Hey everyone, great to see you all again, and with our story's next chapter too. Bit of an early post I guess, but seeing as how I won't be in tomorrow to post this, gotta do it early. Not much happening here; school is still being a nuisance, household chores still a pain, but starting to slow up a bit for winter. Other than that, everything's seemed to gotten into a grove at least. Been studying like crazy, and it's thankfully paying off a lot, lol.
Big milestone here, we hit 500K words last chapter...a half a million words. Damn! Thanks for all the support everyone.
Got a quick response to the inquiry I made last chapter, then we'll get into 'Spades's Banter'.
AmazingAmazo: Thanks for your opinion friend, and it's been noted.
On to the Banter…No worries bro, whenever I run into a great story that has a long update interval, or seems to have been abandoned, I get a little agitated as well. So, don't fret about it. And I agree, it's not fair, lol. Going into my inquiry, don't worry about any changes to the story if I did 'hire' a helper. I guess you could say the person would be like a more inclusive beta writer. But still, appreciate the input.
I wouldn't say Sung-Sun is the best fracción, but she is among the top five. Rangiku…agreed. The lunch outing was mainly plot development with a bit of humor involved. And come on…this story would lose soooo much of its taste if we didn't have a Kit/Tim fiasco at least every other chapter. It's kinda like one of the main genres of the story, lol. Bit of humor with Nel getting 'talked into' an outing with Rangiku, lol. Not sure who the third person you mentioned is, as it got blanked out for some reason…never seen that before. Lazy? In my opinion, this has been the most inclusive one yet. Thanks for your opinion on the interactions, but you'll notice a drop in that when we get to a select few individuals. Questions…
1: Hmm…Toshiro seems like a Action/Violence type of person to me.
2: Taking personalities into account, I would have to say Kenpachi (due to his monstrous strength), Ikkaku (because of his competitive nature), and…maybe Suí-Fēng (simply because of how fast she is).
3: …You just killed 2…no, 3 more brain cells Spades!
4: Oh hell no! Even when I first started watching the series, before I even knew who he really was, I was 'still skeptical about him. He just gave off that creepy feel.
5: Once he got over the initial pain and all, he would likely leave a few dozen bruises behind.
6: Sandals. I'm the type of person that just slips on what is quick and easy and go about my business.
7: Ooooh…tough one. If you had included Reeses, that would have been my pick. But from those two…I guess Snickers.
8: They were all a bit comical, so can't really pick. But I will say that #3 made a vein twitch on my head a few times, lol. Actually…I take that back, #3 made me laugh the most; laugh at thinking 'Has he lost his mind again?'.
Alright, you fellas been waiting two long weeks for this, so it's time for me to shut up and let you move on to the reading. See you at the end.
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 34
(Dead Ends)
Karakura City Center, 1 Hour Later
Nel and Orihime stood side-by-side, their backs to each other while browsing through adjacent racks of clothes. Rangiku on the other hand was somewhere else in another store looking through their on-sale items.
When the three women had entered the mall, the first thing that caught the busty Lieutenant's eyes was the two advertising signs for two different stores that told them of their summer close-out sales; seeing as how it was now fall and most stores needed the inventory space for the current season's clothes.
Needless to say, any other plans the Lieutenant had immediately went out the window and she was gone, leaving behind a trail of dust as she sped off to the closest of the two stores. Nel and Orihime could only watch with deadpanned expressions, before turning to each other and shrugging it off.
Not that they really cared, seeing as how Nel wouldn't have to worry for at least a little while before she became the woman's 'test subject' again; and Orihime surely didn't mind as that meant that she didn't have to constantly defend Nel's humility.
That was when Orihime thought it best to start in a simple, and 'clean' clothes shop to browse around. And now that the young teen found herself alone with the former Espada for what she had hoped would be a little while, now was likely the best time to ask her something that had been bugging her mind.
Returning a small, knee-length dress to its rack, the young woman let out a brief sigh as she shifted through the clothes for the next item that interested her.
"Hey…Nel?' she called in a quiet, yet worried voice.
The woman next to her looked closely at the button-up shirt she was holding and hummed back. "Yes?" she answered, missing the tone in her friend's voice.
"Can I…ask you something?" the teen inquired.
"Sure." Nel affirmed, returning the shirt and sliding its hanger to the side.
Orihime picked up the next dress to look at it, but lowered it back down and sighed again. "I was…I was wondering what…Hueco Mundo was like. I mean…I remember you saying that it was boring at times, but what exactly is it like being there?"
Nel stopped browsing and lifted her head to the ceiling before scratching her cheek, humming in thought. "Well…I guess that depends. I mean…the best way to put it is Hueco Mundo is pretty much an endless desert. Besides a random dead tree, or a small boulder…there's really not much of anything else besides sand. It's always night there, and unlike your typical desert here in the world of the living, it's not hot there."
The woman paused to move her finger to her chin, tapping it and humming more. "But then, there is the Menos Forest. That's where most of the Menos and lower hollows live. The only ones who really leave the forest are the ones strong enough to survive outside of it. I have heard of some mountainous ranges very far out to the east and south, but I have never seen them myself." She informed.
Orihime nodded slowly before returning the dress in her hands to the rack. "And what about…where you came from?" she furthered.
Nel turned her head to the teen with a raised brow. "You mean Los Noches?" she asked, earning another nod. The Arrancar turned back to her rack and pulled out anther shirt while she thought about the teen's question. "It was dull, and boring; but far better than the dunes of Hueco Mundo. I mean…" She tilted her head to the side to think more. "…I guess it wasn't too bad; the living arrangements were nice, and you didn't have to always worry about another Menos finding you and trying to consume you. The artificial dome above Los Noches was nice, it made the place…more alive, so to say."
The teen turned to her friend in confusion. "Artificial dome?"
The older woman nodded and pulled a shirt from the rack. "Yes, it's some kind of…kidō…or something that Aizen used. It makes the inside of the dome covering Los Noches look like the sky here in the world of the living. The sun and clouds during the day, that turned into a moon and stars at night. Of all the changes Aizen had made to Los Noches, I do have to admit that that was not a bad one. A lot of times, when I had nothing else to do, I liked to look up at the dome and watch the 'clouds' slowly pass by."
She then lowered her arms a bit and raised her head with closed eyes; a calm expression on her face. "It was…soothing…in a way. It allowed me to simply stop and think about…nothing really. Stark was the same way; although, he usually went out to find a place to take a nap." She said with a hint of a smile.
Orihime's face fell a bit. "You miss him?" she inquired.
Nel swiftly turned her head to the teen and rubbed the back of it sheepishly. "Yeah, I do. He may have been the Primera Espada, but he surely didn't act like it. I guess you could say he was quite lazy, to put it simple. But he was also very kind, and always took others into consideration before doing anything."
"He sounds nice. Wasn't he the one you considered a brother?" Orihime pressed.
Her friend nodded. "In a way; it was really Lilynette who I considered a sibling…along with Pesche and Dondochakka." She added with a slight frown.
Orihime detected her change in tone, and frown as well. "S…Sorry. I didn't mean to…"
Nel quickly waved her off with a weak smile. "Please, it's okay Orihime. I know you didn't mean it that way. But…if I may ask, why are you so interested in all of this so suddenly?" she questioned.
The teen waved her hands at her. "Oh, I was just curious, Nel. I just wanted to know a bit more about where you came from. That's all." She assured.
The Arrancar smiled and shrugged a shoulder. "Alright. So, did you find anything you like yet?" she asked, pointing at the clothes rack in front of the teen.
Orihime turned back to the dress in her hands and hummed a second. "I kinda like this one, but it's getting a bit cold out for it. I could get it for next year…but I doubt I would still fit it." She pointed with a chuckle.
Nel tilted her head to the side with a raised brow. "Couldn't you…just get the next size up, that way it would fit you for next year?"
The teen's face lit up in realization before turning a bit red. Placing a hand behind her head, Orihime began rubbing it in embarrassment. "Oh yeah…I somehow forgot about that! Ha ha ha!"
The older woman couldn't help it, and she was quickly laughing along with her younger friend.
"Oh, 'there' you are!" another voice called out.
Nel and Orihime turned to the store entrance to see Rangiku walking in with one bag in the crook of her arm, and another in that hand. Nel sweat dropped at the sight with slumped shoulders.
"Just how much of that store did she buy…Tim would have a heart attack if he saw this." The Arrancar commented.
Orihime chuckled under her breath before nodding in agreeance. "I think you may be right, Nel. Although, I think I'm more worried about what Toshiro would do once he finds out."
