Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 6
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Double Request

Grimmjow did not like asking others for help, but in this case he grudgingly admitted that he needed assistance. Karin could not inform Ajuga about the things she would need to know as a mature, female Hollow and Lilinette wasn�t exactly a good source of information. Out of all the female Arrancar he knew, and he knew a number of them rather intimately, or he had at one time, Harribel was the most reliable, safe and least likely to make an issue over a request from him regarding the finer points of raising a daughter.

Then there was the other issue of protection. Karin had approached him with the idea of setting both Ajuga and Hana up as someone�s fraccion. He�d wanted to reject it outright until he gave it some serious thought and realized there was a lot of merit to it. Ajuga would never agree to be her father�s servant, nor Starrk�s, or Starrk-ji as the girls still referred to him. Szayel was out of the question, giving his somewhat demoted position as �Karin�s pet,� despite the fact he still, technically, held his rank as an Espada. Unless both girls wanted to spend their time behind the security of the Science and Research Division�s� walls, Szayel could offer little protection and the one person in that establishment he thought might prove a challenge to anyone trying to mess with the young women already had his hands full with Szayel�s runts. There was no way in hell that he would let Yammy, Nnoitra or Barragan anywhere near the girls, considering their natures.

That left Ulquiorra and Harribel. He would admit, grudgingly, to trusting Ulquiorra with his daughter and with Hana, but becoming his fraccion and the resulting change in their status would strain their relationship with Diaemus. That left Harribel.

Harribel was one woman he knew would do right by Ajuga and Hana. The Third Espada was very fond and protective of any female Hollow she ran across and she had the power to back up any threats she made. Unlike her unlucky predecessor, she also had no issue with dishing out some needed violence if necessary. If anyone would be willing to rip the balls off of a man for looking at a woman the wrong way, especially one of her charges, it was Harribel.

He knew all of this, and even understood it on an intellectual level, but it didn�t make having to slink over to her place to ask for aid any easier. His pride and his ego were busy snapping at him for considering it and both continually barked at him about the whole thing on the way over. Grimmjow told those aspects of his psyche that they could go jolly well fuck themselves. He reminded them that this was for his daughter and he would do damn near anything for her, even grovel. His second brain also reminded him that when he did things like this it always made Karin happy, and a happy Karin was an amorous Karin.

That reminder seemed to mollify his more prideful and egotistical sides. His little vixen had learned some rather interesting tricks over the years that she only used when she was very, very pleased with him.

�Later,� he admonished himself. �We�ll be rewarded after I get this shit done. Aizen ordered her to rest so that means she�s just waiting back at the den for me and we got all day and night to play,� he told himself with a lecherous smirk. However, he did make sure that the smirk was gone once he reached his target�s front door.

He arrived at the large house Harribel had claimed for her household. It wasn�t nearly as big as the one they lived in, but it was still decently sized and, interestingly, seemed a little more defendable. He guessed that �old habits die hard� applied here. He walked up to the door and banged on it before taking a step back and waiting impatiently. The door slid open a moment later to reveal Mila Rose.

�What do you want?� she growled suspiciously.

�To talk to Harribel,� he replied, looking over his fingernails in an attempt to look nonchalant. �May I speak with her?�

It irritated him to be polite, since he had to work at it, but this was important. The dark-haired, dark-skinned woman glared at him a moment longer before stepping aside so he could enter. She led him through the house and out back where a large pond took up most of the courtyard. Harribel stood in the middle of it, soaking in water up to her midriff. From where he stood, Grimmjow could also tell she was naked. He had to hold back a shudder; he hated large bodies of water and he questioned her sanity at taking a dip during this time of year. It was the middle of winter for crying out loud! The water had to be freezing because blue-tinted ice ringed the entire edge of the pond.

�Harribel-sama, he wants to talk to you,� Mila Rose called to her mistress.

Harribel turned to face him, her sea green eyes boring into his sky blue. He returned the gaze, trying to appear as non-threatening and as casual as he could. It was one thing to break down and ask her for help; it was a completely different thing to do so in front of her blabber-mouthed fraccion.

�Thank you, Mila Rose, you are dismissed. Take the other girls to the market and pick up something for dinner,� she ordered. �Toshiro will be home at his usual time.�

Mila Rose looked like she was about to protest, but Harribel shifted her gaze to her fraccion and the girl�s mouth clacked shut. She stormed away, shooting him a wary, distrustful look as she walked by.

