“You bastard!” I yelled, taking another swing at his head. It’s blocked of course, and I still have a hard time understanding how he does it. It’s like he anticipates my every move.
He chuckles, his short fangs glinting against the false light of the underground training ring. “You know I like when you talk dirty to me, sugar.” His reply comes with that annoying smirk as he twists my arm around my back and hurls me through the air.
My back meets the stone of the false mountain with a loud crack, surly decimating the stone behind me from the force. As my body slides to the floor my hearing is slightly muffled but not enough to hear his next comment. “So sexy when you bleed.”
Growling, my eyes narrow from under the veil of my pale hair that had spilled out sometime during our latest argument. “Fuck you. And don’t call me sugar!” Lurching forward I rounded on him and my target; the charm dangling from the navy sash at his hips.
“Too slow,” he whispers, his breath sweet from the spearmint gum he chews overtaking my senses as he purposefully blows in my face. His tactic works, leaving me muddled enough not to see the hands clamping down on the ankle that was aimed to strike him.
He is not gentle as he uses my own leverage against me and once again sends me flying. I crashed to the ground with a muffled cry, sliding to a stop on my side.
‘Why not let him have it, Mistress?’ Jun groans, getting more irritated with me by the second. ‘It’s not like you were that fond of it to begin with.’
‘That’s not the point!’ I bellow and he shrinks back from my anger and as always, I feel bad. ‘He should have asked first.’ I say in a calmer, quieter voice.
This is the way it was. Almost everyday for the past three weeks has been like this. It started when I began giving him demonology lessons. That in itself was becoming a chore as I found out pretty quickly that Grimmjow wasn’t a patient student and when he could understand something well, he got pissed.
It was during his fourth lesson that we came to blows after he nearly took down the wall in Kisuke’s study. It was just as much a mystery to me as it was to anyone else in the shop that day as to why I became so angry. I’ve never been known for having an exceeding amount of control over my temper, but I wasn’t the type to fucking spaz out of some cracked plaster. However, that day something snapped and I attacked. We took out two walls and the door to Kisuke’s bedroom before Yoruichi and Tessai could brake us apart and since then we have been banned for holding our studies in the shop.
From that day on things only got worse. Our fights while always brutal, were different from battles I had been in before. There was no real resolve behind them, as it was nothing more than restlessness that fueled our anger and it always left me feeling unsatisfied, anxious for more. Then a two weeks ago I noticed a beautiful charm, laced through the silk of his obi. I thought nothing of it at first, just an adornment to the already priceless material. That was, until I got a good look at it.
I couldn’t tell you how he acquired it. Only Kisuke himself knew the combination of my fire-safe and while he was a pervert and a pain in the ass, he would never betray my trust in him that way. Nonetheless the jewel incrusted, silver charm was unmistakable.
Taking a step forward. “It couldn’t possibly…” I gasped in disbelief.
“Hey woman, you alright? You look like you just seen…”
Letting his words trail off I took another step forward, my breath growing more ragged with every step. The delicate features of the small charm came into focus, the beautiful topaz eyes of its face, boldly striking out against the white and black of it’s body. I wanted so badly to believe my eyes were playing tricks on me, though I should have known not to deny them for I knew it was mine from the moment I seen it dangling from his waist.
It wasn’t an expensive or priceless piece. Hell, it didn’t even mean anything to me symbolically. It was just a small trinket I had seen in my travels of China. I just had happened to see it glinting in the sunlight from its case in an outdoor market and couldn’t bare to leave the country without it.
“You bastard!” I finally snapped, my hand tightening into a tight fist as I approached him. “Where did you find that?” I barked wanting to hear the traitorous name from his lips. Only two people could have told him my combination and no matter which one of them it was, someone was getting neutered today.
It was a half truth. While I was positive that no one, and I mean no one dropped something so personal of mine into his greedy fingers, I was not so naïve to doubt the ‘little birdies’ help in him gaining it. That would be something I dealt with personally at a later time. Jun shrinking back in fear in the corner of the room only confirmed my suspicions just to who this ‘little birdy’ was.
“Give it back! You know damn well that it’s mine!” I hissed, charging straight for him with a finger poked at his sculpted chest.
His deep azure eyes leveled mine as I brought our faces nose to nose. In my anger I hadn’t even realized my greatest mistake. It was the first time I inhaled that sweet scent. That ridiculous gum that could always be found at the bottoms of everyone’s shoes.
As the tantalizing smell wafted through my brain the ground swayed. It was like a sensory overload and it made me wonder what else this man could do to me if I was so effected by something is menial as the fragrance of the gum he chewed. I scoffed at him, “You know?” I asked as he obnoxiously popped another bubble about the size of my face. “If you ruin one more pair of Yumi’s shoes, he’s going to use his shikai on you.”
As much as I hated to admit it, I loved toying with this man and it was fun to guess and gauge his reactions. Just like now, as I watched his face contort into the smug grin I knew was coming. “Yeah, so?” He asked with all confidence.
Oh to pop his proverbial bubble. It was something I think I enjoyed a little too much.
“Ha!” I cried. “You don’t know do you?”
He said nothing as he crossed two toned arms across his equally toned chest and huffed. I took that as a no. “Yumi might not seem like much but it’s because he only fights with about fifty percent of his ability.”
His eyes widened comically as the realization hit him, those deep aquamarines stirring something in my blood, something I would never willing admit. He knew now, that all those days poking fun at Yumichika were not in his best interest. He swallowed thickly. “What’d you mean? Why?”
I giggled, a girlish sound. A sound that I vowed to God, Kami and Budda to never make again. “Just trust me when I say, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Tck.” He sneered, turning his face away. But I could already see the gears grinding in his head. He was trying to figure it out and I had no intentions to help him. It would all add up eventually. Grimmjow might not be a strategist, but he was far from stupid.
