Chapter 13 Funeral

Tashi stood with her parents and extended family wearing traditional funeral garb of her region. She was draped in white with a black lining, with a large hood that put her face in shadows. Tashi was glad no one could see her face. She didn't want to look back at everyone staring at her. 'Oh brother. I'm going to miss you so much…' She thought of the last time she saw him. He was sitting up in bed and gave her a strong smile, still laughing at the last joke he told her. She closed the door and never had the chance to joke with him again. 'Oh brother, what am I going to do without you? You didn't just save me from my kidnappers, you saved me from our nutty parents!' She smirked, realizing she could still find his jokes funny.

There were murmurs in the crowd that gathered to say goodbye to the young master. Tashi ignored them. 'So many murmurs all the time. I just want to get away. I just want to make it all go away.'

Tashi and her family then went into mourning. Traditionally they had to seclude themselves for 7 months, however over the years it was cut back to a more practical number of seven days or seven weeks. Tashi wanted to take the seven months, but she was reminded that she had to attend school in the fall and should not miss her classes, if possible. She relented and decided on mourning for seven weeks.

Tashi sat in sitting room in her suite of rooms in her parent's house where she often received personal friends. One afternoon she sat with her back to an open window, disinterested in the sunlight that came into her room. Eri and Atsumi were allowed in and she nodded forcing herself to smile at them.

Soon enough though her smile curved into a frown and Tashi couldn't hold back her tears. She fell in her friends arms and cried. Tashi wrapped each of her arms around her friends, Atsumi on one side and Eri on the other. They helped her sit on a nearby couch. "It's been…so hard without him…I…" said Tashi unable to finish her sentence.

Atsumi quietly said "Of course it's been hard! You've done nothing but sit in this fuckin' room, in the dark for like, fuckin' weeks now."

Eri grimaced at her friend's language at such an inappropriate time. Tashi said "I know, but I can barely face looking out the window, how can I walk out the door?"

The breeze filled the long lacy curtains that decorated Tashi's enormous windows. The three girls sat quietly for a moment watching the breeze fill and deflate the delicate curtain. The rest of the room was dark, and draped in black velvet. The atmosphere was heavy, and serious. The three girls linked arms and kept each other up. Atsumi thought 'This is actually very peaceful…'

Tashi sat with her two friends dressed in her black mourning clothes. Eri sat on one side and Atsumi sat, surprisingly quiet on her other. Each girl held Tashi's hand and tried to allow their closeness to comfort each other. They watched the lacy curtain bounce on the evening breeze and lost themselves in their own reflections on the fleeting nature of life.

The birds chirped unaware of Tashi's loss and the leaves rustled in the trees. "OYE!"

'That was no bird!' thought Tashi. 'He wouldn't...he couldn't...'

The three girls were snapped out of their sorrowful dazing and shocked back to reality. "OYE!" said Renji as he appeared in Tashi's 3rd story window. He climbed in, completely nonplussed about entering Tashi's bedroom. While she was in mourning for her brother. Without a chaperone. During dusk hours.

He stalked across the lavish room and stood in front of the three girls seated on the plush divan. He settled his hands on his hips and barked "What're you doin' sittin' round here, eh? There are some top students going out on a special trip. Captain Ukitake said you should go. You're going."

"Huh?" said Tashi, her voice cracking with disbelief.

Atsumi let go of Tashi's hand first. "You know, Tash, this might be good for you."

"Whaaaa?" said Tashi.

Eri patted Tashi's hand and then gently let go. "I think they're right too. You've been shut up in this room too long. It's time to go back to living, Tashi."

"Yeah, listen to pigtails there" said Renji, unable to remember Eri's name for the life of him. Eri knew this and frowned at the Vice Captain. He also scratched his head under his ponytail remembering what Captain Ukitake told him. 'Go and tell Tashi about the trip. She is one of our top students and it would be a waste for her to miss this. I think she would benefit highly from it.'

Renji responded with 'Isn't that more of a messenger task?'

'Well, yes' said Ukitake, but I think you can handle the task.' He smiled at Renji, and Renji was reminded of one of the rules that went unsaid among the Vice Captains: never question the captain, even if they are not your own.'

'Uh…yes, sir' said Renji humbled, and once again was sent after Tashi.

Of course he wasn't going to tell them that. "C'mon. Pack yer bags for a camping trip. We're going."

