Summary
Rukia takes Kagome to a Shinigami Women's meeting. The girls decide to induct the former shard hunter. Her task is... interesting.
A/N: You guys are all so amazing for being there and dealing with all my crazy stuff with me. I am so humbled by everyone's continued support and help in making this story the best it can be. Thank you!
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
As promised, Sango had managed to pull Kagome away from her duties for a Saturday to take her ribbon shopping. Also as promised, she'd invited Rukia to come along with them. Though the former slayer was a bit leery of the noble woman, she nonetheless resolved herself to getting to know her before she truly started to judge. After all, Kagome liked Rukia.
'But then, Kagome likes just about everyone,' Sango thought with an inward sigh, 'I don't think that girl has a hate bone in her body.' The only exception she'd seen the former priestess make was due to Naraku's manipulations. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she smiled and picked up a delicate looking pale blue ribbon with white lace on the edges. "What about this one, Kagome?"
Kagome turned from her perusal of a buttercup yellow ribbon and eyed the blue one with a sense of trepidition. "You do realize that I don't get fancy ones now because I probably won't be able to keep them very long, right?" Rukia tilted her head in the direction of their conversation as she turned a delicate hair stick over in her hands. She'd been thinking of a few things, and she'd come to a decision regarding Kagome and Sango. Hopefully, the two girls would be in agreement with her.
Sango giggled and replaced the ribbon, much to the vendor's dismay. "True. At the rate you're going, he's going to have every one that you own."
"Bah!" the former time traveler waved her hand in annoyance, "I wouldn't even wear my hair up if it didn't get in the way all the time." Blue eyes unfocused briefly as she thought before she came back to herself, running a hand absently through her long hair. She'd decided to actually wear it down today. "Maybe... I should get it cut?"
That got Rukia's attention. She knew that her brother liked the other shinigami's long hair. "What were you thinking of?" Kagome tilted her head a little as she made a decision and pulled some money out to pay for the yellow ribbon before tucking it into the sleeve of the simple kimono she'd worn on their outing.
"I don't know. I'm thinking maybe I should just chop it all off so I don't have to wear it up," she sighed, turning away from the stall and moving to one that she'd seen out of the corner of her eye that sold some interesting looking trinkets. She was thinking of buying one for Rin the next time she saw the little girl. Her two companions stared after her horrified and Sango clutched her hair in fear.
"Kagome! Think of what you're saying! How long did it take for you to grow it out to the length it is now?!" the Squad 11 girl squeaked. Rukia nodded rapidly, trying to think of some way to deter her friend. If Byakuya knew she'd just let her do it...
"It looks so nice! Why cut it?" the smallest shinigami helpfully pointed out.
"It's just hair, Sango. It'll grow back eventually..." Kagome muttered, shaking her head and setting down a bauble, "It took me almost five years to grow it out as long as it is now. I used to wear it short when I was a little girl because the other kids would tease me and put gum and stuff in my hair."
"What?!" Rukia demanded, narrowing her eyes in fury. "Who were these kids?!"
"Oh!" the priestess countered, "It was when I was alive. I used to get teased by the other kids because of my eye color. They all insisted that I wasn't full-blooded Japanese because they were blue. It didn't matter that both of my parents were Japanese and that I got my eye color from my dad. It was different, therefore I was different."
"That's so sad..." Sango murmured, giving her old friend a hug for support. "Why would they do that?"
"It doesn't matter," the other girl waved it off, smiling happily, "We all do stupid things as kids. They grew up and grew out of it. A lot of those kids actually became good friends of mine." Sango nodded and reached over to pluck an orange ribbon to present to the reminiscing priestess.
"What about this one?" Kagome gave the bright color a critical look and smiled. "Actually, I think that one would suit Rin better than me."
"Yes, but we haven't seen her," the taijiya replied.
"Ah, I have. She lives with Captain Ukitake. She's one of his sisters."
"Oh. Well then, let's get it for her!" Rukia bit the inside of her lip and decided it was now or never.
"Listen. I have somewhere I need to be this afternoon, and I was wondering if the two of you would like to come with me?" Kagome and Sango blinked at the same time and glanced at eachother. Sango made her choice first, much to Kagome's chagrin.
"I can't. I have a squad meeting this afternoon and I have to be there." Sango shrugged at her old friend's disappointed look, "It's mandatory."
