Chapter 10: Formidable Players

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Orihime clutched the side of her face in disbelief. "I did as you asked!"

Tears gathered in her eyes from pain and humiliation as Yoruichi stared her down.

"No, you stupid girl! The plan was to add the oleander to the arak. You acted on your personal vendetta and gave that poisoned drink to your cousin. Because of that you almost endangered the entire plan! You were lucky no one asked questions and the Healer was there to lead them to the right conclusions. What were you going to tell them if they asked for your whereabouts last night? Or how did Rurichiyo get her hands on the poisoned drink and why you weren't affected by it?"

The set of her jaw changed. Poor, distraught Orihime who couldn't even imagine life after the death of her beloved cousin- suddenly straightened her posture; arms by her side, pain forgotten.

"You have no idea what it's like living with her! She deserved this! And you promised!"

Yoruichi sneered. The world sees a girl like Orihime and declares her helpless but a true survivor makes use of all the tools left at her disposal, especially her perceived vulnerability. When it became apparent that there was no audience for her tears and her feigned meekness would earn her no favours, she would learn to shed her skin too.

"Watch your tone, girl! I promised you that I would see to it that you are comfortable within the Kurosaki household. I never said that I will have you installed as Ichigo's head wife! Your greed will be the end of you!"

"I am worthy of the position!"

The poor chit fancied herself in love with the boy.

The older woman had neither the heart nor the patience to point out that the infatuation was more driven by her motivation for power and her want for the title of matriarch than flighty emotions. Orihime couldn't even name her motives as what they are- jealousy, hate, a girl's resentment towards her abuser; preferring to hide behind a fantasy that she had done it for love, as if it had made it acceptable somehow.

Yoruichi scoffed. Her unwillingness to face her own ugly emotions aside, how could she hope to answer to the weight of the role if she couldn't even bring herself to face her own darkness?

But these are the things that a woman will never say out loud; she chose to deflect instead.

"You? An orphan with neither gold nor prestige to your name? What can you offer him that he doesn't already possess?"

The spark of defiance raged and flared from Orihime- "You are punishing me for falling in love with a man above my station and daring to actually do something about it? What did Rurichiyo have that I didn't besides the good fortune to be born into a clan like the Kasumiojis?"

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.

"She had the good sense to hold her tongue and play by my rules, you insolent wench!"

Orihime flinched from the callousness of her words but Yoruichi was far from done. Clever little schemers who were in over their head needed to be put into their place. As tribe matriarch, she needed to make her point clear, to thoroughly dissuade the girl of any fanciful daydreams she harboured.

The position of matriarch wasn't just a title to be gained after marrying the Sheikh.

"You think you are so clever with your little schemes- think you've fooled everyone with your feigned helplessness. In time perhaps you will be formidable indeed but for now you are still weak, you live under my dome and your so-called schemes are merely child's play to mine!"

She jerked the girl forward by her hair, ignoring Orihime's high-pitched yelp- "Do not mistake my leniency as kindness- I can and I will crush you if you upset my plans."

Orihime whimpered but a sharp glare from her aunt silenced her.

"Do not overreach and seek what that does not belong to you. Those who stray too close to the Sun will only find themselves burned for their efforts. I will not forget those who have aided me but the man is now your brother."

She tilted the girl's head by her chin.

"I will personally see to it that nothing happens between the two of you. The Kurosakis do not need the scandal of incest. The day I hear of such rumour is the day you have outlived your usefulness.

Orihime's lips quivered and in those eyes Yoruichi saw a glimmer of fear. Good- fear was good; fear would make her think twice about prioritizing her personal agenda when there were greater things at play.

Her tone softened, releasing her grip on the girl's hair.

"You are dismissed."

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Rukia saw Orihime as she dashed out. She kept her head down- pretended that she hadn't seen the sharp imprint on the girl's face and her tears. She was a lot of things but she wasn't a hypocrite- couldn't say that she wouldn't have done the same if she was ever put into Orihime's position.

It was a cruel world and they did what they could to survive. She should worry more about her own trials that lay ahead. She hadn't the first clue on how to face Yoruichi, or how their meeting would go.

Yoruichi's smile was benevolent- claws and talons sheathed for now. The matriarch seemed to be in good health, making a sound recovery from the poison as colours returned to her cheeks. As always, she was the very picture of languid grace- the perfect hostess as she bade her to sit and drink tea.

Rukia bowed her head low in response. Trepidation lined her thoughts. She made it a point to touch nothing. She knew better than to let her guard down- this woman was dangerous.

"You asked for me, Lady Yo-"

"Please call me Yoruichi. I do owe you my life-" a playful smirk curled on her lips- "I expected you to go running to my nephew once you found the poison and uncovered Kumoi's plot. You surprised me- in a good way, Healer Rukia. Please tell me you haven't regretted your decision. I wouldn't be able to bear it if you turned out to be nothing more than a saint."

Rukia didn't think she had a saintly bone in her- especially not after what she had been participant to. She was a pragmatist- always had been. The mission was the most important thing- the only thing that mattered and for that, she was willing to do anything.

As for saving Yoruichi's life, they both knew that wasn't true.

There was no poisoning- merely a political ruse. The woman didn't need saving- not when she was the mastermind of the whole incident.

Rukia too would have been caught up in the scheme, dancing to the tune of Yoruichi's machinations- blissfully ignorant if it hadn't been for a serendipitous cup of coffee.

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Defeat tasted bitter in her mouth.

She had mulled over the ultimatum offered by Kumoi and could feel her disgust growing; but this was the only way she could think of- she had to tell Ichigo the truth. He may not believe her, might even have her in chains but she couldn't bring herself to poison her patient. It went against everything she was taught to do.

With her mind made, she headed towards Yoruichi's bayt. She had to say goodbye to her patient and the Kurosaki twins first.

Inside, Yoruichi was still unconscious. The girls flashed a slight smile at her. They were holding the nightly vigil over their aunt in the hopes that she would wake up some time during the night.

Rukia's heart felt heavy but they had to hear it from her. She failed them. She deserved nothing less than their disgust and disappointment.

She made her way in, steeling her heart as her feet marched themselves onward.

Everything had been left as it was. Her stomach growled as she realized that she hadn't eaten anything since morning. She eyed the laden feast. The food would have gone bad under the heat.

But maybe she could still get something to drink—

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We drank coffee and chatted about the preparation underway for my upcoming nameday celebration.

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Rukia's eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks. Hysterical laughter bubbled.

She had been so blind!

She was wrong- wrong in the assumptions that she had made, wrong in believing that the plan that Kumoi had concocted was fool-proof. Rurichiyo wasn't lying. Yoruichi drank coffee!

The poison wasn't in the food. It was in the coffee!

She grabbed at the used cup still half full with the cold bitter liquid –

And drank it.

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"Healer Rukia!"

The twins scrambled to their feet in alarm. What was the healer doing drinking stale coffee? That was important evidence- the woman had even said so herself. If she really wanted to, they could always brew a fresh batch for her!

Rukia spat it back out.

Nutmeg!

The drink was more liquid nutmeg than coffee.

Yoruichi wasn't poisoned with oleander. That was why the symptoms didn't add up. Oleander would have killed her from the inside out- rotting her internal organs first but nutmeg wouldn't. Nutmeg wasn't intended to kill but given in a higher dose, it could replicate the symptoms of acute poisoning, make it seem as it death was imminent for its victim with the scary hallucinations and palpitations.

There was definitely more to the story- things that she didn't know.

"Has your aunt always had coffee this way? With the nutmeg added."

Karin shook her head.

"The spice was something we discovered during trading with foreign seafarers. It would be a good three moons ago since she started drinking coffee with it. She said it made the taste interesting."

Three moons was more than enough time to devise a plan- to find out the best dose to produce the intended symptoms, the most potent side effects and how to avoid them, and more importantly work out an antidote.

"Who was the one who made her the coffee?"

"Orihime. Aunt Yoruichi said that she has the most unique ta—"

Rukia didn't have the time to listen to the end of the sentence. Her mind was already racing as her feet carried her over to Rurichiyo's bayt. With a clamp over the girl's mouth, she practically dragged Orihime out through sheer force alone.

The girl's fear over what she would have assumed to be a demoness was damning but Rukia shrugged it off. She could always earn her forgiveness later. Right now human lives hung in the balance. She didn't have the time to play nice.

