"M-Miyuki…are you still awake?"
"Hai, hai; I'm up,"
I hesitated; nervousness exuded me and escaped through my next stuttered words.
"C-Can I s-sleep next to you?" I whispered.
It was so late, and Miyuki had worked more than all of us had today. She must've been so tired…yet here I was, unable to handle my own mental insecurity and pleading for her comfort. I was such a terrible person.
"Hai, hai; come here, Akinoyo-chan," she whispered back.
Her tone seemed so unaffected by her fatigue; the only thing I was able to hear was the welcoming and pleasant tone she wanted me to hear.
I sniffled and wiped my tears as I sat up.
My eyes adjusted to the pitch black room as much as possible, and I tried my best to navigate myself quietly over the sleeping bodies on the floor. Miyuki generally slept near the window, and I slept in the very corner of the room against the wall due to my claustrophobia of laying in-between the other females.
"What are you doing? Go to sleep." One of the women groggily told me when I accidently stumbled over her thigh.
"S-S-Sorry," I whispered.
When I finally made it to the window, Miyuki's warm hand reached for me and connected with my arm. She slid her hand down to my elbow and then behind my back to pull me closer to her. I yearned for her touch, and emotionally released myself in the comfort of her grasp.
"I'm here, Akinoyo-chan—I'll always stay awake for you," she cooed softly in my ear so that only I could hear. "Come on now; try to get some sleep, okay?"
She pulled me closer into her, and I didn't hesitate to bury my face into her chest. I gripped her tightly, trying to stifle the violent sobs that I desperately wanted to give. She gently combed her fingers through my hair, and breathed loudly enough for only me to hear—she did it in an effort for me to mimic her rhythmic breathing to calm myself. She meant everything to me—I tried so hard not to show that I needed anyone, but when the time for sleep came, I-I…I just…
I sniffled to try to calm my breathing down.
I just wanted to be okay. I just wanted to be strong. I just wanted to…
"Akinoyo-chan," Miyuki rested her chin lightly on the top of my head. "Will you hum a sweet song for me?"
For Miyuki, I would do so much more than that…
I cleared my throat as quietly as I could. I took a few staggered breaths, and repositioned myself into a more comfortable position in Miyuki's arms.
I hummed lightly. Two long hums each starting at the higher-pitched end of the spectrum that steadily made their way down to a lower-pitch were first. Those two first hums were then followed by two more with the same timing and pattern. I'd hum this set three times before adding six short, yet perfectly placed hums to break the monotony.
"There's my sweet Akinoyo-chan," Miyuki said lightly.
Her tone was so sweet to me, and made me feel human in this world of where we were treated as animals.
I snuggled into her and closed my eyes tight, hearing her calming heartbeat while I continued to hum for her. I could just...
-x-x-
My eyes shot open to a completely unfamiliar ceiling. I sat up and wiped the stray, remnant tears my dream left me with as I tried to assess the situation.
Looking around, I saw that I was in an old-style home; the walls classic wood with glued, square cuts of paper. I was on a futon on the floor of tatami mats, and my head hurt like a mother fucker.
I didn't remember getting a fancy hotel like this one—was I still with a client? I never fell asleep on a client.
I ceased all movement to tune my ears in for any type of movement or sound. After a few moments, I heard a few footsteps outside the door and heard the weight of a human body creak the tatami floor as they sat.
"Still nothing?" An unfamiliar male voice asked.
"No. She still hasn't regained consciousness."
That voice…it was…Hitsugaya?
Oh no.
Oh my fucking—
"Shit!" I shouted aloud as I scrambled out of bed.
The door slid open with a slam, and Hitsugaya immediately entered the room with an unfamiliar male behind him.
"Kiteya—"
"What the fuck have you done?" I shouted as I glared at my white-haired savior.
I shoved all the covers off me, and was on my feet so fast that it made my head spin.
"Careful; you're still—"
"Ow! What in the—"
The pain radiating from the side of my skull spiked tenfold as soon as I stood up. Stars clouded my vision immediately, and I was down to one knee in an instant.
"You're not fully healed from that head wound, Kiteyama; take it easy," Hitsugaya had caught me by my shoulder as I fell, and leaned down to try to make eye contact.
