Strawberry Poison ( redux: 'Return to Sender' )

by vulpeus

21-year-old Rukia Kuchiki is living in the heart of New York and she is just living life, seeings the days pass by. But one day changes her life completely. And she has no idea what or who she will encounter along the way. AU, Slight OOC, various pairings

11. Waking Up Without You

Nothing made sense to me anymore, and I was about to give up on this game called "Life". I didn't even know where I was. Maybe I was alive, maybe I was dead. Maybe I was just drifting between the realm of nothingness and the abyss of oblivion. I didn't know any answers, and was stuck with only questions. I couldn't tell my ups from my downs, because I was so confused from being juggled between reality and just plain insanity. It hadn't been that long that I had stepped into this world, so, why am I reacting like this? Was it like drinking, when the effects hits you like a train an hour or so later? Or maybe I was just ignorant and didn't see what was right in front of me all along. My pupils had dilated so much from being in the darkness that was my inner sanctum that when I found the truth, it hurt to see the light that was the truth. In my life, I had accomplished nothing, and had nothing worth living for…right? That's what I thought, before I had stepped into this world of phenomena and incredibility.

My mind had become so accustomed to being safe and afraid to step out of the safety zone that when I did cross the line, I wasn't prepared for what lied ahead of me in the outside world. It was like bringing a knife to a gun fight—I was a goner. All because I was "afraid". But of what, you ask?

That I don't know.

But I can tell you this: what was waiting for me on the other side, it was beyond my wildest dreams.

I found myself in a soft, downy bed that was big enough to hold five of me and there would still be enough space between us. However, I was so comfortable, that I didn't want to leave the comfort that was my bed. But, I don't remember my pillows being so...fluffy. Come to think of it, they're usually flat. It's then that I realized...

I wasn't in Kansas no more.

I was in complete shock. I didn't know where I was nor how I got here. Cautious, I examined the room I was in shortly after rubbing my eyes to see if this was an "aftershock" to my dream. The whole place had some kind of zen theme to it, judging by the paper-thin sliding doors and the smell of incense wafting in the air. All over the walls were Japanese scrolls with some kind of huge painted character or symbol on it. I then looked behind me and saw the massive bed I had fallen out of earlier. Even with the light teal bedsheets all rumpled up and wrinkled, the bunk still looked grandiose and it was so over-the-top, it kinda made me feel a bit richer, having slept in such a luxurious cot. Five of me could fit in there and there would still be enough space; and on each side of the mattress, there was a black nightstand with a small statue of an ivory dragon on top. Its Arctic eyes gleaming as the sunset's glow bounced off of its orbs.

But after admiring the room's beauty, I remembered then what had happened yesterday: the pendant, the blood, the drama…I recalled almost each and everybody's face from last night, including those that I'd rather not remember, which made me a bit nauseous on the inside. Feeling slightly helpless, I daintily dangle the necklace's jewel between my fingers, and I hoped that I could find some answers to my dilemma, and for the first time in a long time, I felt as if I could actually find some resolve within this bizarre place.

Consequently, when I was holding the gem and staring at it, almost as if to ask it what to do, I noticed that I was not in the same attire as I was in last night. Looking down, I saw that I was only a rather revealing azure nightgown that had barely covered up my bits. I would certainly remember putting on such a thing. I then checked to see if I had somehow changed underwear too, but to my relief, I was still wearing the same pair. I went over to the closet and opened its doors, seeing my once beautiful, 'rose of a dress' now a cocktail dress that was fit for a hooker. I really liked that dress too. Darn shame.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!" A shrill voice cried before I heard a tap-thud against the slender, wispy door. Then, one of them slid open, revealing a youthful, but timid maid who bent down as she clumsily set down her things next to her as she bowed deeply with her head in her lap.

"I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up? Oh, may I come in? I-I apologize," She stuttered.

"Uh, sure?" I arched an eyebrow, seeing that this woman was deathly nervous, maybe even terrified, of me; but for what reason, I didn't know. I took a quick look at her, and figured that maybe if she had a confidence boost, she would be that more attractive that she already was. I mean, she was a pretty sight: with glossy, but not greasy, chestnut hair up in a simple bun, and with a button nose on a face sprinkled with tan freckles and matching brown eyes, who could not say she was downright adorable? But I didn't say anything, since I'd kinda sound like a creeper, so I just shut up.

"I'm so sorry to have disturbed you from your slumber, Madame, I-"

I held up a hand. "Don't worry, I fell. That was my wake-up call. You didn't do anything wrong, dear. So why are you so nervous? Come, sit," I insisted as I gently tugged her by the sleeve of her jade shirt adorned with silky white swirls, but she resisted.

"O-Oh no, I can't do something like that. Master Kuchiki would scold me for an eternity if I were to-"

"As long as you're with me, you're fine. And that old coot can kiss my ass," I grinned. "I have a couple of questions to ask you, are you fine with that?"

"Yes ma'am, but let me get you dressed. You were shivering all night," She said as she got up from the bed and went to the closet, pulling out a variety of garments and placed them on the bed, intriguing my curiosity. She pointed to the changing stand in the corner. "You can get changed there."

"Sure," I said as I picked up the clothes and went behind the stand, quickly shimmying out of the nightgown and then I stared at the clothes. I slung the pajamas over the top while examining what I had: there was this big blue robe thing with white flowers printed on it; a plain, miniature version of that and lastly, underwear and socks. "Anyways," I chimed. "How exactly did I get here and how? And where is 'here'?"

"You don't recall anything from last night, miss?"

"I remember meeting that old bat who said he was 'supposedly' my grandfather," I said as I threw my lingerie on the floor and put the new ones on while trying to figure out this white dress thing went. "But I don't buy that bullshit. You don't just pop out of the blue unless you have a reason. So, me and him got into this heated argument and I walked away and I guess I must've gotten hypothermia of the flu or something because I just passed out like that," I snapped my fingers. "So, pray tell, just how did I get here?"

"Ma'am, I know this will upset you, but," The maid let out a sigh of anxiety. "He really is your grandfather, believe it or not. And while I'm here, I'll need to do your hair so you mind sitting on that chair over there?" She instructed to the seat behind the dresser and mirror. I did and let down my hair (which was up in a messy ponytail) and she started off by brushing out the tangled ends.

"Then I won't believe it, for the time being," I grumbled as tied the strings of the white robe and then put the blue one over it and did the same, then stepping out. "And anyways, you still haven't answered any of my questions."

"Oh, right, right, I had completely forgotten about that. Hold on, let me fix that," She said as she went over to me and tied the robe the right way. "Well, what would you like to know?"

"For starters, where on Earth am I and how the hell did I OW!" I yelped as my hair got pulled.

"Sorry, there was a big knot. But the Madame shouldn't use such foul language! It's unbecoming of a lady!" She scolded, but the softness in her voice made her sound like she was whining.

"Uh, I know my looks can deceive people, but I honestly am a grown woman of 21 years."

"Age is just a number, my dear lady. It's not the number of years that make your life special, but the number of moments that made you laugh, or cry, or simply smile. That's what counts."

"…That doesn't tell me how I got here."

"Oh, fiddlesticks, I've gone and rambled on again! Forgive me, Madame. Anywho, as I was saying, your grandfather took you home after your little incident."

I looked around the room, and then gave the girl a blank stare. "No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did," She nodded.

"Lady," I paused. "You have problems. I'm going to say this as clearly as I can so follow carefully: This, is not my home."

The maid burst out in laughter, then covering up her mouth as she settled down. "Oh my, you're a funny one. Whoever said I was talking about your home?"

"…Eh?"

"My dear, this is his home, or manor, to be more precise. Either way, he took you in, and I'll say, it's been a while since someone new has stepped into this household. Indeed, it's been too long."

"And just where is the old bat?"

"Now, now, since you're a guest of this household, I expect you to behave as like you're a well-mannered woman. Not that you aren't, of course, I'm just stating the-"

"Now I have to follow the rules? Oh, this is good. This is funny," I let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Those were his words not mine. Well, not the part at the end, but yeah."

"But where is the old man?"

"He's meditating by the river at the moment, so we shouldn't disturb him."

"Didn't know people of that age still moved that way," I remarked. "Oh, and out of curiosity, did a young doctor with black hair stop by recently?"

"Not that I know of, no. But, I did hear the other maids gossiping about someone mighty attractive that showed up at the front door. I don't know for sure if it was your guy, but I can check. Why? Were you expecting him?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, not at all! I was just checking, that's all!"

