Hello! I'm trying not to take longer with my updates… I really am. It's just life is catching up to me. Good thing I always write ahead! I always place my theme as the title of all my stories. Every title I have carries a very significant meaning. And here is when you start seeing the theme of this fanfic.
Terminology
Wakizashi – A katana that is less than 2 ft long. It's longer than a dagger, but shorter than your average katana. It's usually the auxiliary weapon for the samurai.
Obi– It's the belt/band that wraps round the waist of the kimono.
Scabbard – sheath for the katana.
Chapter 9 – Cutting the Strings
The Art of Manipulation.
The dance of the Marionettes,
to the grace of the Puppeteer.
Oh, how wonderful!
How painfully sweet.
Honeyed venom, melting on my tongue…
Tease, tease,
Sing—sing to me,
My dear.
Sounds of the sirens echoed throughout the night, as they rushed about in the streets. They parked outside. The area was quarantined as investigators, and officers examined the scene of the crime.
"This isn't just a regular homicidal case—we're dealing with someone who love to kill," said the detective in charge. The chief of police nodded solemnly as he gazed over the body of the female mutilated corpse.
"Her head is missing…"
HOURS EARLIER
"Rukia, stop kicking!" shouted Renji who held her down.
"Don't, don't!" she cried as Renji dialed the local police department.
She grunted, struggled and kicked, and so, Renji sat on top of her.
"Whaa!"
"Yeah, hello—yeah, I'd like to tell you about someone that can possible be a threat."
Rukia wriggled a hand free. With it she began to tickle him.
"Yeah, his name is—uh, whaaa! Rukia, stop it—His name is Ichimaru Gin," he grabbed her free hand.
She wriggled and pulled out her other hand.
"Well, he threw a death threat, saying I wasn't going to see my girlfriend… For real—he was being serious."
Rukia slipped her hand down his pants, her fingertips slipping between his legs.
Renji bounce up almost immediately.
She dashed out the front door.
"R—Rukia!"
"Kisuke—hellooo…" hissed Dr. Kurotsuchi.
The blonde doctor stumbled out of his office. He had his coat on for he was getting ready to leave for the day.
"Is there something wrong?"
"I wouldn't keep that coat on if I were you," he sassed sarcastically as he motioned him to the office phone he held in his hand.
Urahara quickly paced towards him to retrieve it.
"Who is it?"
"The police."
"Shit."
"You're idiot, Kisuke," the clown faced doctor mused as he walked off, "I always knew you were gullible, but this tops the cake."
Rukia panted as she raced across streets. Running, running, running. She had no idea where she was going. She had no idea where to find him. All her mind could do was run away. She just couldn't stand by, sitting there, she had to do something.
She stopped at the small park resting both hands on her lap as she caught her breath.
Now what do I do now? I left everything at the house, my car keys, my purse—everything.
"Kuchiki-san?"
Her ears perked up. That familiar dreary tone of voice. She whirled around find to Kira Izuru, with a slightly surprised expression over his face.
She dashed up to him. He held a soft drink in one hand which fell crashing to the ground as she shook him.
"Gin's in trouble—help me find him!" she pleaded.
"Did you give him the note?" he asked.
"I never got to meet him, please."
He gave her a wistful look as if he was going to regret dragging her along.
"Come, if you please," he replied taking her hand gently. He ran with her to his car. They got in, Kira jabbed the keys into the ignition.
"Please excuse the mess."
Indeed there were papers and such on the seat and all over the dash board. She reached for the seatbelt and as her feet shifted on the car mat, her left foot bumped against a small heavy object. Kira started the car and drove off. She reached down for the object.
It was black—rather heavy. Her heart dropped. A 9mm caliber pistol.
"Oh I'm sorry—that's mine. Could you pass it to me?"
Rukia meekly replied.
I guess, I should start getting used to this…. She thought.
There was a period of silence while Kira drove. The blonde looked over checking to see Rukia wistfully looking out the window.
"You could put the radio if you like."
"Kira-san, why are you doing this?"
"Eh?"
"Is it because you're forced to do this knowing it's wrong? Do you feel like he's drugged you in a way that you have no choice but to act on his behalf? Why? Why am I doing this?"
Kira smiled for the first time since they met.
"I chose to follow Ichimaru out of my own free will."
Rukia's eyes widened.
"I understand how you feel, I felt the same way, but then Ichimaru told me this:
Manipulation sorta is a funny thing…
You say I'm using ya—and ya say that maybe—I'm not.
You're right on both ends.
Cuz, I noticed that everybody, even me—we're all puppets—the world that's the stage and our dance is our lives…
Who's the puppeteer? Who's pullin our strings?
God?
No.
Ourselves?
No.
Other people.
A puppet can't live without the pullin of the strings—we can't live, we can't breathe without being tugged around by others. Being manipulated by others.
Sure, I'm using ya—no lie—but Kira, you're using me…
Rukia remained silent sorting out the thoughts within her mind.
