To break is all I know Chapter 15: An unexpected day, a bleach fanfic

I do not own Bleach … :) and I do not earn any kind of money from this snippet.

This chapter had been beta-ed by Cittyno2 (thank you very much). If you find any mistakes, it's her fault (not mine). I wish you pleasant reading.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

To break is all I know

Chapter 15: An unexpected day

"Dear diary,

You probably know about my infatuation for the white haired captain, judging how many times I wrote about it on your pages … but for the first time in ages I come with a solution.

Solution you may ask … Yes a solution!

I'm going to see if he cares for me as a friend or, if I'm lucky, more than that.

How?

I made this truce with Jinta (please don't remind me that I had to communicate with that asshole, piece of shit that has a tomato instead of a brain) anyway … we decided to test Toshiro and Yuzu, see if they like/love us.

I know it's a stupid thing to do and I'm aware of the fact that if Yuzu really loves Jinta I'll have to live with it, but truth to be told … they look fine together. Yuzu is too innocent and he can really protect her from this big flaw of hers. Also it's so easy to see him putting even his precious life on the line for her. I may never tell him this, but I trust him with my sister's well being and he's also the only one I feel comfortable to leave her with. He may act like a big mouthed lout, but he's a gentle soul with too much free time on his hands, if I might add.

Back to the subject: This test I spoke you of is fairly simple: we'll go on a date … yes me and Jinta. Don't laugh, because it's not funny!

If Yuzu loves Jinta she'll probably react badly, cry or sulk for eternity. If Toshiro loves me he'll murder Jinta and bury him somewhere in Soul Society. Simple as ABC!

Poor little Jinta got the short end of the deal, right? Right?

A crying Yuzu TT_TT Maybe I got the short end after all."

Kurosaki Karin's diary

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

After a long night, full of nightmares and evil Samakis threatening her with execution and death, the bright sunrise appeared at the window, spreading its rays of light into the previously dark room. The annoying glister of the mirror's refection burned a soft spot on Karin's covered neck. It had gotten through the thick material of an old scarf she had found the night before in one of Yuzu's old drawers and was itched like nothing else.

"Mhh!" she grumbled, turning on the other side in order to escape the irritating focused light.

Finally she found a protected spot on the bed's edge, a relatively safe place, where the sun couldn't reach her little frame. It was fairly dangerous since even the slightest move could disrupt the unstable balance making her tumble like a rock on the floor.

"Good Morning, Karin!" yelled a familiar voice.

'I'm gonna kill him. I swear' she cursed mentally as her whole body toppled over the bed's edge, rotating at an awkward angle before hitting the hard parquet with a painful thud. With one hand twisted under one leg, leg that was carelessly thrown over her neck, Karin could have been mistaken for an overly tangled knot 'Motherfucker' thought Karin while trying to unfold the rebel leg, which decided, on its own free will, to aggravate the situation by getting numb.

"Do you have a problem there, my dear? Can I help you with anything?" asked the attentive father, not noticing the object coming right his way.

"GO TO HELL" she screamed as her other foot made contact with Isshin's jaw "and stay there" she added as the said person flew in the ceiling, falling on Yuzu's desk; the object cracked under the strenuous pressure not supporting the man's (many) kilograms. He hanged there a couple of seconds, before rolling down on his knees and looking more tired than before.

Meanwhile Karin had found the strength to pull her leg over her head in a normal position. Her limbs strained and she stretched her back painfully, hearing a crack from somewhere between the shoulder blades. Still, the best part has yet to come, as the man (that was supposed to be her father) began to jump like a kangaroo around the room, probably preparing for an occult dance. Karin could only hope that it won't be the rain dance again, because she was sick of hearing his prays to the sky, to the moon, to the dawn, to the dick … err minus the last one. Maybe next time they'll spare him a brain, because he was in grave need of one.

"My daughter … you have exceeded my expectations!" He cried dramatically, moving his hands in wild gestures probably imitating a ritual of some sort. "You are indeed your brother's sister. I am so proud. See I'm crying" anime rivers of water run down his cheeks, stopping somewhere under the chin.

The girl had always wondered how could he cry at command. There were some things she just couldn't understand about her old man's strange behavior.

"Dad … I'm not in the mood, ok?" She felt like adding before any other father-daughter scene could take place "So please go play with Ichigo or something"

Still the man was unapproachable in his decision, throwing into oblivion any inhibitions he may harbored before that and began rambling about wanted and unwanted things, especially unwanted.

"But you are so powerful and strong and maybe soon I'll have some grandchildren" Karin was tempted to ask 'Who gave you this stupid idea … and children as in more than one?' but stopped knowing that her father came with crazy grandsons fetishes every day "But do not forget this simple rule. I want a strong future son in law, powerful and capable of sustaining my good mornings. And he has to be handsome, like me"

"You are anything but handsome" commented the always sarcastic raven top.

"Also he has to … hmm" he scratched his pointy chin, probably thinking of a way to soften/censure what was about to come out, "have a strong sperm, so he would be able to fertilize the ovule"

Or maybe he was just trying to make it grosser than usual.

