Xmas fics draft

[fay_e]

Her request: Any ChadKarin. Likely to be wintery. With guitars.

It was Donny's idea to set up a band. A few too many video games had given him the idea, and he even bought an actual guitar to show how serious he was about it. Karin wouldn't have cared, if the other boys who played football with her weren't just as crazy about the idea. Crazy enough that they started skipping practice, even though Karin made sure she chewed them out for it in school, when they couldn't run away. It didn't help, and there was only so many times Karin could practise shots before she started getting bored.

Karin wasn't too happy about this arrangement until she learned that bands could earn money by performing. Ichigo was 18 now, and too old to let Karin make money off him by bringing tourists around to see flowers with ghosts. She needed another way to make money.

Just to spite Ichigo, she took his guitar. It wasn't as if he would notice anyway.

Donny had tried to make her sing, and Karin broke his fingers for that suggestion. It was just before a gig, so the others guilted her into playing lead guitar, and once they heard she was good at it, guilted her into keeping the position. Donny sulked for a good long while, until he found that he was better at bass guitar. Being the lead guitarist meant more practices, and eventually Karin found herself carrying around the guitar case more often than her soccer ball.

Which was why when her phone went off, she realised that she was effectively unarmed and couldn't hold back a swear. Flipping open the phone Rukia had gotten her from that shady merchant, Karin looked for the bright dot that indicated a Hollow, then at the other dot that was Yuzu. Yuzu was a safe distance away, but the Hollow was close to Karin. Very close.

Well. She wasn't a Kurosaki for nothing.

Pulling the strap more firmly against her shoulder, Karin took off at a run towards the Hollow. If she surprised the Hollow, she could defeat it more easily.

But she was the one who was surprised when at the corner she nearly ran into something. Once she realised it was actually a someone the identity of the other person became clear.

Ichigo's friend avoided her with surprising ease for someone so large, then stopped. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not so stupid to get hit by you," Karin grumbled. "And why are you standing around when there's a Hollow?"

Chad was already shaking his head. "Not ready yet," was his reply. He swung his guitar off his back and pushed its towards Karin. The gesture surprised her enough that she took the guitar without question. Once it was off his hands, Chad's right arm was immediately engulfed by a black glove with bold red markings. This drew Karin's attention, and curiousity - she had heard of Chad's powers but had never seen it first hand. This seemed to be her chance.

The sky creaked and a Hollow slid out of the resulting crack, its beady eyes already fixed on Chad and Karin. Karin didn't even bother listneing to its prattle - once you had heard one low-life Hollow, you had heard them all. Instead she watched Chad. His stance was still as relaxed but wary as it had been before the Hollow appeared. The hollow circled the two of them, its taunts growing louder as its long body wound around them. Still Chad did not move, and while he did not move Karin refused to as well. She was surprised what the wait made her notice - the Hollow's harsh, prickling reiatsu, Chad's reiatsu in comparison deep and calm, and the cramping in her arm.

Briefly she considered using Chad's guitar to whack the Hollow, but she doubted that he would appreciate it.

The thought came back when the Hollow stopped behind her. She tuned it in to hear it say, "I think you're tastier."

She felt him move before she saw the movement. His reiatsu suddenly spiked, focused around his arm, which Chad then drove into the Hollow's mask. The force of his attack whipped her hair back, and instinctively she wrapped her reiatsu around herself. The Hollow was not so lucky. Almost like a zanpakutou, Karin thought as the Hollow disappeared, which was closely followed by the thought, Showoff.

"I could have done that myself," she said. Chad shuffled uncomfortably, which made Karin scowl and stomp down on his instep. He dropped to grip his leg in pain, but it was still a long while before he admitted, "You could have."

"Then what was that for?" she grumbled. He shrugged, and held out a hand for his guitar. Annoyed by his evasiveness, she slapped into his hand with more force than necessary. He was unmoved. Instead he gestured at her. "You play as well?"

For a moment his question confused her, and then she remembered Ichigo's guitar strapped to her back. Embarrassment made the heat rise up in her cheeks. "I'm only doing it for the money!" she snapped back, and stomped off.