“So, gonna give me back my property?” I asked slowly, wondering what could be ticking through his brain as he approached me. ‘Is he really going to give it back?’
It was my turn to gulp as his nose pressed lightly against my cheek. That heavenly spice of ginger clouding an already fogged mind. He let out a harsh breath, blowing it purposefully into my face and I was a dazed mess. Practically a puddle on the floor before he chuckled. “I think I’ll hold on to it.” Then he was gone.
I blinked in confusion, not having the slightest clue as to what happened to me when he called from the ladder that would carry him upstairs. “You might wanna close your mouth, you don’t wanna catch flies.”
As I raised a hand to my scalding cheek I noticed he was right. My mouth was hanging open like some love struck fool. Snapping my mouth shut quickly, a low growl thundered in my chest as I became conscious to what just happened. His intention had been to distract me all along and it… worked. “BASTARD!”
~
A pale fist aimed directly at my face brought my attention back to the current war I was waging. Dropping in a split, his knuckles miss me by a hairsbreadth and I blew out a gust of air in relief. ‘Damn that was close.’
He growled lowly, the tone taking that of the large cat I knew him to be. It was nothing more than a cautionary warning for me to get my head back in the game but as I watched his eyes flash to a dangerous pale blue then red, I couldn’t shut off the part of my brain that thought his eyes were seductive, sexy.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, Grimmjow smirked. “You better get that pretty fuckin’ head of yours out of the clouds, woman.”
“Kiss my ass, fucker!” I snarled dodging another blow to my face. ‘This is my opening.’ I smiled to myself, hooking my arm through his creased elbowed and using my momentum in a shift kick to take his legs from under him.
“Bend over…” He purrs from the ground, his eyes smoldering with a heat I believe only he can possess. “and I’ll do a lot more than kiss it.”
Frustrated and sick of playing I bend down, securing my fist in his kosode and jerking him up from the floor. “Just give it back!”
His smile is so sure as he leans forward, his eyes glinting with the mischievousness I know is brewing inside of him. And just as I move to strike him in his smug face he disappears, appearing a moment later with the tables turned on me. It’s now me who is being suspended in the air by my robes. With a steady arm he lowers my face to his as he takes a long wiff of the air surrounding me. For a moment the world ceases to exist and there is nothing but him. ‘Is he going to kiss me?’ I wonder.
‘By Kami, I hope so. I’m so sick of watching you two dance around each other I may start hacking up reishi hairballs any moment.’ Jun grumbles and it takes every once of self control I have not to smile.
My eyes drift shut as his pale pink lips draw near and my face flushes. I wait with an impatience I’ve never known for those silky, hot lips to descend. But they never do. My eyes shoot open in surprise when something warm and wet touches the underside of my nose and I gasp. “Not a chance.”
I land on my ass with an ‘oomph’ as Grimmjow releases me and once again darts for the safety of the shop above. I can’t even get mad. Not yet, anyways. I’m still so shocked all I can do is sit in the dirt with my eyes wide. ‘He just licked me.’
‘Yes, he did.’ Jun replied, chuckling and purring in lust at the same time. I knew the fucker wanted nothing more than to poke fun at me, but as he was apart of me the bastard was to horny to do much beside lay there and lick himself.
‘I do not take part in such barbaric behavior.’ He grossed, turning his muzzle up like he was the fuckin’ Queen of Shiba.
‘Ha!’ I laughed mockingly. ‘You’re so full of shit. If you’re any part of me than I know you like getting yourself-”
‘Please stop!’ He begged, throwing his paws over his eyes like it might shield him from my vulgar tongue. ‘It’s one thing to know you’re a woman with a desires and quiet another to see those desires fulfilled. I don’t want to hear about what you do at night.’
‘Are you suggesting I take a lover instead?’ I asked with a shocked smile.
He chuckled, his eyes turning into playful slits. ‘Only if he has azure eyes and smells like ginger and spearmint.’
‘What?’ I nearly yell, rounding on him as if I might strike him dead with my glare alone. ‘That asshole? I would never in a million years! Not if he was the last cock on the earth! Not if he-”
‘Mistress?’
‘What?’ I barked watching his furred lips curl up.
‘You really haven’t noticed yet, have you?’ He asked, rising from his resting place and stalking towards me with purpose.
I looked at him dumbly for a minute, my mind racing to come up with an answer as to what he was referring to, but I was found lacking. ‘What?’
He chuckles all the more as he approaches. His wet nose brushing against the bare skin of my thighs. It cold and very unpleasant and… “Holy shit!” I screech, reaching down and jerking the material of my hakama back up my legs.
“My sashs?” I ask, looking to Jun for some kind of explanation, though I already knew the answer. He just nods his head in affirmation.
Not one, but two silk obi. One in the stunning silver, dotted with the beautiful slate and black spots of Takeo’s fur. The other the near perfect match of Grimmjow’s eyes, and ironically the color of the leather incasing the grip of my zanpakuto. I’d rather die than tell him that though.
I’m still staring at the ladder in with the were-cat himself disappeared as Jun laughs his ass off at my feet, practically rolling in the dirt in his amusement of the situation. The blood in my veins turns to acid and boils dangerously to the surface. My cheeks are surly turning red, I feel their molten heat from the inside out as my top finally blows.
With a whirling pulse of spiritual pressure, scorching white-hot in my fury, I roar. “GRIMMJOW!”
~
Yoruichi P.O.V.
My ears flick to and fro as I listen intently to the sounds filling the shop. It’s oddly quiet for this time of day and as I looked to Kisuke shielding his grin with that hideous fan, I can tell he is wondering the same thing.
