Chapter 4: Setup and Takedown
Shuji rested quietly on his bed, staring up at the photographs of Byakuya and feeling a sense of disquiet. It unnerved him that his doctored photo had been used to dishonor his Byakuya…but…the man at the paper said he was certain the accusation was true…and that they just needed the picture so people would see what happened. So what, he had reasoned, if the picture was doctored…so long as the accusation was true. But would he do it? Would his Byakuya truly do that with Takashi? If so…would he also…
He sensed a rise in reiatsu and froze. Whoever it was did not care that he would be sensed. He walked with purpose, already seeming to know that Shuji was there. He was someone powerful. Shuji came to his feet as the man appeared in the doorway.
At first, he thought it was his beloved Byakuya, coming for revenge. His heart leapt into his throat and his eyes widened. But as the man stepped into the room, Shuji could see the more angular and thinner lines of his body…and a much meaner look about him. The man was dangerous…and was obviously there about the use of his pictures. Shuji stared as the man's eyes swept over the room, studying the hundreds of photographs of the Kuchiki clan leader, then they turned and came to rest on the trembling young man who had taken them.
"You are quite a talented photographer," he said in a voice that, although not unfriendly, sent a chill down Shuji's spine.
This man was extremely dangerous.
"You seem to spend a great deal of time with your lens focused on Lord Kuchiki. And you truly seem to capture his beauty."
He stepped further into the room and looked more closely at the photos. It did not escape Shuji that the man seemed to linger over the ones doctored to include himself.
"It is difficult to tell…that some of these have been doctored…"
"If you're here about the…"
There was the hiss of a flash step and he was pushed back against the wall with the man's hand over his mouth. The glinting eyes held him spellbound and the reiatsu, so like and yet unlike Byakuya's burned against his mind.
"Shh," the man hissed softly, "I will tell you when I want you to speak."
He gazed at the pictures behind Shuji. His hands loosened slightly, but did not let go.
"Shuji, you can tell a great deal about an artist when you study his work…and we have been treated to a large number of your photographs lately. It is clear that you have a fascination with our clan leader. You seem quite devoted to capturing his every move. You have brought your entire career to rest on photographing him. That is dedication, isn't it?"
He studied Shuji's wary eyes.
"But you don't just want to photograph him, do you?"
"I…"
"Shh…the question was rhetorical. I know the answer already," he said in a soft, seductive purr.
"You would give anything for him to notice you, right?"
Shuji was wise enough to remain silent, but a shiver went through him as the man's face moved closer.
"You would love to see him up close, closer than the lens of a camera could bring you, right?"
He brought a hand to Shuji's face.
"I think you want this desperately. Your photographs cry out with affection. It isn't so much that the camera loves him…it is that you do."
The man leaned forward and Shuji could feel the soft breath on his skin. The light in the room suddenly went out and the two were standing in the darkness. Shuji found his mind replacing the image of this man, this frightening other with the powerful, beautiful image of Byakuya.
"I know exactly the content of your thoughts," the man went on, "You wish you were standing in this room with him. You wish he was the one holding you like this. You wish his eyes were the ones looking into yours, that you felt his sweet breath on your skin. You needn't answer, Shuji. Your photographs told me everything. But you have a problem, don't you?"
He closed the distance and captured the young man's lips in a very tender kiss. Shuji's heart was racing, threatening to burst. This man's eyes were frightening and his hands on Shuji left him with the feeling of being slowly suffocated. The kiss he gave Shuji was deceptively gentle, but there was a threat beneath it. Shuji didn't dare move now. The man pulled away.
"These pictures…even the ones you have placed yourself in…and the kiss I just gave you have something in common. They are stand-ins for the real thing. They will carry you for a while, but they are not real. They never will be."
He smiled and it was not a friendly smile.
