As promised, my birthday present to you Tuli-chan~! I hope you enjoy it, as well as the rest of your birthday. ^^
Game of Hearts and Worlds
"A game show?" Byakuya questioned with a raised brow, him looking at Shunsui with a slightly raised brow.
The brown-haired man simply smiled widely and nodded his head; "Yeah, recreational activities are a great way to increase squad moral, as well as give people something enjoyable to watch and experience." he claimed happily, yet only received an uncaring expression in return.
However, as Byakuya turned toward his soon-to-be wife, Tomoyo looked back to him with sparkling eyes. "It sounds like a lot of fun~!" she exclaimed gleefully, making Byakuya sweat drop a bit.
Though he seemed ready to refuse, the more he gazed into the excited stare of Tomoyo, the less he was able to speak. After a few moments, he simply let out a breath and nodded slowly. "Very well." he said silently, yet immediately received a hug in response.
"Thank you Byakuya~!" Tomoyo sang out happily as she smiled up to him.
Despite giving a soft smile back, the raven-haired man would soon regret accepting this idea. Him finding himself standing amongst the group of 'chosen contestants', most of whom were also very unenthusiastic about their participation. These included; Byakuya, Toshiro and Ichigo. The last of whom had been pulled into this by some of Kisuke's mischief.
On the opposite end were those whom appeared quite thrilled; Tomoyo, Rangiku, Rukia, Yoruichi and Soifon. The latter simply gazing to the tan-skinned woman with awe as she was excited about competing together with her. But all of them were standing on a large stage set up within the Eighth Division, where thousands of Shinigami were gathered to watch.
As they looked to the stage, a small platform began to raise up from the center, revealing the stuffed lion that was Kon. Him having a microphone in one paw, while the other was placed against his forehead as he made a dramatic pose. "Yo! It's me, Kon-sama." he hummed out in as cool of a way he could.
"And welcome to the first ever, Soul Society game show. Featuring me, the host~!" he continued, waving his free paw out toward the crowd before pointing to himself as the end.
This received an applause from the audience, making Kon take on a small grin on his plush features. "Sounds like you're all ready to begin! Then without further ado, lets begin!" he called out as the cheering became louder in response.
"He's not even going to introduce us?" Ichigo muttered with a heavy sigh and shrug, yet began looking around for a possible means of escape.
But his search was interrupted by Yoruichi as she nudged the teen and offered a grin. "Who cares, this is gonna be a lot of fun." she claimed in a highly excited manner.
"Now...as a reminder for everyone, the use of Shikai, Bankai, Shunpo and Kido are all forbidden to be used to assist yourself in any way for these events." Kon announced as he looked to each of the contestants one after another, though seemed to linger on Ichigo for a few moments too long.
"Quit making it seem like I'm the one who will cheat!" the teen stated firmly in a growl.
"Now it's time for our first game!" Kon began, making Ichigo grind his teeth while muttering about how he's being ignored.
"The contestants will be splitting up into randomized teams of four and helping one another..." Kon began, making a dramatic pause before a series of lights turned on to reveal a large obstacle course within the division's training grounds.
"...through the 'Torminator'~!" the lion plushie finished in the most dramatic fashion possible, earning a few gasps in response.
"That's a terrible name." Ichigo commented silently, making most of the others on stage nod in agreement.
However, Tomoyo simply had sparkles around her while smiling widely; "It sounds wonderful~! A play on 'torment' and 'terminator', it's brilliant and sounds really intimidating~!" she exclaimed happily, causing everyone whom nodded before to do so again almost immediately.
"Now! To start the randomizer~!" Kon called out while turning to Nemu as the woman walked up onto the stage with a large silver box.
Once she reached the middle and dodged away from the lion's attempt at jumping onto her, she then pressed a button on the side of the box. This showing cartoon-like images of each of the eight moving across the screen quickly as if it was a slot machine. "Maybe it'll actually be random." Ichigo muttered somewhat surprised.
