-:CONSULTANT'S POV:-
It was almost time for the next meeting with A-san and K-san and I was smiling to myself as I waited for the last 5 minutes left tick by. Just as the hands moved to precisely 15:15 I rose and schooling my features into a pleasant smile, I opened the door. The two men were situated in the only couch placed in the small space and I noticed how they had both moved to the farthest edges of it to avoid touching. The tension was thick between them and it took them a moment to notice my presence.
"You can come in now." I said and smiled pleasantly at them.
I held the door open for them and when they had both taken a seat, I closed the door and took my usual seat in my leather chair. Picking up my block and pretending to read through what I'd written there, I looked at them through lowered lashes.
They booth seemed more tense and awkward around each other than they had the last time I'd seen them, which was only 2 days ago. Usually the first meeting led to either an argument or awkward silence between the two, or three, which had actually been the case a couple of years ago. They had been a very odd combination of people. But either way, it seemed like silence was what had come up between these two.
Byakuya was neatly clothed in the same style as last time and there were no outward signs of any distress apart from the slightly paranoid look in his eyes. He seemed to await some kind of verbal attack or something. He would have looked like a deer in headlight if he'd only let that almost-perfectly schooled mask down.
Renji was open with his expression and he looked like a child who'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was awaiting punishment. It was hilarious to watch the two and I knew that I had been right about my initial thought when I'd confirmed their second appointment; this was going to be fun.
"So. I am glad to see you took time out of your schedule to be here. I hope it didn't bring about any big inconveniences for either of you." Renji visibly flinched and his cheeks took on a faint red tone. Oh? Now this was interesting. I instantly wrote down the reaction and now it was Byakuya who winced. He really doesn't like people evaluating him like this, does he? Well, he'd better get used to it.
"Kuchiki-san, I would very much like to hear how your day has been. What have you done so far today, nothing classified about your work needs to be revealed of course. This is just to see how you view your work life." I smiled in encouragement at him and after some insistent beaming he cracked under the pressure.
"If you deem it necessary." He complied and then started his recount.
-:BYAKUYA'S POV:-
"I woke at 6 as usual and started to prepare for the day. Before I left at 7:30 I woke Renji as he had yet to get up. He complained but after a couple of minutes he was up and ready to leave, though I cannot understand how anyone can call that getting ready. I was forced to correct his clothing's again, though I know that even if I insist it is pretty much pointless; he will look the same again before lunch.
We headed down to the parking lot and like usual, Renji was the one driving. The streets were packed with traffic but we arrived in good time. We separated for the morning shift as I headed for a staff meeting, leaving Renji to take care of the morning office duty before his staff meeting with the lower officers which followed later that morning.
The meeting was quite tedious, the chief going through instructions and developments in the different departments. I won't say more on the subject.
After the meeting I went to my office to start the daily work. But first I had to take care of Renji as he had once more decided to take a short nap. He most likely fell asleep the moment he entered the office, for the desk was clean of papers which forced me to send someone for the missing reports. But that was not all.
With his tardiness he also got late to the staff meeting and I was forced to apologize for his late arrival and undisciplined behavior.
Being late with my work due to this, I was forced to cancel a scheduled meeting with a fellow worker, Ukitake. At 12:20, Renji had returned and apologized for his tardiness, earning my approval with his apology but also a reprimand so as that he doesn't repeat it in the future, although I know it is far too much to ask of him.
With his return I put him at work putting the office in order and then left to arrange for food at the usual restaurant. I was once more forced to wait, as he took 20 minutes just to put the office in order. A menial task such as that should only take at most half of that time…"
-:CONSULTANT'S POV:-
Byakuya stopped in his recount suddenly, but I was quite certain I knew why. His companion had been changing his expression from embarrassed, to wishing he could sink through the ground and onward to barely restrained "something". He looked like he was about to burst from wanting to talk back, but he kept silent. But having that look pointed at you for a long time would surely have any man, or woman, fidgeting.
"Is there something you wish to comment, Renji?" Kuchiki-san asked politely, but his tone was edgy and at the same time he was giving his partner a chance to speak, he was also sending out some pretty threatening vibes.
"No, of course not boss… Byakuya." He corrected himself, but I noted the slip and guessed that it must be a reply he was used to giving in his working place. Aren't you a little hard on him, hmm?
I noted that Kuchiki-san wasn't exactly shining in my evaluation of him so far.
"Shall I continue then?" He asked and looked at me for confirmation. I took a moment to consider it, brushing back some hair from my face and crossing my legs before I answered.
"No, I believe that is enough for now. Thank you for cooperating, Kuchiki-san." He nodded in response and I turned to his companion after putting down a couple of notes concerning B-san's story.
"Now, I would very much like to listen to your version, Abarai-san." He looked reluctant and I put on one of my best business smiles.
"There will be no problem with it, right?" As expected, he also gave in after a few moments and fixing his gaze on the far wall he began his version of the tale. I was very interested in it and held my pen ready to jot down notes already before the first words left his mouth.
