Well, I'm back. First of all, let me apologize for the ridiculous amount of time this took. It isn't even that long. Unfortunately, I hit a giant wall of writer's block and stopped for awhile. Thank you so much to anyone who still believed in this fanfic and/or pestered me about it! Really, if you ever think a chapter is taking too long, feel free to shoot me a PM along the lines of 'Get back to work you lazy jackass!'
I BEG OF YOU. PLEASE NEVER STOP BOTHERING ME ABOUT THIS.
Disclaimer: My name is Tite Kubo and I rule this universe...except not really...
Mayuri let go of his daughter, and Uryu retook his place at her side. Nervously, he flashed a smile at the scientist.
Well, that's a first, Captain Kurotsuchi thought bitterly. And a last.
He nodded at Uryu, and deepened his voice so the Quincy wouldn't recognize him. "Thank you for letting me dance with your wife." My daughter. "I shall go back to my seat." It was a strange phrase, he mused. It almost tasted sour in his mouth. He turned his back to the couple.
Uryu's uncertain smile stayed on his face, and Mayuri reminisced the last time anyone had ever given him a true smile.
"Hey, Kurotsuchi, whatcha working on?" Captain Kisuke Urahara plopped himself down next to his third seat.
"Nothing of interest to you," Mayuri answered distastefully. In truth, it would probably extremely interesting to his captain, but Mayuri preferred to not be interrupted - or helped - when it came to his passion.
"Looks like a Gigai to me," Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Don't recognize the face, though. Who's it for?"
"It is not 'for' anybody," Mayuri sighed in annoyance, knowing it would be difficult to get rid of his captain now. "No one at all. It is a new technology I have hypothesized to create new Shinigami."
"Playing god, are we?" Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Need any help?"
Mayuri sent a glare in his directions, and Kisuke laughed. "Sorry, forgot how much you hated assistance."
"Don't you have more important things to do than to bother me?" Mayuri asked exasperatedly.
"Aww, I specifically ran away from work to hel...observe you," Urahara pouted. "Whatcha going to name her?"
Mayuri looked at him incredulously. "Name her?" He looked from his captain to the Gigai. "First, how is it a her? And second, why would I name it?"
"'Course it's female," the captain of the twelfth division shrugged. "Why else would it have boobs like those?"
"For the last time, I BEG you to take you and your vulgar thoughts elsewhere," Mayuri said loudly.
"S'not vulgar," Kisuke wrinkled his nose. "S'a fact."
"Do not address the female chest as such. It is below you," Mayuri argued. "The...the mammary glands, or, or -"
"Boobs."
"Leave. Just go."
Urahara laughed. "No, I think I'll stay. Mind if I ask any questions?"
"Actually –"
"Trick question! You have no say in the matter," Kisuke grinned. "How are you going to animate her?"
Mayuri knew there was no getting rid of Urahara, so instead he decided to answer his questions – as long as they were reasonable. "I have planned to use Gikon or some deformation of it."
"Artificial Soul Technology?" Kisuke peered at the Gigai. "They have set personalities. Are you really okay with your creation sharing qualities with a hundred others?"
"You should listen more. I said I plan to use Gikon or some deformation of it," Mayuri huffed. "I am developing my own Gikon by using my blood."
"I don't think the Seireitei can handle two of you running around," Kisuke snickered.
The blue-haired scientist glared at him, and continued with his explanation. "Of course, anyone with even one single brain cell would realize that it would not be a replica of the creator."
"Of course," Kisuke nodded, leaning back. "So more like the child of the creator?"
"No," Mayuri sneered. "Simply someone who shares DNA with the creator. I'll probably use this prototype as a servant, as there are bound to be issues."
"Are you making her a child? Or fully grown?" Urahara asked.
"It will take the appearance of a young adult, one at their prime, obviously. More can be accomplished that way."
"And her name?"
"Didn't I already tell you there would be no need for a name?!" Mayuri snapped. "It is nothing more than an experiment."
"So you don't want to get too attached because there's a chance it'll fail?" Urahara asked, eyes gleaming.
"I….it….." the third seat stuttered. His look grew dark. "Of course not! And just to spite you –"
"Just to spite me?" the captain muttered.
