The Next Top Model: Soul Society

by Otaku X

  Chapter 13: Still Doll Photo Shoot

  Orihime cracked the boiled egg on the table in the kitchen of the house the next morning, oblivious to Yachiru's actions as they sat at breakfast. Momo shrugged uneasily at the conversation Yoruichi had been having with Rangiku and Soifon as the early morning sun streamed in from the wide windows.

  "She did kind of look like she was wrapped in tape," Momo agreed after a moment as she forked a bite of French toast on her plate.

  "I still wish she was here," Orihime said with a sigh.

  They were up at dawn this time, Yoruichi with her tea and dish of rice, Yachiru with her bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, Momo and Nanao with the latter's famous French toast, and the rest with their own creations.

  "We're all going, one by one," Yoruichi said with a sly smile. "Except for one of us." She looked to Yumichika whose gaze had been fixed on Orihime during the meal. "I thought you'd be out already."

  He looked to her after a moment of watching Yachiru finagle her spoon into Orihime's bowl of cereal, stealing fruity marshmallows to put in her own bowl.

  "Just because he's a man?" Rangiku said, lifting an eyebrow at Yoruichi.

  The darker skinned woman shrugged, sitting back in her chair beside Soifon. "This competition is suited to women, and sooner or later he's going to fall outside the lines."

  Yumichika frowned at her. "I'm already outside the lines."

  Yoruichi's smile crooked at one side of her lips. "Are you sure?"

  He scowled as Orihime's attention leveled on him, brown eyes wide. "Of course I'm sure."

  Orihime finished peeling the egg and used a butter knife to slice it into her cereal. Yachiru gave her an intense frown and lost interest in the marshmallows in her bowl. She scooted away from the Living girl.

  "She's just teasing you," Nanao said, sipping her tea as Nemu watched them all without expression. "I think you're brave, Yumichika."

  "Hmm, yes," Yoruichi said, drawing up one knee to rest her heel on the chair, watching Yumichika begin to blush. "I didn't realize Captain Zaraki was so understanding about things like this."

  Yachiru's face snapped around to look at Yoruichi, and then Yumichika. "Did Kenny say you could come, too? Did he have to sign your paper, too?"

  There was a heavy pause, and then Orihime suddenly sprang up from her chair and darted into the living room.

  "Tara mail!" she called out.

  Nanao shook her head. "How does she know?"

  They all hurried into the living room hall where Orihime was hopping, waving the note from Tara.

  "Read it!" Momo said. "Quick!'

  Yoruichi leaned over Orihime's shoulder, reading along.

  "'So we've taught you how to put an outfit together, but there's more to a look than that. They don't call it the moneymaker for nothing. Be ready at eleven.'" Orihime looked around at them. "What does that mean?"

  Nanao pointed to the bottom of the note. "White t-shirts and jeans only," she said, reading the fine print. "Maybe we're doing a commercial."

  Momo groaned. "Like acting?"

  Yachiru pulled the note down to her eyelevel with marshmallow-sticky fingers. "Do we get to dress up?"

  Yoruichi glanced to the clock on the wall. "We've got three hours. Lots of time."

  The contestants idled the morning at the pool and painting toenails. Even Yumichika found himself painting toenails, but the toes belonged to Yachiru, and the polish was ten different colors. By the time the limousine dropped them at the studio it was ten minutes until eleven, and Ray Migel was waiting for them, dressed in blue stone-washed jeans and his favorite black and white checked Blue Homme shirt.

  He watched them line up before him in the back studio where a sky blue screen was set up before cameras and lights, with a row of make-ups stations nearby. He smiled back at the contestants. "Hallo, ladies!"

  "Hello, Ray!" they called back.

  "Looking good. Everyone in their white tees. YesStyle is Asia's largest retailer to the fashionable youth in three countries. You've probably heard of them," he said with a beaming smile, "seen their lines. Fifty-Nine Seconds, Buden Akindo, Serush, Hosachi, Dodo. YesStyle is looking for new fresh faces for their website to highlight the top line products. Today you're going to give your take on those products." He pointed to a table set up behind him stacked with assorted handbags. "Each of you is to take a bag and use at least three of the products inside to create your own look reflecting YesStyle's lines."

  A squeal went up through the contestants.

  "Good," Ray said, preparing to move quickly out of the way. "There's a flip book of some of YesStyle's looks in each bag, too. You have ten minutes to create your style. Starting now!"

