And here is the next one! Wohoo I'm getting a lot done today. Sort of. Hopefully I can get this one done today too. Then 3 more and you get to read what I've been writing and making you impatiently wait for! Also, I can't believe I'm already at 14 chapters! It is all thanks to you guys and your words of encouragement, and your prompts to add more details to certain characters. I hope you aren't too angry about the wait I'm giving you. Onward!

Chapter 14... The Bar

Tia returned to 5th to see an impatiently waiting Lilinette. "You will return to 14th and let Apache know that the four of us have plans for the evening," she told Lilinette, and the girl headed off. Momo smiled, and stepped over to the Captain's desk to show Tia what it was she was to be doing when she was a Captain.

Evening rolls around, and Tia returns to her barracks at 14th to see both Apache and Lilinette waiting for her. She opens the door to her room and both girls step in. "So what are we doing?" Apache asks. Tia looks at Lilinette.

"What bar is it?" she asks her. Lilinette tells her, realizing what she'd meant. "That's where we are going," she said. Tia tosses something to Lilinette. It was a hooded white dress. "Put that on, Stark would kill me if I let you go to the bar wearing your normal clothing," she said. Lilinette pulls it on, but can't pull up the hood due to her mask. So she moves the mask, down to a ring around her throat. Her little red fire is still there, but turned on its side. The rest of the mask becomes little protrusions along her spine. With the mask gone, her other eye is present. She pulls the hood up and deems herself ready to go. Tia and Apache go as they are.

They meet up with Stark at the edge of the division and all head to the Izakaya. They go in, and choose a table in the less crowded side of the bar. A plate of little snacks is put on the table and they order. Stark gets a beer, and Tia gets sake for the girls. Raucous laughter draws Lili's attention to the group in the corner. Shuuhei, the 6th guy, the two 11th guys, and the 3rd Lieutenant were all laughing together. No Rangiku. Lili glances around to see if maybe she'd gone to get more drinks. At that moment, Rangiku enters , laughing and clutching the arm of the 3rd Captain. Lili looks at the corner group. Shuuhei's face looked strained for a moment, then he tries to look like he's having fun with his friends. So it was as she'd thought, Shuuhei did like Rangiku. Lili sighed, and turned to her table, taking a sip of the cup she was handed. Maybe she could have still have fun even though she was upset.

It was an hour or so after Rangiku had arrived. Shuuhei was now only pretending to enjoy himself. And meanwhile everyone else in the group had just gone with the sudden change. He glanced over at the quieter section of the bar, sort of wishing he could go over there and be alone. He caught sight of Stark, Tia, Tia's former fraccion, and the back of a girl in a hooded white dress. It must have been another of Tia's former fraccion, because Lilinette's horn wouldn't have allowed her to wear a hood. That's what he'd been thinking until the hybrid girl jumped down and headed to the bar. He saw her face then, it was Lilinette. But her mask was now a bone collar around her neck. "They can do that?" he asked out loud. Everyone turned to see what he was talking about, confused. "The hybrids. They can move their masks?" he clarified. Gin nodded.

"It takes 'em a bit o' concentration and its usually uncomfortable for 'em though," he says. Gin looks around to see which hybrid had moved theirs. Shuuhei points to Lili up at the bar. "Interestin'" he said. "Usually the weaker ones can' do it," he said.

"Lili's been training with me and Stark trying to get stronger," Shuuhei said absently. He thought back to earlier. And shook it out of his head. He noticed everyone staring at him. "What?" he asked. Did he say something wrong?

"You've been training with one of the hybrids and you didn't even tell us?" Rangiku asks, pouting. She hadn't hit her binge limit yet apparently. "What's it like? Do you feel like they are your enemy when you try to train with them?" she asks. Shuuhei shakes his head.

"With some of them it could be like that I guess, but Lili isn't my enemy," he says. He sees her glance over at their table when she reaches hers. He waves her over. She smiles at him and sets the bottles she'd brought on her table and heads over. Shuuhei sees Tia and Stark glance at each other. Lilinette reaches the table and says hi to everybody. With a personality like hers it must be hard to be shy. Shuuhei grabs a nearby stool and set it by his seat for her to sit down. She glances at him questioningly but doesn't say anything. She drops the hood and lets her concentration break for a minute. She was starting to get tired from concentrating so hard. Her mask moves back up to the top of her head and she smiles at everyone. They all just watched silently. "Does it hurt when you move it?" Rangiku asks to break the silence. Lilinette shakes her head, taking a sip of the drink she was handed. The rest of the table begins to chat again and Lili turns to Shuuhei.

