Bleach - Buyer's Remorse - Part Eight
Apr. 14th, 2011 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracoqueen22a/n: So apparently today is Thursday and not Friday. My days are totally mixed up. lol. So I brought you an update for Buyer's Remorse! As promised, the second to last chapter features the POV of our perpetrators. More answers are ahoy!
Characters: Ensemble
Rating: M
Warning: Non-explicit noncon, foul language, speculation, nonconsensual drug use, flagrant alcohol use, possible slash, het, or femslash, NO romance/no pairings
Description: For all he can't remember, this is something that he'll never forget.
(One)(Two)(Three)(Four)(Five)(Six)(Seven)(Eight)(Nine)
Isane sighs and knocks back another drink. Behind her, the crowd is raucous, and Isane doesn't even need to look to know who's there.
Abarai is all the obvious for his voice. Madarame for his booming laugh. Kira for his quiet chastisement. Hisagi for his deep-throated chuckle. And Kurosaki for his embarrassed bluster.
She could probably dance naked in front of them, and they'd never notice.
“Sucks, doesn't it?”
Isane turns her head to find the seat on her other side occupied by Yadomaru Lisa, one of the Vizard whose exile has been recently lifted. She too is a constant visitor to this bar. Isane's seen her here before; they've even chatted.
“Evening, Lisa-san,” she greets and tips her cup to the other woman. “What do you mean?”
Lisa gestures over her shoulder to the group of good-looking men who make it a point to congregate together. As if taunting everyone with the fact they can only look and not touch.
“All of that,” she says with a grin. “It's not fair, is it?”
“Not in the slightest,” Isane sighs again and glances over her shoulder.
They're teasing Kurosaki mercilessly now. His face is cherry red at this point. Isane finds it incredibly adorable and a bit sexy. Her hands itch to go over there, but she knows she never will. They wouldn’t notice even if she did.
“I might as well be invisible,” Isane mutters mostly to herself.
“You?” Lisa snorts, signaling for another drink to come her way. “I'm used goods. And types like Kurosaki don't pay any attention to someone like me.”
They sigh in tandem.
“Too bad there isn't a way to make him see us, huh?” Isane remarks, half-turning in her seat to watch the men at the table; they haven’t even once looked her way.
There’s a pause that’s almost assessing. Her eyes are hard to see behind her glasses, but Isane thinks that Lisa’s gaze flickers around. No one is paying them any attention, and that’s the real problem, isn’t it?
“Not any legal ways in any case,” Lisa comments then, and her voice is soft. Gentle. Almost inquiring. Not nearly as idle or uninterested as her body language implies.
Despite herself, Isane is intrigued. Maybe it's the liquor. Maybe it's the laughter that rises from the table behind them. Either way, she turns to Lisa.
“And you know of another way then?” she asks and can hardly believe she just said that.
Lisa simply smiles.
o0o0o
Lisa comes up with the plan, but Isane is the one with access to the drug. She acquires more than enough doses from the fourth division, stashing them away in her quarters where no one will ever find them. Isane knows that if and when its use comes to light, there’ll probably be stricter rules to accessing it. And she'd rather not paint suspicion on herself so soon.
They divide the duties between them.
Isane is the stealthier of them, able to skirt on the edges of any crowd. Rarely is she noticed.
And isn't that what started it in the first place?
No one sees her. No one even realize she's there. She's just the tall woman in the background who sometimes smiles, sometimes blushes. She's not loud and busty like Matsumoto. She's not quiet and mysterious like Kuchiki Rukia. She's not vastly intelligent like Ise-san. She's not gorgeous like Shihouin-sama.
Isane is unnoticeable. Invisible. Her own sister forgets about her half the time and only seems to remember when she needs something. The only one to ever see her is Unohana-taichou, but she’s always so busy. Always saving lives and healing the injured. She just doesn’t have time for Isane. It seems that no one does. No one has a second of attention to spare her.
It helps here as much as she hates that truth.
Lisa though is good at getting people to talk. At being a distraction. She's good at melding into the crowd, making herself at home. At being there and seen but still melting away when needed.
It’s the perfect combination. Like fate herself has smiled upon them for once in their lives.
They have to plan carefully. They have to wait for the right time, the right circumstances. They’re cautious; neither is willing to be caught. For Lisa, that would end the game. For Isane, there are more worrisome consequences.
It’s just this once though. Isane promises herself that. Just this once. Just make someone see her this once, and that will be the end.
But somehow, deep in her heart, Isane already knows it won’t be enough.
o0o0o
Kurosaki Ichigo isn’t a boy anymore. He hasn’t been for awhile, but it’s become more noticeable. More striking. His face is lean and attractive under the scowl. Or perhaps even because of it. He’s strong. Loyal. Even smart at times. Everything a girl could ever want or need.
He doesn’t even know Isane’s name.
His birthday is the perfect opportunity. Everyone is drunk and distracted when the party’s in full swing. Isane doubts that any of them but the birthday boy will be sober come morning, much less remember most of the night.
She sneaks the drug into a drink, but Lisa's the one who gives it to him. No one's suspicious because everyone's been handing Kurosaki something at some point or another. Abarai, Kuchiki, Urahara, Hirako, Madarame. Everyone. Half of Seireitei is in attendance. Coming and going. Going and coming. It’s so simple to slip over to him.
Lisa whispers a suggestion that he leave early once they're sure the drug has taken effect. No one notices. Kurosaki is too busy blushing and sputtering over having his face squashed into Matsumoto's breasts. And when he excuses himself to the restroom, Lisa firmly entrenches the idea into his head.
It isn't long after that Kurosaki decides to go back to Abarai’s flat.
Isane meets him outside, offers to help him find his way. Kurosaki easily agrees. He still gets lost after all, and all she wants is a breath of fresh air. He has no reason to doubt her. No reason to see her as anything but that nice woman from the fourth division. He even thanks her for the offer.
