Search Yoruichi cast the slightest of glances at the empty seat where Momo had been until just a few weeks ago, more out of habit than anything else. Perhaps it was because she still hadn't fully recovered from the idea that the Class Representative, who'd never done a single overtly impulsive thing in the four years Yoruichi had known her, would up and leave only three days after Aizen's 'resignation' took effect. "Hey, what's up?" Kuukaku asked casually, noting her friend's brief look of concern, but upon following the other girl's gaze understanding came upon her. "...Ah, don't worry about Hinamori. I'm sure she'll be fine at that new school of hers. But can you believe that her family really moved to Okinawa?" "Huh? Oh yeah," the dark upperclassman agreed, recalling the officially stated reason for the short girl's absence even though instinct had told her better. "...I just hope she's really gonna be happy, is all." ---------- Even though the trouble with Gin had been cleared up and the boy was now comfortably back to his old (if mild) habits, everyone had begun to treat Yoruichi differently. Instead of the adoring respect she recieved before the attack, the upperclassman seemed to garner more fear than anything else now, and even though students would stop talking when she rounded a corner or else back up against the wall for fear of aggravating her she never took notice. Soi supposed as Yoruichi walked towards her and her peers cleared away like a swarm of cockroaches that it simply didn't bother the older girl, but the ignorant reactions of the student body were frustrating Soi to no end. "Hey, Soi!" Yoruichi called with a smile as Kuukaku trailed behind, apparently of the same mindset as the freshman in that she was glaring dangerously at the cringing spectators. "...You getting ready for finals?" "W-well, I'd LIKE to say that I'm prepared," the Chinese girl joked, and Yoruichi gave an appraising chuckle in response. She wasn't sure when Soi had decided that she had a sense of humor, but the upperclassman had to admit that she liked it-- a good change of pace. "...But what are you doing down here, Yoruichi-san? Don't you have class in a minute all the way upstairs?" "Well, yeah, but I wanted to give you something real quick--I'd give it to you later," she muttered as she brought her bookcase in front of herself, then began leafing through the assorted mess of papers purposefully, "...But I'm afraid I'd just forget about... Ahh, here it is!" With a flourish Yoruichi pulled out a small envelope, sealed with a sticker of an exaggerated holly wreath. Soi hesitantly accepted the letter, then carefully pulled the seal away and removed a beautifully stamped stationary card. "...A Christmas/Birthday party?" the freshman pondered aloud, wondering if she'd read the label incorrectly. "Don't forget 'New Year's," Yoruichi corrected. "See, every year we always just combine my birthday party with the holidays, since they're right next to each other." "Really? W-when's your b-birthday, Yoruichi-san?" The girl was grateful this had come up-- she had been meaning to ask Yoruichi about just such an event without seeming too obvious in her intentions. "January 1st: New Year's Day," Yoruichi grinned, as though she was incredibly proud of 'her' achievement. "Well anyway," she continued, "...We'll exchange gifts and I'll get Kisuke to make something good (she didn't notice her friend's slight tensing at the boy's name)... maybe we'll break out the booze..." she added as an afterthought with a wicked smirk. "B-but I can't... S-see, I'm spending the day with my dad on Christmas." For a moment Yoruichi fumbled, feeling her equilibrium wobble at her friend's statement, but she recovered it just as quickly. "Oh, come on-- Your Dad won't miss you for a few hou--" "We REALLY need to get to class, Yoruichi," Kuukaku interrupted with an abundance of false joviality, pulling the dark girl away from Soi with an almost surprising amount of strength. "Uh, okay...and even if you can't be there, I'm still expecting a gift from y-- OWW!" Yoruichi began but was again stopped by the unruly girl beside her, who had struck her with an elbow before she could complete her statement. "What the hell, Kuukaku?!" "Jeez-- I don't know jack shit about manners but even I can tell that was a damn stupid thing to say!" "Oh, come on, I was just kidding! She knows me better than that!" Yoruichi said dismissively, even as Kuukaku made another blow to the gut. ---------- Despite Yoruichi's assertion that Soi would know she was kidding, the freshman made the fifteen-minute walk to the mall as soon as school let out, assuring herself that Abarai-sensei would have some form of unpleasant repentance planned for her at Karate tomorrow. Once her legs had carried her to her destination, bustling with people even this early in the afternoon, Soi was there for about a half-hour before leaving in slightly lower spirits. Damn, she cursed to herself as she double-checked her wallet, as if doing so would cause the handful of hundred-Yen bills to suddenly multiply of their own accord. It was bad enough that she barely had anything TO save from the meager allowance she was able to recieve-- most of it went straight to school lunches for the week-- but on her initial check nothing seemed like it was good for Yoruichi. Wait...what am I doing, Soi thought out of the blue as she stared suspiciously at her money. I'm Christmas shopping in NOVEMBER, for God's sake. After taking a calming breath the girl retired her moneyholder to its place in her jacket pocket, then proceeded home. I'm getting all worked up, she assured herself. I've got plenty of time. ---------- A month later, Soi was busy kicking herself mentally for even allowing that notion to take root in her head. The party was less than a week away (as Yoruichi had jovially reminded her just that morning, along with a teasing chorus of 'you'd better get me something goo-ood!') and even though she had managed to raise a respectable amount she now faced the problem of what Yoruichi would like. She wished she could just flat out ASK the older girl but her intuition had insisted that she do no such thing, and like a fool she had listened. "...But THAT one seems like a good deal. Soi?" "H-huh?" the freshman asked while blinking herself to the here and now, turning away from the wooden building she had been staring at and to her father, covered in pine needles from the various coniferous trees surrounding the tiny parking lot. "Which one of these do you like? Personally, I'm favored toward this little guy...just my opinion, of course..." the older man said in a comically