Tashi stood up and Renji saw her clothes. She was wearing a black velvet kimono with incredibly wide sleeves. The sleeves were just about as long as her arms, allowing only the very tips of her fingers to appear . The obi was black satin and her hair was down. She wore no adornment. 'Not even those little pearls she always wears.' Her skirts pooled on the ground. This was obviously not something she was to walk around in. 'Her hair is really long!' Tashi's straight black hair touched the backs of her knees.

Renji shrugged it off and began to look around the room. He whistled looking at the high decorative ceilings and exclaimed "Fancy. You nobles know how to live." It was different from the Kuchiki house, which had visited on only a few occasions. This home had tapestries, and decorative furniture and lots of swirlie things along where the ceiling met the wall. 'That thing she's sitting on looks really cushie!'

Tashi stood up from the cushie furniture and said to Renji with an imperious voice "This is totally unacceptable. YOU!" she gestured as her mother would "Not only in my private suite, but in my bedroom! You-y-y-y-YOU can't just crawl in my window !"

"Hm?"

"My reputation would be tarnished beyond...beyond" Tashi shook her head and clenched her fists. Renji didn't understand the fit she was having and his face showed it. She looked at him and sighed realizing he had no idea what he had done.

Renji looked at her sternly and pointed at her saying "Pack! We're going."

Tashi looked cross eyed at the finger in her face and then looked at her friends who smiled broadly back at her. When Tashi didn't react immediately Renji said "Oye! Hop to it! Go go go kid! You're a student! I'm a Vice Captain! Jump when I say jump! Eh?"

Tashi was about to protest, but she soon found a tattooed arm around her waist dragging her across the room. "Where's the closet? You've got a huge room, but no storage? That's nuts."

Dangling off the floor from Renji's arm Tashi pointed to a large set of doors. "That room there. That's where my clothes are."

Tashi heard Renji mumble "A bit inconvenient. This big old room and the dresser in another--" Renji stopped muttering when he opened the door. The entire room was full of clothing. Renji had never seen so many articles of clothing in one place: without people in them of course. Tashi wriggled free of his grip which was now slack with surprise.

She thudded to the ground and "OOoof!"ed with the impact.

Renji reached out and examined a piece of lace from a garment hung nearby. He didn't ever recall Rukia having so many clothes, but then again he never demanded to see her closet either. He felt a bit of a pang in his heart as he hoped she did have this opulence. He had a feeling she might be embarrassed to own such luxurious things, but hoped Rukia had them nonetheless. He looked over at Tashi who was looking lost. "Pack your uniform, your bokken, some extra socks, uuuuuuuh...mmmm and some uh extra girl things. I know you girls always have extra 'things'"

She looked at him annoyed. He said "What? pack!"

"I CAN'T PACK! I DON'T KNOW WHERE ANYTHING IS!" she snapped.

Renji was frustrated with Tashi and didn't filter it. "WHY NOT? THIS IS YOUR CLOSET! THESE ARE YOUR FANCY CLOTHES AND...AND...AND YOU SHOULD KNOW BEST WHERE STUFF IS!"

"I NEVER PACK MY OWN CLOTHES! I'M RARELY EVER IN HERE!"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"I'M A NOBLE VICE CAPTAIN! I DON'T DO THESE THINGS! OTHER PEOPLE DO THEM FOR ME!"

Meanwhile, in Tashi's bedroom Eri and Atsumi heard a knock on the door. The two girls rushed over and cracked the door open. It was one of the maids. "Is everything alright in there? I thought I heard some yelling" said the old woman.

Atsumi said, pasting a fake smile on her face "No no no, everything's fine."

Eri snuck away the door of the closet open and peeped "Uh, guys. Is everything okay in here?"

Renji and Tashi both glared harshly at Eri and both said "FINE IT'S ALL FINE!"

Eri said "uuuuh...okay, but try to keep it down. Atsumi is currently trying to keep your servants at bay" and quickly made her exit.

"Are you sure?" the old servant pressed. There was more yelling from the closet. Eri came back and pressed forward, afraid Atsumi would say the wrong thing. Eri pushed Atsumi back into the room and only allowed her own head to pop through the door.

The old woman looked at Eri, shocked at what she thought she heard, and persisted in her questioning "Is that a man's voice in Tashi-sama's private bed chamber!?"

"What!? Are you crazy? A man? Atsumi is tough, but she's no man!" said Eri, trying to distract the old woman. Atsumi ran to the closet.