By the time they get to Abarai's place, Lisa is already there. Her hair is loose and free around her shoulders, and her clothes are open for easy access. She entices Kurosaki forward, and the drug turns him into a compliant man who blushes but falls quickly under her spell. Lisa kisses him first, soft but rapidly growing rougher. Isane expects her to lead him to the bed, but Lisa just turns to her with a smile and beckons her forward.
“I get the first taste, but you deserve first dibs,” she says naughtily. “Let’s show the birthday boy a good time, shall we?”
Isane doesn’t have to be told twice.
Lisa undresses him, but Isane folds his clothes. She doesn't even think about it; the action is purely a result of years painstakingly folding her own. Lisa laughs, poking fun at her tidiness, but Isane just flushes and reminds her that the drug doesn't last forever.
Kurosaki, for his part, simply does as they direct. He allows Lisa to slip his shihakushou from his shoulders and kisses her back each time. And he’s all too willing when Lisa pushes him towards Isane. He lets Isane pull him down on the futon and makes a sound in his throat when her hands slide to his stomach.
And from there, the rest is easy.
o0o0o
Isane cleans the room afterward, while Lisa gently wipes him down, eliminating all trace of their presence. It's Lisa's idea to leave him nude.
“He might not remember us, but he'll know something happened,” she explains with a shake of her head. “And shouldn’t he have something of his birthday gift from us?”
Isane can't think of a good reason to disagree. A part of her wishes this could’ve been real. That she could’ve looked in his eyes and not just seen the dull sheen of the drug reflected.
But she squashes that part viciously. Such a thing is impossible. It’ll never happen.
At least this way, she’ll always have this moment.
o0o0o
For weeks afterward, they’re certain that they’ve been caught. That Kurosaki must remember something or that they had been seen. But as more time passes, it becomes increasingly obvious that their plan has worked and worked extremely well.
It was only supposed to be a onetime thing. Just that once and never again. But it was just so easy. It was just so wonderful.
Isane isn’t ready to give it up. Lisa's ready to try again.
Isane already has a name. In fact, she has a whole list of them worked out in her head. All the men who’ve never given her the time of day. Who walk by without even seeing her. Who wouldn’t notice her in a million years.
It's as exciting as it is wrong.
They're not hurting anyone, Isane reasons. No one's been harmed permanently. In fact, all they've done is give Kurosaki a night of pleasure he won't remember. What's so wrong about that?
It’s not all that different from being drunk really. From coming home with a stranger from some random bar. At least, he knows the two of them. At least, they won’t really take advantage of it.
In the end, who does it hurt?
o0o0o
They don’t have a particular target for the next attempt. Several plans are created, several contingencies based on a given situation. She and Lisa are both ready to act should an opportunity to present itself. There's no real order to the list Isane has created anyway. It’s first come, first serve. Lisa doesn’t mind a bit.
All they have to do is wait for a chance.
o0o0o
Three months after Kurosaki, they get their next opportunity.
Hisagi Shuuhei is out drinking with his friends, and all of them are plastered, even the normally restrained Kira. The only one who seems to be coherent is Ayasegawa, but not even he can pay attention to everyone at once. Opportunity has knocked at their door, and Isane is eager to answer.
Lisa provides a distraction as before; Isane slips the drug into his drink. Not that he notices since he's well-sloshed by that point.
Iba and Madarame get into a scuffle minutes later, and while Abarai is goading them on with well-placed barbs, Lisa slips in and makes the suggestion. Hisagi, the effects of the drug acting much quicker with the alcohol already in his system, slips away from his friends with a muttered excuse that no one questions.
Iba even calls out some sort of perverted jibe as Hisagi leaves, but the latter waves it off.
Isane meets him outside, guiding Hisagi out the back entrance of the bar and into a shadowed alley. He leans on her as though he can't hold himself up, and she relishes the weight of him at her side. He smells like sake and cologne. He smells like himself. And she thinks about all the times she was close enough to notice at meetings or in the fourth division. All the times his eyes slid over her as if she wasn’t even there.
Isane shakes that thought away, and it’s soon replaced as eagerness pools inside of her. She almost can't believe she's actually doing this again. The excitement of the seduction is almost as good as feeling his skin against hers as she and Lisa both undress him.
The difference between them is startling.
Kurosaki was shy innocence. Hisagi is confidence and knowledge. He isn't afraid to demand, to direct. If anything, the drug has made him more self-aware of what he wants.
Lisa has some odd obsession with his scars and keeps tracing them with her fingers. That only makes him squirm and laugh.
Who could ever known that Hisagi is so ticklish?
o0o0o
This time, Isane gets the honor of cleaning up, while Lisa straightens the room. She's the one who wanders away and comes back with a picture.
“He won't miss it,” Lisa reasons as she admires the brush strokes. She flips it over, noticing the signature at the back. “Huh. I didn't know Kira was this talented.”
Isane raises a brow as she moves to stand. “If Kira made it for him, he'll probably miss it.”
“Not likely,” Lisa snorts, tucking the picture into the bag of assorted necessities they always bring with them. “It was in a guest room covered in dust. It’s not like he’ll care about it. He probably won’t notice for ages.”
Isane lets it go. It's just a picture. Kira can always make him another one after all.
And in the following week, nothing ever happens. Subtle eavesdropping reveals Hisagi to think it all a drunken one-night-stand.
They're in the clear.
o0o0o
A month later, there's a festival in Rukongai. It's an opportunity they can't pass up. Everyone is going to be heading in and out of the city. It'd be virtually impossible for one person to remember everybody who left through the gates. It's the perfect time to get someone into Rukongai who wouldn't normally be found there.
It's the perfect chance to see if they can work their magic on Kuchiki-taichou.
Isane slips the drug into his teacup. She knows where the captain keeps it, and before he can get one of his subordinates to brew his drink, Isane lines the cup itself. It’ll be harder to trace that way if anyone even thinks to look.