Nel's eyes widened a bit at the thought. "It was nice knowing her while it lasted." She mumbled just as the busty Lieutenant walked up to them.
"Hey, why you so gloomy, Nel? We're supposed to be having fun, right?" Rangiku half whined, but stopped when she noticed a lack of something. "Hey…where are all the clothes I'm buying you? You can't seriously tell me that the whole time I was gone that you didn't find a single thing you liked, right?" she questioned in a firm tone.
Nel took a single step back and held up her hands. "Uh…I just haven't found anything I liked yet." She defended; Orihime nodding in agreeance, and in defense.
Rangiku planted her free hand on her hip and stared the woman down, causing her to take another step back. "Oh really?" she challenged, earning another set of nods. Before Nel could react, the Lieutenant quickly snatched Nel's wrist and began tugging her along behind her. "Well, we're just gonna have to fix that, and quickly! There's still a couple more stores that are having sales I wanna check out!"
The Arrancar's face contorted in agony with a whimper. "Why did I agree to this?" she whined as she was pulled out of the store and across the mall; followed closely by Orihime who was smiling sweetly.
2 Hours Later
Three stores, in two hours; to any who did not know Rangiku Matsumoto of Squad 10, that was the longest time possible to spend shopping for clothes, without having to take the time to try them on.
But to those who 'did' know the busty Lieutenant, it was actually a new world record.
But of course, this was only made possible because the woman wanted to visit all of the shops that were currently having sales. In fact, if it wasn't for that they needed to stop and get something to eat, they would likely be on their 'fifth' shop by now.
However, even though Nel should have been glad that the woman's shopping was progressing at a decent rate, she was actually in a very depressed mood at the moment; mainly because she was now faced with a difficult question.
Who was actually worse to shop with; Rangiku…or Yoruichi.
The three women were currently sitting down at a round table in the food court awaiting their pizza to be delivered. Rangiku was shifting through her bags and looking at her purchases, while Nel had her head resting on the table, a small storm cloud hovering above her head, and Orihime looking out to the side with a tinge of pink on her cheeks.
The first store really wasn't that bad. Sure, they had a few clothes that slightly made Nel feel a bit shameful, but it was overall a good experience. The second store was a bit better, mostly selling jeans, t-shirts, and basic lingerie. A few 'exotic' pieces, but still better.
It was when they arrived at the 'third' shop, that everything turned from bad, to an absolute nightmare.
Flashback, 30 Minutes Prior
The three women calmly and graciously through the far end of the mall; Rangiku with five overstuffed bags in her arms, and Nel and Orihime with a single bag each right behind her.
Nel was looking in her own bag for a moment, before she lifted her head and sighed evenly. "Well, that went so much better than I had thought it would." She commented.
The teen beside her nodded with a smile. "So does that mean you're having fun, Nel?"
The Arrancar nodded and smiled back. "Yeah, I guess it does. And here I was thinking that it was going to be like last time with Yoruichi."
Orihime's smile faded a bit. "Is she still giving you and Tim a hard time with her teasing?" she questioned.
Nel sighed before scratching her cheek. "Well…not really. She still teases us on occasion, but she's not as bad as she has been…" Her face then dropped as well before turning a bright red. "…At least since 'that' happened." she added, suddenly remembering the demon's 'payback' for Timothy's comments to her.
The teen next to her tilted her head a bit. "That'? What do you mean?"
The older woman quickly shook her head furiously. "Nothing! It was nothing!" she shot out.
Orihime was still confused, but chose to shrug her shoulders and let it go, much to the Arrancar's relief. Not only was it far too embarrassing to retell, but the poor teen would very likely have a stroke at the thought of the golden-eyed demon's actions.
"And…here we are!" Rangiku suddenly said as she came to a stop.
The two women behind her stopped next to her and looked at the shop she stopped at. It was only a second later when Orihime's face turned a 'very' bright red, and her eyes were close to falling out of their sockets from being opened so wide.
Nel looked closer at the store to see that all of the windows had been painted over in a very thick black paint, leaving the, also painted, door the only way to see what was inside. This confused Nel, and caused her to tilt her head to the side.
"What's in here?" the Arrancar asked.
Orihime slapped her free hand to her mouth and took a step back. "R…R…Rangiku! I…I c…c…can't go i…in there!" she yelled through her hand.
Nel turned to look at her, only to instantly start worrying when she saw the young girl's state. Rangiku turned around and gave her a pout.
"Aw…come on Orihime. You don't need to be ashamed. Afterall, we're here for Nel, not you." She tried to reassure.
The mentioned woman swiftly shot her head to the Lieutenant with wide eyes. "What's in there, Rangiku?! Why is Orihime acting like this?!" she asked in fear.
Rangiku's hand instantly shot out and snatched the woman's wrist. "Only one way for you to find out, isn't there?" she said, then started pulling the woman towards the door.
Nel planted her feet on the floor, and tried to pull back against the Lieutenant's grip. "Oh no, I'm 'not' going in there until you tell me what it is!" she tried to say in a firm voice, but instead came out in a low squeak.
Even though the former Espada could 'easily' outmatch the female soul reaper in terms of strength, she was 'still' somehow being pulled closer to the store; her feet slowly sliding across the tiled floor of the mall.
"Oh, don't be such a baby, Nel. Come on, it's time to get you some 'real' clothes." Rangiku insisted, pulling the Arrancar even closer.
Nel turned back to her teenage friend with pleading eyes. "Orihime! Save me!" she yelled.
But the poor girl was too frozen in shock for her words to reach her. The busty Lieutenant kept pulling the Arrancar further and further, until she reached the door and pulled it open; pulling the now tearful woman behind her into the shop, and past the red, neon sign the read 'Foxy Ladies Shop'.
Flashback End
"Oh, lighten up, Nel. It wasn't 'that' bad. Think of it like this, now you can 'fully' impress that handsome man of yours." Rangiku said with a wink after raising her head from her bag.
Nel lifted her own hear to glare at the offending woman. "What makes you think I wanted to 'impress' him? You're no better than Yoruichi." She hissed in anger.
Orihime snapped her head to the Arrancar in shock. "N…Nel! That wasn't nice! You 'know' she was only helping…" she said, then turned red again. 'Even though she 'did' go a bit…far…'
The Arrancar rolled her eyes to the teen. "And you do realize that when Tim finds out about this, he's very liable to murder her…right?"
"Pft…" Rangiku scoffed with a wave of her hand. "Murder me? Once he sees you Nel, he's probably going to 'thank' me."
Nel sighed heavily while rubbing her temples. "What did I do to deserve this?" she mumbled under her breath.
Orihime, still a little red in the face, turned to her friend and gently rubbed her back. "It's okay, Nel. But…Rangiku 'does' have a point." She stated, gaining the older woman's attention. The teen touched a finger to her chin in thought. "When you think about it…it's not really 'that' bad. I mean…" She stopped when she once again went red. "…It 'is' a bit much…but…I think…Tim would l…like it."
Rangiku rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Of course he'll like it, Orihime. I'm actually wondering why 'you' didn't get anything. Don't 'you' have a particular someone you like?"
The teen shrunk her head into her shoulders and suddenly found twiddling her fingers very interesting. "I…It's not that…I don't…I just…" She found herself unable to continue, and that only peaked the Lieutenant's curiosity.
"Oh? Well, don't hide it, Orihime; tell us who this mystery guy is." Rangiku pressured.
Orihime shied away even more, so Nel quickly decided to help her out. "And what about 'you', Rangiku? Do you plan to sit there and ask who Orihime cares for and not tell us who 'your' special person is?" she returned in a firm tone.
The woman's face then fell with a hint of sadness. "It's probably best I don't tell you ladies. It's…very complicated." She said, then turned her head away a bit.
Nel's eyes widened a bit, while Orihime returned the saddened look. "Did…something happen?" the teen inquired.
Rangiku gave a brief sigh. "You could say that. Things just…didn't go as planned. That's all." She offered in a low voice.
The Arrancar woman could instantly tell that the subject was very troubling to her, so she raised her hand up in a placating manner. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, Rangiku." She offered.
The Lieutenant smiled, albeit very weakly, and shook her head. "No, it's alright, Nel. He and I just have some…problems to work out is all. Sorry for putting pressure on you, Orihime."
The teen shook her head and smiled back. "No, it's fine. I just…" she paused again and lowered her head in shame. "I just haven't…told him or anything."
Rangiku raised a brow at her. "If you want my advice Orihime, don't wait too long. You never know if someone else might just jump in and take him away from you."