“Is it just me or is it quieter than normal?” I ask, waiting for the familiar rumble of the ground beneath us.
Kisuke smirks then starts to fan himself furiously. “It might be quieter but the tension is running high down there.”
Narrowing my eyes at him I can’t help but think that he had planned this all somehow. I knew better than to ask, of course. I knew he would relinquish no such information until he was ready. “Don’t you think you should just tell them?” I ask. It has been a burning question in my mind for weeks now. All the signs are there as well as the delicious heat that raises even my hackles.
With innocent eyes he pouts. “Where would be the fun in that.” He says playfully, stroking that sweet spot behind my ears, the one he knows will get me to agree to nearly anything.
Ignoring the heat and longing growing in my belly, “Kisuke?” I growl, swatting at him leaving five distinct gashes across his calloused hand.
His face finally takes on that hardened look, telling me he was finally being serious. “Look, you know Mari-chan just as well as I do. Do you really think telling her would change anything?”
I sigh shaking my head, knowing he was dead on in his assumption. “She probably wouldn’t believe me if I tried to tell her.” he adds, picking at some unseen lint on his hat before plopping it back on his head.
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes I can’t help but think what idiots men are. Mari might be stubborn as an ox but she not dumb or naïve. She might not want to except her fate but I am far from believing that she would discredit it altogether.
Looking up I see a sad look in his gray eyes, a look I hated on him more than anything and I nudge his hand with my nose. “Pet me.” I command.
He chuckles, “Anything for you, Princess.”
I want to bite him for his stupid remark but the pain in his eyes is so overpowering I was willing to do anything to see that look removed from his gentle face.
“Yoruichi?” He asked as my eyes drift shut. His magical hands expertly rubbing me down with a mastered grace.
“What is it?” I reply, playfully biting at his index finger.
He is silent for a long moment and I wonder what could possibly be so frightening to him that he cannot ask me out loud. “Will you-”
The ground under us shakes violent as the blueberry top of Grimmjow’s head comes whizzing past, chuckling as he slides out the open door.
Not a moment later the wooden planks of the floor tremble again, this time with enough velocity to nearly knock me from my perch on the table. “Gods,” I groan, leaning back to take in Kisuke’s amused face. “What’s he done this time?”
My blond lover levels me with a gaze full of mischief before he chuckles out his reply. “He was carrying two silk obi’s.” He says as if that would explain everything.
It takes me a moment, longer than I’d like to admit before the light bulb in my head flickers to life and my mouth drops open in shock. “She’s going to kill him!” I rasp out, just waiting for that stunning head of platinum and silver to go streaking out after our own blue-eyed devil.
It’s quiet for a moment, enough to hear a pin drop before a serge of spiritual pressure burst through the opening to the underground, causing the shop walls around us to quake and groan. “GRIMMJOW!”
She comes stomping into view a second later, red as a beat and fisting the cloth of her bottoms to her. “Grimmjow, where are you?” She yells strutting past us as if Kisuke and I were never there muttering to herself. “Fucking pervert. Gonna fuckin’ show him…
“Where are you, you hair-ball hacking, leg humping, gum chewing freak?”
“He’s gone.” Kisuke finally says, noting that I’m still much to shocked to talk.
Her eyes flashed red as she turned on heal to face us. “Where?”
Flicking his fan into place, hiding his smile from her view. “Don’ know.”
Scrubbing a hand over her sweaty face, Mari collapses to the floor in front of me. She pounds her head on the hardwood of the table several times before she looks up and sighs. “What the fuck is happening to me?”
I say nothing. I can’t. I promised.
“Kisuke!” I cried in horror, praying that everything was secure inside my robes and hidden from sight.
‘I did as well, Mistress.’ Jun chimed in, his hardy laugh mirroring most of those gathered around the low table.
Kisuke caught the heavy tomb easily, placing at his feet with a giant grin on his scruffy face. My face ignited in a furious blush that rivaled the color of Renji hair as I hissed mentally, ‘You knew he was there and didn’t think to tell me?’
‘Not really?’ Jun replied smugly, his chuckles drowning out his words as he laughed harder.
Bastard. He want’s to play nasty, does he?
‘Now, Mistress.’ His voice quivered nervously and it was my turn to smirk. Had the idiot really believed he would go with out punishment. ‘It was all in good fun.’ He pouted, working his head against my leg in a horrible attempt to butter me up.
“Now Mari-chan, no need to be so hostel so early in the morning. No one saw anything.” Kisuke said cheekily, flicking his wrist so his hideous fan covered his face and I knew in an instant that he was lying.
“Fuck off, pervert.” I told him irritably plopping down in between Yumichika and Yoruichi, hardly caring anymore what anyone thought of my attire. As I said before most of them had already seen it and for the ones who hadn’t well… to fucking bad. I gave Yoruichi the stink eye as sat and she giggled at me of course, blowing off my threatening glare as if it were nothing and I guess to her, it really was nothing.
Thankfully Tessai entered not a moment later, as if sensing my distress signal, loaded down with a tray of green tea and my gargantuan pink mug of French press. I smiled warmly at him as he was the first person I was happy to see this morning. Well that wasn’t entirely true but no one needed to know that.
‘Must you use such language this early, Mistress?’ Jun scolded with narrow eyes from his relaxed point across the room. I blinked stupidly at them for a moment as the man’s sword calloused hand came down to stoke Jun’s muzzle.
I couldn’t even fathom how this was possible. Sure it was nothing to see Jun roaming around unattended but it was certainly another to see Jun so casually draped in someone’s lap that wasn’t my own, in a mans no less.
The stranger, this Arrancar who was now obviously wearing a gigai seemed to take everything in stride, from wearing his new false body, sitting a table surrounded by shinigami and most of all my behemoth cat who for lack of anything else to say, seemed to want to eat him… but not in the literal way.