Fortune again smiles when Kuchiki-taichou lets Abarai leave the office early. There's no one around when Lisa sneaks in and seduces the drugged up captain. She convinces him to leave his haori behind; it'll be easier for him to blend into the crowd that way.
When they meet Isane outside, she suggests removing the scarf, too. Lisa folds it up, putting it into her pocket. The kenseikan requires too much effort so they leave that until they get to the inn, and really, Isane likes the look of it in his hair.
From there, it's a simple matter to suggest that Kuchiki-taichou head through the gates, joining the stream of Shinigami who plan to attend to festival. A lot of people notice him leaving, but few see him slipping away from the festival and heading deeper into Rukongai.
Nobody notices when Lisa meets up with Kuchiki-taichou and hooks their arms together, grinning as she guides him toward their chosen inn. Isane joins them a block or so later with their bag of supplies. She’s nearly unable to hide her excitement.
The inn is not exactly reputable, but it's clean, and the owner only cares for the money that they shove into his hands. Lisa borrows it from Kuchiki-taichou since he can afford it anyway. She highly doubts that he’ll even notice it’s missing.
Isane's fingers are more agile, so she's the one who painstakingly unravels the kenseikan. Kuchiki-taichou's hair is soft, like silk through her fingers, much nicer than her own. And it smells like an expensive dark spice. Much like the captain himself.
Isane trembles with zeal, and Lisa laughs at her.
“You act like it's the first time,” she mocks.
Isane huffs. “With him, it is,” she retorts. “And it's also the last time.”
“Hmm. You make a good point,” Lisa responds and looks thoughtful. “Better make it count then.”
‘I always do,’ Isane thinks, but she keeps it to herself.
She kisses Kuchiki-taichou first because she wants first taste this time. His mouth is soft beneath hers. Pliant but almost hesitant.
Lisa's the one who strips him out of his clothes. She just throws them impatiently to the floor so that Isane has to pick them up and fold them later. That always amuses Lisa the most. Isane can't help wanting to be tidy, and she knows Kuchiki-taichou would appreciate not being wrinkled in the morning.
For some reason though, Kuchiki-taichou motions are sluggish. He's less responsive than the others. Rather than flushing, he pales. And later, he falls asleep much faster, cutting short their fun.
Isane is disappointed, but Lisa reminds her that there will be others.
After much debate, they decide it’s better to leave him in the inn. He'll be safe there, and it’d be too difficult to try and sneak him back into his well-guarded manor. He's a grown man who can find his way back home. He'll be fine.
At least, that’s what Isane fully expects.
o0o0o
When they bring Kuchiki-taichou into the fourth the next day, he's close to death. Isane bites her tongue, worry cresting over her. Something squeezes her heart and lungs. She hadn't meant to hurt him. Neither of them had. She hadn't wanted Kuchiki-taichou to die, and now, that’s looking like a very real possibility.
No one seems to get what's wrong with him.
Isane knows that sometimes the drug interacts badly with a patient, but she's never seen this severe a reaction before. She hopes desperately that someone else will figure it out, and when nobody does, she tentatively makes the suggestion.
She doesn't want Kuchiki-taichou to die. She never meant for this to happen. And it scares her, especially when she stands there in his doorway and watches him lying in his bed, hooked up to so many machines. He's weak, weak where he shouldn't be.
The guilt is heavy. It weighs her down.
Lisa feels guilty, too.
For a long time, they sit in the shadowed corner of their usual meeting place and quietly share a round of drinks.
“It was an accident,” Lisa whispers, and her hands actually shake as she puts down her sake.
“We didn't accidentally give him the drug,” Isane retorts and then softens her voice. “But we didn't mean to hurt him.”
“We couldn't have known,” Lisa suggests. “There’s no way we could’ve known this would happen.”
“I should’ve known,” Isane sends back, and that's where most of the guilt lies.
She's the lieutenant of the fourth division, the second in command. She should’ve considered this possibility.
Lisa takes a sip and removes her glasses to rub at the bridge of her nose. “We'll have to be more careful next time. We’ll have to be sure.”
Isane glances at her.
The Vizard raises her eyebrows, replacing her glasses. “You're telling me you want to stop?”
“No,” Isane replies and is almost ashamed of herself for refusing to quit this game.
“Then we'll have to be careful,” Lisa retorts as though this should be obvious.
She's right, of course. Isane knows how to be careful now, what to watch for. She can check and make sure no one else on her list is susceptible to the drug in such a dire fashion.
She can't quit now, Isane realizes. She's gotten a taste of what she’s always wanted. She can't just admit defeat. She can’t go back to being unnoticed and forgotten.
Isane nods in agreement. “We'll be careful.”
A week later, she goes home and crosses two names off their list. Better to be safe. Even if she’s sorry not to get a taste. But perhaps there’s a way to modify the drug. A way to make it safer to use.
Isane will just have to put a little work into it.
o0o0o
Rukia-san is Lisa's choice. She's always been interested in being with a woman, and Isane has to admit she's curious, too. It's not one of her top picks, but she's willing to give it a go. She doesn't know why Lisa wants the girl so badly, but since Isane doesn't have an opinion either way, she agrees.
They have to wait several months before they get a chance to try again.
The Shinigami Women's Association dinner presents the perfect opportunity. Especially when the men try to host one of their own across the street. That effectively makes any possible suspect list miles and miles along. That effectively gives them free reign.
Isane sits next to Rukia-san at the dinner. It's easy enough to nonchalantly drop something into her cup. No one notices. They’re all too busy arguing with their president over their next Manliest Man Contest.
They are already in Rukongai. It's a simple matter from there to whisper into Rukia-san's ears. With all the noise in the room, they have to lean in to talk to each other anyway. So no one thinks anything of Isane having to be so close. Besides, Isane's always been known to be quiet.
Rukia-san excuses herself with the need to get some air.
Outside, Lisa is waiting for her. She coaxes Rukia-san away from the dinner while Isane remains for at least an hour more to keep up appearances. She stumbles away with the rest of the halfway inebriated lot on their way back, and some of them get into an argument with the men who’ve been thrown out of restaurant next door. In the craziness that results, Isane finds reason to slip off on her own.
