What It Means To Be A Kuchiki [Social,Closed]

[Deleted]

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Was there any hope of being a real Kuchiki? What was a real Kuchiki anyways? Certainly, Anastasia Solis-Kuchiki didn’t feel like one. In fact, she felt more out of place than anything. Did any of the adopted cousins feel that way too? The word family was there but the normally jovial pirate often caught herself thinking if she really belonged here. Why did Sozen adopt her anyway? It was something she shrugged at. She’ll ask…eventually… if she remembered it of course~ Don’t get her wrong, she liked being a part of a family! Anastasia just felt distant from them. Hokori didn’t make that any better either; making a point to make her the object of scorn simply because she wasn’t a pure blooded Kuchiki. Sometimes she wondered if Sozen felt that way too.

I mean… if you’re gonna be pissed/ angry/ annoyed (and every other synonym in the world) at her, then make it about something she could change right? She couldn’t change the fact that she was born in the poorest districts. Anastasia could work on her behavior but she couldn’t change her blood. Through her veins ran the blood of a very ruthless, attractive Spanish Pirate who sailed the seven seas and in hopes of searching for her brother, took the Caribbean by storm. Anastasia stretched lazily like a cat. She had no missions today. She’d finished her paperwork and she trained for… 30 minutes? Just a quick warm up. Why waste your time when you could drink and enjoy the finer things in life, aru~? The finer things in life being lazing about under a cherry blossom tree on a warm, beautiful day like today~.

Today, she’d spend her day back at the Kuchiki manor. She was dressed in the same ratty black short, sleeveless yukata with the red obi and leggings. The female Kuchiki appreciated moments like this. Silent moments where she could drink and have a nice convo with her dearest friend Shoku-chan. Pastel pink petals floated on slowly to the ground it was all calm and what was even better was that she had a bottle of rum next to her. She popped it open and brought the mouth of the bottle to her lips; an inelegant thing. Ladies drink from a cup with a straw. Men don’t. Anastasia didn’t care. She had the manners of a mole rat and thought she was fine. Maybe not refined…but well off. No one told her she was doing anything wrong or that she needed a crash course in ‘Charm School’.

Sozen never confronted her on any of this, so where’s the problem~? She didn’t see any~… In fact, the only person who thought there was a problem was Shoku-chan himself. She really wasn’t the shining example of a noble or a girl that belonged to a noble family. She had a rugged attractiveness to her… if there was such a thing that is. Anastasia tried to drink from the bottle and… failed. She raised her eyebrow in mild disgust as she turned the bottle upside down. She watched as a single drop of rum dripped out and sighed forlornly. “Why is rum always gone~?” she asked aloud. She wasn’t anywhere near drunk or tipsy yet. She was just rearing to go and her stash was nearly done. She gingerly placed the bottle besides her and stared up at the sky, watching clouds pass by. Maybe today was a day for a wake up call?

Nah. Nothing ever happens, aru~ …Right?

[Sozen Kuchiki]

Ah, one of the more difficult parts of being the Kuchiki Head. Reporting to the council of Kuchiki Elders. Yes, even despite being Head of the family, and making nearly all executive decisions, Sozen did still have to report to the Elders of his family, all of which were related and bound to him by blood. They were a council there to guide Sozen, and advise him, and intended for him to stay true to the name Kuchiki. Typically, while Kuchiki Heads had primary say in military matters in the Thirteen Court Guard Squad positions, family members often needed to be passed by the council. Sozen, however, had overridden them several times since becoming head. Among them were faces which Sozen easily recognized.

Over a thousand years old, older than the Captain Commander himself, was Lisa Kuchiki. She had been a distant cousin of some other Kuchiki relative or another. At the very least, she was distant enough that his grandfather had not had a problem marrying her. This was Sozen's grandmother, a gnarled old woman with a frail, mousy frame. She barely stood on a dignified black cane, with wisps of white hairs on her head, and a wrinkled face barely recognizable of what it had once been. Her gray eyes, however, were sharp, as was her tongue. She had always been sharp, and her mind had not decayed at all. It had, in fact, probably become far sharper even with age. She was one of the traditionalists at the table.

There was also Shonyuu Kuchiki, brother to Sozen's grandfather, Ginrei. He was younger than Lisa or Ginrei. While Lisa had a physical appearance of over a hundred, Shonyuu's remained only in his mid 90s. Still, he too was quite old, though he did not appear to be anywhere near his death bed. His eyes were glassy, and white. He was blind, and bald. He had, however, a flowing white beard, like a wizard, and was able to stand upright, and walk without cane. Sozen would even have ventured to say Shonyuu could walk unassisted, and do so more quickly than the average young man. He was more lenient with Sozen's doings, though did often reprimand the Kuchiki Head.

Besides these two, the most prominent members at the table, there were three others. Eldest son of Shonyuu Kuchiki, Daisuke was the most recent elder, and possessed a physical age only in his mid sixties. This man was Iro Kuchiki's, the Squad 11 Captain's father. He had short, stiff gray hair in a crop military cut, and a stern, lean build which in his prime must have been powerful and muscular. He had white stubble on his face which was not quite a full beard, but was still prominent. Unlike the others, who all wore loose robes, he wore a black mithril vest and gray pants, with daunting black boots. He too was a traditionalist, and was the most powerful speaker of all the Elders.

The other two were less prominent. Jinsan Kuchiki, a very distant cousin to all of them, sat at the table only because of being even older than Lisa. Nearly two thousand years old, this former Soul Reaper had seen many a conflict in his day. Now he was dying, so decayed and wrinkled that he practically resembled a skeleton, but for his red eyes, which were not unlike Sozen's. He rarely spoke, though when he did, all were silent. There was also Daemon Kuchiki, late sixties physically, who still had some black hairs, and a few wrinkles. He had one covered by bandages. This was Hokori Kuchiki's, the Squad 5 Captain's father, a traditionalist like his son.

And thus this was the table that Sozen sat at. A table of five elders there to observe him, judge him, and evaluate him. "You have done quite well with yourself, Sozen," Lisa said. "Even with your distinct errors and mistakes." Sozen remained silent, a calm smile on his face. The greatest way to greet these elders was to remain his normal, aloof, well-mannered self. "You are without a doubt the most successful Kuchiki Head ever to live," Shonyuu said. "My grandfather and my father. Your grandfather and your father. Your brother. None of these five came anywhere close to being on your level. Not Sozuo, not Ginrei, not even Mephisto or Onuya. One could certainly call this a Kuchiki golden age."

