Disclaimer: (sigh) No. I don't. Sorry.
Orihime's mind was completely blank.
"....What?" she managed to utter.
"I thought that if there was someone else trying to actually pursuing you romantically, she might leave you alone. Then I realized, if it was a male, she'd start trying to turn you as soon as possible, but if it was a female, it would work. And besides, I couldn't think of any men I could get to do it. After I came up with the idea, I did consider asking your friend to do it... Tatsuki, right?" Rukia paused the explanation for an answer.
"R-right." Orihime confirmed. She wondered for a second what it would be like to have Tatsuki as a girlfriend, and decided that she actually might not mind it. Orihime was still a little stunned by Rukia's bold plan to lead Chizuru to believe that someone else actually wanted her, when it's obvious that most of the population of the school's males (and more of the females than she would care to remember) did.
"Now, I know what you're thinking," Rukia said, pulling on Orihime's arm to get her to start walking again, "you're thinking about all the guys and girls who actually do admire you that I could have asked, right, Orhime?" Orihime only nodded. She was amazed by Rukia's ability to know how people work. That's how she's always able to get people to do things, and how she always knows what to say... she just knows people, and how they work. Orihime summed it up in her mind as Rukia continued,
"Well, none of them like you the way I would need them to. See, they think you're pretty, and have a great bust size besides. But what I needed was an honest girl who really would like you for you, not your looks... or at least someone who could pull it off. All of the other people would have been too nervous to even approach you."
"So that's why they never talk to me...." Orihime said. Rukia nodded just as they got off the campus.
"At that point I figured, 'Why leave this to someone else? Who better to handle this than the person who devised it?'"
"So...." Orihime began, but faltered in her words. She wanted to ask questions, but she didn't know what to ask.
"Hmm?" Rukia inquired, turning her head to Orihime.
"Sodoyoureallylikeme? Umm, I-I mean... oh, why did I have to ask...." Orihime covered her face in her hands, trying to cover her blush as she walked. Rukia smiled. She pushed Orihime back at her shoulder, making the two girls face each other.
"Inoue. Look at me." Rukia said. Orihime slowly lifted her head from her hands to meet Kuchiki's gaze.
"I-I mean, if you don't want to answer, that's okay, because I didn't really mean to ask, and it's none of my business, really, so I'll understand if--" Orihime's blabbering was cut off by a finger to her lips. Orihime's blush grew more intense.
"Orihime," Rukia said, her expression serious, "I do like you for you, but..." she glanced around, probably to make sure that Chizuru wasn't around, but whispered anyway, "only as a friend." Orihme's face faded back to normal, as her embarrassed look turned to an expression that kind of said,
"Oh." the word seemed to slip from Orihime's mouth. Rukia found her sweetly dangerous smirk again.
"Or at least..." she said in the smoothest voice she could muster, "so far." Rukia finished her statement with a wink, then she turned to keep walking, keeping her smirk the whole time.
Orihime's jaw fell some at the wink, but not so much that a person would use the word 'hanging' to describe it. The blush that had just left returned, and Orihime reflexively tried again to cover it, but this time with only one hand.
"Kuchiki-san!" she shouted, chasing after Rukia, "Don't tease me like that! It's not nice!" the rosy tint became darker as she realized what she said. Rukia paused and let Orihime catch up.
"Why not?" she asked, still smirking.
".... I...." at first Orihime didn't know what to say, but then she became even more flustered than she already was, and yelled, "I don't know, it's just not!" while waving her arms around.
"Okay, okay... I get it, Inoue, calm down." Rukia said, pulling Orihime's arms back down to her sides.
Orihime immediately stopped. She had one thought rushing through her brain.
How much of it does she really get... does she know how lost I've been feeling lately?
There was silence as they walked. Orihime wondered about Rukia's abilities, letting herself slip into a daydream about Rukia being the ringleader of a circus, while Tatsuki and herself were jugglers, Ishida played a Robin Hood type role (while chasing Ichigo, the bad guy, the whole time), Chizuru could have been a tightrope walker, and....
"So..." Rukia said, carefully considering something, "I think teenage females usually talk while they go places, mostly about males, or they gossip... right?"
"Well, sure, but that's not always true." Orihime answered.
"Really?" Rukia asked, gathering information.
"Yeah. In fact, the closest friends are the ones who can be together for long periods of time without talking, or feeling like it's awkward." Orihime said, smiling and putting up a finger, "This one time, Tatsuki spent the night at my house, and I guess we just weren't interested in talking that night, because we never said a word. We had a great time anyway, though. Actually, I think it even became an unspoken game, because when I said 'Good morning' the next day, she smiled and told me that I lost."
