29:Pro's and Con's
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
-Elie Wiesel
Byakuya grew quiet after her initial outburst, watching the younger woman and letting her rant.
"This is such complete…bullshit." Kagome cursed for lack of a better phrase at the time. "How can they do that? Oh do I need some damn subjugation beads right now…I knew I should have had Kaede show me how to make them! Who do they think they are?"
"The kings and queens." Byakuya replied quietly. "Or at least the closest we have."
"Well, we'll just need to hunt down this Aizen guy and kill him so they'll cancel it." Kagome said seriously, tossing a hand in the air dramatically. "For my innocence I'll tear him to little bitsy shreds!"
"That statement makes one question your innocence." Byakuya commented, though he had to admit her animated nature had helped his own poor mood a little. "Kagome, we have a few days to discuss the new 'request' to shorten the engagement to three months and then give our answer. I said that we will take the time given to consider but promised nothing."
"Oh." Kagome calmed just a tad as he started to explain, then ranted again in reply. "Well, nothing has actually changed has it? Those little conniving offensive noble wannabe's…what sorta king does something like this anyway…way to prove having no class…losers. If you say no they'll just pass me off to someone else and if I protest enough they'll just force me into it anyway. Oh, oh! I'm so gonna kill them if I ever see them again…I should have just started shooting arrows during Sesshomaru's battle…or asked him to just wind scar the living hell out of them! Would have showed them right."
As amusing as her outburst was, Byakuya reached out to set a hand on her shoulder, it wasn't a good place for it on the open ledge of his building. Even if it was his building he couldn't trust that spying ears wouldn't be lingering. "Kagome, calm down."
She blinked a little at the touch and comment, blushing as she looked at her feet…her embarrassment not solely a result of being told to pause her angry ranting. Repeating an internal question she'd been asking herself often lately. "God, does he have to be so gorgeous?"
"Sorry." She muttered. "It just makes me so angry. But nothing has changed…even if they decide to make the date sooner fighting would cause the same problems as before. We sort of have to agree and hope we can resolve the issue in the same way. Right? At least it'll by us time."
He considered her curiously at her quick decision when she was so angry a moment prior. "You are an intriguing young woman Kagome. Is that your answer then?"
She kept watching her feet, she was getting really familiar with them lately. She'd been cold too and didn't realize it cause she was so mad. The coat they'd given her to use in the cooler weather helped but her face felt chilled. She would need to go inside soon. "God, it was even a backwards compliment…speaking of losers I think I apply."
"Yeah." She managed without too much of her embarrassment leaking into her voice after a moment. "Unless you see another way."
"I do not." he admitted regretfully. "I shall let them know tomorrow. We are to have our first meeting then…they have arranged some sort of outing for us."
"You don't know what it is?" Kagome asked curiously, blinking when she felt wetness on her face and looking out toward the grounds. "…wow…it's snowing…"
He followed her gaze, offering a short smile at her tiny attention span and the wonder she seemed to have for things he'd thought mundane for centuries. "I don't, it is common for those of high station to be surprised with different things during their engagement to see how they react to various stimuli together. I always have considered it an outdated practice but I figure they are very interested in our cases."
"Well, hopefully it's fun at least." She seemed better now that she was watching the snow, though her arm was very cold beneath his hand. "I need to tell the staff to give her thicker clothes."
"I agree." He commented, gesturing toward the building. "We should get you inside, you must be very cold."
"Yeah…it's just…I've hardly ever seen much snow…it never has much where I'm from in Tokyo." She replied with a hesitant step indoors. "But I guess if it's already snowing then I'll get to definitely see more huh?"
"Before long it will likely cover everything." Byakuya agreed, opening the doors and letting her into her room, moving to turn up the fire for her after closing the door.
"It's sort of like your sword." She commented sleepily as she laid across the couch in the room that functioned as a common area for her quarters. "Drifting sweetly through the sky, but not as gentle as it appears to the naked eye."
"Is she quoting me poetry now?" He thought with amusement as he finished with the fires, glancing back to notice she was already falling asleep. "I wish I could pass out so easily. Must be a side effect of being such a carefree soul."
He sighed a little as he noted she'd left her coat on the hanger though it was still cold in here. He moved and retrieved it without a sound, settling it back over her. "How can I protect you if you don't take care of yourself?"
At that he took his leave to his own quarters only a room away, he still had several scrolls to poor though to see if the experimental project could fit his own needs for her continued instruction.
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"How is her study progressing according to our agent?" Aizen asked as he considered the broken lands of Huedo Mundo from the safety of a room inside his new tower. The dead desert landscape was currently beneath the tempest of a gray sandstorm. Leaving anyone or anything unfortunate to be trapped in it blind and likely in pain. The grains of ashen earth dancing over the surface of the windows in a deceptively playful way.
Behind the brunette mastermind Uliquorra stood as neutral as ever, entertained by nothing. He took a moment to consider the glass himself before he answered. "It seems that her training has not been progressing at all for a few days…ever sense the announcement of her engagement to Byakuya Kuchiki."