After Eri had exited Renji whipped his sights back to Tashi who put her hand to her eyes and began to cry. Renji groaned inwardly and then began to panic. He was a lot nicer and said "No crying! Soldiers don't cry!"

"I'm notta soldier. I'm a, a, a, giiiirrrrrl aaaaaaaaah" she wined as she wiped tears form her face.

Renji's discomfort shot through the roof. 'What happened?'

Atsumi banged the door open and snapped in harsh whisper "What the fuck is goin' on in here?" She put her face up in Renji's and said "What did you do ta her? Huh? Huh?!" The corner of Atsumi's eye was caught by a piece of fabric that blew out of a nearby vent. Her eyes went wide at the sight of so much find clothing crammed into one place.

Above the racks of clothing were boxes of kimono. She stood slack jawed at the spectacle of it all then at Tashi who stood crying in the center of it. The sight of Tashi crying made her angry for a few reasons. Atsumi said "Tashi, what the hell are you crying for? I got the maid to leave us alone. What is it, can't decide on what to bring. Shit girl. This is insane."

Tashi looked at her rough friend and blinked away some tears. when Atsumi saw Tashi's big innocent eyes her anger melted but tried to hide it. "Oh come on." 'She's got all this stuff, but all she wants is her big brother back.' "Let's get digging. I'm sure we'll find what you need. Or call up one of your servants to do it."

Tashi said "Vice Captain, please wait outside. I will meet you down there when I'm ready."

Atsumi said "Go on" she said to Renji "Out the window, the way you came."

Renji thought it a reasonable request and headed for the door. Before he left he said "Sorry Touichi-san, for uh...for umm..." He wasn't sure how to word it, but he was sorry for her loss and sorry he made her cry, and sorry he couldn't fix it all for her. 'I can't just pick her up and run with her like I did Rukia.'

"It's fine Vice Captain. Thank you for coming for me. I'll be down in a few minutes, I promise" said Tashi.

Renji opened the door and saw a couple of grey haired old ladies poking at Eri snippily asking "Do you really think we'll believe that? That's ridiculous. Hmf! There's a man in here I HEARD him!" Renji slammed the door shut and realized he was in a bind. Actually, he wasn't, but he put Tashi in one.

Tashi grabbed his arm threw him into a rack of clothes. "Aaaa!" he yelped in protest. She pushed him behind a rack of clothes. He stood with his back against the wall and was face to face with a very angry Tashi Touichi.

"You shut-up! And stay there out of sight!" she snapped and pushed some clothes between them.

Renji was afraid of old ladies. Their gray hair and witch like hands always gave him the heebie jeebies. He listened as they entered the room. Their kimono's rustled and bustled as they fussed around Tashi. "Oh dear, oh dear. What are you doing, hanging out in your closet?"

Tashi gave instructions to one of the women to pack her things for a trip she has decided to take. "I'll need uh..." 'I don't know anything about this trip! What do I need?' "Uuuuh my uniform, my bokken, some extra socks."

The two old women exchanged glances and said "I thought you were mourning dear" "Where are you headed?"

Renji cringed at the old lady voices. As they cracked out their questions he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 'The way they ask their questions one after the other, they're like a two headed dragon or something! How does Tashi deal with them?' His view was obstructed by long silken sleeves and ruffles of foreign lacy clothing, but he could hear and feel their spirit forces. He was fully aware of what was happening in the room and wanted nothing more than to scoop up the girls, release Zabimaru and banish the old cronies to the next life, then run for it back to the 6th Squad offices.

Tashi sighed and looked away. She ignored their questions and said "I think the weather will be nice even though it's fall."

"Yes, milady" "Yes milady"

"Please pack what I asked, and I will pen a note to mother and father about where I will be. No need to concern yourselves with that" she replied.

Another taller woman came in the door and Tashi sounded surprised "Governess Umeko!"

"Yes Tashi, I heard there was some trouble up here, so I came to check on it. Is everything going alright?"

"Yes, Governess. May I ask...I thought you were dismissed on my coming out party?" asked Tashi.

"Oh yes, but in light of your recent antics your mother figured it would be good to have me around to remind you of your upbringing. The tall narrow nosed woman leaned in towards Tashi and said "Is it true that you've been consorting with those from Rukongai?"