I smacked his arm off me and looked up at him with a glare.
"Why the fuck didn't you listen to me, Hitsugaya?"
Although I was thankful that he saved me from an immediate beating, this whole situation was now grim—anger and resentment were the only two emotions that dominated me now, and I was going to let him have it.
"Do you even understand just what you've done? You're over here telling me to 'take it easy,' yet you have literally no idea just how much fucking shit I'm in now because you didn't listen! Open those fucking eyes of yours and look at this!" I held up my wrist to show my red-lit tracker bracelet.
"See how that's red? That means they're tracking me down as I'm sitting here scolding you! You know what they're gonna do when they find me? They're going to kill you, they're to kill whoever your friend over there is, and then guess what? Wanna know what their grand prize is going to be? Torturing me, raping me, and then killing me like a Kami-damned-fucking animal!"
"That's not going to happen, Kiteyama; you need to—"
"If you tell me to calm down, I will fucking lose it, Hitsugaya." I snarled.
"Can you at least listen for just a minute before you jump to conclusions?" Hitsugaya tried to request calmly.
"She sure is a fiery one, Hitsugaya-Taichou!" The blonde haired man wearing a green and white striped bucket hat commented behind him.
I glared at him and then focused back on that fucking dildo of a knight in shining armor. I could not believe just how far up shit creek I was now thanks to this guy. My life was finally getting to be just a little comfortable, and now this fuck-tard just screwed me out of everything. What was I supposed to do now? Where was I supposed to hide? What, was Hitsugaya going to be my personal bodyguard forever now? Nope! Especially when the heroic act doesn't result in my fairytale-like succumb to my sudden and overwhelming affection for him. Seriously! The nerve of this fucking guy was out of this fucking world!
"Kiteyama, I know what you told me, and I am aware of the risks. However, it was necessary for me to bring you here. Kiteyama, you do not belong here. You can't continue your life like this without knowing, and understanding the truth about yourself." Hitsugaya began to explain.
I scoffed and crossed my arms.
"Really? Because you know so fucking much about me after two days of getting to know me. Please, elaborate for me, Einstein; I'd just love to hear your analysis." I sat back down on the bed and crossed my legs in a comfortable, yet edged position.
Now that I sat and breathed, I felt like fucking Hell. My head hurt so bad that the thought of getting up to make my get-a-way trek to Timbuktu made my head throb and my eye squint outside of my control. Tatsu had a Hell of a punch.
Hitsugaya ignored the anger my heavy sarcasm caused by taking in a deep breath.
"Kiteyama, listen carefully. Do these words ring any bells to you: Shinigami, Soul Society, Seireitei,"
As soon as he said those three S-lettered words, something within me dropped. Like, the feeling of your stomach bungee-jumping out of its usual crevice like an adrenaline junkie on Spring break. The words didn't evoke memories, but an unsettled feeling more than anything else.
Hitsugaya stared at me, awaiting my response.
"Well, they leave me with a weird feeling in the pit of my gut, but other than that they don't ring any bells." I explained.
Hitsugaya looked up at his shadowy-eyed friend beside him, and the man took out his fan from his pocket.
"This is indeed interesting," the man said, sitting down Indian-style next to Hitsugaya.
"What does a Kami of death have to do with anything? Are you trying to tell me a bed time story about how one of them will reap the shit out of my life and kill me? Well he's already too late, because my life is already pretty much over now. But if you insist, at least grab me some popcorn first,"
"This isn't a joke Kiteyama; I'm being serious." Hitsugaya sassed me back.
"Really? A fictional, unproven belief from ancient times is serious to you? Give me a fucking break! I'd have to be a fucking child to believe that poppycock." I spat.
The man with the fan laughed at me before turning to Hitsugaya.
"Well, I suppose it's true to any normal human that the concept of Shinigami does come off as a farce and nothing else." The blonde chuckled.
"Let's put it to the test then, shall we?" Hitsugaya stood up.
Hitsugaya reached into his pant's pocket and took out a red candy dispenser with a bunny as the head of the device. I couldn't help myself.