'That means that Yachiru will be missing,' Rukia thought, nodding inwardly. It would probably be for the better too. The tiny pink-haired girl would have asked for something ridiculous.
"What's it for?"
"I'm in the Shinigami Women's Association, and was wondering if either of you were interested in joining. We're looking for more members," Rukia answered, giving a slight smile and dropping her cards on the table. "We're having a meeting today at my home."
"I don't know... I've been avoiding Captain Kuchiki since I shoved him into the ocean a few weeks ago..." Kagome hedged, earning two bewildered sets of eyes on her, "What?! He started it! All he had to do was give me my friggin' ribbon back and I wouldn't have dumped that bucket of water over his head!"
"And then you wouldn't have been tossed into the ocean," Rukia reminded her solemnly.
"And then I wouldn't have pushed him off the cliff to get him back," Kagome finished, nodding sharply when the bewilderment became astonishment. She deflated then, "I ended up going in with him. Stupid super reflexes of his..."
"I know where my brother stashes your ribbons," the noblewoman suddenly compromised. The former time traveler was paying very close attention to her now.
"Okay... I'm listening..."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"Attention!" Nanao Ise called out, looking at the crowd of women that were scattered about the large room. It was a good thing Yoruichi had soundproofed the walls; otherwise they probably would have already been caught. When her voice had no effect, she scowled and took a deep breath. "LISTEN!"
"Wooow! Nanao's got some volume today!" Rangiku teased good-naturedly, nudging Kagome over so she could sit next to the priestess. Said priestess nodded, eyes wide as the meeting got underway. Looking around while the Squad 8 Lieutenant made some announcements, she nodded at the familiar faces that she caught gazes with and swallowed delicately as she happened to see the excited grin on Yoruichi's face. She wasn't too sure about this...
"Finallly, I'd like to welcome all of the new ladies that have joined us today," Nanao continued, sending an adoring glance at Kagome. The former time traveler cringed and avoided the curious looks Rangiku and Rukia gave her. "As you all know, there is a test that you must all go through before you are inducted, so we, the members, shall interview you one at a time to determine what your task will be." After a few more things, the new potential members were dismissed. Kagome rose, dusted off her yukata, and turned a small smile to Rukia.
"Well, that was interesting, but I need to get going."
The noble blinked. "You're not going to stay for your interview?" The priestess shook her head.
"I'm not joining. Besides, Captain Kuchiki gave me some paperwork involving an incident with Miroku groping some poor girl in Squad 2. Apparently, Captain Soi Fon wasn't pleased." At that, the other women that knew the monk winced and shook their heads.
"Idiot," Rukia muttered under her breath before she bounced back. "That's no reason for you to not join."
"I'm just not that big into the whole idea." Rangiku chose that moment to interfere.
"If you don't at least try, Kagome-chan, I'll send Captain Kuchiki the pictures I took of you in the swimsuit Yoruichi picked out for you..." Kagome whipped around and gaped at the sly blonde.
"You wouldn't!" the raven-haired girl squeaked, flushing a dark shade of red in mortification.
"You don't believe me?" Kagome stared at her with wide eyes.
"I'll tell Nii-sama where you keep all of your spare ribbons," Rukia whispered to the priestess. The other shinigami hung her head in defeat.
"... Fine. I'll stay for my friggin' interview."
"Great! You can go ahead and go then!" Yoruichi popped up next to her, smiling innocently and pointing at the room that Nanao, Lieutenant Ise, and Captain Unohana had disappeared into. Grumbling under her breath about manipulative friends, Kagome stomped over to the room and slammed the door shut.
"Do you think she'll make it?" Rukia asked, glancing at the door. They all knew what the priestess was going to have to do.
"Yachiru-chan doesn't call her Koneko-chan for nothing," Rangiku answered flippantly.
"... I thought it was just some random nickname," the smaller shinigami mumbled absently.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"This is insanely stupid!" Kagome hissed a few days later, balancing on top of the wall surrounding the Kuchiki Family's property. Glancing around and surprised that she hadn't been spotted by the guards yet, she dropped down onto the other side, landing lightly on her feet. When she'd sat down for her interview, the last thing she'd expected was to be told to sneak into her Captain's home and steal one of his prized koi fish... without being caught. Apparently Yachiru did it often enough that the noble had become somewhat paranoid. The situation had become even more ridiculous when Captain Unohana, of all people, had presented her with a skintight black catsuit that the priestess had nearly had fits over. Sango might have been fine with it; she'd worn her taijiya uniform so many times it had caused a permanent problem with Miroku's groping tendencies, but she had developed a modest streak since coming to the Soul Society. No more school skirts for her! After being given a bowl to put the poor fish in and wished good luck, she'd made her reluctant way to the noble's territory.