  The contestants rushed the table in a semi-shunpo move that Ray never saw coming. Even Orihime nearly trampled him.

  Yoruichi and Soifon reached for the same camel-colored Zecchino bag, crossing looks that warned back-off to the other. After a second, Soifon relinquished the bag and grabbed another style.

  Yachiru clutched a Rootote bag decorated with donuts, and Nanao a green winged Googims. After each had their bag, and Ray had recovered from the blur of contestants, he waved to get their attention.

  "Ten minutes, girls! Put your best face forward!"

  They milled over to the make-up stations and each contestant found a spot to set to work.

  Yumichika paused at the last station, watching Yachiru jump onto the make-up station near him and dump the contents of her canvas bag.

  "Ooh, look at all this, Yumichika!" She rummaged through the cosmetics and found a tube of lipstick, then hunkered forward to look at her face in the mirror. "Pink!"

  Yumichika glanced down at his own bag, slowly pulling out the cosmetics. He didn't know what half of them were, and watching Yachiru wasn't helping any. He looked around the other side of the table's mirror to see Orihime at her station.

  She was leaned over the table, lipstick in hand, drawing the red across her lips. Her eyes flicked to him as he watched. "Do you need to borrow a lipstick?"

  "Uh...no."

  He looked to Rangiku, who had the station beside Orihime's. He watched her apply a thin layer of mascara to her lashes, mouth gaping as she did. He quickly retreated to his own mirror before Rangiku spotted him. He sorted through the items from the bag, and then did a cursory investigation of the flip book.

  Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty...man.

  Yumichika frowned, glanced to where Ray was watching from the end of the make-up stations, and looked back at the man in the flip book dressed in casual jeans, white t-shirt, black leather vest, and charcoal fedora. He took another quick peek around the mirror to see Orihime inches away from her own mirror, making smoochie-pucker faces at herself. He looked to Rangiku, who was already looking at him.

  "If I were you, Yumichika," the strawberry blonde said in a low tone, "I'd go with a little black eyeliner and some lip tint."

  He frowned. "Lip tint?"

  Rangiku shot a glance down the row of make-up stations to where Ray was watching Nemu precisely line her lips. Rangiku reached under the overhead light at her station and unscrewed one of the three bulbs so that there was a dark spot over her mirror.

  "Oh, no," she said in mock surprise. "Will you look at that? Hmm."

  "You can use my mirror," Orihime offered.

  "Thanks, I'll just scoot over here," Rangiku said with a smile for the girl, and then rounded the stations to crowd Yumichika at his mirror. She looked at the accessories on his station table. She handed him the eye liner. "This one."

  He looked at the black pencil. "And what?"

  Rangiku gave him an exasperated look and leaned to the mirror. "Like this.

  Yumichika followed her example and watched as she lined her eyes with a brown pencil.

  "Under here, just a little, Yumichika, for that metro look."

  He drew the black liner pencil below and through his lower lashes, poking the second eye. He slapped a hand over it. "Yow!"


  Rangiku pulled his hand away. "Come on, Yumichika. It wasn't that bad."

  He looked to her, one eye blinking, more blackened than the other.

  She gave him a weak smile. "You look like Gackt with a black eye. Wipe part of that off."

  "Two minutes, ladies!" Ray called out.

  "Hurry," Rangiku said as Yumichika rubbed off the excess eyeliner. "Now some lips." She found a nominal shade of lipstick and handed it to him. "Just one coat."

  Yumichika didn't have time to debate her. He carefully applied the transparent lip tint, pleased to see that it did little to change his appearance. "That didn't hurt."

  "You need a third product." She sorted through the bag's contents, holding up a lipstick. "This one."

  He shook his head. "It's red."

  "It's coral. Not much. Just a dab."

  "I'm not wearing lipstick."

  Rangiku put her hands on her hips, making her t-shirt strain. "Hey, up here," she said when his eyes dropped to her shirt. "The make-up artist put make-up on you -"

  "That's different," he said. "That's not me."

  "If you don't use three products they might disqualify you." She glanced to Ray as he counted down the last thirty seconds. "Think of it as an enhancement, Yumichika. You've got twenty seconds. Just a little color. Right in the center of your lower lip. Not much."

  Yumichika took the lipstick from her, frowning. "Enhancement."

  "Yes."

  "...Fifteen..." Ray's voice called out. "Fourteen..."

  Yumichika took the top off the lipstick and wound it up half a twist.