Orihime's eyes widened a bit in realization, then quickly returned to a look of sadness. "I…I know. I'm just afraid that…he won't think the same thing. I wanna be close to him, and be with him, but…what if he doesn't feel the same way? I don't want to lose him." She stated with her head lowered.
The Lieutenant gave a knowing smirk before resting her chin in her hand with her elbow on the table. "Let me guess…Ichigo's the one you're after, Orihime?" she questioned.
The teen's eyes went wide again in shock, while Nel gave the Lieutenant a firm stare. "I strongly advise that you not say anything, Rangiku. I may tolerate you and Yoruichi's habits, but I will not allow you to torture Orihime." She warned.
Rangiku was quick to hold her hands up in surrender. "Woah woah, hold up there, Nel. I wasn't going to say anything, promise. I was just confirming if I was right on who she was head-over-heels for. That's all." She defended.
Orihime lifted her head back to the Lieutenant. "Please…don't say anything, Rangiku."
The Lieutenant waved her off with a kind smile. "Of course not, Orihime. I only poke fun at Tim because he makes it too damn easy. That, and he's a fellow Lieutenant, and messing with each other is kinda part of the job. But I would never do that to you. However, considering that it 'is' Ichigo that you've fallen for, I'd definitely say that you better make a move sooner than later." She advised.
Nel rose a brow at the comment. "What do you mean?"
Rangiku simply shrugged a shoulder. "Easy, he's such a hottie, and if girls haven't already started lining up to go out with him, you can bet that it won't be long before they do. Come on Nel, even 'you' can't argue with that logic."
The Arrancar leaned back and crossed her arms with a sigh. "No…I would be lying if I said that I didn't find him somewhat attractive." She admitted, causing Orihime to snap her head to the woman.
"Nel! You…You couldn't…" she started.
Nel quickly, yet calmly set a hand on the teen's shoulder and smiled warmly. "Please don't worry, Orihime. I have feelings for Tim, not Ichigo. I was only admitting that he did look handsome. I have no intention of taking him away from you." She reassured.
Orihime lowered her head in shame, now feeling upset that she had just, basically, accused her friend of taking her 'potential' boyfriend away from her. Placing her hand behind her head, she began rubbing her hair in embarrassment.
"S…Sorry Nel…I know you didn't mean it like…like that." The teen said in a quiet voice.
Nel smiled even more and patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Orihime. But…Rangiku 'is' right." She said, regaining the teen's attention. "If this were Hueco Mundo, Ichigo would have likely been claimed by now, or at the very least had females fighting over him." This caused Orihime's eyes to widen, while Rangiku's smirk grew a bit.
"So, you're saying that if this were Hueco Mundo, little Ichigo would have already had a girlfriend…or two?" she pressed.
Orihime was now a bit horrified at the thought, while Nel scratched her cheek in thought. "Well…I wouldn't exactly say that…but he would definitely have others competing for him by now. I'm not trying to worry you or anything Orihime, I am only stating that you should take Rangiku's advice and tell him how you feel; before it's too late."
The teen dropped her head again, but nodded. "I…I will. Thank you both…for your help."
Rangiku then reached over and pulled the orange-haired teen into a side hug, patting her adjacent shoulder with her embracing hand.
"Hey, what are friends for, Orihime? You're such a sweet girl, and you deserve your own happiness. Anytime you need a hand, don't hesitate to let me know." The Lieutenant informed.
"Or me." Nel added with a smile.
Orihime nodded and wiped away the happy tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "Thank you…both of you."
Rangiku gave a last pat to the teen's shoulder before releasing her and reclining back in her chair. "So…with that out of the way…what about you, Nel?"
The Arrancar tilted her head and pointed to herself. "Me? What about me?"
The Lieutenant's smirk reappeared. "Oh, don't play dumb, Nel; you know 'exactly' what I'm talking about."
Nel's cheeks started to gain a pinkish hue as she leaned back a bit from the woman. "Uh…everything's…going fine. Why?"
Rangiku raised a finger and wagged it side-to-side. "Uh uh uh, I know there's more to it than that, girl. Come on, it's just us, and Yoruichi's not around. So you can tell us how things are going for you and Tim. You already told me you kissed him."
Orihime's head instantly shot to her friend with wide eyes. "You…You kissed him?!" she asked in shock.
The Arrancar's face grew even redder while tucking her head into her shoulders. But after a few seconds, she finally gave the teen a very slight nod.
"Yes." She admitted in a very low voice.
Orihime recovered from her shock and smiled at her friend. "That's great! I'm so happy for you two!"
Rangiku's smirk grew yet again and she waved the Arrancar on. "Well, don't keep us in the dark, anything 'else' between you two?" she pressed even harder.
Nel sighed heavily, but shook her head. "No, all we've done is kiss, and sometimes we hold hands while walking. But nothing further than that. And…that's what…I guess annoys me."
Orihime tilted her head in wonder. "What do you mean, Nel?"
The woman sighed again while closing her eyes in thought. "Well…it's a bit difficult for me to explain, but…even though we've…kissed, and have gotten closer, I still have this feeling inside that…it's not enough."
Rangiku rose a brow. "Not enough? You mean like you want more between you two?"
Nel nodded and took a deep breath. "In a way, yes. I'm still a bit lost on this relationship stuff, and I've only made it this far because Tim was the one to help me this far with his kiss. He did say that I could kiss him anytime I wanted, and he wouldn't be upset; but…" She paused while thinking of the right words to say.
But the Lieutenant nodded and jumped in. "But you feel like you want more than that, right?"
The Arrancar flinched in embarrassment, but nodded back. "Y…Yes. Tim said he would wait, and we could go as fast I feel comfortable, taking it further as I learn more about all this. But…that's the problem, I 'don't' feel comfortable like this. I keep getting this nagging feeling that it's just not enough. I know Tim can help me with this, but I don't want to push him. I don't want him to feel like I'm a burden to him; like I'm pressuring him." She admitted, now on the verge of tears.
Rangiku nodded in understanding, then leaned closer, speaking in a very low voice. "May I ask you something personal, Nel?" she asked, getting a reluctant nod back. "If we were in Hueco Mundo, where you know how things are done in this regard, where do you think you and Tim would be?"
The woman then turned red and turned her head away. "I've…very likely…would have claimed him by now." She admitted.
Orihime's eyes widened while turning a bit pink herself. "Y…You mean you two…"
The woman nodded hesitantly. "If he and I were both hollows, and living in Hueco Mundo, I would have most likely taken him as my mate by now. That's how different our ways, and your ways are, Rangiku. Soul reapers and humans, you all look at each other on a more deeper level; but with hollows, it's just our instinct of procreation. I've explained this to you before Orihime, so you at least have a basic understanding of what I'm talking about. But I don't want to do it the hollow way, I want to move forward with Tim the way it 'should' be."
Nel finally turned back to the Lieutenant with a pleading look on her face. "Rangiku, I'm asking you as a friend, what should I do? Where do I go from here without putting any pressure on Tim?"
Rangiku couldn't help but feel a little bad for the woman as she sighed and shook her head. "Well…I'm thankful that you're coming to me for help, but you are sure in one tricky spot, Nel. But if you 'really' want my advice…"
"Please." Nel interrupted.
The Lieutenant nodded, and her smirk returned. "Well then, just sleep with him."
Silence fell over the three women while Nel and Orihime stared at the Lieutenant; Orihime with beet-red cheeks and wide eyes, and Nel in confusion.
"R…Rangiku! Y…You can't…b…be serious!" Orihime almost shouted.
Nel looked at her with even more confusion, then up to the ceiling in deep thought. It was only a few seconds later when Rangiku's grin grew wider at seeing Nel's cheeks turn a fiery-red. The Arrancar's head shot back to the Lieutenant.
"W…W…What?! Y…You don't mean…" she blurted, but was stopped by the Lieutenant holding up a hand and laughing her lungs out.
"Oh my God! Your f…faces are too…too priceless!" she said between laughs, only making the Arrancar now turn red with 'anger'.
"Rangiku!" Nel hissed through her teeth.
Rangiku swiftly waved her off, then wiper her tears away from laughing so hard. "Calm down Nel, I didn't mean it like 'that'. Yoruichi was right, you 'are' a naughty girl."
Nel started growling as she clenched her fists on the table. "You're lucky we're in a public place Rangiku, otherwise I would strangle you!" she threatened.
The Lieutenant rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Chill, girl! I wasn't talking about having any…shall we say, 'personal' training, I was talking about just laying there in bed with him. Seriously, you 'really' need to learn to lighten up, Nel. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack living like that."
The Arrancar rose a brow at her. "So…you're saying to just…lie there…and sleep next to him?" she asked with a bit of skepticism.
