The Other One

by I've got Rhythm in my Soul

Enter Mai Li, new student, non-conformist, social retard and all around doomed teen. Meeting Ichigo Kurosaki just made it worse...

10. The Importance of Being Ichigo Part 2

Disclaimer: Nope! Can't say that I own it.

Sorry for the long wait guys; I've just managed to hand in my Honour's Project and have therefore officially completed my degree course… HOLY SHIT! I'VE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO COMPLETE MY DEGREE! AFTER REDOING THE WHOLE THING! AHHHHHHHH! ADULTHOOD! I'M NOT WORTHY WAHAHAAAAAAA!

Cough! Sorry about that. It blows my fragile little mind. But anyway….

I'm pooped. Exhausted. Emotionally, mentally etc. But I've missed doing this so I squeezed this chap out of my drained self. Sorry if it's a little slap happy or strange; I was in a half coma whilst typing it.

Okay, weirdness time: IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN READING THE MANGA AND DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS REVEALED DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH – GO STRAIGHT TO THE REPLIES/REVIEWS.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

It was finally revealed: Ichigo's Quincy origin. Awesomesauce. The very strange thing? I'd actually kind of theorized that this would happen. Well, more accurately I thought that Masaki Kurosaki was either a) a soul reaper which I immediately discounted on the single point that Tite Kubo's character has, so far, been so unpredictable that it's almost predictable… or is it the other way around? I'm probably wrong. Anyway, I thought that he probably wouldn't have both Ichigo's parents being shinigami. B) a normal human that can see spirits or c) …a Quincy.

Which would inevitably link him to Uryu which is always fun.

And for this story I'd actually already chosen C. Now I have no idea what to do. But fear not! I will figure it out.

Oh, and to those who have worried about me not finishing this fic - don't be! I'm just currently moving a little slow.

Memory25: I'm happy you're happy. The thing about Ichigo being beautiful to Mai is based more on how she thinks he's far better person than she is. She hasn't placed him on a pedistal... it's just who she thinks he is... or has the potential to be. At least that's what she currently thinks.

Okami Princess: Yeah... it was kind of like a wolf whistle huh. Well, Mai isn't romantically dead she's just blind to certain aspects of her life. It hasn't occurred to her that her thinking Ichigo is beautiful might be a compliment to his looks. Boy will that hit her like a bowling ball to the stomach.

Notreallyaname: I know, I totally know. All the things I could do, will do... happy sigh. I like to make characters reactions as detailed as I can however I will apologise for this chapter since I was running on a low battery throughout the entirity of its making. I'm sorry if it's not up to whak.

Bored411: I'm sorry but thw whole Kon thing will be shown in the next chapter. Why? Because this chapter wound up being longer than I expected and certain reviewers complained about chapter lengths being too long for their tastes. Not that I'm going to change or anything but if I'd included everything I wouldn't have gotten this chapter out before christmas.

Chapter 9:

The Importance of Being (who you are) Ichigo (and not Kon) Part 2

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Monday

For two people in class 1:3, procrastination was an art unto itself: the only lesson worth adhering to.

School: not the educational institution its function pertained to.

Its purpose was to specifically fund the machinations of strange and unusual friendships; a literal meeting place for buddies.

Seen as the perfect means to stave off tedium; not a remedy for curing ignorance. And definitely not an instructive resource, I mean heaven forbid they actually learn anything.

Mizuiro and Keigo: the poster boys for 'SLACKER'.

And didn't they just love it?

Heck, they took pride in their art, a conceit which made little sense to those around them. They lived by their own rules, created their own borders and boundaries (of which they had zero; seriously, just test them) and revelled in how their strangeness; an attribute analogous to their friends.

For they were all odd in their ways. Those they were closest to were the most strange.

Like Tatsuki. She possessed the might of her Vale Tudo reasoning, her excessive need to prove her feminine worth regardless of her masculine countenance and her unfailing if not hopeless hopes and dreams for the future. Most of these she made known, but a few of them she kept close to her heart. A heart more fragile than even she knew.

If Mizuiro was the push to Keigo's shove then Tatsuki would always be the predicable reactor; fashioned to argue, a stirring of hormones, argumentative and violent in the face of Keigo's footloose and fancy free style of living.

From an outsiders point of view it wouldn't be too far fetched to consider the two an item.

Except both would rather die tragic and painful deaths (no, the author isn't over-reacting) before that became a reality: a too scary for words reality, in which mortification took prevalence.

Yep. Never going to happen.

The impenetrable force field that is Chad, spokesman for cute things and deceptive appearances brought a certain kind of flavour and peace to a group that was sorely lacking in the latter.

Of course you couldn't miss the ever present charms of a certain bountiful goddess, oh lady of the bosom: Orihime Inoue. The Princess of WOW, the dream of all first year, second year and third year boys, there to inspire. A hope, a vision, a prize never to be won: only to be worshipped from afar…

Not that it stopped Keigo from trying or anything. Eye roll ensue…

Unfortunately for his sad, sad soul Orihime would be forever unattainable… for reasons better left untouched. For now anyway.

Mizuiro in all this was the cheerleader, the rumour mill, the conspirator and the resourceful one in pursuit of decency. Not in himself - not a chance in hell, but in others who in turn could witness in him valuable traits hidden beneath streams of compulsive lies.

Ichigo Kurosaki had been the first to do so.

Mizuiro's unfailing ability to form excuses at the drop of a hat was a defence the orange haired teen had perceived as a respectable tool to be made use of over and over in the short time he'd been at Karakura High. From Mizuiro's point of the view the guy was a magnet for trouble in so many ways… and yet he was probably the most decent bloke this side of Tokyo.

Both friends took particular delight in playing him: his straight man to their stupidity. Always the easy target.

They often wondered how someone his age could be so serious. And yet he was probably the most secretive of them all; they were so sure of this that they each took turns in spying on the guy. But he always seemed to loose them.

But if Ichigo was strange then they had been completely unprepared for the conundrum of Mai Li.

So unassuming and determined to be invisible she stood out the most. The knowing of her eyes should have looked out of place with the youth of her face but it didn't. She literally came out of nowhere with an openness absent in most teenagers. But best of all she allowed Keigo to hug her. That gave her ten out of ten right then and there.

Keigo, having moved swiftly passed the 'to never again be mentioned' events of Friday's final lesson, now watched once again with searching eyes the occupants within the classroom he currently sat in.

But not in a chair: his butt was presently parked on the roof of his desk.

Mizuiro at the desk next to him; his deft fingers playing musical notes as he typed, texting suggestive messages with the buttons of his phone.

Keigo's eyes flickered over to his friend momentarily as he reminisced. He'd come upon a revelation in recent days, one he'd shared with Miz.

It went something a little like this: wouldn't he be able to cause colossal amounts of chaos resulting in the unending entertainment and unification of his closest friends with the biological answer to his question by his side?

He needed a girl!

…This wasn't much of a surprise but that's not the point…

It would be natural for a man (because he was already such a man! A gentleman in fact!) to want the best of both worlds?

Function of female: fun.

Of course Mizuiro would be their Commander and Chief. It wasn't the first time he'd thought about this. He already had the Silent Bob to his Jay, now he needed the Sarah to his Chuck. How much of a blast could he have then?

True, he frolicked like an idiot around his friends. And flirt? Completely without finesse.

Once, a long time ago, in a memory far far away, the universe asked Keigo the ultimate question: to be an idiot or not to be an idiot?

After much deliberation he'd declared himself a true moron.

And boredom for morons was indeed a dangerous pastime.

But finding the perfect girl… that was a true challenge befitting of Keigo Asano.

Unfortunately the girl's of class 1:3 were already well aware of Keigo's manoeuvrings.

So basically… he was screwed.

As it was all he could do now was offset the ennui. Regrettably he wasn't making any progress. Staring out of the classroom window he sighed, forlorn.

Bored.

Glazed eyes then searched the classroom: Ichigo hadn't arrived yet nor Chad.

Sigh…

His eyes trespassed over Orihime's brightly lit, curvaceous form and a growl of pure 'Keigo romance' lifted itself from inside his chest-

Fingernails tapping against a desk surface, their cadence echoing loudly in his ears like the drums of a death march caused him to falter. Jolting upright and sensing danger like a bunny, Keigo's eyes leaned left only to be caught in Tatsuki's dark glare.

He swallowed…Crap!

Having trapped him in her sights she lifted her tapping fingers and made a fist at him; her cheek twitching, her eyes livid in their warning and the index finger of her other hand slicing swiftly across her throat.

Getting the message he spun back around quickly. Yes ma'am, steering clear of Orihime!

Shuddering out another sigh his eyes glanced about him once more. So bored… He paused as his sight drifted over a figure sat at the back of the classroom. Perfect black hair moved as the head shifted; sharp blue eyes from behind even sharper looking spectacles fixed on him inquisitively.

UGH! H-he's staring at me! No, wait, he's looking just behind me… Keigo blinked and shook his head. Ah! What does that matter?! His hands grabbed onto his hair sensationally. I'M BEING STARED AT BY A DUDE!

Before his brain could suffer catatonia from trauma induced overload the dark haired teenager lifted a middle finger and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He sniffed haughtily then looked back down towards his book.

Keigo's sweat covered brow twitched.

What's that guy's problem?

Realising now however that Mizuiro was the only other living organism in the class who'd give him the time of day he turned his attentions on him: as usual he always found a way to pass the time.

"Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with…"

Without moving an inch Mizuiro spoke as he stared at the screen of his mobile. "We're playing this game again?"

Keigo huffed, leaning both elbows on his knees. "I'm bored and you're not helping."

"Yes, well I have girls to text."

There was a moments silence before Keigo spoke again, this time with slow anticipation.

"Mizuiro?"

"Yep?"

Keigo struck up a gallant tone. "Any chanced they'd be interested in a-"

"No."

"But-"

"No. No you're not allowed to talk to, go near, date or sleep with any of my girlfriends." Mizuiro uttered in a monotone.

"Dude, share!" He demanded.

"They're not pieces of candy Keigo Asano."

"Oh come on man! You're my BFF, wingman, bro ho! Together for life!" Keigo implored in his ear at high volume.

Mizuiro's indifferent countenance angled upwards to meet impassioned eyes. "This is me Keigo. This me not caring." He looked back down towards his phone.