"I'm gonna puke" mumbled Karin, while her face took on a light shade of green, which transformed into yellow after hearing her father's all so intelligent sequel.

"And let's not forget about strong hands, so he could fondle my babies" he hugged himself, dancing from one foot to the other

Karin rubbed her temples, trying to banish all the dark thoughts that inspired her of some pretty interesting new ways of killing Isshin and sighed in apprehension.

"Like I'll let anyone touch Yuzu. And since when does fondle qualify as an appropriate word to be used in front of your daughter?" she barked, meaning to scare that annoying relative of hers.

"I wasn't talking about my sweet, beautiful flower, Yuzu" and he pointed at Karin's chest, precisely at her bust, imitating a grope with both his hands.

A vein popped and her eyebrow twitched.

"I"LL KILL YOU!" She roared, this time jumping on her father like a cat and straddling his hips as some pretty painful punches dug in the said man's face. "And leave my breasts out of it"

Bang!

Slap!

Bang!

Isshin dodged a kick aimed at his nose, only delaying the inevitable, but couldn't avoid the elbow cracking through his sternum and, literally, taking his breath away. He coughed something white that Karin didn't want to name and continued with his foolish task of being a pest.

"But fondling breasts is pleasurable. Did I tell you that your mother liked to be caressed, especially…"

"I don't want to hear it! I can live without this piece of information"

BOOM!

Why did he have to approach this subject this specific morning, when she was desperately trying to forget the previous night and all that happened outside the club. Why was divinity trying to screw with her every fucking single time? She didn't need to hear her father's useless ramble about children and that gross stuff which involved their making; the anatomy lessons were enough of a scare. She just needed a good night sleep before going to school and meeting Aizen face to face. Too bad Isshin obviously had other plans, like annoying her into beating the crap out of him until no white spot would be seen on his skin. Checked.

"But my daughter …" struggled Isshin to say.

"Don't want to hear it"

And she punched him in the nose, burying his face under a splash of blood. He chocked with some of it, while erratically waving his hands above his head, probably another strange ritual of his. It never crossed his mind to turn over and cough out the red liquid inside his lungs. But then again, what mind?

On the other side of the room, the bundle of sheets which covered the blonde haired twin shifted slightly leaving a hand stretch above them. Long fingers lingered in the air as rays reflected on her pink polished nails emphasizing their unreal beauty. Then she lifted her abdomen slowly, while the cover slipped over her generous chest settling onto her lap.

"Did this ruckus made by him wake you up, Yuzu?" asked Karin, indirectly apologizing for the loud noise that might have disturbed her sister's beauty sleep.

Still slumbering her way to reality and being more asleep than awake, Yuzu raised her gaze, staring at Karin with half lidded eyes. A yawn found its way on her mouth and she was tempted to go back to sleep, if her father didn't find appropriate to attack her.

"My daughter is awake" and he jumped in her bed cuddling by her side "She's a beautiful child that loves me with all her heart, not like you and Ichigo." he pouted at the other twin, who rolled her eyes in desperation.

"Yuzu loves everybody, even the mosquito that bit her two days ago" replied Karin, moving forward to separate the lecherous father from her defenseless sister.

After she had reached the bed, Karin snatched Isshin by the collar of his pajamas and dragged him after her, out of Yuzu's bed, while the man was crying and praying mercy from his merciful daughter. He even seized Yuzu's arm staring at her with watery eyes, but Karin yanked him away with her brute force and threw him through the door via a kick in the nuts.

"Why are you so mean to your father. The one who gave you life, the one and only star in the sky …" began Isshin while collecting parts of his body from under the door's ruins.

Although he tried to rise from the ground, some splinters, that found his butt very attractive, dug even more into the man's rear. He sobbed silently as his backside was subjected to an unfair treatment combining with the excruciating pain of being unable to move an inch.

"But father" interrupted the blonde girl, not even remotely affected by her father's obvious suffering "Our mother gave us life"

"You just contributed with the … Y chromosome … in Ichigo and X in us … fuck genetics" completed Karin enraged by Isshin sudden parental predisposition.

"Karin, why did you take my red scarf?" exclaimed Yuzu when she finally saw the interesting article wrapped tightly around the girl's neck and noticed the asymmetrical knot at its end.

"Err … fashion" babbled Karin, masking her embarrassment quite well for someone who wasn't used to lie.

"Fashion?" the two family members asked, Isshin with a strangled voice and Yuzu clearly surprised.

Karin coughed dramatically into her hand, turning around and fingering with a book's cover. She avoided any eye contact with the hungry gazes digging into her back, burning her flesh with their curiosity.

"Yes I want to look more girly. Do you have a problem with that?" she snapped back at them, twitching her neck to in order to send them a warning through an exaggerated frown.

…

The two family members stared like two idiots at the third presence, incredulous expressions lingering onto their faces. Isshin tumbled back onto the heap of wood while Yuzu muffled a snicker, by covering its source.

"If you keep on staring at me like that I'll kick both of you to the moon and back!" barked Karin.

