offered her a ripped piece of his Captain's jacket. She took it and wiped her mouth off while leaning back onto her haunches.
"Creepy, inn'it?" he smirked wryly at her.
Groaning quietly, she tossed the now dirty piece of cloth to the side before flopping back onto the ground, dust flying upwards as her back hit the dirt. A shudder ran through her body as she tried to recall a few of the images. Clothing that some of the people had worn in his mind was unfamiliar to her, and if she was right, she had just seen flashes of memory not only from his life as a Shinigami but of his past lives.
"Back to the old way, then?"
She didn't even look up; she only shook her head. "No. Gimmie a sec to calm down, then I'll try it again." Keiko was a stubborn woman. Once her heart beat returned to normal, she sat back up, tightened her ponytail before pressing her finger against Kenpachi's forehead again. But after a few minutes, the same exact thing happened. With nothing left in her stomach, she could only cough and sputter as her muscles spasmed.
When she was finally too tired to try it again, she called their session for the night. "Same time tomorrow," she started, sitting up again after having been lying back against the ground. She brushed her jacket off. "I think once I get used to the initial shock of it all, it'll be easier, and we'll be able to make a lot of progress." Turning her head to look at him for some response, she found him just staring at her. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "What? Something on my face?"
Kenpachi shook his head and stood up without a word. He was confused. "Why are you doin' this?"
"Because I promised I would," Keiko replied, slowly standing up.
"And you intend ta' keep the promise despite the fact yer obviously hurtin' yerself in the process?"
"Yes." She brushed her hakama off before looking up at him. A grin came to her lips. "Like you said, I'm a crazy bitch. If I want something done, I'll get it done. You're not the only one looking forward to our rematch." Finding her reasoning sufficient, she turned to leave the execution grounds, but after a few steps, her knees gave way and she fell forwards. Rather than letting her land on her face, Kenpachi grabbed her elbow and pulled her back into a standing position. "Oog, thanks," she murmured, her vision beginning to blur and distort. "Guess I overdid it a bit. Hm, may have to wait an extra day before I try this agaaaaaaa-" With that, her entire body gave and her mind blacked out; she passed out.
Stepping behind her, Kenpachi used his body to stop her from falling over sprawled in the dirt. Rolling his eye, he sighed and picked her up, moving her until her body was bent over his shoulder, her cheek pressing against his upper back, his arm hooked behind her knees to keep her from falling off. "Women," he muttered before moving towards the 9th Squad.
Thankfully, the next day was Saturday, and Keiko didn't have to get up early for any reasons. And by the time she -did- get up, it was close to one in the afternoon. Groaning softly, she sat up in bed and glanced at the clock, noting the time. "I feel like I just got over a hang over," she mumbled to herself, reaching up and scratching her head. Memories of last night were beginning to come to mind, and suddenly she wondered how the hell she had gotten back to her room. "What a nice guy," she snorted, laughing quietly when she realized Kenpachi must have carried her back. She slipped out of bed and immediately her nose scrunched up – her sheets were covered in dust and dirt and she was still wearing her full uniform. Not even bothering with her bed for now, she bee-lined for the bathroom to shower and change.
Leaving the bathroom, Keiko rubbed a towel against her head to dry her hair off, but rather than bind it up right away, she let the short black locks stay down to dry. After tossing the towel onto her bed, she reached for the sliding door, but before she could even exit her room, Yachiru-fukutaichou bounded out of no where and flew right at Keiko's chest, promptly clasping and holding onto the front of the woman's haori as the Captain fell back onto the floor with a very audible thump.
"Kokoa-chan!" Yachiru giggled, moving to sit on the woman's chest.
'Cocoa…?' Keiko thought as she opened her eyes to stare at the pink-haired girl sitting on her. "Hello, Yachiru-fukutaichou. To what do I owe this surprise visit?"
The young lieutenant promptly thrust a letter in Keiko's face. "Ken-chan said you said you'd spend the day with me!" she grinned widely.
"He wha…?" Brow furrowed, Keiko sat up, Yachiru falling into her lap in the process, and took the letter. She quickly opened it and the first thing she noticed was that the entire letter was written in hiragana; not the slightest bit of kanji was used. Snorting at the childishness, she read:
"I know, I'm just a nice guy for carrying you back to your room and not taking advantage of you. As thanks and payment, you can take care of Yachiru for a day."
Flames nearly shot out of Keiko's ears as her hand tightly curled around the latter, crumpling it up into a tiny ball. "I'll kill him…" she growled darkly.
"Kokoa-chan! Can we go into town? I haven't had lunch yet, and I wanna' go shopping!" Yachiru-fukutaichou looked up at the Captain with her big bright eyes.
