Title: Cougar
Date: 12 March, 2011
Words: 768
Characters: Toshiro, Rangiku; mentioned Renji, Ikkaku, Shuuhei, Shunsui, Nanao
Pairings: Rangiku & Toshiro, implied Shunsui & Nanao
Summary: Rangiku is upset, so Toshiro tries to figure out why. He may regret his decisions later, though.
Inspiration: Just a flash of inspiration and an idea I had to act on.
Rating: PG
A/N: Guess what! I'm still alive and well, and I'm still writing (trying to get back into the swing of things, of course). Blame Shamork. He's responsible for keeping me occupied, haha. I thought you'd enjoy this, and I certainly hope you do. At first I thought perhaps I had too many off-shoots going on in the conversation, but then I realized (and I don't know why I didn't realize this before, being female myself), that this is simply just the way women hold conversations. Bear with it. I promise it has a point. 8-)
In further news… I'm 99% sure I will be redoing the HP fic (again, I know, but this will be the last time, promise!). Just got a few things I have to do to it first, then I'll start reposting things. The website has been shut down, because I just don't have the time (and right now the money) to keep up with it. If I get kicked off this site, then definitely look for Rachel Noelle's writings to appear on her own website. Believe me. But I really do like it here, ya know?
Thanks, as always, for reading and for sticking with me, those of you who are still reading my stuff. I promise to work on my efforts to write and update more often!
-Rachel Noelle
P.S. It has been a while since I last wrote for Bleach. Pardon me if some of my names are misspelled or anything.
oOoOo—RN—oOoOo
"Taicho," Rangiku called out as she walked through the door to their office. "I am never speaking to Renji again. Ever!" she huffed and plopped down on the sofa.
Toshiro hung his head, knowing he had no choice but to accept his fate and oblige her with a response. "And why would that be? You seem rather upset about it."
"He and all those idiots from the Eleventh kept calling me, like a cat. Saying 'Here, kitty, kitty,' over and over again. At first I thought it might be something about Haneiko, because, you know, she is a cat, after all. But they kept at it, and I asked them to stop."
"Uh-huh. More like yelled at them and threatened to have me freeze them, I presume?" Toshiro countered. Rangiku smiled guiltily.
"Why would I do that? That would be an abuse of your powers, now, wouldn't it?" she retorted, trying to sound innocent.
"Of course. I can't imagine why you'd do such a thing."
"Anyway, the point is, I asked them to stop, and they wouldn't. So, I walked away. I went on about delivering papers, and when I got to the Eighth, Kuoraku taicho was smiling like he knew something. I always know when it's about me, or maybe Ukitake taicho, because he gets this sparkle in his left eye. When it's Nanao it's his right eye that gets it. I asked him what he knew, and he just laughed and said, 'Well, you certainly aren't a tiger, or a lion. And you're hardly comparable to a house cat, don't you think?' and he only laughed when I tried to get anything else out of him." Rangiku crossed her arms beneath her breasts and pouted.
"And?" Toshiro asked, knowing there had to be more to the story if she was angry enough with Renji to vow to never speak to him again.
Rangiku did not require much prompting. "I went back to Renji and Ikkaku, because they seemed to have been the ones to send out the stupid memo to all of the men. I guess it's 'let's all call Rangiku a kitty day' today or something. I even had Haneiko threaten Renji, I mean, she only likes Hyou-kun calling her a kitty. And Zabimaru would let her pound on Renji if she wanted. He's pretty sweet on her. Something about saving him from Senbonzakura. But even with that Renji nor Ikkaku neither one would say anything. So I slapped them both and ran off."
"Rangiku, you can't just go around hitting anyone and everyone who won't cooperate on the first try," Toshiro reprimanded.
"Says you. It worked. But now I'm stuck trying to figure out what Renji said meant," Rangiku sighed, pouting again. "I asked everyone I could think to ask, even Nanao, and everyone just snickered and laughed and ran off the other direction."
"With a glare like that, I'd run off, too," Toshiro grinned. Rangiku's unwitting imitation of her earlier glare grew more dangerous. "In fact, perhaps I should?" Toshiro's eyes grew just a bit larger with fright. She might not be as powerful as him where her zanpakuto and kido were concerned, but she had access to certain areas that she could certainly damage for a very, very long time. He swallowed noticeably and tried to draw her attention away from him. "So, what was it that Renji said that you can't figure out?"
Rangiku heaved a great sigh and slumped her shoulders. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'll find Renji again later and make him tell me. I have something Shuuhei and Kuchiki taicho both might enjoy seeing, if he won't say, of course."
"Rangiku, don't try to blackmail people. That's not polite," Toshiro warned, adding more sternly at the look of innocence on her face at his warning, "That's an order."
"Of course, Taicho!" she replied brightly, a twinkle in her eye saying she had no intention of listening if it suited her to do so.
Toshiro accepted his fate, hung his head, then resumed his paperwork.
After nearly a half hour of serene calm in the small office, Rangiku looked up again. "Taicho," she began, implying she had a question for him.
"Yes?" he replied, not expecting her next question.
"Renji kept calling me a 'cougar'. What does that mean?"
Toshiro would later regret his decision to not contain his laughter at her befuddled expression, as when she stormed from the room, mumbling about the lousiness of the whole male populace, she added something about 'not getting any for at least six months, no matter what' to the end.