[Fic] - Threads of Different Yarns Chapter 1/?
[Title]: Threads of Different Yarns - Chapter 1
[Characters]: Chiyo and Kuchiki Byakuya
[Summary]: All Byakuya wanted for his birthday party was a nice and quiet evening with the guests of his own choosing. But for that he had to endure his family.
[Word Count]: 1644
[Finished]: 19.April.2008
[Beta]: by the fastest beta ever: umihana and my brother who did a quick overlook first. XD
[Warnings]: Spoilers for the "Turn Back the Pendulum" arc of the manga.
[Rating]: PG
[Notes]: Byakuya's birthday is January 31st.
Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters © Kubo Tite; save a few OCs, product of my imagination.
next chapter
Chapter 1.
Kuchiki Byakuya, sitting on a comfortable orange cushion on the balcony, surveyed the bustling servants. They were finishing preparations for a small party of three in the Tea Pavilion’s main room. Truth be told, there was enough food and beverage for a whole Division of Shinigami; a division of starving, ravishing brutes. Say, like 11th Division! The Kuchiki household would go to all means necessary to give the Head of the Family the most lavish of birthday parties.
The only trouble was, Byakuya simply wanted to have a quiet dinner with close friends, and an enjoyable night talking of mundane things, like Kaien’s sister latest pyrotechnic achievement, or his and Kaien’s latest developments with their zanpakutou. Or learn something from Ukitake’s inexhaustible and generous wisdom the older shinigami always had to offer.
He didn’t want to have to endure the sour and perpetually disappointed looks of the Family Elders, who always expected him to assume, to the utmost, the respectable, noble Kuchiki stance, - never a hair out of place or a crease in disarray - even if he chose to drink over the reasonable measure. He wanted to eat whatever he felt like without the voracious looks of the Kuchiki matrons, examining Byakuya in all ways possible, to apprehend all his tastes and flavors, in order to choose the daughter, niece, or cousin, who’d better fit their misconceptions of the, ever desirable, Kuchiki master. He wanted to behave in the most unorthodox of ways without being wary of the ever-present servants, lurking in the dark corners of the cold mansion, making the desolate place even creepier.
An agreement that would allow Byakuya to spend the night of his birthday as he saw fit was reached after several hours of debate in an extra-ordinary assembly with the Kuchiki Elders, summoned only to address this question. The fact that Byakuya wasn’t interested in a spendthrift and sumptuous do seemed to appall said elders. They had visibly paled when their lord had told them, in no uncertain terms, that if they choose to throw such an opulent affair, he would simply not attend the venue. Byakuya respected the Elders in general, and even felt real esteem for some of them, but their obstinacy and close-mindedness on most subjects, and their reluctance to accept progress, or Byakuya’s attempts to change even the most bantam of things, was becoming substantially more tiresome and discouraging for the plans he held for the Noble Kuchiki House.
After a strenuous discussion during which Byakuya was severely tempted to abandon the room on several occasions (instinct he refrained from, weary of the decisions made in his absence), the elders came to a satisfactory consensus. They would permit Kuchiki-sama to have the night of his birthday free for him to do as he deemed convenient, if he would agree to have a celebratory birthday lunch. The meal would be a simple one but with the mandatory attendance of all Kuchiki family members.
Needless to say, the lunch was as simple as mastering Bankai. The Elders were present to oversee Byakuya’s every move, as well as those of the other family members, their intent and disapproving gazes betraying the aloofness and disinterest of their old, wrinkled faces. Also present were the bony and affected matrons, accompanied by all their daughters, nieces and cousins of nubile age (some not even that and others old enough to have been his mother’s bridesmaids), over-dressed to impress the coveted bachelor master. Even family members that Byakuya didn’t recall ever seeing in the Main House made attendance as well.
All in all, it was everything he hadn’t wanted for his birthday. The extravagant meal of rare and lavish dishes, followed by overly sweet deserts, was served by the ever-lurking servants. Gifts he neither wanted nor had any interest in, were presented; Byakuya could swear he had seen a few cages of exotic animals, including a red-tailed boa, which snaked over to the orchard. Empty compliments and feigned congratulations were dealt out by overzealous but false-hearted kin. When all was over, Byakuya felt drained, even surer that this birthday lunch had been nothing but needless and irksome, and he deemed the night celebration now utterly essential for his mental health.
He was wondering why he hadn’t been born a month later, so his birthday would only occur on leap years, and submit him to this torture only once every four years, when Chiyo, the old nurse and head housekeeper, entered the room from some concealed entrance and walked up to Byakuya.