"But you have many girlfriends!"

The smallest of nonchalant smiles, because the statement was pure fact, flickered across Mizuiro's boyish jaw. "I know."

There was an extensive pause in which Keigo's eyes narrowed slowly at his friend.

"…You bitch."

"Jerk."

"Man whore!"

Eyes blinking spastically, Mizuiro's head shot up to gasp innocently. "I am not!"

"You are most definitely the biggest man whore in Karakura! You're like the next Hugh Hefner!" Keigo accused, pointing a sole finger in Mizuiro's face.

"Just scream it out on the roof tops why don't you!" Mizuiro quickly looked around, eyes panicked. "Seriously, the guys in Naruki didn't quite hear you!"

Keigo just looked down at him from his perch. "It isn't exactly a secret, man."

"It isn't?!"

"Oh, like you don't know your own reputation!" He snapped, folding his arms like a petulant child.

"Yeah, but this takes all the respectability out of it!" Mizuiro moaned.

"At least you have a rep to shame!" Keigo whined.

Seeing Keigo's angst filled face Mizuiro rolled his eyes. "You're droning on Keigo." He glanced back down at his phone, already over the whole situation.

"Then play with me!"

Sigh. "Fine." His eyes flickered up and searched. "Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with… s."

"Shoko Kusama's new 'should definitely be made illegal' black dragonfly tattoo. It's located on the back of her left thigh by the way." Keigo answered immediately.

Mizuiro's eyes flickered up at Keigo for a second. "That's kind of scary."

A self-satisfied exhale. "It's a gift."

"Uh-huh. Your turn."

"Okay! Let's see, let's see… ooh, got it! Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with 'p'."

Glancing about him, Mizuiro chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Hmmm… Purple. The colour of Mahana's bra strap; in this light you can just see it through her shirt."

Keigo winked shooting two fingers mimicking pistols at Mizuiro. "That is the correct answer!"

"What are you talking about?" Came a voice from behind the two partners in crime.

"AH!" Keigo exclaimed, immediately jumping about fifty feet in the air.

"Sorry!" The female voice exclaimed.

Ass back on earth he spun around, he seat scraping across the floor beneath his feet. "Mai!" He yelled in surprise and she smiled slightly.

"Hey." Her head tilted to the side, pieces of dark fringe falling lightly into her eyes. "So… what were you both talking about?"

Keigo started, then realising their conversation had held a 'no females allowed' sign attached raised both arms to wave in refutation about three inches in front of her face. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" He craned his head to look pleading at his best friend, ignoring how Mai was leaning back from the waist and away from his flourishing limbs with raised brows. "Right Mizuiro?"

A genuine smile of complete duplicity. "Right."

She glanced between the two boys, her right hand securing the strap of her bag to her shoulder. "Okay." She agreed, dryly. "Morning Mizuiro."

He closed his phone and chimed, "Good Morning!" Then he twisted out of his seat, stepped lightly around Keigo and gave her a smooth hip bump.

All thought came to a standstill for one Keigo Asano who twitched; eyes snapping to the two previously bumped hips and his mouth opened in wordless envy.

Mizuiro smiled sweetly with his hands clasped at his front.

Mai didn't notice (or didn't care). Instead she simply glanced around the classroom as Keigo had done just minutes previously.

There was a certain lack of orange hair in the vicinity that she immediately picked upon. Its absence was completed by the non-attendance of the black haired pixie normally perched this time of morning on his shoulder.

She let out a breath; her eyes gazed into nowhere as memories of the previous Friday floated back to her.

"Rukia!"

Shouting without drawing any attention to oneself should be considered a talent worth of progress, especially when the culprit had only seconds ago been sprinting for a full five minutes. Accentuated stamina or no it was a difficult task to perform. Mai's footsteps came to a halt just a few feet from where the once and future shinigami female hovered, standing concerned for her apprentice of sorts.

The dark haired death guardian jolted, startled. "Huh?" Turning from her cove in the alley way Rukia blinked at Mai's softly panting form.

"Er, what is it Mai?"

The girl stood up straight, taking a measured breath. When her eyes flashed open again all evidence of strain had been extinguished. The emerald like instruments of visual necessitate flickered over to where Ichigo was currently slaying a rather long hollow about thirty metres away on the pathway from behind the high brick where Rukia was previously peering around. Moving slightly to the right she also caught a glimpse of the substitute's body littering the dirty cobble walk. Again.

She looked back at Rukia. "I need you to promise me something Rukia."

Rukia quirked a brow. "What?"

Mai gestured towards the body on the ground. "Promise me you'll find a solution to this, to leaving Kurosaki's body anywhere in and around Karakura." The girl shook her head apologetically, but justifiably. "It isn't feasible… and it's really bad for my mental health."

"What do you mean?" Rukia queried, intrigued though she already knew.

Mai let out another breath and spoke with trepidation. "I didn't mention this but a few days ago I found a homeless man poking it for cash." By the complete and utter bluntness of her tone Rukia could barely suppress the twitch her upper lip betrayed as an image descriptive of her words slammed into view.

"Yesterday…" Mai continued, "…a group of third year's tried to bleach his hair black. Today three of his enthusiasts got a little too fervent for their own good and started to ah, er…" Her eyes searched for an appropriate word to use but as the semantics of the memory got to her she gave a vigorous shake of her head with a slightly sick expression etched across her features. "You don't want to know."

"Enthusiasts?" Rukia queried naively.

"Fan-girls."

For a moment dark blue eyes gazed into red brick as she contemplated. Then…

Ah-uh! She turned open-mouthed and wide eyed to stare disbelievingly at her friend who nodded almost solemnly.

The world could have exploded; it was that big a deal.

Blown away by the idea that Ichigo's looks could be considered worthy of such attention, Rukia's eyebrows shot high into her hair line. "He has fan-girls?"

"Apparently. They're a mix of first, second and third years."

"O-oh." She spluttered having no idea how else to react.

Performing her obligatory but incredibly awkward half shrug thing, Mai elaborated needlessly. Less is more in some cases and this definitely fell into that category. "According to Ryo they gather in secret."

"…I see."

Ichigo with a fan group? It was as if the logic of the universe had decided that common sense was impractical.

Waiting for the glazed-eyed Rukia to return to the land of the 'now', Mai took a step closer keeping a furtive eye on Ichigo's soul reaper form in the distance as it weaved in and out of several thin hollow leg-like things. He was almost finished, managing to swerve as he landed a swift blow to the side face of the hollow's mask. A small smile slowly grew on her lips at the effort imbued in his grunts, and at his triumphant cry of 'hell yeah!'

Her incredible friend really did try so hard to deny the undeniable…

"Don't worry Mai; I've got everything under control!" Rukia spoke so suddenly the girl actually stumbled but managed to shake herself as she turned back to face Kuchiki. The ex- soul reaper's small hand was raised with two fingers pointing a peace sign to the sky.

"You're using a peace sign? Seriously?"

Smirking, Rukia folded her arms over her chest. "Don't fret so much Mai. I really do have the situation handled."

The odd girl looked at her, leaning on one leg. It wasn't difficult to discern the honesty in those eyes anymore, especially with them being offered to willingly. After a few seconds Mai nodded; her suspicions corroborated.

"You conferred with Urahara."

A black brow raised itself along with a returned nod but Rukia betrayed no other sign of surprise or inkling.

Making sure however that Kisuke understood the dangers of leaving a fifteen year old teenager's body lie practically anywhere whilst its enhanced soul dealt with spiritual abhors.

And she'd made sure to utilise the magic words: "Oh Obi-wan, you're my only hope".

The inevitable grin that spread across his lips had reassured her of his aid before he'd given a reply but with the bizarre way his mind worked, like the stigma of all genius scientists, who knew what his answer would be.

She did hope that by now Rukia and Kurosaki had a more efficient method of hollow hunting because she knew, she just knew, that if Ichigo left to face yet another hollow with his body just lying around she'd be forced to follow him. Stalking was illegal in (I hope) every state; she didn't want to push her luck.

As her mind wandered Keigo shuffled closer to her side; not with a hope in hell's chance of gaining flirtatious attention mind, but with a nervous attempt at concealing evidence. "Er, Mai? He, he… yeah, how long were you standing there?"

Blinking back to the present Mai turned squarely and looked at him directly. "Since the dawn of time."

"E-er, ah…"

Feeling somewhat sorry for him she smiled, deciding to ameliorate. "I'm just kidding. I was standing there for about three minutes."

"O-oh, right!" Feeling fabulously better he nodded happily, wiping the sweat plaguing his upper lip… until the full implication of how much she'd heard smacked at him. "…Oh." His expression plummeted. "Uh, well…um…" Keigo floundered and her eyes began to flux in colour as she observed him in concern.

"What is it?" Did I do something wrong?

The fact that she didn't seem to be even remotely perturbed by the nonsense the two partners in crime had spewed turned Keigo's mind in a loop: having no reaction wasn't a response he was used to females expressing. Normally, receiving no caveat when women retaliated (cough 'Tatsuki' cough) the resulting mess typically involved a broken nose. And neither boy had exactly been deferential in regards to their gender counterparts.

Yet she just stood there, her forehead furrowing in fretful confusion. Yes, Mai was definitely a conundrum.

However the effort of actually utilizing more than one brain cell before lunch break was making his head hurt. "W-well…"

But his plea to the goddess of justice for all hopeful high school perverts was cut off in premature flight (like so many other things in his short life) by a loud and overly shiny salutation.

"Good morning everyone!"

Distracted, Mai turned her head towards the open doorway where Rukia Kuchiki stood beaming with the will of the sun. She moved forwards in speedy exaltation and yet somehow managed to maintain her usual saunter.

Wow…

She swore the façade of perfect sparkles glimmering through her aura mirrored clearly in any reflected surface including the eyes of each student she passed. Mai was sure she'd be glimpsing stars under the lids of her eyes for days after this.

Well, she is the perfect con artist after all… and she has it down to an art form. Mai allowed, finding the facet more intriguing than anything else and had no qualms with it.

She certainly had one Keigo Asano hooked, that's for sure.

With prompt this hopeless teen immediately pounced, spinning round, a crimson blush spreading on his upper cheeks, and his 'love bug' dramatics in high supply.

