I suffered for practically the whole meeting. There were so many differences of opinion that nothing really got done. Everything collided with the more traditional style of thinking of some of the members and the rule books with the more modern style of us from the younger generation. On top of that, Shinji was pulling faces at every opportunity. At one point, Kensei burst into a fit and slapped the guy over his head. When Shinji pulled his normal line, the room broke into a small fight.

Kensei seems to have an anger

…. Yeah…. Argh!

What, Ayake-sama?

No wonder Shinji gets so frustrated.

I crossed my arms. I had sat as quietly as possible through the whole meeting. Since it was my first meeting, I didn't want to overstep my boundaries too much. I was new and there were things I still didn't understand as a lieutenant yet. I had gotten a bit of a peek through the curtains with having Shinji as a good friend, but I was missing plenty of information. The seniors were dominating the entire conversation.

Just breathe Ayake-sama

These are going to be the least favorite part of the position.

There are always parts of the job that are disliked.

"Excuse me," I stated as I stood up from my chair. The small group conversations had broken off and they all turned to look at me. "I may be new to the ranks of lieutenant but I'm hoping that I could say something…. The imposition on the lower seated officers is far too heavy."

The group had offered any resistance until I finished my statement. There were a few scoffs, though they were muttered under their breath. I could make out Yamada rolling out a few sentences, but I did my best to ignore them.

"I have spent more than a decade in the third seat, and I surveilled most of the training in the thirteenth division. - Training a squadron of more than five takes on logistical implications that none of you are considering."

"I'd listen if I were you." Takashi spoke out, when I was taking over voices. He had been giving me encouraging nods the whole way through. "She set up a number of training excursions back at the thirteenth."

"Thank you Takashi-san." Shinji was downright smirking as he titled his chair back, rocking to and fro. His head had picked up when I had started to speak. Kensei and Lisa also seemed to also be giving me some respect, while Sojun looked pleasantly surprised. "I would scrap the plans to get out to the real world. We should start small and build up. I am unclear about how each division trains their unseated members, so I would propose creating a standard program and apply it to each division."

I had taken up a pen and was crossing out a good portion from the papers. They had been the proposal plans. I scribbled out a few words in the margins, and then circled a couple more words. The room kept a respectful silence as I was hunched over the table and working.

"Four members of the squad with four members of the fourth, to keep the numbers even… And that way the fourth squad can get an equal amount of training in. - We can bring them out to several different outer districts where hollows are more rampant, along with a seated member or two. If we need to we can even make it a mission that the seated members can get paid for participation."

"That's still a lot of people."

"Of course." I cut my hand through what Kensei was going to say. He astutely closed his mouth. "I meant keep it small within the divisions. That way the division can work around how best to implement the program…. It'll cut pressure off on missions anyway while training the unseated members."

Chojiro fell in line with what I was thinking, and together we were able to echo out the proposition. I took to being scribe, so that the paperwork would go through more quickly. The room was in agreement with the new workings of the plan, and the rest of the meeting came to a close quickly. I fell back into my chair with a sigh when it finally came to a close. I hadn't meant to take it over, but I completely disagreed with the way they were going about the whole project.

Did I do the right thing?

Of course Ayake-sama. You've earned your spot as lieutenant as much as the rest of them.

I lack seniority.

But you had expertise in the area, which is equally as valuable.

…. I guess~~

Someone knocked on the table to gain my attention. When I looked up, Sojun-san was staring down at me. He offered to walk out of the meeting room with me. I peered around to see that the door was already open, and more than a few had left the room already.

"I noticed your look earlier. I hope I didn't offend you." Sojun spoke as he held the door open for me to pass through. I looked at him as I crossed the threshold. I shook my head negatively as he continued to speak, "I didn't expect you to be so tough… I should have expected that from Yoruichi-san."

I was about to reply, but the look on his face stopped me. Right in the pits of his eyes there was already a shimmer of knowing and clairvoyance. Sojun smiled and tapped on his kenseikan. As the two were nobles they must have known each other from beforehand. I think Yoruichi had mentioned something about the Sojun's son if I remember correctly.

"Of course she would promote a woman like you to our ranks."

"Pardon?"

"She's always been a tough one. Barely fitting into the parameters of the nobility, between being a female member of the onmitsukido and now a captain. - It makes sense to me that she would find someone equally as strong."

I bowed deeply to befit his noble status and the words of acknowledge that were indirectly expressed in his statement. "Thank you Sojun-san. Those are very kind words."

"I'll see you at the next meeting, Ichiyuko-san."

He shunpoed away, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It appears as though I hadn't messed up my encounter at the first meeting at all. I looked at the way that the rest of the lieutenants had walked. I think I may have acted just as expected. Perhaps the shock had come more from the fact that I was confident enough to speak at all.

I pulled my hands up to the sky and began to the walk. As I opened my eyes back up, they fell open to the see two captains. I rolled my eyes, and I made my way over to their bubbling energy. Ukitake-taicho was watching the interaction between Kyoraku-taicho and his lieutenant with a raised eyebrow. He was as aware as ever as he saw me approaching and took a few steps. His eye traveled quickly over my new entire, pointing it out.