"But...we do have concerns..." Daemon said. "It was one thing for your brother to have married the commoner Hanabi, and brought in his wife's sister, Ruka, into the family. It is another that in addition to marrying a commoner yourself, Aoi, and fertilizing her with child and Heir, you have brought in four others. Ignore for a moment that your Heir's blood will be less pure. Think of who you have brought in. They are all commoners, and all are unfit to be Kuchiki clansmen. In fact, none of them have even the slightest inclination of knowledge for their newfound roles." Sozen still remained silent throughout the whole lecture, waiting for them to get to the point.

"It is the desire of this council that these outsiders be expulsed," Shonyuu said. Sozen waited to see if any more was to be said. After a few seconds of silence, it became apparent that it was his turn to speak. Good. At last. "If that is all," Sozen said, standing, "Then I must excuse myself. I must prepare myself for the Shihoin Family's ball. Alliances and appearances are necessities, don't you think?" As he was turning to leave, Daisuke spoke. "Sozen," he clearly commanded, demanding the Squad 6 Captain's attention. Sozen paused, and then turned back to the table, smile still on his face, and eyebrows raised quizzically. "Will you follow our verdict?" Daisuke asked.

"I considered it quite seriously," Sozen admitted. "And then I decided that it was a mistake, and that following it would be foolish as the Head." There was stunned silence, though the Elders had expected as much from Sozen, who then took this opportunity to continue to speak. Lisa opened her mouth, but Sozen spoke first. "I would remind all of you that under my leadership, we Kuchiki are four Captains strong, with two more on the way, and that we hold absolute power over all the noble families, Kawada included. In Kuchiki history, we have never before now had more than one Captain at a time, nor this much political power. It seems to me that we have gone above and beyond what any of you could have imagined at my age."

"Regardless-" Lisa began, but Sozen cut her off, on full track now. "I would remind all of you that of those standing in this room, I alone am a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads," Sozen said, smile dissipating away. "With respect, Uncles, Grandmother, I am the most qualified in this room to make these decisions. I explained my reasoning previously for why I adopted them. This discussion is no longer relevant." The Elders were speechless, so Sozen capitalized on this opportunity to say another thing to leave them even more speechless. "Therefore, with respect, Uncles, Grandmother, leave it all to me. I will teach them the world of nobility. Just as, in time, I will teach all of you what you have forgotten. What it means to be a Kuchiki." With that last line, Sozen smiled smugly, and then turned and proceeded to leave.

It was only a little bit later that he found himself standing with Ana, whom he had searched for over several minutes, and at last located. When he approached her, it was with his typical, smug smile, and a pair of high heels in one of his hands. Sozen observed Ana's demeanor for a moment, and then he spoke to her. "Anastasia," Sozen said, referring to her by her full name, as he always had and always did. "We have an event to attend tonight at the Shihoin Family Manor. As this will be your first appearance as a Kuchiki, today you are going to learn how to be one. I look forward to working with you." No shame, but Sozen felt pretty smug saying that. He liked her reaction to it.

[Deleted]

They say you can feel when someone was staring at you. When you were with in their sights, it could be felt and more often than not, it was creepy. However, Anastasia had a fairly good feeling as to who it was. The forlorn pirate quietly set aside the empty rum bottle besides her before looking up at her new visitor. Well, think of the devil… It was the Crimson Demon himself; Sozen Kuchiki. “Now there’s a man that needs no introduction, eh~?” He had a presence of his own which oozed with certain elegance. It was an elegance that was only possessed by a blue blood; only possessed by a true Kuchiki like himself. Whenever he made an appearance anywhere, it was grandiose; always escalating to new levels of magnificence. He never failed to impress.

“So-chaaaaan~,” she greeted happily, offering him a warm smile that only belonged happy pirates who were feeling particularly fuzzy. Anastasia stretched lazily once again. She’d never referred to him as Sozen or Sozen-taichou or Sozen-san. No. He got a pet name like everyone else. “Lookin’ as dashing as ever~ How are ye, mate~?” Well, she was charming at least. She couldn’t help but drop flirtatious lines wherever she went. Anastasia felt quite happy flirting with anything with a pulse and felt absolutely no shame when doing so. Perhaps it was a pirate thing; to commit various outlandish acts without feeling a drop of shame. Her haunting opalescent irises rose to get a better look of the raven haired male. He was saying something about some event. She sighed happily.

“A’right, mate~ I got ye~ Bodyguard guests an’ what not right? Don’t ye worry a pretty little hair on yer head Cap’n! I’ll take care of it! Aye I will~!” She grinned quite happily…Missing the entire point of what he’d just said. ”Anastasia…Did you listen to anything he said? Idiot..” Her eyes darted between her zanpakuto and Sozen for a moment. “Aru…Wait..” ”He said… WE …as in Captain Sozen and YOURSELF…are ATTENDING as in…GOING TOGETHER to an event. It’s your debut as a Kuchiki girl, Anastasia. He’s going to show you off to other nobles at this event. It’s your first real noble party.” It was sad that Shoku-chan needed to explain all of that. If Sozen watched carefully, he could slowly see her face grow increasingly worried; her normally placid, carefree expression gone. The female gulped and looked at Sozen. “Wait…Ye mean…Nooooo…Surely ye mean I’ll be outside guardin’ an protectin’ right, So-chan?” she blinked, looking at him helplessly like a kid in trouble.

Trouble was her middle name but this was an entirely new kind of trouble she wasn’t used to. She bit her lip, thinking her words over. How could she tell him that she was the farthest damn thing from a high-society girl and that she’d make him look bad (not on purpose either, surprisingly). “I-I don’t fit in with any o’ those people, mate. I’m sorry, So-chan. I don’t think I’ll do ye much service by appearin’ at a big fancy party like that, aru~ I mean, look at me.” The normally calm Anastasia Solis-Kuchiki started to panic just a little bit more as the time went on. She pinched the fabric of her worn, shinigami uniform; gesturing to herself that she wasn’t really ready for this sort of thing. “You’re selling yourself short, Anastasia.” he said, flatly. This was something new for the spirit as well; someone who was so used to seeing Anastasia constantly overflowing with confidence was now retreating. It was strange but this was where he was needed, huh?

She eyed the heels in his hands and she stood up, grabbing her zanpakuto and placing it in her belt. “I’m adopted an’ all that, mate. Won’t I get kicked out or somethin’ for ‘avin tainted blood, mate? I dunno ‘ow it works~” She did feel less of a Kuchiki. She felt like it was in name only sometimes. People like Hokori didn’t make it any better. She was sure the pure blooded Kuchikis looked down on her. Even Sozen to an extent. This was who she was; Anastasia never changed herself for anyone and while she was willing to do that a little, it could only go so far. She couldn’t change the blood that ran through her veins after all, right? “Put me in a dress an’ doll me up all you like, but I doubt I could please any o’ the others. I’m sorry, Sozen-taichou” Ah. There was his full name. Anastasia was serious now. She fidgeted around as she spoke; playing with a frayed hemline of her uniform and tapping the hilt of her zanpakuto repeatedly. She was feeling quite nervous and uncomfortable to say all this to her captain; a man who believed in her and even took her into his family. She was even unable to look him in the eyes.