"Looking lovely as always Rukia!" The dreamy smile on his face was outdone only by the proverbial rose coloured spectacles covering his eyes.

It was strange for Mai to witness a woman who appeared as young as Rukia did (but who was in fact several times the age of that appearance) falter somewhat over youthful declarations of adoration. Even if her experience with such spurts of angst were nil, her years of life alone should have compensated for the offset.

But witnessing Rukia's lashes flutter all over the place to cover her mystification as to the boy's closed eyes and the many, many hearts flying to and fro about his head… Obviously not.

Cautiously edging around the exuberant Keigo Rukia covered her mouth with a single dainty hand in a vain attempt to remain her usual demure self as sweat drops popped into existence across her forehead. It was clear for the world to see that the ex-shinigami wasn't yet use to normal teenage machinations… she was, however an alarmingly fast learner.

"Why thank you Keigo!"

"You're welcome Rukia!"

After springing up from performing a cutsie-curtsey violet eyes flashed towards Mai who blinked at her. So Rukia wanted to talk with her? Thankfully today her approach wasn't anything remotely resembling her last attempt. She didn't want to tempt sinister feelings she still couldn't comprehend.

…Feelings that felt too present within her core to be a random incidence.

Taking a huge step around Keigo, Rukia advanced on Mai; the sparkles around her sunshine-and-rosy-faced-self twinkled like crazy.

"Mai, may I steal you for a moment?" She queried happily.

Steal me?

Mai cocked a brow. "…Er, sure-"

"Great!"

Without further ado a small hand whipped out and gripped her arm hauling a perplexed Mai eagerly across the classroom. An expression of excited anticipation spread brightly across Rukia's face. She forced Mai down into her seat, planted her hands as leverage on the wood and leaned her upper body across the desk towards the girl's face.

"I got it!" She exclaimed; victory echoing in those dancing eyes.

Staring at her in silent surprise Mai tried for articulation. "You got what exactly?" She tried and failed to ignore how Keigo gawked from across the room; his mouth open mid-sentence as Mizuiro blinked in bemusement.

"This!"

Rukia's hand shot out from behind her blazer. In its grasp a cylindrical shaped object protruded from under her thumb and she shoved it gaily in Mai's face.

It looked like a duck… an ugly white duck with no hair and obscenely feminine eyelashes.

"A Pez dispenser?" Mai queried, deadpan.

The open mouthed smile on Rukia's face fell off like tree-sap.

"What? No!" She lifted two of her fingers from around the object and presented a bright, candy green logo. "It's substitute soul candy! Gikongan!"

This was said as if it explained everything.

"Gikon-what?!"

"It's a soul reaper transformation item!" Rukia elaborated. "One of the most fashionable and preferred modes of hollow warfare available! Fully functional, it incorporates an ideal personality for any guardian this side of Japan! Created by the soul society, enhanced by the science department, and crafted by the Kido Corps at the behest of the women's league of soul reapers! This one is Yuki: duck edition!"

Mai blinked. "Are you trying to sell it to me or is there an actual reason for this advertisement?"

Rukia rolled her eyes, somehow managing to remain perky while she did. "It's for Ichigo. A substitute soul to harbour in his body while he rushes off to face the forces of evil!" She beamed another grin and folded her arms, waiting for the response she expected.

Eyes flickering from Rukia's contented face to the so-called 'soul candy' now prominently situated on the desk, Mai frowned. "This is your answer?"

"I voted on it with Kisuke; it was unanimous." She shrugged but her aura gave off an air of accomplishment. "We don't have to leave his body around like a dead pig any more! Feel better about it now?"

"Honestly?" Mai glanced once again at the item and made a face. "No."

Her friend blinked out of her smug pose. "What? Why?"

Mai's head tilted sideways in consideration. "Its… it's kind of creepy. Actually it's very creepy."

"It isn't creepy!" Rukia claimed vehemently.

"It is insanely creepy Rukia Kuchiki!"

"How is this creepy?"

Chewing on her upper lip, Mai deliberated on a way she could phrase her concern without insulting the very small package of extremely lethal temperament currently tapping her foot tetchily on the class room floor.

Proceed with caution… "It's a whole other soul." She began slowly. "A soul that isn't Kurosaki's residing within Kurosaki's body and maintaining the image that is 'Kurosaki'?" Her fingers theatrically highlight certain parts. "A soul abiding by a predetermined set of values and attitudes not its own and ultimately taking on these traits to appease its proprietor… eww…"

"Eww?"

Leaning her cheek on her right hand and peering down at the object Mai let out a breath. "I don't think Ichigo will go for it."

"He doesn't have to go for it. I'll just have to show him. I'll remove him from his body for while; inject the substitute soul directly into his system and…"

A soft tinkering of laughter escaping from the soulful eyed girl across from her ceased the no-nonsense directive.

"All with his permission?" Green eyes lit up in amusement.

As is to contradict this image of harmless frivolity Rukia glanced at her impassively. "Do you really think we'd have gotten as much accomplished as we have if I were to allow him to dispute, criticise or object to everything I've tried to inform, teach, or show him?"

"…I can feel the affection from here." Mai pressed her lips together for a moment. "He really was right about you, wasn't he?"

"Huh?"

She waved a good natured hand to dispel the suspicion in those large indigo narrowed eyes. "Never mind."

Her eyes fell back to the duck-Pez-like-thing and frowned when a thought absolutely worthy of scrutiny swam into her conscious mind. An orange question mark (forever dyed since her very first orange question mark) popped into existence above her skull.

"Why a duck?"

It was an honest question and she was curious. As always she was curious.

Unprepared, Rukia blinked. "Sorry?"

"Why a duck and not something that makes more sense? Are they in range or something? Like a product line?" What a strange thought. A commodity of off the shelf souls in command for a price…

Confusingly enough a blush spread like wild fire across Rukia's cheek bones. "O-oh it-it doesn't matter! They're in high demand so you have to take what you can get!" She floundered, huffed and puffed. "I asked for Chappie the Rabbit but they were out of stock!"

"Chappie the Rabbit?" …What?

"It's a bunny!"

Mai tilted her head and looked at her straight-faced.

"You… wanted the bunny?"

She was somewhat concerned for her mental health. I've never met a person who liked bunnies so much…

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! DON'T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY! SO I LIKE BUNNIES, WHAT OF IT?!" Another blush exploded across the face of Rukia's embarrassed expression.

Whoops…

"I'M SORRY, I WAS JUST-"

"-ALL ESTEEMED FIGURES IN THE SOUL SOCIETY PREFER THE ADORABLE MACHINATIONS OF CHAPPIE! HE'S MARVELOUS!"

"ALRIGHT HE'S MARVELOUS! WHATEVER YOU SAY! I BELIEVE YOU! I'M SORRY FOR INSULTING YOU!"

The result of her words ended in Mai having her face mashed into the desk she sat in front of.

"YOU BETTER BE!" Rukia shouted; her mouth was pretty damn wide for a girl her size and her hand thoroughly squished the back of Mai's head down into the wood. "THIS PROXY WILL BE PERFECT, JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!"

"OKAY! I WILL!" Though muffled the words echoed throughout the room.

From the front of the class room Keigo nudged Mizuiro as he watched the two females perform their strange rituals. "Is the 'soul society' some kind of club?" He whispered from behind his hand.

Mizuiro shrugged. "It must be."

---

Mai

I was sure I'd bruised my nose on its unfortunate landing with the plane of polished wood but I couldn't help but sigh in a smile of pleased awareness. It made me happy; another piece of proof that I was detaching myself from the socially inept retard that stepped foot on Karakura soil so many weeks ago.

It was quite easy being Rukia's friend. There wasn't any of the usual tension in my shoulders that normally told of my appallingly vast inexperience with the subject of amity.

Though far more cautious, Rukia, like Ichigo, didn't easily judge the deficits of those around her. But maybe I shouldn't have broached the subject of the fabled 'Chappie Bunny', whatever that was exactly.

And speaking of Ichigo…

"I kind of want to ask what you're doing… but I also kind of don't."

As per the law of the galaxy, there he was! Ready and willing to witness whichever delightful situation I'd gotten myself into this time. He sounded mildly intrigued in that 'I really don't care but I also do' kind of way.

The verve of his reitsu was as strong as ever. I'd become aware of it just as he'd rounded the class room. But then again I'd already been waiting for its arrival. The verve rolled in waves, skimming over the various inhabitants of the classroom. I was sure that Uryu could feel it five seats away and was as we speak cursing its very existence. He'd seen me arrive earlier and I'd signalled him with a finger pressed to my lips to stay quiet. It was rare to receive a free moment were I could casually listen into a real 'boy' conversation, especially one that involved my friends. My friends. People that wanted to be familiar with me. Boys that thought I was worth it.

Listening to them was… insightful. And entertaining beyond belief. Friendly conversations between males were so much more interesting than females. Why was Keigo so scared of including me and the girls in on these forays into the male psyche? …Oh yeah, one word. Tatsuki. Right.

At Kurosaki's words Rukia's hand immediately left the back of my skull and I slowly I lifted my head, peering upwards first at Rukia whose blush was still painted like a permanent tattoo all over her face. Her lips were pursed but she rolled her eyes at the apology she observed in mine as if to say, 'seriously?'

I nodded, biting my lip once again and turned to glance at Kurosaki.

His hands were stuffed inside his trouser pockets, his head cocked to the side and he wore an expression that begged for an explanation. I noticed his stare was, once again, not aimed at Rukia.

"Hey." His scowl was in full swing this morning. The sharp angle of his brows pulled together as he indicated his head towards the route of his enquiry. "What did you say to make her highness loose it?"

Rukia's head jerked round to stare open mouthed at him. "Her highness?"

"Hey, I brought your breakfast up this morning and you weren't there. I'm not a hotel service." When he concentrated his frown on someone the lower half of his face didn't come into focus: it was if his eyes were his only prominent feature and they forced you to centre your attention on only them.

Especially when they were fixed so unconcernedly, or as undaunted as a scowl can get, at Rukia.

It was… nice that they felt comfortable enough with me to behave like themselves, even at such a watchful institution like school.

"I wasn't there because I was busy picking up this for you!" She snatched up the duck candy and shoved the device into his chest where it landed in his ready fingers.

He stared down at it for a moment.

"A Pez-Dispenser?"

