063 – Lucky
Prompt: A Possibility
Wordcount: 541
He was not even trying to find her that day, which was really damn ironic, since he had spent weeks, practically staking out Shinjuku station. Millions of people passed through Shinjuku station every day, it was the busiest train station in the whole world, so Renji had figured that sooner or later, Kuchiki Rukia would have to appear there. Sure it might have sounded like a slim possibility, but the logic and numbers supported that if the Kuchiki girl was still in Tokyo, she would eventually show up at the Shinjuku station. And in Renji's opinion, staking out a single selected location would produce better results than aimlessly wandering around the streets of Tokyo while keeping his eyes open.
But it seemed the universe was on the side of aimless wandering and dumb luck. That day, he was taking a break and had crossed from Shinjuku over to Harajuku in search of a restaurant. He had just had lunch and was just standing in the corner of the street near the station, lighting his cigarette, when she walked right past him.
He didn't believe his own eyes at first, he thought he was imagining it because he wanted to see the runaway princess, because he had tried to find her for such a long time. But no, this sudden apparition did bear a close resemblance to the grainy black-and-white still picture Renji had printed from the security footage. He eased into the crowd of pedestrians, never taking his eyes off his target. Like a silent predator stalking its prey, Renji shadowed the young woman at a safe distance. He tailed the Kuchiki girl and her friend back across Tokyo to an apartment building. Renji stopped to assess the building. It seemed very well secured, the perimeter was walled and he only saw one gate, protected by a security camera. Renji was sure the building had a security guard, since the gate seemed to open automatically to admit the two girls in. At least one of them was a resident, since the security guard recognised them and opened the gate for them. Renji staked the building for the rest of the evening. The Kuchiki girl did not exit the building for all that time. Unless she was spending the night, the princess likely lived there, too.
Renji returned early the next morning, with proper equipment. He could think of better ways to spend a Saturday than sitting out in front of an apartment building while trying to appear unobtrusive. But this was the job, and in fact Renji was feeling rather cheerful this day. He had lucked out, and he had finally found the elusive princess. Most of the day was very uneventful, but in the afternoon, the runaway girl appeared. She wasn't alone this time either, but neither was she together with the girl from yesterday. Her companion was a young man with wild orange hair. Renji shrugged and picked up his camera, zooming in on the pair. He would figure out soon enough who he was, and it might not even be relevant. The shutter clicked in rapid succession as Renji caught on film the both of them while they walked through the gates, joking, laughing, and exchanging a kiss.
064 – Heart To Heart
Prompt: Foreign
Wordcount: 683
They came back from the grocery store, and put the groceries away together, darting around the kitchen and stepping around one another. Ichigo found it very pleasant and relaxing. It was good to be home for the whole day after spending the last few days at the studio. It was cosy and domestic existence, and he thought it was all because of her.
She did not seem to be enjoying the domestic mood as much as he was. He noticed the signs well enough, the slightest hints of a frown on her brow, the tell-tale lines in the corners of her mouth. There was something that was troubling her; he had felt it ever since he had come home from work last night. He did not enjoy seeing her in such unease, so he captured the girl into his arms, ignoring her surprised squeal, and carried her over to the living room. He dropped down onto the sofa, still cradling her in his lap. She sat up to glare at him indignantly, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders so she could find her balance. Ichigo relaxed into the soft cushions, enjoying the feel of Rukia's weight on top of him.
"So," he drawled, looping his arms lazily around her hips, "what's bugging you?"
The frown finally appeared in full to crinkle her brow.
"What do you mean?" she countered with another question.
"You know what I mean," Ichigo huffed, scowling at the woman. "You've been weird since yesterday, so what's up?"
He saw her hesitate. She squirmed a little in unease.
"I went to talk to Miyu-san," she blurted out when the expectant silence became too much for her to bear.
"What about?" Ichigo inquired, curious.
Rukia bit her lip. Her violet eyes were unreadable as she steadily met his gaze. They seemed to assess him, as if she was trying to guess his reaction.
"You've been at work, and I've been here. All day. Doing nothing. I felt like I was starting to go out of my mind," she told silently. Her deep eyes were still holding his gaze. "I needed to get out and I thought Miyu-san would understand how I felt. And she did, she said I could assist her again, to get out of the house."
Ichigo took in all she had said.
"Well then it's alright, isn't it?" he said after a short moment of silence.
Rukia shook her head.
"I don't want to become a housewife," she told him bluntly.
Ichigo chuckled.
