A/N: Quick note for everyone! Thanks for the reviews, and thank you, tii-chan17 for being such a diligent beta reader! Enjoy!
Chapter Nine – Meeting the Wasp
I don't talk too much about the midget incident and my embarrassing breakdown afterwards to Hinamori. I want to sock myself in the stomach for getting to the point of bawling into that Shinji bastard's shirt and how he got all emotional and actually sympathized with me. It's humiliating. My stomach seems empty, as if every bit of my pride was violently sucked out of me and gargled down the drain, leaving not even a measly drop. It was sure a bitter pill to swallow.
Hinamori only nods when I re-enter the room, eyes red and nose sniffling. She asks how my walk was. I respond curtly, "I was good," and she nods and continues reading her book. Thankfully, she seems to detect my apprehensiveness and has the sense to respect that and make the right decision to keep her trap shut.
As I walk back to my bed, I notice the vase of daffodils looking all healthy with their fresh yellow and white petals on Hinamori's bed stand. So healthy they're jeering.
I snort in disgust.
Afterwards, life at the hospital is pretty uneventful. The injured from the Winter War are slowly trickling out every day, minus those extreme cases like Hinamori and me, but with all things considered, there's progress.
What's more, that Soi Fon bitch is out of this hellhole at last and has taken back her tight-fisted control of the Second Division. A day or two ago, I stomped down to the main lobby to see her off – this happened about two to three hours after the midget incident – albeit reluctantly, because a certain Momo dragged me out of bed to demonstrate "common courtesy."
Soi Fon's got this fatass Lieutenant named Omaeda-something, but straight on, I could tell that I could take him anytime – even while crippled. Omaeda welcomed his Captain back with the little pink Girl Scout, Yachiru, who seemed to have forgotten our almost-scrimmage several hours ago and cheerfully insisted on taking me to the candy store when I "get healthier."
Soi Fon finally emerged into the waiting room on a crutch, sporting not a stupid-looking bandaged stump of a bicep anymore, but a newly-grafted arm, which she took the pleasure of flexing every so often like a sick, egotistical bodybuilding whore.
"Yay!" Yachiru squealed, leaping onto the bitch's shoulder like a squirrel. "Cat Lady's back! Let's go to the party and eat, eat, eat!"
Soi Fon tried to shove the Girl Scout off, but that girl was relentless and held on fast. Eventually, she gave up and said halfheartedly, "Thank you, Kusajishi-fukutaichou. I am looking very forward to this party of yours."
"We got candy and ice cream and lotsa cats!"
"Taichou!" the fatass belched. Wrinkling my nose, I suddenly smelled in inklings of what I guessed to be potato chips mixed with some extra-spicy eight-layer dip. "Welcome back!"
Soi Fon glared at Omaeda. "Shut your mouth. Whoever told you to come and greet me? And to whom are the ranks currently under jurisdiction, Omaeda? Have you left them abandoned to do whatever they wish? And what of the Onmitskido?"
The fatass scratched the back of his head stupidly. "Uh . . ."
Soi Fon advanced predatorily, slinking like some kind of jungle cat. "And if the ranks end up in pandemonium, who gets the blame?"
Was this bitch trying to pass the buck? I was confused on what was happening, but the way Soi Fon addressed her underling, the way she addressed him as if he were scum, set off a spark in me. And when that happens, nothing good comes out of it.
"Listen, why the hell are you yellin' at him for payin' ya a visit?" I butt in, pushing the fatass aside to face the Second Division Captain. To my surprise, I had to actually look up at her because she stood several inches taller than me.
Soi Fon squinted down on me imperiously. "Sarugaki. I see you have not been discharged yet."
"Screw that. Why're ya bein' such an ass to your subordinate? That ain't right," I growled, jabbing a finger at Omaeda. Beside me Hinamori touched me on the shoulder in warning. I ignored her.
The bitch raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Excuse me? Why must I berate Omaeda in such a way?"
"Exactly."
Soi Fon smirked. "He is useless. That is why."
Her Lieutenant blanched and looked down at the ground.
I was beside myself with anger. Speaking of your subordinate so degradingly was absolutely unacceptable, even if it was slightly true. Kisuke never said anything like that to me, and in turn, I never said anything like that to the Third Seat and the other lower-ranking officers. That was disrespectful amongst our rank because we revolved around respecting one another – despite the fact that I beat around that sandal-loving bastard so much, but that was our trademark love-hate relationship right there.