Hinamori was leaving Gin, pleased with the transaction she made with him.
"I'll get it done by the end of this week," Gin replied quite professionally.
"I expect no less," she added sweetly as she passed by him the money she had in the hand bag.
After she left, Gin then focused on his most pressing issue. He started walking around and wound up at the park. He knew it was a place where Matsumoto often walked through, spend time at. After all, countless were the times that they ran off to play games there.
Soon enough, he saw her crossing the street and across the grass to sit on the bench. She sighed as she flicked open her phone. Her fingers were about to dial a number when she sensed and incoming presence. She jolted but noticed the long black sleeved arms just wrapped around her neck gently in an embrace.
"Ran, won't ya play with me for a little bit longer?"
"No Gin—the games end now."
"Why?"
"You don't want to change—you lied to me."
"Pull my strings a bit longer Ran—come on, you could do better than that? You're driving me crazy. I'm hanging at your fingertips, pull me, pull me—make me dance."
She flung off his arms.
Gin stumbled backward. Matsumoto stood from her seat and turned around to face him. She walked around the bench to his direction. His smile disappeared, the eyes slightly opened, wavered slightly.
"Gin—I think you noticed already. I have a boyfriend. I don't love you—but you're my dearest friend. And everything I do is to help you. So let yourself get help. This is your last chance."
"You lie," he spat bitterly, "Ya have no idea that hell I went through—and ya neva came to see me—neva in the 944 days, 4 hours, and 17 minutes that I was there—I counted. You just want me locked up where no one could see me. I'm not stupid Rangiku—you're scared of me."
Matsumoto nervously looked behind her.
"You're deathly 'fraid of me, that's why ya carry a knife, that's why you learned to fend yourself. Against people like me, right?"
"Gin, you kill people for a living—you killed my father."
"He was a drunken bastard Ran! He was beatin ya and he beat yur Ma ta death. I can't sit back and let that happen to you. 'Sides, I'm not the only guy who kills—,"
"I know your parents were murdered—but just because someone does that, doesn't give you the right to take people's—,"
"I killed them, Ran."
"What? What did you say?"
"I killed ma old man Ran, with these hands…"
A woman of long silver hair and kitsune eyes stood at the doorway of her bedroom. She was beautiful with pearly white skin, wearing a black and silver kimono tied loosely about her. It was her only layer splitting at the top exposing an entire leg.
Strapped at her obi was Shinsou a katana that was no longer than a wakizashi.
She stood at the doorway staring straight at her bed. At her slaughtered husband. A ten year old boy held in his trembling hands a large kitchen knife.
"Gin, luv, did you do this?"
The boy of small stature could only stare at his mother. He jerked his head in the direction of the bed. It was heavily soaked in blood, the neck nearly severed, multiple stab wounds to the chest. An act committed while the man was in drunken sleep. The boy looked back completely at loss of a voice.
"Tell me luv, what happened?"
No response.
"Give me the knife."
The boy complied and in exchange, she gave him Shinsou.
"You're indeed ma boy—Now, kill me."
"… I killed my mother, too."
She backed up from him slowly.
"Ran, ya say that I don want to change. What if—what if I can't. What if, this is what I am, Ran, could you still take me, still?"
We're here." Kira muttered more to himself than to Rukia.
"Where is it?" she asked.
Kira parked at a main street. Coming out of the car with her, he pointed towards an alleyway between two buildings.
"There," he replied.
They both walked in. As they progressed, cats surfaced from cracks in the walls, inside cupboard boxes, garbage cans and tanks.
"Why are they're so many cats?" she asked out loud.
Kira remained silent taking her hand so not to lose her. There was this one cat, a white one, at the very end with its glinting crystal blue eyes that slipped into an iron door left ajar at the very end of the alley. Kira followed it silently.
"Kira-san, that's a very strange cat, it's the first time I've seen a white cat with blue eyes."
"It's his favorite," he simply replied.
Opening the door, Rukia found herself entering in a decapitating room. Boxes of instant food, take out, and pizza boxes lay about. Newspapers were scattered all over the floor. Bowls and bowls littered the floor. Some kittens fed off of them, most of them filled with milk.
"Never knew Gin was a cat lover…" Rukia mused as she carefully stepped over them.
"No, this is a friend—since he can track him down for us—but he's not easy to convince. I just hope he isn't in a bad mood."
Rukia nodded in agreement.
I have to admit, thought Rukia to herself, this is getting rather exciting.
They reached the door at the end of the room; Kira took a deep breath before pulling it open.
The room was dim. The lighting was very bad.
"Meow."
Rukia looked towards the sound. Ahead of her she saw not one but, two pairs of bright cerulean eyes. Both cat-like, one larger, one smaller. One deeper in color, one lighter.
Kira using his hand feeling against the wall; found the light switch and flicked it on. The bulbs attached to the walls flickered on. They continued to flicker because of the electricity that flowed through them was inconsistent.