There were a thousand remarks he could have made to the departing fraccion�s back, but he managed to bite his tongue, barely. The Sixth was not here to stir up trouble and picking a fight with one of Harribel�s charges would not endear him to her in anyway.

Harribel exited the pond and wrapped a towel around her waist while he looked away. Her bone fragments covered at least some of her breasts, so she didn�t bother covering herself up any more than that.

�Why are you here Grimmjow?� she asked, tying the cloth around her hips the way one would a sarong.

�I�require your help with something,� he reluctantly admitted, figuring that honesty would get him the farthest in this situation.

She raised a golden eyebrow at him, but made no further comment, leaving it to him to explain himself.

�Ajuga�.� he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed to have to have to resort to this conversation.

Her eyes suddenly lit up in understanding and she motioned for him to follow her back into the house. She held up one hand, indicating he should stop, slid back the door to a room he hadn�t realized was there and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She emerged a few minutes later properly dressed in her usual uniform.

�Follow me please, Sexta� she asked and led him to what looked like a private study.

The room was warm, which helped put him at ease. Harribel motioned him towards a chair and then sat down herself. Then, to his surprise, she opened a drawer and pulled out a sake bottle and two small cups before filling them both.

�Let me guess. Your daughter will soon reach maturity and your human mate does not know what it means to be a Hollow female. She does not know how to cast Claims, how to counter unwanted Claims, and she does not understand what it means to take a mate,� Harribel filled in the blanks for him.

Grimmjow swiped the cup that he assumed was his and took a deep drink of the alcohol wishing what was in it was stronger than sake.

�Yeah, all that shit,� he agreed, relieved he wouldn�t have to elaborate on a rather uncomfortable subject.

�And you wish for me to teach her these things?�

�It would be better than leaving it up to Lilinette,� he admitted grudgingly. �Kami only knows what she�ll tell the girls.�

Harribel let out a low, throaty laugh, a sound he had honestly never heard from her. Then again, when he usually encountered her there was little to find funny.

�I believe I can be of assistance in this case. I will talk to her about the things she needs to know. Shall I approach her on my own or would you sooner introduce us?�

�Whatever you think is the best way to go about it,� he shrugged.

�I shall approach her on my own then. Most girls would find it awkward to have their father hovering over them in matters such as these. Is there anything else, Grimmjow?�

Well, that was one bird down, now to kill the second one. He was still a little apprehensive over this idea, but it did make sense.

�Both Hana and Ajuga are getting older, and they are going to need protection soon.�

Oh how it hurt him deeply to even say such a sentence, to suggest to anyone that he could not protect his own child.

�I cannot always be there, not when Aizen sends us out on missions all the time�� he trailed off, uncomfortable with this next topic, even more so than with what he considered �girl stuff.�

Harribel waited patiently for him to continue and didn�t try to push him, for which he was thankful. She was one of the few Espada with whom he�d never had a conflict with and the deep ocean of patience within her was just one of the reasons why.

�It was actually Karin�s idea, what with me being Ajuga�s father and Starrk being her surrogate uncle. It would be just as awkward for Ulquiorra because of Diaemus. Nnoitra�s a fucking bastard and a little unstable��

He was rambling now and he knew he was making a hash of what he wanted to say, but he tried anyway.

�Grimmjow, what is your mate�s request?� Harribel interrupted in that calm voice of hers, cutting him off.

�She was hoping that, if Ajuga and Hana agreed to it, you would take them under your wing,� he finally ground out.

�You mean as fraccion?� she asked, seeking clarification.

He gave his head a stiff nod.

�I see, yes this makes sense.�

�It�s just an idea for now, something to protect them since we all know no one can Claim another�s fraccion. Karin and Nanao wanted to hammer the details out with you if you think it might work,� he grumbled.

He really didn�t like the thought of his daughter being anyone�s fraccion, but until she was older and finally came into her full strength, it would keep her tail safe from people like Yammy and Barragan. Actually, when he really thought about it, those were the only two he felt posed any real threat to his daughter, other than Aizen. Maybe some of the lesser Numerous might try something simply because they had more combat experience than Ajuga, but he was fairly confident that his daughter could hold her own against most of them until assistance arrived, and assistance was never too far away with Szayel constantly monitoring her via her bracelet.