I clenched the sleeves of my oversized hospital pajamas to stop myself from landing the bitch a juicy black eye. This really wasn't the ideal place or time to take on Soi Fon. I'd violate my visitors' rights. I'd possibly be incarcerated for assaulting a Captain. But nothing in the Shinigami Code said anything about cussing her out.
Before I could speak, Hinamori leaped in with a nervous but enormous grin on her face. "Ah, Soi Fon-taichou! You're so lucky to be discharged today! I miss our Shinigami Women's Association meetings, and Yachiru-chan here makes me feel so jealous when she talks about all the treats at Kuchiki-taichou's home!"
The bitch nodded towards Hinamori. "Thank you, Hinamori-fukutaichou. I wish you the best of luck with your recovery, however doing so is much more difficult with her," she pointed her chin condescending towards me, "as a boarding mate. You may want to switch rooms to ensure better convalescence."
"Wait, what?" I sputtered, not registering the words.
"Omaeda," Soi Fon ordered. Her sheer eyes bore into the fatass's blank pupils like shards of glass. "You are to accompany me to the Shinigami Women's Association meeting. Then, you shall alert the squadron that I am returning tonight at 6 PM sharp for a division meeting."
"Yes, Taichou!"
"Follow me, Cat Lady!" Yachiru pipes up, gesticulating towards the exit.
As the three trio – a lumbering oaf, a staunch fighter, and a bouncy girl – prepared to depart from the hospital with Hinamori waving awkwardly, bidding them farewell, I experienced a first. I'm pretty aware that I've said some mean stuff before to a crapload of people in the past. And believe me, I still do; after all, I've been raised with a dirty mouth.
But in that moment, some of the worst words ever conceived in my head spilled out of my mouth like a handful of beans. I took a deep breath and focused, although it was difficult. My heart raced wildly and thumped loudly in my chest. I glared at the back of Soi Fon's neck, imagining all the things I'd to her provided the opportunity. I was on a natural high; I've never felt this pumped before. And then I spoke.
"You bitch. You snivelin' uppity pimp. You crusty, hairy piece of cock. I wager ya won't be able to fuck a goddamned kitten with that undignified little prick which you are. If I had a penny – not a nickel, but a fuckin' penny – for how many times I see ya starin' through those cat-alogs, droolin' like a fangirl over those gross Maine coons and Siamese and longhairs, wishin' that you could pick one of 'em up and screw it real good, I'd have at least a thousand bucks by now. Yep, I said it like I meant it: a hundred thousand times I've watched ya be titillated by those meaningless little kitties. Now, let me ask ya a favor, all right? Why don't you go off somewhere, take a toothbrush or the end of a lightbulb or, hell, even a flute and fuck a momma cat like you've always dreamed of? And while you're at it," I pause for a gulp of air. I haven't breathed once in at least thirty seconds – damn! "Eat her screamin' kittens!"
A dead silence. The entire waiting room had frozen, all eyes locked onto the bitch and me. Hinamori was hyperventilating.
Soi Fon slowly swung around, her Zanpakuto unsheathed. Her eyes were a deathly black, glinting with an obsidian desire to kill. There was also something else in that look – is it amusement?
"Is that a challenge?" she hissed, her voice dangerously low. She stepped towards me, her severe figure reverting smoothly back to her infamous fighter's stance. Reconditioning does wonders.
The room turned its attention on me. I was in a bit of a bind: I left Kubikiri Orochi up in my room. It seemed like I had to take her on with only hands, feet, and teeth.
Suddenly, something scooped me up and rushed me down the hallway, through the corridors. It was Hinamori! She ran like the wind, her hair bun tearing out of its red ribbon, dark hair rippling behind like a flag.
"What!" I protest, thrashing in her grip. She was surprisingly strong. "Let go of me! I wanna kick her pretty little ass!"
"Shut up!"
I caught a glance over Hinamori's shoulder of the bitch. She stood smugly with her arms crossed. She opens her mouth and her words reverberate through the hospital, "You are lucky that you are dealing with me, Sarugaki. Other Captains would immediately eliminate you for saying such crude words. Just remember, I will not forget this incident – nor the ones preceding it. And until next time, watch your neck."
We crashed into our room. Hinamori threw me onto my bed, bent over, and heaved desperately for oxygen. "Th-that . . . w-was . . . a . . . close one." She flopped onto her bed with a groan.
"Geez, why'd ya do that? I could've taken her on –"
"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into!" Hinamori shouted. She was angry. Caught off guard, I did not answer. Still breathing heavily, she sank lifelessly into her pillows. "Oh no, oh no, oh no. What in the world did you do?" Hinamori moaned and dug her head into her pillows. In a muffled voice, "Hiyori-san, don't do that ever again!"