Rangiku rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, you could also 'cuddle' with him. But, if simply lying down next to him works for you, then just go with that then."
Orihime finally recovered from her shock, and tilted her head. "But…do you think that would help?" she inquired.
The Lieutenant offered a deadpanned expression. "You can't honestly sit there and tell me that you haven't imagined doing the same with Ichigo, can you Orihime?" she challenged, reigniting the teen's blush.
"W…Well…I g…guess…m…maybe I…I have…" the teen said with her head turned away.
Nel sighed and shook her head. "I don't exactly get it. I mean, hollows will sleep with their mates, but that's basically to ensure their protection from other hollows. So what does it mean for you guys?" she inquired, still confused.
Rangiku breathed a sigh of defeat. "This is 'so' much harder than it needs to be.' She mumbled, then gave the Arrancar a calm stare. "Look Nel, for humans and soul reapers, just sleeping next to the person you like or love, is another way, a lot of times one of the more effective ways, to show how much you care for them. It's a bit difficult to put it into words, but basically the two sleeping together do it because they want to be with them even while asleep."
The Arrancar nodded. "So, the couple not only does it to protect each other, but to simply 'be' with each other?"
"Yes, for the most part. Anyway, you asked for my advice, there you have it. When he leaves to go to bed one night, simply ask him if you can join him. Or, even better…" Rangiku paused and smiled again. "…just sneak into his bed while he's asleep. If he wakes up in the morning and has a fit about you being there, then there is 'definitely' something wrong with him."
Nel started scratching her cheek with a worried expression. "I…don't know, Rangiku. As I said, I don't want to pressure him, and it seems that's exactly what I would be doing if I just snuck into his bed. What if…it doesn't work?"
Rangiku rolled her eyes. "Nel, stop worrying. If it doesn't work, Yoruichi will 'very' likely kill him; and I mean that 'very' literally." She stated, only to lightly snicker afterwards. "Anyway, just ask to join him one night. What's the worst that can happen with him? All he's likely to do is simply say no, and he's definitely not the kind of person to get upset about it."
The Arrancar lowered her head. "I guess so." She said in a low voice.
"Here you are ladies; one large, extra cheese and sausage." A young man said as he set down the mentioned food. "Can I get you anything else?"
Rangiku waved him off with a suggestive smile. "No thanks, sweetie. Maybe next time."
The man turned a bit red before nodding, and 'swiftly' walking away. Orihime chuckled at the sight, while Nel shook her head with a smile.
"I am beginning to wonder if you and Yoruichi are somehow related, Rangiku." The Arrancar commented, picking up a slice.
The Lieutenant laughed at that. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Who knows, she and I 'could' have been like…sisters or something in a previous life."
Nel and Orihime both stopped before taking their bites and looked at the woman in horror. "If that is true…I feel so bad for those that knew you two during that time." Nel said in a pitiful voice.
"Hey!"
Underground Training Area, Present
"Hadō #32, Ōkasen!" Timothy yelled.
A yellow mass of electrical energy quickly gathered at the base of the blade of his horizontally held zanpakutō, before just as quickly spreading out along the entire weapon and shooting out in a large wave towards his target.
His opponent swiftly flashed away, allowing the attack to fly by and impact the boulder behind; shattering a large portion of the surface.
"Hadō #11, Tsuzuri Raiden." A male voice chanted calmly from behind.
The blade of the man's sword was instantly charged with similar electrical energy, random sparks flying out as he swung diagonally at the Lieutenant's unprotected back. But Timothy was faster, and used one of Kitsune's flames to vanish just before the blade could make contact.
The man's blade struck the ground, creating a small explosion with the kidō enhanced attack and making a small crater in it's wake. When the man turned, he saw that the young Lieutenant was now several yards away to his right in a low-ready stance.
"Too slow, Tim." a female voice stated, once again behind the dirty-blonde man.
Timothy turned just in time to see his second attacker coming at him with her fist held back to deliver a punch to his lower back. Normally, most people would realize that they were screwed at this point, but Timothy only smiled at the oncoming attack.
"Gotchya!" he stated, causing the woman's eyes to widen a bit.
Before she could figure out what he meant, her entire vision was suddenly changed; and instead of Timothy being right in front of her to receive the attack, it was now her 'partner' with his back to her.
She was unable to stop the attack in time, and her fist collided with the man's upper back, sending him straight down into the small crater he had created only seconds ago. She came to a stop and stared at the downed man in horror.
"W…What the…?!" she started in shock.
A low groan was heard before the man slowly picked himself up; picking up his white and green striped hat and dusting it off before placing it back on his head. The woman quickly stood next to him and looked him over to make sure he was alright.
"You alright, Kisuke?" the woman asked in worry.
The shop owner chuckled before giving her a signature grin. "Of course, though I have to admit that was one hell of a punch, Yoruichi. You weren't trying to 'kill' our young Lieutenant, were you?" he teased.
Yoruichi grinned back while crossing her arms. "Now why would you think that, Kisuke? He can't exactly learn much if I hold 'everything' back, now can he?" she teased back.
Urahara gave her a quick laugh. "No, I guess not." He admitted, then turned to Timothy, who was waiting in his previous stance where he was before. "That's quite the nasty trick you got there, Tim. I don't recall you using it before in our previous fights. So I guess that means that not only can you transport yourself, but also your opponents as well?" he pressed.
The Lieutenant smirked at him. "Yeah, but it's not without its cost though."
As to emphasize his statement, the flame behind him, as well as the flame behind the shop owner both flickered and went out, causing the man to look in surprise.
"I see, so using this technique sacrifices the two flames used for it. Quite impressive Tim…" he said, then turned back to the Lieutenant. "…but I'm afraid you revealed that card a little too early. And now that I know about it, how do you plan to use it in our fight?" he taunted.
Timothy responded with a raise of his brow. "You say that like I don't have any 'other' cards up my sleeve." He sent back.
Yoruichi smiled at him. "Oh? So does that mean you admit you were holding out on us the whole time? I thought Kisuke taught you better than that, Tim."
The Lieutenant straightened himself and looked to the sky in thought. "Well…he 'has' been a bit lax with his teachings. Perhaps you might be a better teacher." He mocked.
Kisuke frowned while Yoruichi laughed. "Tim, how could you?! I thought you and I had an understanding!" the shop owner pouted.
The golden-eyed woman laughed even harder and gave the man a 'comforting' pat on the back. "There there, Kisuke. I'm sure he still appreciates your teachings, just not like he does mine."
The man then dropped down and started drawing in the dirt. "So mean…"
Timothy laughed at the scene , but instantly stopped when his soul pager started beeping. "Oh for the love of…" he started, pulling out the small phone and flipping it open. Pressing a few buttons, he then let out a relaxing breath. "Ikkaku's close-by it, so he'll take care of it. Ready to go on, you two?" he asked as he closed the phone and returned it to his shirt.
"No, that'll be enough for today, Tim." Kisuke said as he stood up and resealed his zanpakutō. "Your fighting skills have gotten much better, and your spiritual pressure has increased a fair amount as well. We'll continue this tomorrow evening; however, I'd like to include miss Nel in our training sessions from now on." He informed.
The Lieutenant rose a brow as he returned his zanpakutō to its sheath. "Why do you want to include Nel in this? Last time I checked, she about killed my ass when we fought…or at least 'Gamuza' did. But either way, Gamuza's powers are Nel's as well, right?" he questioned.
"Exactly!" Kisuke answered with his 'cheeky' smile, now holding his 'new' fan. "However…" he started, now fanning himself. "…as you are aware, Captain Hitsugaya is in possession of miss Nel's zanpakutō, and she therefor does not have access to her Resurrección. So she needs to get better at fighting without her released powers."
Timothy walked up to the two former Captains while scratching his head. "But, I thought Nel was an excellent hand-to-hand fighter. I mean, she's probably not as good as Yoruichi is, but from the story the Captain told us, she definitely ain't no pushover."
Yoruichi smiled at the man's praise. "Aw, thank you for the compliment, Tim." she said, then went serious. "But Kisuke's right. Nel might be a very competent fighter, but there is 'always' room for improvement."
The Lieutenant thought it over, then shrugged a shoulder. "You've got a point there. I guess I'll talk to her about it when she gets back from shopping with Rangiku."
The golden-eyed woman's eyes widened. "Wait, you let her go shopping without me?! How could you!" she said in mock surprise.
Timothy's face dropped. "You know damn well why I didn't tell you, Yoruichi. Last time you went shopping with her, you about gave her a stroke with what you made her buy…whatever that was. And besides, you weren't here when they left, so quit crying."