“So…I suppose I’ll be goin’ now~ To trai— Work with her, please.” Sozen would hear the voice of a man near his age; if not, slightly older. Shokubai quickly seized an opportunity to take over, in an attempt to nudge Anastasia into something he figured might be good for it. Just four little words. A plea. Anastasia quickly placed a hand on her mouth as if to silence him and looked at her zanpakuto, bewildered. She had no idea he could do that. It was so cool but did he really have to say that?! Anastasia remained in her spot, looking at Sozen expectantly; wondering if he had something to say all of that. She felt a little embarrassed and honestly? Anastasia had no idea how to deal with any of it. Then she realized what she’d already said and settled on leaving to go somewhere else. With that, she started to turn and head off somewhere else.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

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"Do you know why I adopted you, Anastasia?" Sozen asked. "No, of course not. I've never told you." The Kuchiki Head didn't stop smiling. It wasn't a somber moment, even if Ana did feel that it was. He had watched the horror on her face dawning comedically to his amusement, and had then observed her unravel. Her confidence, her airs, all gone before vulnerability and isolation. Like she didn't fit in. Like she was lesser. And then, at last, a voice that was not her own, that of her Zanpakuto itself, who pleaded out of love for his master that Sozen aid her. And of course, how could Sozen help himself? How could he not but smile at that, and feel joy for that beautiful moment?

Sozen spoke after that to tell Ana why he had adopted her. It was story time, so she had better get her juice and fruit, and sit down. "In the human world, elitism means only purity of bloodline for the sake of staying truest to the ancestor who commenced the greatness of the family. In Soul Society, blood means something more. Since our first Head, Tsuyoi Kuchiki, we of the Kuchiki bloodline have always possessed superior reiatsu. Those who have our blood are gifted with more spiritual power than those who are not. We are exceptional even within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. That is why such a big deal is made of our blood. Blood is more than title. Blood is power."

Sozen realized Ana may not have known this, having grown up in the poorest of districts, where all one would have focused on of the nobility was the envy of their wealth. It was, however, the same reason that the Kawadas were so proud. They too had an exceptional reiatsu, rivaling even that of the Kuchikis, and leading men like Kenryoku Kawada to claim that all paled before his lineage. Sozen, however, knew better than the conservative nature of Kenryoku Kawada, and was more apt than the Elders who sat at his Kuchiki table. There was more to the family line than blood, just as there was more to it than name. Sozen didn't lack wisdom. He had learned it in his travels, before becoming Head.

"If you look at it that way, all you have is the name," Sozen admitted. "You do not have the blood. Don't misunderstand. You have powerful blood, and great reiatsu. Your children, should you have any, will be great. I would never have been allowed to adopt anyone into the family if their reiatsu had been weak. You, Kyomei, Hibiki. All of you shared that trait of great reiatsu. However, I did not integrate you into our family so that you could add your blood to ours. Our blood is still stronger, which is why the Elders gave me their disapproval when I adopted all of you. Some, who do not know me well, might then venture to say that I adopted you only for strategic purposes. You, who have intimate knowledge of Squad 8's budget strategies. Hibiki, who would have given us command of Squad 4. Kyomei, who has given us new Kido specialists, and command of the Kido Corps. Yes, one might say that I did it for strategic purposes."

Sozen was being brutally honest first, but had still not told Ana the reason for having adopted her. He was biding his words carefully, deciding with all of his tact the best way to present it to her. "Strategy was part of it," Sozen confessed. "However, that isn't why I went out searching for people to adopt into our family. I did not find you all by chance. I sought you out. More than strategy, I wanted new ideas in our family. New flavor, and new blood. In order to prevent our line from growing stale, and stagnating, something new was necessary. New children, who might at first face discrimination, but who with enough passing generations would be integrated into the family, who would forget that once the blood had been foreign."

Sozen still had not gotten to his point. "But I wouldn't have adopted you if all you offered was strong blood, new blood, and strategic value. What I wanted was people who could appreciate family. The Kawadas appreciate their lineage, but are such purists that they have forgotten what it means to love those with whom you share the ties of name. The bond of family. That is what is most important. I adopted you all because I knew that you had it in you. Light. I knew you had what it took to love. To join with us. It does not matter to me if you aren't a Kuchiki by blood, or if you barely see yourself as a Kuchiki by name. You are a Kuchiki by heart, and by soul. That is why I adopted you. For the sake of love."

"So, for the sake of family, I will teach you," Sozen said. "You will learn, because even if you don't yet feel like it, you are family." Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Ana's vision would be turned to stars, and she would be shocked. It was as if something had hit her. Hard. Something hard had impacted her face, and left her stunned with blurry vision, and disoriented mind. Maybe she was being kidnapped! Wait, no. That didn't sound right. Sozen wouldn't kidnap her. Well, as her vision started to return, along with her hearing, she would hear a nasally old woman's voice, and if she looked up, would see a short, stocky woman with narrow black eyes and black hair in a bun. "Look at you..." the old woman said. "Such a mess! We have a lot of work to do now!" Behind her, Sozen was smiling.

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Next thing Ana knew, she was...in some giant room with wooden floors. "This is what you give me to work with?!" the old lady demanded, in an almost-singing voice. "Well I've seen worse!" Fastforward to Ana being pushed behind a little screen which showed only her silhouette. Sozen was leaning against the wall with a smile, observing the whole thing. He had a smile on his face, because it looked super funny. Ana thought that just the sight of the heels was bad? Well she was about to be given a rude awakening, and a horrible surprise. Things for her could get a lot more awkward. And a lot worse. Actually, they did get a lot worse. Sozen kept smiling. Because smiles are good.

"We're gonna turn this sow's ear
Into a silk purse!"

Suddenly, all of Ana's clothes were ripped off. Literally ripped. The old lady actually ripped off Ana's clothing, leaving it in shreds and tatters, and hurled it into a random flaming BBQ that was also present. She then threw the naked Ana into a large wooden tub filled with cold water that had ice cubes in it, and also lots and lots of soap bubbles. Next, she dumped even colder water on Ana, and started vigorously rubbing soap all over the poor Kuchiki girl's body and hair, before dumping even more water on her. Then, she yanked Ana out of the tub, and started rubbing her vigorously with towels until she was devoid of any water on her. When she got back out, her skin was actually shiny.

"We'll have you washed and dried
Pimped and polished until you glow with pride
Trust my recipe for instant bride
You'll bring honor to us all!"

