Kon tried to think.
When was Tina going to make her move?
"I'm not built for this," he groused inwardly. "Why can't my missions involve sexy, bikini babes and a good cuddle in heavenly valleys of softness? Why am I stuck in this stupid, preteen mess?"
Then he saw it: Tina was scribbling on a pink, flowered notepad. She winked at the girl next to her, then pointed at Hitsugaya who was taking down notes.
Must be a note to the captain.
As Tina folded the note in half Kon shuffled forward, trying desperately not to be noticed. So far so good: Kon could feel everything slowing down to the breath between seconds.
Tina reached down, ostensibly to pick something up, but was preparing to hand the folded up note to the girl in front. Her eyes never left the history teacher.
Kon jumped, banking on the rows of bags to hide his presence. His mouth was open and, in a split second moment of genius, bit the note out of Tina's hand.
Tina, thinking that the note had been taken, smiled confidently and sat up straighter in her chair. Perhaps only Karin's artificial soul could hear the choking and gagging sound, because she leaned way out of her chair to see Kon trying to swallow a pink, perfumed note.
"Miss Yamashita," the girl called out. "Someone's stuffed toy is over there, and it's choking."
Kon dashed out the door before the formidable Miss Yamashita could look over. "Karin, there's nothing there. Please focus on your work."
"But I saw-"
"No, Karin. Pay attention."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Kon finally swallowed the paper lump. He shuffled along the wall of the corridor, outside the classroom.
Thankfully Tina sat near the back door, and he could see what she was doing without having to get into the room. She was waiting for Hitsugaya's reaction.
Five minutes ticked by, and then the girl realized her note was not being passed on. She wrinkled her brows.
That's right, girlie, the note is gone.
Tina wasn't put off quite that easily. She hissed to the student in front of her, and Kon could hear the message.
Time to play Chinese Whispers.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The lion plushie with a pink, flowered note sitting in his tummy shimmied along the floor, playing dead every time he felt someone looking at him, but made good progress nonetheless. Thankfully the teacher had very sharp ears; most of the students dared not say anything until they were scribbling exercises in their notebooks.
Kon caught up with the message.
A boy leaned over and hissed, "Tina asks Hitsugaya to meet up after school at the bookshop."
The girl either didn't catch the full message or wanted to double check, but the boy had already returned to his work. So Kon whispered, in as close to the boy's tone as possible, "Tina wants Hitsugaya to beat up a chabana at the cook's hop."
"What?" the girl was understandably confused, but knowing Tina's strict clique rules, passed the message on. Only this time Kon was there as well, in a falsetto.
"Tina wants it to eat up a chawanmushi at the cook's shop"
And Kon again.
"Tina asks it to get a toga at the new shop."
And Kon again.
"Tina asks if she should beef up and try a sock hop."
"Any more talking, class, and detention for all," Miss Yamashita was irate by now. The dates she had written were not being copied down by her class. How were they supposed to pass exams that way?
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Tina fumed. Her message was not being passed to Hitsugaya. Well, she would try the written word one more time.
Kon was pressed to the walls, behind the last row of desks. From his vantage point he could vaguely see Tina scribbling another love note.
Damn. I wasn't hoping for a fiber-rich lunch.
If he ran the kids would notice the soft toy moving. He had already risked much in the message-garbling trick just five minutes earlier. If it wasn't because people know stuffed toys didn't talk, he would have been mounted as a rarity for gawkers and tourists.
If he let things happen, then Hitsugaya would be trapped in a date with Tina, and Kon wouldn't get his lovely goddess of bosoms to reward him. The modsoul risked a peep at the teacher, droning about Japanese history.
"... one of the main developments of the Edo era was..."
Kon skittered out of the class again, and hastily cast his eyes about for the one thing he needed to distract everyone.
There!
"Why can't I have Ichigo's body when I really need it?" He looked up the wall, aware that he had perhaps a minute to get to his target. "Alright, Kon, now's the time to be a man." He paused and inhaled, exhaled. "Here goes – nothing!"
He ran at the wall and up the vertical surface.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Karin blocked the slashing blow from Hitsugaya's sword. "Wait!"
"What?"
"That's the fire alarm! We need to get to our bodies!"
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Miss Yamashita was unruffled. "All right. Everyone is to queue up in pairs and head to the field. Walk quickly but do not run. Leave everything behind."
"But Miss-"
"Leave everything behind, Tina. Drop the note."
Kon scrambled into the classroom, as stealthily as he could among the forest of legs. Once or twice he was trodden on heavily and had to suppress his oofs and ouches.
Eventually he reached Hitsugaya's gigai. Tugging on Hitsugaya's replacement soul's legs, he gestured in the direction of the toilet. The boy nodded and, as the class pushed out, he ducked and ran to the washroom.