It's easy enough to find her way to the inn where Lisa made reservations under an alias and a disguise. Anyone asking after them will be directed toward a man wearing a shihakushou, sunglasses, and hair covered by a bandanna.
Isane arrives and learns that Lisa has started without her. It's really not fair, but that's the way things work out, Isane supposes.
They quickly discover, however, that Rukia-san is much more delicate than the men. They accidentally leave marks behind. Lisa gets too overzealous with her kisses, and Isane grips her wrist too hard.
Isane is afraid of using too much reiatsu to heal her afterward, afraid of the signature it’d leave behind. So she soothes away the worse of the bruising and relies on nature to take care of the rest. It’s not too terrible anyway. Something that will heal in a day or less. Maybe she won’t even notice.
o0o0o
How much more wrong can this be?
Isane wonders as she lowers her head and quietly heals the bruises on Rukia's skin. It's almost ironic. Matsumoto brought her there because they don't dare approach Unohana-taichou. And yet, Isane is the last person they should trust.
There's a secret thrill in knowing the truth, as much as there is a stirring of guilt.
She knows she can't keep this quiet from Unohana-taichou. Isane has to tell her, and so she does. But there isn't an ounce of suspicion in her captain's eyes. And why should there be?
Isane is her quiet child. Her golden girl. She can do no wrong in her captain’s eyes. It’s as exhilarating as it is saddening to realize that Unohana-taichou doesn’t even know her at all.
o0o0o
Ukitake-taichou is another of Lisa's choices, though Isane is hard pressed to counter it. She's always thought him an attractive man way out of her league. Even the smallest chance to touch him outside the professional sense is more than she could’ve expected.
He's also one of the more difficult names on the list. If Kyouraku-taichou is not attached to his side, then his two third seats – including Isane's sister – are. It’ll be a challenge to slip the drug into a drink, much less get him alone enough to guide him away from his undeclared protectors.
Luckily, Abarai gets promoted and all of Seireitei feels this is cause to celebrate. Considering that the ninth division has had no captain since Aizen's betrayal several years prior, that wouldn't be far from the truth.
Or maybe the Shinigami will allow any reason to party. Who knows?
Either way, it opens doors for Isane and Lisa. The party becomes a huge distraction for everyone. It gives reason to indulge, even for those who wouldn't normally.
It's all the chance they need.
Lisa distracts her former captain. She joins the group of men and women who sit around a table and divide numerous bottles of fine sake as Kyouraku-taichou gets more and more inebriated. He’s too busy singing dirty songs to watch out for his best friend. Much less to see what anyone else is doing.
Isane distracts her sister and Sentarou-kun. It's easy enough. A subtle suggestion to both and they both scurry out of the party, arguing over who is going to do most of the work. They'll be in the thirteenth all night, scribbling paperwork and scrubbing Ukitake-taichou's office until it's sparkling clean. Their fight for his attention is so pathetic it’s almost cute.
After that, the rest is simple.
In fact, all it takes is a moment of clumsiness.
Isane, nonchalantly walking by as she carries some drinks for a few other people, stumbles over her own feet. It's almost comical the way she falls, managing to fall in such a way that the cold drinks only spill on Ukitake-taichou and nobody else.
It's no trouble for Isane to pretend utter embarrassment. She blushes, apologizes profusely, and Ukitake-taichou is all smiles and forgiveness. It's the perfect excuse for him to go home early, while assuring Kyouraku-taichou that he'll be fine, and the drug easily transfers through the skin. Ukitake-taichou excuses himself from the party, and not long after, Isane does the same.
Everyone just thinks she's too embarrassed to stick around. Isane doesn't correct them. She leaves and heads in the direction of her apartment, and when she's sure no one is looking, doubles back and alters her course for Ukitake-taichou's home.
At first, he’s confused to find her at the door, but the drug has already started to take effect. Isane is a bit nervous, starting things by herself, but Ukitake-taichou is so nice that it's easier to move with the flow.
He hasn’t had time to change his clothes since Isane spilled the drinks on him, and she can't keep the blush from her cheeks as she helps strip him of the white haori and shihakushou. He's so pale, and there are so few scars that Isane can't help staring. She can see why Lisa would want him so much.
The other woman joins them an hour later, after she manages to extract herself from her drinking buddies. She grins when she invites herself inside, taking no time to throw off her clothes and looking flushed from all the alcohol she imbibed. She just smirks as she watches Isane toy with Ukitake-taichou’s hair, both of them naked on his bed.
“Starting without me, I see,” Lisa teases with a predatory gleam in her eyes.
Isane's blush darkens her cheeks. “Can you blame me?”
The Vizard's gaze slides past her to Ukitake-taichou. He’s still a bit flushed with exertion, and his eyes are half-lidded.
Lisa chuckles and steps forward.
o0o0o
They are in the middle of cleaning up all traces of their presence when Lisa senses Kyouraku-taichou's return. Apparently, this is one of many nights that he plans to spend at his best friend’s house.
They make their escape in a hurry, managing to grab everything that could be possibly linked to them. They lack the time to do a last thorough check. But Lisa is confident, and Isane agrees. They know what they are doing by now; there's nothing to worry about.
o0o0o
The moment Unohana-taichou sets the golden bead down on the desk, Isane knows that their game has come to an end. That everything’s over. That there's nothing left to do but accept her fate.
She lowers her head, scrubs her palms down her hakama-covered thighs, and admits the truth. There's guilt, yes, but it's mixed with satisfaction. It’s mixed with being the first to know Kurosaki’s touch. The feel of sliding against Hisagi. Remembering Kuchiki-taichou’s taste. The softness of Rukia-san’s skin. Hearing Ukitake-taichou’s breath in her ear.
She knows her captain won't ever understand. No one will.