Next thing Ana knew, she was on a tatami mat surrounded by other old women, with the same one still singing, and all the old ladies fidgeting with her hair. There was a lot of hair to fidget with, and it was being prettied up. They were giving her a perm, but still hadn't given her clothes to wear. Instead, other old ladies were plucking loose hairs on her body one by one on her arm pits, and were waxing her legs...with very painful sandpaper that somehow didn't damage or mar her skin. Her hair was being prettied. Her body was being prettied. Stuff was really messed up, though. Did all Kuchikis do this in order to attain beauty of some kind?!

"Wait and see, when we're through
Boys will gladly go to war for you.
With good fortune, and a great hairdo,
You'll bring honor to us all!

A girl can bring her family
Great honor in one way.
By striking a good match
And this could be the day."

Next thing they knew, Ana was sprawled on a new mat, and was receiving simultaneous manicure and pedicure, while her eyelashes were being curled, her eyelids prettied up, and some kind of measuring tape squeezed tightly around her waist. Like really tightly. Wow, talk about uncomfortable. Worst of all, they had to do some serious clippage to her toe nails. Ana had also at some point been deprived of her rum, and they had actually stuffed a bunch of random flavored mints into her mouth, and injected her with something that instantly sobered her up completely. Talk about a crazy day for Ana. Being beautiful was such hard work!

"A girl can bring her family
Great honor in one way.
By striking a good match
And this could be the day.

Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient.
Who work fast-paced.
With good breeding and a tiny waist,
You'll bring honor to us all."

Finally, they sprayed Ana with extremely sweet smelling perfume. Everywhere. Then, they literally sewed a dress around her. They didn't just stick her in it. With super speed, they actually started sewing around her body, until she was wearing a beautiful, elegant dress. And, next thing, they started applying the makeup, and gave her glass slippers that were also high heels. She was being made pretty and elegant, though maybe she was going to have some trouble in that outfit. A lot of trouble. The dress was a bit tight on her waist and chest, and her body probably felt cleaner than it ever had before. Somewhere along the line, Sozen had disappeared.

"When we're through, you can't fail
Like a lotus blossom soft and pale
How could any fellow say no sale?
You'll bring honor to us all."

Finally, Ana was completed, and was brought out to Sozen, in the Kuchiki ballroom, empty at the moment, where he sat in a simple wooden chair awaiting her. When he saw her, a smile lit his lips as the old lady stopped singing, and Sozen walked up to Ana. "How lovely," he appraised, almost ironically, knowing how much discomfort she'd probably gone through while being prepared to be made pretty. "I suppose next, you will be needing dance lessons, and may need to learn how to walk in those shoes. Here." Sozen stuck a big, fat book on top of Ana's head. "Balance it," he told her. "If you can't, then no alcohol or spending allowance for a month. Now, come. We will dance and walk together..."

[Deleted]

Anastasia turned around reluctantly. She shook her head no. She didn’t know why Sozen adopted her. She always figured it was something out of personal gain. Would she be insulted if it was true? No. Not at all. After all, that was how the world worked. The ones with more power, cunning and money ruled while the rest served. We were all used for our talents. No matter how noble or nice or sweet anyone’s words were, the result was all the same; they belonged to someone of a higher tier. Would love be involved? Mmm… Sometimes~ More often than not, it doesn’t. That didn’t mean Anastasia didn’t believe in it. Heavens no! In a way, she shared that love with those around her; Shoku-chan would know that best. You know you love someone or something when you can’t imagine your world without it.

The white haired vixen locked gazes with him for a moment. He had eyes as crimson as his victims probably were right at their last breath. He was serious. She could see it. She didn’t look away. It was almost as if she demanded an explanation. Why did he really adopt her? He’d given her something she’d lacked from the very start of her time in Soul Society. When Sozen spoke, he begun to explain the significance of noble blood. It was power. It was all power. That made sense. Before, she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why some sticky red liquid was so important to these people. She’d figured that anyone could be a noble if they made a big deal about themselves. With power came everything else everyone coveted; control, fame and wealth.

When you grew up in a district like Anastasia’s, all you could see was wealth. Wealth everywhere but that dark little corner of Rukongai. Wealth was your ticket out of hell and a step in the right direction. Envy was sadness and longing. No one wanted to live a shitty life If you could get any influx of wealth, you were lucky. At least, that was how Anastasia saw it. He’d revealed her adoption was for strategic purposes. Or at least, it started out that way. She couldn’t help but sigh. Not out of sadness, but now she wasn’t suspended with wonder anymore. She at least had an answer. A sad answer, but an answer nonetheless. He kept going though. As it turns out, it was a conglomerate of things. Her reiatsu, her skills in fiddling with the budget, her strength and most of all, her ability to love.

”Don’t deny it, Anastasia. Even you have that ability… as much of a mess as you are..” Shokubai groaned the last part. She wasn’t perfect but who else was better to snap it into her senses. Anastasia had never really thought of herself as someone who had the ability to love; just someone longing for it… Which was silly now that she really thought of it; everyone’s capable of it in some form, aru~. Anastasia couldn’t help but smile at that. He didn’t care. Sozen didn’t care if her name wasn’t Kuchiki originally. He didn’t care if she didn’t have the blood or if her looks were different or her odd Spanish accent or anything else one might notice at plain sight. She’d always tacked on the “-Kuchiki” at the end of her original name because the last piece always felt disposable to her. As if she was easy come, easy go. Now, more than ever, did she feel like she was accepted. As if the “-“ wasn’t needed. Like the name “Solis” was part of a different chapter of her life. That she was “Anastasia Kuchiki” rather than “Anastasia Solis-Kuchiki”.

She couldn’t help but laugh a little., not out of mockery but out of pure delight and joy. Anastasia nodded. He’d gotten her nice, happy and calm. Anastasia had completely forgotten the fact that he wanted to take her to a nice, fancy Shihoin ball completely. "So, for the sake of family, I will teach you. You will learn, because even if you don't yet feel like it, you are family." She grinned and nodded. “Aye, aye cap’n~” and for a split second, she remembered and looked at him with an alarmed expression. “Oi! W-Wait a s—“ THUNK! .. and it was light out for this pirate. Her body crashed, falling right to the ground.

”Look at you… Such a mess! We have a lot of work to do now!”

Anastasia stirred, her eyes slowly opened to look upon the little devil herself. She looked to be about 4 or 5 feet of insidious snark and from that moment on, the bane of Anastasia’s existence. Anastasia’s jaw dropped and turned to see Sozen, leaning there, smiling.. She’d never known fear until now. No one had seen her fearful before. Not even Sozen. Not until today. She’d looked like a dog that was trying to avoid a bath for a century and a half. Before she knew it, her clothes were ripped off her completely and thrown into some incinerator. She scrambled quickly to cover her lady bits with her arms before being flung into a large wooden tub filled with what felt like icy cold water. Anastasia squealed. She fucking squealed like a frightened girl once her skin met the hellish cold waters.

