Author's Note:
I'm never going to finish this, am I? XD Well, school's out and I now have summer... Only I'll be in Vietnam for a whole month come the 22nd of this month (and we'll also be spending some time in Japan :D). I'll try to update as much as I can before then, but I won't make any promises (and you guys know my shitty work ethic by now).
And, as another note, WHERE IS GIN, KT!? DDD:(
Kaleidoscope
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) drabble set
Theme #45
Puppets
Opening Song: "Pardon Me" - Incubus
Gin wasn't stupid — he knew he was being used. He had seen the look in Aizen's eyes when they spoke, the look that said, "You'll be of use to me." He could see the mutual agreement between Aizen and that other captain, the blind one who rarely spoke. Gin knew he was being used for his power, for his skill, for his knowledge. To them, he was nothing more than a puppet to be used.
But he didn't fight back. He didn't lash out. He didn't condemn them. He allowed himself to become their puppet because he knew that being used was better than being useless.
"Gin, you okay?"
Pulled out of his thoughts by a rough yank on his sleeve, Gin looked down at Rangiku, who stared at him questionably. "Sorry. I'm just a little hungry is all. C'mon, let's get somethin' to eat."
After several time conflicts, the duo had managed to get together for Tanabata, the Star Festival. Darkness had yet to descend upon them, though the sun's head was barely peaking over the mountains. Rangiku, dressed in a dark-colored yukata, once again tugged on Gin's sleeve once they had gotten their dango. "Let's go over there!" She was using her free hand to point at a small booth wedged between the fish and takoyaki booths.
A puppet show was taking place, and several children had already gathered in front of the booth. Gin watched amusedly as Rangiku quickly joined the children, crouching with them on the ground so that she could look up at the show with wide eyes.
The show reenacted the tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi, who had been separated by the Amanogawa River. Upon finishing her weaving, Orihime kept her promise with her father Tentei, who then allowed her to meet with her lover. Unfortunately, it had begun to rain, keeping the magpies from forming a bridge for them. Orihime and Hikoboshi stood on opposite sides of the river, and though ridden with sorrow, promised to meet again the next year.
It ended in a matter of minutes and the children dispersed, but when Gin looked down, he didn't see Rangiku. "... Rangiku...?" Brow furrowing, he looked around him, but there was no sight of her orange hair. "Rangiku, where'd ya go? C'mon, I'm not really feelin' like hide-n-seek right now."
"And then Orihime and Hikoboshi jumped the river and lived happily ever after!" He spun around, towards the puppet show, where Rangiku had nudged herself into the booth and grabbed the puppets. She pressed the dolls together affectionately while making kissing noises. "That story was too gloomy, Gin. I thought we should let them be happy, you know?"
Gin chuckled as he approached the booth and tugged Hikoboshi out of her left hand. "But life doesn't always offer happy endings, Rangiku. Perhaps Hikoboshi and Orihime here weren't meant to be together."
She pouted before yanking the doll out of his grasp. "I know that! You're such a fun-sucker sometimes." She stuck her tongue out at him and went back to pressing the dolls together.
"Ah, maybe the world wouldn't be so bad if yer the puppet master, eh?"
She tilted her head to the side, a seriously thoughtful look on her face. "Well... If I were the puppet master, everyone would be happy and fall in l-o-v-e!" she drawled out, grinning as she made a heart-shape with her fingers.
"But then nobody'd learn anythin'. Ya gotta have some downs to go with all of those ups, right?"
Rangiku snorted as she put down the puppets. "Fun-sucker."
He chuckled as he leaned to the side and pulled her out of the booth. "C'mon, I'll go catch some fish for you." Squealing at the prospect of new pets, Rangiku nodded and grabbed a hold of his wrist, yanking him forward. Together, the two headed for the fish booth, leaving the puppets behind.
Closing Song: "Here in My Room" - Incubus
Word Count: 656
The story of Orihime and Hikoboshi, in case you didn't know, is the actual legend of Tanabata. I thought it was a cute (sort of) story. ... And I needed a festival for them, but whatever.