Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Prize ❯ Chapter 1

Prize

 

She pressed her face against the glass, in awe at the wonders inside the colorful machine.

 

“Ichigo,” she whispered excitedly, “come here!”

 

“What is it?” he growled, wondering why the hell he had been dragged to the arcade. It was finals week and all the time he should've spent studying was instead being devoted to fighting Hollows. He hadn't studied at all, yet somehow he was downtown, with a particularly unusual Rukia. How could she be so unexposed to the wonders of modern society?

 

She squealed and pointed at the game machine, which on closer inspection was one of those mechanical crane drop games. Ichigo scowled and crossed his arms defiantly; there was no chance in hell he was going to let her play such an obviously rigged game.

 

“No,” he said firmly, “we are not going to waste money on that crap.”

 

She tried using puppy dog eyes technique on him, a trick she had learned from one of his sister's manga. However, while her dramatic antics may have fooled others, Ichigo prided himself on seeing through her terrible acting and seeing her real self.

 

He resisted the urge to kick her, as he knew from experience how strong she actually was. “No, you are not wasting my money on that!”

 

“How can you be so selfish, Ichigo?” she cried out loudly, rubbing at her eyes as if she were crying. “I thought you cared about me!”

 

Her acting may not have fooled Ichigo, but unfortunately it had the intended effect on the people around them, who gave the couple odd looks as they passed by, or worse, crowded around to see the commotion.

 

“I thought you loved me,” she whimpered, sniffling for added effect.

 

Ichigo burned red with embarrassment and anger. He was going to kill this Soul Reaper, one day, he just knew he would.

 

“Fine!” he said, digging into his pockets and taking out some change. “Here! Do it yourself!”

 

She gave him a hard look. “Ichigo, you fool…I don't know how to work the machine. Get me a bunny prize, okay?”

 

He smacked a hand against his forehead in disbelief. “You want me to do it?”

 

She put her hands on her hips, complete with a scowl that would rival even his planted on her face. “Did I stutter idiot? Get me a bunny plush doll! Or else…”

 

He groaned as she was about to take out a piece of paper, no doubt intending to draw terrible pictures just to annoy him. “Fine! Just put that away…”

 

With a heavy sigh he dropped a few coins into the slot, and listened to the god awful machine voice telling him to use “maximum power” to win. He gripped the joystick and aimed the crane slowly, edging it towards what looked like a bunny. He pressed the button and watched the crane grab the bunny with its three claws. He couldn't help but smile triumphantly at his natural skill, until the doll missed the drop off chute and landed upside down instead.

 

He blinked and stared at the doll, which was still in the machine and not ready to be picked up by his annoying companion.

 

“Bastard…” he mumbled under his breath, digging into his pockets for more loose change. He would not let a simple plush toy get the best of him!

 

Rukia watched him, tapping her foot and becoming impatient. How hard was it to get a simple plush toy? Of all the idiots she had to be stuck with!

 

“Okay, watch this Rukia,” he said with renewed confidence, maneuvering the crane arm with a finesse he didn't know he possessed. Once again he pressed the button in order for the doll to be picked up, and watched as it completely missed and instead catch a cat plush toy that had been hidden beyond the bunny.

 

“No! Get the bunny! The BUNNY!” he screamed at the machine, as it deposited the cat into the drop off chute.

 

She gave her orange haired companion a sour look as she examined the doll. “It's a cat, Ichigo. Can you not tell the difference between a bunny and a cat?”

 

“It looks like Yoruichi,” he sighed.

 

“Use more money, Ichigo,” she commanded fiercely.

 

He gave her a mean look, about to say he was done with this nonsense until he saw a faint glimmer out of the corner of his eye. Was that who he thought it was?

 

“Allow me, Kurosaki.”

 

Before he could say anything the Quincy Archer was already standing next to him, a look of cool determination on his face. “This seems to be a simple matter of grabbing Miss Kuchiki's doll with the metal arm. How did you manage not to do so twice already?”

 

Ichigo shot the Quincy a glare, as if to say “I'll kick your ass if you say another word.”

 

Ishida ignored his Soul Reaper friend and dropped some money into the machine. Without a word he grabbed the joystick and within moments the bunny was dropped into the chute. He picked up the easily won prize and handed it to the female Soul Reaper, who snatched it from him with uncharacteristic delight.

 

“Ah, thank you Ishida,” she sighed contently, affectionately rubbing the bunny plush toy close to her face.

 

“Yeah, thanks for the help,” Ichigo growled, a look of displeasure on his features.

 

He nodded, adjusting his glasses in place as he watched the normally serious Soul Reaper playing with the stuffed animal.

 

As he turned to leave he couldn't help but smile as he heard Ichigo sigh in defeat behind him, grumbling about that “damn Quincy” and “obviously rigged games.”

 

End