In which the SWA have a meeting
Yachiru beckoned to the women sitting around the table. "Come closer, everyone! We don't want to be discovered, do we?"
"Of course not, chairman," replied Nemu.
"Good," said Yachiru, beaming widely. On any other child that smile would have been adorable, but on Yachiru Kusajishi it was a sign that she was about to do something especially destructive or violent. Some of the SWA actually felt shivers travel down their spines, but they remained where they were. Yachiru continued talking. "The first order of business today is finding a new meeting place. I don't think that rich guy likes us coming in here all the time."
"He does get frustrated sometimes," said Rukia. The other women nodded as this was a very wise observation to make.
"We could go to Squad 13," Kiyone suggested. "Our captain wouldn't mind."
There was a collective chorus of sighs around the table.
"Of course he wouldn't mind," said Rangiku wistfully. "That man is sweeter than honey."
"So what do you say?" asked Momo. "Should we go?"
There was a thoughtful silence.
"I don't think we should," said Rukia. "This place feels like home to me."
"That's because it is."
Rukia nodded in agreement. It took a second for the realisation to dawn upon the group, and as one the women spun to see the owner of the voice. Byakuya Kuchiki stood in the doorway, framed in light, like some kind of a cold, angry angel.
"Byakushi!" Yachiru cried, leaping up. The women assembled could have sworn that an expression – yes, an actual expression – of horror flitted across his face before his stone grey eyes slid to the side, where Yoruichi was trying to sneak up behind him.
"Gotcha!" she yelled, and suddenly Byakuya had a bag over his head. "Struggling is no good," she informed the bag. "You should have learnt that by now."
"Quick, get the candles!" cried Isane. She rushed around, extinguishing the small flames lying around the room, on the table, and on shelves on the walls.
"Shall we meet here next time?" Nanao asked Yachiru.
"Yep, like always," the diminutive girl replied.
Byakuya said some muffled words under the bag, which Yoruichi helpfully translated.
"I think," she said with a small frown on her face, "I think he's saying… what was that? Hado no. 31, Shokaho? I see. Time to go, ladies."
The flashing red kido slammed into the opposite wall, missing Kiyone Kotetsu by a hair's breadth. Needless to say, the rest of the group did not linger behind.
When Byakuya lifted the bag from his head, he was met by a thankfully empty room. A room which, for all intents and purposes, was nothing more than extra storage space in Byakuya Kuchiki's bedroom. It seemed quite obvious – to him at least – that a room full of clothes was just a wardrobe, and didn't need to be unceremoniously emptied out and replaced by his dining table. There was simply no logic in it. It also seemed fairly obvious – again, this common sense only applied to Byakuya's superior intelligence, apparently – that candles were simply not meant to be stuck upside down to the ceiling, as Yachiru seemed to have done when she had first come into the room an hour earlier. Her lack of common sense was further supported when Byakuya noticed, with extreme displeasure, that the still lit candle on the ceiling had fallen onto the expensive wood of his dining table, which served as excellent kindling. He also had little appreciation for the fire currently consuming his bedroom.
Byakuya was not impressed.