Warning: I do not own Bleach, the world of Bleach, or any of the characters. I do, however, own Tsukiko Kishin and Kioku.
~Squad Six Station~
"Good morning, Tsukiko-san." A couple of female soul reapers greeted their superior while passing her in the hall. "Good morning." The third seat officer greeted back with a smile. "We've left some paperwork on your desk for you." one of them stated delightfully. "But the Captain would like to see you in his office first." The other added. "The…Captain?" their superior asked with surprise and curiosity. "Did you forget, Tsukiko-san?" the subordinate closest to her asked. "Today is our Captain's first day." "Really? I forgot!" Tsukiko shouted as she smacked her forehead and starting to run for the Captain's office, she continued, "See ya!"
Tsukiko Kishin is a noble-born and the third seated officer in Squad Six. She has lived for over two hundred years and her noble family has been acquainted with the Kuchiki clan for many years. Tsukiko has long brown colored hair that's tied up in a ponytail with a blue ribbon except for two strands wrapped in the same color ribbon. She also has blue green-colored eyes that go very pale in the moonlight. She wears the soul reaper's uniform – the shihakushô – but it is loosened halfway with a deep blue sleeveless shirt underneath. Instead of the white belt, she wears a white sash that is wound around the area between her waist and underneath her chest. Along with the other two additions, she wears deep blue fingerless gloves under the long sleeves of her shihakushô. Strapped to her side is her zanpaku-tô, Kei-ji, which has blue ribbon with bells on the ends tied to the hilt and the scabbard. These ribbons are connected to remind her that she can only use it in shikai while protecting her loved ones….
After turning the last corner Tsukiko came up to the Squad Six Captain's office. She then breathed in slowly – because she ran the all the way – and knocked on the door. "Come in." stated a male's voice in monotone from within. Tsukiko obeyed and walked into the office, immediately bowing in respect to the new captain and apologizing. "Please forgive me for arriving so late. I forgot that today is your first day Captain…" she stated before she rose from her bow. After seeing his face, she was in utter shock. This young man sitting in front of her at the captain's desk was none other than her childhood friend and schoolmate. "Byakuya-kun?" Tsukiko asked, still in shock as she stood in front of the door. "Wha-? How did you-?" "I am the Captain, and I will be addressed as such, Tsukiko-san." Byakuya stated in the same tone as before, staring straight at Tsukiko. "Therefore, I will be called Captain Kuchiki, and no other name, understood?"
"Yes, B – I mean…Captain Kuchiki." The third seated officer replied as she looked away, thinking of how much her friend has changed over the years. Byakuya still had the long silky black hair he had kept in their days at Shinôreijutsuin – the Soul Reaper Academy – but it was done up with five kenseikan. There were three above the middle of his face and over to the left a little, leaving three strands of hair over his left eye. There were also two on the right side above his ear that were pulled back behind his head. His stone grey eyes lost their playfulness and temper of the usual teenage youth and instead responsibility, arrogance and loneliness were all Tsukiko could see in them now. Apart from that, he wore the usual shihakushô with the captain's haori that had the character for six on the back and the same silver-white windflower-silk gauze that his grandfather wore as the head of the Kuchiki clan. On his hands he wore pale ice green-blue tekkou.
"Since we have no vice-captain, I will move you up to that position." The captain stated with authority, bringing Tsuki back from her thoughts. "Ah…." Tsuki started to say but stopped herself and went silent. "What is it?" her captain asked as he looked up from his paperwork. "W-Well, let's just say that I don't think I'm fit for the position of vice-captain and…" Tsuki answered with difficulty as she blushed and looked down at the ground while fiddling with her fingers nervously. "Th-That I'm much more comfortable as the third seat of the company." She finished quickly and took a deep breath, thinking to herself 'There, I said it.' For a while Byakuya was silent, and when Tsuki looked up for the captain's response, she found that his attention was back on his paperwork. After a few moments he finally stated in the same tone as an order, "Very well. You will fill the position of vice-captain until we can find someone to take it. You are dismissed." Tsuki then bowed with respect to the captain and left his office quickly.
As soon as she closed the door to the office, Tsuki took in a great sigh of relief as she leaned up against the wall next to the door. 'Wow it was tense in there…' she thought to herself as she stood up and started walking towards her office. 'It was so awkward too, because the last time I saw Byakuya-kun was at Hisana-chan's funeral….I hope that over time that tenseness will pass between us….' She then approached the door to her office, went inside and spent the rest of the day running in and out for her duties to the Squad.
When Tsuki did come out of her office, she was ready to go home and it was way late at night. "Time to go home and get some rest…" she stated half to herself while stretching and turning to leave, but something caught her eye. "Captain Kuchiki." Tsuki greeted after seeing him approach while reading a few reports. He looked up and acknowledged her by greeting back, "Tsukiko-san." He continued walking on by and Tsuki fell into pace beside him as she was going the same way to her room. "Is it really too much trouble, calling me 'Tsuki' like you used to?" she asked, looking away from her captain sheepishly. Byakuya did not answer, so the two walk like that in silence for a few minutes until he finally spoke. "Tsuki-san," he stated, which was a little better than 'Tsukiko-san', but could do without the honorifics. "How is your grandfather?"
"Grandpa is doing just fine. Though I miss when he used to get fired up over the smallest things, it made living in the mansion that much more exciting." Tsuki replied with a soft happiness, but then her expression became bittersweet as she continued. "Now grandpa is reminiscent. Whenever I visit him on off days, he keeps telling me that I look more and more like my mother. It saddens me to hear such talk…." "Why is that?" Byakuya asked further, sounding indifferent, but nonetheless was interested. "O-Oh….I never told you, did I? After all, we haven't spoken since…." Tsuki then stopped because the both of them knew the end of the sentence – Hisana's funeral. "My parents died the day after…sh-she passed on. I d-don't really like to talk about it…." As she finished she hugged herself a little and looked away solemnly while Byakuya was still silent.
"My apologies for asking." He finally stated, causing Tsuki to jump with surprise. "Though you didn't have to answer the question, considering you don't like to talk about it." "O-Oh. Quite true….." Tsuki agreed while blushing a rosy pink. "But I felt that I should tell you, seeing as I hadn't before…." "Hmm." Was all that Byakuya had to say in return. "After all, that's what friends do, right?" she added with a small smile continuing to blush while he was still silent. It continued to stay that way until the two came to an intersection in the pathways. Seeing that Byakuya was headed down one way and she herself was going another, Tsuki stated with a bow, "Well, I guess this is goodnight, Captain." "Goodnight, Tsuki-san." Her captain replied, not looking at her. "I will expect to see you in my office and on time tomorrow to take care of your duties as vice-captain and third seat." "Yes, Captain." She agreed with another bow before retiring to the Squad Six barracks.