�At least he had better be if he knows what�s good for him,� he thought firmly. He might not actually hold the little weasel�s Claim, but that wouldn�t stop him from pounding the guy if he let anything happen to Grimmjow�s little girl.

What an odd thought that was. To be comforted knowing Szayel was keeping a close eye on his daughter. A decade ago he would have strangled himself for thinking such a wild thing.

�If it is alright with you, I will speak to Hana and Ajuga about this first before working out the details of the arrangement with their mothers. It would be best to see if they are even interested or willing to go through with the idea. I will not force them to take my protection against their will.�

That, Grimmjow told himself, was one of the many reasons he had agreed to talk with the Third. She was one of the most decent Arrancar out there, despite her often cold and aloof manner. He knew she cared for her charges. He�d seen what happened to those idiots that had made attempts on her fraccion. She�d even been the one to drag the two who had stupidly tried to snatch Vindula before Aizen and provided testimony against them. Those examples, left in many small pieces across the sands of Hueco Mundo and smeared across a cliff face in the Seireitei, justified his vow never to try to seduce any of the three girls into his bed, despite the fact he thought it might be easy to do so. He hadn�t been interested in any other chick since taking Karin, but there was once a time the thought of luring one of the Trés Bestias into bed had held some appeal. Now it seemed like the quickest way to becoming a throw rug or a wall hanging in Harribel�s well-appointed study.

�Is there anything else I can do for you Grimmjow?� she asked.

�No, I�� he really, really hated this part, but managed to force it out, �thank you.�

�You�re welcome.�

He couldn�t see it, but something about the expression in her eyes told him she was smiling, and not in a mocking way either.

Toshiro stretched, wincing afterwards as several vertebras in his back popped. Such was the torment of those that spent hours hunched over a desk. The decommissioning of the Defence Net definitely caused an avalanche of cursed paperwork, and a large increase in the number of forms he hated filling out the most: death notices.

�Taichou, can I get you anything?� Hana asked worriedly. �Tea, perhaps?�

�No, I am fine,� he assured her.

There had been a few people unhappy about Hana getting the 7th Seat so soon after graduation, but she deserved it. In addition, the girl and paperwork seemed made for one another. In fact, never had the Division�s books been so balanced before nor had its finances ever been as stable. Nanao�s daughter apparently had more than her fair share of talent with numbers and letting her loose on the Division�s accounting had been a stroke of genius. He still wasn�t sure how she had managed to bring the mess up to date in such a short amount of time.

�Alright,� she said, and turned her attention back to the ledger in front of her, humming softly as her pen brushed across the pages as she recorded receipts and added up this month�s expenditures with her feet swinging in the air behind her.

They were in his office, but whereas he sat behind his desk, Hana preferred to work while sprawled out on the couch on which Matsumoto had once spent so much time recovering from her latest bender. He was glad Hana looked nothing like, nor acted like Matsumoto. It wasn�t because he didn�t like or didn�t miss his old Fukutaichou. He did miss her far more than he would ever admit to anyone, but it was easier for him to have the girl around because Hana reminded him of no one but herself. It would be difficult to work with her had she resembled his unfortunate friend. Moreover, the fact she wasn�t into hiding large amounts of liquor in his office drawers and cabinets was a mark in her favour.

Toshiro turned back to his own papers and held back a depressed sigh. No matter how many of these he filled out, no matter how many years passed, doing these never got easier. Ukitake had once informed him that it never did, not even to those who had been doing it for over a millennium.

The door to his office opened without the intruder being polite enough to knock. He shot his glare up, mouth open to deliver a sharp admonishment about manners, but the words died in his throat and he straightened up instead.

She didn�t stop by often, leaving him to run his Division unimpeded. If she�d needed to speak with him about something personal she would have waited until he returned home to bring it up. Therefore, she was here in a professional capacity, under an order from Aizen, or whatever she needed wasn�t going to wait until suppertime.

His eyes looked down the hallway behind her and he discovered several gaping subordinates who had apparently forgotten that they had jobs to do. One dolt even had the temerity to forget where he was going while staring at Harribel�s legs and walked straight into a wall, missing his intended door entirely. Toshiro sent a death glare to the males of his Division openly ogling the third Espada.

�Get back to work,� he growled, letting his freezing reiatsu flood down the hallway.

�Yes Sir!� they shouted back, quickly finding somewhere else to be and rushing comically back to their offices.