My cheeks burned, even the thought of my giant, gay cat putting the moves on catnip man had me flustered and admittedly… a little horny.
“What happened to my gigai?” I asked turning to pin Urahara with a look that said ‘I’ll gladly remove your balls if you don’t answer me’.
He gulped audibly. “It was damaged during your fall. I was outdated anyways so instead of fixing it, I put you in a new one. Much more comfortable, don’t you think?”
I thought about this for a moment before I nodded and decided to just let the whole ‘waking up in nothing but my panties’ thing fall by the way side. It really wasn’t worth the breath to argue with. “Alright, next question. Where’s Hana?”
“Who’s the woman?” A gruff male voice interrupted, tearing my thoughts away from the frightened little healer and I thought for a moment I might die as I noted that deep baritone falling from my strangers lips. ‘Get a grip!’
‘Might as well give it up, Mistress.’ Jun purred happily, nudging the strangers hand with his nose, begging for more attention before adding in that same sappy, desire drunk voice, ‘I have.’
“I can see that, you moron!” I snapped angrily, panting heavily as I leveled him with a glare. “The question is, why?”
The man in questions eyes widened and I groaned with the realization that I had spoken aloud. He leaned slightly backwards and to his left, as he whispered in Renji’s ear. “Is she fucking crazy?”
Renji coughed, shaking his head furiously and sputtering around the tea he was choking on as Ikkaku and Yumichika chuckled. Intelligently enough though, both remained silent on the subject. ‘Yeah, you fucking know better.’
There was nothing I could do about it now anyway, I was thoroughly mortified and it wasn’t as if I could take it back so I buried my head in my hands and prayed to Kami for a swift death to take me.
I knew that my prayers laid unanswered as I heard Kisuke chuckle and I heard his fan slap the table top. “This is Mariko Yushima, the scent you were acquiring about earlier and I assure you she not crazy.” Kisuke said, finally butting in on my behalf.
The man narrowed his eyes at me, his azure eyes almost staring through me before he finally gave up on whatever he was searching for and turned to Urahara. “Then who the fuck was she talking to?”
“Jun Takeo,” Kisuke replied easily, pointed looking at the large beast who was nearly in his lap. “He’s her soul-spirit. Her companion, if you will.”
The man’s eyes widened again as he looked down, then back at me. “This thing is yours?” He asked incredulously only to have Jun scowl up at him for calling him a thing.
“Yes!” I hissed in irritation. My nails were biting into my palm hard enough to draw blood as my temper rose. No one and I mean no one spoke of Jun that way… except, for maybe me. “And he’s not a thing!”
‘Mistress, I’m touched.’ Jun replied sappily as his body rose, flicking his tail in the mans face before he rounded the table and plopped his furry head in my lap. It seemed he did so just in the knick of time, for I had every intention of rising up myself and beating the concept into that ignorant man’s head.
“Easy there, Mari-chan.” Yoruichi said softly, gripping the wrist that had already had a rather large ball of Kido building in it. “Grimmjow meant nothing by it. He too will soon understand what it is like to communicate with his soul-spirit. Do not judge to harshly.”
I huffed, releasing the building demon magic from my body and sighed. “Grimmjow, huh?” I asked no one in particular but I was pleasantly surprised when the man answered for himself.
“Yeah, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.”
My head jerked up, gasping slightly as his name sang in recognition. “Sexta…” I whispered, knowing if this was the man I thought he was he’d hear me with little problem.
“Ya got it, sugar.” He replied with a sinister smirk and I had to bite my lip from blurting out to the room just how sexy I thought it was.
‘Thank Kami, I’m not the only one who thinks so.’
‘Shut up, you’re just horny.’ I chastised half-heartedly.
Picking up on that Jun’s ears twitched tickling my thighs through the barely there material of my robes as he teased, ’I’m not the only one, you dirty girl.’
Glaring at Grimmjow from across the table I replied testily. “Don’t call me sugar, blueberry.”
He growled suddenly, low in deep in his warning and for some fucked up reason I had the urge to snap at him and whimper in submission all at the same time. Not willing to remotely lower myself to submitting to a man I just met, I growled back slightly barring my fangs.
“Now, now.” Kisuke chuckled. “Don’t force me to separate you two.”
“Shut up!” We both yelled, garnering a few surprised looks from around the room.
Ikkaku immediately drew back, whispering to Yumichika. “That’s just… scary.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Yumi agreed, covering his smile with his fist. “There so similar it’s almost beautiful.
His smile never had a chance to falter before his forehead met the table in front of him with a loud crack. All eyes snapped to Grimmjow with surprise as he ignored us and continued to glare daggers into the back of Yumi’s head. “Watch your fuckin’ mouth, pretty boy!”
I couldn’t believe it. The man had just growled at me not five minutes ago and now he was defending me… or maybe he was defending himself? Even Renji and Ikkaku were to stunned to say anything and that was saying something.
‘He was not defending himself, Mistress. That feather faced brute was being ugly.’ Jun sneered, as his mind drifted to taking a chunk out of Yumichika’s boney ass.
I sniggered and stroked his ears, earning myself a playful swat and a whimper for more. “There’s a good boy.”
“What’d he say?” Yumi asked, his face growing paler by the minute as his eyes flickered between Jun in my lap to the ex-Arrancar to his immediate left.
“Nothing much,” I replied sugary sweet, waiting for the moment that he sighed in relief. As he did I added. “He was just wondering if your boney ass would have any flavor.”
His violet eyes snapped to mine as his face scrunched up in an angry scowl. “Why you-”
“What?” I snapped, challenging him to say anything more and ignoring Jun’s angry protest when his head slipped from my lap as I raised up to lean across the table. It was a silent standoff, both of us too stubborn to back down.