'What's more stupid is the fact that I need to do it in order to get those damn pictures from Rangiku-san,' the former school girl sighed inwardly, keeping to the shadows and slinking around a corner. Years ago, she'd have loved doing something like this. It had been part of a training session that both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had surprisingly agreed she'd desperately needed. She blamed her clumsiness on the era she'd been born in. Inuyasha insisted it was innate. Sesshomaru hadn't argued; merely forced her to comply with his wishes. It had helped, in the end, and she hoped that her pseudo-master was proud of her now.
'Good old Sesshomaru... I wonder, if I go to the Living World again, will I run into him? Or would he be in Tokyo?' Shrugging off her nostalgia for the taiyoukai, and the Feudal Era in general, the sneaky priestess, temporarily playing ninja, stole over to the pond that the koi fish were kept in and observed the brightly swimming fish. They were all so pretty, but she knew, by size alone, that she couldn't take one of the bigger ones.
"Hmm, one of the little ones then." glancing around, she spotted a net and grabbed it. Poised above the unsuspecting fish, she started to dip it into the water to go after the one she'd chosen when an ominous shiver skater down her spine. Uh-oh.
"Well, well, well..." a male voice drawled from behind her. Gulping, Kagome slowly began to turn her head, but a hood was thrown over her face before she could get a good look at her companion. She shrieked and dropped net and bowl, becoming more disoriented when she was lifted and carried under his arm like a sack of rice.
"The Master doesn't appreciate thievery. We'll settle this in a few moments."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"What are you doing?" Byakuya grumbled, eyeing whoever it was that his Zanpakuto was carrying under his arm as the spirit crossed the garden he was sitting in. He couldn't tell who it was because of the hood over their head, but the distinctly feminine curves and petite frame encased in what he was almost positive was a catsuit that he'd seen flaunted in some movie from the Living World he'd watched with Rukia had him immediately on guard. If those damn women were infiltrating his home again...
"I found her attempting to fish one of the koi out of the pond," Senbonzakura replied, setting the girl down and pulling the hood off of her head. Black hair spilled down delicate shoulders in waves and Byakuya could have choked. What was Kagome doing running around stealing his fish!
"Higurashi..." She looked up at him guiltily, blue eyes wide and pleading.
"It's not what you think! I was just-! I'm being blackmailed and I..." she trailed off, looking for some way to explain that she wasn't doing exactly what it looked like. When she caught sight of Senbonzakura, though, she seemed to lose her train of thought because she jumped up suddenly and hissed like a scalded cat at the Zanpakuto. "You!"
"Me," the spirit answered blandly.
"You stole my purple ribbon!"
"I did."
"I want it back!" she snapped, striding right up to the tall male and poking him in his armored chest plate. Byakuya watched the scene unfold with a sense of amused abandonment. Apparently, Kagome had forgotten her fear of being caught.
"I no longer possess it," Senbonzakura replied, shrugging his shoulders in an uncaring fashion when the priestess made a noise of outrage.
"Then I'm going to enjoy strangling you until you figure out a way to re-possess it!" the girl shrieked, tackling the Zanpakuto unexpectedly to the ground and reaching for his throat. The Captain's eyes widened at the display of violence and he swooped down to seize the woman attempting to asaphixiate his sword spirit. Snagging an arm around her waist, he hauled her up and pinned her to his side.
"Enough, Higurashi," the noble reprimanded gently when she tried to struggle out of his hold. Kagome growled under her breath, but stopped wriggling around, which was probably safer for his sanity. He could really only take so much before he just lost it. "Now, why are you here dressed in... that..." He couldn't think of an appropriate word to describe the skintight suit and simply let his sentence trail off. Disturbing, maybe. Undeniably mouth-watering, definitely.
"And stealing your fish," Senbonzakura put his two cents worth in, making the priestess twitch murderously.
"The minute I get you alone, pal..." she made a wringing motion with her hands. If he hadn't been wearing his mask, the volatile woman would have seen an eyeroll.
"It is pointless threatening him. He will merely return to annoy you later, Higurashi," Byakuya countered blandly, earning what would have been a glare had the spirit not been wearing his mask.