But he quickly took this back when it revealed; himself, Byakuya, Tomoyo and Yoruichi. While on the other team; Toshiro, Rangiku, Soifon and Rukia. "Oh come on!" the orange-haired teen exclaimed with a huff, knowing that even the selections were rigged.
Though, Byakuya simply turned to him with a narrowed gaze as if saying that if he any complaints, he would strike the boy down. Ichigo sweat dropped heavily before looking to Tomoyo, said woman being the only one on the team he could trust not to hit him in some way. All the while, Toshiro just groaned and sighed as Rangiku took to hugging him after the results. "We're a team Taicho~! This is gonna be great~!" she exclaimed with a wide grin.
The white-haired captain simply let out a heavy sigh before they were lead off the stage and over to the obstacle course. As they were, a series of large jumbo-tron screens rose up from in front of the crowd. Them showing various angles of the course itself, making them all the more eager to watch how the group would get through it without any abilities.
There being multiple climbing segments of varying difficulty. A few tunnels where the teams would likely have to fight for the chance to go through first. Many moving platforms with a wall that would clearly push them off upon stepping onto one. Some spinning pipes lined with cushions that would also knock the group off if the didn't match the machine's speed to get through. Then at the very end was a simple platform with a large red button along with a time counter. Underneath all of this, was a massive mud-pit that they would fall into the moment they messed up.
"The team whom completes the course first will win the first round!" Kon stated as he then lifted a paw up as dramatically as possible.
"This is so-" Ichigo began, yet was instantly interrupted as the lion called out; "Begin!"
Immediately following this announcement, Yoruichi rushed forward. Her moving through everything with ease as her body was perfectly trained to handle anything and everything this course had to offer. However, Soifon was following after her by less than a meter, her too being able to easily get through. "Show offs." Rangiku commented before she and Toshiro followed after Tomoyo and Byakuya.
The former of the second pair was carefully making her way through the obstacles, though she occasionally tried to rush a bit when feeling brave. Yet while she misstepped here and there, a flash of pink could be seen under her when it seemed like she might fall off the course. "He's actually using his Zanpakuto for 'that'? Granted the rule is to not use it for yourself, but it's just a little mud." Ichigo muttered to himself before receiving a smack to the head.
"You idiot! There's no way Nii-sama could ever allow his soon-to-be wife fall into such a thing!" she claimed before she rushed after her brother.
Ichigo rubbed his head and let out a sigh, to which he also started making his way through. The moment he did though, everything started falling apart. The platforms, the cushions, and even the hand holds for climbing. "What the he-!" he started, before finally falling into the mud after only a quarter of the way through.
"Oh~, too bad for contestant Strawberry!" Kon announced with a shrug.
"Who gave us contestant names?!" Ichigo demanded while emerging from the deceptively deep mud, all as Shunsui sneezed lightly from within the crowd.
"And unfortunately, falling in means you have to start all over again!" the plushie continued, making the teen turn back to the areas in which he passed.
All of it being nearly impossible to get through now as there was little to nothing to actually stand or climb on. "And how do you expect me to do that?!" he exclaimed while moving his way out of the mud.
"That's for you to figure out...any drop outs will be forced to the sidelines with our enforcer...Kenpachi~!" Kon declared with a gesture to the tall man standing to the side with an expecting grin.
Ichigo sweat dropped heavily from this before going to the start of the course and continued trying to reach the end. Meanwhile, Byakuya continued to help Tomoyo across each obstacle one after another. The woman not even seeming to be aware of any of this while they kept moving at her pace. "See how fun this is Byakuya?" she questioned happily while smiling.
Said man simply nodded his head in agreement, to which they briefly paused when reaching the midway check point. "This is the most I've done physically in a long time, almost every part of me is getting some kind of workout." she hummed out with a giggle, to which she looked to the next part of the course.
Of which was the moving platforms and from what they saw from when Toshiro and Rangiku went through, a pushing wall. "I'll carry you across." he said silently as he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep her from falling when everything was moving.
Tomoyo turned to him with a blinking gaze before a light blush rose up on her cheeks. "T-That's alright, you don't have to." she answered, the image of Byakuya princess carrying her causing Tomoyo's heart to skip a beat.