"You sure you don't mind me being over here?" she asks softly. He shakes his head no at her. "Even after what I did? I understand why that was wrong now," she said, glancing at the happily drinking 10th Lieutenant.

"Its not wrong to kiss someone you like," Shuuhei finally replied. "Its just not something you do til you know they like you back," he told her just as quietly, glancing wistfully at Rangiku.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked whether you actually liked me first then. Its ok, I'm not gonna push it. I know your reasons. And I don't compare. I'm still child-size," Lilinette says, managing to smile. Shuuhei frowned at her, about to say something when Rangiku interrupts.

"What'cha guys talking about?!" she asks. Her drunk starting to show. Gin chuckles at his woman. Lili and Shuuhei share a glance, and Shuuhei says "9th stuff." Everyone at the table boos the 'workaholics'. Kira finally pipes up with something to say.

"Now just because we have a newcomer doesn't mean you can break the rules Hisagi-kun," he says, his face giving away the amount of alcohol he'd had. "No talk of...work," he said. Gin glances at Kira.

"Are ya gonna be ok tomorrow Kira?" he asks the blonde. Kira tries to nodd, but begins to slide off of his seat. Gin grabs ahold of the sleeve of Kira's shihakusho and stands. "I guess it's already time fer us ta go. Ran," Gin says. The busty lieutenant stands and waves goodbye to her group of friends. Then it was just the 4 of them. Lili glances over where her group had been to find them gone as well. She groans. Shuuhei followes her glance.

"I'll take you home," he said. She nodds. They stay for a bit longer, Lili managing to get a little tipsy from her sip here sip there behavior. And Yumichikka and Ikkaku get into a competition as to who can drink the most. There were plenty of people around that could take them home later, so Shuuhei and Lili head back towards 14th. Lili was quiet. "So does having drank change your behavior or is it that you don't know what to say to me that's making you be quieter than ever?" he asks her. She didn't answer. "So it is me," he says. Lili glances at him sharply.

"Well what am I supposed to say?" she asks, turning to glare at him with her hands on her hips. "Am I supposed to ask you how long you've liked her? Am I supposed to pretend that it doesn't bother me that I pick someone to like that's pining over a taken woman? Men are stupid," Lilinette says, stomping ahead. Shuuhei catches up to her and puts his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"And girls need to ask when they want something instead of just taking it. Including the hearts of men," he said, Lili rolls her eyes.

"You probably threw it at her," she said, glaring. Shuuhei shrugs. He walks forward. They continue in silence for a few minutes.

"I'll get over her eventually," he said. "Not that I could tell you when that's gonna be," he adds. Lilinette rolls her eyes.

"Like I'm gonna wait. Women take what they want right?" she asks. He turns to her confused, and she gets on her toes, kissing him again. He does nothing for a minute, then decides to kiss her back. There wasn't any harm in getting over Rangiku. There was harm however, in the low power cero that was shot at him. He saw it coming, grabbed Lili and rolled. There were no more cero. It was a clear message from Stark. Lili smiled at Shuuhei, and grabbed his arm, encouraging him to continue on in walking her home.

Stark and Tia watched the duo walking back to 14th. "I don't like it," he told her. She scoffed. "I don't see why you think it's ok. He's physically older than her."

"I don't see why it could hurt," she told him. The two sat down on the roof top they were on. Tentatively, Tia leans on his shoulder thankful for not having to worry about digging her mask into the soft tissues there. She'd moved her own mask 20 minutes ago, so that the conversation she'd been having with Stark wasn't muffled. Stark puts his arm around Tia's shoulders.

"Its been a while since we've made time to be together like this," Stark says. Tia nods. She buries her face in his neck and places a little kiss there. Stark pulls her face up to meet his. After a bit, they stand, and make their way to Tia's room. They would stay there the rest of the night.

Awesome, I got two done. Yes they are a little shorter, and yes I did get Lili and Hisagi together at the same time I revealed Tia and Stark have shared something in the past. I'm trying to squeeze in every ounce of fluff I can, because next chapter the action begins. Later!