  "Just a fingertip," Rangiku prompted.

  He nodded and patted a finger to the end of the coral lipstick and dabbed it on his lower lip.

  "Viola! That should qualify," she said with a smile.

  "Three, two, one. Time's up!" Ray held up his hands. "Everyone, products down, and line up. Let's see how you've done."

  The contestants assembled, some of them giggling at Yachiru's overly done face that was more theater make-up than natural.

  Ray walked down the line, nodding. "Good, good," he said, pointing to Momo's tastefully applied cosmetics. "Could go a little heavier on the lips, Momo." He moved on. "Need more white over the eyes, Soifon, to bring out that open-eye look YesStyle wants. Nanao, lovely. Nice hint of shadow to up-play the violet eyes."

  He stopped before Yachiru, who batted her thickly mascara-daubed eyes at him, leaving Raggedy Ann streaks. "Too much, Yachiru."

  The girl put her small hands to the two great red cheeks she'd enlarged with lipstick. "I like it."

  Ray bobbled his head. "There can be such a thing as too much color." He continued on down the line, stopping before Yumichika. "A little underplayed, Yumichika, but a nice highlights. Rangiku, fresh, young, playful," he said to the woman beside Yumichika. "Orihime, a little much on the lips, but good eyes."

  Ray stepped back and looked down the line. "All in all, not bad. Today's winner is," he raised an eyebrow as they all waited, "Rangiku."

  "Yes!" Rangiku squealed.

  Ray's assistant joined him with a large Zecchino bag that bulged. "Your prize is this bag of top products from YesStyle and Smashbox."

  Rangiku took the bag he offered, smiling.

  "Okay, you've got your fresh looks," Ray said, grinning out over them, "now we're going to change all that. Rangiku, if you'll open that bag you'll find a note from Tara. Can you read it to the rest of the contestants, please?"

  Rangiku found the note inside and read it aloud. "'Most people don't know it, but acting is a big part of modeling. Selling a product without actually talking can be one of the hardest challenges you'll come across, but with the help of some fabulous wardrobe and fierceness from within, I'm sure we'll all get the message.'" She frowned and looked to Ray.

  He nodded, a mischievous smile on his face. "The next photo shoot is all about getting to your pose and holding it. Not quite vogue, but more than still life. Today you're going to represent a doll. And not just any doll," he continued as Yachiru hopped, smiling hopefully. "International dolls from the United Front Edition of the Bradford Exchange.

  "Now, right behind you," he pointed to a curtained off area on the other side of the studio, "are your international dolls. You're to sell your doll - the client's product - by imitating the doll itself. That means looking, dressing, and acting like the doll. Find your name and doll, and then head on over to hair and make-up so the stylists can complete your look."

  "And be careful with the dolls!" he added as the contestants charged to the other side of the room.

  It didn't take long to find the dolls corresponding to the contestants, and after an hour in hair and make-up, the first was ready to pose with their international doll for the photo shoot.

  The blue screen had changed to a backdrop of rolling green hills with a wide natural skyline with a superimposed stone wall. The first contestant up was Rangiku, dressed from green tam-o'-shanter on her head to black ghillies on her feet to match the Scottish doll she held. Her Highland forest green, black, and red plaid skirt was weighted with a tasseled sporran at her waist, topped by a white blouse with billowing white sleeves and cross-laced black vest.

  She smiled back at Ray and the photographer.

  "Ah, ready for the Highland fling, are we, Rangiku?" Ray said.

  She nodded.

  "Okay, the idea is to convey the doll to the camera. You can speak if you like, but we're not recording sound, so it doesn't matter what you say. Just sell the product, the doll, emulating the doll," Ray said, "and be sure to hold the pose, emphasizing the doll."

  Rangiku nodded. She held the doll up beside her face, smiled, and then placed the doll on one hand palm up and gestured to it with the other. The photographer clicked photos.

  "A little too boat show," Ray said.

  "Boat show?"

  "You know. Automobile show model, like 'This is the newest model of Chrysler'," he said. "We're looking for you to be doll-like."

  She frowned. "Lifeless?"

  "Exactly."

  Rangiku's face took on a drained look, eyes glazing over, unblinking as she held the doll stiffly to her shoulder.

  "Uh, a little better," Ray said as the photographer snapped photos.

  After Rangiku's rather lackluster shoot, it was Yachiru's turn, dressed as a little German girl to match her doll.