I had to bite down, hard, on my lower lip to keep from laughing at the beyond annoyed expression on Rukia's face.

"Gikongan." She bit out.

"Whatever." He muttered still frowning down at the item in confusion. "Soul candy?"

"Substitute soul." I elaborated in an effort to save Rukia from herself.

His eyebrows lifted, a question mark popping up from his skull like a daisy.

"Soul expulsion requires an inordinate amount of energy to be expelled. It would only be fitting for the same amount of power to be utilized to fill the missing piece, to power the remaining shell for lack of a better term." I explained, trying to create a suitable reason for the need for a soul to be used like a spare part. "It's a standby soul, one to exist within you while you… you know…" I trailed off.

It took him a moment, one in which he glanced from me back down to the candy to process that.

"Huh?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "You've been complaining for a while now about how we have to leave your body on the sidewalk every time we go hollow hunting." She pointed a finger at the duck. "There's the answer!"

Ichigo's hard lined eyes stared at her for a second before they flickered towards me again and I did my utmost to keep my expression tailored in harmony with Rukia's winning grin.

I ended up with a weak, half smile.

He arched a brow at Rukia. "Uh-huh."

She made this crotchety sound at the back of her throat, her eyes narrowing impatiently towards the ceiling in a way that made me think that Ichigo got on her nerves like this every single day of the week.

"Come on. We're going."

His mouth fell open. "Wha…?"

Grasping the Gikongan she smiled upwards at him; the bogus genteel in her countenance present for all the class to witness from behind his back. "I need to show you how this thing works."

"But class is about to start! You can't just drag me off whenever you feel like it!"

"Just come on already!"

"If you've got something to say, say it here!"

From my position behind the desk the only visible portion of Rukia to be seen ended at the top of her thigh. So when her foot launched itself upwards I was unable to witness the muscles in her leg rotate in accommodation and therefore didn't realise the painful conclusion until Ichigo's upper body jerked and stiffened, his face contorted with sheer agony.

Oh… geez… ow.

"UNH!" A grunt squeezed its way from out of his oesophagus followed by the collective wince of every male in the class room.

I flinched pretty hard myself.

From the hips he fell forwards sucking in a shaky breath: one hand grasping at the desk while the other remained rigidly clamped on his left thigh.

My eyes were ginormous by now, comically wide and my stomach clenched in sympathy as I tried to grasp at comprehensive words. "Rukia, you-"

-Her hands came up; one each to grasp the cheeks on her face in theatrical woe. "Oh Ichigo! What happened to you?!"

Uh…ah…

Kurosaki's hunched over form twitched once. Without shifting those clenched shoulders he forced his head up to aim an almost perfect death glare at her through his fringe, somewhat marred by the panicked sweat carousing down the sides of his face; his eyebrows twitched with animosity.

"Totally… gonna… kill… you…" It came out in a wheeze.

With the majority of her face covered from the nosey eyes of the rest of the class by her stylishly swish hairstyle Rukia smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with wicked intent.

This time her hand lashed out endeavouring higher towards his sternum.

"Wait, Rukia-" I tried to shout, reaching out with my hand…

WHACK!

Such an abusive relationship…

Having the breath forced unceremoniously out of his lungs made his already beyond pissed off eyes enlarge, incredulous. "OOF!" His back buckled and the arm supporting his weight on the desk wrapped itself around his abdomen as he made a sound analogous to a dying moose. He flopped down past my line of sight and flumped just beyond my desk.

There was silence for about three seconds until a pitiful moan echoed up from the floor.

"…Oh-h."

There was a resigned sigh and I glanced dumbly at Rukia who just stood there with her hand covering her mouth as she mock gasped. "Oh dear! I better get you to the nurses office!"

And, without preamble, she reached down, grabbed a part of his anatomy, I'm guessing (hoping) was his ankle, and began to pull.

"H-hey, wait!" Ichigo gasped.

Rukia's head reappeared along with the rest of her as she strained and pulled on his ankle. "I need to… show you… something… move it!" She grunted, her teeth clenched and her eyes squeezed shut in effort.

Trying to input a note of rationality into an otherwise ridiculous scene I raised my hands as if to pacify. My eyes glanced about the class catching the many stares from bemused classmates.

"Er, Rukia? Wouldn't it be better to wait until break, I mean then you could-"

"NO!"

"…Okay." Right. Groovy. Continue.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Ichigo shouted at her, his other foot lashing out to push her back.

"Don't… be such… a baby!" Rukia grated out, still pulling and I swear I saw her fingers steal inside his pants leg and nip the skin there.

Chiyu had told me once that it was pretty painful for some men to have their leg hairs pulled and the resounded yowl from Ichigo more or less confirmed this.

"WHAT THE HELL, YOU FREAKING MIDGET!" My desk shuddered when he latched onto it for leverage.

Since it was Rukia here she, naturally, kicked him back, her little foot squishing into him with each jab. "MOVE IT!" Veins of irritation pounding blood under her skin stood out on her forehead.

"NO!"

"DO IT!"

"GET LOST!"

Rukia's small arms pulled once again, yanking on his ankle until finally, because with cause and effect something always has to give, I heard his body begin to slide across the floor.

The legs of my desk groaned threateningly as he clutched them with increased determination.

"AAHHHHRRRR…!"

"Come… on… already!" The balls of her feet pushed wilfully against the floor

"DAMMIT!" Another worrying creak. Then… "FINE!"

All movement seemed to cease from under the wood and I blinked along with the rest of the classroom, the majority of which were taking pictures and watching with unconcealed prying eyes.

Without any kind of warning a hand latched onto my ankle and pulled.

Well… this wasn't good.

I yelped first, clinging to the desk in a panic and trying to deliberate, calmly, on the many possible innocent reasons as to why Ichigo might be grabbing at my leg.

That all went out through the window when that same hand pulled again and my backside attempted to slide across my seat with the movement, eventually leaning dangerously over the wooden rim. "Ah-ha ah!"

What the does he think he's doing?! Even Rukia's stopped hauling him to the door to stare!

I pushed my feet against the flooring in an effort to stop my back from sliding further down the chair support. My arm saved my chin from almost smacking down into the desk; the fingers clutching tightly to the metallic side of the counter.

"Ah…" Eyes flickering to and fro over the rim of the desk, I settled on an open mouthed Mizuiro, Keigo and a just arrived Tatsuki who all appeared to be a little dumbfounded. I gave them a nervous kind of giggle that was meant to be reassuring but sooo wasn't and then vanished with a crash to the floor.

---

Being pulled through a minute gap between hard wooden chair and desk? Not a pleasant experience.

I yelled on landing; my back hitting the floor harder than expected.

Swiftly however, before I could even orientate myself my body was lugged across the floor with a tug that jerked my diaphragm and simultaneously made me cough.

I shook myself out of the surprised haze covering my brain, because for the life of me I couldn't wrap my head around the knowledge that my friend Ichigo Kurosaki was currently attempting to haul me across the floor by the ankle the same way Rukia was doing with him. The fact that we were surrounded by our class mates who were just standing there, mere minutes before first period was about to begin only helped quicken the shock.

Unable to view how astonished confusion transformed my eyes I tried to speak as calmly as possible; peering down the length of my body at strong fingers wrapped around my ankle, his face just south of them.

"W-what are you doing?! You… oh."

The sight of him curved around the left metallic desk leg was purely comical; I had to chew on the inside of my cheek to prevent laughter from bubbling out of nowhere before I remembered I was down on the classroom floor attracting far too much attention.

Like a cat threatened with soapy water he looked harassed; his left leg was arched high in the air into Rukia's willing hands. Even his hair stood on end… well, more than it usually did anyway.

Though horror-struck his brown eyes were unwaveringly obstinate as they snapped from my ankle towards my green ones. It was new and… disconcerting, having him stare up at me in such a way with us both lying all over the place.

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" He spazzed; his eyebrows arched every which way on his forehead.

"It look's like an adolescent panic attack."

"Appropriate considering that's EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS!" He pulled on me again and my arms flailed idiotically as I tried to avoid banging my head into the underside of the desk.

Exhaling as I stilled again I frowned at him "Is she really that bad?"

"She's worse Mai." He uttered straight-faced. "And you… are so going with me."

"Wait!"

With a final yank I came sliding out from under the desk with him in perfect view for all my classmates to see. However, before I could even blink away the gathering blush on my cheeks he was dragged sideways into the doorway by a clearly 'determined to succeed at all costs' Rukia Kuchiki. When I tried to resist the flow of movement Ichigo's left hand shot out to join his right and the pressure on my ankle increased in warning.

So. Not. Fair.

He was literally going to drag me out of class, was succeeding in dragging me out of class. So of course I did the normal thing…

I balked.

"I-I can't!" I stuttered presenting a meeker 'me' I wasn't even aware existed and trying as he had to grasp onto nearby desks to stem the tide of natural physics. Unfortunately I only ended up lugging them with me.

"Kurosaki, I have class! We have class!" It made sense to my oh-so-logical mind to try and input some reason into this so I did, shouting over the scrapes of metal on wood like nails on a chalk board.

To counter this Ichigo just growled as he continued to slip and slide. "Tell her that! I'm not going by myself!" He griped, his forehead bunched and sweating in effort.

"You're the one with the iron grip on my ankle!"

But he wasn't listening.

"I swear she's using a binding spell on me again…"

For a moment I was diverted. "Sorry?"

"I can't get up." He said, eyes snapping back to me. "I keep trying to move but it's like I'm glued to the fricking floor!"

"Wait, is that why I can't move too?" My head tilted as I inquired.

"Probably." He muttered darkly.

She used a binding spell on him? What was a binding spell? Some sort of energy bind maybe, equivalent to a kind of stasis or locking mechanism? One that works with a person's lowest centre of gravity? …How was it affecting me too? Better still, how was I going to break free of it in front of God and all his saints? The entire class was observing, gazing at our, not quite as subtle as Rukia had hoped, exit.

Glancing at us both Rukia could only groan in exasperation. "Oh fine then! Both of you move it already!" She heaved once again on his foot and he slid further pulling me through the open doorway too and down the shiny hall floor…

Ugh!

My head flopped back, hair and all buffeting against the cold floor and I sighed.

This was just great. Brill-o.

I did not see this one coming today. So much for clairvoyance.

