Complications
byakuxhisa4eva
V: Patience and Eloquence are Virtue – PART TWO
Ichigo wanted to cry. Not cry because of heartbroken tragedy, or a pathetically sad existence, but because he firmly believed there was nothing he could have possible done in a previous life to deserve this punishment. Yes, he believed in karma.
This wasn't fair.
Too bad, his inner voice thought wryly; life wasn't fair.
"So, Ichigo, ready to let me beat your ass from here to Inuzuri?" Kenpachi grinned widely, his canine teeth glinting in the light like fangs.
Ichigo gulped. He twisted his head around wildly, desperately trying to find an escape he knew did not exist. Kenpachi and his monstrous body blocking the newly created hole in the wall, Byakuya seated near the regular entrance. Beads of swear started forming on his temple.
"Ichigo Kurosaki! Today is the day I will finally defeat you!" The eleventh division captain's long, jagged blade swung towards him, clearly aiming to kill. Kenpachi Zaraki knew no such word as 'mercy'.
The orange-haired shinigami jumped up off his knees, narrowly dodging the rickety blade of the maniacal captain, drawing Zengetsu out defensively in front of him. "What the hell is wrong with you Kenpachi?! You are friken' crazy?! You coulda killed me!"
The disturbingly menacing grin widened. "That's the point."
Ichigo's jaw dropped. "You retarded basta--"
"That's enough." Byakuya shunpo-ed in front of Ichigo, Zangetsu dangerously centimetres from his nose, the tip of the sharp blade glinting dangerously. "Lower your sword, Kurosaki."
"What the hell, Byakuya! Is this some twisted joke?" Ichigo yelled, but lowering Zengetsu nonetheless, for fear of offending his hopefully future brother-in-law.
Byakuya's expression twisted into one of distaste. "Clearly, your lessons have not sunk in. I do not believe any of your denials to Zaraki-taichou's requests were consider eloquent in the least."
"You're kidding me," Ichigo said, dumbfounded, "You expect me to reply eloquently to him?!" His features were twisted in aghast disbelief.
"Such is the life of a noble." Byakuya replied nonchalantly, with features that had undergone no change, "You must learn to deal properly with even the most uncivilized of people."
"Please tell me you're joking," Ichigo was almost begging at this point.
Byakuya expression clearly wasn't very forgiving today.
The younger man gritted his teeth, sending the spiffy noble a glare that might have put his to shame, and jerkily, almost robotically turned to face the towering captain of eleventh. "I regret to inform you that I cannot possibly fulfill your need to entangle yourself in battle at this moment in time, Zaraki-taichou."
Kenpachi started at him with an 'are-you-an-idiot' look in this eyes. "I ain't got a clue what in hell you just spat outta that mouth o' yours, and I sure as hell ain't getting it. Speak like a friken' human Ichigo."
Ichigo wanted to slam his head on something, and almost bit his tongue to hold back the insult that was ready to catapult out of his mouth. Byakuya turned his gaze on him pointedly.
"I can't battle with you right now, captain, I'm afraid we still have to reschedule for later point in time." Ichigo had no clue why he was even suggesting to meet up later to battle Kenpachi, especially after all his efforts to avoid the overly large captain. It'd surely be the death of him, but he could think of no other way to get Kenpachi to just leave him alone.
Apparently, Kenpachi's skill in complicated language wasn't going to win him a literature prize anytime soon, judging from the baffled expression on his scarred face.
His pink blob of a vice-captain jumped out from behind; Ichigo thought it was amazing that she had managed to remain quiet for so long. "Hey Ichi!" She waved furiously. "We've done what Byaku told us too, so we're gonna go now!" She smiled widely, quite adorably, actually, "I need my candy! Seeya Ichi!"
And with that, Yachiru dragged the slightly disgruntled captain back through the ragged hole in the wall, a trail of dust in their wake.
Ichigo blinked.
Byakuya smiled. Almost.
Then he frowned. He was almost-smiling too much lately these days. He'd had to fix that habit.
"That was...acceptable. Not...great. Acceptable."
"Well I'd like to see you do better!" Ichigo shot back, a challenging look in his eye.
Byakuya raised his eyebrow, and even that small action, Ichigo twitched, seemed to exulted elegance and noble-ness. "Would you truly want to challenge someone such as myself to a competition to best each other in elegance and noble behaviour?"
Dammit. So it had kinda slipped his mind that Byakuya had lived this life centuries more than he had ever existed as himself, and that he'd probably get owned so badly that he'd never be able to show his face again, ever, for the rest of his existence.
"Forget it." Ichigo muttered, breaking eye contact. "Is that it for today?"
Byakuya sighed. "Sadly, no. This may take a while." He glared at Ichigo, as if silently accusing him that it was his fault that this was such a waste of time. "I have deliberated with the council of Elders, and we have agreed that you will attend these 'nobility lessons' for one week. At the end of the week, there will be a ball thrown in Rukia's honour for her birthday, were you will be evaluated and graded based on the way you act during the ball."