"Your confidence in me is overwhelming, Master," his Zanpakuto muttered in annoyance, "and your patience has become outstanding as of late." Kagome gaped at him, then turned accusing blue eyes to her Captain.
"He's your Zanpakuto?!"
"... Yes. This is Senbonzakura," the noble finally admitted after a momentary pause. Swinging her piercing gaze back to the spirit, Kagome began to analyze the other male intently. Now that she knew, the niggling feeling in the back of her head made complete sense. It was because Senbonzakura's presence was so similar to Byakuya's that she'd felt like she was being watched here. The Zanpakuto had probably been following her the whole time in the Kuchiki's property! Another thought occured to her and she blurted out a question before she could stop herself.
"Did you tell him to steal my ribbon?!" Senbonzakura choked back what sounded like a laugh as Byakuya glared at him.
"No. He did that of his own free will," the Squad 6 leader grit out, waving his hand, "You are dismissed, Senbonzakura."
"Might you actually accomplish something today, Master?"
"Leave."
"All right. I understand," the spirit grumbled, knowing to not tease the other man at the moment. Apparently, that patience of his had finally run out. 'Good. Now, maybe he'll finally quit dancing around this whole issue. Hisana wouldn't have wanted him to be miserable forever.' With that thought firmly in mind, the Zanpakuto disappeared in a flurry of pink blossoms, elicting a gasp from Kagome.
"He did that last time too," she murmured with a hint of longing, "Now that I understand, though, it's pretty... and flashy."
"Yes. He's a bit of a show-off," the Captain grumbled. The priestess giggled quietly and Byakuya realized with a morbid sense of embarrassment that he still had the girl pinned to his side. It was even more embarrassing that he didn't want to let her go. He blamed her current attire completely.
"If Zanpakuto are extensions of ourselves, does that mean you are a bit of a show-off too, Captain?" Kagome asked slyly, a smirk lighting her features as he finally let her go.
'Cunning little minx.' He started off, heading back in the direction of the koi pond, and she automatically followed. That small thing did wonders for his pride. When he stopped at the pond, though, the smaller shinigami was looking a little pale. Served her right for trying to steal his fish.
"Now, why were you trying to take one of the fish," Byakuya stated, because even now, he still wouldn't just ask. Kagome shuffled her feet against the grass and refused to meet his gaze.
"Well, you see, I was just going to borrow one of the little ones."
"You were going to borrow one," he deadpanned.
"Yes."
"Without permission," he continued in an increasingly bland tone.
"But with every intention of returning it in a couple of days," Kagome argued, waving her hands in the air to try and make her point. She hung her head then. "I wasn't supposed to get caught though."
Byakuya thought for a few moments and the answer hit him suddenly. "You're doing this for that ridiculous Women's Society."
"... Eeh, sort of. But it's only because they made me. I wasn't going to join, but Rangiku-san and Rukia forced me into doing it!" the priestess countered, cringing at the dark look that stole across his face. Oh boy, he was mad.
"And this required you to steal-!"
"Borrow!" she corrected quickly.
"-borrow one of my fish?!" he finished incredulously. Kagome sighed quietly and resorted to pulling out all the stops. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I just..." she deliberately trailed off, looking pained, before she raised wide teary blue eyes to him, "I just needed one for a little while. I'll take good care of it, and bring it back completely unharmed. But only until they're convinced that I didn't get caught. Pleeeaaase!" To be safe, she clasped her hands in front of her and gave him the ultimate 'Pity me, oh noble one!' look.
He knew what she was doing. Yoruichi had fooled him enough times when he was younger to know that he was being played. But those big blue eyes... and her pleading expression... and damn it! That ridiculous suit!
'Oh, how you have fallen far, Kuchiki.' Reaching over and plucking the fishbowl from where he assumed she'd dropped it when Senbonzakura kidnapped her, he gathered a net and surveyed the swimming creatures before scooping one out and dropping it into the bowl with some water. Then, not looking at her so she wouldn't see the flush starting to spread across his cheeks, he thrust the fish at her.
"You may keep it," he grumbled reluctantly.
"Oh! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I'll bring it back in a couple of days, and-!" she was cut off abruptly in her excitement.
"No, I meant," Byakuya bit the inside of his cheek and tried again, "It is yours."
Kagome gaped at him, then the small fish swimming circles in the bowl. "Wha-! But why?"
"I want to."