They averted their gazes, finding something else to stare at.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm wearing a scarf" Mumbled Karin under her breath. "They do not have to make a big deal out of it. It's not like I didn't wear a scarf …" Her hurried steps halted their advancement as realization hit hard. "I haven't worn a scarf for at least 10 years"

One hand sneaked onto the red cloth touching it with trembling fingers, probably afraid of damaging the already sensitive skin underneath it. Even the slightest contact could make her erupt in a wave of hisses. No wonder the sleepless night that concluded in a nightmare. Every time she had tried to turn on the other side of the bed, her neck hitting the pillow or brushing against its edge by mistake, she would jerk awake like stuck by lightning.

Karin was snapped back into reality by a loud yell.

A strong roar, which probably belonged to a Hollow, echoed by her ear. A sudden burst of energy totally woke her up as she heard heavy steps break the pavement just behind her and the shrill scream of a woman running from the vicious three horned creature. The creature jumped over Karin's head, flexing long kangaroo legs covered in a yellow fur, and blocked the woman's way giving another howl of victory. One claw dug into the woman's torso grabbing the soul inside her and yanking her out of it. Pained screams filled the alley as her chain was snapped in two by sharp fingernails, but before it could break definitely, Karin threw a rock at the creature's head, aiming for his left eye, but hitting the shell of his cat-like ear.

"Here, stupid and ugly Hollow." She waved her hands erratically above her head while she was indirectly asking the woman to run for her life, since she was sure she of her inability to attract its attention for too long. "Come here oversized kangaroo. I'll send you back to Australia-Hell!"

"Grrr" Growled the Hollow, as its gross saliva slipped at the corners of the mouth slavering onto the grass below "Argh!"

With unimaginable power, the kangaroo roared once more releasing a wave of reiatsu. Even if Karin was blessed with natural talent and a tone of spiritual energy, it couldn't compete with that creature's vast experience. The advantage of being faster crumbled as well, because with those legs it was clear she won't be able to outrun him. Karin tried to move backwards, but so she was sent on her knees by a perfectly controlled pressure.

That Hollow was smaller than the usual hollows Karin fought, yet it held more power and control over it than a normal one. A vicious smirk spread on its face as one hand clenched the sword deposited at his waist. It was a big weapon, without any extravagant inscription or pattern on its hilt, except a pink ribbon wrapped around it. The ribbon was keeping the blade attached to the creature's hip replacing the usual sword sheath and being incredibly easy to rip apart.

Karin shuddered when he heard him speak for the first time.

"You thought you could kill me?" His loud laughter shook the ground, giving Karin a sensation of dizziness. "You're a foolish human for thinking you'll be able to defeat an Arrancar. But I didn't come for you"

His right hand left the sword, turning around to finish the job he had started with his other victim, but his face warned Karin she'll be the next one if she didn't run. The woman whimpered when seeing the Hollow that approached her frail form and tried to dash in the other direction, but the chain that kept her linked to her dying body prevented her from running too far anyway. Grinning and seeming genuinely happy for the human's distress caused directly by his malicious actions, the kangaroo stepped on the chain, breaking him under his weight. Finally the woman was free, but not for long, because she was snatched by a pair of claws and brought upwards at his level.

Without any trace of hesitation, Karin followed the kangaroo with feline sharp claws, slowly jumping behind him, careful not to disturb him from whatever he was doing. Her hand lashed at the pink ribbon, ripping it apart and catching the blade after it was freed from the improvised sheath.

"Let's see if you taste as good as you look" cheered the Hollow, licking his plump lips.

"Hey, oversized kangaroo" Screamed Karin from behind him "Did you ever get the feeling you had lost something?"

"I'm not interested in useless ants" he replied, not even turning around to check out his opponent's status, "But if you insist, I'll eat you after this one."

"I wasn't talking about me, you fool. I was referring to your zanpakutou"

She smirked tightening her hold on the hard metal, sensing the hilt's roughness under her fingers. It scratched at her fingers, tearing apart the sensitive skin that covered them, but the Kurosaki girl was too enraged to feel anything else beside bloodlust and hate. When the creature checked for his sword, it was already too late, because Karin had implanted the sharp blade right through the Hollow's chest, aiming for the heart, and this time hitting it.

"You see … I do not have a sword and I hope you didn't mind that I had borrowed yours" She pushed forward slicing through the flesh and being pleased with the laceration she had left in the creature's hard Hierro. "You won't need it anyway. Never let your enemy get behind you"

The Hollow stumbled forward, losing his grip on the woman's limp body along with his precious balance. He tried to lean against a wall, but even to get there seemed impossible in his miserable state.

"If you hadn't been so confident in your abilities, you wouldn't have dropped your guard and maybe I would have been the one dying your pathetic death" her lashing voice attacked the creature's pride, making him snap at her with the last of his forces.

"I wish you to suffer all your pathetic life" He barked as teeth dug into his lips. "I wish you'll never get the happy ending all humans want so desperately. I wish you …" but his words were broken by a sudden light and him disintegrating into tiny particles of light that flew to the sky and then rolled upwards toward the blue canopy, losing themselves in a wave of dead leaves.

