The Next Top Model: Soul Society

  Chapter 14: Meanwhile VII

  It was a sunny afternoon as Gin made his way over to where Ulquiorra was standing as they watched Tousen throw peanuts into the pen at the zoo. They'd been there for ten minutes already, and the smell of the pen was getting ripe.

  "What ya reading?" he asked, standing closer to the Espada.

  Ulquiorra leaned away, turning the paper so Gin couldn't see.

  "Aw, don't be stingy. What ya got?" Gin angled his head closer.

  Ulquiorra held the paper away. "What do you have?"

  Gin held up the zoo flyer featuring Yachiru romping across the peacock yard in her pony gear from the Animal Instincts photo shoot. "Grand opening of the Peacock Pen." He tried to see what Ulquiorra was reading, but the Espada refused to let him. "Why ain't you back at Las Noches?"

  Ulquiorra gave him a sharp look. "I don't want to be there when Halibel gets back."

  "No one does, but someone should."

  "She's going to be angry." Ulquiorra's green eyes went back to the paper, moving across it with candid appreciation.

  "Yep, sure will. That's why you should be there. Make sure she doesn't tear up the place." Gin tried to peek over the paper, catching a glimpse of pink.

  "Why me? Why not you?"

  "I gotta judge. You're done. Go back."

  "Lord Aizen is done." Ulquiorra almost grinned as he looked back at the paper. "Let him go back."

  "I don't hear any chattering," Tousen called to them, frowning at the camels on the other side of the fence as he threw another few peanuts. "Are you sure this is the monkey house, Gin?"

  "Yep. Keep feeding 'em!" Gin looked back to Ulquiorra in time to see more of the paper. His hand shot out as the Espada tried to move the photo out of reach. "Whoa, hey, where'd you get that?"

  Ulquiorra tugged on the photo of Orihime in her lingerie attire photo shoot. "It's mine."

  Gin pulled on the photo. "They're giving out souvenirs?"

  "No." Tug, tug. "I bought it from a guy in the alley."

  Gin frowned, pulling harder on the paper. "Let me see."

  "Don't tear it!"

  "Then let go."

  Ulquiorra resisted for a moment, and then slowly let the photo ease closer to Gin, black-nailed fingers still tight on it.

  Gin smiled broadly at the shot of Orihime in the pink harem outfit, caught while in motion as she danced around the bedroom set. "Ooh, nice." His eyes traveled over the pink curves she made in the skimpy attire. He chuckled. "Got any more?"

  "No." Ulquiorra reclaimed the photo possessively.

  "Did he have any others?"

  "... Some."

  "Who?"

  Ulquiorra's eyes slid back to the photo, smile ebbing on his face, losing himself in the photo.

  "Hey. Number Four," Gin said with more interest. "Who else?"

  "... I don't remember."

  Gin frowned at him. "Then what good are ya?"

  A loud bray came from the camel pen, followed by a juicy heave-ho from a large female.

  "Ichimaru!"

  Gin and Ulquiorra looked to Tousen as the camel spat another mouthful into his carefully arranged hair.

  "That is not a monkey!" Tousen yelled, trying to slough off the slick goop from his hair.

  Gin turned his back on Tousen as the man attempted to evade the camel reaching over the fence to close its rubbery lips on his shirt collar, pulling him closer.

  "So, any of Matsumoto?" he asked Ulquiorra.

  "Ichimaru!"

  Gin waved off Tousen as the camel dragged him across the fence.

  Ulquiorra shrugged, trying not to watch as Tousen struggled.

  "Gin!"

  Gin tried to get a closer look at the photo the Espada sheltered against his shirt. "How much did that one cost ya?"