Not a Mob: Psycho

[July 18th, 2001]
"These kinds of undergarments don't really suit me..." said Rukia, staring at her reflection with furrowed brows. Since her arrival in the world of the living, she typically wore simple panties and a plain sports bra. When the two of them went shopping, however, Ohta had her purchase some more 'adult' underwear. Now, her ears burned as she stared at her body garbed in a black lace thong, matching bra, stockings, and a garter belt.
"If my opinion matters, it suits you just fine," said Ohta, observing Rukia try on various outfits while lying sideways on his bed.
"So you say..." muttered Rukia, turning to face Ohta as she added, "But you always say that..."
"Yeah, and?" asked Ohta. "Do you doubt my words? Or are you just fishing for compliments before we fuck?"
Furrowing her brows slightly, Rukia remarked, "You know I don't like you using language like that. Once we...once we return to Soul Society, you'll need to exhibit at least a basic sense of decorum."
"I can do that for you," replied Ohta, adopting a teasing smile as he said, "At least in public. When we're alone like this, I like talking dirty. You know you love it."
Adopting a faint smile, Rukia admitted, "I don't hate it..." before returning her attention to the standing mirror she was using to check her reflection. Such 'tasteless' garments would never be permitted back in Soul Society, but so long as she was in the world of the living, she didn't mind dressing to impress a certain someone...
*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*
Ruining the pleasantly tense atmosphere that had been building, the alarms of both Ohta's and Rukia's phones started going crazy. Generally speaking, they only beeped three times to inform of the appearance of a new Hollow. This time, however, they were beeping non-stop.
"Well, that can't be good..." remarked Ohta, using telekinesis to draw his phone to him since he didn't feel like getting up. When he activated the phone's radar function, however, he immediately rose to his feet, startling Rukia and compelling her to ask, "What's going on?" with a serious look on her face.
"Hollows are appearing across the city," explained Ohta, quickly donning a t-shirt, a pair of pants, and a jacket comprised of spirit particles. Putting on a Shihakusho was a pain in the ass, not to mention it wasn't the least inconspicuous, so before their little tiff, he convinced Youruichi to set him up with more modern threads.
Following Ohta's example, Rukia also started to get dressed. She would have preferred to change into some more 'practical' underwear, but since it was an emergency, she had to work with what she had on.
Though he was prompted to ask Rukia what she thought she was doing, Ohta resisted the urge. As adorable as she was at times, Rukia was also a very prideful woman. She had also been a Shinigami for decades, so if he instructed her to stay put, she would undoubtedly get upset.
"You ready...?" asked Ohta, waiting until Rukia had finished changing into a beige camisole top, blue jean short-shorts that conformed to her small yet perky butt, and a stylish, red, letterman-like jacket.
Nodding in affirmation, prompting Ohta to place his hand on her head and vest her with some of his power, Rukia asked, "Are we going to split up, or should we stay together?"
"It would be more efficient to split up, but I'll leave the decision to you," replied Ohta. "Either way, we need to hurry. Several of the signals have vanished, but the total number of Hollows has only increased since the start of whatever this is."
"Then let's split up," said Rukia. "Even without your power, I can make use of several Kido spells. With it, even a large group of Hollows won't be able to lay a finger on me."
"I don't doubt that," replied Ohta, adopting a cheeky smile as he added, "But, first things first. Bring me that ass..."
Though she furrowed her brows and stared at Ohta with upturned eyes, Rukia obediently nestled into his embrace, allowing him to lift her by her butt so they could kiss. It would have been more responsible of them to head out immediately, but an intense, parting kiss was good for the body, mind, and spirit...
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Before splitting up, Ohta and Rukia turned their gaze to the sky, noticing a distinct 'distortion' within the clouds.
"Well, that's ominous..." remarked Ohta, turning to Rukia as he said, "I'll take that area. You start from the perimeter and work your way closer. If you figure out what's causing this, call me."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Rukia remarked, "You know, once we get to the Soul Society, you'll be the one following my orders..."
