Saving the Damsel

Kenzo wakes up and goes through his morning training routine. He has a little extra added energy for some reason. His punches had a little extra snap in them, his zanpaku-to seemed to respond better to his movements.

Kenzo: What’s up today, Hakutaka? Did I really improve that much since yesterday, or am I just having a good day?

He looks deep into his zanpaku-to’s blade, but the spirit of Hakutaka didn’t emerge from the sword.

Kenzo: Don’t feel like talking today, huh? That’s cool, you always did like to reveal things in your own time. I’ll just chalk in up to it being a lucky day.

He heads to his Division’s H.Q. Captain Kyoraku had an old tuxedo he had agreed to let Kenzo borrow.

Capt. Kyoraku: Hey before you leave, try it on and make sure it fits. Can’t have you finding out at the last minute that it’ s too big or too small.

Kenzo: Don’t worry about it. By the way, what was it you had me pick up yesterday for you?

Capt. Kyoraku: Special made perfume. I had it made especially for Nanao-chan. I gave it to her after she agreed to let me escort her to the dance.

Kenzo starts laughing out loud.

Capt. Kyoraku: What’s so funny? Nanao-chan is a woman and enjoys getting gifts as much as anyone.

Kenzo: It’s not that. How’d you talk Capt. Kurotsuchi into making perfume for you?

Capt. Kyoraku: He owed me one.

Kenzo: You’re just lucky it didn’t end up turning Nanao into a chicken or something. Next time you need a girt for a lady, go to Yumichika Anasegawa in 11th division. He’s as close to being a lady as most guys get.

They both share a good laugh at that one. He heads back to his house and starts to get ready. He walks into the bathroom and turns on the hot water to the bath. He takes off his Shinigami robes and looked himself over in his mirror. The tattoo on his shoulder, that was the one thing that set him apart from most other Shinigami. Normally, only captains and Lieutenants wore tattoos like that and that was only when they went into the human world. Their purpose was to seal up to 80% of the Shinigami’s spirit energy so that the presence of the Shinigami wouldn’t affect the souls of the living. Kenzo on the other hand had an abnormal amount of spirit energy, and as a result, kept most of it sealed almost constantly, much like his former Captain, Kenpachi Zaraki did with his eye patch. That tattoo, he felt, was a blessing, the sheer amount of spirit energy he possessed had caused him a good share of trouble before he joined the Shinigami academy. He sighs and slips into the hot water. He loved how relaxed he felt in the water and spent most of the bath just letting his muscles loosen. The water seemed to embrace him like an old lover would.

Kenzo: Hmm, seems like I’m missing something.

He thinks for a minute, then he realizes what it was that the moment was lacking.

Kenzo: I need some tunes.

All his trips to the real world had introduced him to all different types of music, but his favorite had to be what they called “hard rock” or “heavy metal”. He hits play on his CD player and the sounds of an American band, Alice in Chain, starts to fill the air.
He leaves the radio on after his bath as dries off and starts to get dressed.

Kenzo: Why the hell does this thing have so many parts to it?

He looks over the various pieces of cloth and metal that made up the tuxedo, the shirt, pants, jacket, cummerbund, cufflinks, bowtie, ect. Luckily, Capt. Kyoraku had been kind enough to leave instructions on which went on before what. He even included a diagram of how to tie the bowtie correctly. After many failed attempts, Kenzo decided that he looked better without the damn tie. He looked himself over in the mirror. His hair didn’t quite look right. Kenzo’s black hair was fairly long, somewhere between Renji’s and Captain Ukitake’s in length. He normally kept it loose, but in the tux, he felt that he looked too feminine. He started to wonder why he never took up Ikkaku’s suggestion to shave it all off like he did. He thought about it for a second, but ultimately decided that bald wasn’t a good look on him. Maybe if he made it look like he had that much hair, from the front anyways. He throws his head back and slicks back his hair as much as he can before tying it in a thin ponytail. He puts one tie at the base of his skull to keep it thin and another just before the ends so that his hair wouldn’t fan out behind him when he and Nemu were dancing.

Kenzo: Not too bad.

He nodded at his reflection approvingly. There is a knock at the door. Who could that be? He wasn’t really expecting anyone to stop by, he had figured that they’d all be too busy getting ready for the dance themselves.

Kenzo: Um… Come in?

Through the door walks Nanao. She looked like she was dressed to kill in her long, midnight blue evening gown. She still had her hair done up in her usual fashion, but it seemed to fit to make her look like a spy-movie bombshell.

Kenzo: Hey, looking good, Nanao.

Nanao heaves a frustrated sigh.

Nanao: Kenzo, I’m still your lieutenant, why do you insist on addressing me so informally?