"Wow. That's quite a feat." Rukia commented, "I don't think I've ever had that happen to me before...."
"We should try it!" Orihime shouted suddenly. Rukia made a face that said, 'Are you serious?', and Orihime answered, "C'mon, Kuchiki-san, it could be fun!"
"I don't know...." Rukia said, her tone making the fact that she was not favoring the idea obvious.
"Well, think about it. Meanwhile, I guess we can try...." Orihime let the unfinished statement hang in the air, so she could come up with something.
"Well, there's this game that I've heard of that I've been wanting to try, but no one ever seems to want to play it. They all say it's a child's game...." Rukia told Orihime.
"Oh? What game is that?" Orihime asked excitedly. Rukia blushed a little.
"I Spy." she said, too embarrassed to hold eye contact with the orange haired girl.
"Really? Well, Kuchiki-san, you should have come to me sooner! That's one of my favorite games!" Orihime said, practically bouncing, but holding herself back for fear of falling while she's walking.
"O-oh... I see." Rukia responded.
"No, Kuchiki-san, I Spy! Okay, okay, I'll go first." Orihime looked around, and said, "I spy... with my little eye... something that iiiiiisss... straight!"
"Umm... a building?" Rukia guessed.
"Nope!"
"That lamppost?"
"Oh! That's right!" Orihime exclaimed, "Okay, now it's your turn!"
"Uh... right." Rukia said, looking around, then asking, "How exactly does this work?"
"Pick something that you see. Don't tell me what it is, but pick something."
"Okay."
"Now repeat after me." Orihime said, and Rukia nodded, concentrating perhaps a little too hard, "I spy...
"I spy...." Rukia repeated, her face unmoving aside from her lips.
"With my little eye...."
"With my little eye...."
"Something that is...."
"Red." Rukia said.
"Oh! Okay...." Orihime muttered, scanning their surroundings, "Is iiiit.... The letters on that sign over there?"
"No."
"Hmm.... How about the bow on my school uniform?"
"Nope"
"Ummmmm... the bow on your school uniform?"
"Try again." Rukia giggled.
"Oh, I know! It's that car right there! The nii-san (A/N: Actually Nissan, but I like puns, so there, LOL)!"
"Right!" Rukia said smiling, "Hey, this is more fun than I thought it would be!"
"It gets really fun when you start getting more into the abstract." Orihime said.
"You mean it gets better?" Rukia asked, suddenly getting even more excited.
"Oh, yeah." Orihime replied, grinning.
The two girls played I Spy all the way to Orihime's house. It was Orihime's turn when she said,
"I spy, with my little eye, something that iiiiiiiiissss.... Oh, my building!"
"Um, I don't think you're supposed to tell me...." Rukia began.
"No, Kuchiki-san, this is where I live!" Orihime said.
"Oh! I see." Rukia said. As soon as they walked in, she began scanning the layout of the building, taking mental notes of everything she saw. They reached a door with the number 202 on it, and Orihime unlocked the door and walked in as Rukia continued taking her notes. Upon entering the room, Rukia began looking around the room with the most serious face, which immediately lifted when she remembered that she knew this room... that and it was small, so there wasn't much there.
"Why do you do that?" Orihime asked.
"Do what?"
"Take note of everything. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just curious." Orihime blurted, lightly blushing. Rukia smirked.
"Good thing you're not Yoruichi," Rukia commented, "or I'd have to say something about how that kind of thing can be deadly." Orihime held back a laugh.
"Ooh, Kuchiki-san, that's so mean." she said.
"But you know it's funny. And what's with all this 'Kuchiki-san' all the time? Surely we know each other better than that!" Rukia said, frowning.
"Well, uh, I..." Orihime stuttered, "Uh... well, you still call me 'Inoue'! That counts for something, right?"
"I guess so," Rukia shrugged, "but to answer your question, I take note of everything because it helps to know when you're in a battle, or if you have to get out fast."
"Oh. Cool." Orihime said.
There was an awkward silence until Rukia spoke.
"So, what now?" she asked. Orihime pondered this for a moment.
"Well, we could watch a movie."
".... Okay. I've been been interested in the idea since I first came to the human world." Rukia asked. Orihime's dumbfoundedness took over her features. "What?!" Rukia responded, wide-eyed, "Was it something I said?"
"Yes! Kuchiki-san, you've never seen a movie? Not one? Does Ichigo's family even own a TV?"
"Whether they own one or not is irrelevant." Rukia said calmly, "The main factor here is whether or not I've bothered to watch it."
".... I guess that's true...." Orihime said. Another awkward silence. Suddenly, something began to beep. Both girls gave each other a gravely serious glance before Rukia quickly checked her phone. The device helps her, as a Soul Reaper, locate various spirit beings, such as....
