A/N: I just got into Bleach (look at me being behind the times) and Rangiku is one of my favorite characters. Some headcanons are included in here. :)
They never saw past the mask she put up. Sometimes she wondered if it was better that way.
To the rest of the Gotei 13, she was simply the bubble-headed, flighty, drunken Lieutenant of Squad 10, always playing second fiddle to her more popular and more sensible Captain. She hid behind the mask of the stupid girl more than she liked. But under that mask was a face she never wanted to show. Sometimes…she was afraid of what the world would think of her real face.
Her strength in battle was rarely acknowledged. Despite being a lieutenant and the obvious fact that one must be strong to attain and hold such a position, being one of the few women in the Gotei 13 was a near automatic dismissal of her power. Captains Unohana and Soi Fon were respected because they scared the hell out her fellow Shinigami. Was she afforded the same respect?
No.
If her fellow Shinigami didn't know her by name, her body was easily recognizable. All through her years in the Academy, she had fought harder than she ever had to be recognized for more than her boobs. She was smart. Her grades had been the highest in her year, but had anyone recognized that?
No.
Rangiku wasn't just smart, she was clever with a head for strategy. During the annual Shinigami Games at the Academy, her team had always won. Always. Her ability to strategize and analyze the opposing teams had ensured her victory. Did she get the credit for the win?
No.
Her whole life had been a fight to survive in a too big world. It would always be a fight.
She would show the world she was more than a pretty face.