He shook his head in exasperation and turned his attention back to his Mistress, who seemed unfazed over the whole incident though the light in her eyes when she looked at him was warm enough. However, considering the crew she normally had to deal with, she was probably long since used to such antics. Toshiro also considered that he might have become a bit more protective of her honour as well since they had taken their relationship up a few levels. He wouldn�t say they were �married� or �mated� per say, but they were definitely �partners with benefits.�

�Harribel-sama,� he acknowledged her once he was sure his Division was once more collectively behaving itself. �What brings you here?�

�I want to speak with Hana. She is a member of your Division, correct?�

�Yes,� he agreed with a frown. �But why do you need to speak with her?�

He figured he knew Harribel well at this point, considering they had spent the last fifteen years living together. He didn�t think that there was anything malicious about her request, but it still made him uneasy. What business could an Espada, other than the First and the Sixth, possibly have with Hana?

�That is between me and her for now,� Harribel answered, though her tone wasn�t dismissive or cold. �Please summon her.�

�I am right here,� Hana called, popping her head up from the back of the couch.

The startled blonde turned to face the girl and Toshiro caught just a hint of embarrassment from his mistress, having failed to notice the one she was seeking was already present. Toshiro knew how well the girl could hide her reiatsu. She wasn�t as good as Ajuga, by her own admission, but her control was still quite admirable, as well as impressive.

�What can I do for you, Harribel-sama?� Hana asked curiously, her tone polite.

�I have a few things I would like to discuss with you and Ajuga. It involves a request on the part of your parents. Does your schedule permit you to drop by my Estate on your way home after work?� Harribel asked.

Toshiro made a mental note to make sure nothing detained the girl this evening. If his work did run late there were plenty of laggards outside of his office with plenty of time on their hands.

�Yeah, I don�t see any reason why not,� Hana frowned, tossing a confused look at her Taichou, as if expecting him to know why Harribel was suddenly interested in her. �Have you asked Ajuga yet or do you want me to let her know?�

�I will be speaking to her shortly.� Harribel turned her attention back to him. �I will see you both after work.�

Her voice, while still cool and professional, held just enough heat at the end to make him swallow, a little color gracing his face for a brief second before he stamped down anything that might be misconstrued by his subordinate still perched on the couch.

With that, Harribel turned and left.

Toshiro shared a confused look with Hana before turning his attention, and reiatsu, to the idiots ogling Harribel as she exited the building. This time two of his unseated troops ran directly into one another. He realized he was going to have to write a bloody memo.

�Taichou, would you mind if I darted over the 5th for a moment? I don�t want to call Harribel-sama a liar, but I would feel more comfortable confirming that my mother actually did ask her to see me.�

�Deliver these reports while you�re at it,� he said simply, handing her a folder as a way of granting permission.

�Thanks. Want me to bring anything back?�

�No, I will be fine. You are dismissed.�

�Sir,� she said crisply and saluted before heading out.

He felt like he could trust Harribel, but Nanao�s confirmation would ease his mind as well. He also took comfort in knowing that he would be on hand and that Harribel didn�t intend to exclude him from whatever it was that was going on. He�d have been very suspicious if she�d sidetracked him. There wasn�t much he could do about things if she�d done so, of course.

He should have been working on his paperwork, but now he was thoroughly distracted, his mind caught up in wondering what Harribel could possibly want with Hana and Ajuga. It was another small relief when Hana returned with a few briefings tucked under her arm. He took them and set the envelopes aside for the moment.

�Well?� he prompted. Hana looked a little frustrated.

�Apparently Mother knows what this is about, but she wouldn�t tell me anything substantial. All she said was that the decision was for Ajuga and I to make and that Harribel-sama would fill us in tonight,� the girl replied.

Toshiro felt some of the worry sitting on his shoulders pick up its bags and leave the room. If Nanao knew what was going on and wasn�t upset about it, then it couldn�t be anything bad. That allowed him to get his mind back on the paperwork sitting on his desk. Whatever it was, he�d find out tonight. He was curious, but reminded himself that curiosity was a lousy secretary and that it had never managed to polish off a stack of death notices.

(POV)

�So, what�s the verdict?� Ajuga asked curiously, as she hopped down from the examination table.

�You are still the marvellous specimen you were last time,� Szayel answered with a grin.

�And your favourite right?� she questioned in that jealous tone women used when they felt they were not the centre of attention.

