13: Consequences of Anger
"When angry, count four; when very angry, swear."
-Mark Twain
Kagome felt…stupid.
There was no better word for how the lack of any progress was making her feel. She had been sitting in the pretty room where they had first discussed her past and she'd told him she was a priestess and while his face hadn't changed she knew he had to be getting frustrated with her.
After she'd finished her homework and he'd insisted on looking it over he had started asking her questions with words she'd never heard before. It had taken a good hour before she was informed enough on the vocabulary to start to have what her teacher considered 'reasonable' conversations on the topic.
Yet, once she understood what she was being asked she only felt worse.
The majority of the questions were to tell how far her training had gone and by the time the small interview was over she was certain Kaede had done almost nothing she could have to help her develop her powers.
"We will start at the beginning." Byakuya had finally commented to her after thinking about all the information she had given him. "It would be best for you to learn how to meditate. From there you will be able to calm your mind more easily…something you will need for most other things you will learn."
Yet she had been trying for hours to do as he asked and calm her mind - her mind was always so constantly busy that she had been failing.
She was still settled in the middle of the couch with her eyes closed, her teacher at a desk a little further away as he seemed to have paperwork of some kind to do. He had said once she was able to meditate that they would move on.
"Could be trying to help a little more." She thought at him with an eye peeked open, half watching the self-proclaimed nobleman at work. "Some teacher…you snob."
He had given her the basic idea before he walked off but apparently just trying to 'listen to her own breath and cease her thoughts' wasn't enough to help her. It wasn't that she wasn't honestly trying, but every time she managed to get her mind clear enough to begin to attempt some noise or new thought would distract her.
"Maybe if I get bored enough I'll get it just because I'm about to fall asleep…" She pondered idly, closing her eye again and pushing her other select insults for her new teacher from her mind. Calling him names wasn't going to get her any closer to her goal.
It was hard to tell what time it was cause the clock was behind her and the last time she had turned to look at it he had berated her for not clearing her mind of other distractions. It felt like it had to have been several hours but when you are doing absolutely nothing time does seem to draw on so she was at a loss as to even how much longer she was going to have to sit here and fail to meditate.
She was still trying to get her brain to stop chattering on when Byakuya spoke to her. He was much closer than the desk and his deep baritone made her jump and nearly fall off the couch…she hadn't heard him get up or move at all. "It is getting late. You are free to go for the evening. We will continue tomorrow."
Her eyes flew open, staring at the blank expression the soul reaper was offering her in return. She wasn't sure if it was just him being exceptionally quiet or if she had finally been starting to get it when he'd come over and interrupted her. She vaguely wanted to be angry at him for spooking her as he had.
"Um…" Was all she managed, and then berated herself. "You are just so witty Kagome."
"It is nine o' clock." He commented to her, voice with an edge of superior agitation…as if his tone alone screamed she had wasted the whole evening. "You should get back so you can prepare for your school tomorrow. My driver will accompany you and we will pick you up from your house in the morning."
"Right…" She nodded and started to gather up her things, trying to ignore her aching muscles from having sit in one position for several hours…she was more than ready to be free of the tedious exercise. "Well…see you tomorrow then."
"Mmm." Even the non-committal sound was somehow insulting in it's own way, he was reading some other paperwork after he'd already dismissed her.
Yes, Kagome felt stupid.
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Demons.
It had taken Mayuri the majority of two days to find the file he wanted and wrestle it free of the computer security. Even as the head of the research division there were still files that were denied to his access at times. Though, once he was fascinated with a new possibility of research it was only a matter of time before he would find a way to get the information he wanted.
The piece he had uncovered was disappointingly small.
"Creatures that live next to humans, most of them have no direct effect on human souls or soul society though it is believed that when they die their souls simply do not move to soul society. It is unknown if they cease to exist or if they move to another world. Many of them seemed to die out several hundred years ago and as they are almost always unable to see or interact with the spiritual realm they are passed over. Strangely notable is the fact that most of them seem to have a dark spiritual energy that surrounds them despite their usual inability to interact with the spirits around them. All interactions with them were cut off as they often seem to have volatile natures and the majority aren't strong enough to be worth the trouble."
One whole paragraph.
If he'd of found it before hearing about the creature that Byakuya mentioned he would have probably pushed them aside as a future project but it seemed that his fellow captain had found one of the rarer specimens. Wasn't it his duty then to continue the research and discover more about this mostly unknown race of creatures? Of course it was, and he took that duty very seriously.