uncertain tone even as he indicated the tree he preferred, and Soi let the tiniest of laughs out as a sign of her mirth. She glanced at the two trees, the tops of both barely passing the petite girl's chest height, then let her gaze linger on the one her patriarch so clearly favored. He was right; it was sturdy as far as she could tell and the needles seemed content to stay on the branches, meaning less trouble when it came time to cleaning. It was funny just how in sync they were sometimes, but instead of acknowledging this verbally she simply nodded and the padded jacket-clad salesman typed a few numbers into his small calculator before he indicated that he was ready for payment, which the eldest Fong handed over without hesitation. "...Somethin' on your mind, Soi-chan?" he asked once they had left the small lot of trees, hauling their prize on a wagon as if it was a prize deer. "Well..." she began while her eyes caught a lit-up statue of Santa, his endless bag of toys bringing her back to her previous concern. They walked in silence for a moment before she finally thought better of her planned statement and dismissed the subject. "...It's no big deal, Dad-- really..." "Well, if you don't...mind..." he grunted while pulling harder on the cart, the tree jostling slightly with each tug, "...I'D like to ask what's bothering you. You've been awfully...well, strange for the last few weeks." Soi blinked, unable to speak immediately. Had her behavior really been that noticeable? What if he suspected about her...feelings...for Yoruichi? Would he reject her, force her to leave his sight? She thought that her father was better than that, but of course she was treading into unknown territory. Who was to say what he would do if he found out that what his perfectly normal daughter had in mind for a date was the girl she'd 'brought home' before? "Soi...You know you can tell me anything, right?" the older man said after a time, looking at his daughter imploringly. "...Of course, Dad. I'm just a little worn out, is all," Soi answered with a sweet smile, then immediately changed the subject to what she was going to put on the tree once their meager collection of ornaments was unpacked. ---------- "Oh, very nice choice," the sales girl said with a wide grin as Soi held the sweater in front of the mirror, trying to guess offhand if it would fit Yoruichi but failing to get a proper mental picture of the older woman's height. "That's one of our newest ones-- lightweight, but it really is made more for fashion than comfort." "I guess so..." Soi responded absentmindedly as she looked the dark ribbed garment over again. It WAS very nice, and she would have bought it, out of desperation more than anything at this point, if the price tag hadn't told her otherwise. Noting her customer's considerable drop in enthusiasm the clerk gently replaced the sweater on the nearby rack, then guided the girl over to the clearance section. "Now, if you're looking for something a little more...reasonable (the slight hint of destain that comes easily to one knowledgable in the area of fashion was not lost on the fairly uneducated Soi), I could suggest--" "...not pushing for commissions?" Both women turned to find Kisuke standing just behind Soi, making the petite girl nearly jump as she faced him. He had a plain shopping bag slung over his shoulder and even though his hat was shielding his face, the freshman could discern the look of slight annoyance on his features. "Excuse me, sir, but I'll have to ask for you to leave the young lady alone," the clerk finally said. "...And please remove your hat while inside the store." She and Kisuke locked serious gazes for just a moment, and Soi was wondering if something was going to happen when the teen threw a free hand on her shoulder. "Geez sis, I told you this place is a ripoff, didn't I?" The clerk was silent, then made a mumbled apology before walking off, and Soi was still a bit too shocked by what he had said to speak coherently. "S-s-sister?!" "Relax, Soi-chan," Kisuke muttered with a grin as he guided her out of the store and into the main alley of the mall, where swarms of people like her were busy with last-minute Christmas shopping. "...I got you out of that place, didn't I? Trust me, it's ridiculously overpriced." "...Thanks, I guess..." she responded with a shrug, though she was still a little annoyed from being called 'chan' by someone other than her Dad. "Who were you shopping for, anyway?" the blonde asked while glancing back at the shop they were rapidly putting behind them. "That's really not the sort of place I expected to see you in. I mean, I just kinda recognized you from outside, but when I noticed that salesgirl I remembered--" "...Yoruichi-san..." Soi admitted quickly, forgetting her manners in her nervousness. Urahara blinked in surprise, then gave her a slight smirk. "...You know that she hates the place you were just in, right?" He laughed at her flabbergasted expression, then waited for her to recover before continuing. "Yeah, she thinks all the clothes are stupid, anyway. What are you wanting to get? I'm sure I can help you find one at a better price." "I...I don't know." "Well, then I don't see what the big deal is," he answered. "...Just get her a gift certificate or somethi--" "No. It has to be something good." "...Why?" Soi opened her mouth automatically to answer, but she hesitated instead. There was only one reason she could think of, but of course it wasn't exactly one she could tell HIM. "I... Because...because she's done so much for me this year," the freshman finally decided. "I just...wanna get something that tells her that." Of course, she wished that she could find something cheap that would be able to express what she REALLY felt, but it was unlikely she'd find it with Kisuke tagging along. The older boy gave a comprehending nod, then without a word began walking off in a different direction. "H...hey!" Soi called, annoyed that he was ignoring her all of a sudden. She gave a growl before following him, weaving a path through the people swarming around her until she finally caught up with him, standing near the entrance to a much smaller boutique than the one she had been in a moment ago. "Don't just walk away from m--" she began, but stopped when she noticed the table past the store's threshold, covered with long scarves made with the kind of cotton that was thick and warm, and emblazoned with a different pattern on each one. "She DID mention the other day that she needed a new scarf," Kisuke said nonchalantly before leaving Soi with the slightest of grins.
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