A/N: Hello there! And here we are, chapter six of Finders Keepers...ah screw it. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Down,
Here comes the sound,
Everyone pound your feet to this Phenomenon.
Now let's make it loud,
Let's show 'em all how,
You move to this Phenomenon.
Roll!
Open your soul,
Maybe lose control,
Inside of this Phenomenon.
Just let your self go,
And let everyone know;
You move to this phenomenon.
Finders Keepers, Chapter Six: The Mayhem That Is 'Breakfast'.
Ulquiorra awoke to the smell of burnt egg and overcooked onions. It was an overly-familiar and hugely despised scent, which informed his sleep addled brain two things. One; it was a Tuesday. And two? The Onna was cooking her (self titled) 'Super-Dooper-Orihime-Style-Onion-Omlettes-With- Pistachio-And-Spaggetti!'. Holding his breath, he rolled himself off the bed, clattering to the floor in what he assumed to be the most appropriate way of waking up. It only succeeded in presenting him with the beginnings of what he was sure to be a delightful headache. He groaned, and dragged himself up, staggering towards the door like a drunkard. Once he reached it, he pushed it open, only to be smacked in the face by a bombardment of ridiculously foul smelling toxic fumes known simply as Orihime Inoue's cooking. The air left him, and the poison began wrapping itself round his throat, crawling steadily up his neck, over his chin, past his mouth and into his nose- he slammed the door shut. With gracefull, swift movements, he sunk to the floor, instantly welcoming its cool surface. The situation was worse than he had previously anticipated. Actually, that was an understatement. This situation no longer, in any shape or form, resembled the situation he had previously anticipated and was now potentially fatal for any persons involved. A quiet, almost inaudible sigh escaped his lips. How on earth was he supposed to make it down the stairs without choking? His sharp eyes searched the room in a vain attempt at finding something which would assist him in his mission.
In the corner was a half slept in bed, one side completely unrumpled and clean, while the opposite seemed to have an uncanny semblance to a scrunched up, sneezed in and generally disgusting piece of tissue paper; this being because Tatsuki had insisted that her and the Onna's parting required a sleepover in her room the minute they arrived from the airport. Standing next to it was a small, simple bedside table, it's surface almost unblemished apart from a plain bedside lamp and equally plain book on physics. The rest of the wooden floor space consisted of a smart beige bookcase against the furthest wall (bookcase being a massively misleading term, as inside was stacked with DVD's and DIY manuals), a small, dusty looking television, and their suitcases. Ah, no gasmasks at hand then?
Quickly, he picked himself up and moved towards the opposite wall, his socked feet sliding ever so slightly on the shiny wood. Upon reaching it, he grabbed the rough folds of cloth concealing the window and drew them apart, allowing the harsh morning light to flood the room. He lifted his hand to sheild his eyes, using the other to flip the brass handle near the bottom of the glass, the cold metal burning his skin for a second. He paused, but carried on after the chill receded. Pushing the window outwards, he took the chance to judge the distance towards the ground. Tatsuki's apartment was the second from bottom, and all in all, he predicted that the drop towards the grass below was no more than than nine or ten meters. He could risk that. Raising his knee until it almost reached his chest, he cautiously placed his foot on the rim of the windowsill. Gripping his hand onto the edge of the window now, he hoisted his weight up and twisted his body in order to dangle from the ledge. He took an intake of breath, hesitating only momentarily. He let go.
The feeling of flying, however short, was absolutely marvellous. The crisp air whipped around him in a technicoloured haze, gliding over his skin and leaving it red and raw, ruffling his inky hair and tearing at his clothes. Leaves from the mossy ground flew up to meet him in a chilling embrace as his body continued to plummet towards the earth. Blinking rapidly, he tensed his muscles in preparation for the impact he would surely make. Would he brake his legs, he wondered. Would he be smashed upon the hard paving like an egg on the floor? He grunted. Surely not? Even after the last few years, his body could not, would not be that impracticed as to break a bone. And so, with newly found confidence in his ability to land, he drew his legs against his chest and splayed his hands. He only had to wait a second. Upon connecting with the ground, he bent his knees and quickly pushed up again, flipping backwards and landing gracefully on his feet. He almost smirked. Had he seriously doubted his strength?
From across the street, a tiny gasp startled him from his moment of self glory. Snapping his eyes towards the sound, he saw a petite girl, around the age of sixteen, gaping at him in utter disbelief. Her pale brown hair was cropped just below her ears, with the fringe secured tightly in a pink clip, and her blue dress whipped around her knees. Her eyes were wide as she began to stutter, a pale blush quickly spreading across her face.
"Wh-what..." She muttered, wringing her hands as she stared at him nervously, her bottom lip quivering. He intensified his gaze, daring her to say something. She gasped again, and quickly bowed her head, turning to run.