Before the young officer knew what happened, the former Captain was instantly at his side; grabbing his ear and twisting it forward to make him bend down.
"What was that, my young pupil? It sounded like you were suggesting I was crying, but I 'must' have misheard. Care to repeat that?" she said through her teeth.
"Ow ow ow! Let go, you damn demon! That fucking hurts!" Timothy yelled out while grabbing the woman's hand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tim. Maybe you'll watch what you say around others, won't you?" Yoruichi hissed further, twisting his ear even more.
"Ow! Alright, alight! I'm sorry! Now let go of my ear before you rip it off!" he pleaded.
The woman released him and crossed her arms. "That's better. Now, with that behind us…" she said, then turned to Kisuke. "I've got a few things to take care of, but I should be back in time for Tim and Nel's beatdown." She informed, causing the said man to pale.
"Oh great…at least I won't be the 'only' one dying." He moaned.
Yoruichi rolled her eyes to him with a deathly glare. "What was that, Tim?"
The man quickly held his hands up in surrender. "Nothing! I said nothing! Nothing at all!" he insisted.
The woman's glare dropped with a smirk. "I thought so. Now, why don't you go rest up, Tim. You've got a busy day tomorrow, right?"
Timothy sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah, we've completed our search of the city, and found absolutely nothing. Not one single thing out of place. I'm really starting to lean towards Aizen was just messing with us."
Kisuke's face then grew stern. "I doubt that, Tim. We may not be able to determine what Aizen is up to at the moment, but I can assure you, there 'is' a reason for the Quatro Espada to be here that night. Has Captain Hitsugaya determined what your team is doing next?" he inquired.
The Lieutenant shook his head with a sigh. "No, once we got done, all he said was to do regular patrols around town and keep a very sharp eye out until he figures out the next course of action. Seeing as how we don't have direct communication with the soul society at the moment, that's only making things harder."
Yoruichi nodded firmly at his words. "Suí-Fēng did mention that her squad arrested a couple members from Squad 12 under suspicion of working with Aizen. But so far, that's all they found." She informed, then turned to Kisuke with a wicked grin. "Mayuri is quite upset with Squad 2 for basically 'destroying' his lab."
This earned a chuckle from the shop owner. "I can only imagine. Anyway, go ahead and get some rest, Tim. We can talk more about this tomorrow if you feel the need to. I believe miss Nel should be back fairly soon."
Timothy sighed briefly before nodding and flashing away, leaving the two former Captains alone in the large training area. Releasing a heavy sigh, Yoruichi crossed her arms and gave the shop owner a knowing look.
"Alright Kisuke, what is it?" she questioned.
Urahara waved his fan at her with his 'dismissive' grin. "Oh my, whatever could you mean, my dear Yoruichi?" he mocked.
It wasn't even a half second later when he was sent to the ground with a chop to the top of his head from the woman.
"Knock it off with your games, Kisuke. I know you're hiding something, so quit goofing off and spill it." She demanded.
Kisuke moaned as he stood back up, holding the spot where she nailed him. "Alright alright, calm down. It seems that our little dilemma with miss Nel has yet again become much worse."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes at him. "Go on."
The man's face grew stern as well. "Well, this morning miss Nel approached me and told me that her soul's body has undergone some…changes."
The woman rose a brow. "What kind of changes?"
Urahara's gaze then turned deathly serious. "The vanishing mask kind."
The woman's golden eyes were now wide as saucers. "Wait…you can't mean…"
The shop owner nodded slowly. "I do; it would seem that miss Nel's mask is slowly vanishing…at least on her soul body. And I'm afraid that's not all."
"Cut the crap Kisuke, and get to the damn point!" the woman demanded.
Kisuke gave a brief sigh before pulling his hat down to just barely conceal his eyes. "With miss Nel's permission, I was able to have a direct conversation with her hollow spirit, Gamuza."
Yoruichi's eyes were once again wide in shock. "Wait, she can do that…allow Gamuza to assume control?"
The man nodded. "It would appear so. And not only that, but it seems miss Nel was still able to maintain dominance between the two of them while Gamuza was in control of her body. I still need to do a bit more research on that matter, but that is not the important thing at the moment. While I was speaking with Gamuza, she informed me that even more of miss Nel's hollow mask is missing, and only in a length of two days."
The woman closed her eyes tightly with a sigh. "What does this mean, Kisuke? Do you know more about what's happening to her?" she asked in legitimate worry.
"Nothing for certain, all I have are 'still' theories. However, thanks to Gamuza, I was able to get a sample of her spirit energy, along with some of miss Nel's. I plan to do the same tomorrow, then compare the two. Hopefully, I'll be able to find something that can give us a clue as to what exactly is happening." He offered.
Yoruichi opened her eyes again. "Kisuke, I don't think I need to remind you that this is our friend we're talking about here. Just make sure you find 'something' about her predicament." She half-pleaded.
Kisuke smiled 'sweetly' at her and nodded. "Not to worry, my friend. I'll get to bottom of this, it's just going to take a bit of time."
The woman nodded back. "Be sure that you do, Kisuke." She warned, then vanished in shunpo.
The shop owner sighed heavily as he dropped his fan hand to the side, proceeding to look back towards the ladder behind him with a solemn look on his face.
"I only wish it were that easy, Yoruichi."
5 Minutes Later
Timothy, now back inside his gigai, released a long sigh as he stumbled from the kitchen towards the dining room table; his bottle of whiskey in one hand, and a shot glass in the other. A loud, relaxing moan escaped his lungs and he sat down in his usual spot.
Taking a quick breath or two, he reached over and poured himself a drink. He swiftly downed the contents before pouring another and setting down in front of him and resting his head against the back wall.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, when he heard the front door of the shop open, then close a second later. Opening and rolling his eye to the side, he saw Renji walking into the room and holding a hand up in greeting.
"Yo, looks like you got the right idea there, Tim." he said with a grin, now gesturing to the bottle on the table.
"Help yourself." Timothy returned before closing his eye back and relaxing.
Renji waved his hand to the side. "Nah, don't really care for that stuff. I prefer a 'real' drink."
Timothy reopened his eyes and gave the Lieutenant a deadpanned expression. "This 'is' a real drink, you idiot. This is a 'man's' drink, so I can understand if you can't handle it." He teased.
The red-headed man growled with a stare. "Hey, just because I can't stand that stuff, don't mean I ain't a man, you idiot!" he returned.
The younger man chuckled and waved him off. "Sure sure, whatever you say, Renji. So, what you up to?"
Renji sat down next to him and stretched his arm over his shoulder, his back making small popping noises as he did, before reaching out and grabbing the bottle to read the label.
"Not much really. Captain Hitsugaya's going apeshit right now after us not finding anything; not to mention that Squad 12 fiasco. Me and Ikkaku were about to head out and grab a few drinks, so I thought I'd see if you were game to join us." He offered.
Timothy frowned a bit at the news of the Captain's anger. "Well, I can't really blame him for being upset about all this. To be honest, I'm a bit mad myself. Not really the fact we haven't found anything, but mainly because we simply have no idea what Aizen could be up to. I keep feeling like we're missing 'something', and it's pissing me off because it feels like it's something blatantly obvious."
Renji set the bottle down and started rubbing his hair. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I have to admit that I do feel like we're overlooking something. That's when Ikkaku got the idea to go have a few drinks and clear our heads."
The blonde man chuckled and waved him off. "Well, thanks for the offer, but I'm just gonna rest up here. Although…" he paused, then opened an eye to see that his bottle of whiskey was nearly empty. "…If you don't mind, care to pick me up another bottle?"
The older man rose a skeptical brow. "Didn't you 'just' buy that one?" he wondered.
Timothy turned his head to him, regaining his fallen face. "If you're thinking that I drank all that, think again. More than half of that was Kit alone, and the rest was split between me and Nel when we have a drink or two at night to relax."
Renji snickered at the thought of the spirit drinking the whole bottle. "So, I guess your zanpakutō spirit is a drunk, huh?" he teased.
The Squad 7 Lieutenant rolled his eyes with a scoff. "No, I don't know how it happened, but her alcohol tolerance went through the damn roof ever since she became a zanpakutō spirit. That there is only the second bottle, and you should have seen her a week ago when she damn near chugged the entirety of the first one. Worst part, it had 'no' effect on her. There goes one of the few times where I could legitimately make fun of her."
Renji then burst out laughing while holding his sides, causing the younger man to growl in annoyance and turn his head away. The Squad 6 Lieutenant calmed down a few seconds later and wiped a stray tear from his eye.