“Enough,” Yoruichi cried slapping her hands against the table. She surly bored with all our childish bickering and personally, I couldn’t blame her. With a sigh we both relented, staring off into separate corners of the room.
“Now,” she said with an annoyed huff. “If we can all act like civil adults perhaps Kisuke can continue and we can all get out of here.”
I wanted to scoff at her for implying that she was the responsible adult in this situation, which to anyone who actually knew her for any period of time would be down right hysterical, but I held my tongue because less face it; I didn’t want to be stuck at this table any more than any of us did. Don’t get me wrong, I love Urahara, but the less time spent listening to him ramble on in what I like to call his ’geek speak’, the better.
When no one protested, Kisuke sat upright and began filling us in on his new pet science project.
“Wait a minute,” I interjected about ten minutes into his explanation. “Are you saying Grimmjow’s like me?”
I’m sure the awe I was feeling was written all over my face as my eyes cut to the man in question.
Kisuke smiled. “That’s what I love about you, Mari, always so perceptive. But yes, to your question, in a way Grimmjow is much like you.”
“B-but h-how?” I spluttered in disbelief. “He’s an Arrancar?” My eyes never left those pools of deep azure as I tried to convey with my features that though it may have sounded like it, I wasn’t purposefully trying to offend him.
“Not anymore.” Kisuke sang as my head snapped over and my gaze fell on him.
“Explain!” I demanded, growing more annoyed by his smug tone by the minute. I’ve never liked the thought of any poor soul having to play the part of a Guinea pig, Grimmjow was no exception but for some reason when ever I thought of him in that particular arrangement, it severely pissed me off and I was starting to feel a little like a woman who belonged in a padded cell.
“It’s quite simple really.” He informed us casually, taking a languid sip of the freshly brewed tea in front of him. “As most of you know, I am responsible for creating the first Högyoku. For those who don’t, let me explain. The Högyoku is an orb I created with properties capable of dissolving the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows, allowing one race to subsequently attain the power of the other. However, that is not it’s sole purpose. It’s true power lies in its ability to sense the hearts of those around it, and to materialize their deepest desire, whether it’s a conscious desire or not.”
“Hold on,” I said rubbing my temples to relieve the ache of my throbbing brain. “So Grimmjow’s desire was to become a demon? No-” I muttered, working and re-working the question through. “It was an subconscious desire…” I gasped. “That would mean-”
Kisuke smiled warmly at me as he replied with a jovial, “Yep!”
“I’m so confused.” Renji moaned, letting his head dropped down on the table with a miserable ‘thunk’.
“Me too.” Ikkaku agreed. And pitifully enough he looked within moments of his head exploding.
“Think about it, guys.” I said, perhaps with a bit to much enthusiasm because they just stared at me like I had just grown another tit. I rolled my eyes. “Never mind, don’t think, just listen. If the Högyoku’s true power was to grant the deepest desire of the heart well then it only makes sense that the Högyoku itself would have to be in the direct vicinity of the user for it to work. As Grimmjow was unconscious when he was put directly into the path of the orb, which I’m assuming he was or we wouldn’t be having this conversation, his deepest desire lay in his subconscious. He was probably unaware of such a aspiration ever existing. Which also means the Högyoku is not without it’s limitations. The user would have to already be able to wield the essential power necessary to beget his or her desires, only then would it be able to manifest.”
Yumichika’s head was the next one to pound against the table as he pleaded for me to spit it out in layman’s terms.
“Basically, if Grimmjow’s subconscious desire was to gain the form he has now, he had to have already sustained that power and form sometime previously. Meaning, Grimmjow was a demon or possessed a strong demonic influence before his death.”
As I finished my small speech I noticed the room was silent, not even Jun made a noise. I looked up nervously, afraid that I had finally jumped way off my rocker and offended Kisuke’s brilliance but as I silently watched him, his smile seemed to stretch completely across his face.
“Very astute, Mari.” He crowed as he nudged Tessai’s - who had been staring at me, unblinkingly for the past five minutes with his elbows.
“So, you’re saying I was a demon before I died?” Grimmjow asked, looking a little flabbergasted at the thought. I nodded. “But I don’t remember any of that. How in the Hell am I supposed to deal with this shit now?”
I wanted to tell him that as long as he was up to it, I would help him in anyway I could but Urahara beat me to the punch. “Well…” he started slyly covering part of his face with his fan. I knew then that he was going to embarrass me and the sudden urge to hang myself in the oven didn’t even register on my shook radar. “Mari has a library full of historical scrolls and ledgers on your kind, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind helping you get settled.
‘Fuck wanting to hang myself!’ I seethed. ‘I just wanna bash his face in.’
‘Oh Mistress, come, come. You know you’re not really angry with him. Were you or were you not just thinking about offering the same service yourself?’ Jun teased.
‘Fuck off, know it all.’
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ I asked as he rose from the floor beside my legs and slinked off in the direction of the beautiful blued eyed man- demon… whatever.
‘Where I’m wanted,’ he whined sulkily. ‘He treats me nicer anyways.’ He added as he perched himself against said demon and started to purr, obnoxiously loud.
My eyes cut to his and his slate gray eyes shined mischievously. The bastard was trying to make me jealous. “That’s just because he doesn’t know you yet. Give it time.”
When Grimmjow stared at my curiously, I huffed. “He said that you're nicer than I am.”
The man- demon smirked at that, caressing Jun’s back in deep, long strokes and I was nearly on fire with jealousy. Why I desired that arrogant man to pamper me like a domesticated house pet, I’ll never know. But it was true, I did want it and I was getting closer to becoming a snarling fit of envy with every languid stroke he made. "You don't know shit, pretty kitty."