"The tenth squadron captain hmm?" Aizen seemed to be thinking, the sharp gears of his mind curling a baleful plan as he took in the new information. "Perhaps this ultimatum from the soul society will back her into a corner. Do you know how she took it?'
"From what the spy says she was rather irritated but did not want to cause trouble for Byakuya. The two hoped to get out of it by waiting out the war. Though I doubt that the orders would change regardless of the current battles soul society faces." The green-eyed individual reported faithfully.
"I can't imagine they would." Aizen agreed, still staring at the sands outside as he thought. "Have the agent approach her and see if she would take a way out if Byakuya wouldn't be harmed."
"That is not a promise we could keep." Ulquorra said in reply. "Wouldn't it be easier just to kill her?"
"No, don't kill her, just lie to her." Aizen shrugged it off uncaringly. "The more various ways we keep them busy with things other than us, the further we can extend our own plans. If she were dead it would simply be more attention back on us."
"As you wish Lord Aizen." Ulquorra replied with a bow. "What of the demon, he destroyed Kurotsuchi before the captain had a chance to raise much of a defense. The reporter stated the battle didn't last more than a minute but that he seemed to know the priestess."
"We already knew of the connection between the priestess and the demon. Wouldn't Kenpachi have an interest in the battle however?" Aizen asked, semi-curiously.
"He wasn't at the battle, from the report he wasn't one of the attendee's." Ulquorra shrugged ever so slightly.
"Well, it might do some good to inform him as to the possible challenge as well. Don't engage any of our troops against him. As he seems to want to be left to his own devices we are better off not approaching further ourselves." Aizen explained to his new acting lieutenant faithfully. "That is all."
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"It should work." Byakuya commented to himself as he read through the last of the scrolls again. "All the issues that were being had at that time were a result of the other vigorous physical training. Eventually she'll need to be better her martial skill but at this time it's unneeded."
He wasn't sure why he was hesitating to use this option of teaching her. It would definitely keep her much more safe…but there were just small things in the previous research that bothered him. He would want to have her read it through herself and agree before he would accept it himself.
Thus the captain found himself on route to check on her, half-expecting her to be out of her quarters when he finally reached her door and knocked gently. The lack of a response wasn't promising, he was about to knock a little more insistently when Mitama rounded a corner, pausing with the bags in her hands and bowing awkwardly when she saw him. "Lord Kuchiki, can I assist you?"
"Where is the Priestess Kagome?" He asked seriously, gesturing for her to stand as he shifted his hazel gaze to scan the servant.
"She is still dressing." Mitama replied, doing well to not stutter though her nervousness was apparent in her tone. "Do you want me to hurry the women helping her?"
"No need to rush them." He shook his head negatively. "Tell her to meet me in my study when she is ready."
"Of course my Lord." She bowed again, barely managing to not drop some of the packages she carried, and moved into Kagome's room as the Captain drifted away again. Smiling to the pretty priestess as the other girls were finishing up with her make up.
"About time Mitama." One of them commented when the girl came in. "Get the head piece that we asked for. Once her hair is up she'll be ready."
Kagome was resisting the urge to yawn and screw up the hair-styling the girl was fixing on her head. She really didn't like this hour or more of getting all perfect every morning, she would have much preferred the extra sleep. Though she had to admit that it was sort of neat at first to dress so pretty it was now just annoying instead.
"Oh, I have it, I can finish up if you two want to go back to your other duties. Thank you." Mitama said apologetically. "It's just hard to do it all myself."
"It's fine hon." The second girl laughed. "Better than working in the kitchen scrubbing dishes. Man, marrying Byakuya, you are a lucky girl Priestess Kagome. There are women here that would kill to be in your position."
"You being amongst them." The first quipped back with a snicker as she gathered the boxes and other things and headed toward the door. "I bet you cried when you heard."
"Oh real funny." The second rolled her eyes and picked up some things herself before following after the first.
"Yeah…lucky…" Kagome commented softly to herself, sighing as she thought about the corner she'd been shoved into with a proverbial kick to the ribs. "Why if people seem to be so afraid of Byakuya do the girls here all act like I'm so lucky?"
"Well isn't it obvious?" Mitama smiled as she started to decorate Kagome's hair with flowers, the whole staff taking more care than usual with small details thanks to the 'date' she had with the lord of the house later. "He's got it all. He's a lord of one of the noble houses, he's a captain of the thirteen squads, he's got money and power and heck he's dreamy to boot. You can't say you don't think he's good-looking."
Kagome blushed a little but smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, he's pretty handsome I suppose. But there are more important things than that…he seems so distant."
"He's always been a prude, at least that's what old maid Kaede was always saying before they sent her off to the mortal realm." Mitama answered with a smile. "But she told me once that he was a lot less cold before his first wife died."
"Lady Hisana…yeah…I heard about her. Did you ever meet her?" Kagome commented as she remembered her own conversation with Kaede, it seemed such a long time ago that she was making tempura carefree to the troubles of the future. "I just wanted to be his friend…now I'm suppose to…well, I wonder if he even considers me a friend."