The lights over head passed us by and I began to count. Then, as per usual a really serious thought popped into my subconscious.

"For such a tiny person she's really-"

"-Strong?" Ichigo's voice carried towards me in an undertone. "Tell me about it."

More like strong willed than physically strong… I shook my head, snapping out of it. "This is ridiculous."

"So is life." He responded just as grouchily.

"Tell me about it."

But just because the universe seemed to take a rather perverted delight in proving us so astoundingly correct Miss Ochi chose this perfect time to push through the doors leading from the third floor stair case.

Everyone and everything stopped still.

My mouth opened as Ichigo's snapped shut.

Eyes wide my cheek twitched at the utterly bamboozled expression on our teacher's face. The hair held so perfectly in one bobble seemed to wilt as several small strands sprang free accentuating her puzzled state. Finally she stepped forward, walking curiously towards us.

Her black loafers stopped casually by my head.

Now any other student would probably begin stuttering out excuses as to why they were being toured out of class instead of towards it but Ichigo… he just lay back, cool as a cucumber as if it had been his plan all along to be dragged through the corridor in such a way.

I just looked up at her and waved. "Good Morning Miss Ochi."

"Good Morning." She replied quite normally, as if seeing the tiniest student in class dragging the most hot-headed one who had an unrelenting grip on the class's self-effacing busy body was an every day occurrence.

"Mai Li? Ichigo? Rukia?" She said, glancing from me to Kurosaki and then Rukia in sequence.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Yo." Ichigo replied casually.

"Morning!" Rukia tooted. She hadn't, I realised, dropped her grip on the ankle she was currently squeezing the life out of.

Miss Ochi smiled at us as if everything was a-okay.

She nodded contemplatively, possibly intuitively seeing something beyond us with her clipboard up high in the air with one hand. "Well you look like you're all busy! I'll see you later in class, okay guys! Remember! Work hard, play hard!"

"Right Miss Ochi!" We all chorused sweatdropping.

Happy with her blessing our teacher almost skipped in self appeasement towards our classroom and we watched her leave with blank expressions of unbelievable confusion.

What just happened here?

This phenomenally retarded exercise in futility to make Ichigo comply with commands only started because Rukia happened to possess less considerate finesse than a fat guy on crack.

Trying to find some form of explanation in the faces of my friends I caught a pair of resigned brown eyes now following Rukia's movements as she attempted once again to pull two people unbelievably quickly outside with her… thanks to some sort of binding spell… and I had no choice…

…Oh well.

Isn't that the way everything had occurred in Karakura up till now?

It wasn't as if I felt endangered by anything. Everything should be fine from here on out; I mean we were just heading towards the stairs…

…The stairs.

Oh crap.

My gaze shot down past Ichigo to the door Rukia had somehow managed to open (she must be really gifted). There they were looming perilously ahead of us. Six flights of them in fact. An incredibly bumpy ride.

Hearing Kurosaki's 'er' sound of the epically understated descriptive phrase of 'that's not good' floating ahead of me informed me he had also noticed this problematic hazard.

"Er, Rukia?" I asked carefully, hands grasping the floor like an idiot. "Rukia, we'll walk, alright. I promise not to run away okay? So does Ichigo! Rukia! RUKIA!"

Oh boy…

---

…Meanwhile in the Classroom

"Whoa… what freakish dimension did I just step into?"

So far Tatsuki hadn't been able to pull herself out of the daze she'd stepped into at witnessing the sight of Ichigo clawing at the floor like an aggravated cat, the spectacle of him clutching at and forcing an unwilling Mai out from under her desk and finally their subsequent drama in which both were dragged kicking and screaming down the corridor…

…So unexpected.

…And their teacher hadn't done anything but grin in sheer happiness. So much for educational discipline. But the majority of the class was already well aware of Miss Ochi's soft spot towards Ichigo, her like of Rukia's obvious ability to speak fluent fraudulence and her appreciation for Mai's unerring method of accepting everything that came her way with an unassuming smile.

Hell, we're all secretly enthusiasts in regards to those three…

It just didn't explain why it was always those three.

She blinked; her dark eyes unfocused. Come to think of it, the three of them are always talking quietly… like they share a secret or something… she pondered, nodding to herself at her discovery. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to come up with…

Meanwhile…

"Should we follow them?" Keigo muttered to Mizuiro who peered around him and out of the doorway towards the sound of Mai trying to form sentences whose prime function was to induce some appearance of rationality into the situation but unfortunately were only coming out as shouts of alarm.

"Hmmm…"

Keigo blinked at him. "Hmm? What do you mean by 'hmm'? They-"

"NO RUKIA!"

Both teens visibly jolted looking at each other in perplexity. Slowly, they turned to peer round and stare down the hall wishing with all their wildest rumour-mill, chronic mischief maker hopes to see through the wall between them and the origin of the yell.

"ST-STAI-RS! T-THE S-TAIRS! ST-STOP IT PLE-EE-AAA-ASSSS-EEE!" Mai's shout reverberated throughout the third floor as she was pulled and by the sound of it speedily down step after step, flight after flight.

But Ichigo's tone countermanded hers in terms of pure 'pissed off' Kurosaki attitude. "DAMMIT RUKIA! YOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! …OW!"

"STOP MOANING!"

They winced in unison as the sound of soft human bodies hitting against glass panelled doors sounded out in the resulting silence.

"W-whoa…"

Mizuiro simply shrugged; his mobile shut and resting deep within his pocket (after taking about 1000 pictures) he felt more than ready to enjoy the show.

But before they could move an inch a wily arm held aloft and carrying a rather hard clip board smacking them both in the face.

"H-hey!" Keigo cried, slapping a hand against the mark and further exacerbating its soreness.

The fragile flower that is Mizuiro probed the spot with a single finger. "…Owie."

"No Mr. Asano, class is still in session and I will not have my students trapezing about the hallways." Spoke the free spirit of their home room teacher.

"But Miss Ochi, what about them?!" Cried Keigo, stamping a foot and pointing down the corridor to the source.

"Oh?" She raised her brows behind her glasses and shrugged. "They obviously have places to be."

"MISS OCHI!"

---

…Now Outside

It's surprising that a flight of stairs could produce some of my all time worse bruises to date, even with exceptional healing capabilities.

Ichigo wasn't fairing much better either… not physically anyway.

Mentally he was grinning like the Cheshire cat, which took on a somewhat intimidating quality when combined with the permanent scowl tapered across his face.

Why?

Oh because I'd lost control, somehow, yet again, as always, so on and so forth when I attempted to quite simply pull away from the technique Rukia had made use of to detain both me and Ichigo.

I had gone off like a grenade. Pin pulled: boom-baby.

An unsuspecting Rukia had been catapulted across the thankfully soft grass around the side corner of the main building. Her landing was graceful though. After being blasted clean off her legs, the momentum equivalent to the force of a super punch to the stomach she'd somehow been able to lightly skid to a stop on her ass, several metres away blinking periodically into shock induced space.

Oh so helpfully Ichigo had watched the entire thing; his eyes displaying a bewildering amount of curiosity at the bright flash of energy that shot out from me that run smoothly over his form to bang almost playfully into Rukia's chest.

In the several seconds of silence that followed he'd had stared, sitting on the grass with a 'what the hell' expression attached.

And then, like the beautifully considerate friend I'd discovered him to be, he'd laughed his head off. A bark like snigger that had shockingly gone unnoticed by Rukia as she attempted to make sense of being capsized by a mere flash of energy that wasn't the reitsu she was used to analysing.

…I honestly hadn't meant to do that.

However, the initial decision to break free had definitely been an action I was in control of.

On the Saturday I'd visited him, Kisuke had provided me with lessons in control to carry out and maintain until it became second nature.

Unfortunately the management of my energy required concentrated amounts of organized supervision. But how could one manage instinct? Fortunately Urahara had proposed to me some sure fire techniques so outrageously easy to perform I'd wondered if he was playing one of his little jokes on me.

A rudimentary breathing exercise preceded all else; it helped to order the current within me.

Circulating my energy with every inhale I had to basically allow my energy to flux with each breath.

Surprisingly enough after spending the majority of my Sunday meditating in my bedroom, a relaxed state in which I sat like a monk and, looking kind of moronic, keeping the tips of my fingers pressed against my thumbs as my hands relaxed on each knee.

The nonplussed looks on my family's faces as they came to check in on me throughout the day would have been funny if I didn't completely agree with how nonsensical it appeared to be.

But amazingly enough it had helped the flow.

And it showed now.

My verve was… potent, more so than I realised.

It wasn't similar to Ichigo's tidal wave of reitsu. But its raw state, the unhandled and concentrated energy was so intense it need only be used sparingly. I delve too deep within me for simple tasks such as sensing the aura of those around me and, just like now, for the separation or breakdown of an obstacle or threat.

And as a consequence Rukia now sported a rather striking looking bruise on her backside.

I released a breath of pure contrition.

"Oh, that really wasn't supposed to happen…"

As if in testament to that Kurosaki remained on the ground where the dragging ended and was staring across the fifteen or so metres of school lawn at Rukia who was blinking stupidly up at the sky in a daze.

"No kidding." He muttered.

Yep… should have thought more about that one. I rotated sideways, my hands pressing against the pavement to push up from the ground and stand. "Rukia!" I called to her.

"Just leave her there."

Hearing the smile in his voice I frowned down at the mirth diminishing the lines of his scowl in confusion. Glancing at me out of the corner of his eye he closed them and sighed when he saw my expression. "Did you see her face?" He drawled. "It was freaking hilarious, even she thought so. Besides…" A smirk spread like a mark of justification on his jaw. "…An eye for an eye. Heh."

My head tilted. "How does the Code of Hammurabi pertain to this situation?" I queried genuinely interested in his answer.

He'd been nodding to himself sanctimoniously as I asked the question but at its completion he blinked; his scowling brows seemed to pull in even further together than usual.

"…Code of Hammurabi?" He asked, leaning back with his hands on the ground to square a brow up at me.

My nod was more self-conscious than explanatory. Like he wanted a lecture about ancient laws; god I was a boring friend. Why did he insist on hanging out with me again? "The er, Babylonian mandate pertaining to the extreme list of 282 laws cultivated by the sixth Emperor Hammurabi in 1772 BC to bring forth a form of order to an otherwise uncivilised judicial system and welfare state." Swallowing I continued under the intense sensation of his focused stare. "'An eye for an eye' is one of the codes on the list of those laws."