"We should do it together, not just one supporting the other." she continued with a wide smile, making Byakuya eyes widen briefly.
Him realizing that he wasn't truly working together with her and was taking everything into his own hands. 'I guess I can't keep treating her like glass. Just like Hisana...she's not so easily broken.' he though to himself before nodding slowly.
"Right." he whispered softly as a faint smile curled his lips.
The two then grasped one anothers hands and started on their way, just as Ichigo and Rukia had finally managed to catch up. "I'm...going...to kill...him." the teen grumbled out while still covered in mud.
Yet, he was able to quickly deduce that Byakuya had been using Senbonzakura to sabotage the course. The raven-haired man having done so specifically for someone as heavy as him, allowing Rukia to get through without any fear. "Oh get over it." Rukia commented as she continued forward.
But as the orange-haired teen was about to retort and follow, he noticed that Byakuya actually had a true smile on his features. This being a bit shocking for Ichigo as Rukia managed to over take him even further before he snapped out of it and rushed forward. There no longer being any sabotage as Ichigo was able to at least close the distance with Rukia as everyone had gotten through to the end.
Yoruichi being the first with Soifon as a close second, followed by Toshiro and Rangiku, then Byakuya and Tomoyo, finally Rukia and Ichigo. "Because Yoruichi's team had contestants come in both first and last, we've decided to make this event a tie!" Kon called out, lifting a paw up to the screen as it showed a scoreboard.
It gaining a '1' for almost all of their names to show the number of points they were given. Save for Ichigo, whom seemed to have received a negative symbol along side his '1'. "Oi, what's that abo-" he started, but was overshadowed by Kon's next announcement over the speakers.
"Now! Onto the next challenge!"
"Quit ignoring me!" Ichigo stated, but was moved to the next area regardless, still covered in mud.
Though, as they went, Byakuya was gazing at Tomoyo with his smile still remaining. Him having found yet another reason to love her, which made his heart flutter. Despite his consistent cool demeanor, it seemed to be cracking at the edges. It continuing to do so all throughout the other challenges. Some of which were simple sports, a few being modified versions of Menko, and one was literally just Janken.
However, the last was a questionnaire between two contestants where they had to ask one another embarrassing questions. It just being luck that Byakuya and Tomoyo were facing one another in this game. The objecting being for one side to get all questions written on their card answered honestly before time runs out.
"Has your stomach ever growled just after you say you're not hungry?" Tomoyo asked quickly, yet she was attempting not to smile in amusement to this question.
"Yes." Byakuya responded quickly, shocking almost everyone.
"Have you ever locked yourself out of your own home or room?" the man questioned, slowly raising a brow to the question before looking to Tomoyo as she was blushing very deeply.
"Y-Yes..." she uttered out in an adorably embarrassed manner, causing everyone to coo.
"I-In the last week, have you stubbed your toe when walking?" Tomoyo almost squeaked out as she finally looked to Byakuya.
Whom was silent for a few moments before letting out a breath and looking to the side; "Yes." he said, which lead for the audience to gasp.
"Do you have bad sleeping habits? If so...what are they?" Byakuya continued, looking to Tomoyo as they both shared a gaze that showed they both knew the answer to this.
This making a long pause between them as they weren't sure how much they could or should reveal. "Y-Yes...I-I occasionally snore when I'm sleeping." the girl answered, flushing even more than before.
Tomoyo then covered her face with both sleeve-covered hands and let out a silent whine. It sounding so cute that everyone had to resist the urge to go up and hug her. But Byakuya was already doing so as he had a soft smile curling his lips; "You were very brave Tomoyo, I'm proud of you." he hummed out as the woman looked up to him.
They shared a long and loving stare with each other before leaning forward and kissing. This created a loud applause as the game had already been forgotten about by now as these two were the obvious winners.
"Well...tune in next time for when we-" Kon started, but was grabbed and thrown to the side by Ichigo.
"Don't ruin it." the teen muttered with a small smile on his features, him being happy for the pair.
"...for when we meet our competing other worldly couple." Kon finished in a whisper and wink.