How Keiko was supposed to say no, she didn't know. The girl was just too cute. Mentally reminding herself to kick the shit out of Kenpachi for this, she sighed and nodded, a smile coming to her lips. "Alright. Let me grab a few things and then we can go." Once grabbing some money, Keiko let Yachiru-fukutaichou grab her hand and lead her out of the 9th Squad, the Captain glaring at any of her subordinates that even -tried- to ask her what was going on.
After lunch, Keiko let Yachiru-fukutaichou have her way and drag the Captain all around Seireitei and the areas of Rukongai closest to it to do some "shopping" as the lieutenant put it, which really consisted of finding the yummiest foods and stickiest candies. When Yachiru-fukutaichou finally declared she was getting tired, Keiko picked her up and let her ride piggy-back all the way back to the 11th Squad. Once there, many of the members nodded to her in respect, a few waved. When she asked where Kenpachi was, one member, the Third Seat whose name Keiko couldn't remember, pointed to his office. Highly doubting he was doing paper work, Keiko barged right in, fairly noisily, and stared down at Kenpachi who had just woken up from a nap on the couch.
She was about to open her mouth and say something, but Yachiru-fukutaichou did the talking for her. "Ken-chan!" she squealed, hopping off Keiko's back and onto Kenpachi's stomach. "Kokoa-chan let me have lots of yummy food and even bought me candy!" As if for effect, the young lieutenant held out her hands, holding all of her booty – different types of sugar-coated goodness. Giggling like the child she was, Yachiru-fukutaichou hopped off Kenpachi's stomach and made her way out of his office, mentioning something about Baldy's head needing to be drawn on.
Keiko slid the door to his office shut before crossing her arms over her chest and making her way over to his couch to glare down at him. "You wanna' warn me next time you pull some shit like that?"
"What?" Kenpachi smirked up at her, sitting up on the couch.
"Oh, don't give me that crap," Keiko snorted. "Luckily I don't mind spending time with Yachiru-fukutaichou because she's a sweetheart, but next time ask me before assuming I'll do you any favors."
Getting up from the couch, Kenpachi hooked his thumbs into his obi as he looked down at her, lips curling back into a grin. From his proximity and the full foot he had in height over her, he towered over her. "It only seemed fair that after I went through the trouble of gettin' you back to yer squad and all nice and tucked in'ta bed that you do me a favor in turn."
She stared up at him. "You are an asshole, you know that? Ugh, whatever," she turned around and waved her hand in the air. "I'm going to skip the training tonight, I want to give my mind a bit of a rest, so we'll go again tomorrow night," she called over her shoulder as she made her way to leave his office. But a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Luckily for him, the skin around her tattoos had hardened and was no longer sensitive. Shrugging off his hand, she whirled around to glare at him, her arms crossing back over her chest. "What?" she growled.
The anger, more than apparent on her face, slowly ebbed away.
Kenpachi was studying her. No grin, no smirk, no lecherous look upon his own face. The only look on his face was one of pure seriousness. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut.
Unable to figure out what he was thinking, Keiko let her eyes unfocus, slowly glazing over, as she tried to look over his aura. Was that.. worry, she was feeling? The moment she thought she could feel it, it was gone.
And then it hit her: he had been concerned. Sending Yachiru-fukutaichou for a day of fun was just a ploy to get Keiko to come to the 11th Squad without anything seeming suspicious. He was checking up on her.
Her anger and annoyance were completely gone. Facial features softening visibly, her eyes came back into focus and she met his gaze for a moment before nodding, both as acceptance and in thanks. Turning around, she promptly left his office and Squad house to return to her own.
obi - the sash of the Shinigami uniform
Kokoa-chan
Yachiru's nickname of Keiko, taken from the -ko part of her name. Kokoa is the romnaji of cocoa, the yummy stuff used to make chocolate. Some of which I want now...
The Letter
Hiragana is the first step in learning the written form of the Japanese language. Can't remember for certain, but my professor mentioned that by the 4th or 5th grade (could be earlier or later), children are supposed to be writing with kanji (characters that represent full words). Used to reinforce both Kenpachi's laziness and lack of intelligence. If anyone is familiar with the Sailormoon series, think of the letter Queen Serenity sent to her past self in SuperS (or end of S, or beginning of Stars.. I can't remember.)
Execution Grounds
I realized I never actually explained this. Although, since no one really asked, I assume everyone knows it's that area where Rukia was going to be executed.
Keiko
So, I was rummaging through the BLEACH area, and suddenly Keiko's name caught my eye. At first, I was all "WTF?" and then realized that someone else named their chara Keiko. So, I guess this is kind of a disclaimer saying that I didn't rip the name off anyone else, it's pure coincidence, blah, blah, blah. Keiko's a fairly common name anyway, go figure.
Actual BLEACH-verse and characters (c) to all the respective people.
Akuuno Keiko (c) me, General Junos.