"Don't worry, it'll be our little secret," She giggled as she held up her pinky finger, in which I crossed with mine, sealing the promise.

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered.

"And…done!" The maid exclaimed as she put the finishing touches on my hair by pinning up the stray hair in the back with barrettes. "Go on, take a look in the mirror and see if it's to your liking."

I took the mirror that she handed me and I was amazed at how good she was at hair. She transformed my tumbleweed of a black mess to a sleek and elegant huge, fanned-out bun that looked regal, yet simple.

"This is amazing," I gaped. "How did you-"

All of the sudden, there was this ring that was so eerie, it made my entire body tense up with anxiety.

"Oh my, is that the 3rd ring? How come I didn't hear it earlier?" The maid muttered to herself as she quickly cleaned things up. Master's going to be so furious at me…"

"Wait, where are you going?" I queried.

"The Master has summoned me. I just can't believe I didn't hear the previous rings. By now, he must be so impatient," She said as she stepped out the door.

"Wait!" I shouted.

"What?" The maid stepped back into the room.

"You never told me where we are!"

"Look around you, you'll figure it out."

"But wait!" I called again after she left, and this time, she seemed a bit more irritated.

"What?"

"…What's your name?"

And then, something happened. Something I'd never expect in a million years—she laughed. She was almost crying from how hard she was laughing, which totally didn't make me uncomfortable one bit.

"Silly girl, I have no name."

And just like that, she was gone. What did she mean by that? Everybody has a name. Maybe she was just joking around, trying to pull my leg or something. Yeah, that was it, she just wanted to see how gullible I was. Well, hahaha, she's not going to get me. I will not be fooled.

Realizing I had just been abandoned, I decided to explore my surroundings. I stepped out of the sliding doorway and looked both left and right, as if I was a small girl crossing the street.

To my left, there was a hallway with at least four or five rooms similar to mine, and the other way led to an empty, barren space with one door that was rather large in comparison to the others. My guess that it was either an entrance or an exit and being the curious cat that I was, I decided to see for myself and figure out where in God's name I was.

I slid open the door and was surprised to see Old Man Ginrei sitting down on the wooden floor of the balcony with his legs crissed-crossed, applesauce. I'm just glad the robe he was wearing was extra long and went over his knees. I took a seat next to him without saying a word, and surprisingly, I found the silence soothing. I could see why he would choose to meditate here. The only sounds that passed through my ears was the movement of the river right across from us and the wind blowing in the trees hovering over us. It was beyond relaxing, I felt as if I were high and entered another dimension where all of my worried just melted away.

"I take it that you slept well?" Ginrei asked, though he didn't look as interested as he sounded.

"Yup. I slept like a newborn babe—couldn't have been better," I assured him with a grin, trying to appear as if nothing was bothering me, but I don't know if I masked it that well or not.

"Good, I was a bit worried on how you'd adapt to the new environment and such."

"Well, maybe I'd 'adapt' a bit better if I knew where the heck I was," I said subtly as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"We aren't far from New York. That's all you need to know-"

"What do you mean?" I blurted, immediately getting a stern glare from the old man.

"People in this society must know their place. Especially you, Rukia Kuchiki. Present yourself in an honorable manner with your head held high. Don't act as if you only have yourself to worry about, because your string of fate intersects with others', therefore making a web. And that web holds each and every single one of you together. If one point is too weak, it'll break. If one is too heavy, it'll fall. But I will make you into a spider, in which you can craft your own webs and tell your own stories. Did it ever occur to you as to why I took you here, instead of your home?"

"Because you didn't know where it was?" I guessed.

"Because I made a promise."

"And to whom-"

"Your sister."

It's funny how only a word or two can completely tide over a human's emotions. Maybe we're just over-sensitive and actually give a shit about what people say. Or maybe we're just…human. It only takes a grain of sand to tip the scale, and one grain can be the difference between life or death. They say words can't break your bones; but with that kind of power, they sure as hell can make something break your bones.

"She asked me," He continued. "To watch over you and teach you as I had taught her."

"And what exactly did you teach her?"

"You'll find that out in time."

"Speaking of which, how long do I have to stay here anyway?"

"You can leave this place at anytime you want. I'm not forcing you to stay here. By all means, go ahead and leave, if that's what you truly desire. It's up to you: you can stay here, or you can go back home, without fulfilling Hisana's last request. It's your ca-"

"Then I have no choice but to stay here and get schooled, right?"

"Good. Now, I have some errands for you to run," The old man pulled out a piece of paper that had been tucked away in his robe's pockets, giving it to me. "On there, there's a list of items you'll need to pick up from specific people as well as a list of parcels you need to deliver."

"But how will they know who I am?"

"Just introduce yourself. Go on and try to catch them before nightfall."

"Wait, what time is it?" I turned back.

"5:47. The sun will set half 'til seven, so hurry up and take your leave."

"But where do I go?"

"The paper will explain everything. Now, if you don't mind," He said as he got up from the floor. "I have business to attend to. The maid's delivering the parcels now."

And right then, the doors behind us slid open, revealing the same maid from before, who then bowed deeply before speaking.

"Pardon for the intrusion, sir, but your meeting-"

"I'm already leaving, don't worry about me, just hand the girl her items and tell her where to go. I'm late already," Were his last words before walking right past the female, who was still on her knees. I crouched down on one knee, staring at her for a moment.

"Uh, you can get up, you know," I muttered.

"Right," She said in barely a whisper as she got up. "Now, let's see-"

"Hold up a sec," I cut her off. "You forgot something."

"I did? What is it?"

"Your name. Tell me, what is it?" I asked, though this time with a some seriousness in my tone, which caught the maid off-guard.

"I…have no name. I was taken in my Master, and when he asked me my name, I said I didn't know. He then said for me to tell him when I think for one for myself and that it should having some meaning or sentimental value, but with everything being the same, there's nothing really special or extraordinary that comes to mind. For many years, I've done the same things over and over again, from dawn 'til dusk, and everything was just like clockwork, never changing. Life had just been one washing cycle that had never ceased to end. We maids and servants are used to the same things every day, we get things done on time, no earlier, no later. But that's until I met you, Madame."

"Please, call me Rukia," I insisted.

"That's it!" The woman exclaimed as she planted a fist into her palm. "Rukia! That'll be my name!"

"Hold on now," I chimed in, only to crush her spirits. "You have to have your own name. It'd be confusing with two Rukias running about, don't you think?"

"I suppose," She hung her head solemnly. Feeling bad about crushing her spirits like that, I gave her a pat on the back and a smile as she looked up at me with question in her eyes.

"What if I thought a name for you? But on the other hand, it is your name and-"

"Oh my goodness, would you really?" She literally squealed. I was recovered that she had bounced back so easily, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had done something wrong. It's not easy to explain, but my instincts were telling me I had crossed a line somewhere; but at that moment, I told my instincts to shut up as I continued to wear the plastered-on Barbie smile to make the girl happy. And at the time, I was hitching a ride on the train of thought, so I was practically blind and didn't see the girl coming up to hug me, which took my body by surprise, making me choke. She backed away immediately, like a startled fawn, and gazed at me with eyes full of apology. As if I didn't feel bad enough already.

"I-I'm sorry," The girl bowed her head, but I brought it back up with the crook of my knuckle and shot her a stern look that said, 'Girl, don't you apologize for nothing'.

"You silly child," I giggled as I blew away the strange bang between her brown eyes out of her face. "What do you have to be sorry for? You didn't do a single thing."

"But I-"

"No buts," I cut her off. "You need to learn how to stand up for yourself. Otherwise, people are going to run you over like a stampede of wildebeests."

"But the thing is," She started, but then paused in hesitation. "I can't…I don't necessarily have enough courage within me to do such a thing."

"Are you saying you can't even defend your own opinion?"

"Not really, no. You see, it's not one of those things that just happens over night. I was taken in and brought up as a maid and I was taught to keep my opinions to myself."

"Well, you can't stay like this," I shook my head. "You have to learn how to stand up for yourself! You're…how old are you again?"

"19," The maid answered sheepishly.

"Shut. Up." I gaped, flabbergasted. "You have a life to be living! Why are you cooped up in here?"

"It's complicated," She murmured as she tapped her fingers together. "I signed this kinda 'contract'."

"Contract with whom?"

"Master Ginrei."

I knew there was something about that old coot I didn't like.

"Unbelievable," I remarked with hate and disgust hissing out of my mouth.