�Why Ajuga-chan, whatever would possess you to think you were no longer my �favourite experiment�?� Szayel asked in a mockingly hurt voice.

�Those two for starters,� Ajuga replied and pointed over to where Abisara was running similar tests on his excited twin sister. �Then there is Diaemus-kun, and that new chick that�s knocked up. I am starting to think you are losing interest in me Szay,� she pouted.

�Never,� he assured her with a confident smirk. �You will always be my first, and the first is always special.�

�Papa, papa, papa! Abasara said I grew an entire inch!� Vindula exclaimed excitedly as she ran over to them.

�Excellent,� he smiled down at his daughter, reaching down and twirling a lock of her long black hair around his finger. He tugged it for emphasis and she giggled up at her father.

�What about you, Ajuga?� Vindula asked excitedly.

�I am pretty much grown up,� Ajuga smiled down at the young girl, who was already up to Ajuga�s waist.

Ajuga couldn�t remember if she was that tall at five years old, but she had spent a large amount of time running about on all fours and that made judging height a little bit more difficult.

�What about you Abisara?� Ajuga asked the male twin.

�I have grown by point seven six inches,� he responded. �If I follow a human pattern, I will attain greater height later on.�

�That�s my boy.�

�What about you D�mus?� Vindula asked.

�One point three centimetres,� he answered.

All of them were down here for their usual checkups, with the addition of a woman Ajuga had rarely seen. Whoever she was, she was both pregnant and silent. In fact, the stranger hadn�t uttered a single word since her arrival. All communications came from the Arrancar male hovering protectively over her shoulder.

Ajuga could tell she was Claimed, most likely by the male escorting her. More importantly, she could feel the latent power in this woman, a power that outstripped her Claimer and Ajuga couldn�t help but to wonder how he�d been able to Claim her in the first place.

She did recognize them both and knew that they served Barragan, an Espada she detested and was rather wary off, especially after that meeting in the park. She�d sent many a silent thank you to Ulquiorra for his intervention that day, and even a few un-silent ones when she knew her father wasn�t around to hear it. What she didn�t know, off the top of her head, were their names.

�Who are they?� Ajuga asked Szayel, half-whispering the question. �I have seen them around and at Aizen-kami�s little �family gatherings.� I know they serve the ornery old bastard, but that�s about it.�

�Soi Fon and Ggio Vega,� he answered, looking over to where Nemu was running her own test on the woman, as it seemed to make her more comfortable.

�They don�t seem to be excited over the child. Even Ulquiorra showed more emotion over Diaemus,� she noted.

�Barragan informed them that if the child turned out to be worthless after it was born he was going to dispose of it,� Szayel answered quietly so the others could not hear him.

Ajuga shot him a look of pure horror. The mere thought of it made her stomach coil in disgust.

�Why?� she blurted. �I mean, he was interested in me, why not in that child?� she questioned. �Or is it his after all?�

�No, the child belongs to those two. I cannot fathom what the �ornery old bastard� is thinking. To waste such a perfectly good specimen like that� disgraceful.� He shook his head in disbelief.

�Szayel-sama, Harribel-sama is here and is looking for Ajuga,� a voice said, crackling over the com system.

Ajuga turned her thoughts away from the sad situation in the corner and shared an odd look with Szayel.

�Have someone escort her down,� Szayel ordered.

�Yes sir, right away sir.�

�What would Harribel want with me?� Ajuga asked out loud, and frowned.

She had next to no dealings with the only female Espada, although she did respect her from a distance. It had to take some skill and power to fight at that level, not to mention to remain un-Claimed for so long. Women that powerful were highly sought after and Ajuga aspired to be as strong as Harribel one day.

�I honestly have no idea,� Szayel replied, equally as puzzled.

�Papa, Abisara�s being mean again!� Vindula complained from across the lab. �He won�t let me have a turn with the machine!�

The little girl pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering at her brother.

�That is because you don�t know how to use it properly,� Abisara said firmly.

�I do too!� she snapped.

�No, you do not,� he stated, a bit more crossly than last time.

�Do too!�

�No you do not.�

�Do too!�

�No you do not.�

They continued like that back and forth with �no you do not� degrading to �do not� as they argued and Abisara�s temper flared. Szayel massaged his fingers into his temples in increasing rotations as the sniping continued, much to Ajuga amusement. Before Szayel could step in though, another voice broke through the twins� clamouring.