She bit her lips and grabbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. Various protests were made along with many whines and whimpers. If Sozen listened close he enough, he’d even hear her scream when the woman dumped even COLDER water on her. ‘That hurts!’ and “Ow’ ’s could be heard throughout the duration of this stage of hell. When the woman was done, she’d been yanked out of the tub and dried. What was the bloody towel made of… Sandpaper?! Her skin felt good at least. It would be then she moved on to another room or something. This had to be the worst stage of hell. They pulled her hair and yanked and twisted..everything painful was being done to her lovely long, snow white hair. While that was being done, she felt like they were pulling all kinds of things from her body and using sandpaper and this and that and it was all really painful.

This part she didn’t mind so much. Anastasia had used a bit of make up before… but not quite to this extent. Everything was fine and dandy until that measuring tape found its way around her waist. She needed alcohol. Badly. How on earth had she survived this sober? She had mints in her mouth and someone clipping this, someone painting that. Falsies on her eyelashes and liner and shadows and blush and the whole goddamn thing. Beauty wasn’t just hard work. Beauty was pain. Anyone who said it’s skin deep obviously isn’t very pretty. This shit goes pretty deep and Anastasia was dreading every moment of it.

These women sewed a fucking dress around her. She couldn’t even see it clearly. It was like they were using shunpo without using it and somehow conjured up a beautiful fucking dress out of nothing. These women were witches. This was clearly witchcraft. Anastasia was the only one getting some kind of rise out of this. Well, that’s not true. Shoku-chan had been snickering away and apologizing for doing so the whole way through. She looked around for So-chan… but he wasn’t around.

Eventually, she was brought out to the ballroom. Anastasia could barely walk. She’d been holding on to the woman who brought her out. As she walked towards Sozen (or attempted to at least), she couldn’t help but feel ridiculously different. An amazing kind of different. She hadn’t seen herself since they’d done her over. Normally, she would’ve greeted Sozen. Instead, she looked past him and stumbled her way over to a mirror like panel in the wall not far off. She placed her hands on either side of the panel in an attempt to stabilize herself briefly. She watched herself in awe. She’d cry if it meant not ruining her makeup. She was beautiful. Not in the obnoxious way.. she just… she couldn’t believe this was her.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Be amazed, world.}

Her fingers lightly ran through her hair and slowly trailed their way to her just sewn, witchcraft dress. They traced alongside her body, the embellishments all interesting to the touch. The ruches and roses and the lace and the ribbons. Anastasia almost didn’t recognize herself. She could’ve stared at herself for hours. ”How lovely, Anastasia visibly tensed up before slowly turning to him. Her cheeks reddened. Compliments normally didn’t have any sort of any sort of effect on her. However, she felt more vulnerable now than she’d ever felt before. Everything felt different. A good kind of different… but extremely awkward as well. "I suppose next, you will be needing dance lessons, and may need to learn how to walk in those shoes. Here."

Wait. Hold on. What? “I… Wot? Why? Am I still goin’ ta tha stuffy Shihoin ball, So-chan?” she protested before he placed a book on her head. She could look like a princess and walk like one, but she couldn’t talk like one. Sad. Anastasia’s body immediately reacted, her head adjusting to serve as a better balance for the heavy book. Before she could get any thing else out, he threatened her. "If you can't, then no alcohol or spending allowance for a month. Now, come. We will dance and walk together..." She stopped immediately in her tracks and looked at him incredulously. No alcohol? It was like water for her. She needed it. She held on the book for a while, trying to walk towards Sozen before slowly letting her hold on it go. She took one step forward and it wobbled. Another step, and it fell. Anastasia caught it and scrambled to put it back on her head.

“D-Dance? I can’t dance!” She exclaimed, holding on to the book and stumbling as fast as she could towards him. She’d nearly tripped. Her free hand snapped up to grab his arm to stop herself from falling. She couldn’t quite find her balance. These shoes were too high and too scary and this fat, heavy book on her head made it a thousand times worst. Of course, all of this was mixed in with Anastasia’s nerves which were completely exposed and ready for picking on. She was a frightened nervous wreck who couldn’t really believe what she looked like right now. All in all, she was a total mess. “Uhm… I look different, aru~..” she said in a feeble attempt to make conversation with him. “Can’t I jus’ stand on ye toes an’ pretend ta dance, mate? I ain’t so good at this sorta thing ye see..” she blushed even harder. Looking at him made her oddly nervous and so, she gulped. Anastasia was stripped of her confidence and her alcohol. She felt so naked. It was so strange. “You look quite handsome~ ” she smiled sheepishly. Anastasia was trying to get her confidence back with any sort of flirtatious remark she could come up with. She was going to try and weasel her way out of this somehow.

“Y’know…no one would ever notice me standing on yer shoes. My dress is long enough! And, ye can leave me somewhere no one would notice me! Isn’t that fantastic, mate~?!”

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

"Why, Anastasia Kuchiki," Sozen gasped in mock astonishment with his best O face and both hands flying to his cheeks. "You mean to look so beautiful, and yet not make your presence known at the Shihoin ball?" His words hung dramatically on the air as the old woman began to play violin music on some violin she pulled out of more or less thin air, and Sozen started to walk dramatically toward Ana. Even with her heels, she was shorter than Sozen, who towered over her, and only became more intimidating by the second as he neared her, especially since he was still taller than her even with those heels. It only made things a lot more frightening.

Sozen leaned in closely as his face melted into a calculating smile, his mocking red eyes fell upon hers, and his hands were grasped gently in his own. "No, that would be quite the scandal, Anastasia..." he told her in a low, somehow almost menacing, albeit still teasing whisper. "Your presence must be known...And it must be perfect. After all, I won't be there to dance with you all night." There was something in the way that Sozen said that which more than hinted that he was enjoying Ana's embarrassment, especially because he still remained so smooth as he charmingly mocked her for her continued bashfulness. As expected of the Esteemed Head of the Noble Kuchiki family.

Sozen took Ana's dominant hand in his, and draped his arm around her waist. He started to move in rhythmic, methodical steps, in a classic slow dance which didn't fit the fast pace of the old woman's violin playing one bit. "You will learn how to dance..." Sozen essentially commanded. "And when I am through with you, it will be much faster than this sad little waltz..." It wasn't actually a waltz. He was just saying that because it sounded cool. Not that Ana knew the difference. Come on. Do you really think a pirate would know the difference between a waltz and a typical slow dance? Only nobles know something that pretentious in a world like the Soul Society.

