Raaah. For the Bleach Asylum IchiRuki FC. Set on... Earth! Two days before Ichigo's birthday, of course. Whee.

July 12th- Laces

"Hey, Rukia?" Karin asked, tapping on the door of her room to awaken her. Since she did not get any response, she quietly walked up to her and shook her ferverently. "Hey, Rukia, wake up!"

Rukia drowsily swayed, looking up from her rather uncomfortable bed. "... un?" She had a massive migraine, as well as nausea, so she really did not want to be talking right now. "Ah, Karin." She rubbed her temples to concentrate on not being dizzy. "Do you... ergh... need anything?"

"... you think you can help me?" She looked down and pawed the ground with her foot.

The older girl looked at her. "With what?" She sat up, holding her balance.

Karin looked around suspiciously, and shut the door, turning back to Rukia. "It's about my present. You know, for Ichigo's birthday." She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, err-"

"... yes?" Rukia stared intently.

"Well, I need help... I don't really know how to wrap well, and so, you think 'ya can wrap it up for me?" Quickly, Karin pulled out a box from the under the bed, and inside, revealed a nice, golden watch.

Rukia's eyes glimmered, the thoughts of her migraine disappearing from view. "Oh, Karin, is this what you're giving to Ichigo? Looks expensive."

Karin nodded quietly. "Yeah, I spent time working at some weird candy shop in town to save up." Ichigo better appreciate that gift. You know how freaky it is to see some seven foot tall man sweeping floors next to you? Ergh." She shivered.

Rukia laughed. "Eh? You worked at Urahara Shoten? So they actually do pay..." She held the watch out in her hands and up above her head to see it better. "Sure, Karin, I'll wrap it up for you." She smiled, placing the watch in the box again.

Karin grinned in appreciation. "Thank you!" She rushed, going to her own bed and pulling out her sports bag. "I've gotta go now, I'm gonna be late for soccer practice! I'm gonna kick the guy's ass! And can you tell Yuzu I'm not coming home for dinner? I'm doing something tonight. See ya!"

"Well, okay-" Karin was gone before Rukia could finish. "Bye?"

After looking around for material's in Yuzu's closet, she finally picked out a ruby red-colored wrapping paper, with green ribbons. But before she closed the closet and began her work, she spotted something in the deep corner.

Needle lace. Green needle lace, to be exact.

Rukia gasped in delight, pulling the lace out and looking at it curiously. Glancing back and forth between the ribbons and the lace, she came to a conclusion, and tossed the ribbons back into the closet.

"Those are too normal. Ichigo need something unique! Something special!" Yes, screw ordinary ribbons. Go lace! Well, that was what Rukia decided.

Twenty minutes passed, and the present was unique and special indeed. As she pondered on the gift before her, she remembered something.

"Oh, I've got to wrap my own present." Pulling out a small box from her dress pocket, she placed it on an empty sheet of wrapping paper. Staring at the lace, then back at the gift, then once more at Karin's, Rukia twitched.

"I think I'll stick with ordinary ribbons..." Rukia sighed aloud, going back to the closet.

The gift itself was special anyways.

END.

Uh, well. Poor Karin. She gets a frilly present to give to Ichi-nii-san. Find out what the gift is on the 15th! Really. And weird, this story turned out differently than what I first decided. Oh well!