She was a small, thin woman, her shoulders starting to lean down with the weight of the years, but she held an energy capable of putting people old enough to be her great-grandchildren to shame. Chiyo was strict, demanding the best from everyone around her, including her masters. Her spirit and rigor could be seen in the efficient and diligent way the servants worked whenever she was in a room. But she was always fair and just, regardless of consequences, as Byakuya had learned throughout his childhood.
After stopping here and there to supervise the work’s proceedings, Chiyo reached Byakuya in the balcony. A new female worker that the housekeeper seemed to favor, for the dark-haired girl had been following her all month, arrived shortly after, both kneeling and bowing in front of him. He was sure Chiyo had told him the girl’s name, but he didn’t have the habit of remembering servant’s names; except for Chiyo’s and Ren’s. Bitterness filled his heart at the memory of the little servant boy that had attended to him years before; feisty and high-spirited, so much like himself back then. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he tucked the memory away, and concentrated on the present; the girl’s name still as elusive as a wet eel trying to escape the cook’s knife.
“Byakuya-sama?” Chiyo said, waking him from his reverie, a concerned look on her face.
He devoted all his attention to the old woman. “Chiyo-san, what can I do for you?”
“Are all the arrangements sufficient, Byakuya-sama?”
“They are over the top. Chiyo-san knows I requested a simple dinner, not a lavish soirée,” he said, feigning dissatisfaction.
Not fooled, she reproached him. “Byakuya-sama knows of the standards of this House. A simple dinner would not have sufficed for a day like today. When has anybody heard of a simple dinner for the head of the Kuchiki clan?”
Byakuya was sure he had heard her huff and couldn’t help chuckle; a sound that earned him a very familiar, but no less frightening, glare. But she wasn’t as stubborn as he was. “It’s a just a birthday. I’ve had plenty and will have plenty more.”
Her scowl deepened and Byakuya could predict the words of wisdom coming, in the form of a lecture.
“The apparent, certainty of future birthdays should not prevent you from celebrating the present one, accordingly. One never knows what the future will bring. And with Byakuya-sama’s impending nomination for Taichou, your life will have new and different challenges and perils.”
A true pearl of wisdom from Chiyo, but one that didn’t make him feel any happier with the fact that his preferred choices in this House were pretty much cut off at the root and repressed. “At least in this day, I ought to be able to celebrate in my own fashion and not by the dictates of the Kuchiki Elders,” he answered, battle weary but not defeated.
“It is how it’s been done for eons,” she said, and her rarely shown softened face placated Byakuya’s distaste for the whole situation. "It is up to the head of the family to see to the changes needed," she continued, "and Byakuya-sama has his way more often than not. Still, having agreed to this arrangement, Byakuya-sama has to uphold his word.”
“Certainly, Chiyo-san,” he replied, almost petulantly.
Chiyo-san’s forehead vein throbbed visibly, as she bit back the retort he deserved, answering instead, “the preparations are complete…”
Byakuya looked about the room as Chiyo continued talking, surprised to find everything ready and no sign of servants, except for Chiyo and the petite, doe-eyed girl, kneeling in front of him.
“…I will retire for now. Hisana will stay and attend to Byakuya-sama and his friends throughout dinner and until you wish her to retire. She’s prompt and diligent and will serve you well and with discretion. Have a good night, Byakuya-sama.” She bowed deeply.
“Very well. Thank you, Chiyo-san.” He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the housekeeper, as she left the room. A sudden icy breeze sweeping through the balcony made him get up and enter the main room of the Tea Pavilion.
Byakuya couldn’t help but admire the sumptuous arrangements. The tatami floor was covered with animal furs, keeping the cold away. On the far side, closer to the panoramic view of the snow covered gardens and to where Byakuya now stood, three large and comfy futons and a set of colorful, warm wool blankets were strategically placed near the crackling fire on the hearth. In the center of the room, a low table dressed with a green satin table-cloth, was filled to the brim with his favorite dishes and the best delicacies, and small but comfortable fuchsia and yellow pillows were scattered around the table.
The day had dawned sunny and perfect, melting the residual snow from the mild wintry weather. But by now in late afternoon, dark clouds started gathering on the horizon, driven by a chilling North wind, and the temperature was dropping considerably, foreseeing a cold, snowy night. The blankets would come in handy for certain.
Byakuya entered the room and settled by the gentle fire, observing the servant girl, as she made sure all was perfect. She paused slightly to serve him some warm tea, while he waited for his guests to arrive.
