“Don’t you think you should have helped her?” I asked, my eyes wide as Nanao and Rangiku disappeared from sight.
“Nope.” He stated clearly, tipping his hat over his eyes and I nearly missed holding back my laugh. I thought he would know better by now. Surly he didn’t think I had no idea what that gesture meant, for I knew well enough that when he tipped his hat like that he was hiding, and rightly so.
“You know Ise-san is going to be angry when she returns.” I said a small smile tugging at my lips as I stared down at my truly dead friend. Too bad he didn’t know it yet or perhaps he did.
“Nanao-chan will be so worn out by time Ran-chan is done with her she’ll practically fall into my arms, professing her love for me.” He replied not sounding half as smug as he intended.
“Really?” I asked in challenge, already knowing the answer but feeling the need to torment him every chance I got. It was only fair after all.
This time I did laugh. “You had better have a kido barrier ready, just in case.”
“Yeah,” He said sighing after a moments pause.
Looking out over the vastness of the Seireitei I found my mind drifting back to the black haired death goddess I had come across not but an hour ago. I don’t know why I was so enthralled with her, in fact I had only seen her by pure chance. I had been musing over how wonderful I felt even after staying out most of the evening before with Shunsui when I overheard the loud cursing of Ömaeda Marechiyo-fukutaicho down below.
Initially, I thought nothing of it as it was no great secret that the Taicho of the Second Division and her fukutaicho argued most of the time they spent together. She though he was a fat slob and he was crazy about her. Peeking over the ledge of the Second Division’s storage room, an old hiding place of Shunsui’s from the time when Lisa was still his fukutaicho. I thought maybe catch a glimpse of what was going on when a crimson kimono stopped me breathless. The woman wearing the Shihöin crest was by far the most beautiful I had ever seen and instantly had me captivated in her black hair and milky white skin.
“Well,” Kyoraku said jumping to his feat and nearly startling me off the edge of the building. “I guess we’d better go.”
“What for?” I asked curiously. Without Ise here for Shunsui to aggravate this could be a rather pleasant afternoon spent basking in the sun and daydreaming.
“To get ready, of course.” He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Huh… whoa…” By the time my mind could even process a retort I found myself flying through the air, Shunsui having grabbed my arm and started to shunpo.
“Shunsui!” I barked. Old bastard new I hated traveling like this, but he always insisted that it was the fastest way to move about the Seireitei. That may be, but being carted around like a sack of groceries was not my idea of sufficient travel. But I guess if you were to factor in Shun-kun’s lateness to everything and his diligence to stay out of the office, this would be his most satisfactory means to get where he was going.
“Keep your pants on, Jyuu. You wanna look nice for the pretty girl, don’t you?”
“…”
“Aw, come now, don’t be that way.” He said with a pout.
“That pout might work on Ise-san but I’m neither a female nor am I attracted to you, so knock it off.” I told him sulking and praying there weren’t to many out and about to witness this. I could only imagine the rumors it would start and with a particularly stunning woman on my mind those were not the kind of rumors I need hanging on my back right now.
~
 |
| "Noble Reason" |
Standing before the gates of the Sixth I could hardly believe I was here, and where this getup no less. I had never been overly fond of parties to begin with and with so many nobles in attendance the urge to turn around and leave became more and more appealing. But then I thought of midnight tresses and pale creamy skin and rooted myself to the spot. I hated being formal. Respectful, yes, overly formal … no.
“I feel ridiculous.” Now I sounded like the one whining. I should have known when Shunsui drug me away to his home instead of mine I would end up in this situation. The situation being dressed in overly heavy garment that restricted my movements and turned the cooling air of the spring evening into a summertime hell. At least the colors were nice, I thought bitterly, and as Shun-kun pointed out the garment really did stand to bring out my eyes. Such a girl.
Being apart of a lower ranking noble house was never difficult for me growing up as we were not pressed into propriety but as Shunsui pointed out, if you got it flaunt it. Normally I would have told him to mind his own business as he was hardly someone I would go to for advice on meeting a lady of nobility. If it were up to Shun-kun he’d suggest I get her drunk and feel her up.
Not happening.
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| Kuchiki Byakuya-Taicho of the Sixth |
We politely made our rounds, Shun-kun tipping his ridiculous hat regularly in greeting and I thought to myself that mother would surly die of heart failure if she knew he was dressed this way in public and at a gathering of importance, no less.
