Title: Command
Inspiration: random word generator
Pairings/Characters: no pairings, only the captains
Warnings: seriousness
A/N: Just another self-challenge :)
The First Division chain of command is very clearly delineated. Yamamoto-Genryuusai-soutaichou's word was law. They had no disciplinary problems, because the captain's approach was simple: one strike and you're out.
The Second Division is run under Soi Fon's iron command. Whatever camaraderie that existed during Yoruichi's captaincy had been transmuted into iron-hard discipline and obedience to command. No questions asked and no questions allowed.
The Third Division under Ichimaru Gin had been an efficient if paranoid squad. They knew they had to complete their daily quota of work if they did not wish to risk the captain's ire. After a while, the members of the squad learned to ask vice-captain Kira to intercede on their behalf if they were in trouble. And none of them would dare gossip about the sounds they heard coming from the office whenever Kira 'interceded'.
The Fourth Division was a family of caring if often flustered shinigami. No one had ever seen their captain angry. None of them wanted to. The closest Unohana Retsu ever came to rebuking her subordinate, the poor boy had burst into tears before she could utter a syllable, and in the end Unohana-taichou had given him a chocolate to soothe him. The boy was Yamada Hanataro.
The Fifth Division had been completely devoted and dedicated to their captain. None ever complained about their workload, because Aizen-taichou worked the hardest. Aizen-taichou took pains to integrate every single member into the squad. Aizen-taichou took an interest in each one's hobbies, birthdays, problems, triumphs. And when he left, the majority of the fifth squad tried, in one way or the other, tried to open gates into Hueco Mundo to join their captain.
The Sixth Division seldom had holidays. Kuchiki Byakuya never allowed time off except when it was a Seiretei-prescribed holiday. But everyone followed Kuchiki-taichou diligently regardless of the chill that emanated from the man, because he was always fair. Always.
The Seventh Division had been curious for the longest time about their captain's face. He was, however, easy to read – he never kept people guessing about his intentions. And after the captain's face had been revealed, members of the seventh squad who had passes to the human world would be loaded with their comrades' orders for pet shop supplies.
The Eighth Division was technically under Kyoraku Shunsui's command, but Ise Nanao ran the show. Ise knew her captain was more than capable of taking over the reins, but secretly she preferred the languid and relaxed captain to a serious Kyoraku Shunsui. She had seen enough of that version to last her a few lifetimes.
The Ninth Division members had an easygoing life under Tousen Kaname. The captain shouldered so much of the work that his subordinates didn't have much to do, other than patrol routes and regular sparring training sessions with the Academy. Hisagi Shuuhei only understood much later the reason why his captain kept most of the work to himself, when he browsed through the archives – most of the fifth and third division paperwork filtered through the ninth.
The Tenth Division used to be a relaxed place, and their vice-captain the one carrying the heaviest load. But when Hitsugaya Toushiro took over, the workload shifted to the captain, and Matsumoto Rangiku finally had a chance to let her hair down and relax. She planned to keep this captain forever.
The Eleventh Division didn't believe in work. They believe in fun and relaxation and play. They believed in battle: not just on the battlefield, but also with themselves. And they believed that Zaraki Kenpachi was the only fighter worth fighting under in the entire Gotei.
The Twelfth Division under Urahara Kisuke was a challenging and interesting place, occasionally emitting the odd boom or some distressing smell. The same division under Kurotsuchi Mayuri was a terrifying and silent place, with machinery looming over the gates and unseen eyes at every turn. They got results, and so no one inquired after the missing shinigami from the ranks of the twelfth.
The Thirteenth Division members would fight to the last man to make sure their captain gets a good rest, especially when he was not feeling well. Case in point: the third seats. Case in point: Kyoraku Shunsui's unofficial co-captaincy of the Thirteenth. Case in point: more than half of them had vaguely unsettling desires to bury themselves in long white hair for the rest of their existence.