Karin sighed and helped the woman up, supporting her body as she stumbled forward. She was still unstable after the trauma of being pulled out of her body then killed and in the end almost digested by a slimy creature with three horns, kangaroo legs and feline appearance. So no wonder she was still unable to walk straight or finish a whole sentence.

"You must have been spiritually aware since you had seen the Hollow" Remarked Karin as the woman trembled into her arms. "Don't worry, the hollow is dead. It won't attack you again"

Karin slowly hushed the woman until her sobs died being replaced by an uncomfortable silence.

While this was happening, a figure hiding in a nearby bush smirked at the soft sight presented in front of his eyes, digging barely visible white fangs into the rough skin of his lips. It was a feral kind of smirk that mirrored the dark desire of brutal instinct hiding inside.

"Interesting … very interesting" he said silently, preparing to emerge from the hiding place and not wanting to alert the two girls of his presence until he was already out "And I hoped Aizen would bite the fucking bait"

But he was stopped by a strong energy coming from his right, a Shinigami's energy. The man gritted his teeth in annoyance, cursing every god for interfering with his, so called, prey. Knowing that it would be extremely dangerous to meet a Shinigami, no matter how tempting fighting one sounded, especially high ranked ones like those he had felt, the man stepped back and disappeared in a sea of black. He would have some fun later, but for now crushing Aizen came in first.

If it was something he was confident of, it was his ability to destroy anyone he desired to, and Aizen was the first on his to-do-list.

Meanwhile Karin felt the rush of adrenaline leave her system, making her sense the fear that was conquering her whole being. She had been afraid of a sudden and spontaneous death, but during the fight she didn't have time to think about all these nonsense, being busy with kicking the hollow's ass and saving the woman, albeit at the last she had failed. Standing as a proof for her failure, further down the street a woman's body was lying lifeless into a pool of blood, resembling a broken doll thrown carelessly onto the ground and destroyed by the impact. The whole scene was a mass of broken bones mixed with already clotted blood.

Karin wondered if stopping the creature from breaking the chain would have solved anything since the woman had been ripped form her human body before she could intervene. It was also the indisputable reality of her material body's miserable state that couldn't be denied.

A tug of sleeve broke the deep concentration and Karin looked at the soul. Her vision suddenly blurred when a wave of energy hit her straight in the face, yet she stood still as three figures Shunpo-edin front of her.

"You are late!" barked the girl as a surge of murderous intent crossed her features "Very late. I hope you do have a good explanation for this, because the one with the traffic jam won't suffice"

A feminine guy snickered at her comment, looking even more girly after this, while the other one, a shaved … rewind … a bald guy frowned at the bloody sight. They were both emanating a high amount of reiatsu, but the one that really amplified the sensation of power was Renji, who was standing in front of her with that canine grin plastered onto his face and looking genuinely surprised to see her there.

"Oh, Karin" saluted the pineapple red head, "I had no idea that I would find you here" and he ignored anything related to the Hollow's destruction.

"Yeah, like we couldn't fell her reiatsu from a mile" Ikkaku spoke angrily as he bumped the empty human body, nudging it with his left foot violently.

Karin decided to overlook this cruelty, knowing that it became a useless piece of meat the moment the spirit left it. Still it was incredibly difficult to watch this strange bald guy as he studied the corpse and probably the way it died.

"Just admit that you wanted to surprise her" Yumichika said, shifting subtly towards Renji and swinging a hand gently in front of the man's grinning face "You are so obvious."

"Why would I want that?" interjected Renji, turning his attention to Ikkaku, who was clearly vexed by the situation.

"The gay looking guy has a good point. I bet you just wanted to grab my legs and turn me upside down, like every morning I oversleep, right?" replayed Karin swiftly "That sounded a little bit odd … and wrong; as in sexually wrong"

When hearing her gay statement, Yumichika threw a rebel strand of hair behind the ear, increasing even more Karin's certainty that he was on the opposite side, and studied her from head to toe concluding his research with a short and objective:

"So unbeautiful. Another Kurosaki that cannot understand the true meaning of beauty"

Renji sighed at the man's antiques. He finally decided to take his job seriously, focusing back onto Karin and the woman wrapped tightly around her.

"So care to explain what happened here, Karin?"

"I'll tell you what happened" Snapped the girl, trembling with barely contained anger "I was wandering through town, when this kangaroo-Australian Arrancar attacked this woman and I tried to stop it … him … whatever … but he snapped the chain in two and … You got the idea"

The man scratched the back of his head while the other two listened carefully, being drawn in the conversation by the Arrancar part, Ikkaku especially, who was surely hoping for a good fight with this new Hollow-thingy.

"So where is he? I wanna fight him!" verbally attacked Ikkaku, preparing his zanpakutou and its long sheath swinging them forward and backward in a beautiful dance of proficiency.

"Slow down, cowboy! You don't need to get so worked up" intervened Karin, "and I advise you to stop swinging that thing or you may poke someone's eye out"

When the man's enraged face suggested a total breakdown, Karin deigned to give him the little piece of information that would certainly annoy him, but at least give him some peace.