"I swear, I bet I can take that bitch down –"
"This is Soi Fon-taichou we're talking about." Hinamori sat up and faced me. "Her strenth is formidable – she almost mastered the art of Shunkou!"
"Shunkou as in the Shihouin?" I frowned. Only the legendary Shihouin Yoruichi was capable of performing such an advanced technique. I remembered that one time when Mashiro and I were at Urahara's place twenty-so years ago, we sparred with Yoruichi. I remembered she was toying around with us until we heard a loud explosion and seconds later, we were knocked to the ground, breathless.
"Shihouin?" Hinamori raised an eyebrow. "I believe Soi Fon invented the technique."
I just then realized that Yoruichi had shared with us a secret we were meant to keep that twenty-so years ago. I played along, "Oh yeah. Guess I got it confused with something else. Never mind."
Hinamori continued, "But wait, you've heard of the technique before?"
"Kinda, but I don't really get it."
She nodded. "Yeah, well me neither. I just heard that it's crazy powerful."
A week after my less than friendly confrontation with Soi Fon, Lisa pays me a visit. She bears more bestselling porn novels.
"I heard you lent out the ones I gave you to Kensei," she says flatly. I try to interrupt and extemporize an excuse, but she raises a hand and continues, "No need to explain. I got the memo. Those ones weren't very exciting at all, but these ones are a hell lot spicier."
"That ain't what I meant!"
"Ooh?" Hinamori inquires. She clambers over the second bed and reaches out to take a title. "Books?"
I slap her hand away and point accusingly at Lisa. "No! This ain't literature at all! This is gross bullshit!"
Lisa adjusts her glasses. "Hiyori has a new friend."
"Quit changin' the subject! Hinamori's too innocent t –"
Lisa ignores me and offers her hand to Hinamori. "Yadomaru Lisa. It's nice to meet you."
Hinamori shakes that ubiquitous hand wholeheartedly. "Hinamori Momo. It's really great meeting you!"
I gape at the sight. A perv and a prude exchanging salutations like two acquaintances down a street.
"So you're into literature?" Lisa asks.
The light switch flips on in Hinamori's eyes. "Oh, yes!"
"What kind?"
"Well, I am a pretty well-rounded person – I like mysteries, poetry, fantasy, classics, horror –" My roommate gives up counting off on her fingers. "Anything will really do for me."
Lisa wrests a two-inch thick copy of grotesqueness out of my hands. "What about this stuff?"
"No," I interrupt, leaping up and ripping the porn book out of Lisa's grasp, regaining possession. "There's no way in hell that she's reading this."
Hinamori blinks. "What's so wrong with that? Let me see!"
"You're not her mom," Lisa adds. "She's mature enough, let her be curious. On another note," she takes my arm firmly, "Come outside with me. We need to talk about something."
Protesting all the way, I am dragged by the tall pervert into the hall, leaving Hinamori to the porn literature that will potentially scar her for life. Lisa releases hold on my wrist and crosses her arms. "Hey."
"Don't 'hey' me!" I retort, rubbing my sore bicep. "What are you trying to do? Convert that poor girl into a fucking wh –"
"Let's cut the crap," Lisa says. "Because Shinji told me to tell you that that Repeal's comin' up soon."
"Eh?" I freeze in my tracks.
"You heard me."
Frankly, I've been pushing the very thought of this Visored Repeal shit to the back of my head. I don't want to think about it, much less deal with it. However, regardless of my procrastination attempts, I was pretty aware that it was down the calendar somewhere. It's like a disease in your cells waiting for the right time to erupt and spread through your body, infiltrating your organs and puncturing into your bloodstream. It's not the disease that's really killing you; it's your anticipation of your imminent death.
I slump against the wall and stare blankly at Lisa. "Yeah, so . . . what happens now?" The slight tremble in my voice startles me. It just occurred to me that I was actually scared of this.
Lisa looks forlornly out the windows facing the courtyard. Outside, patients perform their physical therapy exercises, stretching, walking, and doing light abdominal workouts. I remembered out Soul Society took it as a first priority to get the injured back into shape ASAP. They'd build up the intensity of the exercise, day by day, until you could stab and block with a sword as adeptly as you could at full health even though you still needed at least another week's worth of rest. I demanded when Hinamori and I can to do this physical therapy; Unohana said soon.
"I got a question for you."
My eyes widen. "Huh? What is it?"