"Do I not already?" asked Ohta. However, instead of waiting for Rukia's response, he said, "Stay safe." before flying off at supersonic speeds. It was faster to travel using Shunpo, but by flying, he could locate and take care of any Hollows he encountered along the way to his destination.
Seeing Ohta fly off, Rukia stared listlessly in the direction of his departure before shaking her head, giving herself a few light smacks, and muttering, "Stay focused, Rukia...!". She was the one to suggest splitting up, so if she suddenly gave chase, concerned for Ohta's safety, she risked looking like an overly concerned fool...
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"Man, this just isn't my week..." groaned Karin, forcing a smile despite her eyes watering from the pain in her ribs. A few meters away, standing 4.5m tall and possessing a body looking like the pear-shaped sarcophagus of an ancient pharaoh, was a Hollow. It wasn't very mobile, but when it opened the front of its body, it had rows of sharp teeth and tendrils resembling an iron maiden.
With her friends all unconscious from the monster's sudden attack, Karin was doing her best to draw it away from them. Unfortunately, though she managed to dodge most of the Hollow's attacks, she took a grazing blow on her right side, leaving a gash deep enough to expose two of her ribs...
Issuing a low, soul-chilling growl, the Hollow opened the front of its body and shot out more than a dozen spear-like tendrils. Karin closed her eyes in preparation for the blow, but it never came. Instead, she heard a loud 'thump,' followed by a gust of wind and a powerful vibration through her feet.
"You still alive, bokukko(tomboy)...?" asked a somewhat familiar voice, compelling Karin to open her eyes, finding Ohta staring at her with raised brows, standing atop the slowly dissolving corpse of the Hollow. He had dropped down on it like a meteor from above, literally crushing it into the shape of a crater using his psychic energy.
"You're that boy that tried to convince my dad not to call the cops when you showed up with a bullet wound..." muttered Karin. "Yamada Ohta..."
"Hey, I didn't make that guy shoot me any more than you asked this guy try and fillet you," said Ohta. "Speaking of which, how's your wound? I'm not exactly friends with your brother, but he'd probably nag me to death if I let his baby sister die."
"I don't know..." admitted Karin, forcing a smile despite feeling as though she was about to pass out at any moment.
"Then, don't mind me..." muttered Ohta, raising his hand toward Karin and pulling her closer to him using his psychic power. A wave of panic rushed over her as he did, but that didn't stop Ohta from lifting her shit halfway to reveal a rather nasty gash.
"You're probably gonna have a scar," remarked Ohta, extending his hand over Karin's wound without touching it directly. A faint, bluish-green glow appeared from his palm as he did, quickly transitioning to bright gold as he used a mid-tier Kaidō to close up the wound within seconds. He tried to leave her without a scar, but Kaidō was made to treat spiritual entities, not living people.
"That should do it," said Ohta, subsequently lowering Karin to her feet as she had been hovering before him. He planned to leave immediately after, but Karin stopped him, calling out, "H-Hey, hold up...!" while quickly fixing her shirt. She had on a sports bra underneath, matching her spats, but while Ohta didn't see it, Karin looked somewhat aggrieved as she stared at him with a frown.
"What's up...?" asked Ohta. "There are a ton of other monsters like this, so I don't have time to sit here and chat."
"Just explain to me what's going on," said Karin. "Does this have anything to do with Ichi-nii? I've seen him, you know, running around in the strange black getup..."
"He's your brother, and you live under the same roof," replied Ohta. "If you want answers, ask him. If he refuses, he's an idiot, but he probably thinks keeping you in the dark will protect you."
Frowning deeply, Karin asserted, "I'd rather be able to protect myself..."
Adopting a smile, Ohta teased, "That's what makes tomboys one of the best kinds of girls. But, without the power to back up your bravado, pluck isn't much different from asking to be bullied."
"Then tell me how to get stronger...!" exclaimed Karin, earning a curious raise of the brows from Ohta.
"Shouldn't you be more worried about those brats lying on the ground?" asked Ohta, reminding Karin that she wasn't the only one who had been attacked. The others had simply fainted due to the Hollow's Reiatsu, but they were still lying on the ground in the middle of an empty lot on a hot day.