�Alright, what�s with the arguing?� Renji demanded sternly as he entered the room with Harribel following cautiously behind him. He strode right up to the two and knelt down to address Vindula.

�Ji-ji, Abisara is being mean to me!� Vindula wailed as she flung herself into the redhead�s arms.

Being used to such behaviour from the young girl, Renji caught her easily and settled her on his hip, then looked down at her older brother.

�I am not!� Abisara denied childishly. �She�s just not listening!�

�No, you�re being mean!� Vindula shouted down at him.

Renji winced.

�Hey, you two, have mercy on my ears,� Renji admonished. �I�m right here, you know.

�Sorry Ji-ji,� she apologized sheepishly.

�Now, what is going on?� he asked again, his voice stern and his brown eyes serious.

�Abisara won�t let me use the machine. He got to use it on me, so it�s only fair I get to use it on him!� she pouted.

�Abisara?� Renji turned his attention to the boy, who was glaring at his twin with his arms crossed.

�She doesn�t know how to use it properly,� he responded. �Last time she messed up the controls and it took Father and me half a day to fix it,� he added with a scowl.

�Vindula?� Renji turned back towards the little girl he held and his eyes told her he expected her to tell the truth.

�I didn�t know how to use it that time,� she admitted. �But I do now. I watched Abisara use it.�

�Watching me do something isn�t the same as learning how to do it. I don�t want to spend half a day fixing it again!�

�Than why don�t you show your sister how to use it,� Renji suggested, walking up to the green-eyed boy and the machine in question.

�I can�t show her while she�s using it on me,� he pointed out smugly.

�Hm, you�re right. I guess you�ll just have to show her how to work with it while using it on me,� he proposed, setting Vindula down next to her brother.

Then he gave the child a grin that dared Abisara to argue with him as he rolled up the sleeve of his kosode.

Abisara sent Renji a horrified look while Vindula smiled and whooped in triumph.

�He is good with children, as well as protective,� Harribel noted as she joined Ajuga and Szayel.

�Indeed,� Szayel agreed as he watched his offspring. �Well worth the price of having Orihime fix him and putting up with his abrasive behaviour.�

�So, the com staff said you wanted to talk to me,� Ajuga turned her attention away from the twins and their surrogate uncle and towards the female Espada standing beside them.

�Yes. Your father requested that I speak to you,� Harribel answered, turning her own attention Ajuga�s way.

�About what?� Ajuga questioned suspiciously.

�About things pertaining to female Hollows,� Harribel replied.

�Ah!� Szayel nodded his head in understanding. �Would it be too presumptuous to request you do that same for Vindula when she is older?� he requested politely. �I do understand such things of course, but it is always better, and less embarrassing, for the girl to hear it from another woman instead of their own father.�

�I can arrange such a talk, when the time comes,� Harribel assured him.

Her eyes flickered to the small winged girl giggling at the controls of the machine while her brother strapped a blood pressure cuff around Renji�s tattooed bicep.

�You have plenty of time before you need to worry about such, though. I assume that there have been no more incidents with the Numeros?�

Szayel looked more than a little relieved about that, and then gave Harribel a slight, respectful bow.

�No, thankfully. I believe the� deterrent Aizen-Kami set up last year was sufficient warning. Thank you. We are done here for today Ajuga-chan, if you want to go and have that talk.�

�Sure. Do you still need help tomorrow with the dissection of S6 number 4?� she inquired.

�If you are interested in attending, you are of course welcome to come,� he agreed.

�Consider me there unless something comes up, like a battle,� she said with an easy grin.

�You know your mother doesn�t like it when you participate is those,� he frowned at her.

�She�s just being over-protective. It doesn�t bother Papa any,� Ajuga grouched and then shrugged.

It looked for a moment like Szayel was going to say more about it, but he stopped and sent a look Harribel�s way instead. Ajuga wasn�t sure why he would glance at Harribel, she was just happy he had dropped the subject. It was bad enough arguing with her mother over the issue. She didn�t want to get into a dispute with Szayel as well.

�I will see you tomorrow then.�

�Tomorrow,� she agreed. �I�m leaving, see you guys later,� she called over to the others.