Tashi didn't answer and only shifted her eyes away. Renji heard Tashi giggle a little and the Governess did not find it amusing. "What is so funny, Tashi? This is serious! Now, I must say I also heard that you have made an important connection with the Kuchiki family?"

"Yes ma'am" said Tashi, hoping Renji might close his ears. She knew what was coming next.

The governess strode across the room looking off into the distance. "Now, that Byakuya Kuchiki is the type you should get to know better. I might even say you should flirt with him, if proper young women did that sort of thing." She turned and with derision spat out "Not with that wild dog of a Vice Captain he has. I can't understand why Kuchiki-sama would allow such...filth...near him. It is beyond me. You shouldn't either."

Renji didn't need to see the look on the governess' face, but could feel the venom in her voice. He had heard insults like that before, but it had been a long time. Outwardly he would say it didn't bother him and even try to joke about it. However, inside his heart would feel a helpless rejection, and then anger. Then he heard Tashi say "Don't speak about Vice Captain Abarai like that. He is an accomplished man and has a lot to teach us." She didn't snap, but was quiet and calm.

The governess walked up close to Tashi and took her by the chin. She looked in her eyes and said "You have a crush on him!"

"WHAAAT?" blurted Tashi, not expecting her governess to say that.

She let go of Tashi's chin satisfied with her. "I have known you all your life Tashi, and I know that look. It's a crush! This is dangerous. Very dangerous. No, you must stop your association with him."

"No" said Tashi, again calmly. "I will not."

Renji bit his lip from trying not to laugh. From the gasps of the old ladies and the silence that ensued, Renji imagined the governess enraged by Tashi's simple answers. In a deep menacing tone the governess said "You will, Tashi Touichi. You cannot afford to play games now. Your family is on the line. Everything that your ancestors have built has lead up to you. Now that your brother is gone this family is leaning on you more than ever to carry it. Do not! Under any circumstances think that your life is your own to spend flitting around from flirtation to flirtation. The marriages of nobles are built on politics, not on childish passions!"

"I know, ma'am" said Tashi, just as quiet, but less defiant from before.

"Now, where were you going?" asked the governess.

Tashi said "I heard about a..." 'I don't even know what to call this!' "...field trip that one of the captains was leading for those of us in the special classes."

"Field? Trip?" asked the governess. "This won't involve those dastardly hay rides and grass stains will it?"

"No ma'am" said Tashi. 'I suspect it's more along the lines of annihilating simulated hollows, but the less she knows the better.'

"Which Captain? If it's Kuchiki you have my blessing" she quipped.

"No ma'am, I believe it is Captain Ukitake."

"Ukitake?" repeated the governess "Ukitake?"

"Yes ma'am. Joushiro Ukitake" said Tashi.

"I know that name. He must be from a fine family" she said letting her mind wander. Renji could feel the old woman scheming something, but couldn't put his finger on it. Tashi felt the same thing. She let out a "hmmmmm" then tapped her chin with a long red fingernail. "If your mother and I meet Captain Ukitake, perhaps we will let you go." The old governess spoke quietly to herself "Now, why do I know that name?"

"Ma'am, if I may say so, I believe the trip is rather soon" said Tashi.

"Well then, we should have tea with him tomorrow" said the governess.

"Tea?" 'A captain of the military drinking tea with my mother?'

"What else?"

"Yes ma'am" said Tashi.

The governess told the two maids to pack a list of things for Tashi to take on the trip. "At the very least you will require these things..." and she rattled off a list of what seemed rather superfluous to Renji for an outing of a military nature.

He heard the kimono clad servants rustling closer to where he was. He could see slots of light opening up next to him where the old women were pulling clothing out of. 'Shit! It's coming straight for me!' Closer closer closer Renji ducked just as a withered old hand yanked off a few things right where he was standing. He heard "Tashi?" from the governess "Why are you still here? no need to stand around in your closet while the your guests, however dubious their backgrounds, stand in your chambers."

"Uh..." 'I don't want to leave Renji in here!' "Yes ma'am."

'Don't leave me with the old women!' thought Renji. Renji leaned on some molding and tried to relax. 'I'll just leave after they finish their packing.' He tried to calm himself.

The governess sighed and started speaking freely with the servants. "Oh dear oh dear" she sighed. "What am I going to do with that girl? I fear it's worse than I thought. I thought she was just getting too independent, I didn't know about the dog of Rukongai until I started asking around."

