A slightly longer chapter than usual. It's a fun one though. (Important thing at the end, please read!)
Part I
Rukia rushed down the stairs, up bright and early on a Saturday morning. The second she reached the kitchen she was grabbing for the first edible things she laid eyes on (a slice of bread that was quickly eaten and an apple that she shoved into her dress pocket.)
"Up already?" her brother asked from the kitchen table. That wasn't terribly unusual for him for this hour, or this day. The well pressed shirt and tie was, however.
"The club I joined is having some weekend meet," she said smoothly. Then, as a rather unsubtle diversion she asked, "What about you? I didn't think you had work today."
"Some rescheduling happened last minute," he said. "You know how it is. That's quite the unusual club, though. They really have you going out for a weekend meeting?"
Rukia held back a grimace. "Our leader is… eccentric," she tried. That part wasn't technically a lie.
The look she got in response was near unreadable, and she quickly found herself squirming under the attention. Did he buy it? Did he see through her lies and half-truths? The silence was killing her!
Abruptly, he stood up, coffee abandoned. Her heart just about stopped. He walked over to her, grabbed something from his pocket, and placed it one the counter, sliding it towards her.
"It's yours," was the first thing he said.
With a nervous gulp she grabbed it, holding it up to the light. "A… cellphone?" She turned it over in her hand, admiring the way the silver casing shone. It was thin, simple, and strikingly similar to the one that she knew Byakuya owned. The only difference was the rather cute Chappy charm attached.
"You've been going out so often," he explained, "giving you a phone seemed like the best course of action. My number is already programmed onto it."
"Th-thank you!" she exclaimed. She'd never had a cellphone before. She needed to explore it the first chance she got.
"If you ever need anything, call me on this," he continued. "My phone is always on."
She looked from the time display, to the inner screen, to the charm that she knew could only be obtained from those capsule vending machines down in Shibuya. She looked back up at him.
"I don't know what to say," she muttered shyly.
He gave her a resolute nod. "Have a good time at your club."
A grin tugging at her lips, Rukia was overcome with an impulse, and without any hesitation she followed it. She grabbed Byakuya by the midsection and hugged him as tightly as she could. For a moment she felt him stiffen, but just as quickly the man relaxed, laying a hand on her back. She could hear him let out a little sigh.
A few seconds later she removed herself, slipping her new phone into her pocket alongside the apple.
"I'll be back by dinner," she promised, moving towards the door.
"I might be a bit longer, but hopefully not by much."
With a nod and a grin, she slipped on a pair of old sandals. With a wave and a "I'll see you later" she walked out of the door.
A certain warmth settled in Rukia's chest as she set a brisk pace to the hideout. The place was a way from her house, but hey, the walk made for a decent morning workout, and it gave her some time to finish her makeshift breakfast.
(It certainly helped that she was in such a good mood.)
She was at the huge warehouse in a little over half an hour, passing through the barrier easily. She counted two fewer presences than usual. Hopefully neither of those two were who she was looking for today, or this might end up being a very awkward visit.
Walking through the doors she spotted Aikawa and Hirako working together to move the couch towards the front entrance. Yadōmaru was not far behind them, a pair of brooms in one arm and a small collection of bandanas in the other. Something about that surprised her somehow. She supposed even Visoreds had to clean every once in a while.
For a moment she just stared at them a little dumbly. Then Yadōmaru caught sight of her, giving her a simple nod in greeting.
"Do you… need help?" Rukia asked curiously.
"We should be fine."
"O…" Rukia watched as the two men unceremoniously dropped the couch outside, a small cloud of dust kicking up. "Okay… Do you know where Mr. Muguruma is?"
Aikawa let out a small chuckle. "Mr. Muguruma!" he whispered. Hirako rolled his eyes.
"I think he's out back," the woman said, thumb pointed towards the back door.
"Thank you," Rukia said. She tried (and failed) to not let her embarrassment show. What was wrong with being polite?
