It was dark… and weightless. No pain, nope, none at all. She was most likely dead. Damn Kisho. Deidei shifted, and then gasped with pain as her side burst with a flare of heat, searing her nerves as tears welled beneath the blonde's eyelids. Cracking her eyes open, she wiped away the salty liquid with the back of her hand as she struggled to sit up, looking down at the bandage that served as the only covering for her bruised and swollen chest.
"Damn… I'm not dead, un." She said with a slight pout.
Her head snapped up to bring the door into her line of vision as a woman chuckled some. "Were you hoping to be?" she asked, her arms crossed over her rather well developed chest as she watched the blonde with a small smile. She seemed caring, but Deidei never did take chances with people, whether they had a Lieutenant badge on their left bicep or not.
Noting she was in the school's infirmary she pushed herself to a sitting position finally, ignoring the burning in her ribs and the nurses begging for her to lay back down and take it easy. Her legs swung over the side of the bed as she pulled on her tunic top, tying it tightly as she coughed some, checking the napkin briefly for any sign of blood or white mucus. She was alright then, in fact it felt as if someone as reconnected her bone fragments and temporarily bound them into place long enough for them to affix themselves normally.
"You're lucky to be alive Aboto." The woman said after a moment, standing firmly in the doorway.
Deidei scowled, "That's a wonderful thought, un. Now if you don't mind I need to go, un." She said, taking in the time on the clock and realizing she had missed all her classes. Grabbing her bag she slid open the window, deciding she wasn't going to bother with trying to force her way past, and jumped.
She heard Rangiku's startled gasp and hurried footsteps to the open exit, as the blonde landed easily and rolled her shoulders, working out the kinks in her stiff neck. Shoving her hands in her sleeves to stave off the bitter cold breeze that spelled the beginnings of winter, she walked off the school grounds, her teeth ground together as she thought over places she could spend the night.
The dock shed was the only safe place if there was weather, she decided finally, changing her course towards the eightieth district, her normal district. It had been where she grew up and lived since she arrived, and she knew the streets as well as, if not better than, anyone else there.
Her sandaled feet slapped the dirt roads as she hustled, ducking under a bamboo arch and into a small rundown shack. Setting her things down as she huddled into a corner, she pulled her kimono tight around her and leaned her head back. The pain in her chest was still there, throbbing with scorn as she attempted to get ready to sleep, using her winter coat as a blanket that she pulled over her torso and most of her legs that were up against her chest.
Sighing, she curled up and fell into herself, ignoring the steady rumble of the sky as a storm began to roll in. Her back tensed as a loud clap of thunder made her jump, tears coming to her eyes as she realized that this wasn't a normal storm… this was the very source of her fear, a thunder storm.
Gulping, she attempted to keep a scream in as another clap of thunder rolled through the shack, making it shudder as the slow patter of rain drops began to fall against the metal roof with a sharp tack. Lightning flashed, highlighting the silhouette of three boys standing outside the shed, and Deidei cursed mentally, curling back as the door was thrown open.
"So, this is where you're hiding Deidei!" Kisho said as he reached forward, gripping her forearm and throwing her out of her shelter. The blonde gasped as a rock dug into her side and she twisted, her stomach soaked from the moist ground. Scrabbling across the slick surface of the hill, the girl tried to reach the shack again but was pulled back by the other two teens as they laughed.
Thunder tore through the sky and she screamed, her thrashing subduing for a moment as fear took hold of her body, keeping all of her commands from taking place. A frantic blue gaze shifted over the face of the three menacing boys as she realized there was no chance of fighting back while this storm was going on, and her injury kept her from running.
Gin Ichimaru walked slowly, humming to himself as he clutched his new polishing cloth in its small bag, the wooden umbrella above him keeping the down pour of rain from reaching his white over coat.
Light lit up the sky and his eyes shifted up some, the smile not faltering in the least as he noted a group of boys hitting something on the ground with practice kendo sticks. Cocking his head to the side he observed the scene for a moment, getting ready to move on when a scream ripped through the night's silence. There was a crack that came to his ears as another scream erupted from the group of boys and a flash of blonde hair shown in the gap between a boy's legs.
"Shut up whore!" a familiar voice shouted, over the terrified screech of the girl on the ground, Ichimaru recognizing it as the boy from the Academy earlier that day. Kisho if he remembered right, he hadn't bothered to hear his last name, and only knew his first because that remarkable girl had shouted it along with several interesting insults.
A face came into view, twisted with pain and Gin let the umbrella fall to the ground as he stepped quickly, catching one of the wooden sword with his hand. "Really now boys? Hitting a girl, and while she's down none the less? How… admirable of you." He said menacingly.
Kisho's eyes widened and he dropped the practice stick, backing away a step or two. Turning on his heel he shouted the command to retreat and the two other teens followed the sprinting thug.