"Wow, never thought I'd see the day when a zanpakutō outdrinks it's partner. So where is she by the way? Isn't she usually out and about when nothing's going on?" Renji inquired.
Timothy turned his head back straight and sighed. "She's resting. I was doing some Bankai training downstairs with Kisuke and Yoruichi for a bit. My Bankai really puts a strain on both of us, especially her."
Renji's eyes widened a bit. "You mean you were training against 'both' Yoruichi and Kisuke? You really must want to die, Tim." he asked in surprise.
The younger man scoffed. "They both went easy as hell on me today, I could tell. Although she was making sure they hurt, Yoruichi was 'really' pulling back on her punches and kicks. And Kisuke, although he 'did' release his Benihime, he didn't use a single one of her attacks; only sword strikes and kidō. The training was just to help me get used to fighting multiple opponents while in Bankai. Even so, they 'still' ran me through a mud puddle. I got a couple good hits in, but that's it."
The older Lieutenant nodded in understanding. "So, your Bankai is really that tiring?" he inquired.
Timothy nodded firmly. "Yeah. Even though it's been two days since I fought against Grimmjow, Kit is 'still' not back up to full strength. When I asked her yesterday evening how long it would take to fully recover, she said it would take at least a few more days."
Renji's eyes went wide again. "Damn! That long? Normally a soul reaper's Bankai is fully recovered in a day, two at the most."
"That's one of the downsides to my Bankai. It's powerful as hell, and like my Shikai, hard as hell to fight against, but if I use too much power, it takes a long time to recover. At least that's what she told me. That's why you haven't seen her around that much recently, she's been sleeping a lot. Right now, I'd guess she's roughly around half of her max power; and 'that's' why I was kinda holding back myself during the training earlier."
Renji shook his head slowly. "Can't say I envy you, Tim."
Timothy's face about fell to the floor. "Yeah, and you wanna know the worst part about that is? It's the fact that, even after my strongest attack, all I did was give that blue-haired idiot a couple of scratches. Scratches, Renji. And to make it even worse, he didn't even release his zanpakutō!"
The young Lieutenant suddenly leaned forward and slammed a fist down on the table, knocking over his glass. "A Bankai, against an unreleased Espada, and all I could manage were 'scratches'! Where is the freaking sense in that?!" he almost yelled.
As he finished, Renji turned to see Kitsune materializing into a sitting position next to him wiping sleep from her eyes; her long muzzle wide open as she let out a long yawn.
"Jesus Tim, calm down. Your inner world is a freaking lightning storm right now." She commented, then grabbed the fallen glass and poured herself a drink. "Even you have to understand that it'll take a lot more training before you can 'actually' use my full power." She added, then swallowed her drink. "It's not like my Shikai Tim, you've gotta learn a whole lot more control when using my Bankai. And by the way, hey Renji." She greeted as she refilled her glass.
The Lieutenant simply waved back while Timothy glared at her. "That may be, but you can't sit there and say that with the amount of power I hit him with, it shouldn't have done 'more' to him." He growled.
Kitsune sighed heavily, but nodded. "I agree that he shouldn't have come out of that looking as good as he did; but if you want the honest truth of the matter Tim, you actually didn't 'hit' him, you missed."
Timothy's head instantly shot to her in shock. "What the hell do mean by 'I missed'?! I hit that bastard head-on!" he defended.
The spirit rose a single finger. "No, you struck the ground 'in front' of him, not him directly. If you 'had' hit him, he would have easily been roasted alive. And that's another thing Tim, with how many flames you absorbed for that attack, you're lucky your body didn't simply give out on you while trying to contain that much power in your gauntlets. Keep this in mind Tim, the more flames you absorb, the less time you can actually contain them for. Your gauntlets are strong, but not indestructible. My Shikai is very reliant on your timing, and my Bankai is even more so. You can't just jump in and attack using power; even though it is quite tempting." She informed.
She swallowed her second drink and breathed a relaxing sigh. "Now, if you're all done with your yelling, I'm going back to sleep. I'm still tired as hell because of your stunt, stupid." She mocked.
Timothy rolled his eyes and waved her off. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Damn vixen." He moaned.
Kitsune smiled and reached over to pat his cheek. "I know, you love me. Later Renji, and keep this idiot out of trouble." She said, now looking at the red-head.
Renji scoffed with a grin. "Yeah, if only it were that easy." He mocked.
Timothy snapped to him with a scowl. "Shut your face, Renji! Or I'll kick it into next week!" he threatened.
Kitsune and Renji both laughed before she faded away and he stood up. "Well, since you ain't coming, I'm gonna head out. Ikkaku's probably already there waiting for me. See ya." He said then turned to leave.
"Hey Renji…" Timothy called out, causing the man to stop and turned his head to him.
"Yeah?"
Timothy was about to continue, but choose to shake the question off. "Never mind, forget about it. I'll see ya later, brother."
Renji's face instantly fell, suddenly reminded about a particular, insane Arrancar he recently fought. "Do me a favor…'please' don't call me that again." He moaned.
This confused the younger Lieutenant, but he shrugged it off. "Whatever. See ya."
The red-head waved and continued out the front door, leaving the man alone in silence. But the silence was not to endure, as it was only a few minutes afterwards when the front door opened again to reveal Nel, Rangiku, and Orihime with numerous large bags in their arms.
Timothy's face fell from his skull as multiple sounds of cash registers sounded off in his head in a symphony of horror. Rangiku and Orihime set their bags down at the down, while Nel walked towards her room with the few she had.
"How much?" he whined as tears of sorrow began to flow.
Before Nel had a chance to answer, Rangiku swiftly walked over and gave the back of his head a solid slap. "Oh, quiet down, you! I already told you I would take care of everything! Nel didn't have a spend a dime on anything!" she defended.
Nel nodded quickly in affirmation. "It's true, Tim; Rangiku was kind enough to pay for everything."
That at least stopped the flow of tears from the man as he turned to the orange-haired teen. "And were there any…'issues'?" he demanded.
Orihime sunk her head in a bit with pink cheeks, causing him to begin fretting. "W…Well, not really. There was one thing…but I guess…it wasn't…'that' bad." She admitted.
Timothy slowly turned his head to the Busty Lieutenant, giving her a death glare. "What. Did. You. Do?" he ordered.
The woman only slapped his head again, only 'much' harder. "Oh, shut up, Tim! Like the poor girl said, it wasn't 'that' bad! Just a few things that I thought Nel could use, that's all!"
The man lifted his head back while rubbing the back of it soothingly. "Knock that off, Rangiku! And why do I have the feeling that if I go look in Nel's bags I'm going to find a whole bunch of perverted clothes in there?!"
Rangiku moved to slap the back of his head again where Timothy instantly covered the targeted area; but a quick change in direction instead sent the woman's hand to the 'front' of his head and sending it back against the wall with a loud thump.
"Don't you 'dare' go snooping in the poor girl's clothes, Lieutenant Durn! A woman 'is' entitled to 'some' privacy you know." She stated firmly.
Timothy held a hand to his forehead and growled at the annoying woman. "I really don't want to deal with this right now. Just forget it. Did you at least have 'fun' Nel?" he asked, now looking at the former Espada returning from her room.
Nel smiled warmly and nodded. "I did, although I will admit that there was 'one' instance I would have preferred not happened. But besides that, I did enjoy myself." The woman turned to Rangiku and gave a very brief bow. "Thank you for taking me, Rangiku."
The Lieutenant smiled back and waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Nel. I'm 'always' more than happy to take you along. In fact, we should go again real soon."
Timothy's face fell once again. "Can you at least wait until 'after' I have been paid? I've already spent way more than needed with my squad's budget, and I 'still' owe Kisuke for my gigai and for me and Nel's accommodations." He pleaded.
The blonde woman scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Details details. Stop worrying so much Tim, or you'll make that handsome face of yours all wrinkled and such."
The man released a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. "Now I know how the Captain feels on a daily basis. I really pity the poor guy now." He mumbled.
Nel and Orihime giggled, while Rangiku slapped his head again, sending him down onto the table. "And what's that supposed to mean?!" she hissed.
Timothy raised his head to her and glared back. "Exactly' how I said it!" He then threw his hand out to the side. "Whatever, thanks for taking Nel around today, Rangiku." He said in a calmer tone.
Rangiku's smile returned with a nod. "Don't worry about it, Tim. Even though Nel might be a hollow, she's still a good girl, and I actually find spending time with her enjoyable. The two of you just need to learn to lighten up a bit and live a little. But anyway, Orihime and I got to get going. We're having fried squid with wasabi and barbeque sauce!" she informed.