"Nemu!" He called for his lieutenant, leaning back to reread the small entry a second time. He couldn't travel himself to the mortal realm without raising suspicion but he'd sent Nemu numerous times to gather himself things - her going in his place would not be a strange thing. He wanted her to observe this new specimen for a while…before she started to gather more detailed information as to his capabilities.
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Renji was below a pile of paperwork, colorful words escaping the tattooed man as he did what he could to remain ahead of the extras that were occasionally being added to his equivalent of an inbox. He had barely had time to recover when Ukitake had been kind enough to come by and inform him that he was acting captain until Byakuya returned from his mission in the mortal world.
"How the hell does he do all of this everyday anyway?" He muttered as he looked at the huge pile of papers still left. "Been at this for a damn hour and it's like there is more paperwork than when I began."
"It's bad right now because there are a lot of squad members needing medical leave and some that are still missing." Matsumoto yawned some, having walked in on Renji while he was muttering. "Think about Captain Hitsugaya - he's still doubling as acting captain of the fifth division."
The well endowed redhead seemed to be taking her own form of amusement at Renji's distress as she looked around the office.
"Why aren't you there helping him then instead of goofing off?" Renji asked, returning to signing papers.
"I'm not goofing off!" She returned, voice a little hurt and slightly innocent. "Oh what an office…Captain Kuchiki gets the nicer stuff as one of the nobles doesn't he?"
She was admiring a set of dishes in a display case.
"Look Matsumoto…" Renji sighed, trying to be polite and resisting the urge to rub his temples at the headache that was still plaguing him. "…if you are just here to avoid work with your captain go somewhere else to hide out."
"Renji! That is so mean." She pouted at him and sat across from him in the only chair left opposite the desk. "That's not the only reason I'm here, I was curious if you knew what the special assignment was that your captain was sent on."
"I wasn't informed so you'll have to search for your gossip somewhere else." He smirked a little, leave it to her to be here to look for rumors to talk about. She really was such a woman. "I won't make any excuses for you when Captain Hitsugaya finds you."
"You aren't fun anymore Renji-chan!" She drawled out the cute nickname with a smile. "I came to tell you where your captain was in case you didn't know. I'm here, going out of my way, to help you out, and you just insult me. I'm injured."
"Spare me." His tone was dry and he figured he probably was sounding more like Byakuya about now but his day hadn't made him cheery. "If you are going to tell me, then do it."
"Goodness…maybe you are after one of those open Captain slots if you wanna act like this." Mastumoto commented as she held a finger to her lips contemplating. "Well, I guess if you had to drag it out of me like this I can tell you."
"Joy…"
"See, there you go. Cheering up." She resisted the urge to giggle at the dark glare he was giving her, wondering if it would be too much. Then got more serious as the topic changed. "I hear he's teaching some mortal in the real world."
That made Renji stop mid-signature and look at his fellow ranking lieutenant fully. "If you are just here to mess with me…"
"No." She held up hands as he took it offensively. "I'm serious. Histugaya actually wanted someone to come over here and give you the heads up. I just volunteered cause I wanted to see Captain Kuchiki's office - I figure it's the only chance I'll get."
"Why would he be teaching a mortal?" Renji started to wonder if he had actually died from his wounds in the war and he was instead in some sort of bizarre hell of endless paperwork and annoying co-workers. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Well." That brought another smile to her face and she leaned over the desk, giving Renji a view that while pleasant he hadn't really been after. She whispered to him then. "Rumor is she's a priestess."
"So?" Renji got that the priestess thing was a big deal though he'd never much studied that far back in history. "If she has spiritual powers wouldn't someone else other than a captain - like one of the teachers at the school - be more fitting for such a job?"
"You really are narrow minded." Matsumoto sighed dramatically and sat back. "Think about it Renji-chan, why would they send a captain at a time such as this to teach a mortal priestess."
He frowned at the further insults, deciding the large breasted woman was only fun to be around when she was drunk. Though he still took a moment and it wasn't long before bells went off and he looked back to Matsumoto with wider eyes.
"I think you got it." She said before he could say anything else. "You can't say anything to Rukia or anyone else though. It's suppose to be confidential…just thought it might make you understand your temporary position a little more."
"Yeah…damn." He frowned as he considered all the implications of what he'd just been told. "How did Hitsugaya find out if the information is suppose to be confidential?"
"He overheard the big guy giving the orders when he was going to report on losses of the fifth and tenth squads." Matsumoto offered more seriously with a shrug. All the war was something soul society was suppose to be prepared for - but you could never truly prepare for the loss of so many friends and comrades.