April2008©MarinLiliz
next chapter
[Characters]: Chiyo and Kuchiki Byakuya
[Summary]: All Byakuya wanted for his birthday party was a nice and quiet evening with the guests of his own choosing. But for that he had to endure his family.
[Word Count]: 1644
[Finished]: 19.April.2008
[Beta]: by the fastest beta ever: umihana and my brother who did a quick overlook first. XD
[Warnings]: Spoilers for the "Turn Back the Pendulum" arc of the manga.
[Rating]: PG
[Notes]: Byakuya's birthday is January 31st.
Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters © Kubo Tite; save a few OCs, product of my imagination.
next chapter
Chapter 1.
Kuchiki Byakuya, sitting on a comfortable orange cushion on the balcony, surveyed the bustling servants. They were finishing preparations for a small party of three in the Tea Pavilion’s main room. Truth be told, there was enough food and beverage for a whole Division of Shinigami; a division of starving, ravishing brutes. Say, like 11th Division! The Kuchiki household would go to all means necessary to give the Head of the Family the most lavish of birthday parties.
The only trouble was, Byakuya simply wanted to have a quiet dinner with close friends, and an enjoyable night talking of mundane things, like Kaien’s sister latest pyrotechnic achievement, or his and Kaien’s latest developments with their zanpakutou. Or learn something from Ukitake’s inexhaustible and generous wisdom the older shinigami always had to offer.
He didn’t want to have to endure the sour and perpetually disappointed looks of the Family Elders, who always expected him to assume, to the utmost, the respectable, noble Kuchiki stance, - never a hair out of place or a crease in disarray - even if he chose to drink over the reasonable measure. He wanted to eat whatever he felt like without the voracious looks of the Kuchiki matrons, examining Byakuya in all ways possible, to apprehend all his tastes and flavors, in order to choose the daughter, niece, or cousin, who’d better fit their misconceptions of the, ever desirable, Kuchiki master. He wanted to behave in the most unorthodox of ways without being wary of the ever-present servants, lurking in the dark corners of the cold mansion, making the desolate place even creepier.
An agreement that would allow Byakuya to spend the night of his birthday as he saw fit was reached after several hours of debate in an extra-ordinary assembly with the Kuchiki Elders, summoned only to address this question. The fact that Byakuya wasn’t interested in a spendthrift and sumptuous do seemed to appall said elders. They had visibly paled when their lord had told them, in no uncertain terms, that if they choose to throw such an opulent affair, he would simply not attend the venue. Byakuya respected the Elders in general, and even felt real esteem for some of them, but their obstinacy and close-mindedness on most subjects, and their reluctance to accept progress, or Byakuya’s attempts to change even the most bantam of things, was becoming substantially more tiresome and discouraging for the plans he held for the Noble Kuchiki House.
After a strenuous discussion during which Byakuya was severely tempted to abandon the room on several occasions (instinct he refrained from, weary of the decisions made in his absence), the elders came to a satisfactory consensus. They would permit Kuchiki-sama to have the night of his birthday free for him to do as he deemed convenient, if he would agree to have a celebratory birthday lunch. The meal would be a simple one but with the mandatory attendance of all Kuchiki family members.
Needless to say, the lunch was as simple as mastering Bankai. The Elders were present to oversee Byakuya’s every move, as well as those of the other family members, their intent and disapproving gazes betraying the aloofness and disinterest of their old, wrinkled faces. Also present were the bony and affected matrons, accompanied by all their daughters, nieces and cousins of nubile age (some not even that and others old enough to have been his mother’s bridesmaids), over-dressed to impress the coveted bachelor master. Even family members that Byakuya didn’t recall ever seeing in the Main House made attendance as well.
All in all, it was everything he hadn’t wanted for his birthday. The extravagant meal of rare and lavish dishes, followed by overly sweet deserts, was served by the ever-lurking servants. Gifts he neither wanted nor had any interest in, were presented; Byakuya could swear he had seen a few cages of exotic animals, including a red-tailed boa, which snaked over to the orchard. Empty compliments and feigned congratulations were dealt out by overzealous but false-hearted kin. When all was over, Byakuya felt drained, even surer that this birthday lunch had been nothing but needless and irksome, and he deemed the night celebration now utterly essential for his mental health.
He was wondering why he hadn’t been born a month later, so his birthday would only occur on leap years, and submit him to this torture only once every four years, when Chiyo, the old nurse and head housekeeper, entered the room from some concealed entrance and walked up to Byakuya.