Countering Ohta's argument, Karin forced a smile and said, "I'm a little kid, right? Shouldn't you be the one doing something to help them...?"
"I never called you a little kid," affirmed Ohta. "At the very least, you took a pretty serious blow attack like a champ. Most girls your age would have passed out or started calling for their parents."
"..."
Realizing that Ohta had never specifically drawn attention to her age, a faintly embarrassed blush colored Karin's cheeks. Fortunately, as she had lost a decent amount of blood, it was nearly invisible.
"But, seriously," said Ohta. "I don't have time to stand around talking like this. Here, I'll lend you some of my power to make moving those brats a little easier for you. Get them into the shade, call an ambulance, and then get your ass home."
Placing his hand on Karin's head, Ohta explained, "My power functions on thought. It's not omnipotent, but if you concentrate, it will respond to your needs. Good luck, bokukko..."
Retracting his hand from Karin's head, Ohta intended to take to the sky, but he was momentarily delayed by the black-haired Kurosaki exclaiming, "My name is Karin...!" with a firm expression and tone.
"Congratulations," quipped Ohta, taking off before Karin could delay him further...
Seeing Ohta take off, Karin muttered, "That jerk..." with a look that would have stunned her predominately male friends. She usually had a perpetual scowl and was known for being short-tempered, so they would have been slack-jawed to see her staring listlessly at the sky as she muttered, "He's kind of cool, though..."
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Slaying every Hollow he came across, Ohta eventually found himself under the exacerbating tear in the sky. More importantly, he found a familiar boy with angular glasses, black hair that framed his face, and an expression that seemed to show contempt for everyone and everything as he knocked and unleashed arrows of light that tracked Hollows like homing missiles.
"I figured this was your doing," remarked Ohta, crashing near Uryu with a notably peeved expression. After all, with an incident this major, it would be a matter of days, if not hours, before a hunter squad from Soul Society showed up. In other words, Uryu was the reason he would be blue-balled for the next month or so...
While continuing to target and eliminate Hollows, Uryu's perpetual frown deepened as he responded, "Yamada Ohta...I was wondering when you would show up..."
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Unamused by Uryu's relaxed response, Ohta replied, "Then you should be expecting this," before disappearing in a flash. Uryu's eyes widened as he attempted to take evasive actions, but an invisible force restrained him like being trapped in a vacuum bag, preventing his escape as Ohta landed a devastating blow to his left cheek, sending him flying.
"Whatever you did, undo it right this instant," said Ohta, making his way toward the downed Uryu while rolling his right shoulder and preparing to give the Quincy's white, priest-like attire a paint job.
"I can't...!" barked Uryu, holding his rapidly swelling cheek and glaring at Ohta as he explained, "The bait has already dispersed to the wind! At this point, all we can do is eliminate the Hollows as they appear!"
Adopting a vicious smile, Ohta asked, "So, you lured hundreds of Hollows to a town filled with innocent people? Give me one reason why I shouldn't skewer your ass on a telephone pole."
Opening his mouth, Uryu tried to make his case but was precluded by Ohta's fist smashing into his face a second time, sending him reeling as the incensed Shinigami stated, "And you should probably make it quick. I'm not very patient when it comes to dealing with villains."
Holding his broken nose, Uryu was slightly teary-eyed as he shouted, "It's you, Shinigami, who are the villains! You hunt-"
Interrupting Uryu's senseless diatribe, Ohta tried to punch him a third time, but the former managed to dodge, vanishing in a manner similar to Shunpo.
Following Uryu with his spiritual sense, Ohta plainly stated, "I don't give a fuck what your beef is with Shinigami. I was in your class until just a few months ago. What does your vendetta have to do with me or anyone else in this town?"
Gritting his bloodied teeth, Uryu asserted, "No innocent lives would be in danger if you didn't interrupt me!"
"Are you seriously this fucking daft?" asked Ohta, a genuinely incredulous look appearing on his face. "I just had to rescue Ichigo's little sister from being shishkebabbed by one of the Hollows 'you' summoned. Do you not consider an eleven-year-old girl that has never done jack shit to you as an 'innocent' bystander?"