Renji was about to say something about her sudden solemn when she smiled again brightly. "Oh, Renji-chan, that reminds me…Hitsugaya also said you should get in your report soon as to the losses for the sixth squad or the big guy will probably get irritated. Well, I should get back, nice office."
She left at that, leaving the red haired man frowning as he watched his paperwork. So much to do before he could begin to prepare his report…he wasn't getting sleep tonight.
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Another day just made Kagome wonder if she was ever going to have a life of her own, she was drug from the house before she managed to eat breakfast so she could catch a ride in the limosene that had arrived for her. She ignored her brother's jealousy and her mom's surprise, letting them know she would be back whenever she'd finished her priestly studies as she dashed out and got into the limo. Stomach grumbling at her, after a night of troubled sleep and an early morning she was hungry - she hadn't eaten the night before either. She'd been so caught up in trying to meditate and then tired by the time she got home she forgot to eat.
It was a silent ride to the school and she turned in her homework as she moved to her assigned seat, doing what she could to ignore the stares as they started up again. Now they were worse than the day before, whispers had been added.
"She has a guy like that?"
"…they rode away in a limoscene yesterday…didn't you hear?"
"I heard he was really a young businessmen but just wanted to finish school even though he didn't need it."
"I heard they were actually cousin's, not in a relationship."
"Wouldn't that be great?"
"Yeah, he's so dreamy."
"He wouldn't be interested in normal girls like us."
It was a whole new thing for her to be distracted by and want to try to avoid. At lunch she got her bag out of her locker and moved off by herself and out of sight to eat. She was absolutely starving by then. Not that she hadn't thought about skipping it to avoid people trying to seek her out for information but she needed to eat before she really did snap at someone. She needed to start packing more if her nights were going to repeat as they had.
It seemed a miracle that she escaped a second day without having had to answer any questions, though she dashed into the limo well ahead of the much more neutral Byakuya to hide away before anyone could seek her out. She knew sooner or later she would have to speak to someone in the class and answer questions she honestly wasn't prepared for. What did he expect her to say? They really needed to get at least some sort of basic story together.
He just sat when he entered the limo though, as if the day of stressful situations for Kagome hadn't touched him in any way. That perfection in demeanor was something some might consider regal but she was just started to get pissed off by it.
"So, sometime I'll have to answer questions." She started, watching him as he looked out the window when they began to drive. "What is it you want me to tell people? I know the truth isn't an option but I can't go on forever just avoiding them."
"You don't need to tell them anything." He replied cooly, barely moving.
"Well I'm not as indifferent as you…I'd like to actually have friends." She commented harshly, stewing a little at his poor attitude.
"Then tell them what you like." He replied, starting to change back into a more suitable shirt than the uniform the school required him to wear. "For now, get to work on your homework."
"You are such a jerk!" She snapped, opening her book and starting on her math - math would at least be distracting and boring enough it should calm her down.
That had however drawn his dark gaze to the still fuming girl as she ignored him to do her work, body turned away from him in fact in her small fit. He had paused in his changing for just a moment before starting again…he wasn't sure how to take her speaking to him like that. Certainly he could accept the slap from days before after his mistake but…
"I shouldn't worry about it." He reminded himself as he buttoned up his new shirt. "She is still very young and children are prone to unexpected acts as such."
He had a new appreciation for the dignity that Rukia did manage to carry herself with as he reminded himself how most young people are.
"Try to finish quickly, you will need the time to work on your meditation." He commented, and though he was trying to move her past her burst of anger he found himself shocked again by the response he gained.
'You know what!" She was still ticked off and his snide remark she took as an insult to her inability to meditate the night before. "Stop the car…I'm going home. If your soul society or whatever wants me to train, they can find someone else to teach me. I refuse to work with you and your better than everyone else attitude."
End Chapter
Whew, angry Kagome! Heh poor Byakuya - it's not like he really could understand a teenage girl. Rukia was a godsend with how behaved she was when he adopted her into the family wasn't she! Bwahahaha…I so love to torture my leading characters! Good news is the possible deployment isn't happening so I will be around more and should have more free time soon - yay!
-Aura
P.S. I've had a couple people send me private messages asking why I don't toss in Japanese words. And my reasoning for that is - it's written in English. I prefer to keep my adding Japanese to a minimum (like when Mastumoto added the cute chan this chapter to Renji's name or when Kagome add's -kun at the end of Byakuya's name) only because I couldn't think of a fitting word in English for it. Maybe some people don't care but figured I'd toss this note on for those that do.