"You can content yourself with falsehood, but in the long run, it will drive you mad. But you are lucky, Shuji. I have need of one such as you…one who has centered his life around Byakuya…one who can truly capture him. I think you would like to be that person. You will come to the Kuchiki Council Hall. You will do exactly as I tell you…and you will be rewarded with a position very close to my cousin…very close."
"Why?"
The snakelike eyes froze him.
"Ask no questions. You will have your heart's desire. Just be quiet and do as you are told. Do not worry about why…"
There was the sudden hiss of a flash step and the man was gone. Shuji remained pressed against the wall, the man's kiss still burning on his mouth and his very aroused member throbbing painfully.
XXXXXXXXXX
Nia continued to stare at the photograph, her eyes wet with tears.
"This can't be true, Tadashi…" she sobbed pleadingly, "He was devoted to the captain! He trained so hard just to be able to get into the Sixth Division! He gave everything to his captain!"
"Apparently so," Tadashi said angrily.
He turned and saw the pain his comment had caused and pulled his sister close.
"I'm sorry, Nia. I didn't mean to make this harder for you. But you are so naïve and trusting. So much like Takashi. He was too trusting, too. I don't want to believe this picture either. But don't you think he would be here if the allegations weren't true? Don't you think he would have said or done something if the picture was a fake? He's hiding in his mansion…afraid to face what he did…the people he hurt!"
"B-but even if the picture is real," Nia said in a choked voice, "even if there was something between them…it doesn't mean that he…"
Tadashi placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You are so kind. You want so much to believe the best of people. I know you want to see Captain Kuchiki as the great leader Takashi always did, but you have to face the facts. He lives with Renji Abarai. He wasn't going to leave his lover. He knew our brother worshipped him…and he probably was flattered. Who doesn't love being admired? Maybe he couldn't help what he did…but it was wrong. It was wrong and he needs to do the right thing and admit it! This silence…is a slap in the face!"
"But the head captain came to us personally!"
"He did it to cover for Captain Kuchiki. The military will look bad if he says nothing. Face it, Nia. Our brother was…used…used for his pleasure…and his protection. If that wasn't true, he would be here!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Byakuya entered the council chamber and sat down at the head of the table. Councilor Nori stood, his aged eyes dark and troubled as he brought the meeting to order.
"This is a special council and shall be kept to the rules of emergency council meetings. The situation with the news reports surrounding our clan leader's behavior have dishonored this clan. Something must be done. Lord Byakuya, this council will not waste time arguing with you about your very unwise decision to continue your dalliance with your male, peasant subordinate, but we must make note of the fact that Council was opposed to the union from the start. And now you see what your poor behavior has brought on. We have no choice but to take some kind of action to protect the clan. That is the focus of this meeting."
"Well I, for one, think he should end his relationship with Renji Abarai," said Councilor Hotaru, turning her glare on Byakuya, "That would certainly take away their ability to make these accusations! I said from the start that allowing these deviances from the rules would hurt the clan."
"Oh come now!" said Councilor Sora, eyeing Byakuya with a sly smile, "a man has to have his entertainment, right?"
"Not when it hurts the clan to do so," said Councilor Ryuu firmly.
Several of the other councilors nodded.
"Oh really," sighed Orochi, standing, "you think you can just tell Lord Byakuya what to do? When has that ever worked?"
"Don't start that crap about giving clan leadership to you!" Hotaru snapped, "No one wants a snake like you as a leader!"
"I wasn't going to suggest that," Orochi said, smiling.
"Oh?" said Hotaru, raising an eyebrow, "Then what are you suggesting?"
"I think that the problem is simple. We have tried so hard to hide and cover up our leader's activities that we have actually added to the problem!" he suggested.
He didn't miss Byakuya's look of mistrust.
"You see, by covering up his relationship with the peasant, we have given the impression of wrongdoing. We have made it more believable that he would fuck anyone."
"Councilor," Nori said, frowning, "you will adhere to the codes of proper language while in council."
