Summer - Hide and seek
Thunder was crashing through the air and made the ground tremble. The rain was splashing against the windows and the wind was howling so hard, even the biggest trees in the gorgeous Kuchiki-garden shuddered. Mercilessly torn off summer-leaves all twirled through the air, landing painfully on the large windows of the house. Thick drops of rain washed them away, making place for small twigs and flowers that were forcefully slashed away from their safe places in the dirt of the garden.
Inside of the house, in their favorite room, were Otaku, who was staring over his book about the philosophy behind poems, and his sister Samoshi, who was supposed to be drawing a still-life of the vase in front of her, but instead was gazing off as well. Byakuya was laying on the sofa, reading a book about the history of his family, while his wife Hisana lay against him, playing with the cords of his outfit.
To keep it short…
"I'm bored," Samoshi stated. Otaku turned his head to her and nodded. "So am I."
Byakuya and Hisana didn't react. They were actually quite okay with what they were doing.
"Let's do something together. So that none of us will lose their minds." Samoshi offered. She had Otaku nodding his approval.. but still no reply from Byakuya and Hisana.
"Listen, you two, if we come up with a game for two, we'll leave you like that. But if we come up with something that requires more people, then~"
"Then you will ask a servant to join you," Byakuya finished the sentence for Otaku. "I am doing research for an upcoming meeting with the elders."
"I like being with him while he does that," Hisana said. "He sometimes tells me things about the family I need to know if the elders ever wish to see me. There is so much more to learn, he teaches me new information every day still. Marrying the heir of the biggest of families of nobility comes with a price and I am very willing to pay that one."
Otaku raised his eyebrows, but nodded understandingly. Samoshi just pouted. "I wanna play hide-and-seek."
"Oh, forget what I said, I'm in!" Hisana squeaked, standing up.
"Count me in as well," Otaku said, closing his book and putting it aside. "Bya, you in, too?"
Byakuya replied by turning another paper of his book. Hisana reacted to this by pulling the book out of his hands and closing it. "I'm sure he's in. After having read and studied so many things, he might need a break, no, love?"
Giving in to his wife's strict undertone, Byakuya nodded. "Fine. But I will not be disturbed in the evening."
"We'll see," Hisana smiled insincerely.
---
It was him who pulled the short straw. Byakuya was allowed to read for about ten more minutes, so that he could finish his chapter and the three others could run and hide. Ten more minutes.
---
Otaku
First minute
Byakuya is such a dumbass. Why would you read a boring book about the family you grew up in? Just dismiss the elders at the start of the meeting, and you're all set! You make the decisions, you don't even like the elders! Luckily enough I don't have to be the head of the clan. I don't even want to think about meeting them three times every week. Bleh.
Second minute
Let me see, where do I go… I could always hide in his closet on their bedroom, but I'm afraid I won't get out alive. Come to think of it, I don't think I'll live when I put myself in any closet at all. Let's cross that one completely off the list. Maybe I could go into the garden? Yeah, bet he won't get out in this weather! Oh Otaku man, you rock.
Third minute
Yuck. Now the favorable place to hide would be in the bathroom and under the shower. Stupid, stupid, rocking Otaku. Now I've got mud in my mouth and I swallowed a beetle. Yuck. I bet I can wash the dirty taste away with something to drink. Oh! That's freaking witty! The Kuchikis have the largest storage room with anything to eat and drink like ever!
Fourth minute
Where the heck did that storage go? I've been living in this house like my entire life long and… oh darn, I really never ever went there. Whenever I got thirsty, I had that one servant bringing me all kinds of stuff, whichever I pleased. What was her name again? But anyway, let's not dwell on that now. Storage room, storage room, storage room…
Fifth minute
Thank kami-sama for the servants. How could I have figured out that the storage room was right next to the kitchen door? Oh hey, it's Hisana walking into the kitchen. She looks really absorbed into something. Ha! I wonder where she'll hide. Byakuya'll find her right away; I bet he even goes looking for her only and then leaves us sitting and waiting and rotting away so that he can go back to reading. He knows that he'll guilt Hisana into searching for us so that he won't have to do that anymore. Pff, Bya, I'd expected better from you.
