First off, I'd like to thank ulquihime7980, SimplySinful21, and Suryallee, as well as everyone else for the continued feedback you've provided me. Thank you all for your continued patience with me, both in regards to updates and the mistakes I keep making. I've been writing fanfiction for almost twelve years, and I still end up missing so many little spelling mistakes... Well, that's what revisions are for, I suppose.
Anyway, unlike my previous stories, this one was always conceived as being a much larger and complex narrative. I'm working with far more characters that I usually do, meaning that Ulquiorra and Orihime are just two people among many, so they won't always be at the forefront. On the plus side, this means I can explore the rest of the cast in greater detail- specifically Ukitake/Unohana, Ggio/Soifon, Yumichika/Isane, Hitsugaya/Matsumoto, and others. One thing that the fan-community has shown me is that our views matter, even if Kubo can't be bothered to do anything with his own characters!
As of now, I probably just increase the story's rating when I post chapter 10, so please keep that in mind as you continue. I always planned this as an "M" rated story, it's just that the sexual content (and to a lesser extent, violence) isn't an issue until later down the line.
TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW
Chapter VIII:
"The Brave New World"
Stark was asleep, calmly resting in the shade of a sturdy old sakura tree, appearing seemingly oblivious to the world that existed around him as he slept. The powerful Espada blinked a few times, then let out a protracted yawn as he was awoken by the presence of others arriving on the grounds.
The Primera sensed a number of familiar reiatsu traces on the estate: his counterpart, Lilinette, and their host, Jushiro Ukitake, as well as the female captain, Retsu Unohana. The powerful Arrancar had picked up on the bond between the two Captains- traces of the other's reiatsu, as well the faint smell of mingled scents- lingered on the two of them, and even if they were too bashful to admit it... It was clear to both himself and his counterpart that the white-haired man and the dark-haired woman were mates- or, lovers, as the Shinigami would say.
He also sensed two other presences- ones he'd encountered before- the Captain and the Lieutenant of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku and Nanao Ise, respectively. He'd met both of them under rather strained circumstances, so this should hopefully prove less stressful for them. Having battled the man, Stark had been rather curious as to how he would react to him now.
As expected, he soon heard the calls- a boisterous shout from Lilinette, and a subdued greeting from the two captains he'd come to know as of late. He stretched as he slowly got to his feet, then made his way across the garden- returning their greetings as he reached the porch.
"Stark-san," Unohana greeted, giving a polite nod. "It's good to see you back from your mission." The serene woman added with a smile. "Hopefully, recent evens haven't proven too tiring for you."
He shook his head. "The talks went well, and I have a peaceful residence to return to, Ukitake-san has been more than kind to myself and Lilinette with his hospitality."
"Not at all," Jushiro replied with a smile. "Now that you're up, I'm happy to announce that dinner will ready soon and we'll be expecting you to join us." He announced.
"It is good to see you again, Stark-san." Nanao offered sincerely.
Stark gave the bespectacled woman a simple nod, briefly meeting the gaze of the tall swordsman standing beside her, before turning to Lilinette as she spoke up.
"Come on now, Stark, you seriously need to tidy up!" The small female Arrancar admonished him with a smile, swatting his arm. "Come on, let's go." She then dragged him off.
"The mighty Primera Espada?" Shunsui asked with a small smile.
"The one and only." Captain Ukitake replied.
"Both of them." Unahana added with a smile.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Szayel held up the barrel and adjusted the narrow jet of blue flame. He then pulled the shielded goggles down over his eyes. He gripped the forward handle with his other hand as he pulled at the trigger, sending fuel down the barrel- igniting into quick jet of fire that illuminated the room.
The Arrancar smiled and lowered the M240... The small flamethrower was about three feet in length, with the fuel supply and propellant built into it- eliminating the usual bulky "backpacks" common with the older WW2 era types- and making it far more manageable. Nemu stood beside him, an indifferent expression on her pristine face, wearing an identical pair of protective goggles over her green eyes.