Unable to contend Ohta's words, Uryu exclaimed, "We don't have time for this! More and more Hollows are appearing as you stand here distracting me...!"
"Wrong response," replied Ohta, moving much faster than the last few times he had attacked. By the time Uryu actually heard his words, Ohta had the raven-haired youth's face in his hand, slamming him to the ground with enough force to produce a sizeable crater. The whites of Uryu's eyes showed, but thanks to some hidden force protecting him, he managed to survive having his head smashed into concrete.
"Fucking cockroach..." muttered Ohta, raising his foot to finish what he had started when a sensation similar to vertigo overtook him, his vision spinning for a moment before the image of Uryu decorating the pavement was replaced by a grass field.
"It's good to have conviction, but you shouldn't get carried away..." said Yoruichi, having thwarted Ohta's attempt to terminate Uryu by 'tackling' him with a variant of Shunpo.
Furrowing his brows, Ohta asserted, "He deserves to die. What he's done is no different from a terrorist holding thousands of people hostage with a bomb."
"Let's not get into this right now," said Yoruichi. "As we speak, hundreds of Hollow are emerging throughout Karakura Town. Leave the Quincy brat to me and focus on saving lives, not taking them."
"Whatever..." huffed Ohta, taking to the sky to continue hunting Hollow. He still believed Uryu deserved to die, but Yoruichi's intervention made it clear the raven-haired shitstain was part of their 'plans,' presumably one to deal with Yhwach. The latter was a much greater threat than a fifteen-year-old with a vendetta, so Ohta was willing to forestall Uryu's execution, at least for the time being...
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After scurrying around desperately in search of his sister, Ichigo finally tracked down Karin in the same lot Ohta had left her, the latter currently in the process of moving her schoolmates to safety.
"Karin...!" shouted Ichigo, racing over to his little sister after seeing the bloodstain covering her right side.
Before Ichigo could grab her, Karin caught him off guard with a shoot kick to the groin, surprising even herself. She was used to kicking their dad when he acted like a fool, so her muscle memory kicked in, quite literally, when Ichigo came charging at her.
Though he didn't fall, Ichigo's body shook as he struggled to stay upright, forcing a smile as he asked, "Why did you kick me...?"
"Force of habit..." replied Karin, adopting her characteristic scowl as she asked, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be hunting those freaks with masks...?"
"I was worried about you, obviously," replied Ichigo, forcing himself to stand straighter as he asked, "Tell me what happened to your side. Are you injured...?"
"No," replied Karin, telling the truth but neglecting to mention she was on the verge of death just a few minutes prior.
"Then what's with all the blood?" asked Ichigo, staring at his sister as if she had lost her mind.
"That's not important right now," asserted Karin. "What I want to know is what's going on with you and those monsters. Why are you a spirit, and what's the deal with that oversized sword and strange outfit?"
Furrowing his brows, Ichigo hesitated before asserting, "I can't explain things right now. We need to get you home and make sure Yuzu is safe."
"Wouldn't we be safer if you killed all those monsters?" asked Karin. "Just leave Yuzu to me and go take care of them."
"I can't just leave you...!" exclaimed Ichigo. Before he could say anything else, however, Karin sent him sliding backward with a superhuman kick to his guard, shouting, "Just go already!"
Staring at his sister in stupefaction, Ichigo muttered, "Karin...when did you get this strong...?"
Aware that Ohta didn't have the best relationship with her brother, Karin threw Ichigo's words back at him, flatly retorting, "I can't explain things right now. I need to get home and make sure Yuzu's safe."
"..."
Though he had numerous questions, Ichigo paused for a moment before nodding his head, his expression and tone serious as he said, "Fine...just be careful..."
"Worry about yourself..." muttered Karin, crossing her arms and looking away in a pouty huff. At least when Ohta saw her off, he wished her luck. Instead, he vested her with a strange power and trusted that she could take care of herself and her friends...
Scratching the back of his head, Ichigo wanted to say more, but he had never been good at dealing with Karin's rebelliousness. She was just as cute and affectionate as Yuzu when she was younger, but after the death of their mother, she became standoffish and often got into fights...