She walked to the dusty backlot seeing just the man she was looking for along with a few others.
Ushōda sat at the cement porch, a cup of morning tea in his hand raised towards her in greeting, along with a gentle smile. He seemed to just be enjoying the morning. The other two there were taking a much more active approach.
"Sixty-One! Sixty-Two! Sixty-Three!" Kuna yelled determinedly from on top of Muguruma. Rukia almost did a double take.
The green haired girl was sitting, cross-legged, on the other Visored's back as he steadily did pushups. An intense look was in his eyes, and she really didn't want to disturb him.
Kuna caught Rukia's eyes immediately, interrupting her counting with a glimmer in her eye. "Rukia, you're here! Are you going to train with us?"
"That's the plan," she said firmly.
Muguruma stopped, raised fully. "What number?" he asked. Kuna's face fell.
"Oh shoot! I lost count!"
With a scoff the man sat up, knocking the girl off. She yelped.
He turned to Rukia, flicking the sweat off his forehead with a gloved hand. "Lose the body," he said suddenly. "We can spar back here."
Rukia blinked for a moment, taking a second to fully process what he'd said. "Uh… yes!" she stuttered out.
(And here she was expecting to have to explain herself, or at the very least ask.)
She patted her pockets, pulling out her Soul Candy dispenser and quickly popping one into her mouth. In less than a second she was in her Shinigami form.
"Reporting for duty, Ma'am!" the Gikon said cheerfully. "What would you like for me to do?"
Still creepy, Rukia thought. "Just stay out of the fight."
With a salute, the Gikon marched over to the side by the wall, sitting by Ushōda when he invited her with a pat. Kuna joined them with a grin.
"This is going to be good!" she cried excitedly. Rukia had decidedly mixed feelings.
Across from her Muguruma was already holding his Zanpakuto, a wakizashi. He turned it once, flipping it expertly in his hands. Rukia drew her own sword.
"We're going to take this nice an' slow," he drawled.
Before Rukia could even adjust her stance, he attacked, coming in close and wielding his Zanpakuto in a reverse grip, treating it more like a knife than a sword. He swiped at her, solidly, aggressively. Rukia had no choice but to dodge away once, twice, three times.
When he went in for a stab, she jumped away, swinging up her sealed sword and forcing him back.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she rushed out. The burst of cold that went up her arms was supremely satisfying.
"Blow it away, Tachikaze," he said with a crooked grin, and suddenly his wakizashi morphed into a combat knife, the very same one she'd seen him holding back when they'd first met. He flipped it once more in his hand and came at her again.
He stabbed at her, forcing her to the side before slashing down. He flipped his grip, slashing at her head. She ducked under quickly, feeling a sharp gust of wind go over her.
Looking back at Ushōda and the others behind her, the word "sharp" may have been an understatement. A hand calmly raised, the large man had erected a barrier around the spectating group. She could see a deep gash in the unprotected wall to the sides of them.
What happened to taking it slow?
He slashed again. Rukia rolled to the ground to avoid it. "Are you gonna get your mask out or what?" He moved right in front of her, slashing down, giving her no choice but to try and deflect it.
She was getting to the mask part, really…
With a mighty slash of her own, she released a burst of cold, forcing the larger man back several meters. Rukia brought a hand to her side, and with a deep breath and a moment of concentration she was holding the Hollow's bone white mask.
(It surprised her, almost. The mask came so easily this time around.)
With a motion of his hand, Muguruma pulled his own down onto his face. After a few seconds of hesitation Rukia put on her own. The sensation was immediate and startling.
Wearing her mask for the first time, willingly, felt surreal. She could hear the distorted sounds of her own breath, could see everything around her with intense clarity, could feel the layer of power being wrapped around her. It was overwhelming.
It didn't stop her from attacking Muguruma immediately. She swiped at him, an arc of frost rushing towards the man. He dodged so quickly for a moment he seemed to disappear. He reappeared right beside her, stabbing down at her neck. With a little boost of speed Rukia flickered away, and a sort of chase began.