"I'm not really sure that would suit your temperament." His tone was teasing, but the words were no joke, he meant them. He knew Rukia, he knew how strong, stubborn and independent she was. He knew she would not be happy to stay at home, relying on him to support her. He shook his head at the image; even in his head it felt too wrong and foreign.
"So what is it?" he asked.
"I want to have what you have," she confessed finally, her voice sounding wistful. "For Miyu-san it's fashion, for you and the band , it's music. A dream or a purpose - something to stop making me feel so useless."
Ichigo's grip of her hips tightened.
"You're not useless," he said firmly.
Rukia shrugged her shoulders.
"I have little function besides the household chores. It's your apartment, your money that pays for the groceries…"
"Shut up," Ichigo cut in. "You're my girlfriend. I know you feel like you're inconveniencing me, but you're not. What's mine is yours. So don't feel bad or useless, you help me out a lot. You take care of me, you keep me in line, and most importantly of all: you inspire me every day."
Rukia looked at him. It was a complete mystery to him what was on her mind, but eventually the frown eased away from her forehead, and her lips quirked into a little smile.
"Alright," she conceded quietly. Her smile turned just a little wicked as she leaned forward to show him just how much she appreciated his support and understanding.
065 – Information
Prompt: Sleepyhead
Wordcount: 679
I have successfully located the target in a residential district in Tokyo. Building appears secure, protected with a wall, cameras and personal security guard.
I will send you a full report in print, where I will also enclose the specific address of the target's location.
Abarai
The e-mail had been sent late last night, and it was short and to the point, disclosing as little information as was necessary to convey the message. Abarai apparently harboured some kind of mistrust towards technology.
He clicked open the images attached to the e-mail, going over them again. Byakuya agreed with Abarai's assessment, the building did seem secure. And the young woman in the photographs was indeed his sister. It was somewhat… disconcerting, however, that his younger sister appeared to be accompanied. Her companion did not seem to be any threat to her – physically at least, Byakuya mused, stopping to frown at the picture where the young man shared a kiss with Rukia.
Byakuya was not impressed by the young man's appearance. His hair was orange, wild, eye-catching and tacky colour, and his clothes were sloppy. Byakuya reached for the large brown envelope that had been delivered to him earlier that day, and pulled out Abarai's detailed report, and the relevant attachments. The report noted, among other things, that the building in question was owned by a large recording company, and Abarai suggested that this was the reason for the tight security. Abarai concluded in his report that as far as he could see, Rukia appeared to be safe and sound.
Byakuya put aside the report and studied an article, obviously cut out from some kind of a frivolous magazine. The now familiar orange-haired man grinned at him from the glossy page. An entertainer, according to the article. A vocalist in a rock band called Deathberry. It was hardly a profession Byakuya approved of. He wondered just how his sister had fallen in with such a crowd. He was not convinced that this man was a suitable match for his sister; Rukia was well-mannered and sensible, whereas a person who had chosen a vocation pursuing rock music was, in Byakuya's opinion, impractical and impudent. Maybe it was true that opposites attracted, like they said? Or maybe Rukia was doing this on purpose, deliberately choosing to see a man she knew Byakuya would disapprove of.
Still the restiveness his sister's current dubious company made him feel aside, Abarai's report did give reason for relief. Rukia was faring well – that much was obvious from the pictures. The only thing that was currently in jeopardy was her reputation, but that was the smallest concern out of them all. There appeared to be no threats on her life or well-being, no reason to believe she would be held hostage or used against the family. For all intents and purposes, Rukia was safe – as safe a woman of her age could be, living under the same roof with a rock star.
Byakuya heaved a sigh and deposited the papers back into the envelope. He would have to consider carefully how he would proceed with this information.
"It's late," his wife's sleepy voice called his attention, and he glanced up to see her leaning against the doorframe. "Are you planning to stay up all night?" she questioned, stifling a yawn.
"I'm coming in a second."
Hisana hummed, and padded slowly across the room.
"You say that, and then stay for another hour or two," she complained, walking around his desk. She stopped next to his chair and then laid her hand on his arm. "You need your sleep the same as any man," she gently reminded him.
Hisana's eyes strayed to the computer screen, noticing the picture that was on it.
"You found Rukia?"
"Yes. She is inTokyo, and doing well."
"Good," Hisana murmured, studying the photograph, and her sister-in-law's joyous wide smile in it.
"I don't think I've ever seen her so happy," she commented after a moment of silence.
Byakuya stood up from his chair and took his wife's arm.
"Come, Hisana, let's go to bed."