Shaking his head, Ichigo muttered, "Whatever...just get home..." before taking off to continue killing Hollow. Unlike Ohta, however, he had to run around like a jackass, making his exit significantly more awkward...
Seeing her brother run off, Karin exhaled a tired sigh and muttered, "Be safe..." with a conflicted, clearly worried look. She didn't know what her brother had gotten involved in, but it was clearly something dangerous. They weren't as close as they used to be, but she cared about him more than she was willing to admit. She wouldn't have based her personality on him otherwise...
Staring down at her right hand, Karin balled it into a fist, squeezing it as tightly as she could. As she did so, a notable distortion appeared around her fist. She had held back when she kicked Ichigo, so she couldn't help wondering just how strong the power Ohta vested her was...
Turning her gaze to a tree more than ten meters away, Karin got into a sloppy karate pose and shouted, "Ya...!" as she punched forward with all her might. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it definitely wasn't the ground between her and the tree being upheaved, forming a long ditch as the unfortunate tree twisted and splintered into thousands of pieces...
"Holy shit..."
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After eradicating his seventy-third Hollow, Ohta found himself beneath the strange phenomenon in the sky, wondering whether or not he should try and 'attack' it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," remarked a familiar, annoying voice.
"What are you doing here, old man?" asked Ohta, turning to find Kisuke standing on the streets below.
Adopting a smile, Kisuke explained, "That right there is what's known as an unstable Garganta, a crack connecting to the void between worlds. If you attack it carelessly, you could cause a lot of destruction. It's best to wait for whatever's trying to break through and attack once it emerges..."
"That being said..." muttered Kisuke, placing his hand on his hat as he asked, "Any chance I can convince you to sit the rest of this battle out? It's no longer 'private,' if you catch my meaning..."
Understanding that Kisuke was alluding to the fact that Soul Society had sent someone to investigate, likely a member of the Stealth Corps, a deep frown marred Ohta's face. He wasn't the heroic type, but he also wasn't the type to sit around as his hometown was besieged by monsters only he and a few others could see.
"There were some mishaps at the start, but everything's under control now," assured Kisuke. "We moved everyone at risk of being targeted to safety. Without any targets to pursue, the Hollows will begin to converge on this point. Once they do, my pupils and I will take care of the fodder while Kurosaki Ichigo deals with the monster bound to emerge from that Garganta. Sound good?"
Landing next to Kisuke, nearly knocking the man's hat due to the air pressure, Ohta remarked, "Sure, why not? Just know that if shit hits the fan, Aizen and Yhwach will be the least of your concerns..."
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Kisuku, his eyes concealed by the shadow of his hat as he kept it in place with his hand, smiling creepily underneath. He knew Ohta's words weren't complete bluster, but he also knew that if shit truly did hit the fan, they would all be dead. Then it wouldn't matter if Ohta wanted to kill him...
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"I'm surprised you pulled out. I honestly didn't think you were capable of it..." mused Yoruichi, appearing next to Ohta as he stood atop the roof of a stumpy, thirteen-floor skyscraper to observe things from afar.
"I can see what you would think that..." replied Ohta, his expression and tone flat despite alluding to the many times he had cum inside Yoruichi. Her body broke down and converted everything to Reishi(spirit particles), so her greedy pussy had never spilled a drop, no matter how many times he painted her insides.
Making her way over to Ohta's side, Yoruichi moved to sit on the parapet in front of him, a position that put her breasts around level with his eyes as she stared down at him and stated, "Everything's going to be okay..." in an uncharacteristically soft tone.
Meeting Yoruichi's gaze, Ohta's eyes exuded a near-crimson glow as he asked, "And if things don't go according to plan...?"
"Well, I can't let you destroy Soul Society..." muttered Yoruichi. "But, once Aizen, Yhwach, and the other major threats have been dealt with, I'll take responsibility however you want me to..."
Narrowing his eyes, Ohta remained silent for several seconds, holding the golden-eyed woman's gaze and noting the 'seriousness' contained within. She had no intention of letting Rukia die, but if the rescue attempt failed, she was willing to accept 'responsibility' to avoid the scenario where Ohta went full-nuclear on the Soul Society. That included relinquishing her life, but if she were being completely honest, she would prefer it if Ohta held her accountable in other ways...