They would’ve never noticed Isane otherwise. They never would’ve seen her. She was nothing to them. She is nothing to them.
But they sure as hell notice her now.
*****
a/n: ... Just a bit creepy, yes? Anyway, there is one more closing chapter to come and then the end.
As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
Characters: Ensemble
Rating: M
Warning: Non-explicit noncon, foul language, speculation, nonconsensual drug use, flagrant alcohol use, possible slash, het, or femslash, NO romance/no pairings
Description: For all he can't remember, this is something that he'll never forget.
(One)(Two)(Three)(Four)(Five)(Six)(Seven)(Eight)(Nine)
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Buyer's Remorse
Part Eight
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Buyer's Remorse
Part Eight
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Isane sighs and knocks back another drink. Behind her, the crowd is raucous, and Isane doesn't even need to look to know who's there.
Abarai is all the obvious for his voice. Madarame for his booming laugh. Kira for his quiet chastisement. Hisagi for his deep-throated chuckle. And Kurosaki for his embarrassed bluster.
She could probably dance naked in front of them, and they'd never notice.
“Sucks, doesn't it?”
Isane turns her head to find the seat on her other side occupied by Yadomaru Lisa, one of the Vizard whose exile has been recently lifted. She too is a constant visitor to this bar. Isane's seen her here before; they've even chatted.
“Evening, Lisa-san,” she greets and tips her cup to the other woman. “What do you mean?”
Lisa gestures over her shoulder to the group of good-looking men who make it a point to congregate together. As if taunting everyone with the fact they can only look and not touch.
“All of that,” she says with a grin. “It's not fair, is it?”
“Not in the slightest,” Isane sighs again and glances over her shoulder.
They're teasing Kurosaki mercilessly now. His face is cherry red at this point. Isane finds it incredibly adorable and a bit sexy. Her hands itch to go over there, but she knows she never will. They wouldn’t notice even if she did.
“I might as well be invisible,” Isane mutters mostly to herself.
“You?” Lisa snorts, signaling for another drink to come her way. “I'm used goods. And types like Kurosaki don't pay any attention to someone like me.”
They sigh in tandem.
“Too bad there isn't a way to make him see us, huh?” Isane remarks, half-turning in her seat to watch the men at the table; they haven’t even once looked her way.
There’s a pause that’s almost assessing. Her eyes are hard to see behind her glasses, but Isane thinks that Lisa’s gaze flickers around. No one is paying them any attention, and that’s the real problem, isn’t it?
“Not any legal ways in any case,” Lisa comments then, and her voice is soft. Gentle. Almost inquiring. Not nearly as idle or uninterested as her body language implies.
Despite herself, Isane is intrigued. Maybe it's the liquor. Maybe it's the laughter that rises from the table behind them. Either way, she turns to Lisa.
“And you know of another way then?” she asks and can hardly believe she just said that.
Lisa simply smiles.
Lisa comes up with the plan, but Isane is the one with access to the drug. She acquires more than enough doses from the fourth division, stashing them away in her quarters where no one will ever find them. Isane knows that if and when its use comes to light, there’ll probably be stricter rules to accessing it. And she'd rather not paint suspicion on herself so soon.
They divide the duties between them.
Isane is the stealthier of them, able to skirt on the edges of any crowd. Rarely is she noticed.
And isn't that what started it in the first place?
No one sees her. No one even realize she's there. She's just the tall woman in the background who sometimes smiles, sometimes blushes. She's not loud and busty like Matsumoto. She's not quiet and mysterious like Kuchiki Rukia. She's not vastly intelligent like Ise-san. She's not gorgeous like Shihouin-sama.
Isane is unnoticeable. Invisible. Her own sister forgets about her half the time and only seems to remember when she needs something. The only one to ever see her is Unohana-taichou, but she’s always so busy. Always saving lives and healing the injured. She just doesn’t have time for Isane. It seems that no one does. No one has a second of attention to spare her.
It helps here as much as she hates that truth.
Lisa though is good at getting people to talk. At being a distraction. She's good at melding into the crowd, making herself at home. At being there and seen but still melting away when needed.
It’s the perfect combination. Like fate herself has smiled upon them for once in their lives.
They have to plan carefully. They have to wait for the right time, the right circumstances. They’re cautious; neither is willing to be caught. For Lisa, that would end the game. For Isane, there are more worrisome consequences.
It’s just this once though. Isane promises herself that. Just this once. Just make someone see her this once, and that will be the end.
But somehow, deep in her heart, Isane already knows it won’t be enough.
Kurosaki Ichigo isn’t a boy anymore. He hasn’t been for awhile, but it’s become more noticeable. More striking. His face is lean and attractive under the scowl. Or perhaps even because of it. He’s strong. Loyal. Even smart at times. Everything a girl could ever want or need.
He doesn’t even know Isane’s name.
His birthday is the perfect opportunity. Everyone is drunk and distracted when the party’s in full swing. Isane doubts that any of them but the birthday boy will be sober come morning, much less remember most of the night.
She sneaks the drug into a drink, but Lisa's the one who gives it to him. No one's suspicious because everyone's been handing Kurosaki something at some point or another. Abarai, Kuchiki, Urahara, Hirako, Madarame. Everyone. Half of Seireitei is in attendance. Coming and going. Going and coming. It’s so simple to slip over to him.
Lisa whispers a suggestion that he leave early once they're sure the drug has taken effect. No one notices. Kurosaki is too busy blushing and sputtering over having his face squashed into Matsumoto's breasts. And when he excuses himself to the restroom, Lisa firmly entrenches the idea into his head.
It isn't long after that Kurosaki decides to go back to Abarai’s flat.
Isane meets him outside, offers to help him find his way. Kurosaki easily agrees. He still gets lost after all, and all she wants is a breath of fresh air. He has no reason to doubt her. No reason to see her as anything but that nice woman from the fourth division. He even thanks her for the offer.