"It's dead. I stole his sword while he was busy drooling over her" and she pointed at the woman "and stabbed him in the back"

"So unbeautiful" this was Yumichika of course, pronouncing his displeasure regarding the coward-like behavior.

For the Shinigamis of the 11-th Squad a surprise attack was sometimes necessary but frowned upon because of the unbalance it created into the power hierarchy. Their mentality was simple: the winner is stronger while the loser isn't. So instinctively, Yumichika found Karin's way of fighting dirty and unworthy of being praised, which was kind of true. Not that Karin wanted any compliment, but there was something about him that annoyed her beyond words.

"I'll shoot this guy, or whatever gender he may have, if he keeps on vexing me with this unbeautiful fetish of his"

Of course Yumichika ignored her like she was trash.

"Could stop acting like your brother for once" interjected Renji.

"Cannot do that. He's my older sibling and as many use to say, we are very much alike." shrugged Karin, even if she still didn't forgive Ichigo for that scene "By the way shouldn't you use your sword for that burial stuff." after a long pause in which neither of them moved, she rubbed her ear "Urahara gave me a stick to konso souls, but I do not want to use it"

"Why?" asked the red haired Shinigami, rolling the blade into his palm, until the hilt's shaft was facing the woman's forehead.

"Because it's pink and Yuzu glued pink and purple flowers on it." She said, receiving an understanding look from Renji.

He pressed the hilt onto the soul's forehead, leaving behind a strange circle patter that transformed the woman into a black butterfly. Karin watched the spectacle already knowing the plot because it was the n-th time she was seeing the same old performance take place before her eyes. Two black wings dusted a shiny powder onto the girl's cheek, resembling a goodbye kiss of some sort, and she could almost feel a thank you lingering on the butterfly's trail, a thank you directed at her. Suddenly Yumichika's ignorance, Ikkaku's anger and Renji's easiness didn't matter.

"You're welcome" she whispered, being sure that none of the three Shinigami had heard her.

After she had finished paying her respects, silently and without too much fuss, Karin shook the annoying sensation of unhappiness replacing it with content. It was one thing to be sad over a death and another one to be happy over the success of saving a soul from being brutally digested by a monstrous creature.

"Look I gotta go to school." She remarked checking the watch wrapped around her tiny wrist, eyes roaming over the little scratches acquired in the previous conflict. "Anyway goodbye Renji, gay guy, and bald guy. It was nice meeting you all."

Ikkaku threw a tantrum, joggling like a reed in the wind. He was angrier that before and from his point of view it was normal to be pissed at someone that dared to speak (the truth) a bulging lie.

"I AM NOT BALD!"

Karin flicked her wrist and then waved back at them, ignoring Ikkaku and his bald complex.

'What's with guys and their unresolved complexes? Ichi-nii has a power complex, this guy has a bald complex … hmm … Renji has an inferiority complex, even if he tries to hide it … Samaki has been god-power-manipulation complexed since I met him and Goat Chin' she made a metal face slap 'is a walking concentration of complexes'

Karin cursed when she realized she was surrounded by problematic males which had issues they lacked to see and she wasn't eager to point them out, because the last time she tried to do it, didn't work out so well. She sighted loudly when she was far enough from the questioning group and proceeded with the usual task of going to school.

"So … she is the one, eh?" asked the peacock's master "Not too busty and not too attractive either"

"Stop this Yumichika" snapped Renji.

Ikkaku stole a glance at the red haired lieutenant, checking the stiff posture he seemed to take whenever the black haired girl was involved. Even his always careless friend looked sincerely pleased with the little drama that overtook the Shinigami world.

"I was talking about her relationship with Captain Hitsugaya. You don't have to become all touchy with me. It's unbeautiful"

"Her energy is incredible. It reminds me so much of Ichigo's in his good days" Ikkaku ignored his best friend's usual easiness.

"I know" replied Renji, not wanting to answer Yumichika's statement and finding the excuse of explaining to Ikkau the whole problem better than that "And it will get even bigger in due time. We might be able to help her, if Ichigo and his father would stop for a second from this protectiveness"

"Leave them be. If something bad happens, it wasn't our fault" this was again Ikkaku, after a short pause in which he had studied the bloody scene.

"Yeah, what if Aizen finds out about her?" joked Yumichika "What would happen then?"

The other two, switched back onto Yumichika, who was feeling targeted by burning eyes. Renji wasn't too comfortable with the other's sarcastic humor, presenting a forced grin of amusement, when in reality something sneaked like a sly snake into his gut; a bad feeling maybe. Meanwhile Ikkaku humph-ed and sniffed at his friend's overrated sense of jocularity.

"Sometimes you say the stupidest things" he snarled, clearly not in the best of moods.

Yumichika shook his head, exposing a beautiful grimace and equally amazing lips. The sudden gesture of crossing his feminine fingers through the splendid black-blue locks of hair, god blessed him with, gave him a girly appearance, not that he wasn't feminine enough without it.