And it would take hours of dancing after that for there to be any progress at all. In fact, it would take days, but luckily they had that time until the ball. The first few hours were only the slow dance, but Sozen was a strict task master who refused to allow Ana to advance, or even rest as a matter of fact, until her slow dance was beyond satisfactory. Also, for every time they had to restart the dance because of a faux-pas error, Sozen claimed that this was yet another hour wherein he would enforce Ana being sober. Not a drop of alcohol would touch her lips so long as she couldn't master this. But there would be plenty of alcohol awaiting her, and some of the finest at that, at the Shihoin ball.

At day two, Sozen had her attempt a faster paced swing dance. Obviously, considering the trouble with the slow dance and those heels, there was going to be a lot more trouble. But, same conditions. Sozen's expectation was that with alcohol on the line, Ana would improve at a remarkable pace. We all have something that we're terribly afraid of losing. For Ana, that might just have been alcohol. It was a price too steep for her to pay, going even beyond money, even though alcohol can technically just be purchased with money. And, in the nights, there was no way to sneak alcohol. Sozen had a nasty habit of appearing whenever Ana tried. As if he was always watching.

Once during that week, Sozen even appeared from some random set of bushes as Ana was gambling, and was about to graciously accept some sake. Out of nowhere, Sozen appeared from the bushes in some outside sitting area outside of a tavern, and took the jug just as Ana was about to. This led to him smiling, shaking his head at her, and then pouring it into an open bonfire instead. Maybe Sozen really was watching, and was always awaiting his opportunity to take Ana's alcohol. But, after that week, they at last came to the last day of dance instruction, and Sozen was going to give Ana a final lesson that she would never forget.

"Now, Anastasia..." Sozen said as she once again wore a beautiful dress. "I want you to dance with me while carrying this even heavier book on your head...And if you fail, your alcohol is at stake." Whether or not he was serious wasn't even open for guessing, because his poker face was unreadable. He had that perfect, mocking smile to poke at Ana with.

[Deleted]

This was probably how most girls felt when they were in the presence of the suddenly handsome Kuchiki head. She was sure of it. Sure she saw the appeal in him but was never truly attracted to him. Number 1, that’s ridiculously weird. Number 2, ‘oh god no’…she could go on! There were a thousand other reasons she could list. She could go back and forth between ‘gross’ and ‘hmm..’ but it would take years considering her new personality change. The more he looked at her, the more she blushed like a little school girl and it was too fricken’ weird, man. She didn’t like these thoughts. Where’s the rum when you need it?! Anastasia felt completely out of her element. It was like she was in a totally new body. It was alienesque. Maybe she felt this way because she felt vulnerable looking like this. It was all certainly new and honestly? Anastasia never considered herself to be beautiful. Not like the other noble girls. She figured she sat right at ‘decent’ and it was good enough for her.

Looking at herself today in the mirror after that hell hound of a woman stripped her of her pirate identity was something new and Anastasia knew that Sozen was totally taking advantage of it. Even worse, she was letting him. Reacting in her usual manner wasn’t an option for her at this point and why was beyond her. ”Why, Anastasia Kuchiki,” He’d called out to her, dropping her old name; the last grain of her old identity. Something about that made her nervous but she did her best to remain as calm as possible. She stole a quick glance before looking away with a face that read that she was in big trouble. He had that face. That face that read that he already had an agenda for her and that she wasn’t going to like it. In fact, they both knew; Sozen was so calculating that if he really put his mind to it, he could be Captain of Squad 6 and Squad 8 simultaneous. It was ridiculous.

”You mean to look so beautiful, and yet not make your presence known at the Shihoin ball?” She closed her eyes, hoping it was a bad dream that would eventually pass. Her cheeks were stained red, bright with embarrassment. She could hear his steps as he made his graceful stride over towards her. When she heard him come to a stop, her haunting irises snapped open. She slowly turned her head, her line of vision suddenly meeting up with that crimson pair that seemed eternally amused. What the hell! She had to look away! Only she couldn’t! All Anastasia could do was bat her eyelashes as she looked on at the taller man. The more he looked on, the more vulnerable she felt; as if he were slowly peeling her layers away… and smiling like the devil as he did so.

”No, that would be quite the scandal, Anastasia…” Even the fricken’ way he said her name made her stop everything right then and there. His low whisper that threatened the slivers of her calm demeanor were falling apart. She needed to get her edge back. Somehow. “No, you don’t. You’re stronger than that….aren’t you?” his voice challenged her. As much as Anastasia wanted to contest that, she was having a hard time with Sozen breathing down her back like some kind of suave, malefic demon! His gaze paralyzed her for a moment before she was able to move. Anastasia started to back away but before she could actually get anywhere, the feeling her legs just…disappeared into thin air. She started to lose her balance and instinctively, grabbed on to Sozen’s arm to stabilize herself… which pained her soul considering how nervous and embarrassed he was making her.

”Your presence must be known… And it must be perfect. After all, I won’t be there to dance with you all night.” He was enjoying this way too much. Her face grew hotter with every passing second. Then it dawned on her. That last sentence he said. She let go of him, scrunching her eyebrows, giving him the most confused look in the world. Even when she was shocked she looked beautiful as a noble should… She just didn’t realize it. “W-Whaddya mean ya won’t dance with me all night? …D-Do I have ta dance w-with those…other… slimy gits?" she questioned shyly. Sozen was going to have to do something about her speech as well. He could dress her up like noble but she didn’t talk like one and it could reflect badly. Anastasia bit her lower lip, trying to stop herself from smiling. It’d gotten to the point where she was so skittish that she didn’t know what to do but scream; anything to stop her from screaming.

She took a deep breath. She could do this. She could calm down and get a hold of herself. He took her left hand in his and his arm was around her waist. Her body tensed up immediately. “Uhm..” Anastasia looked at her other hand for a moment, completely unsure of what to do with it due to ‘not using her brain’ before she decided on resting it on his shoulder… fearfully. ”You will learn how to dance…And when I am through with you, it will be much faster than this sad little waltz…” She felt her heart sink as those words slipped from his lips. That sounded like an order and fortunately for Sozen, Anastasia never disobeyed. That simple fact was eating her out from the inside. She didn’t even know the difference between all of it. If he was going to turn her into a real pretty noble, then she had to know all that pretentious shit… right? She didn’t know. Anastasia was as lost as a puppy who had no choice but to follow along. If her Captain gave her an order then… damn… Anastasia looked at Sozen seriously, nodding her head in silent agreement.

They danced for hours and hours. She spent the first hour stepping on his toes, whispering “I’m sorry” ’s and “Eek” ’s at the Kuchiki head. She couldn’t relax. It was almost as if she had two left feet. Eventually, she caught the rhythm and was able to move along with him in tandem. Anastasia was not only exhausted, but she truly wanted to pass out. The pain of her heels and the constricting bodice of her dress alone was hell enough. Not that she hated it… but after being in it for long hours, it became exhausting. The worst part of it was that he wasn’t allowing any leeway. The smallest mistake sent her back to the beginning. It was like every time she made one thousand steps, she was sent 999 steps backwards. If she couldn’t get it right, then he was taking away her alcohol.

