Watercolor Lenses
Chapter 2: Pride Fight
Retreating to an unused room in the 8th Division office she withdrew the slender volume of battle kidou she had brought with her. While kidou was her specialty, what if she got onto the field and suddenly froze? And while she and her zapakutou were well acquainted as far as name and initial release, she had not even gotten so far as materialization yet! Disaster, it was going to be her new favorite word.
If she was forced to draw her zapakutou to defend herself, she was going to be in trouble; it was not her strongest asset unlike most other shinigami.
She was… she was a strategist. For that lunatic Captain to think that she, biggest bookworm in Soul Society history, didn't belong in the library… Absurd.
Sitting there in a room almost too dim to read she considered throwing the match. What was one promise to a man she didn't know? Or… was going back to the library where she wandered the same aisles day after day, returning books to shelves she knew like the back of her hand, truly a waste? Was that even what she wanted to do? Did she wish to remain in that socially isolated place? She never went out drinking. She never went to parties. She had no friends outside of her loose library acquaintances. Men did not ask her out on dates. Did she want to keep that? Was it truly best for her? Was that off-kilter Captain right?
Still yet, was it worth it to taint her good reputation by breaking her promise to do her best?
She looked down at her page, unable to distinguish the characters and decided she needed light. Standing, she picked up her book and headed for a room with a window.
She found one two halls over and sat herself at an empty table. Flipping open the book, she glanced at her index.
Offensive kidou.
Defensive kidou.
Binding spells.
She had not included anything in the huge miscellaneous section. She was now thankful she hadn't. It wouldn't make her look any better to light a campfire in the middle of the courtyard by accident.
Come three forty she had memorized and re-memorized everything she figured she'd need to know. If absolutely necessary, her zanpakutou was with her. Walking toward the back courtyard where the "ceremony" would be held, a slip of paper on the bulletin board in the hall caught her eye. Maybe it was the bright splash of color on the page reading "NEWS!" with colorful balloons surrounding it.
"8th Division is getting a new member! Come see the seating ceremony today at 4 in the 8th Division courtyard when librarian Ise Nanao tries for a Division chair!"
Well, wasn't that a bright little effort. She scowled. Did they have to call her a "librarian"? Who had done this poster? She wasn't a librarian, she was a highly qualified "library technician." People had no respect for the staff of the Soul Society library. Did they think that massive place ran itself?
Reaching the outer doors, she found they were already open and 5th seat Itou was already there. He smiled broadly.
"Ise-san! Good to see you're early. Sake?"
With a wave of her hand she declined. She could smell the alcohol in the air. Was this just one big party house? And she had promised to do her best, she thought sourly. She had to do her best. One could not take the bull by the horns and tame it without showing they had the strength for it. She would get nowhere without showing this rowdy division she was to be listened to and respected!
She had a case of jittery nerves. Her palms were sweating. She frowned seeing the outer courtyard was surrounded by black-robed shinigami. Curiously enough, everyone was sitting. Why had she expected them all to be standing, waving sake bottles? Were they all from the 8th division? She wondered, briefly, if Captain Kyouraku had invited several divisions to stop by. Somehow she could see that eccentric man saying, "Let's make a party of it; invite everyone!"
"Ah, there's the Captain. It's customary for him to start the proceedings so let's head over."
She figured it was her place to, for the moment, blindly follow instruction so she did as Itou asked. She felt like a little duckling tagging along behind the massive man.
On the veranda by another set of doors leading into the 8th division office sat the Captain, pink robe and all. Now there was a straw cap adorning his head and several bottles of sake spread out in front of him. A white coat drew her eye and she noted with even greater unease it was another Captain's coat. White hair…white hair… she knew that man. 13th division Captain Ukitake. She'd encountered him more often than the others in the library.
"Jyuushiro, this is Nanao," Kyouraku waved his sake cup toward her and the alcohol sloshed and then splashed onto the wooden planks of the veranda.
The white haired man smiled pleasantly at her. "Hello Ise-san. I heard you were being transferred here. An unusual move, certainly, but I am certain you will be good for Shunsui."
She hoped he meant that in a professional sense. And knowing what she knew about him she could hardly imagine him meaning it any other way really. He had never been the slightest bit improper, not like the man grinning at her over his sake cup.
"I hope I will be of use." It was a bland, diplomatic thing to say and seemed perfectly acceptable. She bowed.