She went left, right, left, left, duck! It left her breathless, not with exhaustion but with the exhilaration of it all. The man was relentless, and through the holes in his mask Rukia could see a glimmer in his glowing eyes. She found herself grinning along with him as she followed with her own strikes.
She felt this desire, this burning, to go faster, push further, and for once she found she could do that with ease. Was this what it was like to be a Visored? "Exhilarating" was selling the experience short. It was euphoria. It was a power beyond what she'd ever dreamed of. It was–!
Rukia's momentum sent her stumbling, nearly falling flat on her face as her next strike met no resistance. She was no longer staring at the mask of her opponent. Instead she was looking out into the endless horizon of her inner world.
"What the… What happened?" she gasped out.
A distorted voice giggled back. Rukia turned, and with clenched fists met the eyes of the Hollow.
"How exciting!" she cheered. "Why don't you fight more guys like that, huh?"
Rukia's eyes hardened. "What did you do?"
The Hollow crossed her arms, looking away. "I just took the reins for a bit. That's all. Wasn't that what we talked about?"
"No, wasn't! When did I ever say that?!"
"I was just having a little fun." Her voice took on a dangerous growl.
"Stop!" Rukia demanded.
The Hollow froze, stiffening in place. Then her eyes narrowed with anger. She approached Rukia, getting so close that she could see the foggy puffs of her breath. She stood almost a head taller than Rukia, something that Rukia had never really noticed about Sode before. Rukia struggled to hold her ground.
In a low voice, she said, "Make me."
Rukia jutted out her chin defiantly. In a single fluid motion, she summoned her Shikai and swung it in the path of the Hollow.
The Hollow dodged back, feet sliding against the icy ground, her own identical weapon in her outstretched hand.
Rukia was on her immediately, jumping up and swinging down from above. Her blade went through thin air, slicing through solid ice. In the next moment the Hollow was behind her, aiming for the kill. The girl dodged left and slashed out towards the Hollow, rolling with it when she went short.
"Next Dance, White Ripple!" she yelled out. It was near point blank. She had her!
The Hollow disappeared the second she called it, and in the next moment Rukia felt a cool body at her back, the Hollow pressed against her. She felt more than saw the creature draw up her blade for a stab, and she ducked down just in time. She stabbed back without even looking, feeling the blade meet resistance. The Hollow let out a hiss, jumping away.
Rukia took that time to scramble up, vaguely noting the lack of blood on her blade. Across from her she could hear the Hollow letting out a soft repetitive noise.
At first, it seemed she was panting from exertion. Then, Rukia thought, no goddamn way, was she sobbing?
Then, it struck her. She was giggling.
With a growl Rukia charged, Next Dance at the ready. She met the Hollow, swinging out and only managing to catch her sleeve. The Hollow arched her blade downwards, Rukia backing up just in the nick of time. The Hollow didn't stop giggling, either. If anything, she'd just gotten louder.
That was it, wasn't it? That was the answer all along. This whole thing, taking over Rukia's body, tormenting Sode, it was all just fun to the hollow. Something about that sent a jolt of rage through the girl. It was just enough for her to push forward, using all the speed she had, enough power flowing through her to freeze a rushing river.
The giggles stopped. The Hollow disappeared again only to reappear right up close to Rukia. One of her hands was trapping Rukia's own against her Zanpakuto's hilt. The other was holding her sword and barreling towards her face, pommel first.
Rukia heard the impact, as well as the sound of her body hitting the ice before she really felt it. She let out a low groan, and suddenly, the pain hit her.
With a curious tilt of her head the Hollow dropped Rukia's captured sword, satisfaction in her eyes as she watched it crumble to slush.
"Well," she whined, "I guess all good things must come to an end."
She punctuated her words with a harsh kick to Rukia's ribs, sending the girl gasping.