"Now that we've finished documenting condition of the... specimens," Szayel began, his gold eyes hidden behind his goggles as he turned to Nemu. "I see no need to linger on the remains any longer." The pink-haired Arrancar remarked to his Lieutenant. "Are these all of them?"
She nodded. "Yes, Szayel-sama." Nemu began evenly. "All the specimens have been accounted for and brought here for incineration- as per your instructions." She recounted dutifully, briefly gesturing to the pile of black "bags" before them. "We can now proceed with the disposal process." The purple-haired woman announced as she turned back to him.
"Officer Akon, are we live on your end?" Szayel asked.
"Yes, Captain Grantz," he replied over the intercom. "The CCTV system is now recording, so you can now proceed with the bodily destruction of the subjects."
"Good," he replied evenly. "As both an Arrancar, and the Captain of Division Twelve, I am officially declaring an end to all further experimentation on living subjects... of any kind." Szayel declared firmly as he pulled the trigger of the flamethrower and sent out a jet of fire across the room- blasting the pile of mutilated/dismembered bodies, rapidly setting ablaze.
The Captain and the Lieutenant exchanged a quick nod, and Nemu placed the filtered breather mask over her mouth and nose. While her 'artificial' nature endowed her body with enhanced durability and resistance to bio-hazards, she still preferred not to over-tax herself. By comparison, Szayel's biology was such that he didn't need such protections- being an Espada, let alone one possessing his unique physiology and understanding of science- he was safe.
The two of them watched with almost silent reverence as the bodies burned- the entire room bathed in an eerie reddish-orange glow. As the Commanding of the Twelfth, Szayel could have intrusted the duty of disposing of the remains to his subordinates... And yet, he had insisted on handling the task himself and personally oversaw the project. The chamber they were using was an industrial furnace, built into the sub-levels of the Twelfth, intended for safely disposing of hazardous materials.
"This is Captain Szayel Alporro-Grantz," Szayel began stoically. "I have elected to personally oversee the destruction of the bodily remains." He continued in an even tone. "Given the bio-hazard risk, total incineration was chosen to insure the safe destruction of the bodies..." The Espada paused. "Lieutenant, please activate the stage one jets to ensure total destruction."
Nemu nodded and turned to a complex control panel built into the wall- pressing a red button, featuring a 'flame' icon, and turning a large dial. Jets within the walls and the ceiling sputtered and began to pour flames onto the bodies. Szayel checked the time, then turned to her.
"You may now proceed with stage two." He calmly instructed.
With that, she nodded and eased down the dial, until the fires soon subsided, then depressed the red button to turn off the flames. Nemu then pressed a green button- sporting a symbol of an 'air current'- and went about flipping a row of switches. Unseen pumps began humming to life around them, and the viscous clouds of dark smoke from the pyre were drawn into large vents.
"The ventilation systems are nominal," she began. "The fumes are now entering the filtration pumps for cycling and distillation." Nemu finished.
Szayel nodded. "Good..." He replied. "Akon, when the pumps have finished purging, have a team equiped and sent out to check the status of the filters- to see if they need to be replaced."
He turned to Nemu. "I think we're done here."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Everyone was gathered around the table, serving themselves and chatting. As usual, Stark was content to sit back and fill his plate, quietly listening and observing the others- much as he had done during his time in Las Noches, when he wasn't actually sleeping. Except, this time, he didn't have to worry about the people around him vying for favor or plotting against each other.
Jushiro sat at the head of the table, the decorative wall panel of the room behind him, with Unohana seated to his right and Lilinette to his left. Stark was seated beside Lilinette- at the far right- with Nanao and Shunsui sitting next to Unohana on the right. The gentle clatter of bowls and plates filling the room as they set about serving themselves from the platters of simmering chicken, chose from steaming rice and noodles, and partook of the bottles of wine and tea...