"I was just fooling around" he jumped as a happy child, but retook a serious demeanor when Ikkaku send him an apprehensive glare "But we did come here with a job, so let's go search for the bastard"

The other two nodded and he could almost see his dear friend share a masked smile with Renji.

"By the way Renji, did you know that Captain Commander will send Captain Hitsugaya to help us?" Yumichika continued, this time smirking wildly at the red head; he even answered Renji's unasked, but obvious, question "In one month and a half"

Yet this didn't stop Renji from bursting in a fit of uncontrolled laughter, the saying of laughing my ass off being pretty accurate in this case. It didn't matter that his Shinigami robes were getting all dirty from rolling like a dog in dirt and blood, but there were some things that even he couldn't filter before laughing them off.

"Really? But I thought he was banished for the unforgivable sin of tainting the all mighty Kurosaki maiden" his bittersweet irony mocking Ichigo, but only after his laughter died down "Ichigo won't know what hit him"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures" Yumichika replied, scratching his chin lightly, probably trying to remember something he seemed to have forgotten. His finger pointed upwards when a light appeared (metaphorically) above his head "And I met this crazy woman that was yelling something about a creep killing her or something. I have sent her to Soul Society, but …"

Yumichika continued to ramble about his incredible experience with the all so lunatic woman, while Ikkaku ignored him again and the other one did the same thing, only more subtle. He was staring at the gay looking Shinigami, forging a gaze of attentiveness, when in reality his mind was elsewhere. One moment of lulling peace embraced them, of course only after Yumichika had finished a detailed report of the spirits he had encountered, as the approaching winter's sun blessed them with much needed warmth and love. However Renji decided to examine the windows, sneaking a peek at the beautiful blue necklace stored into a hand size box, partially covered by red velvet.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" He asked, still looking at the big diamond stamped into a golden locket hanging carelessly by one of the necklace's links. "I mean that hollow attacked her"

"Renji, sometimes I do not understand you" stated Ikkaku.

"Huh?"

"You're so in love with two" completed the third musketeer.

"I don't love her" snapped Renji too fast for Ikkaku's liking "She's my best friend's sister and to even like her would be a cliché reserved only for movies and animes, so give me a break"

Yumichika snickered while the other one rolled his eyes faking a sigh of desperation. The desperation wasn't faked, because the bald Shinigami was getting impatient with Renji's predisposition of getting into deep shit because of women, but the sigh was.

"Keep telling yourself that and maybe, if you're lucky, you'll believe it. Anyway you have no chance with her" counterattacked Yumichika, wanting to screw a little with his friend's sense of pride.

"Why is that? I am popular with the ladies" backfired Renji, not even noticing the other's light mockery.

"Because there is one reason why a girl would wear a scarf around her neck wrapped so tightly"

"Huh?" Ikkaku and Renji said synchronously their faces mirroring curiosity.

But the feminine man chuckled and left them with their mouths opened, not giving them an explanation.

"Let's go" he sang from 10 meters away, after he had lunched in a hesitant Shunpo.

Ikkaku growled at his friend, swearing that he'll strangle him if he keeps on annoying the shit out of him one more time. So he had said the same thing last time Yumichika mocked him and one other time before that … and so on.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

At school, things seemed pretty normal, even if half of the students were sleepwalking on the corridors, swinging from one foot to the other in a dance of drunkenness. Karin had no doubt that at least half of them were hangover while the other half was suffering from sleep deprivation caused by the wild party last night. Karin knew some things about how wild it had been, but decided to keep it only to herself.

Yuzu had come home almost immediately after her, half an hour later still rambling about how Samaki was a jerk for abandoning her in the middle of the night without even apologizing for his inappropriate behavior and lack of manners. When her sister had said that, Karin had been really tempted to comment something about Aizen's inappropriate behavior, but refrained from doing so, because it might have been too much for the innocent twin. She has just nodded and agreed with everything her sister said as the hours passed ... overloading her brain with useless information about who was at the party, what dresses were in trend and all that crap that comes in package along with a talkative sister.

"Karin" Yuzu's voice whispered into her ear "look over there"

And the girl pointed at a couple standing in a corner. A tall boy was laughing (presenting a harmless smile of some sort) with an average looking girl that was clearly highly amused by whatever that boy had told her. A giggle reached the twin's ears and Yuzu burst out, showing a little amount of anger, but more disappointment than ever. It was rare to see the naïve twin act like that, but Karin understood her completely, being entirely on her side.

"I can't believe it. First he stood me up and now he's laughing and joking with another girl" she pouted, earning a strange glare from a bystander that happened to be in the area, probably waiting for someone.

Karin tried to smile and ease Yuzu with soft words like she always did, but just this time the tomboy couldn't do it. Something crumbled in pieces inside her and she didn't want to admit that she praised him more than a mere man-whore. She was a fool for believing Aizen would at least apologize for the events that took place the other night, but still this act of was trespassing any limit of good-sense. Not that Aizen knew what good sense was, therefore no regular manner, but even so …

"This guy is incredible" exclaimed Yuzu, frowning at the girl, who was now leaning closer, almost rubbing her legs against his, "and this girl is just as bad."