"Tell me everything you know."

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Truly, Rukia applauded the matriarch for her efforts. The woman laid her trap well- the hunted was the huntress. The poisoning was designed to serve Yoruichi's purpose in three-folds. And it was an overwhelming success on all fronts.

The first to weed out the hidden threat lurking within their own faction and effectively neutralize it, the second- to solidify her own position within the clan hierarchy; Kasumioji's successor was now completely dependent on the Kurosakis, and the third, to test the new healer- to force her to pick a side and make a stand.

Rukia pursed her lips.

"I did what I had to do. No matter who I turned to, we both know what that would make me. The only difference is whether I am a useful pawn or a disposable one. I won't be made into anyone's pawn."

She would have been at the Intended's mercy had she gone to him and that would not help in her attempts to prevent the sweven. Had she actually gone through with Kumoi's demands though, that would have made her situation worse- it made her an accomplice, an enemy of Yoruichi and the Intended. Even if she ran, she had little doubt that retribution would have been swift. Kumoi would strike her down to keep his secret at all cost.

"Such bold words–'' Yoruichi smiled –"nonetheless, you have my thanks. It would have been much harder to pin it on Yammy without your help."

Rukia digressed. It was a plan set out to work in four-folds.

She forgot that in taking out Kumoi Yoruichi also removed Yammy, a clear supporter of the opposition. With one broad careless sweep of his blade, Grimmjow was cutting off his own nose to spite his face- severing his own claws and cutting down his allies.

Taking the claws away from a wolf was as good as limping the beast.

Rukia gulped. Yoruichi was three steps ahead of everyone in the game.

She played everyone: using Orihime as a turncoat, her nieces as witnesses, manipulating Rukia- the only true neutral party in the tribe, turning Grimmjow's anger against him and bending them all to suit her purpose.

"Lady Y-"

"Yoruichi," topaz eyes gleamed, "I insist."

A beat, a staring match that Yoruichi won when Rukia sighed.

"Yoruichi, if I hadn't given you the oleander leaves, how else were you going to obtain the antidote?"

Yoruichi smiled, "A true artist will never put all her cards on the table- to do so would be stupid. But rest assured I would still get the results I want. The ending is still going to be the same."

Ichigo was definitely his aunt's prodigy- even their words echoed with the same brand of arrogance.

"I don't doubt it."

The woman was a superb tactician- a rare blend of cool meticulous planning and risk-taking. She had set everything out perfectly from the counter-poison, right down to the number of leaves needed to counteract the poison of her own choosing. A lesser woman would have hesitated over the decision of poisoning herself, entertained second thoughts when unwarranted factors like Rukia's arrival to the tribe came into play.

But Yoruichi wasn't fazed by the changes- she simply made use of the same plan to accomplish more.

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"Did the Sheikh know? Did he know about Kumoi's plot from the very beginning?"

Yoruichi quirked an eyebrow at her questions, watching her oddly defensive stance amusedly.

"Why does it matter to you? Why are you so interested in knowing what my nephew knows? I don't deny that he has his charms but I never thought that you would be so forward and bold in your approach," teased Yoruichi.

Rukia's cheeks coloured. The day she harboured any interests beyond professional and her oath to her Goddess, towards that manipulative man was the day that pigs would fly. But she bit her tongue- she knew when to pick her battles.

Yoruichi would tell her nothing and she should cut her losses before she let something else slip and earn the suspicions of the sharp-eyed woman.

"It seems that I am in the presence of formidable players," she said instead.

"The very best, I'm afraid," cooed Yoruichi.

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Trivia:

Nutmeg poisoning is very real due to the anticholinergic properties of its main ingredient- mycristicin (which is metabolized by the human body to MMDA and a weak MAOI) hence the hallucinogenic effects. Poison onset is quick but varies. The earliest known case is reported as far back as 1887 and both intentional and unintentional exposure cases continue to be reported in the 2000s to 2010s.

I have the references available. Poison interests me- I mean it in a non-creepy way. Comment if you want to go in depth about the poisoning. The pharmacist in me is very intrigued.

Aside from that, IR week starts tomorrow! Are you excited?