A/N Bluespiritfire suggested 'quintessential' for Q. (Thank you very much. I had a lot of fun writing this drabble.) So voila, this is the resulting artistic license that was applied.

Hint: this the explanation for why Byakuya rode into Karakura Town in a carriage and wearing a Regency suit and top hat! XD

Quintessential

"Inoue…please. No, no! That's really strange to imagine. In fact, I might need brain bleach to scour that mental image –"

"Not true, Kurosaki-kun. I think the character fits perfectly!"

"But Inoue!"

"What is going on?" The two Karakura students turned in unison at the intrusive third voice cutting into their conversation. Rukia took in the two tangerine heads as they sat, facing each other with books in their laps, which lay momentarily forgotten in their enthralling argument…about something. Chad and Ishida were sitting a safe distance away, mainly from Orihime's windmill arms, which tend to swing around in her excitement and emphasis. Thus, leading to the unintentional clip with one's nose or chin as Ishida can, to his chagrin, attest to. (His glasses nearly flew off his nose as a result.) Chad only got hit in the shoulder due to his towering physique, safely placing his face above the firing line. Yet the two boys of the Karakura Quartet were still close enough to contribute easily to the discussion.

"Ah hello Kuchiki-san!" piped a soft soprano timbre.

"What's up midget?" The last greeting earned the substitute shinigami a smack upside the head. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For being a prat, baka!" Rukia glibly retorted as she sat down cross-legged beside Orihime. "So what are you guys talking about? Sounded like a pretty intense discussion."

Orihime's eyes happily shone at the possibility of another convert to her thinking. "You see Kuchiki-san…"

"You won't understand, Rukia. It's about our literature class, which you haven't read any of the books for," Ichigo cut midway.

"Well then explain it, you impatient arse!"

"Honestly, Kurosaki, do you not know the content of our books enough to give a brief explanation to Kuchiki-san?" Ishida smirked, pushing up his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. Chad gave a small grunt of affirmation.

Grey-amethyst eyes flickered nervously between the two flaring tempers and the rest of her nakamas. Placating so many people can be trying on one's nerves. Raising her voice, Orihime tried to capture Rukia's attention. "Kurosaki-kun was asking me about how I remember so much about Jane Austen's books." At this point, Orihime fixed Ichigo with an uncharacteristic expression of dissatisfaction (a harmless pout combined with furrowed brows). "Kurosaki-kun doesn't find Jane Austen interesting." The boy in question manages to look abashed while simultaneously defiant.

"I just prefer Shakespeare more –"

"That's actually a surprise," Ishida quipped. "Who knew you actually liked classics like The Bard?"

"Is that such a problem? Why can't I like plays by Shakespeare?"

"But that wasn't what we were discussing," an anguished voice interrupted. Three pairs of guilty eyes met her gaze. "Since our literature course involves an essay comparing different works of our favourite author or playwright, I chose Jane Austen. She's a female author, which was rare during her time, and during her lifetime didn't actually achieve the same amount of fame as she did after she died. Most of her works are about the landed gentry class in England during the transition from the 18th to the 19th century and the dependence of women on marriage to secure social standing and financial security. However, it was her realism and irony which make her books really enjoyable." Here Orihime raised her book so Rukia could see the title on the spine "Pride and Prejudice".

"Pride and … Prejudice?" Rukia's violet eyes took in the cover image of a young woman in high-waisted billowing dress, holding a parasol, and a man next to her wearing a … tuxedo? "But what's so unacceptable about that?" she demanded as she faced Ichigo again.

"I never said that the author or her books were unacceptable. Inoue relates her characters to real life people. That's how she keeps track of all those different characters for reference in her essay. I asked which characters she was relating to for her main character analysis, which is someone called 'Mr. Darcy'".

Orihime picks up the thread of the conversation enthusiastically. "Yes, I was just telling Kurosaki-kun that Byakuya-san would make a really good Mr Darcy." Now it was Rukia's turn to be apprehensive.

"Umm, how so Inoue?"

"Mr Darcy is rich gentleman who is really protective of and cares about his sister. Initially he comes across as really proud, like other people are beneath his station. Through his interactions with the quick-witted Miss Elizabeth Bennett we see how her prejudices clash with his pride. After several more interactions and intense conversations together, he unexpectedly confesses his love for her, but he also cites the unsuitability of her family's station rather rudely. He expects her to accept his marriage proposal but instead she fiercely declines. She accuses him of not only being ungentlemanly but also ruining a potential marriage of love between her sister and his friend. Eventually, a situation arises where Mr Darcy redeems himself through helping Elizabeth, who is starting to fall in love with him."

"I…see." Rukia nods at the uncanny parallels. A random thought struck her. "But if my Nii-sama is this Mr Darcy, then who is Elizabeth?" Ichigo tenses before shooting a dark glare at Rukia. 'The Incident' only took place five days ago. He cannot be sure whether Orihime remembers flirting with the Kuchiki noble and he has no plans of reviving any drunken memories on her part.

The other occupants of the room were very interested in Orihime's response too, leaning forward to strain their ears. Said girl was contemplating deeply.

"I think…"

"Yes," prodded Rukia a little too eagerly. There was a scuff of footsteps at the sliding door which went unnoticed by the little group.

"I think…the person perfectly matching Elizabeth Bennett is… Kurosaki-kun…"

A shocked silence follows, broken by –

"… WHAT!" Ichigo yelps, as his face turns the shade of a ripe tomato. Horror was evident on his features.

Rukia couldn't help the snort and giggle which broke past her hands. The sound morphed into a hysterical cackle. Even Ishida and Chad were chuckling quietly along.

"Inoue…how…why…but I'm not…you can't"

"I only meant that Kurosaki-kun and Byakuya-san now respect each other after their initial conflict of ideas. I think it makes a lot of sense!" the auburn beauty chirped happily.

"I'M NOT MARRYING BYAKUYA!"

"I should hope not, Kurosaki Ichigo." The group of teenagers turned towards the new voice. The captain of the Sixth Division was in the doorway of the room with a silent Renji beside him, bent double at the waist, due to mirth and the tears that streamed from his eyes.

"Argh!" Ichigo throws up his hands in frustration and mortification. Orihime flashed a weak smile at her love interest.

"Orihime, would you lend me that book to read?" Byakuya asked at the blushing healer.

"Why?!" Ichigo's voice almost transcended into a suspicious falsetto.

"I'm merely interested in the book and its writer. Good writing is deserving to be read," the nobleman nonchalantly shrugged.

"Oh of course, Byakuya-san," Orihime responded shyly. No one noted during the passing of the book from one hand to the other that a sword-calloused hand stroked the smoother skin of the feminine hand for a split second before the transfer was complete.

Walking away, the nobleman could not help an internal smugness at the astonished breathlessness on the young girl's pretty features.

Two months later…

"No way, did he actually?!" Ichigo gaped with Renji as Byakuya descended from the horse-drawn carriage in Regency garb complete with a gentleman's top hat and walking stick.

Rukia could only gaze in adoring admiration at her brother's fashion sense.

Omake

As there was a huge crowd on the sidewalk, Ichigo and Renji dragged Rukia away. Had they stayed longer and took a look back, they would have seen Byakuya turn back to the carriage to offer his hand to his Miss Bennett - a very familiar 'Miss Bennett' with fiery locks of tangerine hair and pink cheeks.

A/N I just had to think of a reason why Byakuya showed up in Regency wear in Karakura Town. The crowd's reaction was just as comical as Ichigo and Renji's. XD

So what are your thoughts? Please review!