But Karin ignored her, seeking for a valid solution to the ache she felt in her chest.

What could she do? Go to him and scream some colorful curses just because he was sharing knowledge with another girl. It wasn't even her sister he was talking to, so the excuse with sibling-protection wouldn't stand against it and if she would start with something like "you're an ass that deserves to die in hell" the whole school would probably laugh at her predicament; and Samaki would have another reason to mock her.

She was even tempted to jump on his back and wipe that innocent smile off his face. How wasn't that girl able to see the slight twitch of lips that suggested the cruelty hidden behind it, when she could see it clear crystal, even from a mile away? It was screaming in her face of malice and evilness and all she did was smile back and flirt like a common whore. Worse was that Karin knew this girl he was talking to. She was a kind girl, plainly stupid, but very attractive.

"You were right …" declared Yuzu, standing straight and faking a conceited demeanor that wasn't fooling anyone.

"Huh?"

"About him, being an ass and not deserving … anything" stated the girl.

Karin glanced one last time at Aizen and his so beautiful girlfriend while thinking of a response.

"Yeah, don't worry, ok? You don't need to be bothered by the likes of him. Guys are pigs and he isn't even worth comparing to one of them. Pigs are above him in every aspect" smirked Karin while her left hand was rolling from the wrist.

Yuzu snickered at Karin's comment and even smiled shyly at her. Only with a little mockery and a drop of humor, Karin could transform an angsty situation into a happy one; a talent which had been clearly inherited from the father of the family, who had the same habit of rising someone's courage with only a few words … or a few jumps over the house and a dozen of Kurosaki good mornings.

"Thank you, Karin-chan. You are my favorite sister" she hugged the raven twin, while the other girl was ruffling her hair.

"Now I feel so much better" replied Karin.

The touchy moment came to an end when Karin stopped assaulting her sister's hair and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"You are my favorite sister as well" a pause "Wait a second Yuzu … did you just mock me?"

"Nooo …" proclaimed Yuzu, crossing her hands in front of her trying to protect the little dignity she had left "How could I mock my favorite sister?"

An innocent smile accompanied by a gentle batting of eyelashes didn't soften Karin's desire to punish her sister for the uncalled irony. If Yuzu was starting to develop this bad habit of being sarcastic, their annoying father was bound to end his life leaving behind only his memory. Not that Karin cared for him that much, but since neither of her siblings had a job or a stuffed CV to get a heeled job, Isshin was the only one able to get money home, pay the rent, food … house reparations.

"Come here" threatened Karin, rolling the sleeves of her uniform and preparing to chase her if forced to.

"Karin-chan" interjected Yuzu, running in the opposite direction, "It was a joke!"

And they began running on the hall, Karin chasing after Yuzu, even if she was being half-hearted about all this punishment. It would have been very simple for a highly trained soccer captain to catch up with Yuzu's inexistent speed, but Karin was just fooling around, jumping over objects and stumbling on people's feet, not really caring for anything apart from making her sister happy. They were just enjoying life as any normal teenager would do, but they decide to do it in a different manner.

In a corner, two brown eyes followed the twins' movement, being particularly interested in the back haired one that jumped over the bending form of a student. The show played before his barely ajar eyes as the only word he could find to describe the spectacle being childish.

"They are so cute, the Kurosaki twins, don't you think Samaki-san?" asked the girl standing by his side, tilting her head subtly until it reached the man's shoulder.

"Very cute" declared Aizen, trying to move aside gently in order to avoid the girl's head … or any part of her body for that matter.

In vain he had tried to make her jealous, because Karin wasn't acting like a jealous person at all. As a matter of fact she was looking happier that ever. Aizen frowned when he remembered her distant glance and icy glare, then ignoring his presence like he was a nothing, like he was trash. He had heard the dialogue that had taken place between the twins, but nothing could prepare him for the humorous manner in which Karin approached the matter. She had dared to compare him with a pig, stating later that a pig is too good for him …

"Kurosaki Yuzu was your date yesterday at the ball, wasn't she?" asked the girl, but Aizen didn't bother to answer, his gaze being struck on the girls.

Finally Karin reached her sister, hugging her from behind and then giving her a lecture about school conduct. Aizen was able to hear as she said something about no sarcasm permitted in school's perimeter since she had enough for the whole town. This reality couldn't be contradicted by anyone, not even the all mighty god Aizen.

"I have to go present my project about marine creatures. I hope you won't mind if I go to prepare it" smiled Aizen, trying to fool her with a smooth tone of lust; very easy to mime, but incredibly effective.

This malted the girl in a puddle at his feet, making her bite the bait hanged by his hand.

"Of course not, Samaki-san. Have fun with your project"

The man smiled again, retaking his usual arrogant posture, while that unimportant schoolmate of his left for her next course. When she disappeared from sight, Aizen approached the two girls, who were hugging each other in a tight embrace of love. Karin was the first to see him being followed closely by Yuzu. Neither said anything about it, but from the looks he was receiving from them, especially from the first, his desire for a warm welcome became kind of overestimated. Aizen still smiled softly eying the interesting piece of cloth that covered Karin's neck.