'Oh mistress, did you hear that? He called me pretty?' Jun crowed, practically basking in his one sided thought process.
'Really? That's all you took away from that?' I scoffed.
It made me wonder momentarily if the demon- Grimmjow knew how irritated I was, for his eyes never left mine and with every careful caress his smirked widened.
“Well,” Grimmjow said after a moment drawing me back from my potentially dangerous thought process. “Are ya up to helping me out or not?”
And with that, all thoughts of sensuous petting flew out the door. For the brilliant speech I made just a few minutes before I sure looked like a moron now. With the thoughts of his rough and masculine hands on my body I had totally forgotten that we had been discussing something before hand. Now I wanted nothing more than to find a shovel, a nice stretch of sand and bury myself alive.
Realizing that I still hadn’t said anything, I turned crimson as I muttered out a sarcastic. “I’d be honored.”
“Thanks, sugar.” He smirked smugly.
Bastard.
It was still dark inside the shop when we entered, the sun having yet to share it warm golden glow. Somehow I ended up sandwiched between Renji and Ikkaku. Renji in the lead, saying it was his duty as a fukutaicho to do so. Personally I thought the bastard just wanted all the glory, as usual. Ikkaku bringing up the rear with a still slightly staggering Yumichika.
It was almost eerie being up before Tessai and with all the strange gadgets Urahara tinkered with you’d never know what you’d run into in the darkness of the night. Which is exactly why my ass stayed put in bed until the sun was out or I could hear Tessai yelling at Ginta.
Our only source of light was seeping through the door to the storeroom which led to Urahara’s subterranean training grounds and lab. Exactly the place I usually avoided but I guess it couldn’t be helped. I knew automatically that he was already awake, the obnoxious whistling giving him away as always. In my mind I already knew that he was behind this ruckus and with all probability it was probably planed this way, if past occurrences were anything to go by. Kisuke was always putting his dick where it didn’t belong and I could only hope that this time, the bastard didn’t it get bitten off.
‘Humorous metaphor, Mistress.’ Jun chuckled.
‘I try.’ I replied with a mental wink.
Now it was all the matter of figuring out why he wanted us here? Make no mistake, if Urahara didn’t want the four of us to know what he was up too, we wouldn’t.
Just as we reached the steel hatch that would lower us into Kisuke’s lab another explosion wracked the building, shooting up debris like a cannon, filling the shop with a fine layer of dust. The plaster on the ceiling and walls were crumbling and yet Tessai and the others seemed to remain unaware. Not even Yoruichi came looking.
‘I’m such an idiot.’ I thought sourly. ‘Yoruichi and Tessai are probably already down stairs.’
‘And you call me the baka-neko.’ Jun snickered and I rolled my eyes in return.
“What the fuck is he doing down there?” Renji barked, throwing an arm over his head to shield himself from the falling debris.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, worried now. It was a few moments before the dust settled and our visibility returned. “I’m going down first.” I stated casually, pushing past Renji as he stood there gaping like a fish.
“B-but you can’t.” He stuttered grabbing me at the elbow and spinning me around to face him. His face showed nothing but concern and something else I didn’t have the time to identify. It helped ebb the anger I was about to unleash on him for trying to stop me, so I filed that away for safe keeping.
Deciding that taking a peek down the hatch was in order before I unknowingly put myself in harms way, I laid flat to the ground and stuck my head through. “I’m just gonna take a look.” I reassured.
Ikkaku sniggered something under his breath before lying on his stomach to mimic my pose before he asked. “See anything?”
It was bright and blinding for a moment but soon enough my eyes adjusted, just like I knew they would. We both gasped at the sight that met us. I’m sure it was difficult for Ikkaku to make out from this distance but the body that lay on the steel surgical table was undeniable to my eyes. He was a beautiful specimen if I ever saw one. He looked the embodiment of Poseidon with his aqua blue features and his tan flesh chiseled from marble.
“Holy shit!” Ikkaku barked. “Is that a body?”
I elbowed him, not wanting to be discovered quite yet. “Shut up, baka! Do you want him to hear us?” I whisper yelled, hoping not to start an argument with him and yet I knew how impossible that scenario was. Ikkaku loved all things fighting and that included a healthy dose of arguing. Surprisingly, he didn’t say a word other than to muttered out an apology, which only meant to me that he was just as curious as to what was going on as I was.
We watched in silence, straining to see Kisuke tend to his blue haired patient, he checked for vitals, and consciousness before my eyes fully adjusted to the light and I nearly fell over from shock.
The look of utter astonishment must have showed openly across my face. “What is it? What’d ya see?” Ikkaku asked, sticking his head farther into the rabbit hole in hopes of a better look at whatever had me so duped.
“It’s an Arrancar.” I said in a breathy rasp.
There was a long pause and I’m sure if I imagined hard enough I could see the red slowly creeping up their chests an into their cheeks, much like a tea kettle ready to whistle. “What?” They both yelled.
As I began to scold them for once again trying to give away our position Yumichika cut me off and silenced them by threatening to wake up Ginta. Something about telling the obnoxious boy that Renji and Ikkaku were responsible for his missing PSP.
I didn’t understand real world technology beyond that of a phone or computer so I really didn’t understand the warning, but it did work. Both men paled considerably promising to behave.
I don’t know why I was so giddy with the prospect of Kisuke helping a humanoid Hollow. Maybe it was because, like me, they were misunderstood, quickly judged, and taboo. It was a glimmer of hope that even with differences, there were still some who wanted to co-exist peacefully. Why it surprised me? I’ll never know. I’ve known a long time what kind of a man Kisuke was; he was kind, passionate and brilliant. Even if he was a little strange. But the one thing he wasn’t, was judgmental. ’Yoruichi, you’re one lucky woman.’ I thought wistfully.