  Which now sported a yellow plaid necktie over its smock dress and Normandy bonnet. Ray frowned at the attire.

  "Yachiru, your doll is mixing cultures."

  The girl nodded, making her stiff pink pigtails bounce over her starched white blouse. "She was boring."

  "She's Bavarian, honey. Not boring." Ray attempted removing the yellow necktie from the doll.

  Yachiru snapped at him as he tried to take the item. "She looks better with it."

  Ray withdrew his hand. "She's not properly..." He stopped as Yachiru held up a second doll, this one made up to look like a Russian Matreshka doll, but minus an arm.

  "Do you want to come over to my country and play?" Yachiru mimicked for the dolls, holding one in each hand so they could talk to each other. She shook the other doll. "I don't know. Let's play at my country. I have a pony."

  "Yachiru, sweetie," Ray said, "give Yumichika his doll back."

  A rift of laughter went through the contestants as they watched the photo shoot. Yumichika, dressed in a light blue sarafan dress with matching kokoshnik headdress, including a fake braid of hair, met Yachiru on the set and took the Russian doll from Yachiru, which she begrudgingly gave up.

  Yachiru's photo shoot was completed with few good shots from which to choose, to be followed by Yumichika's shoot, which went a little better, despite his distaste for his dress and shoes.

  The set was then changed to seascape and Nanao and Orihime had their shoots, representing France and Spain. It took a while for Orihime's, as she animated all her dialogue with the doll, and then the set was changed again to depict a sandy landscape.

 
Momo was the first out, decked to match her Kenya doll, colorful yellow and red skirt and top wrapped around her slender form, matching beaded doll in her hands.

  Ray smiled at her. "Okay, Momo, we want to see you as the doll. That means vacant eyes and stilted poses."

  She nodded, eyes shining despite his directions.

  "Who would buy these dolls?" Orihime asked in a hushed tone to Nanao. "They're not much fun."

  "They're collector dolls," Nanao said as they watched Momo give a perky smile, holding the Masai doll up to her face.

  "Oh."

  After Momo's attempt at looking doll-like, Yoruichi took her turn, followed by Nemu and Soifon. When the photo shoot was finished, they all headed back to the house for a few hours of downtime before the judging panel that evening.

  Soifon and Yoruichi immediately settled around the pool at the back patio, catnapping before the judging to be held later. Nemu agreed to help Nanao practice her runway walk, and Momo made cupcakes in the kitchen.

  Orihime was now alone in the pink bedroom, as Rukia had left at the last judging. She sat at the dressing table, scooted up close, making bland faces at herself in the mirror, cosmetics strewn on the table.

  "I think I bombed on this shoot," she muttered to herself. She sighed. "Maybe for the -" She turned quickly on the stool to see Yumichika standing in the open doorway. "Hi!"

  He stood stock still for a few seconds, returning a stony face for her bubbly attention as she waved before he realized he was being stared at. "Oh, hi, Orihime."

  "Come in." She hopped to her feet and gestured to the four beds. "Not really any furniture in these rooms."

  "I was just passing by, and I was... wondering..." His words stumbled to a halt as he studied her face. "How can you make it look so easy to be pretty?"

  Orihime's mouth dropped open, but she immediately clamped it shut. "Oh, you're fooling!"

  "No, I'm not." He looked sheepishly down the hall, and then stepped farther into the room. "Even when you were roaming around in Soul Society trying to pass yourself off as a shinigami you looked beautiful."

  She blushed a deep pink. "Oh, that was ... You think so?"

  "Yes."

  Her eyes fell over his hair and face for a moment, and then she darted to him and grabbed his arm. "I know what. We'll redo you!"

  "What?"

  She shoved him down on the stool in front of the mirror.

  "Rangiku already showed me how to use the eyeliner," he said as she stood behind him and held his head between her hands and made him face the mirror.

  "Hmm." She frowned, turning his head to one side, looking at him in the mirror. "Nice profile. Good dark eyes."

  "Why, thank you."

  She studied him. "Nice chin. Not too sharp, no overbite. A little pale." She made him face forward again and used both hands to pull all his hair back from his forehead. "You shave really close, Yumichika."

  "Oh, well..."

  She reached over him and took the black eyeliner from the dressing table. "All celebrities wear make-up for photos."

  "All?" He watched her nod in the mirror.

  "Yup."

  "Ooh! Make-over!" Rangiku's voice shrieked from the hall.