She was a small, thin woman, her shoulders starting to lean down with the weight of the years, but she held an energy capable of putting people old enough to be her great-grandchildren to shame. Chiyo was strict, demanding the best from everyone around her, including her masters. Her spirit and rigor could be seen in the efficient and diligent way the servants worked whenever she was in a room. But she was always fair and just, regardless of consequences, as Byakuya had learned throughout his childhood.
After stopping here and there to supervise the work’s proceedings, Chiyo reached Byakuya in the balcony. A new female worker that the housekeeper seemed to favor, for the dark-haired girl had been following her all month, arrived shortly after, both kneeling and bowing in front of him. He was sure Chiyo had told him the girl’s name, but he didn’t have the habit of remembering servant’s names; except for Chiyo’s and Ren’s. Bitterness filled his heart at the memory of the little servant boy that had attended to him years before; feisty and high-spirited, so much like himself back then. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he tucked the memory away, and concentrated on the present; the girl’s name still as elusive as a wet eel trying to escape the cook’s knife.
“Byakuya-sama?” Chiyo said, waking him from his reverie, a concerned look on her face.
He devoted all his attention to the old woman. “Chiyo-san, what can I do for you?”
“Are all the arrangements sufficient, Byakuya-sama?”
“They are over the top. Chiyo-san knows I requested a simple dinner, not a lavish soirée,” he said, feigning dissatisfaction.
Not fooled, she reproached him. “Byakuya-sama knows of the standards of this House. A simple dinner would not have sufficed for a day like today. When has anybody heard of a simple dinner for the head of the Kuchiki clan?”
Byakuya was sure he had heard her huff and couldn’t help chuckle; a sound that earned him a very familiar, but no less frightening, glare. But she wasn’t as stubborn as he was. “It’s a just a birthday. I’ve had plenty and will have plenty more.”
Her scowl deepened and Byakuya could predict the words of wisdom coming, in the form of a lecture.
“The apparent, certainty of future birthdays should not prevent you from celebrating the present one, accordingly. One never knows what the future will bring. And with Byakuya-sama’s impending nomination for Taichou, your life will have new and different challenges and perils.”
A true pearl of wisdom from Chiyo, but one that didn’t make him feel any happier with the fact that his preferred choices in this House were pretty much cut off at the root and repressed. “At least in this day, I ought to be able to celebrate in my own fashion and not by the dictates of the Kuchiki Elders,” he answered, battle weary but not defeated.
“It is how it’s been done for eons,” she said, and her rarely shown softened face placated Byakuya’s distaste for the whole situation. "It is up to the head of the family to see to the changes needed," she continued, "and Byakuya-sama has his way more often than not. Still, having agreed to this arrangement, Byakuya-sama has to uphold his word.”
“Certainly, Chiyo-san,” he replied, almost petulantly.
Chiyo-san’s forehead vein throbbed visibly, as she bit back the retort he deserved, answering instead, “the preparations are complete…”
Byakuya looked about the room as Chiyo continued talking, surprised to find everything ready and no sign of servants, except for Chiyo and the petite, doe-eyed girl, kneeling in front of him.
“…I will retire for now. Hisana will stay and attend to Byakuya-sama and his friends throughout dinner and until you wish her to retire. She’s prompt and diligent and will serve you well and with discretion. Have a good night, Byakuya-sama.” She bowed deeply.
“Very well. Thank you, Chiyo-san.” He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the housekeeper, as she left the room. A sudden icy breeze sweeping through the balcony made him get up and enter the main room of the Tea Pavilion.
Byakuya couldn’t help but admire the sumptuous arrangements. The tatami floor was covered with animal furs, keeping the cold away. On the far side, closer to the panoramic view of the snow covered gardens and to where Byakuya now stood, three large and comfy futons and a set of colorful, warm wool blankets were strategically placed near the crackling fire on the hearth. In the center of the room, a low table dressed with a green satin table-cloth, was filled to the brim with his favorite dishes and the best delicacies, and small but comfortable fuchsia and yellow pillows were scattered around the table.
The day had dawned sunny and perfect, melting the residual snow from the mild wintry weather. But by now in late afternoon, dark clouds started gathering on the horizon, driven by a chilling North wind, and the temperature was dropping considerably, foreseeing a cold, snowy night. The blankets would come in handy for certain.
Byakuya entered the room and settled by the gentle fire, observing the servant girl, as she made sure all was perfect. She paused slightly to serve him some warm tea, while he waited for his guests to arrive.
April2008©MarinLiliz
next chapter