"Nice scarf" he said with a hint of dark sarcasm in voice.

Karin turned around facing him, Yuzu still standing behind her using the girl's volcanic attitude as an indestructible shield.

"Nice handprint" replied Karin just as sarcastic, mocking him with a delicious smirk of confidence "Who slapped you? Tell me and I'll give her a prize"

A war battled between their heated glares, none winning but both struggling to push the other over the edge or at least to annoy the hell out of him/her. Aizen finally switched onto Yuzu, ignoring Karin's stare digging in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Yuzu for yesterday and …"

A hand grabbed his shoulder, squeezing until Aizen couldn't feel his hand, being completely numbed from the pressure applied to his upper arm. Karin pressed even harder bringing him at her level and penetrating his chocolate orbs with a pointy, but strong gaze.

"Aizen I've told you before and I'm going to repeat, because it doesn't seem to get through your thick skull: Stay away from her"

The man tilted his head slightly, until his lips got close to her ear almost touching the cartilage that surrounded it. Yuzu couldn't hear what he was saying because of the distance and couldn't see his eyes either as red locks masked them under their impenetrable barrier.

"Don't worry … I will, but not right now …" he whispered into her ear as hot breaths hit the ear shell spreading over the cheek and some of them traveling down the girl's neck.

Karin squeezed his shoulder blade as fingers dug into it like knives cutting through flesh. Still the man didn't feel one thing, being preoccupied by Karin's hard tone and harsh eyes.

"Aizen this is the last warning I'll give you. Stay away from her or I promise on my mother's grave I'll kill you with my bare hands" she said loud enough to be heard only by Aizen.

"You look so hot when you make death threats" he stated, before pushing her two steps back until she reached her sister.

"I just wanted to apologize for my inappropriate conduct from yesterday Kurosaki-san, but it seems like your sister has a personal vendetta against me, so I promise I won't bother you again" bowed Aizen, this time talking with Yuzu.

Karin's face was priceless: mouth slightly gaped and eyes widened in wonder and astonishment. The prick violated her body, literally, and after all that happened he still had the guts to state that she had a vendetta against him. Obviously!

The brown haired girl was tempted to speak back, but Aizen had already left.

'God … this guy has an ego as big as Soul Society. And Soul Society is infinite, so this really means something. But he can go to hell for all I care. I'm done with the likes of him and if he dares to touch me again I'll keep that promise of stripping his balls off and hang them by his ears as earrings' she sighed while rubbing her temples 'I gotta come with a new threat, because this is getting old'

These were the thoughts that crossed Karin's mind as the bell rang. Yuzu tugged her away, saying something about Samaki not being such an ass …

"Yuzu, you have no idea" mumbled Karin, following her down the corridor.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Omake (do not take it seriously):

"Renji"

"Yes Ichigo?"

"Do you want to tell me something related to my sister?"

"No" Renji backed away slowly looking kind of pale, but Ichigo noticed his sudden retreat "Who gave you this stupid idea?"

"You … while checking her ass"

"Err … I have an excuse"

"BANKAI! Tensa Zangetsu!" screamed the enraged strawberry.

"Wait a second, Ichigo! I do the same thing to Rukia and you do not seem to mind"

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

"Argh!"

…

"You're not going to pull some strings in Soul Society and exile me there like you did with Captain Hitsugaya, right?" (o_O)

"Getsuga Tenshō Again!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

First of all: Renji doesn't love Karin! He cares for her, but no love! (as I said do not take the omake seriously)

This chapter was dedicated entirely to Karin, because I have neglected her point of view in the last chapters, so it's your time to shine baby! Maybe I made her too cruel, but the damn thing had killed a woman, what was she supposed to do, kiss him? Anyway the Australian thing was just for fun, I don't want anyone to perceive it as racist.

This was a chapter of fluff and amusement (I felt this need of doing something funny after a not so amusing last chapter. Darkness took its toll on me) but from the next one we get back to our business. I plan a little Ichigo Karin talk, but not right now. Also I tried to bypass the Aizen topic when she was talking with the other Shinigami, which proved to be very difficult. As for why did I make Aizen a psychotic sadist (I'm quoting from saya's review) you'll see soon enough. You know that I was tempted to send that prostitute after Karin o_O, but in that plot she was alive, so it crumbled when I decided to kill her, but she'll play an important part.

Hakkuchi ... plot twist (I didn't tell you this so shush) ... and yeah I like messing with Gotei 13.

Well .. Karin knows that an Aizen Sousuke tried to destroy the city, but she thinks Ichigo killed him. That's why the name Aizen sounds familiar, but even if she were to remember it could easily be brushed away as a coincidence. As for Ichigo, at the time he found out, he was in a silent fight with Karin (they're still fighting btw) so he didn't tell her about him.

Who was hiding in the bushes? You'll find out later anyway, but I'm curious to know if I'm getting predictable. Take a pick!