"But don't misunderstand," The nameless female said before my mouth exploded with each and every imaginable expletive in the English alphabet. "Master has a good reason for doing this, Miss Rukia."

"And that reason would be…?"

"…That, I don't know. But I knew I did the right thing by signing it."

Instead of demanding how and why she didn't know the full terms of her 'contract' she signed, therefore resulting in a conflict, therefore leading to yet another person that would hate me. But instead, I just shut up and saw myself in her shoes and realized…I was the exact same. I didn't know what was happening around me, isolated in a 'safe zone', not knowing what's on the other side. Was I really so blind that I had to have someone to hold my hand as I walk through the clouded darkness? Without any answers, I was just as dumb as lost as a bimbo. But looking back at the girl, and seeing how she wasn't even the slightest bit pressured or as cautious about stuff as compared to the paranoid nut that I was, it was proof that ignorance was indeed bliss.

"I believe you," I said.

"Huh?"

"I believe that whatever the reason, you signed the contract for a good reason. You trusted your gut when you did it, that much is obvious. So, everything will work itself out. You just gotta have faith in it and believe."

"You know what?" She mumbled as she stood up, looking me dead in the eye. "I've never given much thought about the contract. I never asked myself why he asked me to stay or even how or why he has so many maids and servants or why I didn't just leave. Up until you came, I've never questioned it, just accepted it, and continued on with my life. But now, it got me thinking. I don't know a lot of things, I'll admit that much. I don't know what Master Ginrei's true purpose or goal is. I don't know if your coming here was an omen of luck or one of misfortune. However, this much I do know," The maid paused. "You are not like any other person I have met. Your thinking and your way of doing things made me question the very same things I was doing over and over again each day. Now, I'm laughing at myself for doing something I should've done a long time ago; but I carry no regrets. What's done is done. However, there is something awfully peculiar about you, but I can't place my finger on it. Do you have this effect on everybody, Ms. Rukia?"

"Uh, I didn't even know I had an 'effect' on people in the first place," I said as I scratched the back of my head, needing something to fiddle with so I wouldn't gawk at the girl like a half-awake drunkard.

Then, we heard a deep chime, like one from a grandfather clock, and the maid's face lit up with surprise, as if she had just remembered something.

"Shoot, I had completely forgotten about your parcels! C'mon, you need to get a move on and hurry before nightfall!" She said all in one breath as she scurried to pick up the packages, and put them in my hands before leading me to an exit down the hallway, which led to a little beaten path down the woods, surrounded by pines on both sides. It looked really creepy—sketchy even.

"Rukia, you need to get a move on!" The maid urged me with a light push towards the doorsteps. I stepped down and looked up at her (since she was now taller than me, now that I've stepped down a foot) and told her I wouldn't forget my promise. Her eyebrows furrowed together in puzzlement. When she asked what I meant, I simply smiled and said, "Your name. I'll think of one, I promise."

And boy, was her face priceless. It was as if someone had defibrillated the girl's hope and instantly, she was brought back to life.

With a hop, skip, and look-around, I started walking down the endless path, with a basket of parcels in my hand while my other one was tweaking my bang that somehow always seemed to come in between my eyes. Can you say annoying?

Oddly enough, I found myself at peace while strolling. I was alone, winding down a beaten path with jungles of trees on both my left and right, and the only way to go was forward. The sounds of the wind blowing through the trees' arms and its wispy tongue seemed to put me at ease.

But then, I heard a strange rustling sound behind me, which made my whole body have a mini-tremor of fear. Now, this wasn't just any squirrel or rabbit hopping about. This sounded like a friggin' tank on legs, and quick ones too. I turned around, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Who's there?" I yell as I take off both of my sandals, and held them up as a weapon, but God knows I'd run like hell, and the only thing you would see for miles is the dust behind me.

No one or nothing responded to my question, so when I asked again, I kinda felt like a loon. And a paranoid one at that, but I'd rather be paranoid than dead. But still, I knew something was there. The sounds were barely audible now, and the leaves didn't move as much as they did, which alerted me that whatever was in the woods, was as cautious as I was—maybe even more than that. I didn't know whether to sprint away or stay for another moment to see if I was just hallucinating. I took my chances and waited around for a minute, but my body was ready to flee on sight of a crazie or killer, but nothing happened. Feeling a bit stupid now, I lowered my guard and speed-walked down the road, wanting to get off of this never-ending road as fast as possible; and before I knew it, the sights of the town had slowly emerged from the hill I was on, giving me that extra pep in my step.

Relieved, I ran over to the entrance, a bit curious, and even excited, to see what lied over the unusually large knoll. But what was waiting for me, no one could've guessed. It was more of a "village" than a "town", judging by how run-down it was. There were man-made huts for miles and miles, and beyond that, at the edge of the huge pen that encircled the buildings, a group of peculiar, gargantuan factories towered over them, and I mean literally. Their shadows covered half of the entire village. But staring at those plants…it made me shudder, and I don't even know why. I couldn't stop looking at it, but it felt so eerie. It reeked of "bad chi" or "vibes" or whatever the hell you call it nowadays. And that's not all. Nu-uh. That was just the cherry on top of the sundae.

When I got closer to the village and walked down the hill, I took a good look at the entrance, noting that whatever was supposed to be guarding it had left a long time ago.

I pushed open the bare gates, and I wasn't exactly presented with a welcome wagon on my way in, either. It was more like the wagon had crashed and fell into a river and the people on it tried to make do of whatever pieces were left of it into a village. My first impression of it was that it was a bit shoddy and run-down—no big deal. But when I got a closer look and realized, its living conditions were so horrible, even a hobo wouldn't want to crash here. The buildings were made out of straw and wood, and they looked like they were collapse any minute. Not to mention the fact that there was this weird, mutated species of a bug that looked like a giant green cockroach with four legs was chewing through the roof didn't make my visit any better. I was deathly afraid of bugs. Even butterflies and ladybugs. They're all disgusting. And on top of that, the place looked like a ghost town. There was nobody in sight, which made me even more suspicious. Then, something happened—the first sign of life had surfaced.

"There ain't 'nuff room for ya!" A gruff, elderly voice roared as a door opened, pushing a boy out of the doorway and to the ground, with the door being slammed right in front of his face.

"Hey!" I yelled as I ran over to the door and kicked it. "What's the matter with you? You can't just kick out someone like that!"

Nobody responded, so I kicked it again and demanded for an answer, but only the mull voice of silence filled my ears.

"They won't say anything."

I turned around and saw the boy looking directly at me, but something told me he was very different from the people I have met before.

"Why did they just do that to you?" I asked while observing him quickly. He appeared to be in his teens, at the most, 18. However, his thin, but built, arms and legs disproved him of being a "boy". I felt bad for him, because he was barefoot in the middle of winter and the only thing he had on was a pair of dark denim jeans that were ripped; one pant leg was ripped halfway up his calf while the other ended right above his knee and they were as dirty and as beaten up as an old horse. That, plus on his arms (his sleeves were ripped too), there were bug bites and bruises galore. The first three buttons of his black and red lumberjack shirt were missing, thus revealing some major skin of his torso. Now, you'd think my reason for telling you this was because of how wiry and muscular it was, but you're wrong. My mouth dropped open the second I saw it was because of the massive field of belt welts and cuts all over it. I couldn't even imagine how much pain he must've gone through. But as to why he had so many, I was clueless.

"A-hem, my eyes are up here," He cleared his throat, getting my attention.

I was so embarrassed, and now, this kid, er, guy, probably thinks I'm such kind of pedophile because I was ogling at his torso.

"Uh," I blinked. "I wasn't staring at your chest. It was just that the-"

"The wounds, am I right?" The brunette asked with a slight questioning look. It was then that I realized that he wasn't like most teens, much less people, I've met. His icy azure eyes gave him that quiet, but intimidating demeanor, and you can tell that if needed, he won't hesitate to bite.

"Can I ask how you get them?" I questioned as I stared at him intently, seeing that his unruly mane of dark chocolate had small pieces of unidentifiable objects in there.

"But before I do, can you tell me your name? Talking to a complete stranger in the middle of a deserted town with people watching from where they're hiding seems kind of strange, wouldn't you agree?"

I laughed and said, "Rukia. Kuchiki. I was sent down here by-"

"Did she say Kuchiki?" A voice said.

"I think she did!" Exclaimed another.

"That means she's related to Ginrei!"

"What's the big deal?" I whispered to the boy, who raised his eyebrows in amusement at me.