Her request: Something summery, ByaHisa

The ground was heated enough that the air above it appeared to waver. Walking on it was just as uncomfortable, even through sandal and sock. Byakuya bore it as best as he could. Unfortunately, one of the duties of a shinigami was to patrol certain districts of Rukongai. Hiding under the sloping roofs of the buildings that lined the street, while temping, would not end his patrol earlier.

That and he was tempted to see how much heat Hisana could take. She kept pace beside him although sweat dotted her brow from the effort. The shinigami that had accompanied Byakuya on his earlier patrols had insisted on a break at every street corner in such weather; Hisana had soldiered on for five blocks with no apparent intention of stopping. Byakuya, curious to find where Hisana's limits were, intentionally did not give her any cues to his own physical state. Outwardly, Hisana did not falter, although Byakuya noticed that she asked after his wellbeing with increasing frequency. He deferred the decision to rest to her whenever the question arose.

It was therefore a source of much amusement to him when Hisana visibly sagged with relief at the sight of the bridge that marked the end of the district that they were patrolling. There was still the long walk back to Seiretei, but that did not seem to faze her. In fact, Hisana's footsteps quickened such that they reached the bridge at a much faster pace than that of the rest of their patrol. Byakuya humoured her, and this time stepped up his pace to match hers. Once Hisana reached the bridge however, all her previous haste appeared to leave her. She stopped to address him instead.

"Hisana must commend Byakuya-sama's resolve," she said. "Her previous patrol partner would have requested for multiple breaks,where Byakuya-sama has requested for none at all."

Byakuya did not betray that his thoughts had gone in a similar direction. Instead he said, "You have not indulged in any rest."

"That is an unfortunate turn of phrase, for Byakuya-sama makes it sound like a challenge." She unexpectedly grew pensive. "Hisana has an unfair advantage - she has had to travel far." She stared out at the water rushing past the bridge below them.

Byakuya delibrately misintepreted her and pretended not to notice her distress, "Training is crucial to a shinigami." Hisana was too deep in her own thoughts to appreciate the gesture. He allowed her to ponder in silence while his collar grew heavy with moisture from the relentless sun beating upon where they stood. If Hisana felt such discomfort in her heavy shinigami uniform, again she did little to betray it. Byakuya began to regret their choice of a resting place; the sound of water put in mind a cold drink of the clear liquid, preferably accompanied by shade.

He scarce realised that he had fallen into his own reverie until the sound of Hisana's sword in its scabbard pulled him from his thoughts. "Hollow," she said softly in response to his questioning look. He frowned at her assessment; he did not sense the reiatsu of a Hollow, and told her so.

"This one saw its reflection in the water," she said, and were it not for the sweetnes of her voice he would have characterised the tone as disdain. With careful movements, he too peered over the side of the bridge.

The hilt of her sword hit his back at the precise same time that her ankle hooked his - too delibrate to be an accident,too sloppy to be an attack. Since it was not the latter he hestated, and the moment cost him his balance. He went tumbling over the side of the bridge to Hisana's tinkling laughter.

Byakuya confirmed that she was indeed laughing at him when he resurfaced. Treading water, he pushed his hair out of his eyes and searched for a good place to return to shore. Muddy banks greeted him on both sides, and the bridge hovered just out of reach. Hisana spotted his hesitation. "Fear not Byakuya-sama," she called down. "This one shall rescue you shortly."

He shook his head, and felt his bangs stick to his face again. "I am capable of swimming to shore." Hisana did not hear, and began stripping her outer kimono. Byakuya averted his eyes. "If you could advise me on a suitable place to -"

Hisana appeared at the side of the bridge, clad only in her under-kimono. She very calmly stepped off the side of the bridge to slip into the river herself. Byakuya found himself torn between being appalled and being impressed. She resurfaced with a look of utter contentment, and his suspicions were proven when she did not attempt to drag him to shore.

"If you desired a swim, you need only have asked," he stated.

"Would Byakuya have joined this one?" she asked. "Hisana did not intend to run the risk of rejection." Her broad strokes swept crests of water in his direction. Byakuya was surprised to find that he did not mind.