"Don't worry, though!" she added cheerfully. "I'll make sure to let you out sometimes…" she landed a kick to her stomach, the force knocking the air out of Rukia and sending her sprawling on her face. "If you ask nicely."
The stomps came down hard on Rukia's back, the edges of the wooden geta biting hard into her flesh as she held back cries. Her hands were kept underneath her. She curled in on herself as much as possible, and all the while the Hollow's maddened giggling bubbled up from her throat, swallowed by the icy abyss.
She kept going until she was panting with the effort, and Rukia had gone completely silent.
"You know…" she said between breaths, "I wasn't expecting much from you… but this was just disappointing."
The monster crouched down in front of Rukia, a deceptively gentle hand brushing through her hair. In the next moment those fingers were digging in and dragging her upward.
"Still, I guess I should give you some credit. You put up a fi–!"
The Hollow's words cut off abruptly into a choked gurgle. With wide eyes she looked down and saw a half formed Zanpakuto sticking out of her belly. Rukia was holding it with a white knuckled grip and blazing eyes.
"Y-you… bitch…" she gasped out. The Hollow fell.
Panting heavily, Rukia stumbled onto her feet. She could feel her muscles protesting, the blows quickly turning into bruises. She looked down at the fallen Hollow, and for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to be angry.
"I'd… ask why… but I already know…" she rasped out.
The Hollow let out a garbled chuckle.
Rukia started again, sounding firmer, but swaying dangerously. "You come out when I say. You do as I say. Got it?"
The bottom of the Hollow's mask began crumbling away revealing a bloody grin.
"Whatever you say… Master."
The word sent a shiver down Rukia's spine for reasons she couldn't explain.
The Hollow's head fell back limply, the Spirit staring into the air. The mask crumbled away piece by piece, and when the last piece fell…
When Rukia opened her eyes, she was back on the dusty lot. A glowing barrier was erected around her, and through it she could see exactly what the Hollow had wrought. There were large cracks in the wall, swathes of frost covering it. Large patches of ice littered the ground, and a few meters away crouched Muguruma, a fierce and dangerous look in his eyes.
Only half of his mask remained, and beside him one arm hung useless and frozen solid. Not too far from him was Ushōda, an arm outstretched with a spell on his lips. Beside him was Kuna, standing protectively in front of the Gikon, tense as a bowstring, her mask on with bits of frost smattering the edges.
Rukia let out a shaky breath, and suddenly her mask was crumbling away. Like magic, everyone relaxed, an audible and unanimous sigh coming from the other Visoreds. The barrier disappeared and Muguruma collapsed back onto his ass.
"I'm definitely making Hiyori do this next time," he muttered. Ushōda was by the man's side in an instant speaking a very different spell. A warm glow covered Muguruma's arm.
"What did I do?" Rukia asked quietly.
Kuna came to her, mask gone, an exasperated smile on her face. "Nothing the rest of us haven't done," she assured. It didn't make her feel much better.
In the meantime, Ushōda worked at drawing Rukia's Reiryoku out of Muguruma's arm with a careful frown. There were cuts littering the man everywhere, little (and not so little) gashes just starting to bleed sluggishly. With a second spell, those cuts began to close up, though Rukia still felt a pang of guilt in her chest.
"You should have seen what this one did back in the day," Ushōda said kindly, patting Muguruma on the back. "Love still flinches when a gust of wind hits the walls just right."
Muguruma let out an unintelligible grumble, jerking his arm away the second Ushōda's spell died down. He tucked away his knife and flexed his arm, little red scars being the only traces left of his wounds.
"Good as new," he waved off. "Go bother the newbie, now. I'm pretty sure she did something to her arm."
Ushōda rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh as he watched Muguruma walk away. With a hand he beckoned Rukia over, sitting her down in front of him. His hands were impossibly large, but they handled her arm delicately, moving gently and slowly. In some ways it was the polar opposite of Orihime's tiny but firm grip, but in that moment Rukia could hardly tell the difference.