"You don't know?" He asked curiously as the murmuring around us got louder and louder until one by one, peoples' head started popping up from behind counters and roofs (don't ask me how they got there) until me and the guy were completely surround by a crowd of big eyes, tattered clothes, and bare feet. I didn't know how to react, since it was 500 to 1.

"Are you really who you say you are?" A thin bony woman asked as she held a small child's hand, whose head was just peering around the elder's body and once I made eye contact with her, she immediately ducked behind her grandmother.

"Just look at her? Can't you tell?" A man shouted.

"But what if she's an imposter-"

"Quiet."

Everybody's head turned in the direction of the voice, and in the crowd, there was a path that was being made for someone and once it was, a rather curvaceous, but well-mannered woman made her way over to me with two attendees by her side. A light green cardigan was draped over her shoulders, complimenting the simple white top she wore and the wooden sandals on her feet. A single giant, ebony braid trailed down in front, and ended at the end of her abdomen. She walked with a grace that was simple, yet refined, so when she came over to me, I acknowledged her with a deep nod and an open hand, since it appeared she ran some kind of major show around here.

"Rukia Kuchiki. And you?" I inquired, but once I did, I heard the crowd stir up again.

"I told you she said Kuchiki."

"But she's so small! She can't be one of them."

"Why is she her in the first place, though?"

"That's enough," The woman glanced over her shoulder, giving a light warning to the people around her before turning to me. "Retsu Unohana, but you'll hear the people around here refer to me as their 'Mother' or 'Momma', but it's entirely up to you. Anyway, I'm assuming your grandfather sent you here on some errands?"

As much as I was disgusted with calling that man my "grandfather", I swallowed my repugnance and gave 'em that classic Botox smile.

"Yes ma'am," I nodded, but I was surprised when I heard the woman burst out in laugher.

"Please, call me anything but that. Makes me feel old. But dear, you look like a dear in the headlights. Is it because of all of these people? Don't worry, give them a minute or two and they'll back off. We rarely, if ever, have visitors in out town, so it's some kind of special when someone new walks in. I'll have Ginrei's package ready in about an hour, so that should be more than enough time to pick up your other stuff. And to help you, my boy there should be able to guide you throughout town to help you get to where you need to go," She nodded as she started to walk away.

"Wait!" I shouted.

She turned back.

"Is he really your son?" I titled my head to the side as I jerked a thumb to the brunette next to me.

The woman laughed. "I told you, I'm Momma. Now, if you'll excuse me," She smiled as she started to walk away with the people opening a path to her yet again, only to have it closed behind her. Either she was a super-hoe, or I was just too plain retarded to see the meaning behind the context.

All of a sudden, I feel a hand plop down on my shoulder and I hear a warm, slight husky voice whisper into my ear, "I'm an orphan". My instincts made me jump back in primitive fear, but I knew it was the boy who had said it.

"What's your name, anyway?" I ask.

"Tensa."

"Tensa…what? You don't have a last name?"

"Nope," He shrugged.

What was with these people and names?

"Well, Tensa, you mind accompanying me to where I need to go?"

"Normally, I'd decline, but since you're a-"

"A Kuchiki," I cut him off, feeling a tiny bit let down.

"Interesting."

I blink twice and then stare at him. "What is?"

"You are. This crappy village hasn't had a foreign visitor for years. It's good to see a new face around here."

"So, I'm guessing that's a yes?"

"It is."

"Then let's get going," I nodded as he led me to the center of the village, which was equidistant from almost everything. Tensa paused for a moment to plan out his route, but then he stopped and looked at me.

"What do you need to get?"

"Um," I pulled out the list and read it out loud. "3 bottles of sake, get his order at Unohana's, give a package to Professor Mayuri, and while I'm there, I need to pick up something as well."

"Then we should take the northwest route to the nursery first, and we would just make a giant circle here and pick up your stuff and go to Unohana's last."

"Sounds like a plan," I smirked, dusting off the dirt off of my dress. "Let's get a move on then."

"Right."

And so we did. But with everybody staring at us from every corner, it was just nerve-wracking. That, plus Tensa wasn't as social as I thought. There as just an awkward sea of silence drifting between us, but I didn't want to seem desperate for conversation. But when I looked at him, he didn't seem one bit uncomfortable or one bit less. He was just…blank. Maybe he was used to the silence? I wondered if he was just putting up a front or something. But then, I had a brilliant idea—who says I couldn't use my "disability" to my advantage? If I could just pick at his brain for a sec, I could see what was really on this guy's mind. It was decided. But there was only one problem: I didn't know how to. Sure, I had before, but I had no clue as to how I was able to do such a thing. They came to me, whether I wanted them or not. I didn't know how this whole shebang worked; I just found out this out less than two weeks ago, so cut me some slack. For all I know, I could've been hallucinating the whole thing up, but it was worth a shot.

Blocking out everything around me, I put all of my concentration into trying to "hack" Tensa's head. It's weird, but I could tell that it was actually working. Or that I was at least trying. Each time I attempted to read his mind, it was as if all of the things around me had gradually been muted out, like when you turn down the TV bit by bit; but with each try, I realized that it took a lot of me, because my body felt ten times heavier.

With my first endeavor, I wasn't trying hard enough, since there was interference from the people talking, so I tried for a second time, and got nothing. But when I went for the third go, I heard something that sounded like static, and in my head, I saw a sea of grey clouds. Or maybe it was fog. It was blurry, so I couldn't see exactly what it was. Even though I had only tried three times, I was exhausted, and it was starting to get obvious. In fact, it was so obvious, that I staggered on my knees, attracting the attention of said target. He turned back and bent down to help me out.

"Are you alright?" The brunette asked, who seemed a bit confused and worried at the same time. And I didn't have to read his mind to tell you that.

"Yeah, my legs just failed on me for a sec. Must be these wooden sandals. I'm not used to walking in them," I mumbled as I moved the stray bangs out of my face. Tensa offered mea hand and I took it; but when I did, it was as if someone had just rammed down the door I was trying to lock pick for hours. I got a peek of what he was thinking. Only it had only been for about a couple of seconds, it was a mystery all on its own. There were navy and grey skyscrapers as far as the eye could see, and they were so high, you couldn't see the bottom or the top. But there were those same, ominous storm clouds from earlier, and I could've sworn I saw lightning dancing through them. And what was even more odd, there were voice speaking, but it was all chopped up and minced. They weren't one complete thought or word. If anything, all they could manage to get out was a syllable before being cut off by another voice. It was beyond errie.

"Rukia?"

The voice brought me back to reality, and I realized then that I was gawking at the man like an idiot.

"Uh, what just happened?" I played dumb.

"You zoned out for a minute. And it was kinda creepy. You were just staring at nothing, almost as if you were just a lifeless cadaver."

Great. A guy I had met less than 24 hours ago now thinks I'm a creeper. Good job so far, Rukia.

"I just had a moment," I fibbed as I fidgeted with my hair in nervousness.

"Lie."

"Is not!"

"You're so easy to read, it's actually a bit humorous," Tensa laughed as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I am not! Since when did you turn into a douche?"

"Oh, and you're gullible too."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Keep up, girl. You won't survive a day out here unless you do," He shrugged as he walked on, leaving me behind.

"Hold on a sec!" I yelled as I ran and caught up with him. "What did you mean when you said I was gullible?"

"I mean that you believed a simple lie such as the one I made up."

"Wha-"

"You're not easy to read. You're like a Rubiks cube that keeps on switching colors. I told you: if you weren't interesting, I wouldn't have helped you out in the first place."

"D'aww, surely a gentleman like you can't turn down such an offer," I teased.

"Doesn't matter," Tensa changed the subject. "What could've been in the past isn't today's tomorrow, so don't worry about it. We need to focus at the task at hand, which is to pick up the three bottles of rice-wine from Mr. Kyoraku."

"It shouldn't be long by now," I muttered, trying to shake off the awkwardness between us, but it still lingered. We started on our way again, but I was too flustered by my "episode" earlier to even look the guy in the eye.

"Mind if I ask a question?" He turned his head to the right to look at me from the corner of his eye. I glanced at him for a sec as I chewed on my bottom lip.

"I guess."

"Just where exactly are you from?"

I shrugged. "Dunno."

"What do you-"

"You're not the only orphan," I said in almost a growl.

"I'm…sorry to hear that," Tensa bowed his head.

"Don't be, there's nothing to be sorry for. But to answer your question, I've been living in New York most of my life."

"New…York?" The boy blinked.

"You've…never heard of New York? How could you not? Everybody knows New York!"