"A Hollow!" Rukia shouted, putting away the phone and getting out her Soul Candy, opening her mouth and preparing to swallow one of the pills.
"Should I come?" Orihime asked. Rukia paused before pressing the head of the Chappy the Rabbit pill dispenser, closed her mouth, and turned to face Orihime. At the sight of Rukia's expression, The orange-haired girl's bottom jaw fell by a few centimeters, parting her lips as her eyebrows came a little closer together, and she felt a mix of emotions that seemed familiar, like confusion, regret, and sadness.
The expression Orihime saw on Rukia's face was full of sadness, like she was much too lonely for her own good, and really wanted Orihime to go with her, but at the same time wanted to say no, that it was needless, and that she could handle it... but then Rukia let herself smile. Weakly, but it was enough to make Orihime do the same.
"Why not." Rukia said, her smile growing.
"R-really? You mean it?" Orihime exclaimed as Rukia took her gikongan (soul pill thingy), and her Soul Reaper form suddenly separated from her gigai (fake body).
"Chappy. Stay here. We'll be back." Rukia said to her gigai.
"Understood, pyon (1)!" Chappy said, grinning ear to ear and waving. Orihime watched, still a little surprised at Rukia's response, as the Soul Reaper swiftly jumped out the window. A few moments passed before Rukia's head popped up from under the window pane.
"Uhh, sorry.... I forgot that you can't just jump out windows and things like Soul Reapers do...." she said nervously, "Eer... maybe you can ride on my back?"
"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime shouted, completely shocked, "I... I couldn't possibly...!"
"Why not?" Rukia asked, frowning, "I used to ride on Ichigo's back all the time before my Soul Reaper powers came back!" Orihime's face turned slightly blank as she thought about the innuendo of Rukia's statement....
Uhh.... I think Tatsuki's right... Chizuru's way of thinking has invaded my mind.... Orihime thought, shaking her head in an attempt to bring herself back to the situation at hand.
Rukia had moved while Orihime spaced, and was now standing on the window pane, her arms crossed over her chest, and a very serious frown on her face. Orihime couldn't help but compare her to a certain caped American super hero who tends to "stand" outside people's windows on occasion....
"I don't have forever," Rukia said, "Either you ride on my back, or you can't come."
"OKAY! Okay, I'll do it...." Orihime blurted. Rukia stepped down from the window and into the room, and Orihime noticed the grace in even this small movement.
Rukia bent down a little and told Orihime, "Well, get on."
Orihime blushed and closed her eyes as she thought, Don't think like Chizuru, don't think like Chizuru.... She forced back the innuendo, opened her eyes and, suddenly determined, walked purposefully to Rukia, and climbed onto her back.
"Ready?" Rukia asked.
"Yeah." Orihime answered.
At this, Rukia jumped out the window once more.
"Okay, maybe I wasn't...." Orihime gasped, putting one hand over her mouth.
"You want me to pull over?" Rukia asked, smirking.
"N-no... I'll be fine...." Orihime regained her composure and swept her hair out of her face. Rukia was so used to traveling this way, she had the skill to let her mind picture Orihime's hair billowing violently in the wind due to the speed, and the determined look Inoue probably had on her face. The Soul Reaper was glad just then that Orihime couldn't see her face, as it had unconsciously slipped into a sad smile as she came back to reality... and she wasn't in the mood to be questioned at the moment.
"THERE!!" Orihime shouted, pointing. Rukia followed her finger and saw it: a huge creature, wearing a mask that seemed to be made of bone, and seemed to be mostly red in color. She made as soft a turn as she possibly could, considering Orihime's condition, and headed towards the Hollow. They landed, and the Hollow immediately took note of them.
"You two..." it said, "smell especially TASTY!" It swung its hand at them, but Rukia already had her zanpakuto (sword, means "soul cutter") unsheathed, and blocked the attack with ease.
"I'm not sure if I want to accept that as a compliment...." Rukia taunted the Hollow, "What do you think, Inoue?"
"I don't know if I would either...." she said.
"It's agreed then...." Rukia told the Hollow, "Your mug is too ugly to accept compliments from."
"YOU BITCH!" It shouted. Its eyes suddenly glowed red, and Rukia knew something was going to happen.
"Orihime...!" she shouted to the red haired girl... perhaps a little too late. The ground the girls were standing on suddenly burst into flame.
"Hahahaha!" The Hollow laughed, "Nothing can stand against my firepower!"
"Oh, really?" Rukia's voice said from behind the wall of flames, "Why didn't you just set us on fire directly? Can you only burn inanimate objects?"