  Orihime and Yumichika looked to the doorway, but saw no one. A few seconds later Rangiku came careening into the room with her Zecchino bag of cosmetics she'd won earlier in the day.

  Yumichika found himself crowded between the two women as they hovered over him, each with an eyeliner pencil. It was Rangiku's turn to grab his head and shift it as she examined him in the mirror.

  "I think a little bit of highlighter around the nose to help shade his mouth," she said, turning his head back to face the mirror as he tried to look at her.

  "I think his mouth is fine," Orihime said, sharpening the black eyeliner pencil.

  Yumichika watched the pencil tip come to a point. "I really don't want any highlighting."

  "Nonsense." Rangiku fingered her side of his cheek. "Ooh, soft."

  He frowned at her.

  "You're right. Not a manly word. Smooth," she clarified.

  Orihime leaned closer with the sharpened eyeliner. "Hold still."

  Yumichika sat perfectly still as she made a light line of black at his lower lashes.

  "See?" She looked triumphantly at him in the mirror.

  "I don't know," Rangiku said, rummaging through her bag until she found a softer black pencil. "How about this?" She lined his other eye with the gray-black pencil and then looked at him in the mirror. "Less severe. Which do you think?"

  Yumichika looked in the mirror at his newly lined eyes, considering each carefully. "I think I like Orihime's better."

  "Hmph." Rangiku frowned at him in the mirror.

  Orihime smiled and leaned over him to wipe off some of the gray liner and trace the black over his second eye.

  "Now, how about lips?" Rangiku said, holding up a nude blush color lip tint.

  "No," he said.

  "Just a little," Orihime said.

  "No." He shook his head.

  "I smell strawberries," Orihime said suddenly, sniffing and looking to the doorway.

  "Momo is making cupcakes," Rangiku said, burrowing through her bag again. She held up a tube of foundation. "Just a little highlighting around -"

  "No," Yumichika said with determination, angling his head to one side. "I like the eyes this way."

  "Me, too."

  They all looked to see Yachiru sitting on the bed to Orihime's left.

  Yumichika groaned. "How long have you been here?"

  Yachiru stuffed another handful of MMs in her mouth. "I know you have a soft face."

  Orihime, Rangiku, and Yumichika all looked back to the mirror.

  "I think it's time I told her about my secret stash of jelly beans in the barracks," Yumichika said just loud enough for Yachiru to hear.

  She was at his side in a flash, eyes wide. "Where?"

  Orihime and Rangiku exchanged looks as Yumichika grinned.

  "First you have to promise me something," he told the little girl.

  She nodded. "Name it."

  Tara, Miss Ray, and Virgil had spent a full seven minutes staring at Ulquiorra at the end of the table in the guest judge's seat.

  And Ulquiorra had spent those same seven minutes staring straight ahead at the doorway, waiting for the contestants to assemble at the other end of the room.

  Finally Miss Ray said one of the many things on their minds. "Love your look," he said, waving a limp hand in Ulquiorra's direction. "So harlequin, without being amusing at all."

  "Emo," Tara said.

  Ulquiorra looked across Virgil to Tara and Miss Ray, his shirt zipped up high. "Quite the opposite."

  "Oh? Hmm," she said, shrugging. "I thought that was the big look these days. All emo and vacant. Which you do well, by the way."

  Uryuu shook his head at them. "It's the way he's engineered."

  They all looked to him.

  "Engineered?" Miss Ray said, patting his nine-pointed tiara. "Is that what they call putting together a look now?"

  Uryuu chuckled. "Where he's from, yes, it is."

  Tara fanned herself with the stack of photos, making the beaded fringe of her hot pink off-the-shoulder cami - size voluptuous - dance at the movement. She stopped abruptly and looked to the doorway as the contestants filed in. She jumped to her feet and rounded the table, high heels scuttling as she smoothed her stretch denim jeans.

  "Hey, hey, girls!" she sang as the nine contestants lined up. She smiled at them and recited the list of prizes to be won as winner of The Next Top Model, and then made a flourish to the judges.

  "First, as you all know, is prestigious runway trainer, Miss Ray Constance."

  Miss Ray nodded and smiled, showing off his tiara.

  "You know fashion photographer to the stars, Virgil Parker." She indicated the cameraman, who smiled at them in his usual manner.

  Tara turned to Uryuu. "Mr. Ishida, Tokyo's darling fashion designer this seas
on. And, of course, this week's guest judge," she said, waving a bangled arm to the judge beside Virgil, "Ulquiorra."