"Is this New York a friend of yours? They must get around if everybody knows them."

"No…it's a city…have you even heard of Las Vegas, or D.C, or Cali?"

"…Are they people too?"

"Tensa," I grabbed his shoulder, as well as his full attention. Making eye contact with him, I saw that he was a bit shocked by the move. "Please tell me you're joking around again so I don't start freaking out."

"Like when you fell?"

"That freak out was a bit unexpected, but yes, freak out all the same."

"Then don't fall again, because I have never heard of those names."

I stared at him with big eyes and a gaping mouth. I couldn't believe it. He had to be pulling another trick. He just had to.

"You liar!" I shoved him, but he was heavier than I though, nearly making me lose my balance.

"What's wrong with you?" He shot me a glare that read 'What the FUCK are you doing?' It made me hesitate for a moment before speaking, because it was so intense, I forgot that he was younger than me for a sec. Or at least, I hoped he was younger than me.

"You're making this up!" I laughed, but it appeared that he didn't join in on the humor.

"What's so funny? I'm not laughing, so I don't see why you are."

That's when I actually believed he was telling the truth.

"Let me ask you a question then," I sighed as I tapped my fingers together, trying to shake off the weird vibe between us. "Do you at least know where you are?"

"Finally, a question I can answer. We're in Soul Village, Rukongai district."

I cocked a skeptic eyebrow at him. "…Seriously? Soul Village? They couldn't have thought of a better name?"

"Hey, I didn't name it," Tensa protested slightly with his hands up, but then, his eyes lit up as they caught something. He pointed to a bar not far from where we were. "There's the Kyoraku household. Let's get a move on, he'll close soon."

He led the way with me clumsily following behind (it's not my fault I'm not used to wearing wooden sandals). But once I caught up with the brunette, I was surprised to find a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he talked to a young female that was sweeping the house's porch. She had her pinned up with a hairclip and rectangular frames rested on the edge of her nose. Finding it a bit amusing that the boy actually smiled, I couldn't help but let out a giggle at the act of such properness he presented to the woman, but once he scowled my way, I immediately shut up.

"Well, well, are you what's all the commotion about?"

My eyes saw a man who looked like he was in his early 30's with long wavy chestnut locks fall on his shoulder as he emerged from one of the doors inside of the house A thick, but barely noticeable beard was starting to grow over his chin with matching deep brown eyes watching me with interest. Shrugging off the silky, imperial violet shawl that was on his shoulders, he situated himself behind the counter of his kitchen before clearing his throat to speak.

"You're Ginrei's blood?" The man scratched his chin.

"Yessir," I nodded, biting my tongue for a sec before I said anything nasty about the old bat. "And I'm here to pick up some sake."

"Sure thing, but first, why don't you step into my humble abode, Ms…?"

"Rukia, but I really don't have any-"

I then felt a heavy hand plop down on my shoulder like a weight and it slid down to the side of my arm, pulling me to Tensa's chest, and before I could whisper my death threat, he said, "Oh, nonsense, we have an hour to kill."

"Splendid! Come in, come in!" The man motioned with his hand for us to enter the home. I moved a few strands of the hanging beads from the doorway as I walked on in, and sat on one of the chairs that was docked stylishly beneath the bar the man was leaning on. And in the corner of my eye, I saw the same woman mutter something to Tensa, and they both left by the back door entrance, and I couldn't help but sense that something fishy was going on.

"Jeez, it's been a long time since this village had someone new in these parts," The man remarked as he poured some kind of drink in the little cup next to me and then extended his hand out as he got done. "I'm Shunsui Kyoraku, owner of this fine establishment. I'm honored to have one of the Kuchikis in my household."

"This is your workplace and your house?" I asked with interest as I took a sip of the drink, swallowing the stinging bitterness, but it had a sweet tinge of cherry in it. Interesting.

"Mhmm. My wife, Nanao, says it's because I'm lazy, but I have my reasons. Now, your bottles should be done soon, I'm just getting it wrapped up."

"That's kind of you, thank you very much."

"Hey now, no need to be so proper! Surely you don't act so timid in the city, no?"

I literally dropped my mouth, and the drink I was holding had crashed onto the floor, spilling it all over me and it got between the dress, making me shudder as the icy liquid bit my skin. I wasn't good with first meetings, period.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed as I tried to dub it out of my clothes, but Shunsui only held up a hand.

"Don't worry, it won't stain. I didn't give you alcohol because I didn't know if what I carried suited your tastes. But speaking of which, don't people drink a lot in New York?"

I closed my mouth immediately. Hold on, I need to think for a second. If Tensa didn't know about New York, then that must've meant that other people didn't know as well, since he was just like them…kinda. But how come this guy knew?

"How do you-"

"Know this?" He grinned. "I guess you could say I'm not like most of the people here. It must be different, having to adapt to a totally different environment. When did you fly in?"

"Uh, I don't really know how I got here, since I collapsed last night, and next thing I know, I'm in the middle of nowhere, lying on a king-sized bed."

"Ah, has someone been partying a little too hard?"

I thought about last night's events and decided that that was my best excuse. "Haha, yeah, I guess I was exhausted from dancing too much."

Or trying to save my ass from a psycho bitch.

"It must be fun, being young and living in the Big Apple."

"But what did you mean you're not like most people here?" I brought the subject back up.

"Exactly what I said," He sipped. "I'm sure you've noticed, but most of the people look homeless, right?"

I nodded hesitantly.

"That's because they are. They scavenge and live in whatever parts of abandoned buildings are still standing. It's survival of the slyest and fastest out here."

The memory of the old man kicking out Tensa out in the street replayed in my head, and it made me so upset, but I could only clench my fists and swallowed my disgust.

"I figured as much," I agreed. "And you?"

"I'm not from here, like you. I'm actually from Ontario, which isn't that far from here. But my point being," Shunsui paused, then setting his cup down as he looked me dead in the eye. "All of the people here are slaves. All exiles of the society we know is outside this place. Having all of the memories of their 'previous life' being wiped out, they start a new life. As a slave. I managed to pay the piper in advance, so I got to slip by. But it's not I like the idea of having people act like complete zombies without a shred of sense left. If anything, I'm disgusted by the very fact, but I can't do anything, since one, it's out of my power to do so, and two, it's not my affair."

"Slaves? For whom? And how did they get that way and-"

"Whoa, whoa, missy, one at a time," The man sighed. "Yes, they're slaves, having to work 24-hour-shofts picking crops and farming, doing manual work, all that stuff. And if by chance they refuse to do said labor, they get beaten and whipped until they're just a useless corpse. However, some do survive, but not many do. It's quite rare if they succeed. You'd be surprised by how much an audience loves a good beating."

"You people enjoy seeing your own friends getting beaten to death?" I growled, almost snarling.

"I never said that I did, but yes, these animals enjoy such activities. When having lost everything, including their morals, they'll settle for anything. Such sad lives they lead."

"Who do they work for?"

"For themselves. They get an 1/8th of whatever crop or profit they make."

"And the other 7/8th ?"

"Goes to 'building a better future'. It's all government smoke and mirrors and PR bullshit. They'll believe anything."

"This is unbelievable," I scoffed. "So, everyone I've met, and everyone I've seen, they're all of these mindless slaves?"

"Not necessarily," He held a finger. "Those 'good ones' are hand-picked and selected by Ginrei and the government to pursuer bigger and better things, but the twos purpose are completely different. Ginrei 'rescues' them, if you will, whereas the government treats them as dogs in suits. I'm sure you were curious as to why there were so many servants and maids in your home, right? But on the note, there are normal people out there, but they're limited. Some actually remember parts of their past, but they keep it secret, since, well, it'd be scary as hell, wouldn't you agree? Having to see yourself act completely different and live a completely different life than this, that can only be described as a dream."

"…Damn," I muttered with incredibility.

" But seeing those people smiling and laughing, even as they're tangled up in this web of lies and still having the strength to live for another day, even if they were nearly killed the day before…it's something I could never accomplish. To have a will to life like that, it's inspiring."

"But wait, if you're not a slave, and you remember your past, then why are you here of all places?"

The man took a sip of his drink before setting it down and said, "I have my reasons."

"Oh, right," I nodded, feeling slightly paranoid that the man thought I was being a bit nosy.

Then, we heard the shuffling and clinking of the beads, and the same woman from before came out with a basket then handing them to me.

"There you go," She smiled as she handed it over to me, and I almost fell over in my chair because they were so heavy.