His hands were warm, comforting, and Rukia found herself relaxing into his grip before she even realized it. With little trouble he rolled up her sleeve, spotting the nasty tear along it, as well as traces of quickly melting frost. He muttered a single spell under his breath and enveloped the wound.
"Your ice doesn't affect you the same way it does others," he thought aloud.
"It barely even feels cold to me."
He let out a quiet chuckle. "Kidō type Zanpakuto never fail to amaze me."
"Kidō type? I though Kidō were just those spells Shinigami use."
"Well, yes, they are spells," he answered patiently, "but so are those amazing attacks some Zanpakuto can perform, in a sense. You'd be surprised how much the two have in common, actually."
With those words the glow at his hands ceased, and Rukia's arm was released. Still, she remained.
"Do you think…" she started, worrying her lip. "Do you think that if I practiced Kidō I might be able to get a better handle on Sode and… my Hollow?"
He broke out into a grin. "Certainly, my dear! To learn Kidō is to learn discipline, control! I'm sure it would help."
"Would you teach me?" she rushed out.
He answered warmly, "I would love nothing more." At that, he stood up, helping Rukia to her feet with an extended hand.
Part II
Sitting on a freshly beaten rug, Rukia jogged her leg, paper in hand. Her eyes scanned over the words again and again.
Bind mine enemies. Set upon them the power of the earth. Let them tremble against thine will… Bakudō Number One, Sai
It was a simple spell, one that most Shinigami managed to do without an incantation. Ushōda was quite insistent that she memorize it, though. If she can manage that, they'd get started first thing tomorrow.
Right now, though, she'd read it so many times the words were starting to blur together. She was sure that she'd gotten it down, but…
She'd better quiz herself when she got home. She'd seen Kidō at its most powerful. She didn't want to make a mistake, here. Tucking it away, she paused briefly when her fingers met the slightly cool surface of her phone.
Her fingers jerked away at a sudden sound. Behind her she heard Muguruma snoring loudly, collapsed against the couch. With a frown she reached back in, pulling out the phone.
Flipping the device open, she took a good look at it for the very first time. It looked like a newer model, but she couldn't quite tell which one. There was a background that she could program however she liked, an address book, speed dial settings, it was all pretty neat stuff. It was kind of surprising coming from Byakuya.
To be honest, Rukia had thought she'd have to find a way to buy herself a phone. The summer before high school she was looking into part time job options, maybe even something that she and Renji could do together. All of that went out the window when a certain Shinigami blew into their lives.
She wondered how that Shinigami was doing now.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts Rukia clicked a few buttons on her phone changing the background to a simple sunny sky. She flipped it shut.
"Hey! Hey!" an excited voice called.
Rukia looked up only to be startled by Kuna standing right over her. The Visored was out of that odd Super Sentai style onesie that Rukia had seen her in since they'd first met. Instead, she was in a pair of gym shorts the same bright shade of green as her hair and a white tank top, orange bandana still present around her neck. It suited her.
Tucking away her phone, Rukia asked, "Do you need something?"
"Mm-hm!" she sounded with a happy nod. "It's my turn to do the shopping and I was hoping you'd come with. It'll be super fun, I promise!"
Standing on slightly numb legs, Rukia brushed off her skirt. "O-okay, but what are we shopping for?"
"I have a list!" Kuna answered, riffling through her pockets. She dug out a crumpled piece of paper, writing on it barely legible. "It's mostly takeout and manga." Rukia wasn't surprised anymore.
"Lead the way," she said with a shaky grin.
With a giggle and a nod, the girl led Rukia outside. She scanned the area, glanced down once more at her list, and without much warning jumped on top of the surrounding fence, balancing carefully. Rukia stared up at her, eyes wide.
"What are you standing there for, silly? Let's go!"
"Um…" Rukia jogged up to her. "I don't think I can do that like this." She gestured to herself, or more specifically, her human body.