"What are you?" The gigai asked Kon, an innocently confused look on his face that the real Hitsugaya would never, ever wear in a million years.
The stuffed plushie folded his pudgy arms. "My name is Kon. I'm a modsoul, like you, and I've been sent to warn you.
"But, Kon? Why are you here?"
"That's not important. I'm here to warn you of a grave danger. Whatever Tina says to you, make sure you say no. Got it?"
"Whatever Tina says to me I say no," the boy intoned dutifully. Then he wrinkled his brow, and asked, "Why do I say no?"
"Just do it, unless you want Hitsugaya-taichou to be angry with you."
"Oh. Okay then."
The boy and the stuffed lion plushie stood in the toilet for some time, while the fire alarm shrieked through the building. Kon then shouted, "Well then, go to your class! Gather in the field!"
"Oh. Okay then."
As the artificial soul scuttled out of the toilet, Kon shook his head. "I can't believe I'm actually developed from those jokers."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The gigai reached the school field a short moment before Miss Yamashita began taking attendance.
"Toushiro-kun," Tina said coyly as they stood in pairs out in the field. Karin was standing motionless just in front of Tina, and she was wearing a scowl. Tina smiled inwardly. This was going to be fun.
If Karin and her twin thought they were going to ignore Tina the princess, they would learn something different.
Hitsugaya nodded at Tina.
"Toushiro-kun, are you busy this Saturday?"
"No."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
As the two shinigami raced to their respective bodies they both felt the discordant chord across their senses.
"What was that?"
Hitsugaya shushed her. "Hollow."
"Where?"
"Inside the school." He focused his senses. "It seems to be quite powerful too."
Karin hoisted Yuutsubame onto her shoulders. "What are we waiting for?" She flash-stepped into the main building, leaving Hitsugaya's exasperated expression behind.
"She never waits," he grumbled to himself as he dashed in behind the girl.
They raced down the long corridors, trying to pinpoint the location. Hitsugaya finally caught up with Karin – the girl was exceptionally gifted in shunpo – and hauled her behind him.
"Don't argue," he warned before she could open her mouth.
She cocked her head at him, offended, but before her stinging rebuttal issued a fiery burst exploded near both of them.
"What the frikkin' hell was that?" Karin managed. The ends of her hair were singed slightly.
Hitsugaya drew his sword. "Stay back and learn."
"Like hell I am."
"Don't. Argue." The clear glare he fixed on Karin silenced her momentarily. She inhaled and stood back.
The hollow was salamander-like, its reptilian body clinging to the ceiling and walls. Already the plaster bore a perfect black and ash imprint of a chrysanthemum.
Hitsugaya released Hourinmaru and soon frost covered the interior. Karin backed away further; she had no intention of being frozen again, as she had been at least half a dozen times just by Hitsugaya's shikai alone.
"An ice-wielder, eh?" the hollow hissed, forked tongue – ew, forked tongues – darting out. A massive limb smashed into the wall as it slithered closer. "What say we kick this up a notch, eh?"
Hitsugaya wondered briefly if this creature was the reason for the fire alarm, or perhaps it had been a serendipitous coincidence. He angled his blade at the mask and shot forward, a miniature ice-god on wings.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"I was wondering if you already made plans for the Autumn Harvest dance," Tina said softly as the teachers organized the entire school. Some of the PE teachers were returning to the building to check for the source of fire, and someone shouted that they could hear fire engine sirens.
"No." Hitsugaya's replacement soul turned away to gawk at the fire engines now racing up to the building.
Tina pulled his attention back on herself. "That's such a coincidence! I don't have plans yet either. Can you believe it?"
"No."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The salamander was remarkably fast for its bulk, and Hitsugaya dodged the thrashing tail just in time. The hollow snapped its jaws at the diminutive captain and then released another large fireball, which Hitsugaya blocked with Hourinmaru's wings.
"Error in judgment, boy, eh?" The hollow chuckled when Hitsugaya's wings fell apart in chunks. "Guess your ice wings ain't powerful enough to withstand the samadhi fire, eh?" It blasted again, this time a long sustained flame that Hitsugaya ducked awkwardly by diving into an adjacent classroom, scattering several chairs and tables. It was the music room, with no windows and entirely soundproof walls, and far too many flammable materials: curtains, scores, wooden floors.
The salamander hollow continued breathing flame into the room, and Hitsugaya could feel Hourinmaru's frantic complaint.
I know this is hard on you, Hourinmaru, but I need you to help me.
I want to, Hitsugaya, but without water in the atmosphere I can't produce ice!
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Kon was scrambling frantically along the corridors.
"I didn't mean to call it! I didn't mean to call it!"
"Call what?" A hand swooped down and picked the stuffed lion up.