Sixth minute
So, the storage room. Ooooh, ooh, come to daddy, look at all this space! And drinks! And… oh dear, are those chocolate-chip cookies? Are they serious? Why was there a heaven in home that I did not know of? Oh Byakuya, please do forget about me, 'cause I won't leave even if you'd drop down on your knees and cleaned my shoes with your tongue!
..that'd be weird, though..
Seventh minute
Munch munch munch - swallow - gulp gulp gulp - munch grunch gulp - swallow - munch munch munch - swallow - gulp gulp gulp - munch grunch gulp - swallow - drool drool - munch - swallow - breath break - munch munch munch - swallow -…
Eight minute
Ooooh.. ooh the nausea.. Oh this can't be good.. what does that drink say? Expired for two months already? Ooooh I think it's coming back up…
…
Fifteenth minute
The sweet release… I never thought a toilet could be so helpful. I can't however remember this toilet… where am I? What's that crest with a four on it doing there? Oh I know! I bet this is fourth division! That means someone must've brought me here. Let's wash up and see who~ oh, no, no no no, definitely not ready yet. Sorry m'boys, I'll thankfully keep using your small room a little longer.
---
Samoshi
First minute
A book about the history of the Kuchikis. I really don't know how you do it, Byaku. I personally don't care much about yet another ancestor who died centuries ago. Tragic, of course, but let me live my life in the here and now, okay? Get your nose out of the books some more and go out. With Hisana, for all I care.
Second minute
Would you look at that? He's still reading! Byaku, please, I'm almost feeling sorry for you! Maybe I should check if he's even awake? It wouldn't surprise me if he'd passed out from boredom.. I mean.. what is he even reading about? Our family? Byaku, darling, you've got plenty of experience with the Kuchikis… Why, I just don't understand how…
Fourth minute
...and furthermore, all of your years alive you spent here. The entire meaning of…
Fifth minute
Oh darn, I better start hiding or he'll find me and make me find the others so that he doesn't need to! Oh, where to go? Perhaps I can go to the room next door and hide in a cupboard. I wonder what Otaku is doing right now. I bet his hiding place is a brilliant one. Like, when we discover him, it'll be, "HA! I bet you didn't expect me here, did ya?"
Oh yeah, he's brilliant. He's good.
Seventh minute
Stop worrying about where your stupid messed up brother is hiding! Go hide somewhere yourself! Run for it, if you must! Not the room next-door, Byaku'll look there first. I'd want to hide in my own room. Yeah! So I can start reading that ancient diary I found last week, about the Kuchikis three hundred years ago. It was good fun reading it!
Eighth minute
Let me take a run into the wing where our servants stay. Maybe there's somewhere I can hide. How about their break room? Maybe they can accompany me as well! Go left here, right there.. and there it is. Let me just open the door and -
*BOOM*
Auch! Oh, what was that? I cannot take a hit on my head.. what's that hand doing there? Oh, it was the laundry-girl.. oh would you stop apologizing please? Just pull me up and.. oh, not that fast.. head rush..
Ninth minute
A place to hide. Thank you, Saki.. Saku.. Soke.. ehm.. laundry-girl, for letting me use your bedroom to hide in. Now that I'm here, I might as well go exploring. It wouldn't be the worst thing if Suka.. well, she walked in on me, for I let her stay in my house. Okay, Byakuya does. Shush, conscience.
Oooh what's this closet for? Let's open it..
Uhoh, what's falling out? Is that a…?
…
Seventeenth minute
Such bright light! Turn it off! Ohh, where am I? All I remember is that ironing board falling down.. My head! Someone, please get me some ice for my head…
---
Hisana
First minute
Isn't he adorable, reading that book? Let's cuddle close to him once more. Just lift your arm so I can lay down.. Oh, Samoshi and Otaku are both still standing right in front of the window.. maybe I should go, too. Gimme one kiss before I go hide myself for you, my love. That's a good man. Bye now!