"Really?" Those eyes finally let me go when he chose to ponder into space. "…Hmm. I didn't know that."

Most don't, there's just always been something incredibly wrong with me.

"I-I should just, er…" I tried, gesturing towards Rukia. "…Go over there. Yeah."

With his thoughtful scowl following me I walked forward stepping foot onto the breeze strewn grass towards Rukia who hadn't yet managed to materialise up from the soil.

Reaching her side I looked down at her face. Though no longer stunned into confusion there was a contemplative aspect to her absent minded stare aimed at the sky that puzzled me. "Rukia, are you okay?"

She blinked, breaking her introspective state of mind. "Huh?"

I lifted my left hand and waved at her silently.

Another blink later and she shot up so swiftly I thought her spine might actually crack in two. "Oh… Mai, er what-"

"-AHAHAHAAHAH! MAN, YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT!"

"S-SHUT UP ICHIGO!"

Her shout accomplished nothing as it echoed off the buildings surrounding us and I kind of understood Ichigo's need to laugh. Her hair looked like a bomb had gone off. The uniform that usually looked so precise and pristine on her form appeared battered and weather beaten, creased and grass stained.

But as unfazed as Ichigo was she'd have to run around on fire before he took any notice; currently he was too busy hacking up a lung.

Now normally I'd have at least twitched a smile at the dishevelled state Rukia was currently in but I still just felt contrite.

Her bottom lip pulled in as she tried to keep her blush at bay. "Are you alright?" I repeated.

"I'm fine." She huffed; a brow twitching at Ichigo Kurosaki who I witnessed was already on his feet and leaning against the brick wall facing the race track. His scowl clearly stated 'running of patience' and his arms were crossed over his chest.

Shuffling my feet I placed my hands inside the front pockets of my pants.

"I'm sorry Rukia."

Large eyes turned towards me. "Huh?"

The half shrug I would never be able to fully complete helped me phrase my thoughts into words. "I was just trying to break free of that 'binding spell' Ichigo said you had us under. My control isn't as proficient as I would like to be yet." I took her in; the light of my eyes regretful. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

She blinked at me; her mouth wide open and catching flies. "Oh… But you didn't! I'm completely and utterly fine!"

Commence eyebrow twang. "Er…"

The smile on her face almost flattened me to the grass. "Really, you worry to too much Mai!"

My head tilted sideways. "I can never worry too much."

If I didn't concern myself with these things I could seriously hurt someone with my ignorance and negligence.

Rolling her eyes she shifted her feet planting them firmly under her and stood. "It didn't hurt. Although…" She frowned and brought a hand behind her to straighten her skirt, trying to furtively rub a sore spot with vigour. "Sitting down's going to be a problem for the rest of the day."

Ah, well, yes… "W-well, I…"

"What?"

Oh, who did she think she was kidding? I mean really? "…You're not the only one with bruises on her behind. Did you have to drag us down six flights of stairs Rukia?"

It took her a moment as if she were taking my question into serious consideration. "Yes. Yes I did."

Okay… "Why?"

She shrugged, performing it so perfectly I was almost envious. "Because."

"Because…?"

"Just because."

Sweatdrop ensue. "…Swell. Thank you Rukia."

"You're welcome Mai! Now let's go pay Ichigo back for that little laugh of his…"

As she stomped over towards a now aware and rapidly paling Ichigo (well she was rolling up her sleeves ready for an almighty smack down) I could only stare blankly; as far as I was concerned she'd had far too much fun listening to us shout out and beg to care about whether or not it hurt. Rukia was just…

She was a friend… yes.

And funnily enough good friends bruised.

Peering down at the diminutive shape I was awed; the phrase 'big things come in small packages' containing so much more meaning to me now than ever before.

"It's so small." I muttered examining with my eyes at the pearl shaped object sat harmlessly in Ichigo's open palm.

It was the size of a marble. When he'd pressed on the head of the Pez-duck-head-thing, Kurosaki had almost glared at the thing, probably thinking it was some kind of trick and blinked at it hard. Immediately he'd presented it to me; ignoring Rukia's scoff and looking at me as if I'd be able to explain the strangeness of a soul existing as a tiny candy ball.

W-well I couldn't.

I couldn't work past the sensation that the object was alive; not alive as in sentient and useful, but alive as in intelligent, warm and very much aware of its surroundings.

As if this Gikongan was listening to us, pressing its metaphorical ear against the very real container.

"…This is a substitute soul?" Ichigo asked Rukia for the fifth time.

"It is."

His eyes glanced from Rukia, to his palm and then back. "And I what? Swallow it?"

"Correct."

An orange brow arched itself in contemplation. "What'll happen?"

"Find out."

Probably thinking he had nothing to loose he eyed the strange prop before shrugging, shoving it in his mouth and audibly swallowing.

There was a pause, then…

A shock of reitsu flared out of him before his shinigami soul was forcefully shoved from the back of his now inactive body; his face was the epitome of shock. Without the glove. Cool.

Ichigo's head shot sharply at one black kimono covered arm to the next in a kind of disbelieving trance and his eyes popped. "It worked! I'm out of my body!"

Rukia sniffed smugly. "Did you expect it to fail?"

"Er…" His eyes flickered to the side and back as if to say 'are you kidding?' "Yes."

She huffed. "Just watch alright!" Her finger whipped out and pointed exultantly towards his body where I was…because I'd managed to catch it… and unbeknownst to Rukia we were both now in a somewhat er, dodgy position… and it was all my fault, god please forgive me. "Instead of lying around like road kill your body will now be animated by a…"

She continued to blabber not noticing how Ichigo had suddenly stiffened.

The sun enriched brown of his eyes had rolled at her enthusiasm glimpsing me in the process and then turning to stone. It was unusual to see someone like him, a guy so used to impulsive movement stand there frozen; his body stock still in his shihaksho, like a cat with its fur on end. His wide eyes almost popped and being such a multitalented organ also managed to direct a dangerous glare at my midriff, the source. By the disbelieving twitch of the muscle under his right eye, as if he couldn't begin to process what it was he was seeing it was pretty much indicative of a now extremely precarious mental state. This on top of his rather aggressive temperament suggested an explosion could be imminent at any time now.

And I honestly couldn't blame him. At all.

…Since I'd have no idea what I'd do in his position. I had no idea what I'd do if I were watching my body wrap its arms single mindedly around his torso in an almost excruciatingly, mortifyingly tight grip with my face pressed against his chest, nuzzling into the crevice between his pectorals and issuing soft sounds and hums like a cat purring for cat nip! For cream!

…Because that's exactly what his body was doing to mine!

As it was by brain was currently taking a vacation in the land of WHAT. THE. HELL!

I didn't know what the sub-soul thought it was doing but I could feel… I could feel…

…Ichigo's nose inside my cleavage. His nose. Inside my cleavage. The button hole of which was now wide open.

My eyes shot to Ichigo's brain fried gaze trying to communicate something through them beyond 'help'. The fact that my face had turned the colour of a red rose did not help me.

The moment he'd exited his back his body had fallen forwards and I'd, because I'm his friend and I didn't want to see his face crack concrete, caught it. My arms held him under each armpit as I waited for the two bickering soul reaper aspirants to realise his body wasn't moving yet…

And then, as suddenly as the rearing of a snake's head I'd felt his body shudder.

Realising that maybe holding him the way I was wouldn't be the best way for a Gikongan to awaken I moved to set him on his feet, glimpsing down at his face as I did so. I had a momentary snapshot of a pair of brown eyes blinking sans the frown, which did strange things to the contours of his face, before a suspicious looking smile the size of Mount Etna erupted on the expression of a boy previously incapable of showing such blissful contentment.

But before I could process the odd sight (dumbly staring like a moron) and wonder at what was so delightful I felt something soft slide around me and I suppose that's what initially confused me.

Never once did I wonder what the skin on Ichigo's arms felt like but if I had speculated on such a thing my first thought would never have been that it was soft. But it was; soft skin over wiry musculature and before I knew it my own arms were promptly and thoroughly pinned to my sides as Kurosaki's body darted forwards, wrapping both forearms around my back where his hands linked together.

Trapping me.

Tight. Tight, tight, tight.

Oh sugar-doodle…

The bent form of his front, a much more… solid surface than I would have ever have thought, was pressed heavily against my stomach and as inexperienced as I was with dealing with the male half of the species I'm afraid my brain chose that moment to fall into fault.

His hair smelt like tea tree and lime… and coconut.

Really helpful information there Mai, well done.

By then Rukia seemed to have finally noticed my predicament and I relaxed slightly relieved that female aid would be awarded to me soon… but unfortunately all I received was a Rukia that warred between shock and stupid curiosity.

Great.

"O-oh! Er ah…" She floundered, staring at how the Ichigo replacement was… cuddling me, instead of doing his civic duties.

Her stutters seemed to crack the solid stone surface of her 'almost-but-not-really-protégé' and his head whipped around to glare spastically at her; his eyes twitched and a dark gloom settled ominously over his head. "What the hell is this Rukia?!"

"W-well I-I don't know…"

"Is that all you have to say?!" His eyebrows twitched.

"Well at least it's functioning!"

"FUNCTIONING!"

"Er, guys-" I tried to speak steadily with the human magnet attached to me like it was but they drowned me out.

"Calm down!" Rukia shouted.

"YOU CALM DOWN! I'M H-HUGGING HER! I MEAN HE'S HUGGING HER! IN MY BODY! HE'S HOLDING MY BEST FRIEND, LIKE THAT, IN MY BODY! WRONG! WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!" Red flushed madly up Ichigo's neck to his ears where steam seemed to almost spill out in a torrent.

My brain chose the perfect time come out of temporary brain freeze.

Did he just call me his best friend? Not friend friend but best friend? What… was that just a slip of the tongue or did he mean it? And if he did…

Oh… wow. R-really?

"Look he's only hugging her! It's a form of self expression, a greeting, like a handshake! I'm pretty sure I read that in this book I was reading…"

"ARE YOU DERANGED?!" His eyes practically turned bulbous.

"W-WHAT!"

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF BOOKS ARE YOU READING?!"

"HIGH PRICED ONES!"

"WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING?! AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT WHAT SECOND HAND STORE DID YOU GET IT FROM?! PERVERTS 'R' US?!"

"Guys!" I managed to finally shout.

They paused, nose to nose and glaring daggers at each other to blink over at me from out of the corner of their eyes.

Ichigo's body was still wrapped around mine.

"Little help?" Pleeeeaaaassssseeeee?

Immediately they straightened; Ichigo's mad blush turning pink and retracting while Rukia exhaled and rubbed the space between her eyes with her right index finger and thumb. "This is getting us nowhere."

"Damn straight." He huffed.

But then a noise, one that came with words sounded out in a muffled spell from my shirt where a certain person's face was still buried and I was wondering why oh why my two dear friends were currently not pulling it, him, off me.

"Hmmmm… so soft… Heaven…nnh-mmmm…"

Oh God…

"AH-H!" Kurosaki looked about ready to implode. "What the hell!"

…It sounded nothing like Ichigo that's for sure.

But the small shiver of quicksilver horror that sped down my back making me flush bright red all over again was sure to be extreme mortification. I could try to escape but in doing so I might accidentally hurt Ichigo's arms…

And speaking of Ichigo…

"I'm going to have that image in my head for LIFE!" The palm of his right hand dragged miserably over his face as if he'd just been asked to engage in Mortal Combat with Godzilla. As his hand revealed his eyes once again the left one twitched as he stared at his body. "Right."

He strode purposefully towards me and I blinked at the abruptness of the action. Fisted hands clenched and unclenched as his feet stopped in front of me; his eyes searched for a solution, blushing once again at the image of his face in my breasts. By how his brows drew together tightly over his hesitant eyes I could tell he was pretty uncomfortable about how to proceed.

"I could…"

His eyes flashed upwards at mine, his scowl ridged and tense.

"…I could simply break free but I'm afraid I'd damage your body." I alleged quietly, more than ready for my sides to stop being squeezed.

He looked genuinely apologetic too; brown eyes ashamed and pissed all at once.

This would be hilarious… if it wasn't me or him in this situation.

Finally he seemed to steal himself and growled. "That's it."

Reaching forwards with his right hand he grasped the back of the neck of his own shirt and forcefully yanked his body away from me. Such was the movement that I was careened forwards as the Gikongan recognised too late that he was too be pulled away from his… heaven… yikes… and tried to hold me tighter if that were possible but to no avail.

Sweat-drops were abounding. "GET OFF HER YOU LITTLE PERV!"

With an unexpected childish whine the body was pulled away and a gasp of relief tore out of me, the blood thundering through my squeezed sides as I stared open mouthed at the two Ichigo's.

This was my first opportunity to gage if the sub-soul could really behave like the host's soul. So far…

By physical expression alone they were complete opposites.

It was surreal.

The Ichigo Kurosaki I was lucky to know wore, always, the hard lined scowl upon his face like a badge of honour. Like a duty; it held a deeper meaning than most would probably ever realise. I didn't understand the need for the image but it was so ingrained in him now that it had become part of his personality, a part that he worshiped and took pride in. An image laced with attitude. One designed to be particularly intimidating and strong; a reflection of his inner self. A core… dented.

He'd suffered at some point; a mark on his heart and in his conscience that twined only a semblance of his former self into the amalgamation that was now his entire being.

…Beautiful in black.

It beat harshly, perseveringly and hopefully in the light beyond the dark of my own twisted self.

I would never dream of standing my own soul against his. I hadn't the right.

…But this Gikongan liked to smile. To partake in the same physical delights that all guys his age enjoyed. He was Keigo and Mizuiro and Jihi… not Kurosaki.

A horny teenager. Rukia had purchased a horny teenage substitute soul to fit inside the least lascivious teen in Karakura, appearance wise anyway. Tell me she tested the product before purchase?

The blushing grin of utter perverted-ness… on Ichigo's face… (a look that made me want to laugh like an idiot, blush from the utter baffling notion that Ichigo's face could even remotely look so intoxicated with his own fantasies or get irritated at the paradoxical expression) kind of botched any possible similarities right there.

It was… it was just so… erroneous. And weird, strange, not quite right, wrong, did I mention weird?

Not Ichigo.

And Ichigo being, well, Ichigo? …That was kind of an important requirement for this town.

His will was a necessary component in his hollow slaying.

Coming back from my analysis my eyes flickered left to take in the scene before me and when I did a large sweatdrop developed and began to slowly slide down the side of my face.

Ichigo was shouting at Ichigo and Ichigo was whining back.

Rukia's blank face was moving left to right following each argument that issued out of the mouth of both Kurosaki and his twin.

The substitute soul reaper had a head throb the size of the Eiffel Tower currently pounding away at his skull as he shouted point blank at his animated body.

"What the hell did you think you were doing huh?!"

The Gikongan was er, pouting and sulking. "Aw man, you dragged me out of heaven!"

HEAVEN?!

Standing there several paces to my left his eyes washed over me and an overly heavy sigh of longing escaped his mouth. With his eyes still scoping me out he pulled on his bottom lip.

Did all sub-souls behave like this?

I blinked and looked askance, completely out of my depth, at Ichigo.

By the stony glare it was safe to assume he wasn't impressed.

He kept his attention on his copy. "Hey, eyes over here." When the sub-soul ignored him he snapped. "OI! Eyes over here or I'll take you out of my body and step on you!"

The threat worked as the guy whipped back to face him. "Sorry!"

"You better be you perv!"

"I'm not a perv!"

"You had your head buried in her …in her-"

"Breasts?"

"SHUT UP!"

"What?! It's not my problem if you can't say it?!"

"She's my friend you jerk! Show some respect!"

"I was!"

"HOW?!"

"I was paying her a compliment!"

"BY FEELING HER UP?!"

"Hey, I've been cooped up for a long time now! It's only natural for a man to crave… mmmhh…those."

And this is where his gaze came back to me; eyes shining stars of shear perversion.

It was seriously wigging me out.

As it was with Ichigo; his eyes open and closed spastically. Then his head turned around with robotic like movements to narrow a fierce glare at a speechless Rukia, as if he couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

"I have to use this guy? Are you freaking kidding me?! Rukia?! HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

This wasn't a very confidence inducing result.

…If he though my, er, assets were impressive just wait till the Gikongan spots Orihime.

---

Later in Class…

When we'd walked back to class in a daze, a state that could only have been described as a zombie walk of utter doom (Ichigo), bafflement (me) and disturbing cheerfulness (guess who), I'd pondered on the unbelievably disturbing image of Kurosaki arguing with a parallel copy of himself. A copy with a lighter, tamer version of Ichigo's machismo tone of voice; a voice with no sense of the consequences to his lewd actions.

After the initial argument Rukia had ordered the Gikongan stand to attention and introduce himself, to prove the merit of the purchase.

The sub-soul gave us all a sharp salute with his left hand; eyes twinkling and soft, no scowl in sight, glittery bits oscillating in his unusually bright aura reflecting in that orange hair, a sappy little smile that was genuinely frightening on that face…

And then he spoke sealing this deal with the devil.

"Greetings! My name is Ichigo Kurosaki! 'Early to bed early to rise', that's my motto!"

A choked sound rose up from Ichigo's Oesophagus. "Early to bed, early to WHAT?!"

I think it was fairly obvious to say I was pretty much speechless myself. If I wasn't convinced before that this Gikongan wasn't going to work I certainly was now.

Silently I exchanged a glance of complete disbelief with Ichigo who looked like he was about to asphyxiate.

Neither of us could believe it; Ichigo probably thought it was a joke. His stand-in wouldn't last five seconds with a personality he probably deemed (by the sick expression on his face) 'wussy'.

…He looked like a wet noodle not, as Pei already believed Ichigo to be, a scowling bad boy. A sex driven wet noodle at that.

Rukia chose that moment to extol in the excellence of such a marvel. "Impressive isn't it?"

Was she ignoring how it had previously latched onto my chest?

Next to me Ichigo's brow twitched.

The soul just waved happily at him, his smile beyond shinning. A completely innocent image in comparison to the previous perverted one.

I was getting an odd inkling about this…

Kurosaki turned to his guide. "Rukia, he's a total dork! The perfect recipe for wedges!" He shouted, pointing unnecessarily at the Gikongan. "And if he starts perving on my classmates I'll be ruined!"

Rukia shrugged. "He's perfect. You're just being picky; I didn't think you were so fussy Ichigo."

"I'm not! Hey, are you even listening to me?"

But Rukia just shook her head and walked over to the sub-soul, already pulling on her trusty glove to extract the wanton substitute from Ichigo's body.

I could feel the complete and total defeat spreading through the rich and confusing river of his verve. I pulled on my lower lip with my teeth and observed how he drooped.

"Years of attitude flushed… Why do all of Rukia's plans suck so badly? Oh man… I'm actually going to have to leave him at school… with my friends…"

I lifted an arm, fingers unfurling hesitantly before they took the plunge and lightly patted his shihaksho clad left shoulder.

Aggravated eyes slid sideways to look at me.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do anything too ostentatious." It was meant to sound reassuring but…

"…Thanks."

I couldn't escape the feeling that this was probably the worst idea on the face of this earth.

Something about the Gikongan made me think that Urahara had screwed up somewhere. Had they ordered the wrong type of Gikongan? Was the batch subjected to extreme heat?

It felt so present and natural… it even had its own personality. Now Rukia had stated clearly and enthusiastically that many members of the science division in her soul society developed these 'tools' for combat purposes and that their personalities were top quality…

…Would they really create a top quality Gikongan with the qualities of an overly cheery, ultra pervert?

Maybe, maybe not.

But it wasn't reassuring to someone like Ichigo who lived his life via his own attitude laced principals, whatever they might be.

Now in our second lesson of the day I knew we were both waiting for the inevitable hollow call.

Tap, tap, tap.

Leaning my chin casually on my right hand I let my gaze travel behind me and to my left in a pensive kind of stroll towards the desk situated there and its orange haired occupant.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

…Who'd been tapping his pencil in a continuous monotonous rhythm for a good twenty minutes now.

Someone wasn't a happy camper.

There were no head throbs or eyebrow twitches, he just sat there staring into space with his usual scowl but I could tell he was worrying. Whether the concern was aimed more towards an inevitably ruined reputation than a genuine concern for his friends was irrelevant… he was worrying.