"I'm hardly the sort of man to begrudge someone for simply following orders." Shunsui remarked with a smile, while holding a cup of sake. "Here, let me take care of that." He offered, reaching over to refill Stark's own cup- mildly surprising the Espada across from him. "I've always respected Jushiro's taste in company- especially given that I'm counted among them- so I look forward to getting to know you." He offered in a friendly tone, giving a celebratory gesture and taking a sip.
After a moment, Stark shrugged his shoulders and gave a small smile, offering the swordsman a quick toast before taking a drink. "Here I was, thinking you were upset with me an' Stark." Lilinette remarked with a broad smile, before taking a swig from her cup of tea.
"Believe me, Lili-san, The Captain is far too lazy to hold a grudge." Nanao remarked, rolling her eyes dismissively before sipping from her tea. In spite of the efforts of the man beside her, she wasn't going to start drinking tonight- after all, someone had to stay clear-headed, and the bespectacled Lieutenant knew that it certainly wasn't going to be her Captain!
"Always so harsh, my dear Nanao-chan." He replied, half-feigning affront. "I'm starting to think that you consider me an unreliable man?" Shunsui asked the slender woman teasingly.
"You are unreliable, Captain." She replied smartly, fixing him a stern look, before giving a small smile as she returned to her plate of food, picking up her chopsticks. "Frankly, it's a miracle that our Division functions as smoothly as it does." She chided, taking a bite of rice.
"But that's why the Eight works so well, because it's our Division." Shunsui replied with a smile.
Nanao's cheeks flushed pink, realizing her verbal slip. "Gah! Your sweet talk doesn't fool me, not when I've personally had to amend the recruitment brochures!" She snapped. "What was it... 'Only cute girls should apply this division'? Indeed, hmph!" The woman recounted indignantly.
"But Nanao-san," Unohana began, setting her tea down. "As I recall, you were beside yourself with grief at the thought of losing Shunsui-san."
Nanao blanched and cast her gaze downward, her entire face turning a dark rosy color. This only served to enthuse the man in question. "Nanao-chan, how cute you are- even your ears are blushing!"
Jushiro chuckled as he added soy sauce to his rice. "I'd almost forgotten what is was like to simply sit and enjoy the sound of laughter amongst friends." He remarked. "It really has been too long since the three of us got together like this- and with new friends, no less!"
"I just thought of something, Shiro-san." Lilinette spoke.
He arched a dark eyebrow. "And what might that be?"
"I was thinking about how me an' Stark can fight as one being... And how both you and Shunsui-san fight with two swords, and how you fought- together- like one person." The small Arrancar reasoned with a smile as she took in a mouthful of almond chicken. "And I started to wonder if Unahana-san if so powerful, like you guys, then why she doesn't have two swords..."
Stark was listening intently as his other self spoke. Despite the fact that he'd literally created her from a portion of his own vast reiki, the being that had emerged- Lilinette- was very much a person in her own right, with thoughts and feelings all her own. He felt a sense of purpose in watching this life that he had forged- from a chuck of his vast- that he was learning and experiencing alongside her.
"Interesting, Lili-chan, what did you conclude?" Jushiro asked.
Stark and Shunsui listened. The Espada lifted his chopsticks, silently eating the savory noodles held between them, while the Shinigami bit into a piece of roasted chicken.
"I remembered that Halibell only has Tiburon." She continued. "And I realized that Unohana only needs one sword, because females don't need to worry about wasted swings."
Unohana covered her mouth as she laughed, while Nanao chuckled visibly.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ulquiorra gave a disinterested look as Urahara sat in front of a computer. The Arrancar rested his back against a desk as he watched the man running some program.
"I'm processing the results of the aptitude test you just took." Urahara remarked, turning away from the computer to address him. "The results are more or less as I predicted... You scored high in mathematics and deductive reasoning," he paused. "though you rated 100% in language comprehension."
"Is that supposed to be impressive?" Ulquiorra replied after a moment.
