“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.
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