"Jesus," I gaped as I wrapped my arms around it so it wouldn't fall.

The woman disappeared yet again, and Shunsui came around the counter to help me as he carried the basket so that I could get up. We walked to the doorway before our departure. He set the package down before looking down at me.

"There you go, Miss Rukia. I hope you'll enjoy it, it's our finest."

"Thank you very much," I bowed. I froze mid-way, because I didn't know what came over me to do such a thing, but then I realized my head was at the same level at his crotch, which was beyond embarrassing. Why I had to be so short, I don't know, but it's a curse.

"There's a bug on your feet," I fibbed.

"Really?" He tilted his head to the said.

I flicked the top of his toe. "Got it," I chuckled nervously and lifted the basket. I would die if someone saw me just now.

"But, can you make me a promise before you go?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Everything that I told you, don't tell anyone, okay? Especially that boy. He looks like he has enough problems already."

"I'll try," I joked.

"Oh, and before you leave, be sure to visit Sokyoko Hill. It's quite the sight."

"Will do. Nice meeting you, Shunsui," I waved as I exited the shop, seeing Tensa leaning against the wall of a nearby building and stared at me intently.

Up until now, I didn't think there was anything 'wrong' with Tense. No…that wasn't the correct term. What I meant to say was I didn't know someone had done him wrong like that, making him go through so much pain when he's only so young…it makes me sick.

"Rukia?" He chimed in, bringing me back to reality.

"Huh?"

"Do you need any help carrying that?" Tensa pointed to basket of alcohol.

"Er, uhm, nah, I got it," I assured him with a plastered-on smile. Truth was, the thing was like a giant weight, but I was worried one of his wounds might open up, so I just pretended as if it wasn't about to tip me over.

"So, where to next?" I asked.

"To the Kurotsuchi Laboratory. This walk will be a bit longer, but we have time, so no rush."

"Can't really rush, even if I wanted to," I muttered to myself.

"Here, I'll carry it-"

"No! You'll strain yourself and your wounds will open up!" I jerked back away from him, getting a look of bewilderment as we both froze in our steps.

"…Why do you care for my well-being?"

"Because you're obviously hurting and I can't bare to see people like that."

"I survived this long, I'm pretty sure I can survive lifting a basket."

"Fine, whatever," I growled as I pushed the basket towards him while walking on ahead. It didn't take long for him to catch up, which pissed me off a little bit. A moment of silence was wafting between us, and I sure as hell wasn't going to say anything. If he was going to refuse my help, then so be it.

"You mind if I ask a question?" He asked with interest, as if nothing had happened.

"Depends," I shrugged.

"What's New York like?"

"Why?"

"While you were talking with Mr. Kyoraku, I thought about some of the things you said. This 'New York' aroused my interest. If people like you came from there, imagine what else lies there, is what I thought."

"What the hell do you mean 'people like you'?" I raised an eyebrow and shooting a glare at the boy.

"Interesting people."

"Interesting people aren't just found in New York, you know. You just have to meet and greet with the right folks. But I'm not too fond of people, honestly. Some of them can be really," I sighed, letting some of my irritation go. "Annoying."

"That's pretty much what's expected of people, so I'm not surprised. But what about the place? What's it like living there?"

"Uh, well," I paused for a sec to gather my thoughts. "It's huge. There's people and buildings everywhere and the streets are always packed with people and something's always going on and if you just step back from the city life and look at it from a distance, it's quite beautiful. Well, at least in my view."

"So, it's nothing like here, right?"

"Pretty much. More like opposites, really."

"Why are you here then?"

I didn't quite know for myself. Up until last night, I didn't even know I had a grandpa, so you can imagine how…surprised, I was when he popped out of nowhere and meets me for the first time. And then he has the balls to say that he's going to take me, a 20-year-old, to his house. I was just so…mad and so…confused about what was going on. Not to mention the fact that he wasn't the only one who 'popped up'. That's what I would've liked to have said, but he would probably think I'm crazy.

"I'm here to fulfill a promise I made."

"What is it?"

"I honestly don't know for myself and-"

"No, something's bothering you. What is it?"

"Nothing, just some shit that happened last night at a party with me and some people. It's just been on my mind and I'm just worried about where me and certain people stand."

"Oh? I didn't know you had a boyfriend," He snickered.

"Who said I did in the first place?" I shoved him. "And besides, that's none of your business!"

"You said you were at a party, so that mean they were people which means you may or may not have been with someone else, right? Oh, I can see how that would cause some issues."

"You make me sound like such a slut," I sneered.

"I wasn't implying that at all. But you were the one who said it, not me."

I dropped my mouth, realizing what he had meant.

"Shit," I muttered as I put a hand through my hair.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

"No," I sighed. "It's not your fault. It's just that there's a lotta drama going on and I dunno what to do."

"Talking helps," He offered.

You had no idea how badly I just wanted to rant and pour everything out of my mouth that's been bothering. I knew talking helped. I knew that very well. But I didn't want to just tell me whole life story just yet. I just met the guy.

"I'm good," I nod with a smile. "It's just, me and this 'guy' I don't know if we're just fooling around and for real or not, and he had presented no solid proof that we were something, so I felt that it was 'okay' for me to dance with someone else at the party. Sue me for not knowing."

"Was he there at the party?"

"Apparently, but I didn't know about it."

"Damn," He chuckled as he scratched his head. "There's no need to get worked up over the littlest of things. It sounds like you're on some kind of leash."

"No, no, it's not like that, believe me, I wouldn't be with someone like that."

Oh, the irony.

I shook off the memories of my past and said, "Believe me, I'd know, I've been with someone like that. But this guy's different. A mystery, yes, but all the more-"

"Interesting?" Tensa piped.

"Yeah," I nodded. "He's very interesting."

"If there's something I know about 'interesting people', it's this: they aren't like regular people, that's a given. Therefore, they don't burn out as quickly and as easily as other people. Like, they'll still catch your eye, even after months of knowing them. If you find out everything at once, there's no fun in it. And that goes for everybody. I figured," He shrugged. "There's a time and place for everything, including what needs to be said. There's no rush, life is still going to be the same the next day, and the day after that, and so on. My point being, maybe it is a good thing interesting people are such mysteries. They'll tell you what needs to be said, all in good time."

"I never thought of it like that before," I remarked, staring down at the dusty road and at the dirt clouds that were being swept up by my sandals. "I always thought it of like they were hiding it, as if it was a major crime or something."

"But don't you have some things you 'hide' from them as well?"

I licked my chapped lips in anxiety. "Yeah, I do."

"Then don't you think they would think the same of you?"

I didn't know what to say. This kid countered and completely crushed my thesis every time, so I gave up, seeing that I was wrong all along.

"But say if they're like, my best friend-"

"Let me ask you this, are you and your best friend close? Now, I don't mean close as in the relationship between two peoples in which you're nice to each other all the time. Because that's not it. I mean, are you close enough with this person that you'd wanna go through hell with them? Do they mean a lot-"

"Yes," I cut him off. "Yes, he does."

I read an interested look on the boy's face, but it didn't stay for long. "Then if he's as close as you say, then there's a reason he's not telling you what needs to be told. Being that he's a guy, obviously he's not going to be as open as a girl. But if you keep pestering him about it, your friendship will only get more and more strained until it comes to the point where you want to rip his balls off. Trust me, as long as you give him his space, he'll tell you his secrets. He just needs time."

"But say he's the one mad at me."

"And why is that?"

"Because he doesn't like the guy I'm seeing. The 'interesting' guy."

"Why's he playing 'Father'?"

I laughed. "I don't even know."

"I don't know what I can say to help you in that case, Rukia. Sorry. I just wouldn't get involved."

"Eh, it's kinda hard not to when I see my best friend at my work and..." I heard no response and then turned back. "Tensa?"

His icy blue eyes were looking up, but at what I didn't know. I then looked up at what he was staring at, and I could see what had took his breath away.

Above/next to us, there was a skyscraper (compared to the other buildings, excluding the factories) that looked like it was going to collapse any second. It looked like a regular tower, with the exception of a hobble of a house perched on top. Through the windows, I could see sparks of electricity and flickering lights from within. The first couple of floors looked completely deserted, and as further up you got, there was more activity. At the very last floor, where the house was, there was a spread-out platform surrounding the house, like a boardwalk.

Tensa walked up to the entrance and tried opening the door but it was locked.

"That's weird," He muttered as he twisted the knob repeatedly. "Why won't it open?"