By the time they get to Abarai's place, Lisa is already there. Her hair is loose and free around her shoulders, and her clothes are open for easy access. She entices Kurosaki forward, and the drug turns him into a compliant man who blushes but falls quickly under her spell. Lisa kisses him first, soft but rapidly growing rougher. Isane expects her to lead him to the bed, but Lisa just turns to her with a smile and beckons her forward.
“I get the first taste, but you deserve first dibs,” she says naughtily. “Let’s show the birthday boy a good time, shall we?”
Isane doesn’t have to be told twice.
Lisa undresses him, but Isane folds his clothes. She doesn't even think about it; the action is purely a result of years painstakingly folding her own. Lisa laughs, poking fun at her tidiness, but Isane just flushes and reminds her that the drug doesn't last forever.
Kurosaki, for his part, simply does as they direct. He allows Lisa to slip his shihakushou from his shoulders and kisses her back each time. And he’s all too willing when Lisa pushes him towards Isane. He lets Isane pull him down on the futon and makes a sound in his throat when her hands slide to his stomach.
And from there, the rest is easy.
Isane cleans the room afterward, while Lisa gently wipes him down, eliminating all trace of their presence. It's Lisa's idea to leave him nude.
“He might not remember us, but he'll know something happened,” she explains with a shake of her head. “And shouldn’t he have something of his birthday gift from us?”
Isane can't think of a good reason to disagree. A part of her wishes this could’ve been real. That she could’ve looked in his eyes and not just seen the dull sheen of the drug reflected.
But she squashes that part viciously. Such a thing is impossible. It’ll never happen.
At least this way, she’ll always have this moment.
For weeks afterward, they’re certain that they’ve been caught. That Kurosaki must remember something or that they had been seen. But as more time passes, it becomes increasingly obvious that their plan has worked and worked extremely well.
It was only supposed to be a onetime thing. Just that once and never again. But it was just so easy. It was just so wonderful.
Isane isn’t ready to give it up. Lisa's ready to try again.
Isane already has a name. In fact, she has a whole list of them worked out in her head. All the men who’ve never given her the time of day. Who walk by without even seeing her. Who wouldn’t notice her in a million years.
It's as exciting as it is wrong.
They're not hurting anyone, Isane reasons. No one's been harmed permanently. In fact, all they've done is give Kurosaki a night of pleasure he won't remember. What's so wrong about that?
It’s not all that different from being drunk really. From coming home with a stranger from some random bar. At least, he knows the two of them. At least, they won’t really take advantage of it.
In the end, who does it hurt?
They don’t have a particular target for the next attempt. Several plans are created, several contingencies based on a given situation. She and Lisa are both ready to act should an opportunity to present itself. There's no real order to the list Isane has created anyway. It’s first come, first serve. Lisa doesn’t mind a bit.
All they have to do is wait for a chance.
Three months after Kurosaki, they get their next opportunity.
Hisagi Shuuhei is out drinking with his friends, and all of them are plastered, even the normally restrained Kira. The only one who seems to be coherent is Ayasegawa, but not even he can pay attention to everyone at once. Opportunity has knocked at their door, and Isane is eager to answer.
Lisa provides a distraction as before; Isane slips the drug into his drink. Not that he notices since he's well-sloshed by that point.
Iba and Madarame get into a scuffle minutes later, and while Abarai is goading them on with well-placed barbs, Lisa slips in and makes the suggestion. Hisagi, the effects of the drug acting much quicker with the alcohol already in his system, slips away from his friends with a muttered excuse that no one questions.
Iba even calls out some sort of perverted jibe as Hisagi leaves, but the latter waves it off.
Isane meets him outside, guiding Hisagi out the back entrance of the bar and into a shadowed alley. He leans on her as though he can't hold himself up, and she relishes the weight of him at her side. He smells like sake and cologne. He smells like himself. And she thinks about all the times she was close enough to notice at meetings or in the fourth division. All the times his eyes slid over her as if she wasn’t even there.
Isane shakes that thought away, and it’s soon replaced as eagerness pools inside of her. She almost can't believe she's actually doing this again. The excitement of the seduction is almost as good as feeling his skin against hers as she and Lisa both undress him.
The difference between them is startling.
Kurosaki was shy innocence. Hisagi is confidence and knowledge. He isn't afraid to demand, to direct. If anything, the drug has made him more self-aware of what he wants.
Lisa has some odd obsession with his scars and keeps tracing them with her fingers. That only makes him squirm and laugh.
Who could ever known that Hisagi is so ticklish?
This time, Isane gets the honor of cleaning up, while Lisa straightens the room. She's the one who wanders away and comes back with a picture.
“He won't miss it,” Lisa reasons as she admires the brush strokes. She flips it over, noticing the signature at the back. “Huh. I didn't know Kira was this talented.”
Isane raises a brow as she moves to stand. “If Kira made it for him, he'll probably miss it.”
“Not likely,” Lisa snorts, tucking the picture into the bag of assorted necessities they always bring with them. “It was in a guest room covered in dust. It’s not like he’ll care about it. He probably won’t notice for ages.”
Isane lets it go. It's just a picture. Kira can always make him another one after all.
And in the following week, nothing ever happens. Subtle eavesdropping reveals Hisagi to think it all a drunken one-night-stand.
They're in the clear.
A month later, there's a festival in Rukongai. It's an opportunity they can't pass up. Everyone is going to be heading in and out of the city. It'd be virtually impossible for one person to remember everybody who left through the gates. It's the perfect time to get someone into Rukongai who wouldn't normally be found there.
It's the perfect chance to see if they can work their magic on Kuchiki-taichou.
Isane slips the drug into his teacup. She knows where the captain keeps it, and before he can get one of his subordinates to brew his drink, Isane lines the cup itself. It’ll be harder to trace that way if anyone even thinks to look.
Fortune again smiles when Kuchiki-taichou lets Abarai leave the office early. There's no one around when Lisa sneaks in and seduces the drugged up captain. She convinces him to leave his haori behind; it'll be easier for him to blend into the crowd that way.