The girl tutted, shaking her head. "You've just never tried. Come on, we're burning daylight!" At that she jumped onto the very top of a light post, head swiveling to get a better look at the area. After a long moment she let out a happy cry pointing to the left. "It's this way!"
She jumped down onto the sidewalk, and sending one more look to Rukia, ran ahead before taking a sharp left. Letting out an exasperated sigh, the Substitute ran to follow.
She just had to add a little Reiryoku to her feet. (She even knew the exact amount!) If she could summon power to form her mask like this, she could summon power to go just a little faster, she was sure. So, eyes screwed shut, she tried.
Her breath was just about knocked out of her when she was suddenly launched forward, nearly colliding with the light post. She scrambled on her feet and made a sharp left turn, almost running headfirst into a brick wall.
On the opposite wall Kuna was crouched on a narrow window ledge, looking down at Rukia with a pleased grin. She turned away and ran once again. Rukia had no choice but to follow. (Luckily no more near misses would happen… for now.)
Kuna wasn't going terribly fast, but she was moving with a certain limberness that Rukia had only ever seen from Yoruichi. It quickly became obvious that she was holding back for Rukia's sake, here.
That being said, she sure liked showing off. Running through back streets and alleyways, Rukia became her captive audience, watching as the girl kicked off walls, did every manner of flip, and hung off the tiniest possible ledges from her fingertips alone. Rukia didn't mind either. Watching her was fun, probably because Kuna herself seemed to be having fun.
(Normally people having fun with their powers meant nothing good. Images of Captain Zaraki appeared in her mind, as well as a certain… someone. Kuna seemed different somehow, though, in a way that she couldn't quite articulate.)
(It was the lack of bloodthirsty trigger-happiness, that should have been obvious.)
The two reached the end of the back streets and found themselves in a small cluster of restaurants and shops just a little too small to be considered a real shopping center. After a moment of pause Kuna backed away from the exit jumping first onto a nearby trash can and then up onto the opposite rooftop. "Come on!" she called down. She disappeared over the edge of the wall.
Rukia took a deep breath. She mentally went through everything she saw the girl did, deeming it all simple enough. She took a few steps backwards and jumped.
Her feet hit the trashcan. She launched towards the wall, got ready to land, and felt her stomach drop when her foot missed the ledge by about half a meter, passing through thin air.
Kuna grabbed her arm before she managed to fall very far, pulling her up. With wide eyes and a cold sweat Rukia scrambled onto the roof for dear life.
"Woah, there," Kuna said with a wince. "You're… not very good at this, huh?"
"Thanks," Rukia gasped out. She tried to make it sound sarcastic, but it didn't quite work. She seriously needed a moment to catch her breath!
"Well, I guess that's why we call you newbie."
"Hm?" Rukia hummed. Her heart rate was starting to go back to normal.
"You're new, therefore you can still get better!" Then, in a flurry, she grasped Rukia's hands, a wide grin on her face. "You should practice with me!"
Rukia blinked, frozen for a moment. The grip on her hands was iron clad. "Uh… are you sure, Kuna?"
"Mashiro!" the girl responded with a pout. "You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Mashiro."
Rukia gulped, a blush crawling up her face. "Okay… Mashiro. Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm sure!" she answered immediately. "It'll be fun! I haven't had someone to practice with in… almost a hundred years!"
Letting out a small chuckle, Rukia nodded in agreement. Then, something about Masahiro's words struck her, and in that moment quite a few things came together. Suddenly, she had a pensive frown on her face.
"You…" She found herself hesitating. "You Visoreds, you were Shinigami once, weren't you?"
Mashiro's smile didn't quite fall, but something in it certainly cracked.
"We were," she admitted. "I was even a Lieutenant, but things change, you know. We became this… and they decided they didn't want us anymore. Good riddance, am I right?" The words were said with a smile, but the bitterness was unmistakable.
"Let me guess," Rukia said with a sigh. "It had something to do with Aizen."
Mashiro laughed. "Who else?"