Second minute
Is it okay to keep Samoshi staring like that? I'm afraid she'll forget to hide.. Awh, let's not waste hope. If Byakuya-sama finds her after ten minutes, he'll have her look for us. That way, he can go back to his book and we'll all have fun. Now, where to go?
Third minute
You know what, Byakuya-sama didn't even want to play this game. Maybe I should reward him for playing along with us. I can make him a sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes and cheeeeeese and hammm and.. I bet he likes that even more!
Fourth minute
Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, ham. Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, ham. Lettuce, tomatoes, ham.. cheese! Oh, I forgot the cheese! Let's try again, and don't forget anything, now! Make this sandwich for your hard-working husband! Oh, the sucking-up of my thoughts are horrible! Anyway, cheese, ham, sandwich, peanut butter.. bread, of course… hee, where did the lettuce go?
Fifth minute
Hey, I wonder what Otaku is doing there? He looks horrible! Did he really plan on going outside? Today? In this horror-weather? The little idiot, he is.. Back to my plan, though. Plate? Check. Bread? Right here. Butter? No silly, he doesn't like butter. Lettuce… then slice up the tomatoes… Oh I'm really a horrible kitchen-queen. There's a servant.. Maybe I can ask her to help me?
Sixth minute
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Oh no it's okay to be okay, I promise. Let me just wind something around it, then we'll go straight to see Unohana-san. Silly woman, who cuts off her own fingertip? Shush, dear, let me dry your tears, come here, we'll go now. Are you okay? Watch it, step down, very good. It's only a five-minute walk, don't worry. I'm with you, no one will dare question your disappearance!
…
Fifteenth minute
Oh, what disgusting smell this is! I know the toilets are right next to the waiting room, but can't a soul catch a break? Waiting for that servant girl to get fixed is really no problem, but please let me stay alive to witness her return! Who's on there, anyway? I haven't seen anyone come in for a couple of minutes, now!
---
"Otaku, are you sure you are feeling all right?" Hisana giggled, as she realized it had been her cousin-in-law who was responsible for the horrible smell. "You seem rather pale."
"Oh, no, I'm fine," Otaku toughened himself up. "By the way, I'm more worried about Samoshi. She seemed to have hit her head very hard."
"Yes," Hisana said. "On a ironing board."
This time it was Otaku's turn to laugh. "She's lame."
"I heard that!" came Samoshi's loud voice from the hallway. "Look, they fixed me up, okay? Now I really need some apple juice or any juice at all, really."
"My treat," Hisana said happily. "I am the only one uninjured, anyway. That's something to celebrate. Reiko can come, too."
The servant girl, who had been sitting in silence next to Hisana ever since they found out there were more of them in the fourth division, turned red at this invitation and lowered her eyes to the floor.
But just when they were about to leave, Hisana slapped her hand against her mouth and yelled, "Oh, we completely forgot about Byakuya-sama!"
---
Byakuya
First minute
I am sorry to mislead Hisana as well as Otaku and Samoshi, but I certainly will not play this game along.
Second minute
Samoshi is still watching me. Shall I shoo her? I believe it would be best not to. She can be very stubborn.
Third minute
I do not believe my dear cousin is familiar with the rules of the game she wanted to play. I wait, I read, I ignore and I will win anyway, but in the meantime, you hide.
Fourth minute
It seems like she is finally getting some sense beat into her. She is moving, indeed.
Fifth minute
And there she goes. I better call on those servants now. How I enjoy using these little bells. Now, let me think. You guide Otaku to somewhere he will eat himself sick, you go worry Hisana into oblivion and you may bother Samoshi. Just make sure they will not be in the mansion in five minutes.
Sixth minute
This game sure takes a lot of your energy. Let me finish this book quickly, so I can get myself into a hot bath. I could use one.
In peace.
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