"Careful," I warned. "You might-"

"Break, it," The brunette growled as he held up the rusty handle, throwing it over his shoulder before kicking the door. "Open up already!"

"Hold on a damn minute!" A voice boomed, making me jump in my skin.

We heard the sounds of chains, but there was nothing around us that was moving. It wasn't until I saw a giant bucket hover over Tensa's head. And I mean, it was huge. You could take a bath in it.

"Get in," The eerie voice commanded. I had difficulty getting in, because my dress wouldn't rise, so I had to lift it a bit. Tensa turned his head the other way (what a gentleman) and got in after me. It was rather odd, having to be so close to a person under my circumstances, but I didn't say anything. Soon, the lift rocked back and forth as it was being raised up, but I didn't know how. Sure, the chain that was lifting us seemed sturdy enough, but I wasn't so sure on the ride itself. Soon, we were meters in the air, and I could see some people gawk at us and some even pointing. Once the ride reached the last floor, it was then that I started to feel anxious.

"Come in the house," The speaker said. "And be careful where you step, not all of the boards are as sturdy as they seem. Hate to lose a rare subject like you, Ms. Kuchiki."

"What the hell do you mean 'subject'?"

"Let's just get this over with," Tensa muttered.

"What's your problem?"

"They say this guy's a freak. And I'm starting to believe it. They said he's out of his mind."

"Then we'll just have to be on our guard, won't we?"

Feeling a bit anxious about hanging in the air like that, I got out of the 'elevator' and walked as close to the house as possible, since that's the sturdiest place out of them all. The boy quickly followed and knocked on the door, getting the okay from inside to come in, and in short, the man inside was more fucked up than his house.

Tensa was right; he was a freak. He looked like he would dissect any living thing in sight and have fun in doing so. There was white make-up all over his face, and black in the middle of it, excluding his nose. On his ears and chin, there were these weird gold platelet towers or whatever the hell they were sticking out from his face. Freak, indeed.

The door slid shut behind us, making me jump in my skin. I took a look around the abode, and it looked like where Freddy Krueger would slice and dice his victims. It was beyond creepy.

The man with three layers of make-up on his face then snapped his fingers, and emerging from two mechanisms in the ground were two egg-shaped chairs that popped up from behind me and Tensa and they scooped us up, bringing us closer to the mad scientist, with only four or five feet away from him.

"I have a package for you, Mr. Kurotsuchi," I said as I dug into the basket and got out a small wrapped bundle, but before I could hand it over, a long, retractable claw from one of the machines grabbed the item, making my whole body cringe with fear.

"It'll be tested, just in case, you know, if it was a bomb or something. But my, my, aren't you quite the sight to behold. You're quite the looker, aren't you?"

You creepy pedophile, just give me my damn package so I can get the hell outta here.

"Sir," Tensa spoke up. "We're on a tight schedule, so if you can please hurry it up a bit."

Thank God for Tensa and his fake mannerisms that seemed genuine.

"Don't sass me boy, or I'll stitch your mouth up forever so that you won't even be able to make a single sound with your mouth. Come to think of it, I got some iron string the other day that I've been meaning to try out-"

"Mr. Kurotsuchi!" I growled, but it was more of a sudden impulse rather than a warning.

"You people have no sense of humor," The creepy man sneered. "He's not worthy enough of taking part in one of my experiments anyway."

Me and Tensa looked at each other and just sat there, not knowing what to do. We were afraid that he just might stitch our mouths up if we said the wrong thing. Well, at least I was.

"Now, onto business," Mayuri tapped his fingers together. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with people fidgeting with their hands, but his fingers were so long and eerie, and he had one extremely overgrown nail that would be a perfect example of 'disgusting' if you needed a picture of it. "I'm currently waiting for my daughter, Nemu, to deliver your package up here, so in the meantime, let's pass the time by getting to know watch other, hmmm?" He flashed a full-on grin, baring all of those teeth as those bizarre golden eyes stared at me, not moving a single inch away from my face. It was so weird, but I had to play it off as if this man didn't scare the living shit out of me.

"Let's play 20 Questions then," I offered, making both men raise an eyebrow. "You ask me a question, and I'll ask you one after that."

"And if I refuse to answer a question?"

"Then I guess you're gonna force it out of me," I countered, but once I saw the man cackling, I knew I was probably gambling with my life here. I just wasn't good with words, period.

"Don't worry, I have a couple of tricks or device in here that are capable of such things."

"Me first," I cut him off. "What do you want from me?"

"My, my, whatever do you mean?"

"Can't answer a question with a question. I need a definite answer."

"You're not normal."

I gasped sarcastically. "Really?"

"Don't sass me, girl," He growled. "I act on my impulses, so God knows what I just may to do you and your friend here."

This man sure didn't like to be 'sassed', that's for sure. I'll have to make a note of this next time I encounter a psychotic madman.

"But what I meant by 'not normal', I mean," Mayuri paused. "You're not from here, is that right?"

"Yeah, but if you just ound your fancy to people that are foreign, then why don't you interrogate certain people around here that you know are?"

"What?" Tensa looked at me.

Shit, I forgot he was here.

"I'll explain later," I muttered to him, feeling a heavy weight at the bottom of my gut.

"Because I already know everything there is to about them. But not you. You, my dear, are a rare specimen. So, I ask," The scientist leapt out of his seat and to me, mere inches away from my face. "Just what are you?"

"W-Well, I-I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I'm a bartender. I'm 21 years old and that's all there is to know about me," I chuckled nervously.

"Don't try to play coy with me, Kuchiki," He hissed, getting some spit on my face, and I gasped in awe, because I was disgusted beyond belief.

I wiped the giant drop of saliva off of my eyelid. "I told you everything about me," I scowled as I felt my top lip instinctively curl. "So leave me the fuck alone!"

Slap.

I honestly didn't think I had it within myself to slap the shit, or in this case, his makeup, off of his face (not much of a difference, really). When he staggered back, I thought he might've been acting, but he was actually hurt, with a bloody nose and everything. Did I slap or punch this psycho? I don't know, all I know is that I didn't want him touching me.

"Hmmm…supernatural strength when provoked," The man remarked as he got to his feet, wiping the blood from his nose with his sleeve, along with some of his makeup. But I didn't that underneath that caked powder was a tanned man underneath. His gold eyes weren't as creepy, but rather intimidating. But still a creep.

"'Supernatural strength' my ass! I barked. "You just didn't expect someone like me to slap the shit out of you, that's all!"

"…Perhaps, but-"

"Rukia, let's go," Tensa muttered as he locked eyes with the madman, slyly pushing me towards the exit.

"Oh, no ya don't!" The man growled through clenched teeth as he pushed a blue button on the wall, making walls of steel rise up and replace where the exits had been, trapping me and Tensa in. "I'm going to find out just what you fucking Kuchiki's are once and for all!" He cackled.

Then, we heard one of the steel doors being knocked over and in place of where it used to be, there was a petite woman wearing a dress far too short for her. She had violet bangs right above her eyes and in the back, the rest of her hair was tied into a single braid. She glanced at Mayuri and then to her, her face unchanging.

"Father, did you forget to take your medicine again?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Nemu, don't you dare interfere! Or I'll dissemble you for a week!"

But his threat was no use. Before I could even blink, she sped over to him and had him pinned down in a matter of seconds, and then looked to me with the same, unyielding stare.

"I apologize for my father's behavior. I belive this is for you," The girl gave me a small box that was in her pocket and I put it away in the basket before heading for the exit.

"I guess we'll be on our way. Nice meeting you, Nemu."

She nodded goodbye as me and Tensa speed-walked out of the house and to the lift. On the way down, there was the mist of a strange and eerie silence lingering over us, but I was just fine with that. I was so tired, it was hard to even keep my eyes open. I just wanted to jump in that big, luxurious bed and just sleep the day away.

So, when we got off the elevator, I was just ready to go home. I had enough adventures for one day.

"Hey Tensa?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"How long is it 'til Unohana's?"

"Why, hello, kiddos."

Both of us jumped in our skins at the sudden sound of the woman's voice.

"Haha, oh my, did I scare you two? I apologize," Ms. Unohana bowed her head as she laughed.

"It's fine," I assured her. "But we were just about to go to your house."

"No need. I already brought your parcel with me," She said as she grabbed something from her back and then placed it my hands. It was some kind of thin sword, and a beautiful one at that. It was completely decked out in the purest white. From the hilt, to the ribbon that was tied around it, to the very blade itself, it was just perfection itself.