"Only one week?" Ichigo blurted out in a completely unnoble-like fashion, "That's way too short!"
"Nobility much learn how to adapt. Did you yourself not learn bankai in three days, a feat generally thought to be impossible?"
"Rukia was going to die if I didn't. I did it for her sake."
Byakuya's gaze bore into his. "And is this not for the same reason? To receive Rukia's hand in matrimony?"
Ichigo was silent. Byakuya was right, and he knew it. He had overcome the impossible to save Rukia. This noble stuff should be a piece of cake compared to the other things he had to go through. Ichigo looked up; Byakuya was already getting up to leave.
"And Kurosaki,"
"Hmm?" Ichigo looked up.
"Rukia may not seem like most women, but I am sure she would find it most flattering if she were to receive a proposal on her birthday."
"I'm not even sure if I'll pass this thing." The carrot-top looked confused.
"If you doubt yourself, you are only admitting yourself to failure. Do you doubt that you will fail this, if it is for Rukia's sake?"
Ichigo was speechless.
Byakuya reached into the folds of his robes, and retrieved a silk-bound book, with cherry blossoms embroidered on the cloth cover, and a smaller leather bound book, plain and brown but obviously very well crafted. He set it down on the table in front of Ichigo, and turned to leave.
"What is this?" Ichigo said, with a new found determination to pass this test with flying colours, even if it meant keeping his manners perfectly in check.
Byakuya did not turn to look at him. "A traditional copy of every single law in and the history of the Soul Society, as well as a guide to the traditional tea ceremony all nobles are required to know. Have it memorized and down before tomorrow."
Byakuya smiled discreetly, his back still towards Ichigo. "You are going to be tested and examined on your exact knowledge of both subjects."
Ichigo's jaw dropped. The leather bound book looked at least five hundred pages long. And by tomorrow? It didn't matter how determined he was, nobody could memorize that monster of a textbook overnight, unless they had photographic memory.
Byakuya spoke one last time. "Formal attire is required. And that does not include your captains uniform. I wish you luck in your...studies."
As Byakuya left the room behind him, he couldn't help but think that Ichigo would need it.
"Nii-sama?"
"What is it, Rukia?"
The petite shinigami peaked into her brother's neat study, and spotted him at his desk working on his endless pile of paperwork. She fingered the camera that hung around her neck.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed as they noticed the photo contraption that hung around his sister's neck. Had that time come around already? Surely they had moved on after fifty years of rejection?
"Rukia, if this is about the Women's Association's yearly photo book, I do not wish to take part. I have told them my views on this subject many times already."
Rukia looked down, and swallowed. "But Nii-sama, it's made them so happy if they could." She raised her eyes to meet his. "They know Hisana-nee-san's memory hurts, but they've offered to compromise this year."
"They'd like to dedicate this years photo book to nee-san, who help them the very first year it came out." she sighed sadly, "They miss her a lot too, nii-sama. They loved nee-sama. Please, let them have this one last thanks."
Rukia's eyes looked so large and sad and so like Hisana's the time she had asked him to let her photograph him that Byakuya knew he wouldn't be able to say no. He had never been able to say no to Hisana...
He sighed heavily. "Alright then, Rukia. For Hisana."
Rukia's eyes lit up happily, and a wide smile broke across her face. She bounded over, and threw her arms around his torso, being careful not to knock over the stack of papers that sat on the desk. "Oh, thank you Nii-sama. Thank you. You won't regret it, I swear! If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all--"
"Actually...Rukia, I'd like to ask a small favour. You see...next week is the ball in honour of your birthday. I was wondering..."
A/N: That turned out a bit more angsty than I wanted it too...though I guess that's to be expected after reading and writing nothing but angst for the past few months. Also, with the return of Hisana the third Bleach movie, I can't help but write a little more ByakuHisa into this fic. I do love ByakuyaxHisana. :) I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be more humourous though (I hope).
I don't really have an excuse for my late update; I was just lazy. I can only really write humour when I have really good ideas at the same time I have a great urge to write. Which, trust me, is not very often. From now on, this will just be updated whenever I can sit down and write for this fic. Sorry ^_^;;
Oh, and this chapter hasn't been edited for mistakes, since I really wanted to post it after such a long time between updates. So if you spot any typos (which I'm SURE there are), feel free to tell me. Heck, I bet there are even typos in this author's note - I'm that out of it. I should be sleeping right now actually...
And thank you to willow of fire for the idea about the pop quiz on the laws of Soul Society and the tea ceremony! :D
Other than that, I have only one more thing to say: GO TO MY PROFILE AND VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE PAIRING!! Please? -huge puppy eyes I know will never work-