I stopped briefly to pay my respects to Abarai-Taicho and his soon to be bride and my own fukutaicho Rukia. I exchanged some pleasantries with Kuchiki-Taicho as well but found the conversational luster to be lacking. He was respectable as any head of clan should be but since Rukia’s near execution I found I really had nothing to say to the man who nearly let his own sister die on the sole account of propriety.
“You-who!” The voice of Rangiku floated to my ears but as I searched the crowd I couldn’t seem to locate her. There were more people here than I would have thought possible for the Sixth Squad grounds and I wondered why Kuchiki wouldn’t have thrown this party at his own manor. But as I caught sight of Third Seat Ikkaku of the Eleventh drinking with fukutaicho-Iba the answer was apparent.
“Shun, do you see them?” I asked, hoping that from his vantage point he could see them.
“No…” he muttered. “But I can-,”
“Ukitake-san!” She called again and my back went ramrod straight when I felt the spiritual pressure signature with her.
Plastering on my best smile I turned and nearly spluttered out everything I had been thinking about throughout the day the moment I laid eyes on her. She was creamy white and so soft looking, I could only imagine how delicate her skin would be. Her dark hair was twisted and tied until it hung in an elegant design at her crown, the crows feather locks left loose fell well past her hips and those golden ocher eyes seemed to drown me. Her rich kimono of deep crimson looked absolutely stunning on her and with her so close I could see that while from a distance she was striking, up close she was magnificent.
Confused momentarily by several things I stood there smiling like an idiot while a light blushed fanned across her face from my scrutiny. I thought from the rooftop of Kyoraku’s picnic I had taken in every detail, how wrong was I. True to the Shihöin clan symbol tied at the midnight black obi on her back, I noticed two small fur covered ears of jet black, twitching steadily from the noise on top of her delicate head, and every few moment a twitch of the fabric of her kimono led me to believe that she might be hiding a tail under the thick linens of her garment. It did nothing to take away her beauty in my eyes, it only added mystery.
I swallowed thickly, hoping my voice wouldn’t crack when I spoke but I was as nervous as a teenage boy in her presence.
“Oh, Ukitake-san, look who I ran into the new fukutaicho of squad five,” Rangiku squealed happily, disrupting anything that I had thought previously to say. “Can you believe it,” and practically shoving the blushing fukutaicho into me and flashing away to the outdoor bar to join Hisagi-Taicho and Kira-fukutaicho.
“Likewise, Taicho,” She replied and her voice stilled my strumming heart. It was melodious like the tinkling of bells but seductively rich in its own right. It came no surprise to me that she exuded a aura of sexual prowess even if she was shyly staring up at me through her dark lashes. It was the first time I noted her height, she wasn’t short by any means by she would barely stand at my shoulders wearing her normal Waraji.
“Um…” She said clearing her throat, alerting me that I was in fact still staring and yet to introduce myself.
“Oh,” I chuckled nervously. “Jüshirö Ukitake.”
“Well, Jüshirö Ukitake,” she said sweetly looking up through those lashes again and nibbling on her bottom lip. My mind screamed at me to beg her to stop before we did something foolish but thankfully a moment later she released it on her own. “would you care to show me around. You’re the first noble I’ve met tonight who didn’t seem offended by my presence.”
I stared at her dumbly for a few moments not quite understanding her meaning, but as the light bulb illuminated my mind my smile brightened. “Of course…” I trailed off, hoping she would offer her first name to me freely.
“Oh,” She blushed. “Nozomi, but please call me Nomi. That’s what my aunt has always called me as a child and it has stuck with me ever since.”
“Your aunt?” I asked as she took my elbow and we fell into step, happily ignoring the withered looks from several of the more distinguished noble houses that looked like that rather eat dirt than approach us, rather due to my presence or hers I couldn’t tell you, but I was content with what was. I had her all to myself and I was terribly curious to find out more about what made her tick.
“Oh, um… surly you know her and I believe I’ve heard your name in some of her fonder tales. Lady Yoruichi?”
 |
| Lady Yoruichi Shihöin |
“Yes,” she said after a few moments and look of sadness glazed over her beautiful eyes. “Not by blood relations,” she continued quietly, then she squared her shoulders and her face became hard. “I am merely an adoptive sister, found in the Ryukongai when I was young.”
She turned after that and continued on her way, not bothering to look behind her to see if I was still following.
I guess it had explained some things, like why the noble houses of the Soul Society were dishonoring their clans by giving a daughter of Shihöin the cold shoulder. But in all honesty if I hadn’t asked her I wouldn’t have been able to tell that she was not directly related to Yoruichi in someway. The resemblances were there and with her cat like presence it wouldn’t be hard pressed to think of her as my dear friends relative.