Rukia stood in awe. The large deep cerulean eyes belonged to a man not a cat. His hair a lighter blue fell about his face. He appeared drugged in sleep, groggy, and much to Kira's dismay—pissed off. The white cat from before rested on his shoulder. Her small nose at his ear—to Rukia the feline appeared to be whispering to him. It arched its back and made her way around his shoulders, purring, purring.
In that silence the cat-man just stared. Rukia immediately looked at Kira and saw that he was slightly shaking.
Wait. He's dangerous right? He could kill us right here—right?
"I'm waiting for you to speak—dumbass!" he practically shouted.
Rukia jumped from shock, not fright, from the sudden voice.
"I-I'm sorry," he replied.
"That bastard fox was looking for you. Where the hell where you?!"
"Out of the country," Kira replied.
"Feh, why come here? I was sleeping, shithead. Whadda want?"
"Well, I so happen to be looking for him now. I was hoping you could help us…"
The man turned his attention towards Rukia.
"Who are you?"
"Kuchiki Rukia, nice to meet you," she replied with a curtsied bow.
"Eh? Kuchiki?!" A deliciously wide grin spread across his face, "Well that bastard was really serious about that! Heh heh…." The man took to his feet, the large heavy black boots hitting the ground. He wore black cargos several belts strapped around his waist. She saw that one of them held a scabbard with a katana sheathed within it. He wore a short sleeved black jacket, unzipped exposing his bare chest. The cat jumped off of him and remained at his feet, purring, purring—making her way around his boots.
"The name's Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, and don't forget it!"
"Yes sir!" she replied feeling infected by the commanding tone of voice.
Everything about him even the way he had rested on his chair—commanded, asked for the respect of a king. It was something that was not said, rather, it was felt. Rukia felt quite relieved that he didn't comment on the nurse outfit she wore, instead he walked towards Kira,
"Izuru, I'll help you find him. I borrowed money from him a while back—so I wanna see if I can cut a little deal, ya know…" His sharp eyes veered in Rukia's direction grilling her with its intensity.
Ever since Grimmjow heard my sur name, he's been acting really friendly. No surprise, my family's rich. Gin is after my money, no doubt—since I see him get his hands on cash so easily. I'm just a target he's been saving for last… But I really want to see him… I really need to talk to him…
"You're mad," Rangiku sputtered. Her hand dug into her purse again.
He noticed that the more, and more he tried, her behavior towards him only got worse and worse.
If this is Ran—then what of Rukia-chan? If she were ever to learn bout me… no doubt it'd end up the same way…Damnit. If it weren't for this stupid thing beatin in my chest—I woulda killed Ran already, but I can't. No. Not now, not here—no while she's still looking at me like that…
A black car drove up. The front passenger window dropped slowly to reveal Grimmjow's face and his white cat sitting comfortably at his lap.
"Get in."
Rangiku turned and saw the car, saw Grimmjow who stared back suspiciously at her, and turned back towards him.
"You're not alone?" she asked.
Gin walked passed her soundlessly towards the car.
"No, they don't know nuthin."
"Is that a lie?"
Gin placed a hand grabbing the handle of the back door, "Is you saying I'm your dearest friend, a lie?" He walked in the back seat. The door was shut and the car drove off.
Matsumoto just stood there surprised that he never tried to do anything to her.
"Yes, Gin, that was a lie."
End Chapter
Note: Are you guys confused by the time frame?
Chap 7 - Early morning, Rukia leaves for work. Gin meets with Rangiku around 10:30 am or so. Rukia breaks at 12:00 pm and meets Kira.
Chap 8 – After lunch, Rukia meets Urahara. During that time, Gin runs several errands later on, meeting Momo at a street corner. Around 3:00 pm –ish Rukia comes home from work. Meets Renji eventually Rangiku. Rangiku leaves.
Chap 9 - Rukia runs off and a few minutes later she meets Kira. They go to Grimmjow. After they leave, Gin meets Rangiku. While they talk, Kira and co. find him and go to pick him up.
By now, it's 5-6pm, around there…
Okay, I hope that's it's not too confusing. Chap 10 is going to play out the rest of the day. Then Chap 11 starts fresh. 9 and 10 were supposed to be one chapter. But I can't type all that up at once. So, I split it in two.
Oh, do you like the poem? I wrote it ^///^ I like to pretend I'm a poet. It continues on the next chap. Until then enjoy!
Preview
Matsumoto sat on her sofa with the TV on. She dropped her head down on her drawn up knees and shuddered several times.
Rukia, oh God, Rukia. You had nothing to do with him. And he just found you and used you to his bidding.
She remembered the call to the police.
"Just call us when something comes up."
In the end, I'm all alone—oh Renji. Renji, forget her for once. Come here, come here. She's dead already, please. Yeah right, I can't tell him that, but still…