The tip of his cane whirled into view as he pointed it him. "You'd do well to take a more active interest in your own future, Schiffer-san." He admonished, his dull gray-brown eyes meeting his green ones as he stared him down the length of the cane. "I'd advise you to make the most of your skills, lest I need remind you that it is you who is the stranger in a strange land."
The motion was quick and fluid, just as he would have expected of a former commander of one of the thirteen elite Court Guard Divisions. Ulquiorra noted that the cane was not the one he'd previously seen him brandishing. The wood was darker, stained reddish-brown, with a serpentine dragon- coiled around the upper end- carved into it the finished wood. The body merged into the polished silver handle, with the head of the dragon visible at the end.
"Now, as I saying," he continued, lowering the cane. "Aside from simply being intelligent, you appear to have some form of what I'd call 'psycho-empathic' communication..." He offered, sounding pleased with his turn of phrase. "It may be linked to your nature as a Hollow, but your mind appears to function like as codex to translate the meaning within words you hear and perceive."
"I don't know if this is unique to you, or some innate ability common to the more evolved Arrancar, but this would certainly explain the ease in which you communicated with Inoue-san from the moment you first encountered her." He reasoned thoughtfully. "Tell me something, just how many languages do you think you've spoken while conversing with just Inoue and your fellow Espada?"
"That was hardly a matter I gave any thought to," Ulquiorra replied. "The numbered Arrancar, whether by design or through elevation, served a variety of functions within Las Noches- with some of us being more specialized than others." He continued evenly. "I was considered 'valuable' because I was loyal, it was why I trusted over even those ranked above me."
Urahara sighed and crossed his arms. "No, I don't imagine a man like Aizen would have much need for inquisitiveness within his followers." The former Shinigami remarked, rubbing his chin. "In that case... I would estimate that you've unknowingly spoken at least Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish, and possibly a variety of Chinese and other central Asian dialects."
The blond started rummaging through books scattered around the room, before picking a particularly dusty and worn looking tome, then tossed it to Ulquiorra. "Here," he began. "Just pick some random page in that book and read something back to me."
Ulquiorra rolled his eyes, but relented, opening the book- flipped though the yellowing pages, before randomly settling on one within the weathered book. "...lunch was prepared, consisting of cabbage of freshly boiled eel, and served with tea." He deadpanned without looking up, then casually tossed the book back at him. "Are you satisfied?"
Catching the book, Urahara smirked. "You should be impressed, that book is written in Hakuen, one of the less commonly known Chinese dialects." He declared. "Now, I'll send a request to Soul Society to provide the necessary documents to show your qualifications as a certified translator. That way, you'll be ideally suited to find work in this globalized society of ours." He finished with a smile.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ukitake was standing on the deck of the rear patio behind his family's large home, looking across the expansive garden that the dominated the grounds behind estate. A sudden breeze ruffled his long hair and clothing, eliciting a mild shiver from the Captain- followed by him rubbing his arms.
A pair of hand came to rest on his shoulders, gently drawing him back from the edge of the deck, then Captain Unohana appeared beside him, keeping an arm draped across his shoulders as she quietly drew him to her to rest herself at his side. "Jushiro, you need to be more mindful of chills- it wouldn't do to have you getting sick on us." She reprimanded softly, as a gentle smile gracing her perfect features as she turned to face him. "You're far too important to a lot of people."
The white-haired man shook his head. "I don't know about that, Retsu, there are far more stronger and more reliable people than myself to look to." Ukitake offered her with a faint chuckle that only slightly betrayed his nerves to her as he met the woman's gaze.
"On the contrary," Unohana countered softly. "There is an entire Division that admires you and looks to you for guidance and leadership," she began firmly. "As well as the countless peoples who care deeply about you... in much the same way that I respect and love you." She added, blushing faintly, as she took his hand in hers. "You are very dear to us all."