Something about that had Rukia's heart sinking. "So, because of him, you've just been here for the last hundred years?"
"Basically," Mashiro said with a shrug. "Until a few months ago we were just wandering around Japan, kicking butt and taking names. Then, Kukaku and Urahara found us, convinced us to stay here for a bit. Why or how, I'm not sure, though. You'd have to ask Shinji. I trust him with that kind of stuff more than myself."
Rukia took in a deep breath, letting it out through her nose. She could feel anger welling through her. The more she learned about that bastard Aizen, the more she hated him. Shaking her head, she steeled herself.
"We'll stop Aizen," she said firmly. "Just you wait."
"Heck yeah!" Mashiro pumped her fist in the air. "But first… groceries!"
"First, groceries," Rukia agreed.
The two jumped down to the streets, Mashiro wasting little time in directing them to their first destination, the bookstore. They picked up a number of colorfully illustrated books, some of which Rukia recognized and most of which she didn't.
After that they hit two difference convenience stores, one bakery, a soba stall, and even a high-end tea shop. By the end of it all the two were carrying at full capacity, Rukia having two bags in each arm. (She was pretty certain Mashiro had three per arm.)
They didn't run back the same way they came, going for a more conventional route this time. (Rukia was almost disappointed.) Mashiro was quick to assure her that Hakuda training would happen soon, though. It doesn't take them too long to reach the hideout.
The first thing Mashiro did was kick open the door. Rukia heard Aikawa let out a happy "whoop!" Hirako on the other hand mumbled something that sounded just a bit distressed about door handle replacements.
Mashiro set down all her bags onto the carpet, Rukia following her example, before sifting through them, reaching first for the books.
"Okay!" Mashiro called. "We got one volume of Loveholic for Lisa."
She tossed it over, Yadōmaru catching it expertly, wasting no time inspecting it with a glimmer in her eye.
"Zatch Bell for Love."
Aikawa snatched it from Mashiro's hands before she even finished saying his name, a grin on his face.
"Fullmetal Panic for Kensei."
Muguruma caught this one with a grumble, flipping through some pages with a critical eye.
"And finally… Chobits for Shinji."
He grabbed it even faster than Aikawa, a subtle blush on his face as he tucked it away. Beside him Sarugaki let out a cackle.
"And as for the food, everybody, dig in!"
Dig in they did. The food was descended upon quickly and without mercy, everyone grabbing and tearing open their respective boxes. All the while, Rukia stood to the side awkwardly, only jolted out of it when Mashiro nudged her in the side with a box of yakisoba noodles.
"Come on," she said with a grin, "you, too."
"Thanks." Rukia took it, admiring the smell, and wondering when Mashiro had even bought it.
Aikawa landed heavily on the couch, a sausage bun in each hand, one large bite taken out of the one on the left. "Take a load off, newbie!" he commanded. "You can't enjoy lunch standing like that."
Shuffling her feet for a moment, Rukia moved to sit down before she really had the time to think about it. She sat right next to Aikawa, Rose taking the seat to her right after that. Behind her was Mashiro, balanced precariously on the back of the couch.
The rest were scattered around, Yadōmaru and Muguruma sitting on the carpet and eating sedately. Ushōda wasn't far off, sitting on a stool and enjoying a plate of cold soba with a serene look on his face. Somewhere in the back she could hear Hirako and Sarugaki getting into a one-sided argument over their food.
She took the first bite of her noodles. They tasted as good as they smelled.
"There you go," Aikawa said through a mouthful of bread. He swallowed heavily. "Is it just me, or is this the first time I've seen you relax, newbie?"
Rukia gulped down the bite she'd just taken. "I'm supposed to be training," she offered quietly.
"Well, yeah, I get that, but you do realize that working nonstop like this is just going to fry your brain, right? I mean, maybe that's how they do it in the Seireitei, but that's not how we do it." He cleared his throat dramatically, catching the attention of all who cared to listen. "I propose," he started firmly, "that tomorrow the newbie does not train and instead goofs off with the rest of us."