Seeing through Yoruichi's thoughts, Ohta exhaled a scoffing chuckle and said, "Fine. I'll continue playing along. But, if Rukia loses her life, I'll have you become mine...not my woman, but my cat. I will never view you as a replacement..."
Though Ohta's words made her feel a type of frustration she couldn't put into words, Yoruichi didn't attempt to argue with him. Instead, she turned into her cat form, making a cat loaf atop the parapet before narrowing her eyes and responding with a curt, "Fine..."
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"Bo ha ha ha ha~!"
"What are you doing?" asked Ohta, staring at Rukia as she stood with her arms crossed and issued a dumb-sounding laugh.
"It's from the Don Kanonji TV Show," replied Rukia, climbing onto Ohta's back and linking her arms around him as she said, "They're going to be doing a special broadcast in Karakura Town this week, so everyone at school is pretty excited."
"Sounds like they're just trying to distract themselves from their studies," remarked Ohta. It was the week before the first-term final exams, so most high school students should be studying rather than worrying about some TV special.
"Eh, lighten up," said Rukia, rubbing her cheek against Ohta's as she said, "I've seen the show, and it's pretty interesting. You should buy a TV so we can watch it together."
"Sure," replied Ohta, his expression gradually morphing into a wry smile since he was trying to cook and Rukia was making things more difficult by climbing on him.
"Stop ignoring me..." muttered Rukia. She knew Ohta wasn't doing so, but since she had just gotten home, she wanted him to focus on her, not using his psychic powers to cook.
Exhaling a soft chuckle, Ohta remarked, "You're so needy..." before using his psychic power to peel her from his back, turning around so she could wrap her arms and legs around him as they kissed.
Separating after a full minute, Rukia had a serious expression despite the faint glow in her cheeks as she said, "That's better..."
"That's just the start..." replied Ohta, rewarding Rukia with an additional kiss as he slipped his fingers beneath the fabric of her panties to rub her ass directly. As he carried her over to the bed, however, she gave his lip a gentle nibble, indicating she wanted to say something.
"What's up?" asked Ohta, raising his brows in moderate disbelief as he questioned, "Not in the mood...?"
"That's not it..." replied Rukia, her blush steadily deepening as she said, "I just promised some of the girls from class that we'd go and watch the live recording of the Don Kanonji Show later tonight. Would you...would you be willing to accompany me?"
"Are you inviting me on a date?" asked Ohta, unable to keep an amused smile from his face as he teased, "That's just adorable..."
Punctuating his words with a fleeting kiss, Ohta added, "Of course, I'll go out with you. What kind of man would I be if I refused to accompany my woman at night...?"
"How dependable..." replied Rukia, adopting a narrow-eyed smile that seemed to become more alluring each time she wore it...
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"Bo ha ha ha ha~!" x several hundred.
("I shouldn't have come...") thought Ohta, not because he found the chorus of laughter unbearable but because the 'friends' Rukia had referred to were Orihime, Tatsuki, and two of his other former female classmates, a perverse redhead named Chizuru and a comparably reserved girl with bobbed brown hair named Michiru.
Though he could ignore the presence of Chizuru and Michiru, Ohta had the distinct impression both Tatsuki and Orihime could see him as they stared directly at him when he arrived with Rukia. Neither said anything, but he had noticed them sneaking peaks at him several times.
Further complicating things, shortly after his and Rukia's arrival, Ohta noticed a familiar ginger escorting two middle-school-aged girls, their gazes meeting as if drawn to one another by an invisible force.
Noticing the displeasure on Ohta's face, Rukia looked over to find Ichigo escorting his two sisters, Karin and Yuzu. Her reaction caused the others to look over, prompting Orihime to exclaim, "Ichigo! Oh my gosh, what are you doing here!? Do you like Don Kanonji too!?"
Before Ichigo could respond to Orihime's overzealous inquiries, Chizuru adopted her characteristically perverted smile and asked, "And who are these cuties? I assume they're your younger sisters, but I don't see the resemblance."