"No. Way. This proves it—Shinigami do exist! In the form of a candy dispenser, they'll slice your finger and your life if you misuse them. I should write a B-rated American Horror film—I'd win a prize for sure with the golden storyline you just gave me." I chuckled.
Hitsugaya popped the candy out of the dispenser and into his mouth.
In less than a second, his body separated into two separate entities as if a cross rammed into him and a possessive demon was exorcised out of him.
I scrambled back immediately from the sheer horror that wracked my body from the sight.
"What in Kami's name—"
"Still seem like 'poppycock' to you, Kiteyama?" The new Hitsugaya that emerged from the old one asked.
"Oh, goodness; this morning's entertainment sure has been worth my while—I should be the one with the popcorn," the chuckling, green-clothed man commented.
"J-J-Just what the Hell is this, Hitsugaya?" I stuttered like a child hiding under a blanket.
"Kiteyama, I am a Shinigami. I—along with several others—am a part of an organization that operates from the Seireitei. It is our job to help Souls cross over to the Soul Society from the World of the Living—which we are both currently in."
I had so many questions that I didn't even know when, or how to even start. Just staring at the man now clothed in old-fashioned garb made the cogs in my brain stall to almost a complete stop. The only thing that stuck out above the rest in my mind was...
"So…what does this mean, Hitsugaya? Are you here to reap me?" I boldly questioned.
My breaths were starting to become more noticeable with each passing millisecond, and I didn't know if I should just get up and run, or lay down to make things easier.
While it seemed ridiculous, if Hitsugaya hadn't of exorcised himself, I wouldn't even give it a second thought. But just what were these Shinigami, and what exactly did I have to do with them? Although Hitsugaya said he wasn't here to harm me, what would a Kami of death even want from me in the first place? Shinigami took human lives when it was their due time to go—according to the legends. Did that mean that he was here to ease me into my own death?
My heart started fluttering without my consent. If it was my fate to die now, then so be it. I guess it would ultimately be better and the only escape from my life now—it made sense. Although my amygdala was now active against my own control, I had no choice but to endure it, and see what comes next.
Hitsugaya seemed to have sensed my aura, and slowly approached in a very calm manner.
"Urahara, if you wouldn't mind," Hitsugaya turned his head to the man upon his arrival.
The man—Urahara apparently—pulled a scroll out of his robe. He handed it to Hitsugaya, and then Hitsugaya turned his attention back to me.
"Kiteyama, by now if you're still thinking that I'm going to harm you, then clearly you don't trust anything I've said to you prior. I want to remind you that if I were here for the purpose of 'reaping' you—as you phrased—then I wouldn't have hesitated, and you'd already be dead." He explained.
He had a point. I just couldn't help it in the situation however. With all the things I've been through for the past five years of my life, it's hard to place my faith in anyone at this point. And now that paranormal shits been brought into the picture, I just don't know how to feel about anything.
I searched Hitsugaya's eyes for a moment. Those hues of his…the feeling that I had last night came back to mind the longer I stared into them. I remembered just how I felt before unconsciousness overwhelmed me. I trusted him then; why didn't I trust him now?
As much as I hated to do it, it had to be said.
"I-I'm sorry, Hitsugaya." I balled my hands into fists; I didn't actually know how to show gratitude properly anymore. "You're right; if you were here to harm me, you'd have done it long ago. I'll listen to what you have to say, but I'm not going to pretend like everything isn't an absolute shit show right now, and I'm certainly not going to be able to soak 'this'"—I gestured to him entirely—"in too quickly either. Anyway, go ahead and say what you need to say then."
I crossed my arms and took a deep breath. I'm sure that whatever Hitsugaya was going to say to me was going to completely wreck my entire existence. At this point, I could only fasten my Kami-damn seatbelt.
He gave an exasperated sigh, followed by a chuckle. "I didn't expect you to—I know this must all come off preposterously to you; I expect some skepticism. I commend you for giving it a chance." He complimented.
"Thanks I guess," I shook my head. "Okay, get on with it then."
I could've sworn I saw an eyeroll, but then again I was seeing a lot of things today. I paid it no mind as he began to speak.
"Kiteyama, before I begin to explain to you, I need to know; what is your first memory of?" He asked.
I gulped and closed my eyes.
I really didn't want to say it…but…
"The first thing I saw was blood," I began.