"I second that motion!" Mashiro said dramatically. This was ruined slightly by the hamburger still in her mouth. Muguruma just shrugged, not even bothering to stop eating.
"Perhaps she could read some manga with us," Rose suggested. "We did just get a new batch."
"Hunter X Hunter," Aikawa said simply. For a moment Rukia was lost.
Rose shrugged, a frown on his face. "I think she'd be more of a Cardcaptor Sakura person."
"Ranma ½," Yadōmaru tried.
They all looked at Rukia expectantly. She gulped down another bite of yakisoba.
"I'll look into them," she finally said. (She was pretty sure those were manga.) This answer seemed to satisfy them.
The food was finished in (relative) peace after that, empty trays and bags piled high in a corner. Rukia took that time to try and think of what she could work on next.
Maybe she could try practicing with her mask again or simply talk with her Zanpakuto. Then again, Ushōda or Mashiro might be up for giving her more tips.
It was then that a shadow came over her. Muguruma looked down at her, eyes unreadable.
"Go home," he said.
Rukia paled. He looked kind of angry, didn't he? (Then again, he always looked angry…) When she didn't answer, or respond at all, really, he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Your Hollow took over, today," he said sternly. "You're not up for any more training, kid."
"…Oh!" Rukia blinked up at him, probably looking like a deer in headlights. "Th…thank you! I will," she finally answered.
He nodded once before leaving her. What an odd man, she thought. Then again, all the Visoreds were pretty odd.
She didn't stay long after that. She put away her tray, patted her pockets to make sure everything she came with was still there, and then waved goodbye to the few Visoreds that still lingered after the meal.
"We're practicing on Monday," Mashiro assured, "so, be ready."
Rukia was honestly looking forward to it.
She left quietly, but about halfway home, she decided to take a detour. Thinking it over briefly, she stepped into a small bookstore, heading to a section that she didn't normally frequent.
The manga section was surprisingly intimidating. It wasn't the largest she'd seen (not even today) but looking at it now, she realized she didn't even know where to start. She tried to remember the titles that the others had mentioned.
She saw a volume of Hunter X Hunter, an absolutely huge edition of Ranma ½, but in the end her eyes settled on Cardcaptor Sakura. She'd actually heard of that one before, having caught an episode of the show by accident about a year ago. It wasn't bad, but she never got the chance to search for it after the fact.
Grabbing volume one, Rukia gave it a once over. The cover was cute and frilly, the main character looking at her with a cheerful smile, rose petals flying around her. It looked nice, honestly. Not thinking any more of it, Rukia brought it to the front counter, handing over the one thousand yen note needed to buy it.
Exaggeratedly girly book in hand, Rukia had a little spring in her step as she walked the rest of the way home. She wondered vaguely what a Visored "lazy day" might look like.
She also realized that Aikawa had a point. She needed a break, probably had for a while.
Rukia reached her front door, stepping inside and setting her book onto the nearest table. She thought about what leftovers she might heat up tonight and wondered what tomorrow would bring.
Part III
"…"
"The silent treatment… really?"
"I have nothing to say to you."
"That's a first."
"Why did you do that?!"
"And here we go. Don't you and Master share a brain or something? You should know that already."
"Believe it or not, we don't. Now, tell me."
"…"
"I want to hear you say it."
"I don't have to take this."
"Answer me."
"You won. She won. The Inner World is yours… for now."
"Why do you have to do that, antagonize every chance you get?"
"Goodbye."
"We could have worked together. We could have made something amazing!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Fine. Have it your way."
I've achieved a weeabo's dream. I'm going to Japan for two weeks. (Does happy dance!) Side effect is, I won't be updating for a while. The next chapter won't be here until NOVEMBER 9. Hopefully this longer chapter will be enough to sate you all for now, though.
For now, feel free to leave a review. I treasure them with all my heart, for they give me life. (See you in a few weeks!)