Timothy and Nel could both instantly feel their respective stomachs starting to do backflips. "Uh…yeah…you do that. Hope you…'enjoy'…your food." He said in a low voice.
The busty Lieutenant then turned and wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulder and 'escorted' her back to the front door, where they picked their bags back up and left the shop. Once they left, Timothy slowly turned to a still horrified Nel.
"Do me a favor…don't 'ever' let me have dinner at Orihime's." he pleaded.
The woman turned to him as well. "As long as you are willing to return that gesture, I'll gladly accept." She answered in a just as depressed tone.
Timothy gave her a firm nod, then sighed heavily. "Well…I'm beat as hell, so I'm gonna head to bed a little early tonight. Help yourself to some of the whiskey if you want, Nel." He offered.
The man swiftly stood up and stretched his arms over his head for a moment, then turned to leave. As he was about to enter his room, Nel quickly walked over and held a hand up.
"Uh…Tim?" she called, getting him to stop and turn to her.
"Yeah?"
The woman hesitated, and lowered her hand a bit with flushed cheeks. Multiple thoughts were flooding her mind, most notably the 'conversation' that she had with Rangiku and Orihime back in the mall.
Even though the blonde woman was actually being serious about asking to sleep next to him, and in truth, the Arrancar actually 'wanted' to be closer to the man in front of her, for some reason she just couldn't get the question to leave her mouth.
She was tired of waiting; tired of feeling like she was holding their relationship back due to her limited knowledge of the matter. But her tiredness was very easily outmatched by her fears, her fears of going too far and losing everything.
Sure, she may have Rangiku, Orihime, Kisuke, and the rest of her friends; but when it came right down to it, they were not the ones who were actually holding her together. No, the person who was responsible for that, was Timothy.
And that was why she just couldn't bring herself to ask him the question that tortured her mind at the particular moment. All she could do was release a heavy sigh and shake her head with a forced smile.
"Sorry, I…kinda forgot what it was I wanted to ask. Sorry to bother you." She lied.
Timothy scoffed and rolled his eyes while smiling back. "Trust me Nel, I know the feeling. I can't tell you how many times where I had something in mind, then it suddenly goes 'poof' and it's gone. It's one of the most annoying things, I swear."
Nel was actually very thankful that he had bought it, and forced herself to give a small laugh. "Yeah, it 'is' a little annoying. I'll leave you now, good night Tim." she said, then leaned forward and gave him a light peck on the cheek before turning around and walking back into the dining room.
The man smiled and entered his room, while Nel waited until he closed his door before she sat down with a loud huff and quickly poured herself a drink; downing it, and swiftly pouring another. She held it in front of her mouth and gave a throaty growl to herself.
"Stupid. So stupid." She hissed through her teeth, down swallowed the second drink. "I can fight against Arrancars and half of the Espada, but yet I can't even ask a simple question. Stupid!" she seethed further as she poured a third and downed it.
"Woah there, miss Nel; take it easy." A low voice called out, gaining her attention.
Nel's eyes widened a bit before she wiped her mouth and smiled. "Oh, hi Kisuke. Sorry, I was just mumbling to myself." She admitted while rubbing the back of her head.
The shop owner nodded with a knowing smirk. "So I see. Would you…like to talk about it?" he offered.
The woman's face fell a bit, but she finally shook her head. "No, thank you Kisuke. I'm fine. And besides…it's not something I haven't already discussed before."
Urahara sat down across from her and pulled out his fan; blowing air on himself, but still holding it down low enough for her to still see the entirety of his face.
"Can I assume this has to do with you and Tim's…relationship?" he pressed.
Nel set the empty glass down, returning her hands to her lap with a sigh. "Yes…but I would really prefer not to discuss it any further today, Kisuke. Rangiku has already pestered me enough about it while we were shopping, and while she 'did' give some good advice, I just can't find the courage to act on that advice. I'm afraid I'm might lose him. I can't lose him. He's not like hollows or Arrancar, where they really only care about having a female in general; he actually sees me for who I am, and refuses to let 'what' I am get in the way."
The shop owner didn't respond, but did nod in understanding. Nel sighed again and crossed her arms firmly while looking at the overhead light. The two sat in complete silence for several minutes, until the quietness finally broke her resolve.
With another heavy sigh, the woman closed her eyes. "What is wrong with me, Kisuke? I'm not supposed to be feeling anything like this, but I am. Hollows are not supposed to be able to feel such deep feelings for another, but I just can't get him off my mind."
Kisuke continued to watch her for a moment, before he stopped waving his fan and closed it gently. "Could I ask you a personal question, miss Nel?" The woman gave him a brief nod. "Think about this carefully before you answer, but can you honestly see yourself living with him for the rest of your life?" he inquired.
The woman lowered her head to him and gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
The shop owner sighed, then held up a finger. "I mean it how I said it, miss Nel. I know a bit about how relationships work for hollows. You choose a mate, and that mate essentially becomes a form of 'property' to that hollow. The mate is only kept around for as long as the hollow deems it worthy enough to keep around. If that hollow eventually finds the mate is not worth its time, it will either make it leave, or outright kill it."
Kisuke lowered his hand and returned to fanning himself. "Now, as I'm sure you've gathered, it is quite different for humans and soul reapers. A mate, or in our terms, 'spouse', is treated very differently. Instead of being another piece of property, the person a human or soul reaper chooses to be their spouse, becomes their 'partner'; their 'other half' as the saying goes. Think of it this way: Tim and Kit are both partners, just as you and Gamuza; however, the bond between spouses is far more in depth. You and Gamuza are partners while fighting, and for any other matters that require communication between you two. But a spouse is someone you have 'chosen' to be with you, to live life as a whole."
The man closed his fan again and pointed at her. "So, with this in mind, let me ask this again; can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with Tim? Do you think that he can be your 'other half' in life, and do you think you can be 'his'?"
Nel lowered her head to mull the thought over. "I…think I understand what you are saying, Kisuke. With what you said in mind…I can't really say for sure." This caused the man to raise a brow, and was about to ask what she meant, but she quickly lifted her head back to him. "A part of me is yelling that I can…that I can be his, as you say, other half. But…another part…I guess the part that still doesn't understand everything fully, is not sure. I…I can't really explain it, Kisuke."
Kisuke nodded slowly. "There's no need, miss Nel; I get what you are trying to say. A deeper part of you wants to be with him, but the more conscious part of you is not sure if it wants to or not." He offered, earning a quick nod.
"Yes, and that is what's really the most infuriating thing about this. I want him, I want to be with him, but part of me feels like I don't know whether I want him or not. I want to move further in our relationship, but I am so scared that I might lose everything by pushing too hard. Rangiku told me I should try sleeping with him, and see what happens." She informed.
The shop owner's face instantly grew a wry smirk, and it only told a second for the Arrancar to think back and realize exactly what she said. The woman's cheeks turned a fiery red before she bared her teeth and growled at the man.
"N…Not like that, you idiot! I didn't mean…'that'! I meant…"
She was stopped by a wave of Kisuke's fan. "What do you mean, miss Nel? I didn't 'say' anything. You're the one whose mind went into the gutter and got all defensive before you had any idea 'what' I could be thinking. Right?"
Nel then grabbed her hair and pulled it taut with a growl. "Sometimes I wish Ulquiorra 'had' killed you, Kisuke!"
Urahara gave her a mocked look of hurt. "Why…my dear miss Nel…how could you day such a thing? After all I've done to…"
He was silenced when the shot glass that 'was' on the table exploded next to his head from being thrown at the wall by the, now red with anger, Arrancar in front of him; her arm still outstretched from throwing the object.
"Do you 'always' have to pick the times when people are furious to make fun of them?! Are you 'really' that desperate to die?!" she hissed.
The man sighed in defeat. "Alright alright, let's calm down a bit, miss Nel. Getting back on topic, can I assume that that was what you were about to ask Tim before he went to bed?" he asked, now with a serious face.
Nel slumped back down and turned away with a pink face, this time with embarrassment. "…Yes. But…I couldn't do it. As I said…I am afraid I might be pushing him too hard, and I might only push him away." She said in a sad voice.
Urahara gave her a nod. "I see, that does make sense. Well, if you don't feel like it's the right time, just wait until you 'do' feel like it's the right time. It will likely make you feel more uncomfortable for a while, but you are correct miss Nel; pushing too hard 'can' result in only pushing the one you care about 'further away' from you. Just be patient, and the right time will present itself to you over time."