Frowning deeply, Ichigo scratched his head and replied, "I don't like Don Kanonji. I only came here because my sisters asked me to..."
Adopting a bright smile, Yuzu said, "Hello, my name is Kurosaki Yuzu. It's nice to finally meet some of Ichigo-nii's classmates."
Prompted by her twin sister's words, though they looked nothing alike, Karin raised her hand and offered a curt "Yo." while looking around at the predominately female group. More interestingly, at least from Ohta's point of view, she looked directly at him.
Ignoring everyone else, Ichigo turned his attention to Rukia and asked, "Anyways...what are you doing here, Rukia." He wanted to ask Ohta the same question, but he could tell the latter was in soul form, so he did his best to ignore him.
"Isn't it obvious?" retorted Rukia. "I came here to watch the broadcast with everyone else. There are other reasons, but those are none of your concern."
Furrowing his perennially furrowed brows even further, Ichigo cast a fleeting glance at Ohta before saying, "Whatever. Come on, Karin, Yuzu, let's find a good place to watch from."
"Okay, Ichi-nii~!" replied Yuzu. As for Karin, she also cast a glance at Ohta, recalling that he was a regular at their clinic in the past. She hadn't heard anything about him dying, but as Ichigo and everyone else seemed to be ignoring him, she figured it wasn't the smartest idea to try talking to him.
"Awwww, man..." muttered Orihime, puffing out her cheeks as she missed the opportunity to ask Ichigo's group to join theirs. Chizuru noticed this, her half-rimmed glasses flashing with a menacing light as she moved with almost inhuman speed to get behind the buxom ginger, hugging Orihime in a way that emphasized her massive bust as she exclaimed, "Looks like our little Orihime has a crush~!"
Though she was fairly accustomed to Chizuru's antics, Orihime teared up slightly as she shouted, "Oh, come on, Chizuru! Not in public...!"
Ignoring Orhime's protests, Chizuru enthusiastically nuzzled against her until Tatsuki appeared, landing a devastating karate chop on the back of the redhead's dome and sending her crashing face-first into the ground.
"That's enough out of you," said Tatsuki, expressing far more annoyance than usual. She usually only gave Chizuru a light smack, but the presence of a certain someone had put her in a bad mood.
"I think it might be best if I left..." muttered Ohta, causing a wry smile to develop across Rukia's face as she softly replied, "Sorry. If I had known things would turn out like thi-i-is&ndash;!?"
Interrupting Rukia's attempt at an apology, Ohta gave her butt a gentle, discreet squeeze, causing her eyes to widen and complexion to deepen before making a speedy exit. He didn't go far, but he couldn't be around the group when it was evident that Orihime and Tastuki could see at least an outline of his spiritual profile...
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"Hmmm...?"
Around the time the Don Kanoji was scheduled to begin, Ohta heard an ear-piercing scream coming from the abandoned hospital where the show was designated to be filmed. Observing the venue from his perch atop a nearby building, he saw the spirit of a man entangled in chains materialize as the last rays of sunlight faded, giving way to night.
"That's a first..." remarked Ohta, having never seen a spirit bound by so many chains. Most had a singular chain running from the center of their chest, but, as he wasn't all that interested, he decided to leave it be and ask Rukia about it once they got home.
"I didn't expect to find you here," remarked a familiar voice, causing Ohta to frown as the words were said directly into his ear, accompanied by a pair of arms wrapping around him and a massive pair of tits pressing into his back.
"You're pushing your luck..." remarked Ohta, prompting Yoruichi to release him as she teased, "It's just a bit of skinship between resonance buddies. Compared to bathing together, I'd argue hugging is fairly tame."
"Why are you here?" asked Ohta, turning to face the mischievous woman with furrowed brows.
Rolling her eyes, Yoruichi crossed her arms and said, "Kisuke said to let Ichigo take care of this one. Ever since you and Rukia started dating, he hasn't been gaining much experience as a Shinigami. It shouldn't matter too much, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
"Well, you can rest easy," said Ohta. "I had no plans of interfering from the start. I only came here because Rukia invited me on a date."