Kenzo: Because I think Nanao sounds better than Lieutenant Ise. Anyways, what brings you over here?

The lady lieutenant clears her throat and adjusts her glasses.

Nanao: Well, as you may or may not know, Nemu happens to be one of my closest friends. I think that it’s great for her that she’s found someone, even better that it’s someone that I personally know and trust. I just want to make sure that she’s not going to get her heart broken.

Nanao seemed like a totally different person. Normally she seemed so unemotional and professional, to see her care this much about her friend, it really make her subordinate look at her in a different light.

Kenzo: Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s me, remember? Mister Chivalry.

He was right, of course. And Nanao knew that she had nothing to worry about concerning him. He may have had some bad habits, but there were many redeeming qualities about him. Even so, she wasn’t about to not be angry at him about nothing, she had her mind set as soon as she stepped in the direction of his house that she was going to be mad at him, and it was just her personality that made her follow to always follow everything to the end.

Nanao: Where’s your tie?

Kenzo: That stupid thing? There is no person in the entire Sereitei who knows how to tie one of those things. I’m going without it.

Nanao tried to seem as exasperated as she could, but it was very hard. After all the time Kenzo had spent as a member of 8th division, she had unknowingly come to look at him like a younger brother.

Nanao: Let me see it.

She holds out her hand as Kenzo puts the untied bow tie in it. She walks around behind him and ties it in a neatly for him. While she was in close to him, Kenzo could smell a sweet scent on her, like some sort of unknown flower. He figured that she really liked the perfume he had picked up for Capt. Kyoraku the day before.

Nanao; There, much better.

Kenzo didn’t really see that much of a difference, but since Nanao was such a stickler for detail, he assumed that it really did make him look a little better.

Nanao: You had better hurry up and bring Nemu to the dance. All members of the Shinigami Women’s Association are expected to show up for the dance early.

Kenzo: Sure thing. See you and Capt. Kyoraku at the dance then.

He gives her a little salute and leaves. While walking over to the 12th division HQ, he happens to walk by the Kuchiki Family Estate. Now, the Kuchikis had probably the most well-tended garden in all the Soul Society. He gave in to temptation and hopped the fence, carefully watching his back to make sure he wasn’t caught. He spots some pink carnations and decided that it would suit Nemu perfectly. As soon as he plucked the flower, he used his shunpo to get off the property as fast as he could. Finally, he gets to Mayuri’s labs. He knocks on the door, and before anyone can answer, he sprays his mouth with breath freshener that Capt. Kyoraku “accidentally” left in the tux’s coat pocket. Mayuri Kurotsuchi answers the door. He doesn’t seem very happy to see Kenzo, or anyone for that matter.

Mayuri: What? What do you want?

Kenzo: I’m here to take Nemu to the dance.

He said it as if he was reminding the crazy genius captain of something he should have already known.

Mayuri: What do you mean “Dance”? I never heard anything about any dance.

Kenzo: The dance put on by the Shinigami Women’s Association. It all anyone’s been talking about for the past couple weeks. I’m Nemu’s escort.

Mayuri looks absolutely furious.

Mayuri: NEMU!!!

The timid Miss Kurotsuchi appears. She looked ravishing in her white slender gown that accentuated her every curve. She had done her hair in a fancy braid, and her lips were redder than normal; hinting that she was wearing lipstick.

Mayuri: What is the meaning of all this!?! Why aren’t you in your normal clothes!?!

Nemu looks down at the ground, almost ashamed. Her voice seemed quieter than normal.

Nemu: It’s the S.W.A first annual ball. I had told you about it last week. As a member of the Shinigami Women’s Association, I have to go.

Mayuri: You stupid girl!!! I’LL tell you what you “have” to do and what you don’t!!!

He raises his hand to hit his daughter, but he’s held fast by Kenzo’s strong grip around his wrist.

Mayuri: Stay out of this, boy! This doesn’t concern you!

Kenzo’s eyes turned deadly serious as his gaze seemed to bore a hole through the captain.

Kenzo: Oh no, it DOES concern me. I swore to never let anyone put there hands on an innocent person, even if it IS their own daughter.

He let his rieatsu flare as much as he could without breaking the seal he had placed upon himself. He didn’t let go of the man’s arm until he felt the violence in Mayuri wane into nothingness. When he finally lets go, Mayuri slinks away to his labs. Kenzo offers his arm out to his date, which she gratefully accepts. No one had ever stood up for her like that before and she enjoyed it. For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel pain, she didn’t feel fear. Instead, what she felt was warmth and comfort. Two completely foreign concepts to her, but two she welcomed with open arms.