The silver haired Captain turned his smiling face to the muddy girl curled in pain and fright on the ground. "Academy-chan, I never would have figured you to be the type frightened by storms." He said cheerfully as he knelt down beside her, brushing a lock of hair from her face and scooping her limp body into his arms. "Now now, let's get you somewhere warm, no?"
Deidei shifted; one eye swollen shut as the other swerved to catch sight of her savior. "Nnnn… thought I…. told you…. Not to… call me –chan…." She whispered, trying to take breaths through the immeasurable pain in her chest.
Gin chuckled some, supporting her easily as he walked back up the hill and whistled, strolling cheerfully towards the Seireitei, his smile only widening. "Well… I'm your friend now, aren't I?" he said after a moment.
Wheezing, which was supposed to be a laugh, the teen rolled her eyes behind shut lids. "If you… say so…" she said, tensing as thunder boomed in the sky, drawing a tear from the corner of her eye as the rain came down on her face, washing away the blood and mud that stained her flawless skin.
The Taicho felt his smile grow wider, reaching his ears as he nodded to the guard, slipping under the opening gate.
Eyes followed the drenched man and girl as a woman rushed forward, offering to take hold of the girl instead. Gin shook his head, "No, the little one is fine with me. Why don't you be a good child and go to the metal shack beside the river, and fetch Academy-chan's things?" he said, the tone of an order underlying in his voice.
The Third Squad underling nodded and ran off, her hand on the hilt of her Zanpakuto as she disappeared from sight. Ichimaru shrugged, resuming his whistling as he headed into the Infirmary and laid her down on a cot. "Nyah~ It seems I found a stray cat Unohana-san." He practically sang. The woman's gaze swept from her other patient over to the girl with concern, setting the chart back and grabbing her supplies.
"This is that girl from before is it not?" the other Captain said, barely a whisper.
Deidei stirred, "Nnn… yeah… I am, un." She muttered before the pain forced her into a dreamless slumber. She had passed out. Gin simply smiled on.
Sunlight awoke the girl as she turned her face from it, the smell of crisp linen wafting to her as she scrunched her nose up. "Well, that's certainly an attractive facial expression, Academy-chan." A sing song voice teased, bringing Deidei to as close to her senses as she would be managing for a while. Cracking the eye she could open she cursed loudly and rudely, spying who it was that was near her cot.
Gin raised an eyebrow. "Not very happy to see me I see? I just came by with your things. I was expecting a thank you at least."
The blue eye rolled and Deidei turned her face away from him. "I don't thank people I don't know, nor do I thank people I have no reason to like, un." She said simply, fighting back as yawn as she put a hand to her ribs, probing at the damage as she forced herself into a sitting position. It wasn't bad at all, in fact it seemed as if she had been almost fully healed, but there was nothing proving that theory since she hadn't been able to assess the damage before she had passed out before.
The yawn she had been trying to keep away broke free, gathering tears in the corners of her eyes as her mouth opened widely. Her stomach grumbled almost immediately afterwards and she looked down at it, drawing up her shirt just enough to poke at the tanned skin beneath. "Well fuck, un." She muttered to herself, looking out the window. It was well past noon, and she could smell just the slightest scent of cold food, somewhere nearby. She frowned some, going over if she had enough money to buy anything at the market when a tray of steaming rice and fish was pushed in front of her.
The blonde blinked twice, as if trying to convince herself the food was real. Looking back to Gin she cocked her head to the side. "Does it taste as good as it smells or would I be better off starving, un?" the man simply smiled and waved a hand to the chopsticks beside the bowl.
The silence grew as she ate, until finally he spoke. "You're living in that shed aren't you? How quant, the best student in your year, and you live by yourself with nothing. Is that why you're so good at what you do Academy-chan?" he asked, a hint of teasing to his tone. Deidei glared at him.
"First off, it's not Academy-chan, un. If you insist on calling me –chan, then use my name, un. Aboto Deidei, un. Second off, it's not like I have much of a choice living there, ok, un? So if you have some snide stuck up remark to say about it, keep it to yourself, un." She snapped, slamming her chopsticks down with a loud clack that made one of the nurses jump. Gin chuckled.
Shrugging some he continued smiling, "I just find it interesting, Deidei-chan, that the best fighter in the junior year could be so easily dragged out of a dinky shack, beaten half way to death and back, and not feel ashamed. Is this the biggest house you've had? Just wondering of course." Deidei growled, her eyes narrowing some. Gin opened his mouth to continue in that damned sing song way of his, as if this line of insults was somehow part of a nursery rhyme, but was cut off as there was a loud smack, his head whipping to the side some. He brought his hand up, rubbing the red spot on his cheek as Deidei lowered her hand. Well now, that's some… courage. And here I thought she was going to pause before ever making contact like most do… hmmm.