"Hey! Ise-san!" Another voice, another person. She drew her eyes toward it to find a man with dark hair grinning widely at her. "Shiba Kaien, Vice-Captain, 13th Division. Heard you're a librarian, right?"
She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose primly. "I am not a librarian. I am a library technician."
"Same thing. So my brother and I have a bet." He cocked his thumb at one of the only people there not wearing a shinigami uniform. The young man with the bandana suddenly blushed. "He says you don't get past the 10th officer, I say you at least get to the 8th. So do me a favor and kick some ass, because I hate losing bets."
The expression on her face must've been humorous in some way because Captain Kyouraku suddenly began to laugh. Not chuckle, but laugh, shoulder shaking laughter.
Nanao just sighed. "Can we begin already?"
He calmed enough to speak. "Let me outline the rules. You and your opponent will wear this." He held up a pink, flowered sash. "Destroy the sash and win."
"But the rules say-" she started to interrupt but he shook his head at her.
"Nanao-chan, are you saying I cannot alter the guidelines for my officers?" there was a gentle challenge in his tone.
She bit her lip. She … she didn't know if he could do that or not. To be unprepared-! Her panic must have shown through.
"Stop being difficult, Shunsui. Ise-san, he is within his rights to alter the rules of succession for his seated officers provided they do not go against Gotei-13 law," Captain Ukitake answered gently. "Shunsui is merely the kind of man who does not like to see ladies bleed."
So he didn't want her bleeding over the courtyard. Lovely. Where was her gratitude, she wondered as he held out the sash. Only, when she reached to take it, he captured her hand in his and held on, the sash between their palms.
"Promise, Nanao?"
She felt heat slide up her neck. "I promised."
He gave her a smile and a nod and then motioned her toward the center of the courtyard. She steeled her nerves, draped the sash over her shoulder and headed out. She only had to do it once, right?
And pink was so not her color.
"Promise?" Ukitake asked as they watched the thin young woman walk toward the center of the court.
"I asked Nanao-chan to promise to do her best. Aren't you curious about that straight-laced little thing?"
"I was under the impression she was being transferred to straighten up your office?"
Shunsui gave an absent shrug. "So? She looks meek, but that one there, she's cheeky."
Ukitake raised a brow. "You realize that Ise-san is a kidou master, don't you?"
Shunsui tipped his head to the side. "A kidou master?"
"Academy certified master," Ukitake answered turning his eyes to the girl who had reached the center of the courtyard and now looked exceptionally tiny out there all alone.
"You the one who sent her over?" There was suspicion in Shunsui's tone.
Ukitake glanced at his companion. "Shouldn't you be starting the ceremony? She's looking shaky."
They exchanged a long, challenging look before the 8th Division captain stood and wandered out onto the field.
Nanao willingly allowed the 10th seat officer's name to pass her by.
There was a giant gong sound from somewhere and the next thing she knew the match was started. She was infinitely grateful she'd taken the time to stretch and work her unused muscles before coming out as her opponent grabbed his zanpakuto and charged forcing her to move before the arc of the blade caught her or her sash.
There was something about battle that lit the senses. It was a bonfire in the soul.
She heard her opponent growl as he lunged, the blade striking out. He hadn't performed his shikai, had he? She needed to be careful. Not knowing the ability of her opponent's zapakuto was dangerous and if he knew any kidou…
She was running around and around like an idiot. Skidding to a stop, she noted with alarm a chain had formed at the end of his sword.
She was not weak.
She was not weak!
She would just have to outsmart them all.
Quickly murmuring under her breath, and one singular hand movement later, the entire courtyard lit with a flash, blinding everyone.
"He's already lost," Shiba remarked absently, then glancing at the silent Captain of the 8th squad.
"He's breaking the rules," Ukitake noted, glancing over at Shunsui just as Ise Nanao hit the ground, half of her uniform, from mid-thigh down, evaporated.
Her skin was milky, especially with blood leaking from the gash high up her leg. The blood was ruby against her pale skin. When she stood, the blood dripped creating a red ribbon down her thigh. It stained her white tabi.
"Hush, hush," Shunsui answered, his sake cup still and empty on the wooden planking. "A woman's revenge can be frightening and Nanao-chan has yet to show me her power."
There was a bright, intense light in the 8th Division Captain's eyes as everyone watched with bated breath the next move of the challenger.
Sliding her hand into her sleeve she withdrew something. Small, thin, metallic.
Her blade.