Jun scoffed, his tail twitching beside him in amusement. ‘And now were back to you needing your head examined.’
‘Shut up. What would you know about it, baka?’ I hissed.
He smirked at me mentally. Actually smirked, ’I know that you have by far the worst taste in men. It’s always these degenerate thugs with you. Why not set your sights on a regal man like Kuchiki-Taicho?’
Admittedly, the beast did make some sense. You’d have to be deaf, blind and stupid not to be attracted to that man but he was forgetting one very important thing. ’Men like Kuchiki-Taicho have little time for such trivial things, like love or romance and even if he did find the time do you really think he want a woman as scarred as me?’ When he didn’t reply I answered for him. ‘No, men like him want a woman of refinement with snow white skin and painted lips, not some battle hardened tom-boy.’
He sighed morosely. ‘You just don’t see it, do you?’
I growled then, low in my chest, surly bringing attention to myself from the others. ‘See what?’ I barked. ‘All I see is a scarred up freak that pretty men sneer at, so lay off! Men like Renji and Ikkaku like me for who I am and there nothing wrong with them!’
When he said nothing I knew that I had won the battle, perhaps not the war, but a win was a win, right?
The man on the table arched upwards, howling in pain. Another loud boom drew my eyes downward. My heart lurched and my body stiffened and not a second later a blinding white light burst forth from his chest and left me in the dark.
~
Floating.
‘Why am I floating?’ I asked no one in particular. The sensation itself was not all unappealing. I was warm, safe and surrounded by the scent of persimmons and pine. But the scent didn’t explain anything, if anything it confused me. The last memory I retained was a beautiful strange man with Azure hair.
‘I believe we are being carried, Mistress?’ Jun informed me. His tone was light, too light and I wondered for a moment if he was high. Though, it made no sense for him to be, I hadn’t been within a hundred yards of catnip in sometime, having learned my lesson already that it wasn’t a good idea. Ukitake-Taicho, bless his heart nearly had an aneurism from the last experience he had with myself and the intoxicating herbs.
I hadn’t meant to throw myself at him, obviously, and Shunsui had tried to warn him about the strange herb growing in his garden. But, it was partly my fault as well, I thought I was above such silly things as lust and desire. I was proven wrong. Shunsui till this day swears up and down that Ukitake still brags about the encounter when inebriated. Apparently, someone as young as myself wanting to do the horizontal tango with someone his age puffed up his ego a bit. And for that, I was glad. Ukitake even sick was a extremely handsome man and if it helped boost him opinion of himself well, power to him, though I still didn’t understand how he could think I was even remotely appealing?
‘I am not drunk, Mistress. The blast knocked you out and you fell a considerable distance. I believe we are unconscious at present.’
Well that would explain the pounding headache. Wait… were we carried back upstairs?
Even with the surrounding darkness I knew the answer to that. No. No, no, no. The air around me was fabricated and carried to many hints of sekki-seki stone for us to be above ground and… ‘By Kami, what is that?’
‘I was hoping you could tell me.’ Jun purred, ‘It’s most invigorating, wouldn’t you agree?’
I ignored him as I took deep lungful of that sweet fragrance. It was different than from the one closest to me, of that I was sure.
Persimmons and Pine was something I definitely sure belonged to Renji. This was something else entirely… ’Mmmm, Sandalwood, Ginger and lemon balm.’ I purred happily.
‘Yes, Mistress. Which one of your brutes does that belong to, I think I rather like him.’ Jun slurred happily, just as drunk with desire as I was.
‘Don’ know,’ I slurred back. ’Don’ recognize it.’
As the scent continued to wash over me I felt myself growing hot. I felt like I was on fire as the darkness claimed me once again.
Slowly but surly my consciousness returned to me. First, obviously was my sense of smell, followed shortly by sound and then with the bright light came my sight.
“Ugh,” I groaned, palming my face to block out the blinding false sun that did nothing for my pounding head. “I feel like I was run over by a pack of Hollows.”
An amused chuckle answered me. “Awake are we, Mari-chan?”
I knew that condescending voice like the back of my hand. “Shut up.” I replied with a grumble and sat up, still shielding my closed eyes with my hand. “Don’t force me to tell Yoruichi what really happened to her favorite scratching post.”
“Awe, now why would you go and say a mean thing like that?”
Scowling, I cracked and eye only to see his amused face a few meters from my own. “What the Hell?” I screeched, throwing myself backward and in the process flipping myself off whatever it was that I was laying on. I hit the dirt with a painful wince and growled. “Kisuke!”
As if nothing happened he approached me, Benihime in her sealed state pointed right at my head. I barely had time to admire Kisuke’s personal logo that was engraved on the bottom before it came forward and my soul was removed from my gigai.
The underground room around us shook as my spiritual pressure surged to life for the first time in years. I was literally drunk on it, and howled with the desire to fight. It was over as quickly as it started, and I was once again sitting on the floor with an unhappy look on my face.
Finally feeling more like myself, I lurched forward drawing Jun and clashed with Benihime. It was an easy maneuver for him to block so I wasn’t at all surprised that he did, the man was a Taicho at one point for a reason. “What the fuck did you do that for?” I raged, pushing more force to the blade that was still angled into the flesh of his throat.
He snorted at me, “Ah ah, Mari-chan, you really should know better.” he teased, pushing back against my blade with his own.
“Really?” I smirked and tapped the small blade I carried in my left hand that was pointedly placed at his groin. His face paled as he smiled sheepishly at me.
“I can explain, if you would only let up.” he said seriously, squirmy nervously with his hips.
Growling, I let him go and jumped a few feet back. “You had better.” I warned.