"Gomenasai! I didn't see anything...!" She cried, her voice becoming fainter as she sprinted away. He stood there a moment, and then swivelled his heel, walking briskly down the street and towards the nearest convenience store. Within minutes, he rounded the corner and pushed open a heavy glass door, the tinkling sound of a bell assaulting his ears as he walked through. At the counter was a woeful looking teenage girl, her dark hair parted strangely between her eyes as she wrote something down in a notepad, and beside her was a skinny redhead with his index finger stuck up his nose. He walked up to the desk, pointedly ignoring the redheads staring eyes.
"Whaddaya want?" The boy grunted, hand still protruding from his left nostril. The girl next to him shot up, and promptly began glaring at him.
"Jinta!" She reprimanded, her blue eyes portraying the utmost annoyance.
"What?"
"You can't talk to a customer like that!"
"Well...I just did."
Honestly, Ulquiorra mused, how hard could it be to act politely? What kind of man had employed these children? Nonetheless, he decided to get on with it, if only in order to leave the place as quickly as possible.
"Do you sell some form of air filtering?" The teenagers blinked, and turned to face him.
"Sorry...?" The dark-haired girl questioned. Jinta continued to stare, finger securely jammed in his nose. He was beginning to suspect it was permanently lodged there, though by what freak accident he wasn't sure.
"Is it possible for me to purchase a device which would filter any air inhaled?"
"Wha..."
"In other words," he growled," Do you sell something even remotely similar to a gas mask?"
"Oh!" The girl cried, clicking her fingers in understanding. For some strange reason, he seemed to imagine a glowing light bulb hovering over her head.
"Why didn't you say so? Let me just go check...!" She hopped off the chair, and disappeared into a back room behind the counter. That just left him and this obnoxious boy, then. Jinta glared at him. Ulquiorra could not fathom why, but he also decided to glare back, something akin to curiosity stirring within him as the teenager rudely began twisting his middle finger. And so they stood like that for five minutes, eyes narrowed and little non-existent sparks clashing in mid air.
Twist.
Wiggle.
Glare.
Twist.
Wiggle.
Glare.
Twist-
Ulquiorra snapped first. His hand shot up from the confines of his pocket, grasping at the offending limb and firmly yanking it down, bringing an array of mucus and flecks of blood onto the glass counter. The boy cried out, using his other hand to quickly cover his nose, rivulets of blood seeping through and dripping onto the floor. It seemed he had extracted the hand so hard it had begun to bleed. This time, Ulquiorra did smirk. His victory was short-lived, however, as the girl from before suddenly appeared from the back door, her small hands clutching at a moderately sized blue box. She smiled at him, and plopped it on the counter.
"One gas mask for Customer-San!" She cheered, seemingly proud of herself for performing such a meaningless job correctly. How pathetic. He nodded, and handed her a few bills.
"Come again!" Ignoring her, he walked out of the store, catching only a glimpse of their next conversation.
"Was he wearing pajamas...?"
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Ulquiorra arrived back at the apartment complex in just under two minutes, a feat he was not surprised at. As he approached the back pathway, he lifted his head to look at the open window on the second floor, quickly summarising that it was his own. He looked back at the box tucked under his arm, and then back at the window. Then at the box. Back at the window. He hadn't thought of this. Oh well, no matter.
Dropping the package in his arms, he knelt down to get a better look at it. Where was the- ah, there it was. His slim fingers tugged at the join of cardboard, only to find it was sealed with a fine line of sellotape. Furrowing his eyebrows, he allowed his hands to slide over the smooth plastic in a poor attempt to find the end point. He couldn't feel anything. Why was such a measly product wrapped so tightly...? Running his fingers over the box once more, he gave up, and brought the cardboard as close to his eyes as possible, desperately searching for that small, ragged line amongst the infuriatingly blank, shiny surface. It had to be there! He just had to keep looking...
Almost half an hour later, he growled and threw it roughly against the floor, stepping back and outstretching his hand, his emerald eyes ablaze with fury. He pointed his finger.
"Cero." He hissed, as a small, blinding green line of light enclosed the box in flames.
A/N: Ta~Da! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! A big thank you to for all the reviews and favourites, I think I cried when I read them :') Anyway, next chapter, I'm thinking of introducing Ichigo again... too soon? Please give me your ideas! And how come no one told me how sucky my spelling has been? I never noticed until re-reading it! So, a BETA position is open for anyone who wants it! (This also means you get to read the latest chapters quicker...)
Anyway, a shout out to all my fabulous Reviewers;
nypsy,
sama-chan,
Seproth.
Thanks guys! I'm glad to know you all enjoy this:) Oh and remember...the faster you review, the faster I update! I'm watching you through your computer (OR MOBILE!) screens!
Cheers! ~YukiHimechaan xxx
(PS! Lets try and reach the 30 mark this week...!;D)