-:RENJI'S POV:-
"Well, Byakuya woke me some time after 7, I'm not sure when. I was really sleepy since it had been a late day yesterday. Uhm, I drove to the office, which Byakuya already told you. When he left I took a small detour to the cafeteria, thinking I'd get myself some coffee at least, before work.
But apparently the coffee machine was broken and I'm not overly fond of tea, and the line for it was just ridiculous! It was several meters!
Either way I met Kira there, he's a nice guy though a little under the weather most of the time, but we went to the same high school together so I decided to stop and chat a little. Apparently Ichimaru's been giving him a hard time lately with his odd requests and working habits.
I didn't stay too long as Shuuhei appeared a moment later and dragged Kira off somewhere to drink. Heading back to the office I was really sleepy and well, I happened to doze off for a moment. Fortunately Byakuya woke me and I just got a little bit late to the meeting.
We mostly discussed how work was coming along and stuff. Then we, uhm, discussed some other matters. Either way we dismissed around 12 and returned to our individual working areas. I apologized to Byakuya when I returned and well, he forgave me alright and I started put the office into place.
The problem was that a few minutes after Byakuya left, an angry looking officer came rushing in demanding some paper or other. I tried to keep things civil but in the end I was forced to drag him out of there and request he please return later.
By the time I succeeded, the office was a mess and I had to hurry and get it back to how it was before. That's why I got late." I turned to glance at Byakuya when I said this and I saw him fit the facts together and then he apologized.
"I took it out on you without hearing your explanation first. I apologize."
"It's alright, really. Well, either way, we went to the restaurant Byakuya got us a table at and ate lunch there. We didn't really converse, leaving soon after we were finished. Then we got back to the office and started working again.
It was some time later that Byakuya wondered if I'd seen a report. I hadn't seen it and after looking for it, I remembered that guy who rushed in before and… sorry Byakuya, but I lied. I excused myself, saying I'd ask to see if it had been placed somewhere else by mistake and then left, when in reality I went to look for that guy." I paused, knowing Byakuya would have something to say about this.
"I'd prefer if you refrained from lying in the future" Was all that he said, but his gaze was disapproving and I knew I'd get a stronger reprimand later.
"Sorry. Either way I went to look for that guy and eventually found that he'd gone to the 3rd block, that's where Kira works, so I thought that maybe it was a prank of some kind. Asking around for Kira I found him in a meeting with his boss Ichimaru.
And though I still don't know if it was a prank or not, I got the paper back. Ichimaru wondered if perhaps a certain report in his hand was meant for the 6th block, not the 3rd. He returned it to me and then sent me off, saying I should be more careful in the future. Kia shot me an appologizing look before he returned his attention to whatever task Ichimaru had him doing.
Either way, I returned back and gave it to Byakuya, not giving it more thought. We continued working some more and then we left for this meeting. Well, Byakuya went down first. I ran into another co-worker who needed me, saying it was urgent. So I split with Byakuya there and followed him. And well… the truth is that the matter wasn't as urgent as he made it seem…"
"What was it, Renji?" Byakuya asked me and I couldn't believe I'd have to tell them.
"He wanted me to keep Aizen busy while he and some others cleaned up the boss' office… they had a bit of an accident and well… they didn't want Aizen to know. So I tried to halt him, and then somwhere along the line Ukitae got there and I kind of got stuck in a conversation about gardening with Aizen and Ukitake…" Oh good, Byakuya was giving me one of those looks again. Can't the world be kind and just let me sink through the ground?
"Either way, I managed to excuse myself when I realized time was running out and I hurried over. That's about all I have to say." I absolutely refused to say anything more on the subject.
"Thank you Abarai-san" The woman said and I hoped she would let me be for some time now, though that would mean she would pester Byakuya. Sorry Byakuya, but I'd rather let you be prodded at by this woman than have to go through that once more. Telling her all that had been awkward as hell, and I wasn't that sure this counseling was that great of an idea anymore...
-:CONSULTANT'S POV:-
Well, this had been both interesting and boring. It was very based on facts, but the small tidbits of information about how they viewed things may come to use later. At least they I knew what to expect from them when they told me things.
"Well then, I think we should head onto the next subject, shouldn't we." I mused out loud before I flipped the paper back to my earlier notes.
"Last meeting you mentioned a dinner party at Kuchiki-sans house. It seems like there are a lot of unresolved issues surrounding this, and I think we should start dealing with these. Could any of you tell me what happened?"
"I can tell you my version of it, as Renji apparently wishes to forget that day." Byakuya said, giving his partner a long look, speaking volumes of what he thought about that. Taking pity on the redhead who seemed to shrink underneath the heavy gaze, I brought focus back to myself.
"Well, go on then Kuchiki-san."
"It started out pretty uneventful. It was a Saturday evening, the day before the shift to April…" He began the story of a day that would most likely be the joke of the less "noble" Kuchiki's for years to come.
A/N: Here we go! A little short again, but next will be longer hopefully.
And for you wondering, NO, the story won't be told as sloppily as above. I will now delve directly into the story as if it was happening right now rather than having Byakuya tell it like above.
Basically, this was the last prologue chapter! Now it's real story time!
See you in the next chapter (hopefully)!