"This is beautiful," I gaped. "But…why would my grandpa need this?"

"He only asked then I refurnish this. He didn't say the reason or anything else about it. I only did what was asked of me."

"I see," I sigh. One more question to add to my list.

"Goodness, it's almost dark," She looked over at the setting sun behind us. "You should be heading home before it gets late."

"Yeah, I don't want the old man mad at me."

Lie. I wish he would even try to raise his voice at me. I know he's older than me, and I respect that, but I won't let him treat me like I'm eight friggin' years old. Nu-uh.

"Goodnight you two," I said as I acknowledged Tensa and Ms. Unohana before waving my goodbye as I went on my way.

I was so tired from one, wearing that kimono (which limited my movement and weighed me down; two, the wooden clogs that were on my soles had now stuck one or two splinters in it; and three, the packages I had to carry all the way up the hill. And I actually did rush, because I smelt food. And the good kind too.

But when I arrived, I didn't see the old bat in sight, so I let out a sigh of relief and immediately sat down and put everything I was carrying to the side as I watched the trickling creek across from me—the same one the old man was watching this morning.

I heard the door behind me slide open, and was surprised to see the same maid from this morning.

"Rukia!" She exclaimed. "Let me help you out with that!"

"Thanks," I said, picking up some of the stuff while the girl got the other half and placed it in the living room before heading to my room.

"So, how was it?" She asked with big, eager eyes.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"The town! How'd you like it?"

"Eh," I shrugged as I kicked off my sandals to the side while shrugging the heavy kimono off and slung it on my bed, only having the white, light robe underneath.

"EH?" The girl gasped. "But…why?"

I undid my hair as I turned to look at her. "It was…really sad, honestly. I felt really bad for those people."

"…Why?"

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry," I looked to the ground, feeling like an idiot, remembering what Mr. Kyoraku had told me about Ginrei taking people in. But I tried to act as if I wasn't bothered. "Did you come from that town?"

"I don't think…so. I don't remember all too well about my childhood. But I know I'm from somewhere close to here. I know I'm going to sound crazy, but for some reason, I know my way through these woods like the back of my hand. It feels like I've been here before, but I don't recall being here before prior to Master Ginrei taking me in."

"Nostalgia?" I guessed.

"More like déjà vu. The fact that I can't remember ever being here, yet I know where everything and anything is is….freaky," She shuddered.

"Hey now," I put down the hairclips and accessories before giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Nothing to worry about. There's a bunch of things we can't explain. Just don't think about it too much, that's all."

"But enough about me," The maid hopped on my bed with a goofy grin on her face. "Tell me what the town was like!"

"You're awfully hyped today," I chuckled.

"Can't help it. I love hearing about the town. We barely get any gossip being all the way up here."

"But what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell no one, not even the other maids, " I held up a finger. "Is that understood?"

She nodded slowly and deeply, giving me the 'go' for my story.

And so I told everything that had happened. Everything from my entrance up until my departure; but I excluded what Mr. Kyoraku had told me, and when I had tried to read Tensa's mind because…well…that'd be weird to explain and I didn't trust here with such things. But I did tell some about John and company¸which I could tell intrigued her. But once I told a little bit, I had to explain thigns a bit further, so they'd made sense, so basically, I told her everything since I met John. I even explained a bit of New York, and she looked like she was in 7th Heaven. Either I was an awesome story-teller, or this girl had never heard of a thing called 'media'.

"You're so lucky," She muttered as she deflated her mouth and laid back on the bed.

I looked down at her with a questioning look. "How am I lucky?"

The maid sat straight up, giving me that look that read. 'Are you kid-ding me?. "New York sounds like a dream! You have such an exciting and fun life, and your friends sound so cool! And this John fella," She waved her finger. "I'd keep him. Or at least, stay good friends with him. He seems like one of those people who you can trust your life with. Nel seems okay too, but that's judging from what you've told me."

"I dunno," I shrugged. "Nel was pretty mad at me at the party and," I sighed. "I just don't know what to do."

"Did you get a chance to talk to John or Nel after the party?"

"No…"

"Are you going to?"

"I don't know. I really don't. I know I need to talk to them, but I'm just scared of how they'll react, ya know?"

"Oh, believe me, I know that feeling well," The maid said while fidgeting with her long brown hair. "But nothing is really bad as it seems. What's the worst that could possibly happen?"

"Well, they could get extremely pissed at me and forever shun me. Not to mention that John is really close with my boss, so he might try to get me first, so yeah, a lot of things can go wrong."

"Okay, there's that. But do you really think that they would go that fat because of what you did? They don't sound like those kind of people."

She was right—they weren't those kind of people. But I couldn't help but fear what would happen if I lost people like that. True, I had only known them for a short time…but they were all I had left. I didn't really have a lot people who I could call my "friends", being that I'm not a social butterfly. It's weird, but when I met John and Nel, I didn't find them disgusting as I did with other people. I wasn't as secluded and introvert as I normally was, which is very rare for me on a first meeting. They are very "interesting" indeed. And I may not know everything about them, but I know enough to say that they're good people.

"You're right," I muttered as I exhaled a deep breath. "They are good people. I shouldn't be so nervous and worrying about how they're going to take it. I need to stop being afraid. I'd really like it if they continued to stay my friends after this, but if not, then so be it. But, it's John I'm more worried about. I don't know for certain if he was there or not. I can't be like 'Oh hey, by chance, were you at this party where you saw me dancing with a cute guy?'"

"But you two aren't dating, right?"

"Me and John? No."

"Then what's the problem."

I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time today. I think I broke my record. "I really dunno. I think I need to sleep on it.

"Alright then, I'll let you get your sleep," The maid bid me goodnight before exiting the room.

"Gahh," I groaned as I flopped back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I had no idea what I was going to do, but thinking about it would only stress me out even more,

Shaking it off, I took the time to completely empty my mind of everything that was going on in there as I closed my eyes and just breathed. There was only the little dum-dums of the servants' feet outside my room and once that was gone, there was total silence. No car horns coming from busy streets ten stories below, or nobody yelling and threatening to call the police on somebody. Just a calm and quiet room was where I was.

The last time I was at ease like this was when I was staring up at the night sky through the ceiling window of John's room, with the man himself next to me. Not to mention that the "pillow" I was laying on was toned, tanned, and muscular; and with those two, limber arms wrapped around me, that was all I needed. No blanket or noth…

My God, what's wrong with me?

Everything I think about, leads back to him. Whether its how the shade of the flickering candle across from me reminds me of his fiery, but feathery mane, or how the brown of my wooden dresser is the same brown as his deep, chocolate eyes, I just couldn't get him out of my mind.

I was starting to think I actually…liked him.

"Ohmigawd," I gushed as I curled up into a ball and hid my face from the rest of the world, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

Rukia, you slut, you barely know him, I thought.

But the real question was...was he or real? Was he just fooling around to play games? But…why me? Me, of all people. I'm a reclusive, short, slightly antisocial short-tempered 21-year-old woman who's living off of her brother's income. Who would want someone like that?

So…why was he interested in me in the first place? That is, if he is interested. Who was I kidding? Of course he wasn't. I hate to admit it, but he was probably only in it for the sex and was just waiting to see how long it would be until I give it up. But if he was, he could've done a hell of a lot better and snagged someone like Orihime. And I really hate to admit it, but she has junk going on in the front and the back. Shit, thinking about him with that witch together is the last thing I need. I couldn't even imagine if they did something like that. She's just so…evil.

Then, like a miracle saving me from myself, I heard a knock on the paper door.

"Just a minute!" I hollered as I hopped off the bed.

Walking over to the mirror, I made myself somewhat presentable and went over to the door and slid it open. But as I was doing so, I felt the string that was holding my robe together loosen as I stepped on the string that was dragging on the floor. And because of it, my entire robe had fallen off, bearing my cheetah-print bra and matching black thong in front of my visitor's eyes, which just so happened to be Dr. Damir himself.

Fuck. My. Life.

---

A/N: Hey, kiddos. It's been a while. Ik, this one kinda threw y'all off like '...whutt?' but there's a reason for this strange obscurity, I promise(: And if you all can PLEASE HEAR ME OUT AND READ THIS, that'd be just awesome(: :

Okay, so for the maid, I dunno if I should make her Riruka (if you keep up with the manga, she's the girl with the pigtails that's with Ginjou) or just make up a char. FEEDBACK WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY~

P.S. IK, it's shitty quality. I don't edit these. I'm too tired and I have shit to do. kaythanksbai(: