Fusion of Two Families (Closed Social/Only invited may join)

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Day Before Wedding, AM

Hotaru went into the human world to try to figure out what she was going to wear. She still couldn't believe that her wedding day was tomorrow. She had helped prepare the ceremony site and the manor for the festivities and thankfully, with all the help, it honestly didn't take her much time at all to get it all done, which she was grateful for. She saved today, however, as her dress day. She did wait a bit too long, but she figured she could make it work.
 
She knew the perfect person for the job too, Kagami. Well, maybe not perfect, but she honestly couldn't think of anyone else that she could bring with her except Kagami. She knew that it was customary for the groom not to see the bride before her wedding day and even though he would see her tonight, she wanted to make sure that the dress was a complete surprise. She had also been saving up money to get a dress that she liked and would hope Asmoskon liked as well. Though, Sozen did give her a card, just in case she needed it for anything.

She turned around, smiling at kagami while he walked with her. "I know that guys are really supposed to come to these things, but thank you for coming Kagami-senpai. I couldn't think of anyone else to bring with me but you. Hopefully, this will be insanely painless and we can get this done with quickly." They walked up to a nice upscale wedding boutique. The appointment was already made for her, which she assumed that someone in the Manor had done it already. When she walked in, she was immediately greeted and asked for the name. She gave her name and they were whisked away. She whispered to Kagami, "This makes me feel like I'm in a fight, with all the people jostling around for these dresses. Please have my back if one of these crazy women try to stab me."

Kagami isn't gay, but he's got a great fashion sense so Hotaru asked for his help in picking a dress. Queue arriving at her door on time for once. "Don't worry about it, I'm happy to help a friend out. It's nice to finally talk to a girl who isn't all over me. I mean, this Asmo guy has to be something really special if he's a better catch than I am." He winked at her, smiling, hiding the fact that he knew full well about Asmokon's darkside. He kept up as Hotaru was dragged behind the saleswoman. "If worst comes to worst, you can always fry them with that Zanpakuto of yours. That might be an option you'd like to consider, I'll stand by you."

Hotaru smiled at Kagami's comments, relieved that if worse comes to worse, Kagami would help her fight all these crazy women. Then, she was shuffled towards a rack of dresses and given the choice to pick a few. She had never wore anything like these dresses. She was used to regal kimonos for a wedding dress. But, she had decided that since this was a new time, she would at least try a new wedding dress. She took a deep breath and started the search.

She looked through all the racks, trying to find something that she would like. She picked out a mermaid style dress that zipped up the back and then another one, with a tied up bodice that then puffed out from the hip. She continued to look around, and she realized she didn't know what her 'fashion sense' was. It was then she turned to Kagami. "You have any other good ideas? I think I'm out of my depth looking at dresses like this." She continued to pause, hoping something else would catch her eye.

Kagami shook his head. "Nope, Sozen's paying for this wedding. You gotta make sure you spend as much of his money as possible and that you spend it well. You're not buying any dress that isn't the best." He grabbed her arm and led her down the path between manaquins and racks of dresses before stopping at the end. Just before them stood a manaquin with a flawless, white dress that would hug Hotaru's figure from above the waist before descending into a spiral. [font color="#c2fdd8""Is this perfect enough?"[/color]

Hotaru let herself be pulled through the store and where he stopped, she just let her mouth gape open. "Oh my god, Kagami-senpai, it's perfect! Though, I wonder if they would let me change some things about the dress, adding more purple of course. That's really all it needs to be the most perfect dress." The associate that was helping them ran over, smiling. It was one of the more expensive dresses and she was going to get a big commission off this one. Hotaru pointed. "I want to try that one on."

The associate smiled and nodded. "Of course miss, right this way." The associate pulled her size out of the rack that was near the dress and guided both of them to a fitting room. She walked in with her, which surprised Hotaru a bit. It was then that she looked at the back and noticed that it was a tie up. She would need the help. After a minute or two, Hotaru walked out in the dress, standing on the little podium in front of the mirrors set up, looking at herself. "What do you think Kagami-senpai?"

Kagami waited patiently for Hotaru to change, occassionally looking up at the mirrors to meet his own gaze before breaking away only to do so again a minute later. Hotaru broke the cycle when she reemerged. When she first asked for Kagami's opinion, the man didn't respond instantly. Ten seconds passed and he still hadn't responded. He was completely still. In fact, his chest wasn't even rising and falling. A solid 20 seconds later, he suddenly inhaled. "I'm sorry, you took my breath away for a moment. Just imagine how that Quincy's gonna feel when he sees you walking down that isle."

Hotaru looked back at Kagami and smiled. "I did? Really? I mean, I love the dress, but I didn't think it looked that great on me." She looked down at herself, then back in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked damn good in the dress. She smiled at herself while looking at the associate. "Can I try a veil on? One of the ones that are two layered. I would need one in front of my face." She nodded and hurriedly went to get one. The dress was a little short, but that was an easy fix.

She came back and put the veil on. The veil hit her right at her elbows, with the smaller part being just long enough to cover her face. The veil was perfect. "This is the one. Can you do a few things to change it though? I would like the length to be longer, so it will actually hit the floor when I walk and cover my feet. I would also like, if possible, the jewels on the dress to be purple, add a different design near the slit and extend the train to add a few more details on it. I'm sorry to say I'll need the dress later today. It's the reason we came in so early."

The associate paled. "There are people before you ma'am, and making that kind of alteration, especially to the beading on the gown, could take awhile." She then thought back to what Sozen told her. She went back into the room and pulled out the card he gave her. She was told that if she had any issues, to give this to them and say do it. She ran back out with it. "Here, I'm supposed to say that money is no object as long as I can get it today."

The woman's eyes bugged out and quickly went to get a manager. The manager came back and looked as well. "We will have your dress done by closing, whatever you want. Thank you for doing business with us." She was guided back to the fitting room and put her clothes back on. Her dress was quickly whisked away by the manager. Hotaru was a little surprised and looked down at the card, seeing if there was anything on it that was out of the ordinary. "What was that all about?"

Kagami watched with moderate amusement as the employees of the store reacted nervously and animatedly to the card Hotaru showed them. Kagami didn't get to see what was on it, but he didn't need to in order to guess. Hotaru was a Kuchiki. If she flashed that crest, she could get anything she wanted. "Didn't you realize you were a Kuchiki?" Kagami responded to her question. "One day, you've got to let me borrow that card. Just one day. Maybe on my birthday or something."

"I mean I knew that, but jeez. I never thought that I could get something like that." She walked up to the register, looking at everything bundled together, the veil and the dress. She was able to take the veil home with her, but decided to leave everything there, so when she picked it up later, it was all together. She smiled towards another associate and when she handed over her plastic card, which she didn't know was called a 'credit card' the associate smiled a little brighter.

"Ah Ms. Kuchiki! I hope you enjoyed your visit to our store. I hope you found everything you needed?" "I did yes, thank you. I'm surprised that you're actually able to accomidate my needs on my dress is such a short notice." "Of course we can, Ms. Kuchiki. Anything to help your noble family." Hotaru was a bit skeptical about all this. She knew the name carried weight, but this kinda weight was weird for her. Once she was run up, the associate smiled again. "Come back here around closing and you can make sure that it's to your liking. If not, we will change it to fit your needs. Thanks again!"

She waved at them as they made their way to the door. "Wow, that went.....very smoothly. I honestly thought that it would take a lot more effort and fighting to get through that store. I guess my name makes people go out of their way for me. I just hope I didn't inconvenience anyone over it. It is really late notice. Well, Kagami-senpai, we have the rest of the day to shop. What else am I going to need to look my best for the wedding."

Kagami thought to himself for a bit. There was a lot Hotaru still needed to do to prepare for the wedding, but the question was what to do first? After a few seconds, his eyes lit up and that signature grin lit up his face. "I've got it. Follow me." He didn't explain anything to Hotaru and just walked in silence, expecting her to follow. Just ten or so minutes later, they would arrive at the opening of a hair and nails salon. The shop was definitely busy. Every seat was filled and there was a solid line stretching outside the store. Kagami, however, just walked right passed that line and around the front desk.

Out of no where, one of the women running the store, someone dressed like she had the managerial position, ran up to Kagami excitedly and gave him a full on kiss on the lips. She wasn't messing around with this kiss either, it was legit. It took Kagami fifteen seconds before he pulled away. "Nice to see you, beautiful." "Heyy, didn't expect to see you down here so soon. What's going on, babe." Hotaru must have been confused. Then again, sexy, slim women with perfect bodies and gorgeous black hair running to their waists were always chasing after Kagami.

"I've got a favorite to ask. My friend here, Hotaru -- who's just a friend, by the way -- is getting married tomorrow. No one can take care of her like you can. Plus, you might have heard of her. She's the Captain of Squad 10, a Kuchiki." At the mention of Hotaru's family name, the woman's eyes widened. "Don't worry, I'm on it." She spun around to talk to the rest of the store. "Hey, everyone. Sorry but we're closing up early. Everyone out. Staff, meet me in the back. I need to brief you about a special situation." Her workers responded, "We're on it, Amanda." After winking at Kagami, she ran off to get busy. Kagami simply turned to Hotaru and shrugged. "Just met her last night. Guess her name's Amanda. But before you get mad, you can at least say thank you."

Hotaru just followed him after he said follow me. She had no reason to doubt him, so she followed. Where they ended was a little surprising. Hotaru just looked up at it and then looked at the huge line out of the door. Why would she need her hair done now when the wedding is tomorrow? She would need to shower and it would ruin her hair. The nails however, were a completely different matter. She followed Kagami into the store and watched as a woman came out of nowhere and just completely made out with Kagami.

Hotaru shouldn't be surprised, but she still cleared her throat, a little loudly, to get them to stop. She wasn't against PDA, just, making out like that was a little extreme for her. They talked for a bit, while Hotaru just looked at Kagami with her right eyebrow up. She assumed some things never changed. He made sure to tell her that she was just a friend, which made her chuckle a bit, and made sure to drop her last name again. As it was at the dress shop, everything stopped and the woman said she was on it.

It was then that she told everyone they were closing and got the staff to have a meeting. She still wasn't used to all this craziness around her. Once they left, she looked up at Kagami, clearly judging him. She didn't understand how he could do what he did, but she guessed it suited him well. "Thank you, I think, but I swear, you're dropping my last name like it's going out of style Kagami. It's a little weird, or should I expect people to drop everything for me?" He just smirked, and she was whisked away in the store.

She spent about an hour in there and once she was done, she was able to get them to come out to the manor to get her hair and makeup done for tomorrow and she looked down at her hands, smiling at how her hands looked with her nails done. This would probably never happen again, but it was nice to see at least once. After that little adventure, they went to a jewelry store, where she was able to find a nice pair of earrings and then a shoe store.

She looked around and honestly, she just didn't like the idea of wearing insanely uncomfortable shoes on a day that was meant to be about her and her husband. So, after looking around, she decided to just go barefoot, like she always did. Kagami then gave a good suggestion about looking over the wedding site. She agreed and they made their way back to the manor. There, they ate lunch and she walked him down to the site. From what she could tell, the wedding site looked amazing.

Since she knew that not all of Asmoskon's friends could come to the rehearsal dinner that was tonight, she had decided against a full rehearsal of the ceremony. She did show Kagami where he was going to stand, beside her, and asked if he wanted to actually walk down the aisle like normal. She had figured since there was only one for each of them, both men, it would probably be easier for him to just stand there. After he heard her explanation, he agreed to her terms, it was her wedding after all.

After that, they ended up back to the dress shop. She had added other fixes to the dress after they said they would accommodate everything. She walked in and when they saw her, they pulled her dress out and the smile on her face couldn't go away. She went and tried the dress on again. When she saw it in the mirror, she was so happy. It was exactly like how she wanted, with everything she wanted added onto it. They packaged her dress and veil together while she thanked them. After this, she parted way with Kagami and headed back towards the manor, to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Another morning that began without the rays of light cast down from the heavens. Asmoskon had become accustomed to awaking prior to even the twilight now and while he was stationed at the military facility training his subordinates there was little time to himself. It was true enough that he still got a fair bit of time to spend with Hotaru yet all of his duties had rushed to the forefront over the last month. There was a large new number of Quincy and Asmoskon had taken to training each of them both in groups and individually just to make sure that each would become an invaluable asset to both his army and Xcution in the future.

Well now that he was awake it was time to get his morning activities done with while he still had time. So over the course of the next two hours Asmoskon ran around the military base not once stopping and always moving at a minimum of half his full speed. He had to build up his endurance and by pushing his body to the limits that was exactly what end he would achieve. It was after two hours had just passed that Asmoskon noticed his cousin Cynthia standing in his pathway with her hands crossed over her chest and a frustrated expression across her face. Asmoskon rushed up to Cynthia and slowed his breathing making sure that his body could rest while he tried to figure out what she was angry with him for now.

"So what's got you all aggravated? I'm perfectly healthy nothing bad is going to happen from me exercising Cynthia." Asmoskon was curious to actually know what his cousin's reason would be. He knew that she was a harsh individual when it came to medical practices and since Asmoskon while her superior in every way other than being a medic was her patient and had been for awhile. "It's not about hurting yourself today Asmo. It's about Hotaru killing you since you've obviously forgotten what today is." Cynthia starred at him angrily her right foot tapping on the dirt ground while she gave him a moment to think what she meant over. It took a few seconds for all the pieces of the puzzle to fit together, but when they did Asmoskon's eyes widened and his pupils shrunk. "Oh Fuck."

For the remainder of the day Asmoskon gathered his immediate family members and traveled off the military facility to Karakura Town. They would be staying there until tomorrow and while he was here Asmoskon had to speak with Kazura. He got to Uzaki's main building though and found out that he wasn't there. So he simply left a message for his friend altering him that he would be needed tomorrow just in case he had forgotten like himself. Kazura had his number so actually being able to gain entrance to Soul Society wasn't going to be a problem so long as he remembered to call him.

By the end of the day Asmoskon had been forced to go out shopping and gathering all of the little things that to him were unneeded yet based upon what Cynthia kept on about were very important. It was actually strange spending the majority of the day with his cousin and Asmoskon at this point was starting to lean on the side of surprising Hotaru with a honeymoon which neither of them thought possible. He couldn't keep up with being yelled at as much as he was by Cynthia especially when normally she wasn't like that at all yet the romance was getting to her and all he wished for was night to claim him.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Night Before Wedding

After spending the day with Kagami, getting everything together for tomorrow and picking up her dress, she was back at the Manor. With her dress in tow, with everything fixed to the way she wanted it, she gave it to one of the maids that had been assigned to help Hotaru with the wedding ceremony. She was given more maids than she thought she would need, but they were all very helpful. This maid took her dress to one of the rooms that was designated as her 'Bridal Suite,' where everything that she would be wearing for the ceremony, as well as extras that were deemed necessary, were held.

She smiled as she watched the maid walk her dress up to the room where it would live until tomorrow, when everyone would see her dressed in it. She then got pulled back to reality when one of her maids told her what time it actually was. She didn't even realize it had been that late! She wanted to get ready for the dinner before now, but it was better late than never. Since Asmoskon would more than likely arrive before she was done getting ready, she told one of her maids to meet him at the gate.

The maid already knew what time he was supposed to arrive, since the maids knew just about everything there was to know about the wedding. She nodded and got herself ready to pick Asmoskon up at the appropriate time. While the maid was off, Hotaru was whisked away to her room to get ready. She had been trying to figure out what to wear to this rehearsal dinner, since she was going to wear a traditional wedding dress instead of the normal kimono that she would've worn during her time.

So, as a nice in between, she decided that tonight, she would get to wear a kimono. It wouldn't be the one that Asmoskon had gotten for her, but one of her own making. It was a light red kimono, almost on the verge of being pink, with white Japanese designs on it. There were a few cherry blossom flowers on it, and the inside of the flowers were black. It was an homage to Asmoskon, with her own little twist on it. There were, of course, purple accents in the kimono that set it off quite nicely. 

Once her hair was fixed correctly, she looked at herself and thought she looked good. Her maids agreed with her, but she was always curious if they were actually saying that out of honesty, or because she was a Kuchiki and they worked for her family. Right when she finished, the maid she sent out came up to her room, saying that he was here. She looked at the time and it seemed like he was a tad late. She opened the door and then walked down the stairs to see Asmoskon standing there waiting for her.

"Well, well, well my handsome archer, I guess you don't own a watch. It's either that or you let your work get the best of you on the day before the most important day of your life. Both are pretty bad. I know you work long hours and enjoy the exercise, but please try to remember the important things in life, like the rehearsal dinner before your wedding." She looked up at him and got on her tip toes to kiss him gently on the lips, putting her hands on his hips for better balance.

Once done with that, she turned towards the Great Hall, where she could already hear family members talking fairly loudly about different kinds of matters. She pretty much ignored their small talk. She put her hand on Asmoskon's arm, gently pulling him to let him know that it was time to join in on the fun. "All of the Kuchiki that are planning to go to the wedding tomorrow are already here. I tried to get Kagami-senpai and some of the others invited, but they just wanted this dinner to be Kuchiki only. Hopefully, this goes well. I haven't even met half of these people."

Hotaru sighed as they reached the doors, leaning her head on Asmoskon's arm for just a moment. She took a deep breath and said, "Well, I guess this is the point of no return. Are you sure you're ready to do this?" She said the last part looking at him straight in the eye. She would wait for his response, answer, if she needed to, then turned back to the door and nodded for the butler to open the door. Once it opened, the true test would begin.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

"I love Soul Society. I was born here, and it has been my home ever since, as well as home to generations of my family before me. But that does not change the existence of injustice. Even here, in paradise, there is such a thing as injustice. You understand this well, I am sure. I am certainly not the first who has sought your help in such matters. I have been dealt with unfairly. Souen Youji has defied our treaty and seized land which was to be claimed by my family. It was our intention to turn it into an agricultural area, so that we might hire workers for it and farm. Yet, now Souen intends to build upon it a large battleground for training his clansmen. This is not right. I beg of you to bring me justice, Lord Kuchiki."

Sozen was in a black tuxedo with a red flower on the front, and a black bow tie. His hair was neatly combed, and his fair skin had a pleasant contrast with his outfit. He sat behind his brown desk, which for the moment was empty but for his container of expensive pens. All paperwork for the day had already been completed. It was not unnatural for other, minor nobles, such as the man who stood before him, Dai'Ichi Kannagi of the Kannagi family, to stand before Sozen and ask him for assistance. Many Kuchiki Heads had dealt with this before Sozen as well. Thus, Sozen was in his office in the Squad 6 barracks--a quaint little room with an elegant bookshelf, a fireplace, and a nice, expensive rug and a desk he sat behind. It was here that he conducted his business.

"What would you have me do?" Sozen asked. "It seems to me that your treaty is not in writing. How, then, can I affirm the truth of your claims?" Dai'Ichi seemed flustered before Sozen. "We shook on it only three days ago," he said. "That's a verbal agreement," Sozen replied. "It isn't a proper contract. Even if you're telling me the truth, Souen broke no laws. If he had invaded your land, you would have the backing of my family and many others this very day. But he has just settled on land which no one owned beforehand, and which you claim ownership to off of a verbal treaty that you cannot prove." Sozen found Dai'Ichi's argument to be weak. So what reason was there for coming before him?

"This is an affront to my honor..." Dai'Ichi insisted. "Your family has never allied with any others before," Sozen noted. "Were you our allies, this would have worked better in your favor." Dai'Ichi was beginning to sweat. "We didn't want to get caught up in any messy affairs by allying with families who might go to war." Sozen shook his head. "And then you come to me in your moment of need, out of convenience? This isn't fairness, Dai'Ichi. If you want my help, then you need to offer something." Dai'Ichi stood there, dumbfounded, uncertain of what to say. Sozen stood up, walking over to Dai'Ichi, and stood over the weaker man.

Sozen put a comforting hand on Dai'Ichi's arm. "We will buy that land from Souen Youji, and then gift it to your family to do with as you please. In exchange, never forget this favor that you owe me." Dai'Ichi nodded hurriedly, clasping Sozen's hand. "Thank you, Lord Kuchiki!" he exclaimed, and kissed Sozen's hand, and bowed. Sozen spoke again, however. "I trust you. But, regardless, out of care I will send someone to put a brand on you to remind you. It will disappear when you have done me an equivalent favor in the future. And, should you ever default on this debt, there will be consequences. Is that fair?" Dai'Ichi assented, kissed Sozen's hand again, and bowed, and left.

With a cool smile, Sozen spoke. "Next," he said. And the door opened up, permitting entry of an old lady hobbling over on a cane. She had gray hair sunken into a bun, and upon slowly reaching Sozen, kissed his hand in respect. "Sozen," she greeted rather than saying 'Lord Kuchiki.' This was in fact Sozen Kuchiki's grandmother, Lisa Kuchiki. One of the members of the Kuchiki Council itself. Sozen, in turn, respectfully bowed his head, indicating acknowledgment for her seniority. "Grandmother," he said. "Tell me the status of Hotaru's wedding." Lisa Kuchiki squinted her eyes to see Sozen better. In her old age, she was growing blind.

"The Council has accepted your request for the wedding to be official within the Kuchiki records, and thus it can be held at any location on our land. However, the Council will not be attending." Sozen's brow furrowed in disapproval. "The Kuchiki Council has attended every Kuchiki wedding since the family was founded." Lisa, holding her cool, spoke to Sozen quite matter-of-factly. "Yes. Every Kuchiki wedding. Hotaru is an outsider." Sozen's gaze became a glare, and his smile dissolved into something more sinister. "She has our blood," he retorted. "Only because of your twisted science experiments with Azumi," Lisa shot back at the mighty Kuchiki Head.

"She is a part of our family," Sozen warned. "And all of you will be attending her wedding." Lisa Kuchiki looked incredulous, insulted even, and smirked at Sozen. "And what power do you have to compel our attendance?" she asked. Sozen's dark smile suddenly returned to him, and he leaned back against his desk, half of his face becoming obscured by the shadow of his bookshelf, and his scarlet eyes glinting beautifully. "You know what I can do, Lisa," Sozen said. "Don't make me say it again." Lisa opened her mouth to speak, but Sozen slammed his hand on his desk. "ENOUGH!" he blared. It was the loudest Sozen had ever gotten with his grandmother, and she flinched.

Sozen looked her in the eye with a straight face. "Now, you can disagree with me all you want. You can limit some of my policies if you wish. But you must never do anything against the family. Never. Now get out of my sight." Lisa Kuchiki, head lowered, turned to leave. As she turned, she spoke once more. "You are nothing like your father..." she hissed. And Sozen, smiling back at her, spoke in response before the door closed for her exit. "No, but I am like my grandfather." It was a sting, as Ginrei Kuchiki, Sozen's grandfather, had been Lisa Kuchiki's husband. Only Sozen was more ruthless than Ginrei had ever been.

---

Thus, when Hotaru opened the door, she would find a huge table with dozens of members of the family. Sozen had compelled all immediately present and able family members to appear. Though still there were hundreds more scattered around Soul Society taking care of business, they couldn't attend due to their business, and Sozen had forgiven them all for it. Still. Those who could appear had come, invited by the Kuchiki Head himself. And all of them, with the exception of the Kuchiki Council, were smiling brightly. Sozen, especially, who was proud to call Hotaru his family member on that day when he approached her and gave her a warm bow with his head.

"Welcome," Sozen said with a smile to Hotaru and Asmokon. "Please be prepared to enjoy yourselves to the utmost."

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Asmoskon finally arrived in Soul Society after dealing with Cynthia's constant barraging of comments about how lucky he was going to be now. How happy he would be and better off and she finally wouldn't have to be the one to take care of him. At first it had been rather cute and made him smile than after dealing with the entire thing all throughout the day he realized that his cousin was in despite need for a guy of her own and she was simply hiding from the fact. That had been why she accompanied him he assumed and it was enough that he put up with the fact for the time being even after getting a headache. When they were finally done Cynthia simply gave him some meds then tried using healing on his head which was slightly more successful than the medication.

Now though he was here at the Kuchiki manor again and led by the maids. He was wearing his black kimono that had red lotus in mid bloom all across it. The attire was his favorite for formal occasions and when he actually got the chance to put it on it gave him a slight confidence boost simply due to his own enjoyment for its appeal. Now as Hotaru walked down towards him he smiled. She looked marvelous yet he knew at first glance she was slightly upset with him and he was going to pay for it at some point down the road like any other significant other that willingly signed their freedom away to the control of a vicious woman. When Hotaru kissed him and placed her hands on his hips he grabbed her waist and picked her up slightly while spinning her around.

When the two of them were on their way to the Great Hall Asmoskon took the chance to explain everything. "Well actually I left work this morning and had to get the rest of the family set and ready for tomorrow. Jingu was doing everything she could to say she wouldn't be welcomed and didn't want to wear a dress. Cynthia kept me busy most of the day while going on about what I should get and how things might go. Called it being my wedding consultant. Either way everyone is finished and waiting in Karakura Town for tomorrow."

When Hotaru spoke of how the all the Kuchiki that could come were already in the dining area Asmoskon picked up on her nervousness immediately just by the slight difference in her tone of voice. When she was finished she would feel his fingers touch the bottom of her chin and lift her face up to his so she could see his gaze. "Don't worry so much. Take a deep breathe while everything sorts itself out. You're a Captain of Soul Society whether they like it or not you're one of the biggest representatives of this family." Asmoskon bent down and kissed her gently for further reassurance that he was here for her and if she needed to she could lean on his confidence in the matter. As he stood back to his full height over her Asmoskon grinned down for a moment. "Besides who doesn't like a dragon in the dining area."

Hotaru would get no time to respond to his joke about her as he pulled her forwards just as the doors were opening and the two would be in full view of everything in the Hall walking arms linked. In an instant Asmoskon's gaze scanned throughout the vast room. Immediately the motion of movement altered him and Asmoskon found Sozen who along with the vast majority of the Kuchiki seemed to welcome them both warmly. However there were a few that looked as if they would rather pluck the eyes from their sockets then be here at the moment. Each one was vast in age which led Asmoskon to the conclusion that these must be the council of conservatives Sozen had spoken to him about. When they got to Sozen and he spoke Asmoskon bent forwards bowing his head to him both as a gesture of respect and acknowledging his seniority even if their families were now nearly linked and both were the Heads of their own respected family. "I don't know Sozen if we enjoy yourselves that much I think tomorrow will be overshadowed." Asmoskon smiled to the man while he kept Hotaru by his side.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru smiled, finally seeing her husband after his long hours of work. She knew from the look on his face that he could tell that she was annoyed. Her words didn't seem to phase him too much, but she could tell from the look on his face that he was expecting to get punishment for being late. It was a little funny that he already knew what would happen if he was late, and he was already a lot later than she thought he might be. Though, the kiss she gave him went differently from what she expected. He grabbed her by the waist and spun her around the room.

Hotaru giggled a little after he put her down on the ground. As they walked, he explained why he was so late. It seemed that when he left for work that morning, he also had to get the rest of his family ready for tomorrow. She was thinking to herself that he could've easily done this between their engagement and now, but she didn't know all of the work he actually did. She didn't want to assume too much, but getting an entire family ready for a wedding the day before the actual ceremony seemed a bit much. She was just thankful that she had help with it, because she knew she wouldn't have been able to pull off everything on her own.

She spoke after him, about what awaited at this dinner, and after she spoke, he moved her face up so she could look at him. He spoke of not worrying so much, but she couldn't help it. She had never met most of the family that was going to be at this dinner. She knew that Sozen would be there, but she didn't know about anyone else. She just hoped she would give off a good first impression. When he kissed her again, she laid one hand on his cheek, pressing into the kiss just as he was. She missed the alone time they used to share, but they had more responsibility now.

When he said his dragon comment, she chuckled to herself. She felt Rivu~aiasan chuckle as well, enjoying the same comment. Asmoskon pulled her close as the doors opened. She got the chance to look in on the dining room and see all the smiling Kuchiki faces. She looked over and saw that Sozen had opened the doors to the dining room. He welcomed them and wanted them to enjoy the dinner. When Asmoskon said his comment, Hotaru elbowed him in the side. She didn't think that could happen. She then bowed low towards her family Head. "Thank you, Sozen-sama, for arranging all of this and letting the wedding be here. I have you to thank for much of what will happen tomorrow and I hope I will be able to pay you back in due time." After she said that, she gently pulled on Asmoskon, letting him know that it was time to face the family.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

Sozen was pleased to have them both here at the dinner, and even more pleased when he saw his reluctant Kuchiki Council filing in. The Kuchiki Head wondered about whether his brother had been able to tame them, or if Onuya Kuchiki had merely fallen slave to them. From what Sozen had heard, his brother had been, as expected, a very serious, law abiding Head. Not unlike Ginrei in being serious, but quite strict in that he wasn't willing to push the boundaries and assume control the way that Ginrei had. Sozen's policy, however, was that as Head, if he got results, then his methods were irrelevant. Hence, charisma was key. Sozen had to be able to win the hearts and minds of those around him.

As the dinner was getting under way, Sozen noted who was present. Mostly all of those whom he had wanted, which was good. Being able to compel presence was an extremely important ability for the Kuchiki Head to possess. As all were being seated at the table, with Asmokon and Hotaru seated next to one another, across from Kuchikis Amagai and Souza, Sozen's two children, the Kuchiki Head took his place at the head of the table, and began listening in, with a crude smile, on the conversations going on. One conversation between two council members was about the land grants that the Kuchikis were lending out to a smaller family for subsistence farming. Two random Kuchiki were gossiping about couples that had emerged in the Fall.

At this time, the Kuchiki Head was quite pleased with how things had turned out. The first meal came, then, in the form of a small appetizer. It was going to be a meal consisting of nine different courses, and thus they would all be quite small, but quite delicious. This first one was simply a delicate, sliced prosciutto wrapped around a thicker slice of steak, and marinated in a sauce that could not be identified. One eating it might get the impression that they were somewhere in Belgium. The flavors uniquely melded together, and the appetizer overall would be quite delicious to most present. Sozen hoped, of course, that Asmokon and Hotaru might also take this chance to get to know some of the people at the table.

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Asmoskon sat at the table with Hotaru next to him as the table was full of Kuchiki members all speaking to one another about a variety of different topics. Just as Sozen had been able to pick up on some of the subjects being spoken by the other Kuchiki's Asmoskon did the same yet found nothing really suited for him to converse with them about so for the time being he had kept to himself and awaited the first course of the dinner planned for the evening. As the meal was brought out Asmoskon looked over what was actually in store for the evening and from what he could tell it looked quite appetizing.

After the first one Asmoskon came to the conclusion that the evening was going to be filled with flavor and prosper at least when it came to eating. From the individuals in the family that he had been able to see and give more than a single moment of attention the majority of them were either indirect towards him or held ill contempt due to his race and nothing more. News of how he had aided Soul Society should be common knowledge yet still simply due to his race he was looked upon as something untrustworthy. Then he noticed Sozen was sitting in a different spot. . wait it wasn't Sozen this individual was younger.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru followed Asmoskon into the room, sitting next to him at the table. She looked around at the seating arrangement and was surprised by how many Kuchiki actually showed up. She knew that since she was family, most of the family would show up, but this was crazy. She didn't know the true extend of how many Kuchiki there were until that very moment, when she saw a lot of the family in that room. She glance around quickly, not really picking out any familiar faces.

That was, until she looked near her own seat and saw Souza there. She had met Souza previously, while Asmoskon was brought here to speak to Sozen. She assumed what they spoke about was Sozen's blessing for them to be wed, which thankfully went off without a hitch since they were getting married the next day. She looked next to him and saw another child around his age. They looked similar enough to be closely related.

It was then that she remembered that Souza did have a sibling. If she remembered correctly, it was Amagai. She looked at the boy, making sure not to actually stare at him, and compared him to his brother, as well as comparing them to their parents. There definitely was enough to make them all related. She had never talked to Amagai before, but this would be one of the best times to actually talk to the brothers at the same time. She put her hand on Asmoskon's leg before she started to speak.

"Souza-fukataichou, thank you for coming to the rehearsal dinner. How have you been since the last time we talked? Good I hope. Also, hello Amagai-fukataichou, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Hotaru, Captain of the Tenth Division. I also want to thank you for taking the time to come to our dinner. Asmoskon and myself really appreciate it." She nodded her head towards the both of them, as an added sign of thanks while she finished up her first course.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

"Captain," Souza greeted respectfully with a bow of his head. Amagai also bowed his head in respect, following the lead of his older brother. "Captain," he acknowledged. "Congratulations on your soon-to-be marriage," Souza continued. "It is indeed good to see you. I myself have been quite well. As a matter of fact, I was looking to perhaps discuss with you the details of a coming mission that I would like to engage in, in the hopes that you might join my campaign. Perhaps after dinner." Upon looking more closely, it was evident that physically, Souza had a few years on Amagai. Observing them from afar to ensure all was well, Sozen smiled, thinking to himself of how his two children had grown so much, and how his third would turn out all the better for it.

"I must confess, I was more than a little surprised to learn that your husband was a Masurao," Souza said. Now, from where he sat, Sozen inferred that this might very well suddenly pique Asmokon's interest, as Souza had clearly just demonstrated that he did, in fact, have some sort of knowledge of the Masurao lineage. Not just the present one, but the past as well. And the truth was, Souza had very extensive knowledge on them. As was the duty of nobles to learn of other nobles, Souza had gone above and beyond during his studies, even learning of such families in the human world. Once, Souza had even expressed desire to Sozen to venture into Hueco Mundo to study its history, though of course such a thing wasn't possible.

"I trust that you will be quite happy," Souza smiled, not relenting any more of what he knew. If they wanted to know just how much he knew, they would have to ask him directly. It was worthy of mention that Souza was known for his ability to sense reiatsu. When he had first started to develop it, there had been wonders in the Kuchiki family on if Souza might turn out like Sozen's dead sister (this thread likely pre-dates KE-3), Saeki--A sensor unparalleled. If Souza ever did achieve such a thing, he would become an enormously valuable asset, indeed. For now, however, he knew to stick to his manners. A thing which Sozen could tell by watching. Souza was very well groomed. Better than Sozen had been at that age.

Amagai, too, was well groomed, engaging in conversation himself. "Where will the two of you be venturing for your honeymoon?" he asked kindly, noting the opportunity to speak as Souza quieted momentarily. Unlike Souza's smile, which was regal, and proud, Amagai's was humble and welcoming. While Souza made people feel as if he was focusing on them, his presence was one that commanded the room. Amagai, however, warmed the room. He was the person who made people feel special, as if they were the most important person in the entire world. He was welcoming, charming, and in every way someone who possessed a beautiful array of features.

Amagai was said to be the most charming Kuchiki to have come out of that family in over twenty thousand years. His smile resembled his father's more than Souza's did, but it did not have Sozen's minor hint of malice, making it all the more beautiful. But that of course didn't detract from scandal. Contained in his smile was the irony of his situation. It was something Hotaru, who had married a Quincy, would understand. For to be an open homosexual was frowned upon in the world of the nobles. Even despite Souza's endorsement and Sozen's challenge of the council's demand that Amagai be put in therapy, the young Kuchiki would always face discrimination.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru bowed her head back slightly after both of Sozen's children had addressed her. It was nice that they called her by her title, but they were off duty right now. They didn't need to go by her title when they were off duty. "Just so the both of you know, you don't have to call me by my title every time we meet. We're family and you are more than welcome to call me by my first name, as long as the appropriate honorific is attached, if you don't mind." She bowed after her response, hoping that they understood.

It was just weird to have her be called by rank when not in the Gotei Thirteen area of the Soul Society, especially with her husband-to-be by her side, eating along with the family. She listened to what Souza was saying, with some interest. She raised an eyebrow at the mention of her marrying a Masurao. Just how much did Souza know about the family that she was marrying into?

"I am glad that you're doing well, Souza-fukataichou, and thank you for your congratulations on my wedding. I will be quite happy as well, thank you. Though, on the matter of joining one of your campaigns, I would be up to talking about it with you, if you don't care to wait. I would prefer to talk about it after the wedding and honeymoon is over, when I'm back at work with my squad, if that wouldn't ruin the timeline for your mission of course."

She then squeezed Asmoskon's leg, hoping to get his attention while she asked this last question. " I have to ask, however, why did you say that you're surprised I'm marrying a Masurao? What research have you done that would make it so surprising that I would want to marry into Asmoskon's family? You have me genuinely curious." While she waited for the answer, the next courses came out for dinner. They were on the third and fourth courses.

Both were delicious and after Souza had answered her, or not answered her, she would move on to what Amagai had asked her. She looked over to Asmoskon and smiled at him before looking back towards Amagai. "Honestly, I haven't really thought about that and I doubt Asmoskon has either. I figured that we would be able to easily travel anywhere we wanted to go and I would personally like to go to one of the warmer areas of the world, like the Caribbean."

She then tried to think back on what she knew of the younger son of Sozen. It was then that she remembered the one thing about him that more than likely got him ostracized, the fact that he was openly homosexual. Things like that had never bothered Hotaru before, what people do in their own personal time was their own business. As long as they didn't shove it in her face or if it didn't intrude on their duties, she didn't care.

But, she didn't know the world of the nobles as well as Amagai would, since he is Sozen's son. She assumed that it would be much harder for him because of that fact. She knew that her marrying a Quincy, the enemy of Soul Society, would make things hard for her, but it never bothered her because she was marrying the person she knew she was meant to be with. Also, it didn't hurt that Asmoskon himself was high ranking in the military of his organization and a powerful fighter.

If anyone or anything tried to come between them, it wouldn't last for long against them. They were a united front against the world and for right now, nothing was really bothering them enough to effect their daily lives. But, Amagai was alone. He had Souza and Sozen, both powerful in their own right and would support him, but he was still by himself in some ways. After she answered him, she would lean forward slightly and speak in a low voice for Amagai to hear.

"Also, Amagai-fukataichou, if you EVER need help from people who don't like your preference, come to me. Asmoskon, Rivu~aiasan and myself will help you teach them a lesson. Please don't hesitate to call for that or anything else you may need." She smiled towards him then, leaning back in her chair and enjoying the food. She wanted them to know that she was family and she would be there for them whenever they would need it.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

Souza and Amagai bowed their heads in acknowledgment of Hotaru's point about calling her by her name. "If either of us has made you feel less welcome with the formalities, I apologize," Souza said. "I suppose it has simply been instilled in us from an early age that manners require your position be acknowledged, even in private matters such as this. After all, you hold a prestige and title that only a handfull of Soul Reapers receive. To fail to acknowledge that goes against everything our father has ever taught us about social interaction. That being said, we will certainly adhere to your wishes, Lady Hotaru." Something noticeable was there was an honorific, but it wasn't Japanese.

"If Lady Hotaru is appropriate of course," Amagai quickly chimed in. "Our father has a great love of the West, and many members of our family have adopted Western honorifics over traditional ones." The two brothers together were polite, acknowledged by their father gazing at them with his scarlet eyes, watching them interact. Amagai was the warmer of the two. Souza was the colder. But, Souza had a far more impressive presence right now, obviously as a result of age and practice. Though he acknowledged Hotaru's superior rank, Souza was already holding himself as a Captain would, short only by lacking the official rank. Amagai, however, still behaved only as a Lieutenant. Still, they must adhere to manners. It was a requirement.

"It wasn't my intention to lead you to believe that I am curious as to why you married into the Masurao family," Souza quickly corrected himself. "I am not surprised by your choice, but by his existence. It is hardly dinnertime conversation. It is simply common knowledge in the Quincy world that the Masurao family was all but exterminated. Today, we know that it was the Vandenreich's doing." Souza bowed his head in Asmokon's direction, indicating that he meant no disrespect. His only goal was to correct himself before Hotaru, so that she might know that he didn't disapprove of the marriage, nor find it surprising. It was Asmokon being alive that surprised Souza.

And, as Souza's head came back to an upright position, he spoke as much to Asmokon as to Hotaru. "The Vandenreich will pay..." Souza declared coldly. However, he was balanced out soon after by a warmer aura. "Perhaps we could have your honeymoon funded as early as tonight, and send you wherever you please," Amagai suggested. After all, Sozen had paid out of pocket for the wedding itself. Money was no object, and it would hardly be an inconvenience for Sozen to pay for the honeymoon as well. That was the benefit of being a member of the Kuchiki family. Besides having started obscenely wealthy, the family had a constant new flow of income regardless from all of its projects and investments.

At Hotaru's second comment, Amagai smiled. "Thank you for your support," he gracefully said. "It was a difficult thing to reveal, but I feel all the better knowing that it is out in the open, and that I have the support of loving family members such as yourself." What he didn't mention, which Sozen, overhearing the conversation, had picked up on was that when Amagai had come out, Souza had literally bullied acceptance into being the norm. The council had wanted to force Amagai to say it had been a joke, or a lie, and pretend to be straight. But, at that time, the Kuchiki Heir's rage and indignation at how his little brother was being treated had silenced all sentiment against Amagai's preferences. It had been further proof that Souza would be a very powerful Head in future.

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Asmoskon was sitting at the dinner table with the others while Hotaru and the two sons of Sozen began to speak to each other. For the most part Asmoskon was eating while listening to the others and making sure that there were no Shinigami in the room that he didn't take notice of. While he was soon to be a member of this family through marriage he knew enough of nobility and history that such things could lead to death at any moment. He'd be damned if this was the location where he would meet his end. Even worse though he'd make whoever responsible more damned for ruining his loves happiness.

Asmoskon learned the names of the two sons and watched as the conversation between them and Hotaru continued. When Souza brought up that he was surprised that Asmoskon was actually a Masurao his interest was peaked slightly. He hadn't known that his family would never be remember in Soul Society. The other son Amagai was far more open and joyful than his brother who in reality mirrored Sozen almost perfectly. Hotaru took it upon herself to answer the majority of their questions with what was to her knowledge. However, she wasn't the one behind the planning especially not the honeymoon.

Asmoskon turned towards Sozen for a moment and nodded his head in acknowledgement to how grand the food that was served actually happened to be. There was no doubt that a master chief had prepared all of the food. However, Souza and Hotaru's talk about the Masurao family brought up guilt and worry in Asmoskon as he was in Soul Society and had left Cynthia in control of his family for the time being. He felt his mouth start to go dry and without thinking he grabbed ahold of the glass in front of him. However, the water that had been in it had already been consumed a few moments ago.

His throat was parched and Asmoskon felt it would be right to address Souza on the matter of his family yet he needed to quench his thirst. Hotaru's glass was empty as well and a waiter was moving by on the other side of the table. Raising his right hand up and over the table a glass from the tray that the waiter was carrying was lifted from it and began to move through the air towards Asmoskon's hand. Normally using this technique wasn't something that Asmoskon did, but he was really thirsty and he was around soon to be family.

In the following moment he quenched his thirst and set the glass on the table in front of him. "My family has been in hiding for the last few centuries. However, our numbers are very few now as most of the family is younger than myself. Over the last decade not only were my parents and grandfather killed, but it seems that the same occurred throughout the entire family across the human world. Someone in the Vandenreich had managed to find us and nearly wipe us all off the map. I've reformed the remaining members though and along with some others we should survive for the time being and flourish in the near future."

[Sozen Kuchiki]

OOC: Might it be Hotaru's post?

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru smiled at both of Sozen's children while they spoke. She ate small bites so she could actually talk and respond to them when need be. She would glance occasionally at Asmoskon, just happy being in this situation, surrounded by her family and her love. It was definitely not a place that she would have found herself in six months ago. When Souza talked, she was snapped back to reality.

She listened intently while Souza spoke. It seemed he was apologizing if she felt unwelcome because of the honorifics being used. She didn't, but it was nice that he spoke that way. Souza then explained why it was used. It seemed that their father had instilled in them at a very young age to show respect to people that have a high rank and/or authority. She understood that very well.

Her father had done the same thing, but she had only done that in public only. In private, she always used nicknames or the regular names for the people she knew extremely well. It was then that he had called her 'Lady.' Hotaru didn't know the honorific at all, but that's when Amagai chimed in, saying that the family had adopted a lot of Western honorifics due to Sozen's love of the West. Hotaru didn't know that and would remember that for the future.

"Lady Hotaru is fine. These western honorifics are very interesting... Thank you for asking if it was okay first though." She smiled towards them while she answered, acknowledging their answer. Hotaru had finished the course and the new course was coming through the tables. She waved a waiter down and got more to drink, her glass empty.

Souza then said that he wasn't surprised that she picked a Masurao, just that the actual family was still around. He had thought the Vandenreich had completely exterminated his family. Hotaru did know that his immediate family was killed by the Vandenreich, but she had no idea that his ENTIRE family was killed by Vandenreich. But, thinking back on it, it should've been common sense.

When he said the Vandenreich will pay, Hotaru nodded towards him in agreement. She would make them pay for what they did to her soon-to-be family. She was sure that Asmoskon felt the same way, if not feeling stronger about it. Then Asmoskon explained how his family was doing. She was happy to know that the family was going to flourish soon. Knowing that she can help with that, it made her feel good.

Then, Amagai chimed in, saying that the family could fund their honeymoon as early as tonight, going wherever they wanted. While Hotaru thought on this, the second to last dish was being served. She ate while thinking about where they could actually go. Spending more time in the Human World, she's heard about cruises. She thought that actually going on a cruise to one of the nice, warm places would be good.

"I feel bad that the family is paying for everything for the wedding. I know we're extremely wealthy, but still it's odd for me to just spend this much. If the family could pay for the honeymoon, we would greatly appreciate it. I was thinking of a cruise to a warmer place. Sorry, I'm really bad with geography." She slightly bowed while sitting towards the sons, thanking them.

Amagai then smiled, saying that he was thankful for their support and she nodded and smiled back. She was more than happy to help support him. He was family after all. What he did in his free time was his own business, as long as it doesn't do anything against the family. They talked a little more and by that time, they had reached the last dish.

After finishing dessert, Hotaru wiped her mouth clean and looked towards Asmoskon, gripping his leg slightly. This dinner was far longer than she thought it was going to go and since the dinner was over, it was time for the two of them to part ways. When everyone had finished and the dishes collected, she would wait to see if Sozen would mention anything before she left.

After he spoke, if he spoke, Hotaru would stand up and bow towards the entire room. She would then turn towards Sozen and bow towards him as well. "I would just like to thank you for the great rehersal dinner and for the wedding that I know will be amazing tomorrow, Sozen-sama. I have no idea how to repay you for this, but I will find a way."

She looked towards Asmoskon, who should've stood up by now, standing by her. She turned towards Asmoskon, lightly touching his arms while looking up in his eyes. "Well Asmoskon, since it is the night before the wedding, you won't get to see me again until I walk down the aisle to be tied to you forever. Have a good night and I can't wait for tomorrow." She got on her tip toes and kissed Asmoskon lightly on the lips.

This was the first time that she had ever showed this kind of affection towards Asmoskon in front of any member of her family, let alone the ENTIRE family. She didn't feel bad about doing it either. Sozen was there in the room with them and she knew that he supported their union. He was like a security blanket so she knew that she could express this with him. After the kiss, she lightly hugged him before being escorted back to her room. There, she fell asleep, excited for the next day's events.