The man then snapped his fan shut with a loud clack. "So!" he said in a cheery voice, making her look back at him to see the same smirk from before on his face. "Did miss Matsumoto get you some 'good' clothes to wear for our little Squad 7 Lieutenant, miss Nel?" he questioned, flashing his brows.
Nel instantly backed away with red cheeks. "T…That's…n…none of…your business…Kisuke! And I…d…don't know…what you're…t…talking about!" she defended, but of course the man didn't buy it.
"Okaaayyy…if you sayyyy soooo." He answered, his grin growing even more.
The woman quickly stood up and bowed to him. "Sorry, time for bed!" she said rapidly, then quickly turned and left for her room.
"Going to dream about a 'certain' someone?" he teased further.
Turning around in her doorway with her fists clenched at her sides, she growled at the man dangerously. "N…No! I'm not! Shut up, Kisuke!" she yelled, then slapped her door shut; the shop owner hearing the audible 'click' of the lock to her door latching into place.
Urahara chuckled to himself and shook his head. "My dear miss Nel…if only Tim knew how much you cared for him deep down inside."
Inside Nel's room, the woman leaned against the door with her hands clasped behind her back; her head down in a bit of sadness. Even though the perverted shop owner just 'had' to make fun of her, she couldn't deny that what he said was the truth.
As she lifted her head to the window across the room, she could that while the sun was likely below the horizon, there was still a little bit of light outside. If Timothy had not decided to go to bed early, she would have liked to ask him to take her out to see what the city was like afterhours.
'Maybe next time…' she thought before sighing and pushing herself from the door towards her dresser.
Though she really 'shouldn't' be surprised, considering that she had already been shopping at least three times now, it still amazed her that nearly all of the drawers to her dresser were almost stuffed to the brim with numerous sets of clothes.
But the thing that left her dumbfounded, and a bit embarrassed, was that out of all the clothes, only 'three' sets of them where night clothes. And to make it even worse, all three sets were dirty; and even after being there for the past three weeks, she 'still' couldn't quite figure out how the stupid washing machine worked.
Sighing heavily with slumped shoulders, she was left with no choice but to sleep in only her undergarments; of which, of course, Rangiku was 'adamant' to make sure she had plenty of so she could 'impress' a particular someone.
"Damn it…" she cursed under her breath, sliding the drawer closed.
With a huff, she stripped herself of her outer clothes and placed them in the half-full, cylindrical hamper next to her dresser. As she turned towards her bed, her vision stopped upon the full-size, standing mirror on the opposite side of the dresser.
The first thing that caught her eye, was the long, gruesome scar that ran from hip to shoulder between her breasts from Nnoitra's attack; along with three puncture wounds just above her slightly toned stomach from when she saved Timothy from that Adjuchas.
Raising her hand, she slowly ran her index finger along the first scar, feeling each and every single malformed bump of the scar tissue. She came to a stop when her hand reached the three small bumps of scar tissue that laid side-by-side.
Although Orihime's healing had saved her life, and healed the wounds from both attacks, it didn't quite erase it all; seeing as how everyone was in sort of a rush at the time and the poor teen was unable to fully finish before having to work on Timothy.
She could have asked Orihime if she could finish and completely remove the scars, but as time went on and she saw them nearly every night, she decided against it. She thought it best to keep them as reminders of everything that has happened to her.
Everything that had made her life much better than what it was.
She then trailed her finger back up along the scar from Nnoitra, up past her breasts, until she stopped less than an inch from her hollow hole on her sternum. In actuality, the closest edge of her hollow hole was exactly half an inch from the scar.
'…So close. Just a hair's width higher…'
She quickly shook the thought from her head and force herself to turn away from the mirror with a sigh. Climbing under the covers of her futon, the former Espada laid down on her side to stare out the window.
Although it was clearly darker now, the sky was still lit with a dull, yellowish hue; complements of the numerous street lamps nearby, and the vast amount of lighting of the main part of the city. Not that she really minded, to her it actually brought a bit of life to the night sky.
Taking a deep breath, and letting it out in a loud sigh, she turned herself around to face away from the window and closed her eyes; letting sleep claim her shortly afterwards.
Karakura City Center, 4 Hours Later
"Miss…" a man working as a waiter called out calmly.
The addressed woman turned to him. "Yes?"
The waiter gave her a quick bow and presented his wrist watch to her. "I'm sorry miss, but we're closing up now, and I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave now. My apologies." He informed with another quick bow.
The woman smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, I'm so sorry. I'll pay now and leave. Thank you." She returned, earning a friendly smile from the man before he turned and left.
Once he was out of sight, the woman's smile fell away before letting out a long sigh. After reaching into her purse and pulling out some cash to pay for her meal, along with what the waiter would later discover a hefty tip, she stood up and left the cash on the table before turning and leaving the restaurant.
Stopping just outside the front doors to see one of the workers close and lock them up for the night, she looked down at her watch to see it was a half hour until midnight. Continuing to stare at the timepiece, she watched the seconds count by until the digital minute flashed to the next number.
The woman released another sigh as she dropped her hand and turned to see another shop across the street also closing for the night. She would have greatly preferred to sit at least for a little while longer to mull her thoughts over, but fate, as it were, decided against it.
Pulling her purse closer to her neck on her shoulder, she began slowly walking down the sidewalk; only a few other people that were heading home for the night in view. Two of them were walking side-by-side, holding hands.
The view caused her thoughts from earlier to return, and in turn caused her face to fall even more than it already was. She ended up having to drop her head as her and the couple passed each other, and she could hear the two of them quietly chuckling at what one of them must have said to the other.
That quiet laughter only added to the woman's downtrodden expression, making her push herself to walk ever faster to remove herself from earshot of the couple as fast as possible. It was only when she had turned a corner that she finally slowed down to her previous speed.
When she did, she once again held her wrist watch up to see that only two minutes had passed since she last checked; two minutes 'less' until midnight. Releasing a depressed sigh, she lowered her hand to the strap of her purse and clutched it tightly.
She continued her slow walk through the main part of the city until she came upon the entrance to the main park of Karakura Town. Bringing her pace to a near crawl, she entered the park and continued along the main pathway until she came to a small clearing with several benches.
Walking over and coming to a stop in front of one of them, she took a long and deep breath before choosing to sit down and setting her purse next to here with her hands in her lap; looking out at the few buildings that she could see through the trees.
Sparing a last glance at her watch, she saw that it was now five minutes until midnight. 'Five minutes until it's over…' she thought.
Lowing her hand back down to her lap, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, opening her eyes again as the last bit of air left her lungs to see a man now standing in front of her.
The two of them stared into each other's eyes; her with calmness and sadness, and him with, from what she could tell, no emotion at all. While her hands gripped each other tightly in her lap, he didn't so much as move a muscle.
"You have arrived here early, woman; did you not wish to spend those last few minutes with your friends?" the man asked in a cold voice.
A stray tear fell from the woman's eyes and ran down her cheek as she closed them. "I would have liked to stay here with them…but that's not possible…is it?" she returned in a low tone.
"No, it is not. So then, I assume this means you are ready to leave?" he questioned.
The woman then reached over into her purse and pulled out her phone, flipping it open and pressing a few buttons on the pad to bring up a single photo on the main screen. A smile came to her face as she looked at the three people on the screen.
One of the people was herself. The two others that were standing on either side of her with their arms draped over her shoulders with smiles on their faces. Sniffing once before flipping the phone closed, she lowered her head with closed eyes.
'I wish I could go back to that day…just to relive it again.' She said to herself.
Taking a deep breath, she placed the phone back in her purse, grabbing and shouldering it before standing up and looking back at the man in front of her; his green eyes endlessly staring into hers like they were trying to see inside her soul.
"I'm ready." She informed.
Not saying, or making any motions of acknowledgment, he turned around, and with a flick of his wrist, caused the air in front of them to tear apart; revealing the black abyss inside. Taking her one last chance, the woman turned back towards the city with tears in her eyes.
"Goodbye…Ichigo."
And…Cut! Odd saying that… Anyway, bit of plot development with some humor mixed in, plus a bit of relationship development to go with it. Nel almost did it, but chickened out at the last second. Anyone here ever been through that before?
It's been a slow couple of chapters, ever since the end of the Arrancar fight, but things are about to heat up starting next chapter; so be prepared for that. A bit of a cliff hanger here, but not like what happened before the Kenpachi/Tim fight. Had a few of you readers hating me for that, lol.
Time to head off, but I am still looking for opinions on the writing helper. So toss a review, or a PM with what you think. Laters.
(P.S. If the sky were red, Spades, the oven would be green. So let me ask you a question: If you have four pencils, and I have seven apples, how many pancakes will fit on the roof?)