  The contestants collectively groaned at the sight of the Espada, but Orihime groaned the loudest.

  Ulquiorra looked hurt.

  Tara smiled out over them. "Today you had to do what we've been telling you not to; go lifeless. Suck all the life out of your photos. Not easy, is it?"

  The contestants all shook their heads, except for Nemu, who remained unblinking.

  "Today you had to represent a doll. A lifeless replication of an international doll." Tara lifted an eyebrow. "Let's see how you did."

  She hurriedly took her place behind the table between Uryuu and Virgil. "First up we have Nemu."

  Nemu stepped forward and took her place at the end of the carpet runner.

  "Nemu did pretty well in the challenge," Tara said with a slight nod as she looked to her fellow judges. "All right, Nemu, let's see your best shot."

  A photo of Nemu dressed in a traditional Korean women's dress flashed onto the screen.

  "Breathtaking," Virgil said instantly as he stared at the photograph. "You nailed the pose."

  "I like the way you're holding the doll," said Tara. "You're showing it off without it being too obvious."

  "What is that type of garment called?" Uryuu asked, frowning slightly at the picture.

  "It's a court dance costume," Tara replied.

  "Yes, but what is its name?"

  "It's called the National Robe of Fierceness," Miss Ray said smoothly with a nod. "That's what it's called."

  "Thanks, Nemu." Tara flashed a smile at the girl before she returned to her place in the line. "And next up we have... Soifon."

  Soifon came forward, looking not too happy, as usual.

  "What nationality did you have to depict in this photo shoot?" Tara asked as she sat up straighter.

  "Mexican."

  "Interesting," Tara started, glancing at Miss Ray and Virgil, "considering that you're actually not Latina."

  Soifon shrugged. "Nemu's not Korean."

  "Okay." Tara giggled, a bit fakely. "Let's see your best picture, Soifon."

  Soifon's photo flicked onto the screen and Ulquiorra slovenly turned his head to look at it, but his expression remained as blank as ever.

  "You look like one mean Mexican chick, that's for sure," Tara said suddenly, adding an 'mm-hmm' at the end.

  "It's certainly fierce," Virgil said, shifting slightly. "But I'm not sure if you're modeling or if that's just you."

  "You really do look Mexican, though," Miss Ray said, waving a finger at the doll's miniature piñata dangling from a stick in its hand. "You've gotta give them stylists some props for that."

  "Thank you, Soifon," Tara said with a smile. "Next up we have Yumichika."

  Yumichika came down the runway carpet, traces of eyeliner still visible, just enough to make Miss Ray sit forward a little.

  "You had...?" Tara said leadingly.

  "The Russian doll," Yumichika said.

  "Let's see your best shot." Tara looked to the screen as a photo of Yumichika blinked on in full Sarafan dress.

  "I've got to say," Virgil said, "this is a far better photo than the lingerie shot. Much more feminine, softer, and you look like you're more at home in it."

  Yumichika nodded slowly.

  "It's still a man in a dress," Uryuu said with distaste.

  "But he's a pretty man," Miss Ray said, giving Yumichika a crooked smile.

  "Thanks, Yumichika," Tara said before Yumichika felt obligated to reply to Miss Ray.

  One by one the contestants were called, their best shots shown, and then the girls were dismissed so the judges could deliberate.

  Surprisingly, Ulquiorra spoke first. He pulled the photo of Momo dressed to match her African doll from Tara as she separated it from the stack and began to comment.

  "I thought this was supposed to be reflective of a lifeless doll?" He held the photo up to the light where Momo's bright eyes came alive in the photo. "She looks alive to me."

  "A complete miss for the challenge," Virgil agreed.

  Ulquiorra reached across the table and slid another photo out. "This one," he tapped the photo of Orihime in the red Spanish attire, "she's far too alive-looking. You'll never make her look lifeless, unless you killed her, and even then -"

  "Hey! No one said they had to look dead," Uryuu snapped, pointing at the Espada.

  Ulquiorra pointed at Tara. "She did."

  Tara looked to each of the judges. "I said go lifeless, not dead."

  Ulquiorra shrugged. "Same thing. But she's too full of life to look anything but bubbly."

  Uryuu was leaning across Tara to see the Espada better. "Do you even know what bubbly means?"

  "Of course I do." Ulquiorra nodded at the photo. "She's bubbly."