"What the hell?" the Hollow asked in disbelief, "How are you still alive?"
"Rukia, hurry..." Orihime muttered, concentrating on her Santen Keshun (Three God Protection Shield) under their feet, holding back the flames, "I don't know how long I can hold this...."
"Don't worry... I know how to easily deal with this guy... it might be over the top, but...." Rukia started saying, and was interrupted by Inoue's outburst of,
"Then do it!" Rukia glanced at Orihime, and saw that she really was beginning to struggle.
Of course, Rukia thought, Almost all the other attacks she's ever rejected were quick! She lifted her zanpakuto and thought, I should make this fast. It might hurt a little, but that's okay....
"Dance," Rukia said, "Sode no Shirayuki."
At that moment, her zanpakuto turned completely white, including the blade, and seemed to grow a long, white, silken ribbon from the not-bladed end of the hilt.
Oh...." Orihime almost gasped at the sight... and then felt her shield get weaker for a moment. "Ahh!" she cried as she completely focused on her shield again. Rukia stepped forward and prepared to thrust her zanpakuto down into the flames, and where she knew there was ground underneath them. She had to do it four times, to create the target area;(2) she cringed the first time as the flames devoured her hands, but the other three weren't as bad. Every time she removed her sword, a small pillar of light shot up, as a kind of a marker.
"Second dance," Rukia announced her next attack as she positioned herself to stab the ground once more, "Hakuren (White Ripple/Wave?)."
She slid her blade into the ground in the center of all the pillars, and a giant tidal wave of snow covered everything in front of Rukia, knocking back the Hollow and putting out half of the fire. The Soul Reaper grabbed Orihime's arm and flash stepped over to the Hollow.
"AAAHHHH! I CAN'T GET UP! BITCH, WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"I can't help it if you're too big for your own good." Rukia commented, her face giving no hint of sympathy.
"Wh-what was that? Weren't we just over there?" Orihime blinked and tried to register the information.
"Shunpo," Rukia answered, "or sometimes it's called a Flash Step. It's a Soul Reaper technique," then she turned to Orihime and said, "Would you like to do the honors?", reverting her zanpakuto and sheathing it, glad to be able to rest her burnt hands.
"Wha- oh!" Orihime didn't get what Rukia was asking at first, but caught on fast, "Sure."
The orange-haired girl stepped back a little, and was going to keep doing so when Rukia shouted,
"That's probably far enough."
"O-oh, yeah." Orihime said, then stopped and put on the same determined face Rukia imagined earlier, put her hands forward and shouted, "Koten Zanshun (Lone God Cutting Shield)! I reject!"
what seemed to be only a disk of light suddenly shot towards the Hollow, and flew threw it, effectively slicing it in two.
"Gahh..." the Hollow murmured as it faded out from existence.
"Well," said the tiny fairy-man that suddenly was in Orihime's face, "that was fun. You should get into fights more often, woman." Orihime's eyes widened as a slightly burnt fist materialized around the fairy.
"Do you realize how disrespectful that is?" Rukia said, her hand grasping the fairy, her expression showing an intent to teach him a lesson through physical punishment.
"Rukia, your hands...!" Orihime exclaimed, "Doesn't that hurt?" Rukia smiled weakly.
Not as much as just being.... she began to think, but shook her head and said, "Not as bad as you might think."
"Oh, Rukia...." Orihime whispered, leaning closer to Rukia's hands, "Let me fix that...."
"What, are you planning to kiss them and make them all better?" Rukia inquired due to Orihime's distance... or lack thereof. Orihime looked up, establishing eye contact with Kuchiki. Rukia's confusion took control of her visage when she saw the honesty in Inoue's eyes... and that she was blushing a little.
"Well, no, but I could, if you wanted me to...." Orihime said, her words almost fused together. She look away again as her blush spread. Rukia couldn't help but begin to blush as well.
"Eeh.... Umm..." Rukia muttered, "I don't think that'll be necessary.... We should probably leave before Ichigo shows up... I'm not in the mood to deal with him right now...."
"O-okay...." Orihime said, walking over to Kuchiki. The Soul Reaper simply swept Orihime up in her arms.
"Don't look down," Rukia told Orihime, and took off.
Later....
"What the hell?" Ichigo wondered, all ready for a Hollow versus Soul Reaper battle, "I was hoping to get some action today, too.... DAMN YOU, KON!!"
(1) In the manga, each of the Soul Candy characters in the series (except Kon) have a particular word that they end their sentences with. I think Chappy actually says "pyon" a little more often than that in the anime....
(2) Did I use the semicolon right? I've never really understood the rules on it....