Lisa almost never asks questions; she usually answers them. She is the person you'd go for advice about practically anything: boys, shoes, pop culture, moral beliefs, politics. Hell, Shinji even asked her what was the best way to pick up a hooker. She explained it to him step-by-step, so clearly that even a preschooler could stop by a club and come home to show his mommy a brand new slut. And he still failed.
She directs her attention on me. "Do you want to stay?"
"Stay where?" I demand.
"Where else? Here, in Soul Society."
"Absolutely not," I snort. "That's crazy."
We stand there in silence for a moment. Lisa likes to think before she speaks. She never says anything without going over it once or twice in her head.
At last, she states, "Good. I guess I'm not the only one then."
Surprising. "You too?"
"Yeah."
"But why? You'd seem like someone who'd wanna stay," I say. "You're tight with Shunsui. Everyone thought well of ya here."
"Kyouraku has moved on. I am nobody here," Lisa replies instantly. "Besides, we both are far past the level of a Third Seat, and all of the Lieutenants' seats are occupied. We'd have nowhere to go. Plus, I'm assuming that you wouldn't want to go back to the Twelfth, do you?"
"Psht, not with that alien freak Kurotsuchi there," I scoff, rolling my eyes.
"We're in a bind though with this entire spiel. Soul Society's mainly focused on Shinji, Love, Rose, and Kensei. The old Captains."
"So?"
"Don't you get it?" Lisa inquires softly. "We're gonna have to split up. Us – Hachi, Mashiro, you, and me one way; the others another way."
My heart almost stops. But before I can regain my landing, Lisa continues, "We'll never see 'em again. They'll retain whatever positions they had those years ago – Shinji, Rose, and Kensei for sure . . . I don't know about Love. The Seventh is commanded by that wolf Shinigami."
"No," I breathe. "Kensei told me about this – he said that he didn't want to take back his position!"
"Relax, he still doesn't. The Central 46 is really pushin' him though."
"No way." I am shaking my head hard. "No fucking way!" I pound the wall with my fist as hard as I can. An aftershock from the impact rips through my arm and I yelp in astonishment.
"Chill, Hiyori." Lisa puts her strong hands on my shoulders. "You ain't finished healing, so you shouldn't putting so much stress on your body."
"Fuck that!" I twist out of her grasp. "There's no way they're leavin' us! No fuckin' way! That's the most fuckin' bullshit in the entire world! I mean, seriously! Why the fuck would they be fuckin' stupid enough as to accept a trippy offer like that?"
"Which is why we're gonna tell them that in about a week."
A week. My pulse is just about ready to rip out of chest. I'm that worked up. "What?"
"Exactly what I said," Lisa nods. "We're gonna all meet together at that old place we always went to – you know, downtown? – and settle this once and for all. All eight of us negotiating like mature adults."
I notice the emphasis on mature adults. Surely, she's not talking about me – I'm as mature as they come. It's Mashiro who needs to grow up, right? Bawling and whining like a big fat baby, "Keeenseei!" here and "Keeeenseeei!" there. The very semblance of immature lives inside of Kuna Mashiro.
I'm a bit concerned for the girl, though. She's pretty stuck to Kensei, always hanging around him like a pathetic lost puppy. She tries to endear him and take on that complaisant little lamb image. Mashiro won't bear the idea of her ex-Captain leaving well at all. Some probable reactions to this shocking ordeal would be an ear-splitting scream followed by a cacophony of annoying wailing and ululating or a lunge towards anyone convenient beside her with a dismayed death embrace all packed together with a well of salty Mashiro tears. Simply put, it ain't gonna go well.
"Yeah," I say quietly. "I was guessin' we were gonna do somethin' like this eventually."
Stupefaction appears on Lisa's face. "You did?"
"Why are you surprised? Of course I'd be aware of this beforehand. Did you think I was some kind of clueless and fresh little brat like Mashiro?" I snap.
"No, it's just that I didn't think that you would foresee this," Lisa explains slowly. She suspiciously sounds like she doesn't believe me. "That shows a lot of . . . change in you, Hiyori."
I narrow my eyes. "What are you implying?"
"Oh, nothing at all," she says in her bland voice. "I had no implications of anything – directed towards you nor anyone else – at all. But just remember, a week and we go or stay."
Hitsugaya, that infuriating little brat, visits Hinamori at least once every other day. He brings a fresh load of those stupid daffodils with him and a new book for Hinamori tucked under his arm. He completely ignores me. So I ignore him.