"Kuso wa, un." She stated defiantly, gritting her teeth together. She knew she could get in a severe amount of trouble for slapping the man, even though he had watched the hand come and chose not to catch it, let alone saying something so vulgar to him afterwards, but she was too angry to give a rat's ass. Gin chuckled some as he looked over her face, searching for something he apparently found.
"Such a feisty stray cat you are, Deidei-chan. You were excused from classes today, and those boys were dealt with. I really came here to tell you that you're welcome to stay until you're healed, though at your skill level, I won't be surprised if a change in life style is coming to you soon. Hnnn hnnn hnnn." He stood, waving as he strutted off, whistling happily as the nearest shinigami pulled open the doors for him to pass.
The blonde watched him go looking as if something had left an especially bad taste in her mouth. Spitting on the floor she grabbed at her bags, pulling them under her cot as watched around her with a slightest bit of paranoia. She wanted out here as soon as possible, but her injuries were keeping her from escape.
It wasn't long until she was up and walking around, the nurses protesting her every step. She grunted with frustration as she slung her pack over her shoulder, the belt keeping her kimono shut loose around her waist. She shook off a nurse easily, ducking under another's arm as she wove her way through the infirmary, dodging their attempts to keep her easily. She yawned some, her stomach still full from her lunch not too long ago, so she wasn't worried about finding food any time soon.
Pulling open the infirmary door, she collided with a tall man's chest. Grunting she pulled back, looking over her shoulder, then up at the red head she had run into. "Sumimasen…un." She muttered, twirling as she slipped past the bewildered guy, her blue eyes sweeping over his badge with a small smirk. She was almost home free when a hand caught her and pulled her back in. Kicking she craned her neck to see who it was. "Gah! Let go you, un!" she said loudly, pulling to try and get away, but held firmly by the man.
Raising a thick brow, the Lieutenant smirked, pulling her into the infirmary. "Well, you don't look in any state to be running away, Deidei-chan." The man said warmly, Deidei froze at the voice. Spinning suddenly, she grabbed his wrist and yanked, freeing herself of his grasp. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she looked over his appearance closely.
"Why you, un!" she started, playfully punching her former Senpai's bicep lightly. "It's been forever Renji-senpai, un!" The boy had been two years ahead of her, meaning that he had graduated last year, and already was the second seat in a squad? She knew he had had it in him; after all she had sought him out specifically to be her tutor in swords fighting. A strong hand ruffled the blonde's downed hair in a friendly gesture.
Nodding some as he took his hand away, Renji herded the feisty teen back into the wing, where the nurses were standing with stern looks. "Yeah it has been! How're your studies going? Better then Kisho by now surely?" Deidei nodded with enthusiasm.
"You bet your ass I am, un!" she said proudly, smiling happily. Her smile dropped some as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Though he a some friends tried beating the shit out of me last night, un. 'S why I ended up here, un. Creepy Smile-kun brought me here after chasing them off, un…. Not that I needed his help o' course, un!" she said with a bit of agitation to her voice. He chuckled.
There was something in his gaze as he tried to place the man she was talking about. His fist connected with him pal lightly as his brain clicked. "Oh! You're talking about Ichimaru-taicho aren't you?!" he said with a slightly shocked face. "To think he'd actually get his hands dirty to rescue a runt like you…" he pondered aloud, getting a sharp kick to the shin. Hopping some, he felt his eye close in pain as he glared at her. "What was that for?!"
Deidei stuck her tongue out, "Calling me a runt, you jerk, un." She said with a smile, shrugging some. "I don't even know why he "saved" me, but he calls me -Chan, so I'm calling him –Kun, un." She reasoned. Renji rolled his eyes.
"Baka, if you ever plan on getting into a squad you shouldn't call captain's anything less than Taicho!" he lectured. Deidei cocked a brow.
"Well, with the show I gave them during school yesterday, I don't think I'll ever get in, un." She said as if it didn't bother her. Renji felt his eyes narrow.
"Don't tell me you're the girl that…"
"Used strong language, fought until she dropped, spat blood onto the floor and was too stubborn to run away from a fist fight with another student, un? Yup that's me, un!" she said. Renji shook his head. She could just see the smirk on his face as he most likely recalled memories of her short temper.
After a while, Renji looked to the clock. "I'll see you later then; I really came here on an errand for Kuchiki-Taicho. Be here at dinner or I'll drag you back, got it?" he said, Deidei rolled her eyes but agreed none the less, "Oh, and don't worry about getting into the Squads. A few of these Captain's are strange, they'll surprise you no doubt."
The blonde doubted it, waving as he disappeared down the hall. Slumping back onto her cot gracelessly she glared at a nurse who was waiting with a cup of pills and a pen which was being clicked non-stop. A glass of water was thrust into her hand and she looked down at it, then to the pills. "No. Fucking. Way. Un." She resisted, her hate for medication coming into play as they tried coaxing her into the medication.