  Tara cleared her throat as Uryuu eased back into his seat. She raised an eyebrow at Ulquiorra. "And I thought you were going to be the strong, silent type."

  "I am strong."

  Virgil slid the photo of Orihime back to Tara, but Uryuu reached for it. "She's one of my least favorite this shoot. Too full of energy, even in a still shot."

  Uryuu's fingers pressed into the photo edges possessively. "She looks fine."

  Tara slid the photo of Yoruichi out. Virgil leaned closer.

  "What about this one?" Tara asked, cocking her head to one side. "Yoruichi, doing India. Beautiful eyes, but still able to look somewhat vapid," she said, considering the gold eyes that fell flat on the photo. Graceful pose with the scarlet sari and batik skirt, and she still manages to emphasize the doll."

  "Not for me," Virgil said. "Too much life. And cat-like."

  Ulquiorra glanced at the photo without much interest. "She's alive."

  "She's got too much sparkle for me." Miss Ray waved a hand at the photo. "Them's golden eyes always follow me."

  Tara set Yachiru's photo on top the stack. "Here we have the original lightning rod. Yachiru. Ray Migel said she wouldn't hold still for more than a second, and they still can't find parts of the dolls she used." She held up the photo of the pink-haired girl holding a German doll missing a leg.

  "Like a possessed Heidi was Ray's exact quote," Virgil added, shaking his head.

  Tara set the photo to the side. "Nanao," she said, pulling the dark haired woman's photo out, depicting her dressed in full French ruffles and pleats, including the Normandy bonnet.

  "So-so," Ray said without much interest.

  "Moving on," Tara said, presenting Rangiku's Highland photo. "What do we think of Rangiku?"

  "A bit vacant in the face, but closer than most," Uryuu said.

  Ulquiorra gave the photo a closer scrutiny. "That's Rangiku Matsumoto?"

  Virgil nodded. "She's had some stunning photo work."

  Ulquiorra nodded slowly. "Now I see what all the fuss was about."

  They all looked at him, awaiting an explanation. He didn't offer any.

  "All right, then," Tara finally said, arranging the photos in the stack. "Are we agreed to the two weakest shots?"

  "No," Uryuu and Ulquiorra said together.

  Tara looked from one to the other, and then said: "I think we are."

  Minutes later, the contestants were back in the judging room, awaiting their fate.

  "I have nine beautiful models in front of me, but only one can be The Next Top Model," Tara said. "There are only eight photos in my hands. If I do not call your name, you must go back to the townhouse, pack your things, and go home," she said slowly and deliberately as she looked over the row of contestants. She paused for a long moment and then turned over the first photo in her hand. "Nemu. Congratulations."

  Nemu came forward and received her photograph.

  "The judges thought your photos were the best, every single one of them."

  Nemu recalled the appropriate response. "Thank you."

  "Rangiku," Tara said next, and said blonde approached.

  After that, more names were called. Yoruic
hi, Nanao, Momo, Yumichika, and Soifon, each breathing a sigh of relief as they received their photos and stood to the side.

  Only Orihime and Yachiru were left.

  Tara looked to each of them, as, behind her, Uryuu and Ulquiorra looked to each other, for other reasons.

  "Orihime, Yachiru, please come down here," Tara said. Orihime and Yachiru made their way down the carpet to stand before Tara. "Orihime, we asked you for a simple face, one without expression, doll-like, and you gave us," she resisted the urge to look behind her, "bubbly."

  Orihime's lower lip quivered.

  Uryuu sat forward in his seat, frowning intently.

  "Yachiru," Tara said, addressing the smaller contestant, "shot after shot, you gave us too much energy. You practically buzzed, not to mention dismembering the client's product." Tara looked from Orihime to Yachiru, and then slowly turned over the last photo. "Orihime, you're still in the competition for The Next Top Model."

  Orihime took the photo, feeling a little guilty.

  Uryuu nearly collapsed over the table.

  Yachiru frowned. "I don't have a picture?"

  Tara forced a smile. "No, honey. This is your last photo shoot."

  "I have to go home now?" the girl asked, pink brows furrowed.

  Tara smiled weakly. "Yes, sweetie."

  "Oh." Yachiru looked to Orihime. "Okay. Bye!" She turned and skipped down the carpet, waving to Yumichika. "Have fun!"

  "You, too!" He waved back. "Remember our deal!"

  "I'll try!"

  And then there were eight.