I glanced towards his right, catching a pair of dark blue eyes and indicating with my own green ones back towards the town's protector against innocence takers.

She quirked a brow in query.

…I stared at her until she got it.

She nodded and turned slightly and tapped Kurosaki's arm, probing after his mood.

The resulting eye glare over his shoulder had her sweatdropping and scurrying back into her manga. As such she didn't glimpse his subsequent eye roll.

…Maybe their relationship was much more understanding than I thought it was. They both argued at times like one or both of them were on fire but secretly, maybe, they enjoyed it.

Pondering this, the hand I was leaning on now pressed against my lips; I was unconscious of how my eyes had softened in thought and on how they'd stayed focused on Ichigo.

…The boy who was simply scowling down at his desk and tapping away with his pencil.

But then, as if he'd been warned his eyes lifted off his desk and flickered over at me.

I blinked, caught, leaning up off my hand.

For a moment he just looked at me, his eyes gauging me speculatively. No worry or any other preoccupation was present there in the depths of brown. He stopped tapping and brought the pencil in his right hand up to his mouth to chew on, his fingers twisting it absent mindedly at the lead end.

The familiar action performed on so many previous staring ventures made me smile appreciatively at him.

…His scowl tipped slightly as his head tilted but he just stared at my eyes, the scowl on his face a mere furrow of concentration.

Okaaaaayyy… My smile faltered and I queried a soft brow in his direction. However he simply glanced away towards the blackboard releasing me frowning and confused.

I brought my head back around and kept my eyes on my text book.

Two minutes later a note landed with a bounce next to my arm.

My head turned to blink at it. Then, furtively checking to make sure the teacher was busy writing droll notes on the blackboard I unfolding the scrap of paper.

Hey.

…As sentences go it was pretty short. Was he bored or something?

Hi. What's wrong?

A lot. But I kind of just wanted to apologise.

For what?

Guess Mai, guess really hard. It shouldn't take long.

Gee, thanks. Wasn't this supposed to be an apology? From you to me?

…Yeah. Sorry. Really.

It wasn't your fault. The Gikongan's a perv but it's not like it's the worst thing that could happen.

Don't even speculate on that. When someone says 'what's the worst that could happen', or 'it can't get any worse than this' the world decides to surprise you or prove just how wrong you really are. So don't do it again. Ever.

Er, alright. Sorry.

You better be. It's serious business.

I now see that. Thank you for educating me.

You're welcome. Sheesh Mai, you're like, waaaayy behind on these kinds of things.

I know, I know. Pei's always having to explain things to me.

So she's your translator?

To a fashion.

There was a lull in conversation between us for which I'm sure our note passer (some days Rukia other days Chad) was very relieved with. A few minutes more and Kurosaki sent me another.

I can sense you now.

You can sense me?

I've been trying to sense those around me using my reitsu but it's difficult to do. Trying to do it your way has actually made it easier but it's kind of limited. I can only do it when I'm close to what I'm trying to sense and only when I'm concentrating. And sitting down. With no distractions (Rukia). But at least I can do it now.

Why were you trying so hard?

It was better than the alternative.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye to find him focussed on writing notes off the board. Why was he writing notes to me in class when he was endeavouring to concentrate?

The alternative?

Thinking about using this Gikon-thing and how it's so not a good idea.

Ah. That.

Apparently it's top of the line, created from the genius of over 100 scientists with the ideal personality.

Yeah, heard about that too. There was a lecture and everything.

Obviously they made a mistake somewhere. There's no way that that perv is top of the line anything.

I suppose. But if you think about it the Gikongan's original form is that of a shiny but tiny ball. Talk about sad. I kind of feel sorry for it.

You would, even after it felt you up.

He didn't feel me up. He didn't. Seriously. He just hugged me a little too enthusiastically.

That kind of hugging is illegal in certain secluded areas of the world.

Maybe he was just lonely. Cooped up in such a small compartment can't exactly be the highlight of life.

I suppose. Oh great, you're going to make me feel sorry for the little skeeze. Well I won't. That little idiot is going to be in my body and if he doesn't cause a riot then my hair really is died.

It isn't is it?

My hair is 100% badass orange and I was born with it thank you very much. Plus I think that was kind of implied, you know, right there in the last line.

Oh I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hit an exposed nerve right there. And you already know my views on your hair. Would you like me to repeat them?

No, no, no, thank you but no. No. Please?

Er, sure. Wait… I thought guys liked to be complimented? Pei said it bucks up their ego or something.

Where does your cousin get her information? Does she have some secret book or something?

I don't know… well, I mean she might do. Why, was she correct?

Well, I guess. I just don't get how you can see me the way you do. Whatever. Can I ask you a question?

Of course you can.

If Rukia is a soul reaper and I'm a substitute then what does that make you?

Trouble.

Don't be annoyingly evasive; that's Rukia's job.

Honestly I'm not sure. Looking at the facts I know I'm no soul reaper but I'm also not an ordinary human. I've thought about it and I can't think of an explanation as to what I am except that I'm more inclined towards my instincts than most. Souls and hollows sometimes react to me strangely as if they can't quite figure out what I'm about. I look at you and I can see the flow of your reitsu. To me the whole town feels like a giant fishbowl of life; the epicentre of a coming tempest and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do about it.

That's pretty heavy.

It is? Oh. Maybe you're right.

I'll help you.

Sorry?

When you find out what you're supposed to do I'll help you.

Kurosaki you already said it was heavy. I didn't tell you to add to the weight you already carry on those shihaksho clad shoulders of yours.

You don't add to the weight Mai. When you trust me with something it actually feels… lighter.

Sentiment.

Sometimes it destroyed your sense of reason. Occasionally it burdened you. Other times it raised you to the sky.

On rare occasions however it robbed you of your ability to speak.

As it had me.

I just stared down at the words written on the note in my hand, wondering for the hundredth time why I was worth that kind of consideration. What had changed in the past couple of months that made this period of my life so different from the past 16 years?

No one outside of my odd amalgamation of family members had ever spoken to me in such a way, with care.

Then again he probably thought I was being a dense idiot. Heh, most likely.

Before I could write anything back however a buzzing vibration noise sounded out behind me and I knew immediately it was Rukia's dreaded pager.

Nobody moved as the teacher paused in his droning to glance up from his papers before shrugging and continuing.

There was a dull 'thunk' sound of a forehead hitting its desk in dread.

Wincing I twisted my head around to offer an expression of pure sympathy towards the doom stricken substitute who raised his head and grimaced back, looking for all as if the world had come to an end.

Observing the obvious hesitance of her charge Rukia rolled her eyes and lifted her left arm to poke him at the side of his head, a reminder of what needed to be done.

After a forehead throb he sighed and leaned back in his seat. Then, with reluctant sloth like movements he dragged his hand into his right pants pocket to extricate the tiny soul ball. Clasping it in between his index finger and thumb I watched him stare at it for a second. His eyes looked left and right to make sure no one in class was paying any attention before popping the ball into his mouth and immediately swallowing.

Nobody noticed as he flashed out of his body, nobody but Uryu that is.

The glint from his glasses is what caught my attention. My gaze slid over to him and found him staring at Ichigo from his seat next to the back window; a focused expression of absolute analysis with hidden levels of aggression written in the window of his eyes. The flare of Ichigo's robes flapped swiftly by as he sprinted, almost gliding from the room the way I assumed all soul reapers do.

For a short while Uryu continued stare before turning his gaze towards the window.

I barely heard Rukia's proclamation to teacher ('STOMACH CRAMPS!') over the intricacies of my thoughts as she sped out the door too.

From what Urahara claimed Soul Reapers exist in a basic sense to maintain a form of balance in the world of the living and the soul society, a place which in a sense could be described as a long term station of rebirth. They themselves weren't dead; they were reborn and transformed. A second life of new choices and possibilities.

So if they were the balance keepers of the dead, what did it say about their methods and efficiency when Karakura Town is being slowly overrun by an imbalance of hollows?

And if they kept a watchful eye over all matters of the spirit why had nobody arrived to provide to aid to one of their own?

Rukia had lost her powers through transference in an hour of desperation: to save an innocent and his family thereby performing her civic duty to the letter. And yet there had no word from the place she would call home to help rectify her poor situation.

…Her powers were weaker than I expected them to be.

True I shouldn't be comparing her reitsu to Ichigo's and she hadn't been recuperating long, just a few weeks in fact but… it was worrying.

Of course deliberations of imbalance brought forth another far more ominous question.

If soul reapers catered after the souls of the newly dead, who presided over the soulless chain of yokai sightings?

Was there a government holding sway over them? And if there was why did Urahara not mention them to me?

He'd spoken as if they demonic underlings where a complete surprise.

A scrape across the floor made by a chair caught my attention and I blinked. Turning my head left my face immediately went blank; stunned would be the correct term.

A pair of very familiar brown eyes amidst a face so used to scowling were gazing at me as if I were the meaning of life; those eyes previously serious and intense were now gooey with adolescent longing... and fixed on moi. That peach face glowed but not with subtle vitality, no, it was with the crimson blush now sporting those hard cheekbones making him look more like an orange haired brother of Keigo Asano.

I couldn't move a single muscle on my face and from the strain my lip threatened to twitch.

Eyes flickering behind him I glimpsed the desk and chair he'd so neatly turned asunder in his eagerness to sit closer to me. Black streaks printed the clean floor where he'd dragged his desk over and more or less shoved the person already sitting to my left out of his seat.

The teacher was staring, slack jawed at the front of the class.

Every single one of my friends were sitting there in various stages of disbelief and hilarity.

And I'd missed the entire thing being off in daydream world; a very real place I assure you.

The Gikongan had brought both arms up to lean his elbows against the desk so he could rest his chin against them. A dreamy smile was painted across his jaw alongside the mega perverted blush.

"Hiiiiiiiiii..." He managed to sing at me, nice and LOUD, you know because he's so considerate and all that jazz.

...My brain answered in silence with a very indistinguishable kind of 'whauhahhh' sound of utter nonsense.

It was official: I was in deep shit.

I would have loved, LOVED adding the whole Kon scenario here but there was just soooo much of it. Sorry. But at least released the chpater finally. Will get to work on the next one straight away!

Next Chapter: All About Kon.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!