Various versions of �later� came back her way as she followed Harribel out of Szayel�s Division, past the gates and down the street until they arrived at one of the many parks in the First District. This one was large and it had many secluded spots and a large population of wild game thanks to the sheer amount of acreage. Ajuga knew so because she hunted here on occasion, which made the locals happy. The rabbit population had a tendency to get out of control and into their vegetable gardens if no one took steps to keep the core population in the park in check. Fortunately, fresh rabbit made a very tasty snack and she was all too happy to hunt them.

She was oddly at ease around her fellow Arrancar, perhaps because Szayel seemed to understand what was going on and he was relaxed about it as well, even going so far as to request the same service for his own daughter. The silence was getting uncomfortable though.

�So, female Hollow stuff, huh?� Ajuga prompted as they walked through the thick woods.

She knew there was a small, overgrown, secluded pond ahead and figured that was where Harribel was leading her. It was as good a place as any for a long chat. The ice crystals on the frozen pond glittered in the sunlight and not many people ventured there in the winter.

�Yes. I have other things I wish to speak to you and Hana about later this evening, but for now, the conversation is about things you should know, such as how to cast Claims of your own. We do so much differently than the males of our kind. We lack the appropriate appendage required to deliver shots of reiatsu into another�s body.�

�We don�t have dicks. Yeah, I get that,� Ajuga snorted.

Harribel looked at her with a raised eyebrow and Ajuga got the impression the Espada found her reply funny. On her part, she was a bit embarrassed she�d said something so crass.

�Yes, we lack that,� she agreed. �However, it is still possible for us to cast Claims of our own. I will inform you on how to do so, as one day you will undoubtedly choose a mate of your own, and this knowledge will be useful to return a potential Mating Claim.�

�Ugh, too young to even think about stuff like that,� Ajuga said and made a disgusted face.

�You won�t always feel that way, much to your father�s horror I am sure.�

This time Harribel laughed, the soft sound coming from deep within her chest, then her eyes took on a more serious look.

�You should also know how to reject an attempted Claim, though I doubt your father will allow anyone attempting that to live for long.�

�Oh, it�s not Papa you have to watch out for, despite his reputation and being able to tear things to shreds. It�s Mama you got to fear. With Papa, your death is quick� gruesome, but quick. Mama, on the other hand, knows how to make you suffer for hours and hours. Trust me, and if you don�t trust me, ask Szay,� Ajuga explained with a chuckle.

�I believe you. Let us begin with the basics.�

The conversation was a little awkward at first, but Ajuga found that she was quickly starting to like Harribel. She�d never really considered the fact that she didn�t really have any female Hollow role models other than Lilinette, and she really wasn�t a good example. As the afternoon rolled on, she felt herself open up more and become bolder with her questions. It was definitely nice being able to talk to another woman, one who wasn�t her mother or surrogate aunt. One who was an Arrancar, as she was and who understood that she was different from the human and Shinigami females that surrounded her. In addition, Harribel was patient with what seemed to Ajuga like an endless stream of questions and didn�t make her feel like a fool for asking them. Ajuga had never even noticed how much she had been stewing over the issues all teenagers suffered with up until now, and with the compounding factor of being a Hollow to boot.

When the sun dipped towards the horizon, the blonde Espada looked up and stretched, then pointed back the way they�d come.

�It is getting late,� she noted. ��and I have something else that I wish to speak to you and Hana about. Come, Hana and Toshiro should be arriving at my den soon and, hopefully, dinner will be ready.�

�Alright� um, Harribel-san�?�

Harribel turned to look at her, eyes expectant. Ajuga looked down at her feet and clasped her hands behind her back.

�Thanks�for doing this for me. I really appreciate it. If I think of anything else, can I talk to you about it later?� Ajuga asked hesitantly.

�Of course,� the Third said, ushering the younger Arrancar-hybrid back towards the main road.

Ajuga got the impression that Harribel was smiling at her behind the mask fragments that covered half her face. It was definitely nice to have someone to talk to about these sorts of things without worrying about judgment.

Huge hugs for those of you that took the time to review, it makes all this work feel worth it.

Next Chapter: we see a small bit of Orihime and Ulquiora, followed by humorous misunderstandings as Harribel talks to Hana and Ajuga.

This Weeks Question: What skill so you wish you had, but don�t. For me, I wish I could draw half a damn, then I could draw out some of my favourite scenes and share them with people, maybe even turn my work into Manga. Some scenes would be much more powerful drawn out then written, and I could draw out what the General�s and children look like.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56255 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2