Kon looked into Karin's narrowed eyes. He stuttered, "I smashed the fire alarm to get Hitsugaya-taichou's body out of class and suddenly the salamander hollow appeared! I didn't mean to call it!"
"Oh?" Karin flung the toy away into safety. "Get outta here, whatever you are. It's dangerous for anything flammable."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The mirrors, unable to take the extended heat from the salamander's samadhi flame, exploded, a million glittering shards that cut into Hitsugaya's now unprotected skin. The ice that usually shielded him from such injuries were thinner than paper now. The hollow had effectively dried up the air around the captain, and Hourinmaru had no raw material.
Undeterred Hitsugaya slashed and stabbed, twice narrowly missing the mask and once nearly getting impaled by a huge swinging claw.
"Gekido, Yuutsubame!"
Dammit, Karin. For a split second Hitsugaya was irritated that the girl had, once again, ignored his direct orders, but he took advantage of the sudden release of water from Karin's shikai.
Hourinmaru roared into life, exploiting the sudden influx of liquid into an unstoppable attack. The ice sword that smashed into the hollow's mask was larger than any Hitsugaya had ever manifested. The hollow gave one, brief, pathetic shriek before fading into nothingness.
"You were supposed to stay back," he said, not looking at Karin.
"If I did, you'd have been one crispy ex-captain, Hitsugaya," retorted Karin, sheathing her sword.
The white-haired captain looked at the brunette human girl. "In war the general expects the soldier to follow instructions."
"Screw instructions. I'm not a soldier."
"No you're not. You are Kurosaki Ichigo's sister, and he would kill me if anything happened to you." Hitsugaya noted the fleeting look of dismay in her face. "He is more concerned about you than you know, Karin. I cannot let any harm come to you now that he knows I know you."
"I won't let myself be harmed, Hitsugaya. I'm not my brother, haring off to fight because he has to." Karin swallowed. "I just want the strength to protect my family while he's gone." She paused and added, "That's really all I can do now anyway."
Hitsugaya and Karin studied each other for a long beat.
He broke the silence first. "Let's get back to our bodies."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Finally!" Tina exhaled when the principal finished addressing the school on their quick response to the fire alarm.
The alarm had been tripped outside a classroom, but the fire was in the corridor and the music room. No one knew who set the alarm off, and most students were tittering among themselves.
Hitsugaya's replacement soul stood at attention still. He hadn't looked anywhere else throughout the time Tina had been jabbering at him, and the girl was slightly put off.
If he wasn't the cutest guy in class I wouldn't give him the time of day, Tina thought waspishly. But she put on her sweetest, most innocent smile. "Toushiro-kun, so... since I don't have plans, and you don't have plans, perhaps you wouldn't mind asking me to go to a certain, I don't know, dance, maybe?"
"No."
"Great! I'll see you – are you all right, Toushiro-kun?"
"I said, call me Hitsugaya." Hitsugaya shook his head clear of the cobwebs. He bent to pick up a small marble-sized ball. "What was it you were saying?"
"You just asked me out to the dance."
"I didn't." Hitsugaya was sure of that. He tried to recall the girl's name and failed. T something...
"Well, technically you didn't, but you said you wouldn't mind asking me."
"I wouldn't mind, but I didn't. And I have other things on, uh... Tammy."
The girl's eyes widened with annoyance. "The name is Tina, Toushiro-kun."
Hitsugaya was only slightly apologetic. "Tina. I have something on in the evenings, so, thanks but no thanks."
"You said you had-"
"He said no." Karin was not looking at either of them.
"Excuse me? Who gave you permission to butt in on our private conversation?"
"The moment it became public conversation, Tina," Karin said, still not looking around. "Besides, the principal said we were to be dismissed for the day."
The brown-haired girl placed her well-manicured hand on Karin's shoulder and turned her around while the rest of the school flooded into the building to retrieve their bags. "Listen, tomboy. This is my show, so stop stealing the spotlight."
"I'm not in showbiz, Tina, and I'm not interested in your little doings. But Hitsugaya and I have to go now, so please take your hand off of me."
"Hitsugaya and you? Give me a break," Tina scoffed. "Just because you two have been hanging out together don't make you a couple."
"I didn't say we were, but at least he knows my name, Tammy." Karin flexed her fingers. "And if you want a break, I'm sure I can oblige-"
"Enough." Hitsugaya stepped in and broke up the staring match. "I'm going back to the classroom to get my things, and Karin, you know where to go after school. Tam – I mean, Tina, I apologize, but I need the evenings free. Have fun on Saturday."
When Karin didn't budge, Hitsugaya treated her to a captain's glare. She shook off Tina's hand and marched off, leaving an incredibly pissed off transfer student standing in the middle of the field.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
A/N: will be away from my laptop and my country for a bit, so won't be updating till the last week of December. Happy holidays, all!