When they meet Isane outside, she suggests removing the scarf, too. Lisa folds it up, putting it into her pocket. The kenseikan requires too much effort so they leave that until they get to the inn, and really, Isane likes the look of it in his hair.
From there, it's a simple matter to suggest that Kuchiki-taichou head through the gates, joining the stream of Shinigami who plan to attend to festival. A lot of people notice him leaving, but few see him slipping away from the festival and heading deeper into Rukongai.
Nobody notices when Lisa meets up with Kuchiki-taichou and hooks their arms together, grinning as she guides him toward their chosen inn. Isane joins them a block or so later with their bag of supplies. She’s nearly unable to hide her excitement.
The inn is not exactly reputable, but it's clean, and the owner only cares for the money that they shove into his hands. Lisa borrows it from Kuchiki-taichou since he can afford it anyway. She highly doubts that he’ll even notice it’s missing.
Isane's fingers are more agile, so she's the one who painstakingly unravels the kenseikan. Kuchiki-taichou's hair is soft, like silk through her fingers, much nicer than her own. And it smells like an expensive dark spice. Much like the captain himself.
Isane trembles with zeal, and Lisa laughs at her.
“You act like it's the first time,” she mocks.
Isane huffs. “With him, it is,” she retorts. “And it's also the last time.”
“Hmm. You make a good point,” Lisa responds and looks thoughtful. “Better make it count then.”
‘I always do,’ Isane thinks, but she keeps it to herself.
She kisses Kuchiki-taichou first because she wants first taste this time. His mouth is soft beneath hers. Pliant but almost hesitant.
Lisa's the one who strips him out of his clothes. She just throws them impatiently to the floor so that Isane has to pick them up and fold them later. That always amuses Lisa the most. Isane can't help wanting to be tidy, and she knows Kuchiki-taichou would appreciate not being wrinkled in the morning.
For some reason though, Kuchiki-taichou motions are sluggish. He's less responsive than the others. Rather than flushing, he pales. And later, he falls asleep much faster, cutting short their fun.
Isane is disappointed, but Lisa reminds her that there will be others.
After much debate, they decide it’s better to leave him in the inn. He'll be safe there, and it’d be too difficult to try and sneak him back into his well-guarded manor. He's a grown man who can find his way back home. He'll be fine.
At least, that’s what Isane fully expects.
When they bring Kuchiki-taichou into the fourth the next day, he's close to death. Isane bites her tongue, worry cresting over her. Something squeezes her heart and lungs. She hadn't meant to hurt him. Neither of them had. She hadn't wanted Kuchiki-taichou to die, and now, that’s looking like a very real possibility.
No one seems to get what's wrong with him.
Isane knows that sometimes the drug interacts badly with a patient, but she's never seen this severe a reaction before. She hopes desperately that someone else will figure it out, and when nobody does, she tentatively makes the suggestion.
She doesn't want Kuchiki-taichou to die. She never meant for this to happen. And it scares her, especially when she stands there in his doorway and watches him lying in his bed, hooked up to so many machines. He's weak, weak where he shouldn't be.
The guilt is heavy. It weighs her down.
Lisa feels guilty, too.
For a long time, they sit in the shadowed corner of their usual meeting place and quietly share a round of drinks.
“It was an accident,” Lisa whispers, and her hands actually shake as she puts down her sake.
“We didn't accidentally give him the drug,” Isane retorts and then softens her voice. “But we didn't mean to hurt him.”
“We couldn't have known,” Lisa suggests. “There’s no way we could’ve known this would happen.”
“I should’ve known,” Isane sends back, and that's where most of the guilt lies.
She's the lieutenant of the fourth division, the second in command. She should’ve considered this possibility.
Lisa takes a sip and removes her glasses to rub at the bridge of her nose. “We'll have to be more careful next time. We’ll have to be sure.”
Isane glances at her.
The Vizard raises her eyebrows, replacing her glasses. “You're telling me you want to stop?”
“No,” Isane replies and is almost ashamed of herself for refusing to quit this game.
“Then we'll have to be careful,” Lisa retorts as though this should be obvious.
She's right, of course. Isane knows how to be careful now, what to watch for. She can check and make sure no one else on her list is susceptible to the drug in such a dire fashion.
She can't quit now, Isane realizes. She's gotten a taste of what she’s always wanted. She can't just admit defeat. She can’t go back to being unnoticed and forgotten.
Isane nods in agreement. “We'll be careful.”
A week later, she goes home and crosses two names off their list. Better to be safe. Even if she’s sorry not to get a taste. But perhaps there’s a way to modify the drug. A way to make it safer to use.
Isane will just have to put a little work into it.
Rukia-san is Lisa's choice. She's always been interested in being with a woman, and Isane has to admit she's curious, too. It's not one of her top picks, but she's willing to give it a go. She doesn't know why Lisa wants the girl so badly, but since Isane doesn't have an opinion either way, she agrees.
They have to wait several months before they get a chance to try again.
The Shinigami Women's Association dinner presents the perfect opportunity. Especially when the men try to host one of their own across the street. That effectively makes any possible suspect list miles and miles along. That effectively gives them free reign.
Isane sits next to Rukia-san at the dinner. It's easy enough to nonchalantly drop something into her cup. No one notices. They’re all too busy arguing with their president over their next Manliest Man Contest.
They are already in Rukongai. It's a simple matter from there to whisper into Rukia-san's ears. With all the noise in the room, they have to lean in to talk to each other anyway. So no one thinks anything of Isane having to be so close. Besides, Isane's always been known to be quiet.
Rukia-san excuses herself with the need to get some air.
Outside, Lisa is waiting for her. She coaxes Rukia-san away from the dinner while Isane remains for at least an hour more to keep up appearances. She stumbles away with the rest of the halfway inebriated lot on their way back, and some of them get into an argument with the men who’ve been thrown out of restaurant next door. In the craziness that results, Isane finds reason to slip off on her own.