"She is just a young lady, governess. She doesn't know any better" said one of the old women.

The governess let go a hearty laugh and said "I can't say I blame her. That wild dog is a looker. Oh, Mariko-san, no, not the green plume, the red one."

Just as Renji thought 'What the hell would she need a plume for?' a gnarled old hand reached through the clothing rack and took a hold of his ponytail. His eyes teared up as the pain seared his scalp. The old woman pulled it out just far enough for the governess to observe it. He hid the rest of his head behind a thick piece of cloth.

"Hmm. I don't recognize that" said the governess. "That's not what I'm referring to, but perhaps it will do nicely." She walked over and examined hair of the dog of Rukongai. "Mmm. Very silky, but it doesn't have the flounce we need, it's a bit too spunky. Check on the other side" instructed the governess.

The governess began to prattle on about her youth and the affairs she passed on for the betterment of her family name. "Oh, but I can understand about Tashi's longing. I've seen that dog. Abarai?" She gripped Renji's hair, causing him to wince and bite his own lip. The pain was bad, but he's felt worse. "He was at the house earlier this afternoon, no?"

"Yes ma'am" said the two maids

The governess loosened her grip on Renji's hair and pet the ponytail she held in her opposite palm. "Mmm. He is a looker. That muscular physique is something the nobles tend to lack. They're fit and fine, but they don't seem to have those nice round shoulders you can just grip! And a big strong back to drag your nails down! that's something only the lower classes seem to have. Haha!"

The old biddies laughed and the governess croaked out a chuckle of her own. "No no, those men are for after marriage. She should marry fine then dabble with whoever she wants - quietly of course. The real concern is making sure the right man plants the right seed. But we can't educate her on those precautions until after she's properly wed."

the governess gripped Renji's ponytail as she continued her steamy dialogue out loud. She pulled on his ponytail and he was starting to worry that the wide sleeve that hid his head might fall away revealing the object of her fantasy. His fear was not being caught by the old women, but being caught and abused by the governess. The governess said "Oh, I'd take that wild dog for a ride!" she cackled. "I hear he has tattoos all over his chest and arms!" She made a barking noise and Renji caught himself almost yelping out of fear. "Hahahaha!" she laughed and so did the maids.

She released Renji's hair and he thought twice about drawing back behind the closet. 'Plumes don't tend to move on their own' he thought. '...whatever the hell a plume is.'
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Tashi paced back and forth in her bed chamber with Atsumi and Eri seated in front of her. "This is bad this bad this is bad this is bad" repeated Tashi over and over. Atsumi slapped her knee and laughed loudly. Tashi stopped her pacing and looked at Atsumi. "Do you think this is FUNNY?"

Eri shushed Tashi and said "Sh! We don't need anymore yelling! Who knows what will happen! We don't need your mother coming up! She'd sniff out Renji for sure!"

Tashi lost color in her face and said "You're right you're right you're right."

Atsumi laughed when she said "I think you were in more danger when you rescued me from Tetsuo's the first time, yet I don't' think I've ever seen you more afraid. You need to relax."

"No, Atsumi" said Eri. "She's right, this is more dangerous. This is a sensitive time! The death of her brother makes her the only heir! She has to marry the right man. She's under tight scrutiny right now."

"It's all a bunch of BS. Why do you play these games, Tashi?"

Eri jumped to Tashi's defense. "She has to play their stupid game for now, but..."

"But what?" asked Atsumi. "When do you get to play by your rules?"

Eri's eyes darted around while she tried to think of an answer. When she couldn't find one she looked to Tashi. Tashi's shoulders slumped and she said "I don't. Once I get married, and have children of my own, I just instruct them to do the same."

The governess emerged from the closet with the two servants. "Tashi" she said smiling "I'll be sure to set up that tea with Captain Ukitake." She saw Tashi pouting and looking frail. She walked over to her and reached out her arms "Oh Tashi, I'm so glad to see you again, but it's too bad it's under these circumstances." She hugged Tashi and told her "I want nothing but the best for my little lady. You've always been the jewel of this family and I'm sure you will do us all proud. We just have to get you back on track" she winked.

"Yes, governess" said Tashi. Then the three older women left.

Atsumi tossed herself back on the divan and said "Gods, what a bitch."

"Don't say that! Governess is just looking out for my best interests" defended Tashi.

Atsumi said "Guess what honey, it looks like no one is looking out for your best interests."