"- I'll name her!" Mayuri continued as if there had been no interruption. "But…what to name my creation…."
"You could call her Hiyori Junior."
"Be serious! Others will judge me by her, you know this as well as I. So a dignified name is needed," Mayuri emphasized. "One that can be respected, not worshipped or looked upon as beautiful, but one that would not be mocked…"
"Arisu, maybe?" Kisuke said thoughtfully. "Masuyo? Yuriko?"
"Those names draw attention," Mayuri said distastefully. "Something simple would be nice. Like…..Nemu."
"Nemu?" the captain snorted. "That has all sorts of hidden meanings."
"For example?" Mayuri asked haughtily. He didn't appreciate his choice name being snorted at; it was a fine name.
"Well, it means 'sleep,'" Urahara reasoned. "Do you really want a creation named Sleep? Also, in Latin, it means 'No One.'" He gave his third seat a look. "Are you implying you wish for a daughter named No One?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lip curled back in a sneer. "I didn't know other people's choice names for their own experiments had become so important to you."
Urahara sighed. "Name her whatever you like, okay? Just…think about what I said. Nemu just doesn't seem like the right name for your daughter."
"My...daughter?!"
"Some girl who shares your DNA and will most likely be in your custody and share your surname, okay?!" Kisuke said loudly, losing his patience. "If that's not a daughter, I don't know what is!" He got up and stalked away.
Mayuri looked back down at the Gigai. He smiled to himself - though he would never admit it.
"Nemu."
"Best wishes for your future life," Mayuri said curtly, back to his daughter and her husband. He couldn't cry, it was for those beneath him, those who believed emotions were necessary, those who had no curiosity to see what their own tear glands looked like. He repeated the strange phrase again. "Thank you."
"You're welcome?" Uryu said. It came out as a question. He cleared his throat, and continued, "It's actually much better you danced with her than her actual father. As I'm sure you know. Perhaps we will see each other sometime in the future."
"Oh, no. I am positive we will never see each other again," the captain of the twelfth division said matter-of-factly, turning to face them again. "The ratio is six to eighty four billion, three hundred ninety four million, eight hundred twenty six thousand, nine hundred forty one." Uryu raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Mayuri rolled his eyes. "I've done the math countless times in just the time I've danced with…..Nemu."
"So I suppose you work under…him?" Ishida made a face, ignoring a cough from Nanao which sounded suspiciously like, "Hurry up!"
"You could say that," Mayuri said lightly, containing the rage threatening to spill from him. Nemu paled, and nervously watched the conversation between the two men. She gripped Uryu's arm tighter, something that Captain Kurotsuchi noticed but chose not to dwell on.
"Are you a seated officer?" Uryu asked, not knowing the battleground he was entering.
"…yes," Mayuri said reluctantly. No use to lie. Uryu didn't know any better, and nobody but himself and Nemu paid attention to officers under fifth seat that weren't from their division.
"Really? What seat?" the black-haired boy questioned.
Mayuri as silent, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Nemu bite her lip. "I don't see how that is any of your concern."
"No."
Mayuri's golden eyes widened, for once in his life surprised. Nemu had relinquished her death grip on Uryu and stepped up to his side. "This is his concern. And yours as well," she said, voice full of feeling but not trembling. She took hold of his hand and her husband's, and connected them gently.
"Nemu…?" Uryu asked uncertainly.
"What are you doing?" Mayuri whispered angrily. It seems their roles had been revered.
"Trust me," she murmured. Then, louder, "Uryu Ishida. I know this man well. We have spent many hours together in Squad Twelve. I have loved him and I have hated him. But he was always there, no matter how much I failed him, and I was always there, no matter how much he failed me." She paused to breathe.
"It is my greatest pleasure to introduce you to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of Squad Twelve, my father."
Aaaaaaaand cliffhanger! What will happen next? I HAVE NO IDEA.
No joke! My friend Aceidia let me write a guest chapter for her fanfiction The Royal Court of Harribel, and requested she do one for this one(as she loves this story). So I let her.
Reviews are the love I don't deserve because of how late this is! Leave them anyway!