It's easy enough to find her way to the inn where Lisa made reservations under an alias and a disguise. Anyone asking after them will be directed toward a man wearing a shihakushou, sunglasses, and hair covered by a bandanna.
Isane arrives and learns that Lisa has started without her. It's really not fair, but that's the way things work out, Isane supposes.
They quickly discover, however, that Rukia-san is much more delicate than the men. They accidentally leave marks behind. Lisa gets too overzealous with her kisses, and Isane grips her wrist too hard.
Isane is afraid of using too much reiatsu to heal her afterward, afraid of the signature it’d leave behind. So she soothes away the worse of the bruising and relies on nature to take care of the rest. It’s not too terrible anyway. Something that will heal in a day or less. Maybe she won’t even notice.
How much more wrong can this be?
Isane wonders as she lowers her head and quietly heals the bruises on Rukia's skin. It's almost ironic. Matsumoto brought her there because they don't dare approach Unohana-taichou. And yet, Isane is the last person they should trust.
There's a secret thrill in knowing the truth, as much as there is a stirring of guilt.
She knows she can't keep this quiet from Unohana-taichou. Isane has to tell her, and so she does. But there isn't an ounce of suspicion in her captain's eyes. And why should there be?
Isane is her quiet child. Her golden girl. She can do no wrong in her captain’s eyes. It’s as exhilarating as it is saddening to realize that Unohana-taichou doesn’t even know her at all.
Ukitake-taichou is another of Lisa's choices, though Isane is hard pressed to counter it. She's always thought him an attractive man way out of her league. Even the smallest chance to touch him outside the professional sense is more than she could’ve expected.
He's also one of the more difficult names on the list. If Kyouraku-taichou is not attached to his side, then his two third seats – including Isane's sister – are. It’ll be a challenge to slip the drug into a drink, much less get him alone enough to guide him away from his undeclared protectors.
Luckily, Abarai gets promoted and all of Seireitei feels this is cause to celebrate. Considering that the ninth division has had no captain since Aizen's betrayal several years prior, that wouldn't be far from the truth.
Or maybe the Shinigami will allow any reason to party. Who knows?
Either way, it opens doors for Isane and Lisa. The party becomes a huge distraction for everyone. It gives reason to indulge, even for those who wouldn't normally.
It's all the chance they need.
Lisa distracts her former captain. She joins the group of men and women who sit around a table and divide numerous bottles of fine sake as Kyouraku-taichou gets more and more inebriated. He’s too busy singing dirty songs to watch out for his best friend. Much less to see what anyone else is doing.
Isane distracts her sister and Sentarou-kun. It's easy enough. A subtle suggestion to both and they both scurry out of the party, arguing over who is going to do most of the work. They'll be in the thirteenth all night, scribbling paperwork and scrubbing Ukitake-taichou's office until it's sparkling clean. Their fight for his attention is so pathetic it’s almost cute.
After that, the rest is simple.
In fact, all it takes is a moment of clumsiness.
Isane, nonchalantly walking by as she carries some drinks for a few other people, stumbles over her own feet. It's almost comical the way she falls, managing to fall in such a way that the cold drinks only spill on Ukitake-taichou and nobody else.
It's no trouble for Isane to pretend utter embarrassment. She blushes, apologizes profusely, and Ukitake-taichou is all smiles and forgiveness. It's the perfect excuse for him to go home early, while assuring Kyouraku-taichou that he'll be fine, and the drug easily transfers through the skin. Ukitake-taichou excuses himself from the party, and not long after, Isane does the same.
Everyone just thinks she's too embarrassed to stick around. Isane doesn't correct them. She leaves and heads in the direction of her apartment, and when she's sure no one is looking, doubles back and alters her course for Ukitake-taichou's home.
At first, he’s confused to find her at the door, but the drug has already started to take effect. Isane is a bit nervous, starting things by herself, but Ukitake-taichou is so nice that it's easier to move with the flow.
He hasn’t had time to change his clothes since Isane spilled the drinks on him, and she can't keep the blush from her cheeks as she helps strip him of the white haori and shihakushou. He's so pale, and there are so few scars that Isane can't help staring. She can see why Lisa would want him so much.
The other woman joins them an hour later, after she manages to extract herself from her drinking buddies. She grins when she invites herself inside, taking no time to throw off her clothes and looking flushed from all the alcohol she imbibed. She just smirks as she watches Isane toy with Ukitake-taichou’s hair, both of them naked on his bed.
“Starting without me, I see,” Lisa teases with a predatory gleam in her eyes.
Isane's blush darkens her cheeks. “Can you blame me?”
The Vizard's gaze slides past her to Ukitake-taichou. He’s still a bit flushed with exertion, and his eyes are half-lidded.
Lisa chuckles and steps forward.
They are in the middle of cleaning up all traces of their presence when Lisa senses Kyouraku-taichou's return. Apparently, this is one of many nights that he plans to spend at his best friend’s house.
They make their escape in a hurry, managing to grab everything that could be possibly linked to them. They lack the time to do a last thorough check. But Lisa is confident, and Isane agrees. They know what they are doing by now; there's nothing to worry about.
The moment Unohana-taichou sets the golden bead down on the desk, Isane knows that their game has come to an end. That everything’s over. That there's nothing left to do but accept her fate.
She lowers her head, scrubs her palms down her hakama-covered thighs, and admits the truth. There's guilt, yes, but it's mixed with satisfaction. It’s mixed with being the first to know Kurosaki’s touch. The feel of sliding against Hisagi. Remembering Kuchiki-taichou’s taste. The softness of Rukia-san’s skin. Hearing Ukitake-taichou’s breath in her ear.
She knows her captain won't ever understand. No one will.
They would’ve never noticed Isane otherwise. They never would’ve seen her. She was nothing to them. She is nothing to them.
But they sure as hell notice her now.
a/n: ... Just a bit creepy, yes? Anyway, there is one more closing chapter to come and then the end.
As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