Raising her brows, Yoruichi asked, "Then why are you standing here? Did you have a spat...?"
"You wish..." replied Ohta, causing Yoruichi's eyes to narrow more than usual. Then, as she often did when he annoyed her, she transformed into her cat form, perching atop the parapet in front of Ohta and saying, "Pet me..." in a huffy tone.
"..."
Though he was briefly tempted to push her off the ledge, Ohta rolled his eyes before caressing Yoruichi's back and, once she rolled onto her side, her stomach. Rukie permitted it after learning he grew more powerful by just being around Yoruichi, so Ohta gave the pampered Shihouin Princess some belly rubs while Ichigo ran around like an idiot trying to prevent the titular main character of the Don Kanonji show from being a dumbass...
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Meeting up with Rukia after the incident concluded, Ohta didn't even get to greet her before diminutive Shinigami abruptly smacked his hand, her cheeks flushing as she said, "You can't do things like that in public. Show some common sense...!"
Understanding that Rukia was talking about him coping a feel of her ass, Ohta raised his hands in mock surrender, adopting a teasing smile as he teased, "I claim no responsibility. It's not my fault you have such a cute butt..."
"You..." growled Rukia, brows furrowed. She wasn't genuinely upset but felt obligated to nip Ohta's antics in the bud before he did something even more embarrassing later.
"Relax," said Ohta, lowering his hands as he assured, "I won't do it again. At least, not if other people are around..."
Exhaling a sigh, Rukia adopted a half-lidded expression, saying, "That will suffice for now...". In truth, Ohta touching her in public caused her heart to skip a beat, so she didn't want to eliminate the possibility of him doing so outright.
Extending his hand for Rukia to grab, Ohta intended to walk her home, but their departure was delayed by the arrival of an orange-haired teen with a perpetually surly look, stating, "Hey, we need to talk..."
"Is this about Tatsuki...?" asked Ohta. He and Ichigo weren't particularly close, but the latter had been tangential friends with Tatsuki since they were four. The two hadn't spoken in the wake of Ichigo's mother's death, but they definitely weren't strangers.
"That's right," replied Ichigo. "What were you thinking, giving your body to a Gikon? Are you really through with living as a human?"
Shaking his head, Ohta's calmly replied, "I don't owe you an explanation, nor do you have any ground to demand one. Only two people can decide how I live my life..."
Holding up the nervous-looking Rukia's hand, Ohta asserted, "Myself and my woman..."
Though he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, Ichigo was too taken aback to speak, looking between Ohta, Rukia, and their hands with a look of disbelief.
Recovering after several seconds, Ichigo asked, "Wait...the two of you are dating? Is that why you became a Shinigami...?"
"Yes to the former, fuck off to the latter," replied Ohta. "Now, unless you have something legitimately important to discuss, we have places to be. Stop intruding on our date..."
"Wai&ndash;what? The two of you are on a date?" asked Ichigo, feeling mixed emotions, ranging from confusion to anger and just a smidgeon of guilt. As much as he wanted answers from Ohta, he understood that intruding on someone's date wasn't the best way to acquire them...
Attempting to mediate the situation, Rukia declared, "We'll talk at school tomorrow. You should return to your family, rest, and study for the end-of-term exams next week."
Feeling uncomfortable, Ichigo scratched his head, offering a conflicted "Right..." before directing his gaze to Ohta, managing to regain his usual surly look as he said, "You might not owe an explanation to me, but you should talk to Tatsuki..."
"I have, but I will," replied Ohta. "Now, unless you want to spend the night in your family's clinic, piss off..."
Though he didn't appreciate being told to piss off, Ichigo shook his head and decided to leave. In his wake, Ohta exhaled a sigh, squeezing Rukia's hand as he said, "Sorry about that..."
Shaking her head, Rukia squeezed his hand in turn and asserted, "You did nothing wrong." in an affirming tone. She couldn't deny the situation could have been handled better, but Ichigo was clearly the party at fault. As for the matter of Tatsuki...Rukia felt sorry for the girl, but she had no intention of sharing...
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Chapter 29: Ticking of the Clock