"No, she died before I began working here." Mitama offered honestly. "Though I heard she was a very kind and quiet woman. Perhaps a tad nervous at times, I've had a couple older members of the staff say things like 'well Mitama is more nervous around the nobles than Hisana was' so I guess she wasn't really comfortable with the higher class."
"She was from the lower district is what I was told." Kagome confirmed to her own memory as much as saying it to the woman decorating her hair. "I suppose it would be hard…I don't know what to think of all of this."
"What do you mean Priestess Kagome?" Mitama asked curiously as she stood back to look at her handiwork and nodded, gesturing toward the mirror so the girl could see herself fully.
"Oh um, nothing." Kagome answered, yawning a little to cover her mistaken words. "Just tired I think."
"That's right…everyone is suppose to think we both weren't just assigned to marry each other." Kagome sighed at not being able to talk to anyone about her problem, missing her friends from the modern era. "…wow."
A worried mind paused for a moment when she saw herself in the mirror…wondering idly if it was really her behind the make up and underneath the expensive clothes.
The kimono of the day was a wrap of black and white in abstract patterns that seemed to draw the eyes to the varied different ways it seemed to create pictures of it's own. Occasional flickers of color seemed to dance over the darker areas of it's surface, only adding to it's hypnotic effect. Her hair had been pulled up and to one side, held in place with matching black and white flowers as well as a pale aqua scattering of smaller blossoms amongst her dark hair. They reminded her of the pale coloring of Byakuya's Kensaiken and scarf.
Her face wasn't painted completely white but they'd added a hint of blush to her cheeks and a matching pale green eye shadow that seemed to make her brown eyes more gentle. She had to admit that it was surprising…she seemed so much older than her teenage years in that moment.
"Do you like it?" Mitama asked with her usual anxious tone back.
"It's lovely." Kagome send the girl a smile at the question, blushing a bit herself and for once glad for that part of the make-up. "I don't mean to be a narcissist just starting, but I was just so surprised…you all always manage to make me look so much more beautiful than I am."
"We couldn't create what wasn't there Priestess Kagome." The girl offered the compliment with a proud smile for her work nonetheless. "You should hurry though, I just thought of it but Lord Kuchiki is awaiting you in his study for your lessons."
"Oh? Well, I guess I'll go there then. Thank you so much Mitama." The girl hugged the servant girl, leaving her to glance after Kagome and shake her head a little at the odd behavior from a person that was the equivalent of a noble herself.
Kagome moved to the study then slowly, they had her in shoes that added a bit to her height but made her already slow movement shift to more of a crawl. By the time she arrived she was back to thinking the con's didn't out weight the pro's of this clothing arrangement.
Though when she went inside she had something new to add to the pro's list.
Byakuya paused after he looked up to call her inside, actually letting his gaze linger on her for more than a moment as he scanned her 'more' dressed up state. It was still hard to read just what he thought of it but she had to smile a little to herself, it was a compliment in it's own right to get him to stop for a moment like that after all.
"You look nice." He finally offered. "Please have a seat. Our outing isn't until later and I have some things I would like you to read over in the meantime."
She had to consider even the small compliment something and nodded, trying to not seem to excited about it…trying to convince herself that it didn't really matter what he thought anyway…
"I want you to read these scrolls over. It is a possibility for speeding up your teaching and in a safer way." Byakuya said as he settled a hand on the table with the scroll cases. "It has only ever been a test procedure so I would like your thoughts on it before it is considered further."
Kagome nodded. "Okay."
And the girl went to reading for quite some time, wasting through hours of the day as her eyes scanned the parchment.
It seemed really strange.
The project notes that Byakuya had had her read over. Did he want to teach her in this way because of the problems she'd had? Sure the name made it seem fairly self-evident. The Mental Instruction project…but some of the examples of problems that they had made her wonder.
"It seems so much more…intimate than what they let on. He could possibly hear my thoughts?" Kagome blushed at the very idea of it. "I dunno, having him hear me thinking about how gorgeous he is in the middle of a lesson probably wouldn't help the situation we're in."
She glanced from where he was reading and right back down the scroll as if she were still reading it over. She didn't want him to catch her staring, an unreasonable fear he might hear her thoughts already driving her to look away. "But…if it's safer than setting things on fire all the time…he wouldn't have me read it unless he was already considering it right?"
"It was rare though…that's what it says…" That particular paragraph was very promising at least. "If it would help me learn my powers faster and without setting more buildings on fire I guess that is a good thing…I just…"
Her thought process about the information she'd been reading all day was interrupted when there was a knock at the door…it seemed she'd gotten so absorbed that all her free time had passed. It was being announced that it was time for them to leave for their date.
End Chapter
Next chapter they have their first date! Albeit sorta enforced, but should be fun to write. Whew, this thing is turning into something way longer than I originally meant for it to be. Whoops. Happy Holloween guys!
-Aura
P.S. Ayjah - That's sort of where I was. Natsumi - I'd rather not refer to Mastumoto's chest…might never make it away alive. She hides rockets in there imo. Saphira - Yeah I'm pushing my brain for stuff to do but they can go to the rest of soul society too.