"I... really?" When he nodded, she felt she needed to ask, "What can I do to repay you?" Kagome watched the emotions flicker across the noble's face for a few seconds before he schooled his features back into his normal stoicism.
"Do not join the Women's Society."
"That one... I don't really have a choice on." At his irritated look, she elaborated, "Like I said before, I'm kinda being blackmailed." He huffed and looked away towards the trees.
"Then, I will suffise with another form of payment," Byakuya murmured reaching out one hand to hold up the fish bowl and using the other to raise her chin up a little.
"Captain?" He didn't respond, merely tilted his head down so that their breaths mingled. Kagome stared up at him with wide eyes.
'Is he-!' His lips pressed against hers for a moment; soft, warm, and gentle, and she faintly realized why he'd put a hand under the bowl. She would have dropped the poor thing otherwise. After a moment, her eyes started to droop as she memorized the way he smelled, like sandalwood and what she was sure was oak, then he pulled away. "Go back then, Kagome, and tell them no one saw you." When she did nothing but continue to stare up at him, he had to assume she was in shock, he turned her around and gave her a light push towards where he knew the gate was.
Kagome automatically started for the gate, unbelieving of what had just happened. He'd kissed her... She stopped and seemed to come back to herself.
"And Higurashi." The former time traveler glanced back at Byakuya, watching a scowl cross his features briefly, "Don't wear that thing again in public." He nodded at her catsuit and she flushed darkly. Whipping away, she scampered off like a contrite puppy and disappeared from his sight.
"Good work, Master," Senbonzakura murmured from his place in the treetops, "You've managed to completely confuse her."
"... Shut up."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Kagome wandered into her barracks room in a daze, wondering if today had been real or some incredible dream. After presenting the fish to the other women, they had deemed her their newest member and congratulated her on passing. She'd merely nodded and told them she needed to get home.
"Ah. You've returned!" Miroku spoke, nursing an ice pack on the bump marring the side of his head.
"... Miroku?"
"Hmm?"
"... Can you pinch me? I think I'm dreaming or something," the priestess muttered, collapsing on the bed and putting her head in her hands. Her monk friend gaped at her for a few moments before deigning to respond.
"I think Captain Soi Fon hit me harder than I realized. Did you just ask me to pinch you?!"
"Yeah. I won't get mad and hit you for it either." With a shrug and a guaranteed freebie, he reached over and pinched her backside. She twitched and automatically slapped him on the arm.
"You said you wouldn't hit me!"
"You could have chosen a different place, so that was for being perverted," Kagome countered effectively. Mirkoku sighed and nodded as he rubbed his arm with a free hand.
"Why did you ask anyway?"
"Well..."
"What happened," the monk persisted gently.
"... Mmmph mmmph..."
"Milady, you're mumbling," her friend chided her, elicting a blush from the priestess.
"... Captain Kuchiki kissed me." Miroku stared at her for a moment before he snorted uncharacteristically.
"About time."
"Whu-What?!" Kagome squeaked, goggling at her old friend in shock.
"I've been wondering when he'd get around to it," he elaborated, much to the girl's confusion.
"What do you mean 'get around to it'!"
"Well, I'm fairly positive that our esteemed lordship has had designs on you for quite some time now," Miroku explained, grinning pervertedly before continuing, "It was quite obvious, but you've always been a little blind when it comes to that sort of thing."
"Don't lie, Miroku! It's a terrible habit!" the former time traveler hissed, crossing her arms and glaring at the monk.
"Why would I lie. He proved it by kissing you," he shrugged, rising to his feet and starting out the door, "Also, Lieutenant Abarai told me to inform you that there will be sword drills tomorrow and that you should rest up."
Kagome groaned and fell back into the bed, more confused than ever. Had Captain Kuchiki really kissed her because he liked her? Or was it simply to seek repayment for the fish. Looking over at the little fish wriggling in its' bowl, she snorted and rolled over.
"You were so much more trouble than you're worth, little guy."
Fishy-chan continued to swim and squirm long after the priestess had fallen asleep.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
A/N: Aaaand cue the 'Squee's that make us all sound like demented fan girls at a boy band concert. Hahaha! I hope you guys enjoyed this. Inspiration came from remembering all those little asides at the end of the Japanese subs where Yachiru runs around stealing Byakuya's koi fish. Too funny.
Again, I really apologize for the screw-up earlier, so please be kind and leave your review again!