Captain Ukitake was gobsmacked, unable to think of a reply. "Retsu, I... I don't know what say." He hesitated, taking her hands in his. "That is, I suppose, other than... thank you." The white-haired man offered her as he brought up her hands, planting kisses on her knuckles.
Unohana drew back, reaching under her captain's haori and producing a long blue-green scarf, which she draped around his broad shoulders, which she used to pull him to her- capturing his lips with hers, wordlessly expressing her affection for him in quick touch of their lips.
She released him and smiled, blushing faintly at her own impulsiveness, watching as he touched the fabric of the garment and glance down to examine it. He made out the details of forest landscape in the embroidery that adorned the fabric, pausing at the image a white wolf on one end.
"Retsu, what is this?" He asked her, somewhat quizzically, as he held up the end of the scarf, indicating the white vulpine form meticulously stitched into it.
"It's you." She replied with a smile. "I suspect it's because of Stark-san's nature, that Lili-chan views many things in the terms of how a wolf would." She explained, receiving a nod of understanding from him in response to the observation. "I'll always remember something she said... That while your coat may have gone white, you're no old wolf, and your fangs are strong."
"I believe that sums up the essence of who you are rather well," Unohana continued, even as his face flushed slightly. "the elegant White Wolf of the Thirteenth." She finished enthusiastically, putting her arms around his neck as she smiled warmly into his dark brown eyes.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Szayel sat behind the desk in his office, in the heart of the Twelfth. He looked up as the door opened and Nemu entered, holding a folder that contained the latest findings from the various projects running in the Division. He thanked her as she handed him the folder.
"Always the dutiful Lieutenant, my dear Nemu." He remarked.
"Thank you, Szayel-sama." She replied simply.
She met his gaze for a moment. "May I make an observation?" Nemu asked, earning a simple nod from the Arrancar, before occupying the seat before him. "Szayel-sama, I've observed that you seem troubled by something," she began evenly. "If I were to hypothesize, I believe that dealing with the remains of the Hollow specimens has upset you more than you realize."
"Dead bodies don't upset me, I've handled my fair share of them." He replied, easing into his chair and meeting her green eyes with his gold ones. "Including Hollows, some of which who died as a result of my own research..." Szayel paused. "Do you know what I felt when a subject that I was experimenting on died on one of the research tables in my lab?" He asked. "Nothing... I felt nothing."
"And now, Szayel-sama?" Nemu inquired , dispassionately calm.
He let out a chuckle. "I'm not sure... My kind aren't exactly known for their empathy." He replied dryly, giving a small smile as he continued. "And yet, after using Gabriel to conceal myself within you, I feel as if my... perspective has somehow changed." He rubbed his chin, glancing away.
"What do you mean?" She asked, traces of curiosity filtering into her voice.
His gaze turned back to her. "Don't you see," he countered. "I was... inside you, I bonded with you on a fundamental level." The Octavio Espada explained. "I can say, with some measure of certainty, that I have been closer to you than anyone else, more than that creature ever was." He added darkly, as if speaking of the man left a bitter taste on his lips. "Through you, I have experienced what is to be helpless, how he exploited and demeaned you." The Arrancar continued bitterly.
"The rational for engaging in morally dubious scientific research is such that, ultimately, the ends will justify the means." He continued. "Einstein, Feynman, Oppenheimer and others worked on the creation of the Atomic Bomb because they believed they were preventing a greater evil... But science is by no means sacred, and it had been used to justify some of the most appalling atrocities and perversions of genuine scholarly pursuits." He paused. "Tell me, are you familiar with Nuremberg?"
She gave a simple nod of affirmation. "The location of the war-crimes trials of key German Military and Political Officials, following the end of the second world war, held between 1945 to 1949." Nemu recounted calmly. "The intent of the trials was to seek legal justice against those involved- both directly and tangentially- in the systematic and deliberate extermination of various ethnic groups deemed as 'undesirables' by the German State, between 1938 to 1945."