Guilt ate at my chest as she continued to put distance between us. I had offended her somehow, perhaps she thought I was just like the rest of the men and woman here tonight and was only asking her questions to torment or tease her. One thing was for certain, I had upset her, offended her even or at the very lest struck some deep, aggravated cord and I desperately wanted to make up for it.
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| "Demon Colors" |
Her face instantly softened and her warm honey eyes looked upon me in gratitude. “No,” she countered, shaking her head. “I should be the one apologizing. You never said anything wrong and I have a bad habit of presuming all humans share the in the same opinions of me. Please forgive my rudeness.”
I shook my head. “Nothing to forgive. Shall we continue?” I asked, this time bravely holding out the crook of my arm to her which she took with a proper bow as a small smile light up her face.
“So,” I started for small talk. “Do you always hiss at unsuspecting innocent men.”
“Now, Jüshirö, no need to get fresh.” She jested and smirked at me, nudging me in the ribs much like Kyoraku would do.
I beamed at her with what I could only guess was a silly immature smile. “Call me, Jyuu and according to Kyoraku, that’s exactly what I need.”
She spun on me laughing, placing a pale hand to my chest to halt my steps. “Kyoraku-Taicho is here?” she asked a dangerous smile playing on her lips and her eyes wide.
“Yes.” I answered confused, wondering why she would be so concerned about Shunsui’s whereabouts.
“I’ve waited a very long time to meet him, I’ve heard more than one interesting story in regards to him.” She said, excitement and anticipation shining in her eyes.
“I’m sure you have.”
~
As the party wore on, Nozomi rarely left my side of which we mostly spent time with Shunsui as she drilled him with question after question. Shunsui as I expected was practically basking in all the attention she was showering on him.
Eventually we caught the eyes of other as he boisterously regaled her in tale after tale, some stories including me and it sped my heart when she took a particular interest in them. Nanao seemed pleased with Nozomi as well and it rather astounded me that someone that could be as equally loud as Kyoraku and also could carry on a conversation with Ise, and actually understand what she was saying. Beautiful and smart.
By the end of the night, we had gathered such a crowd as to say my Nozomi had effectively stolen the party from the nobles. Abarai, the Kuchiki’s (both brother and sister), Zaraki and many others had gathered around her circle. Komamura and Byakuya had been by far the most shocking.
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| Komamura Sajin-Taicho of the Seventh |
Byakuya on the other hand had me completely dumbfounded. It was not like the hard nosed noble to relax so openly in the presence of commoners and they way he stared at her filled me with anxiety and admittedly, jealousy.
 |
| Hitsugaya Töshirö-Taicho of the Tenth |
As the night came to a close I noticed that several of our companions were missing. Matsumoto had been carried off sometime during Shunsui’s last storie by her Taicho as he grumbled about paperwork and hangovers not mixing and how he expected her in the office first thing in the morning. Komamura and Byakuya had also disappeared. Komamura leaving for his squad barracks on wobbling legs and Byakuya with my past out fukutaicho in his arms, not that it bothered me all that much with the latter of the two gone I found myself relaxing back into the easy feeling of the night. Sooner than I’d hoped Abarai-Taicho stood with a stretch and a yawn.
 |
| Abarai Renji-Taicho of the Fifth |
“Fifth Squad members on your feet!” He ordered.
Nozomi shot up, nearly toppling Kyoraku end over end. For sometime now Shunsui had been drunkenly serenading both Nomi and Nanao for being the most beautiful girls at the party and up until recently he had been lying on Nozomi’s shoulder.
Renji smirked. “Time to go home. We got drills first thing.”
The unseated members groaned, most of which had drank just as much if not more than Rangiku and Rukia put together and I felt a sense of pity for them come morning.
As Renji passed me he slapped me on the shoulder. “I love being a Taicho.” Looking over his shoulder at his fukutaicho he made a face which instantly reminded me of Shunsui’s kissy face as he called out. “Hurry up and kiss your boyfriend goodnight and lets go.”
A low growl rumbled in her throat before she balled a fist as a golden aura built around her. “Idiot, you’d better run.” was all she said.
“I can when they act as idiotic as you!” She replied and another very unmanly shriek filled the air.
For a moment I thought Zaraki would spill over from laughing so hard as his eyes danced and I couldn’t help but wonder if the rumors of his abilities to see in the dark were true for he acted as though he could see something we could not.
A low chuckling caused me to stir from my spot. “She sure is something, Jyuu.” Said Kyoraku as he hauled a half drunk Nanao up with him.
“Yeah,” I replied after a moment. “She sure is.”
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