"My apologies, Head Councilor, I merely meant to point out that we are sending a wrong impression."
"So what are you suggesting?" Orochi's brother, Hitoshi asked quietly.
Orochi smiled.
"Others have a misconception. They see our clan leader's relationship with Renji Abarai as a mere fling…a side romance on the way to eventual marriage to a woman."
"Isn't it" asked Councilor Hotaru.
Orochi's smile deepened.
"Why don't we ask him."
He turned to Byakuya.
"How serious are your feelings for Renji Abarai, Cousin? Is he the one? Or is he just good in bed?"
Byakuya glared at him and did not answer.
"It makes a difference, you know," he said quietly, "because if you aren't serious about him, it shouldn't be hard to shrug him off, especially for the good of the clan…but if you are truly in love…then perhaps this council should be doing more to present that image to the public."
"Why would this council ever want to support such scandalous activity?" asked Hotaru sharply, "We have never given public support to any clan coupling. We all know how that can blow up in our faces!"
"Well, hiding everything certainly isn't going to accomplish anything," Orochi said pointedly, "Just…hear me out. All we need to do is to mitigate this by hiring someone who excels at presenting a positive image…someone who will point out the depth of affection between Lord Byakuya and Renji Abarai. We could show the populace how…committed they are to one another. And we could focus on other positives, like how their squad has improved as they have worked together to improve it. Oh, there are lots of positives, I assure you. But we would need someone who could bring out the very best in our leader."
"We don't have time to go looking for someone to spin this, Orochi!" Hotaru snapped, "We need to act on this now!"
"And we will," Orochi assured her, his smile widening, "We don't need to search, because I have found someone who will present the best possible image of our leader…one who has a personal portfolio of thousands of stunning photographs that capture just what we want displayed."
He motioned to a young man standing in the shadows behind him. He stepped out into the council room and moved to Orochi's side. The councilor slipped an arm around the young man's shoulders.
"This is Shuji. He is a freelance photographer…and this is a portfolio of some pictures he has taken of our clan leader. Pass it around. Look at the way he is presented in each…strong, beautiful, powerful. These are good things. And these, with Renji Abarai? He isn't looking at Renji with lust. He is obviously in love with him. You see…we simply need to give Shuji and our clan spokesman time to put their heads together and come up with a series of positive presentations for the news hounds. Soon enough, we will have them begging for interviews and agreeing to whatever terms we desire. Shuji is ready to begin work today. I say we have him accompany Lord Byakuya for several days…a week, perhaps, capturing what is best about him in a much more personal way."
"No," said Byakuya firmly, "I am not going to put my relationship with Renji on public display…"
"Lord Byakuya," Orochi said, all too pleasantly, "your relationship with Renji is already on display…but the question you have to ask yourself is…Do you want everyone to keep thinking Renji is just someone you fuck…or do you want them to see you as the unfairly tormented, true lovers who you actually are?"
"Councilor," Nori said angrily, "I will not tolerate any more foul language from you in Council!"
"Sorry," he said, none too penitently, "I forgot myself. Anyway, I say we put this to a vote. I move that we hire Shuji to team with our clan spokesman to clean up this mess!"
Nori sighed.
"All in favor?"
"Opposed?"
"Very well, the motion is carried. Lord Byakuya, Shuji will stay with you at Kuchiki Manor for two weeks to complete his photography. You will cooperate with him in producing a collection of photographs and video feeds that can be used to present your…activities…in the best possible light. Council will meet again later to discuss whether or not this improves the situation. But, Orochi," the head councilor said warningly, "Council will expect quick results. We don't want this situation to get any more out of control!"
"Oh, I assure you," Orochi said, smiling, "control is not going to be a problem!"
Shuji stood in the center of the room, feeling the eyes of the council members touching on him. He ignored them all. The only thing his fevered mind would register were the stern, cold eyes of the Sixth Division captain that were focused on him as though they could see right through him.