The Next Top Model: Soul Society
Page 24
Chapter 24: Meanwhile XII
Uryuu Ishida found himself in a spot few, if any, males had ever been, and he did not want to be there. Not entirely.
He stared back at the shinigami of eliminations past.
The special meeting of the Shinigami Women's Association was being held in the roomier cafeteria of Eleventh Division, close enough to Ninth Division to hear the occasional "Fierce!" boom out from Hisagi's quarters as the upper echelon of Soul Society watched The Next Top Model marathon, thanks to Nemu's nimble fingers and the new satellite hook-up on the roof.
"Listen up!" Yachiru demanded, standing atop one of the tables near Uryuu. "We got a guest today!"
Uryuu pushed the glasses farther up his nose, looking out over the shinigami women sitting at the tables before him. "Thank you for allowing me -"
"He needs more sketches and measurements, so write them down and pass them up," Yachiru called over him.
Nanao, Momo, and Retsu looked around at the other women.
"Shouldn't he do actual measuring?" Retsu asked.
"I generally work from written measurements, and I have a very good eye for visual calculations," Uryuu told them, seeing the other women roll their eyes at him, "but lately I've had a lot of ..." he began to redden, deciding that using the word stimulation wasn't the best choice for the crowd before him, "extraneous activities that have clouded my ability to, ahem, do that, so I'd like to take a few notes and design ideas from each of you."
"We're not all here," Isane said, slightly miffed that all the other women in the room were former contestants, and that she alone was the non-contender. "They're not all here."
"I already have measurements from Hiyori and Tatsuki," Uryuu said, "and Kuukaku has promised to get hers to me. And, I think I can work off memory for Yumichika," he added reluctantly.
"Oh, I'll get his for you," Yachiru promised.
Rukia was pouting, sitting beside Isane and Nemu at the nearest table. "These better be tasteful."
Before Uryuu could assure her, Yachiru piped up again. "They will be. Kenny said so."
"Hello, ladies," Shunsui's drawl came from the cafeteria's open doorway, startling them all.
The women groaned, except for Nanao, who shook a finger at him.
"Women only, Captain," his vice-captain told him. "You can't be here."
"Oh, yes, I'm not coming in," he said, his words reflecting the amount of sake' he'd already put down. "We're halfway through the episodes, and we want the Quincy."
Uryuu noticeably swallowed, clutching his notepad tighter. "I'm only here to take -"
"You have to wait until we're done with him," Yachiru chirped, hopping over to him and pushing on his knees.
"Fierce!" came a raucous roar from Ninth Division, followed by the slam of sake' bottles.
Shunsui looked behind him, then back to the women. "Dang, I missed one." He motioned to Uryuu. "When you're done with him, send him over."
"Okay, you go now," Yachiru said, pushing harder on the captain's knees until he backed out of the doorway. She looked to Uryuu. "Okay, hurry up and get Nemu's measurements. We have cookies to bake. Then we'll talk about what we want."
"It won't take long," Uryuu said, deciding to wait until after the pink-haired tot had her fill of cookies to discuss creative differences.
"Get up there, Nemu," Yachiru said, her attention wandering to the back of the cafeteria.
Nemu stood up and met Uryuu at the front of the cafeteria as the other women began sketching their ideas on pads of paper at the tables.
She looked all right to him, Uryuu decided, still in one piece, moving as gracefully as she had at the competition, almost - yes - smiling as she stopped before him, her dark eyes as lovely as ever.
"I'm sorry you're out, Nemu," he began, but she held up a pamphlet for him to see. He read the cover aloud: "Seireitei Finishing School for Young Ladies."
She nodded, and then leaned closer toward him until he took a step back.
"If that doesn't work," she said, smiling more fully, "I'm going to Disney World."