Shunsui's eyes widened. "Clever girl. Now we'll see her fight."
His friend glanced in his direction. "How long do you intend to let this continue?"
"Eh? You want me to stop it, now, when she's just drawn her zanpakuto?"
"This match is in violation of the rules you set," Jyuushiro reminded him. "She has already won this fight."
"Ah, but little Nanao won her matches with her kidou and being very clever. Just now she has drawn her weapon. I want to see the warrior her eyes promised me. Do not worry yourself, Jyuushiro. I will not let him harm her." He smiled and turned his eyes back to the arena to see Nanao leap forward.
Shunpo.
Quick, but not the fastest he'd seen.
But she was smart. Much smarter than his brawny, dim-witted third seat. He would bet that girl was a great deal smarter than anyone in his division.
He struck, she dodged and there was a flash and a spray of blood erupting in an impressive arc, splashing the ground like heavy droplets of rain.
Silence fell over the arena; suspense pulled the crowd's attention tight. With a silent wave of her fingers, kanji glowed in the air and her wobbly opponent in a wave of silver light was blasted backward into the crowd, through it, and then through the outer wall of the back courtyard into the street.
Ise Nanao was merciless.
Ise Nanao was Vice-Captain of the 8th Division.
There was a celebration of her victory. Nanao didn't really recall too much in vivid detail. She knew she'd gone up against the challengers and mostly she'd just used kidou they hadn't seen before and outsmarted them. It gave her a bit of a hollow feeling in victory because in the world of shinigami it was all about the fight and she had weaseled out of that.
After the last battle… then… that time she'd just lost her temper. Breaking the rules was unacceptable. He'd attacked her after she'd slit away his sash. She had been the victor by the officially set rules and he… he'd attacked and wounded her damaging both her body and her uniform. Using her zanpakuto had been a personal revenge. Blowing him through the audience and through the wall had been a satisfying flight of temper. She was not going to be trampled upon and if he or anyone tried that again they'd find themselves very neatly set down.
She'd been all sorts of keyed up after the battle despite the utter stillness into which she'd settled. Some member of the 4th Division whose face she could not recall had treated her leg. She remembered sitting next to her new Captain on the veranda while the medic dabbed her wounds. She remembered being offered sake, the cheers, the conversation, the grins all around.
Everyone looked happy. It was only her that felt tumultuous inside. She was all shaken up. When the last healing touch was laid upon her skin the 4th Division officer bowed.
"It was an honor to serve you, Vice-Captain Ise."
Vice-Captain?
Oh yeah.
She, little librarian technician, Ise Nanao had won the position of Vice-Captain. None of her academy acquaintances would believe that, would they? It was surreal.
She sat there numbly, hardly able to form the words to thank the person who'd just treated her before that person was gone and she no longer remembered the face. She was in shock.
"Nanao-chan."
The voice was gentle but the nickname was intimate and inappropriate. It made her bristle. She recalled that voice keenly and her glazed world sharpened as her eyes found his face.
"Captain Kyouraku," she acknowledged.
"Sake?" he held out a cup and she refused him.
"May I be excused?"
He paused a moment, undisturbed by the general chaos surrounding them.
"Nanao-chan," he reached for her hand and took it in his idly. He held her by the wrist limply as if he expected to hold her captive that way. "It was impressive, the way you ended this last battle. That is the way you will need to run this office."
This person staring at her was serious. There was no jest, no humor in him then. It was enough to steal her breath. He was intensity in its most potent form. He was male in a way she'd never experienced before. She needed to get away from him.
"May I go now?"
She needed to be firm and attempted to pull back her wrist, but he held on.
"So eager to leave me Nanao-chaaaan?" He stooped, lowering himself over his hand. When his lips touched the center of her palm, kissing her, her whole body flushed. "Thank you for keeping your promise. Goodnight." With that last breathed word, his hand fell away from hers and she sprang to her feet.
She left as quickly as her feet could take her without running away. When she passed through the front gates of the 8th Division her impatience got the better of her and she ran.
It wasn't until she reached her tiny home did she feel safe. Safe from what, she wasn't sure. But she was certain as she stood there, her back to the front door, that she had left the pieces of her dignity back at the 8th Division scattered around her new Captain's feet.
AN: Not sure that this chapter is entirely believable because I'm not sure if Nanao was truly strong enough to actually make the Vice-Captain position. So I invented the whole kidou-master thing which seemed to fit Nanao just fine anyway.