The Espada nodded. "And that was only the Germans, investigations into the war crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese epidemiological research division- Unit 731- went on for decades after that, with no conclusive legal results." He added. "And how many decades of similar atrocities were conducted by my illustrious predecessor?" Szayel reasoned. "Heh, and yet it's my kind that are called monsters... Well, I suppose it's something to think about."
"History has shown us that there is a thin line between the motives of those with genuinely benevolent scientific interests... and that of a war criminal." The Octavio continued. "Even when your work results in the prevention of millions of deaths, it's still a hard justification when you actually have to stand forth and look at all the ones who have died to save others..." He reasoned. "But as in the case of the Holocaust, there are always people that think nothing of taking lives... I know I wouldn't have in the past."
"To hear you speak of such things... are you troubled, Szayel-sama?" Nemu inquired.
"To see things from the perspective of another, of the victim... The justification suddenly begins to feel baseless and hollow." He admitted uneasily. "It's not a nice feeling- of knowing what it is to be the one being hurt." Szayel paused, a pensive look on his face. "Nor the sudden cognizance of what it means that I would have thought nothing of doing these things myself."
An unusual brooding expression suddenly graced the Arrancar's features as he promptly looked away from the woman seated before him. "I've always striven to present an image of intelligence and beauty to those around me... only to see how ugly and base I truly am."
He wasn't really paying attention to her as she rose from the chair, and was taken by surprise when she appeared beside him and settled into his lap. "Nemu?" He asked her. She didn't respond as she slowly traced her fingers along his features- along the contours of his face, across the hard smoothness of his Hollow mask, then into the softness of his lustrous pink hair. The whole time, Nemu never broke eye contact with Szayel as she touched him.
"You may have been like this once," she began softly, as he moved to support her, his hands coming to gently rest on her hips. "But not any longer... The kindness and support that you have shown me- in my eyes, such qualities would be deemed... beautiful." Nemu offered him, her hands moving to the back of his neck and pulling him to her, so that his head was resting against her chest. "A monster would not feel regret over their past actions, nor be capable of empathy towards others."
The Espada snaked his arms around her upper body, his head resting on her bosom, as he savored the comforting warmth that came with their closeness and slowly breathed in her scent. "Nemu..." Szayel whispered as he leaned deeper into her embrace. "...Such a beautiful butterfly." He murmured softly.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Orihime looked up from the meal she was preparing as sudden knock at the front door to her apartment reached her in the kitchen. She set the bizarre array of ingredients aside as she moved to answer it, only to stop when she suddenly felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder.
She looked to Ulquiorra, noting his cautious gaze. After a moment, the teen nodded in understanding and moved toward the door, the Arrancar waiting around the corner, ready to draw Murceliago from its sheath as she bent down slightly to look through the peephole. "Oh." She remarked calmly, her posture easing as she flipped back the safety bar and unlocked the deadbolt to open the door.
He allowed himself to relax somewhat, watching as she drew back the door to reveal the two visitors standing at the front step. He instantly recognized both of them: it was the young, white-haired Captain and his busty blond Lieutenant that he knew were friends of the woman.
"Toshiro-kun, Rangiku-san," Orihime began. "How are you doing?" she asked with a smile, only for the curvy woman to rush forward and capture her in a tight embrace.
"Orihime-chan!" Rangiku exclaimed. "I've missed you so much, and I was so happy when myself and Captain Toshiro were asked to see how you were doing." She explained happily, while still holding the flustered redhead firmly against her large bosom. "Plus, I told the Captain how important it was to make sure that you're doing alright since you got back." The woman explained to her.
She then hooked and arm around her shoulders and moved in close to her. "Besides, now that cute little Orihime has landed herself a boyfriend, I figured I could give you some advice." The blond revealed in a hushed tone, causing the other woman's face to turn bright red.
The sound of someone clearing their throat drew their attention towards the still-open doorway, to the sight of the mildly annoyed Captain. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation inside?"