-x-x-
The red liquid filled the cracks between the wood the floor was composed of, and my eyes followed it as it slowly trailed across the floor.
In an instant, something impacted my stomach and the swift motion sent my body tumbling back. I squealed through the fabric stuffed in my mouth, and breathed heavily through my nostrils in frightened pants that sent my heart into overdrive.
I tried to look around again, and I didn't see anything aside from the walls on either side of me. I squirmed around to find out my hands were tied behind my back, and my feet were both tied together at my ankles. I tried to wiggle free, but to no avail whatsoever.
"Look at this new recruit," a male voice, deep and malevolent began.
My heart sank as it set in that I just might die then and there. I had no idea where I was, how I got there, who I was, or why this was even happening to me.
Tears immediately formed streams down my face, dripping off my cheeks and onto the floor beneath me.
A force slammed my head down into my own teardrops on the floor, and my vision blurred from the impact. What I assumed was a boot pressed my face into the floor—my nose felt like it would break from the amount of pressure put behind it.
"Oi, is she a virgin?" The male using me as a floor mat asked.
"Go ahead and find out for yourself—I'll give you the honor since you've been a huge help lately," Another male answered.
The one that answered had a very unique sound to his voice, as if he were muffled behind something as he spoke. He was so calm above all else; seemingly unfazed by what was happening—like it was a game he'd already played.
"You don't have to tell me twice," The man above me chuckled.
He proceeded to rip whatever garments I had on off me with a knife, and then flipped me over and spread my legs.
-x-x-
"Obviously I don't have to spell out what happened after that." I looked away at the wall.
Hitsugaya and Urahara processed what I said, and an uncomfortable silence fell on us for a few seconds before Hitsugaya broke the ice.
"That's unfortunate to hear, Kiteyama—I'm sorry you had to go through that." He shifted uncomfortably.
"It's not your fault; don't worry about it."
I tried to smile, but the memory in itself made me want to curl up in a fetal position and cry. Granted, it only got worse from there, but that first initial feeling of fear and panic was something that would never be able to be erased.
"May I asked what happened after that?" Hitsugaya continued.
"After that, I was kept in a room with several other women, and utilized for my womanly attributes as a sex slave to put it bluntly. The following four years I stayed in that room like a caged animal until I finally started getting some regulars, and was trusted enough to not run off. Once the trust was established, I was given my own apartment and left alone to search for possible assets—the original reason I decided to let you walk me home." I looked up at the duplicate Hitsugaya.
"Assets for what in particular, Kiteyama-san?" Urahara asked.
"The organization that I belong to is almost as high up as the Yakuza; their main form of income is prostitution, second is drug sales and third is most likely raids. I don't know too much out of my own field, however what I do know is that they are constantly looking for new recruits—er, assets—to join them. I've never been face to face with the leader of the organization, but I know he's quite a powerful man in the underworld. I think he's former Yakuza, but that's just my speculation. I'm just assuming with how he's able to create a successful group like this, he must've belonged to another group previously—Kami only knows. Anyhow, within my field, we have what we call 'handlers;' the two Hitsugaya and I encountered last night were both handlers. Each handler is in charge of at least 10 of us whores. Rafael was the one in charge of me, and he was the one that you punched in the face when you first came after me. Assets are to either become handlers, or utilized as muscle for the other fields of the organization. Either way, they have to be tough, and strong." I explained in a mouthful.
"I see," the blonde contemplated.
"Now that I've answered your questions, it's time you both answered a few of mine. Hitsugaya, what does all this Shinigami business have to do with me? Do you really know what happened to me, or are you just winging it based off a theory?"
"Have a look at this." Hitsugaya held up the scroll that Urahara had given to him, and I took it cautiously.
I untied the ribbon, and delicately opened the document.
On the scroll was a picture of me on the top right hand corner, followed by the following information:
Kiteyama Akinoyo
Squad 13 – Seat 28
Height: 157.5 CM
Weight: 54.4 KG
Eyes: Lavender
Hair: Black
D.O.B.: November 16 -
Status: M.I.A.