“Pfew,” he sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow with his green kosode. “I thought after all those years in that gigai you’d at least be a bit rusty, guess I thought wrong.”
“I guess so.” I replied testily, impatient for him to begin his explanation.
“Well… it was time…” his voice trailed off as it became as fuzzy as my vision.
I could feel the ground beneath me waver, and I swayed to a fro, struggling to keep myself upright. Blood was pounding in my ears and I suddenly felt very faint. “Kisuke?” I whimpered, frightened by my unstable equilibrium.
I staggered to him barely able to see now at all before I fell into his arms and the world fell away.
~
My fascination with dreams was something I could remember, even as a child. My childhood was not a miserable one but it wasn’t pleasant either.
As a young child I was abandoned, by whatever parents or siblings I had at the time. Left to rot in the streets where all those around me called me freak. Even in my youth I understood them… and their fear of me. I was different. I wasn’t like them. Not fully anyway and I had learned at an early age that people feared what they did not understand and anger was usually bread from that fear.
As my thoughts wondered through the dark crevices of my mind, it settled on one image… one face.
Hair of the bluest sky and cornflower eyes to match. I had never known this man before. I was certain in that fact and yet there he was. Like a shining beacon carrying me forth, possibly beckoning me to my doom.
Then the memories came. Much like they always did during my restless sleep. Images of myself in a time and place I couldn’t remember. Then fonder memories; my first meeting with Kisuke and then through association, Yoruichi.
Faces of friends and loved ones raced through my being, returning my being to a peaceful state I had not felt in years.
Then, as for many like myself with a cursed soul… it was all taken away.
Exiled.
Beaten from my post.
Treated as a traitor.
Then that man came… that horribly frightening man. His auburn hair and green eyes was not something I would ever erase from my thoughts, nor will the scars he left upon my flesh fade.
Whether it was just my good fortune or the fates were sick of toying with me. Kisuke was brought back into my life. Himself along with Tessai, having shared a lot with me, were exiled from the Serieitei. Yoruichi followed not long after. It was a difficult adjustment for me at first, to lay low, to leave the human souls to the Hollows, but after a while I just became what was. It was survival. Something both Kisuke and Yoruichi push me to believe.
To this day I couldn’t understand my importance in this life. I was an unwanted nobody who just happened to flourish into a devoted soldier. But that life was over for me now and without it, I didn’t see the point. “You’re more important than you think, Mari.” Kisuke has told me, many times over. But never in all the years that I have known him, never once has he ever explained the reason why. It was his way, of course. I had always known that Urahara Kisuke never revealed his hand until it was absolutely necessary. It was something I adored about him. His ability to keep his work to himself, even when busting at the seems with pride.
The blue haired man once again drifted to the forefront, just behind my eyes as I floated peacefully back to earth. There were many questions I had about him and I could only hope that Urahara wouldn’t try to be to secretive or cryptic when I asked. Personally, I rather him not say anything, opposed to the half-assed answers he was so found of giving. At least in all my years of knowing the man I could at least spot when he was hiding things. It was easy to tell really. That ridiculous fan of his made it quiet obvious to me but I still giggled in amusement at those oblivious to his sneakiness.
Who was that man?
I knew he was an Arrancar, an Espada or I guess now and ex-Espada. I knew that he had by far the most tantalizing scent I had yet to come across. And I knew that he was beautiful.
But what in Kami’s name was he doing here? What did Urahara want with him?
I knew Kisuke well enough to know that he was nothing like Mayuri, he was not a monster Hell bent on experimentation. He would not mutilate the man, but that said little of what his purpose here was. And he had to have one. Kisuke wouldn’t have brought him here if he didn’t have some kind of objective in mind.
Would the Arrancar still be considered the enemy?
‘Surly, not with you around, Mistress. I can tell already, you would gladly be his avenging angel.’ Jun grumped.
‘Jun? Are you there? Does this mean I’m waking up?’
I didn’t get a chance to scold him for his bold and false statement, nor did he ever reply to my question.
~
It could have been seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, years or even decades but when I finally opened my eyes to the pale glow of the moon, I felt better than I had in a very long time.
Voices drifted to my ears. They were distant but I could tell they were still local enough to still be considered ‘in’ the shop. All but one were masculine. “Yoruichi.” I whispered, shoving the sweat soaked covers from my legs and swing around to place my feet on the floor. The cool planks of hardwood eased my heated skin and I wondered what kind of dreams I must have had to ignite my blood in such a manor. I remembered very little of what happened before I collapsed, mostly blurs of faces and reactions… but it was enough.
Looking down at myself, I noticed firstly that I am once again in gigai form and the second that I am in nothing more than my less than appropriate underpants and a flimsy tank top. Two names flit through my mind at once… Kisuke and Yoruichi, for both their sake it had better been the latter to undress me or both would suffer. If it was Kisuke than Yoruichi could kiss her ‘Oh Kami’, scream to the heavens, boy toy goodbye for about a month. When I was through with him he wouldn’t be able to pleasure a tick mouse… let alone a cat.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind I raised up on steady legs and gathered my robe. From the voices I heard downstairs I wouldn’t need anything more than that. All of them had seen me this way at one point or another wandering around the shop, sleep blind and on the search for caffeine. So it bothered me little now to make an appearance in my sleep clothes.
I made my way downstairs, hooking a right at the end of the hall. My first instinct was to walk right past the group of gossiping men surrounding the low table in Kisuke’s receiving area and go directly to the kitchen where I heard the unmistakable sound of fresh percolating coffee. ‘Thank you, Tessai.’ I thought humbly.
But I never made it past that first right. There I stood clutching my robes tightly to my body and staring directly into a pair of cornflower eyes.