What was it even like to be sober?

The snowy haired Kuchiki barely remembered the feeling of sobriety. To Shoku-chan, it was music to his ears. Anastasia was having some serious trouble with… well… all of this. Even when she went to bed she stared at herself for about an hour because she couldn’t believed what she looked like. Her second day was better than her first. She was accustomed to somethings. Though, her feet killed her, screaming in agony with every calculated step she took along with Sozen. Her nervousness wore off as she started to look at her dancing seriously. Rum was on the line! How could she not take it seriously?! Every turn. Every step. Every glide to every swing was made with the elegance of a Kuchiki… and it only took about a hundred tries until she finally got it right. Well… Mostly.

One night, she attempted to sneak out of her room with the lights down low. She crawled on her forearms and knees, completely determined to get just a drop of alcohol in her mouth. She hid flasks all over the Kuchiki house in case of emergencies like this. Sadly, she only made it down the hall. When she turned the corner, she was met with a familiar pair of feet and when she looked up, there was that venomous smile that lured victims right into their demise. “Oh… Myyy…. God!” She whispered exasperated. Defeated, she stood up and marched herself back to her room. She figured if she waited a while, she’d have her chance. Anastasia tried again later that same time only this time, he was by her door. Quickly, she slammed it shut. In her mind she lost the battle… but not the war.

When she was gambling sometime during that week, her usual gambling friends couldn’t believe it; she looked so goddamn different. Whatever. She owned it. She liked it a lot. Wasn’t going to affect her gambling ability. No. Anastasia purposely sought out the games that she was best at just for an easy fix. When she won, she grinned triumphantly. “Pleasure doin’ business with ya— Oi!” Her face fell as Sozen appeared like a wild, almost majestic animal and snatched the jug of sake out of her hands and poured all of it into a bonfire. Her lips parted; she tried desperately to stop her jaw from dropping as she watched the liquid pour into the blazing fire. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all. “So-chaaaaaan!” She whined. Just a drop. This was completely unfair! It was cruel and unusual punishment to the girl. Maybe she did lose the war. “Why don’t you actually do your orders PROPERLY. He’s not giving up on you, Anastasia. Maybe you should show you’re making an effort.” Shoku-chan was insufferable sometimes but she knew he was right. It was annoying to know he was right at this moment too.

She was back in the dress again and… still nervous. It wasn’t going to go away. She always felt some degree of nervousness in this dress and it was worse when Sozen was around. Who on earth told him it was okay to smile like that! Sure it was charming as hell but it was intimidating. So intimidating. ”Now, Anastasia... I want you to dance with me while carrying this even heavier book on your head...And if you fail, your alcohol is at stake." Anastasia could’ve groaned… but she didn’t. She wanted to put in the effort and show her captain that she was capable of becoming this amazing Kuchiki who could dance beautifully and maybe even take some attention away from Sozen. Who knows. As much as it would burn her soul, she wanted to do it. She placed the heavier book on her head, holding her head high and keeping a proper posture as she had before with the lighter book. She took a moment to find her balance and when she was ready, she slipped her hand into his and the other rested on his shoulder as she pulled herself closer to him. As much as it scared her too, she looked at him. There was a certain twinkle in her eyes that revealed that she was determined to perfect their waltz. “I want my rum back, handsome.”

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Now slower music!}

Sozen's proud smile was haunting to look at. For a time after his loss to Kuroi, it had become much more hollow, but soon after had picked up again. It had been after fighting those Quincy that Sozen's confidence had returned to him, and the realization that he could grow ever stronger had brought upon him a sort of newfound peace unlike any other. And now, as the Head of the Kuchiki family, he was more confident than he had ever been before. And it must certainly be daunting to those such as Ana, who were found shy in these circumstances.

Sozen leaned in close to whisper in Ana's ear. She would be able to feel his warm breath on her neck, and if she smelled it, it would be the most intoxicating smell she had ever scented. Well, most intoxicating, minus Sozen himself. Sozen's own smell, once he was up close, was the sort of mix of refined, masculine, and gaudily brawny all at once which were simply irresistible. Something about Sozen, even if he didn't even fit a woman's type, simply made him all the more appealing. He was the most handsome man in all of Soul Society.

"Your alcohol, dear Anastasia...?" Sozen mused, almost mockingly. His smile grew wider, like a devil ready to devour its prey. "Why, certainly, you can have it returned to you, if you can do but one more thing for me..." He was dancing with her while speaking, and he seemed to notice that she had improved. Ah, the things people did for their vices. For her alcohol, Ana could be motivated to do many great things, such as mastering this difficult dance in so short a time span.

"I ask you, Anastasia, not only to dance with others at the gathering, but to engage in conversation with them. It isn't necessary to fix your speech. While vulgar, it is unique, and that is part of why I believe you will do so well for this family. If anything, I simply ask that you avoid rudeness. It's easy, as you know. Don't pick their pockets, don't throw up on them, and try your hardest not to cause harm to them. You are a Lieutenant and their superior, after all..."

Sozen was making this demand of Ana. If she wanted her alcohol back, not only did she need to dance, but she needed to socialize, and do it relatively politely. She had to, in other words, be successful at this ball that they would be attending. Sozen, of course, with much the sadistic side to him that he had, enjoyed Ana's embarrassment, anxiety, and her struggle here. It was amusing to watch. But it was also enlightening and inspiring to see her trying so hard to fit in.

"Learn this, Anastasia," Sozen lectured as they continued to dance. "I have opposed the conservatism and feudalism of the more orthodox Kuchiki Elders many times. I have scandalously brought in those who might be deemed peasants into our home, and I have gone on missions against their advisement and contrary to their will. I have taken the family in directions they never dared dream possible, and always dreaded becoming reality. And now we stand with nearly half the Captaincies filled by Kuchikis, and a stronger family than ever before."

It almost seemed as if Sozen was bragging, but it was his acknowledgment of what he had done thus far, sort of in respite toward the dissonance within the Elders, and the disapproval they always cast him. "I am good at socializing, yes," Sozen acknowledged. "And I am considered quite smooth. But, regardless, after all I have done, it would be untrue to say that I truly fit into the atmosphere and scene of this noble life." That much was true. He had done quite a few things most nobles would never dare, let alone the Head of such a powerful family.

"You do not need to fit into the lavish aristocracy, Anastasia, to fit into my family. Never forget that."