The picture was probably what got to me more than anything else. It was definitely me no matter how I tried to reason it's fabrication. I don't ever remember taking a picture like this, but the hairstyle was a huge signifier—I liked wearing my hair fashioned exactly how it was in the picture to the 'T.' The thing about it is that I never wore my hair like that other than in private due to my jobs—most men liked my hair down and flowing, and I generally wore my hair in a bun at the Diner.
I rolled up the scroll and set it next to me. I summoned some courage and looked up at the Shinigami, and didn't waver my gaze. "Where did you get this?"
"From Squad 13's records." Hitsugaya promptly answered. "I'll explain what that means in more depth later; for now know that the document was sent to me from the Seireitei."
"Why would the Seirei-whatever have documentation on me in the first place? Have they been keeping tabs on my life? Why would they keep tabs on me specifically? Do they keep that for every human? Why wou—"
"Kiteyama, I promise that I'll explain everything to you soon. We have to move locations in a few minutes, and I want to tell you this before we do." Hitsugaya interrupted.
I nodded to let him continue.
"In the outskirts of the Rukongai five years ago, there were reports of frequent Hollow activity. Squad 13 was ordered to dispatch a seated officer along with nine men to investigate. When the group didn't return, Squad 8 along with a few from Squad 13 were sent. When they arrived on the scene, the only thing that remained were the body parts of the original investigation team. Squad 12 was sent in after that for an information sweep, and found traces of Arrancar reiatsu. The case remains unsolved even today, and there hasn't been any other Arrancar activity in the Soul Society since."
Hitsugaya waited to make sure that I was following along before he continued. The terminology threw me off, but basically he was trying to tell me that there was some type of investigation and the ones sent were slaughtered—to me that was already enough to make my stomach start churning. I nodded as he continued.
"When all the body parts were collected, they were only able to piece together nine bodies; meaning that one was M.I.A." Hitsugaya looked at the scroll next to me, and then back up at me.
"You're joking." I immediately responded.
"I wish I was." He looked right back at me.
I took the scroll and unraveled it again for unnecessary, yet fulfilling mental affirmation that this was in fact me on this piece of paper, and that I was the M.I.A. investigator. I stared into my own lavender eyes in the picture, and braced myself for hesitant acceptance.
"And so here I am—five years later, alive and somewhat well. What does this mean?" I questioned.
"It means that you were kept alive for a reason, Kiteyama; a reason that we're going to get to the bottom of. For you to be alive in the World of the Living alone is enough for us to raise suspicion. What needs to happen now is for us to go back to the Seireitei to come up with a plan, and investigate the entire situation." He explained.
My mind was running amuck at that point. I was so confused about everything, and just couldn't come to terms that I was once involved in a situation like this. It made my head hurt more than it already did just trying to follow along so my brain receptors could properly process the correct emotions I was to experience with his words.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
"Well, aren't I the luckiest gal out there." I scoffed.
Coordinated and fast footsteps approached us, and a teenager with red hair slid the door open in urgency.
"Boss, there's some people out front trying to break in! They say we've stolen something of theirs!" The teen exclaimed quickly.
Hitsugaya stood up quickly along with Urahara, and he outstretched his hand to me.
"We're out of time; we have to leave now." Hitsugaya said.
"I'll keep your gigai hidden for the time being; you know how to get out." Urahara said before snapping his fingers and making his way toward the teen.
Hitsugaya's old body followed, and I looked up to the Hitsugaya in front of me as I tried to swallow down the panic that formed in my throat.
"Hitsugaya, I need to know one thing," I began.
Our heads both snapped to the sounds of movements coming from where the other two exited—I was running out of time.
"Make it quick." Hitsugaya urged.
I felt like I was ready to burst. I was such a ball of nerves, anxiety, and panic that the question just shot out of me.
"Just what the fuck am I, Hitsugaya?" I blurted.
"The same as I am—a Shinigami." He responded.
I shook my head and smirked out of forced and false bravado—my one true coping mechanism—as I let out a chuckle.
"Do I at least get to scare people to death?" I took Hitsugaya's hand.
"Highly unlikely," He smirked as he curled his fingers around my hand.
"Well damn." I grinned.
In an instant—faster than I could even process—Hitsugaya pulled me up, picked me up, and we were out of there faster than I could blink.