The only interactions we exchange are evil glares and cold nods. We've both made this silent pact not to disgruntle Hinamori because otherwise, she'd make us shake hands and play besties again. If there's one thing that we both actually agree on, is no more contact.
However, I sometimes crack a joke about the little bastard's height just for the fun of it. The way his face scrunches up and turns nasty is fucking hilarious, and the way he tries to suppress his anger and continue ignoring me is just priceless.
I've noticed that whenever the midget leaves us to go back to work as child prodigy Captain, he tends to linger a bit and watch what me and Hinamori do – or rather stand by the doorway and listen. It's unsettling, really. I'm always bracing myself in case he spontaneously leaps back into the room, screaming and hollering like a monster, and scares the shit out of us as some sort of sick prank.
One day, he comes when Hinamori happens to be at a check-up with Unohana.
"She ain't here," I say curtly when he saunters in. I do not look up from my dinner of chicken and beans. Unohana says that both Hinamori and I are not on liquid diet anymore. Hallelujah.
By all accounts, Momo progressed "more productively" than I, thus allowing her to spend less time on the diet, despite the that she started weeks after me. Lucky girl.
"I'm aware of that," he says coolly. I tersely raise my eyes upwards to regard him. "I believe she has her examination at this time."
"Then why're ya here."
"I need to speak with you."
I cross my arms. "What for? Make it snappy 'cause I ain't got all day, midget."
Hitsugaya rolls his eyes. But he turns serious. "Have you noticed?"
"Noticed what?" I reply bluntly.
"Hinamori. Her condition has been improving ever since boarding with you, Sarugaki."
Improving. Honestly, I had never thought about such a thing. Confused, I respond whilst chewing my food, "Bullshit. It's the medicine. The goddamned liquid diet. The shots and shit. I ain't got nothin' to do with that. Get outta here and go thank Unohana."
But the bastard shakes his head slowly. "No. That's not true."
I swallow. I set my food tray down by my night stand and crawl out of bed to accost him. "Okay then, what the hell are ya talkin' about?"
Hitsugaya sighs heavily. "Look, Hinamori's been really down before she met you. Depression, anorexia, bulimia, all sorts of unwanted conditions and eating disorders."
I nod. "Go on."
"They tried almost everything. Antibiotics, pills, shots, practically everything you can think of to cure her problems. But it's a double-fronted battle; the medicine does a half of the work, and the rest? It's up to the patient to wrap it up.
"When Hinamori became your roommate, however, I noticed that her conditions seemed to improve – intensely. She started talking more, socializing more, eating more. She was returning to her old self." The midget locks his eyes on mine. "I believe you played a great role in this, am I right, Sarugaki?"
"Well, mostly the food part . . . it kinda started with me shoving a glass of water down her throa –" I shake my head. "But wait, what's the point? Whaddaya want in the first place?"
"I was just getting to that. Sarugaki, I've seen you two interact. You guys are good friends and you've got a real bond going."
"Psht, a bond? I've only known the girl for what? A little more than two weeks?" I snort. "Bonds take years. And don't give me that crap. It's impossible to bond over liquid diet and stupid Jane Austen novels."
"Which is exactly my point. What I'm trying to say is that you made this happen and whatever you're doing . . . you're having a grandiose effect on Hinamori's heath." He smiles a little sheepishly but immediately reverts back to his professional composure. "I know it's not right for me to ask you this, but I'd like you to keep on doing that."
I am tongue-tied. The only response I could think of is, "What."
"Do have to repeat myself? It's obvious that your presence is affecting Hinamori in a good way. What I'd hope you do is to keep doing things the way you do," he repeats with a tinge of annoyance.
"Not with that tone I will, midget."
"Why you insolent –"
"Insolent?" I sneer. "Who the hell uses that nerd word these days? What are you? A wrinkly, bald geezer?"
The midget shoots me an evil look and turns around towards the door, muttering under his breath, "You know what? Maybe I shouldn't have come here in the first place."
"Hey, hey, hey. Wait up a sec."
He turns his head unenthusiastically. "What."
"Listen kiddo, er, Hitsugaya. I'll step up to your offer."
The kid Captain whips around. "Seriously?"
I bob my head up and down. "Yeah, Hinamori's a friend. I'll make sure she recovers in no time. I swear my life on it."
"Thank you, Sarugaki. That really –"
"But that doesn't give you the excuse to get all friendly on me," I snap.
Hitsugaya narrows his eyes. "Yeah."
"And Hitsugaya? We never had this conversation today, got it?"
"Of course."