And there it was. As they concluded their dance, what Sozen said to Ana was this. She may not fit in with the nobles. She was more vulgar. In fact, she was downright rude, sometimes deplorable, and oftentimes scoffed at. She was neither neat, nor proper. She was never cut out for the fine wine and the condescending banter, nor the politics. But, none of that mattered. She was what mattered. She didn't need to fit into that lifestyle in order to be considered a part of the family. What mattered was her heart. How cliche and cheesy, right? But, truth nonetheless.

[Deleted]

The first thing that hit her was his breath against her neck. It was beyond uncomfortable. Yet, Anastasia just really didn’t know what to do aside from standing there and keeping her trap shut. Did he like doing this sort of thing? Unnerving them with just about… every goddamn thing he had up in his arsenal? Jeez. Could he not be so close? It wasn’t that Anastasia was repulsed by him. It was more that she didn’t really want to be around him when he was deliberately trying to scare the shit out of her. It’s always fun until it happens to you. It was like a cruel joke and in a sense, poetic justice for all the times she’d scared and annoyed x amount of people. Most people didn’t scare Anastasia. Then again, most people weren’t Sozen Kuchiki. As if they could ever hope to be.

Her body tensed up but she still refused to move. Her now, finely manicured nails dug into his arms with as much strength she could muster. Something he’d certainly feel. What was that smell? That smelly smell..? It smelled like money and other rich, fancy things. Her favorite kind of smell. He’d feel her grip on his arm slowly relax and she exhale. It was probably the only relaxing thing about this moment… as weird as it was. ”Your alcohol, dear Anastasia…?” she didn’t even bother to look at him, her eyes already focused on the wall behind him. It was a beautiful wall. Honestly, it was a lot easier to look at it than it was to look at him. “Yes, captain. my rum.” Emphasis on the “yes” and the “my”. Funny how she demanded something from him but couldn’t bring herself too look him in the eyes or even that smile she swore threatened to eat her very soul alive if she stared at it for too long.

"Why, certainly, you can have it returned to you, if you can do but one more thing for me..." This piqued her interest. Her body moved in tandem with his, dancing the way a Kuchiki should. She moved above and beyond expectations. Though, to a Kuchiki, it was probably sufficient. She was silent for a moment, unsure of whether or not she even wanted to listen to his embarrassing taunts or endure more of his teasing ways. She’d mentally prepare herself before her eyes connected with Sozen’s. It was as if she were silently agreeing to his request. Hey, he was the captain of this ship. Far be it from her to give him a big fat ‘no’ and steer things off course. He was doing all of this for her and Shoku-chan. It was weird getting used to all this luxurious, fancy-shmancy stuff. It was even worse getting teased for it. It was just embarrassing.

"I ask you, Anastasia, not only to dance with others at the gathering, but to engage in conversation with them. It isn't necessary to fix your speech. While vulgar, it is unique, and that is part of why I believe you will do so well for this family. If anything, I simply ask that you avoid rudeness. It's easy, as you know. Don't pick their pockets, don't throw up on them, and try your hardest not to cause harm to them. You are a Lieutenant and their superior, after all..."

Be a decent soul for a night. Just one night. It’s easier said than done. All she had to do was imitate Sozen, Takehiko, Iro.. and maybe a fraction of Hokori and do it all in female form. Right. He wasn’t totally asking her to change into something new. Just tone down and behave like a good little Kuchiki girl for a night. At least he didn’t tell her to stop flirting. Flirting was too much fun. Reluctantly, she nodded. Anastasia knew full well what she was agreeing to. She would try her damnedest to be on her best behavior. Hey, if she was getting her rum back for that, then, she might as well do it. He called her name once more, giving him her undivided attention. "I have opposed the conservatism and feudalism of the more orthodox Kuchiki Elders many times. I have scandalously brought in those who might be deemed peasants into our home, and I have gone on missions against their advisement and contrary to their will. I have taken the family in directions they never dared dream possible, and always dreaded becoming reality. And now we stand with nearly half the Captaincies filled by Kuchikis, and a stronger family than ever before. And I am considered quite smooth. But, regardless, after all I have done, it would be untrue to say that I truly fit into the atmosphere and scene of this noble life."

What? Sozen had trouble too? "Eh? Really?" But, he was the flipping head! It sounded crazy. It was like thinking teachers had a life outside of school. Then again, even he likely had his own issues. It was a little like her; everyone’s got problems. She dealt with hers with alcohol, gambling and flirting and Sozen dealt with his… somehow. Maybe his torturing her was his own form of entertainment. The sheer thought of that made her cheeks redden once more. It always seemed to stand out against her pale skin. The fact that she knew how noticeable it was made everything that much worse. She looked down, nervously playing with the fringe of a lace ribbon on her dress.

He’d worked hard to get where he was now. He had to push against all of the elders opinions and their demands and worm all the adopted ones into the family. He did it proudly too. It got him pretty far. This fact made Anastasia see her captain in an entirely new light. She almost had a newfound respect for the man. Respect and admiration. Against all odds, he’d achieved the impossible and now the Kuchikis prospered far more than they ever have. She wasn’t blood but she liked knowing that. Anastasia really liked knowing how amazing everyone was and how lucky she was to be in the position she was right now. She didn’t have any words for him. Rather, she was speechless and unable to say anything at all.

You do not need to fit into the lavish aristocracy, Anastasia, to fit into my family. Never forget that."

She was overwhelmed. Astonished, Anastasia looked up at him, blinking repeatedly. She covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her jaw drop. That’s girly, right? She could do that. He’d shown her more kindness than she’d anticipated. All he wanted her to do was was herself and to love… and behave from time to time. Here someone was accepting her for all her horrendous flaws. She didn’t need any of it to fit into this family. She just needed the heart of a Kuchiki, not the blood. Blood meant nothing if your heart wasn’t in something. Now, more than ever was Anastasia’s heart invested into this ball. She honestly wanted to let him know how grateful she was to him. Though, when it came to sappy stuff, Anastasia was surprisingly a little awkward. Instead, she moved, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him almost excitedly.

“..You’re the best, So-chan.”

Oh? Was that a tear? Or two? Sozen wouldn’t see it, but there were a few tears coming from Anastasia. She had no intention of letting him see. This oh-so fearsome pirate would never let him see. Kazuko had already seen and that was already more than enough people. She’d buried her head into his chest very much like a little girl and remained there for a moment until she was sure she looked absolutely fine. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but she’d repay him. Somehow she would. When she finally let go, she looked up at him, her face was beaming with a new sort of confidence. Almost as if she’d put something that was bothering her to rest. “Okay, So-chan~ I’ll be the best damn Kuchiki I can be. Ye have me word.” So maybe she’ll try a little harder. No tricks.

“Maybe you’ll even give me twice as much rum this time~”