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ishin exited his son's room, shaking his head with a sigh, only to jump when someone spoke, drawing his attention to Karin- the dark-haired, tomboy half of his fraternal twin girls.
"Ichigo-nii isn't just sick is he," Karin remarked, "What happened to him is linked to those monsters and what he does whenever he disappears?" She asked bluntly, both her the sharpness of her tone and the impassive of her expression so perfectly mirroring her older brother.
"Karin- when did-" He fumbled, before trying to collect himself. "Well, you always were a sharp one, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised..." He reasoned. "Just... tell me, how long have you known, how long have you been aware of what's been happening?" He asked her.
"I've been able to sense things for a while, and recently I started being able to see those monsters and the people in black robes coming and going." She replied dryly. "As far as I know, Yuzu is barely even aware of them at all, and I don't care about spirits- just my brother- so I won't talk to anyone."
Ishin nodded his head. "I'm so sorry, I've just been so preoccupied with everything else, I should have been paying more attention to you and your sister."
She shook her head. "Just work on making sure nii-san gets better... I understand, but Yuzu can't, and she'll just worry herself until he wakes up." The dark-haired girl replied. "Any way, I need to go help Yuzu in the clinic, so I'll leave this to you and the spirit people."
. . . …o.o.o... . . .
Ulquiorra wondered how the short Captain and the busty Lieutenant could have ever passed themselves off as high school students- of the same age group as Orihime- while stationed in the living real, given that one appeared to be barely older than a grade schooler, while the other looked to be several years too old to pass herself off as a high school student.
At the moment, the two were out of their school uniforms and dressed in civilian garb. In spite of his youthful appearance, the Captain was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a white dress shirt, with a red and gray striped school tie and black shoes, under a heavy duffel coat. He was also holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand, which he presented to the Orihime as a gift. The redhead beamed at the offering, and rushed off to locate a vase to secure them in.
The strawberry blond, almost a foot taller than her Captain, wore a lacy white blouse- with the front left deliberately open to expose her formidable cleavage- and a tight black skirt, with a pair of dark legging and heeled boots, and a long coat. As Rangiku followed Orihime around the living room, it was clear to Ulquiorra that the busty female Shinigami was obviously a close friend and accustomed to being very tactile with the young redheaded human woman.
The two appeared to have come to check up on their friend, and- the Arrancar suspected- get some idea of how things were going with the two of them, and to make sure that he wasn't doing anything to draw unwanted attention to the two of them. He'd be attending the woman's school soon, mostly to keep an eye on her, so part of their reason for coming was to provide faked papers for him.
Ulquiorra wondered if these sort of "visitations" were going to be a regular occurrence, because he was less than thrilled by the notion of these people intruding on his plans...
(- End of Chapter VIII -)
This update took far longer to get posted that it should have... Aside from simply finding time to work on the story and get the chapter edited and ready to be posted, various circumstances had left me in a creative funk, which I've only just recently gotten over. The problem is, that while I'm still ahead of my immediate deadline, I'm not far ahead enough in terms of the overall story.
When I first started writing, I was working with a simple series of bullet points in mind, a list of certain key plot points that I knew had to be in each chapter. But now, where I am in the story, that's no longer enough... I need to have proper outlines pre-written for each chapter, far ahead of where I'm currently at. And while I have a rough idea of the end-point, I need to set up the logical frame work to get to that point. This is especially important now, as my current estimates on the story would require it to be somewhere around 80-100 chapters long.
I want to get far ahead enough with the outlines that I'll always be at least 10 chapters ahead when I post the next update. What this means is that I'll still be writing more chapters, but it will be a while before I'm able to post on a regular basis. I've been writing fanfiction for over a decade, and I'm not about to stop now, and you can likely expect to see some of my other stories being updated in the interim- as well as some new stories.
I promise this isn't the end, this story WILL return. I have BIG plans for where it going!