"I thought a change was in order," I responded to the unasked question as I neared. I took a few strands of hair into my hand and stretched it out to the side. "Also cut my hair a bit."

Ukitake smiled and nodded. Today he seemed to radiate all sorts of energy and I couldn't help but to smile back at it. It must have been a very good day for him health wise, and that was always great to see. "It suits you."

"Yuko-chan~." His arms came around me waist. I let my hair fling back into place and took his arm into place so that they wouldn't move, though to the outsider it looked as if I as holding them to keep him in a hug. "Oh? What's this? Have you finally fallen in love with me?"

Kumo huffed, but I continued to follow through by titling my head back. My hair brushed against his chest as I looked up at him. I kept my gaze straight at him, and tightened my grip so that he came just a bit closer, so that his arms were fully crossed around my stomach and his arms were on my sides. As he stepped through into my space, my pulse ricocheted.

"I'm in a good mood today, Kyoraku-taicho." I slowly sang the words, finding his eyes following my mouth as I shaped the syllables. Chiyo and the ladies had taught me a little too well, I guess. Feeding from the adrenaline, I pushed my hips softly back. "You know what that means?"

He hummed, smirking with his eyes half-lidded. Gone was the shock from before, but they had settled somewhere between curiosity and a look of a capture, as his eyes never once left my face. His hands just about creeped fully around my waist and just as he was coming to pull me so that all parts of our bodies would stick together, the illusion vanished.

I came out from behind Ukitake-taicho to see Kyoraku-taicho holding onto the hair ribbon. He looked a bit flustered, with his eyes blinking, as he swiped the fabric from the air and looked at it. Ukitake-taicho, who had felt my presence shift a while ago, shifted and began full on chuckling. He held a hand to his head as he let out deep laughs and tilted his head backwards.

"I wanna play~" I combed a hand through my hair and held my hand out for the ribbon.

It was the first time I had seen it, but Kyoraku-taicho's smile came up a bit short. There was a cool sheen over his eyes as he stood over from the distance, trying to hide under the shadow of his straw hat. Unlike the first time in that clearing, this was not like his animalistic stare down that had frightened me. It was as if I was feeling him even from this distance; something a kin to a grit coming along his jaw, which bit at a tiny space in my chest. Frustration? The other details disappeared as he lifted his head more firmly up and his normal, dopey look was in place.

"Yuko-chwan, you're being so mean." He stepped forward and held out the ribbon nonetheless. My arm didn't feel like mine own as I peered up at him, but he offered it out again with an open palm. Maybe it had just been nerves from the meeting. "But I'm glad to know you're in a good mood. You look much more beautiful when you smile like that."

What? Long ago I had stopped getting embarrassed from his comments, and even from his touches. I felt a blush coming back to me face that I hadn't felt in ages. I swiped the cloth and swiftly tied my hair up to get rid of the thoughts.

I warned you.

You did not, Kumo.

No, I did. Just not recently.

What are you talking about?

"Shut up."

"Arre? I didn't say anything Yuko-chan." Kyoraku-taicho had backed off a bit, towards his lieutenant but he was still close enough to hear any whispers I said with his keen ears. He was always listening to me whenever I was around, letting no word escape his notice.

"Not you, captain. Kumo's making a ridiculous noise in my head."

Ukitake-taicho broke the interaction finally as he planted an arm on my shoulder and invited me over to the thirteenth division. Kyoraku-taicho and Lisa said their goodbyes there, though, so it left me and my former captain to aimlessly chatter again.

Kyoraku Shunsui knew that he liked women. He liked all types of women, though he found only a number truly beautiful enough to consider attractive. As it was with most men, he would say that the women he was around were lovely or cute since every woman had a pride, but only a handful completely arousing to him. Shunsui had women that flirted, women the blushed, women that stuttered, women that hit or dodged, and women that didn't react. He didn't really become physical with women unless he felt they could handle it.

Jushiro had a way of gently chastising him for the behavior, though Shunsui never stopped it. It had started in the academy, and as the friendship grew stronger only brought them closer. While Jushiro stayed a bit more on a straight and narrow, adhering to the noble status that made a gentleman, Shunsui played around. He'd admit that he was bit ashamed of a few of the tristes, but he'd learned to shoulder them and move forward.

If he could recall, he had only ever been in love with a woman once before. She was a Shinigami that had been placed into his squad, shortly after he made captaincy. She was a flirter, like him. Their banter never ceased, even if the ranks between them made the relationship a bit strenuous. Often times, he was reminded of her in some of the things his lieutenant Lisa said, although Lisa was by far the most aggressive woman that he had ever met. The things that came out of Lisa's mouth were even a bit too unprofessional, by Shunsui's standards.

The woman got married to another man, and Shunsui didn't look twice. He felt heartbroken for maybe a month or two, and then moved on. She was with someone that made her happy, and treated her well. She had a baby a few years later, but unfortunately died in combat sometime after. He had forgotten the details, because he had already buried that part of his relationship with her.

Shunsui kind of wanted a woman that was like his sister-in-law. She had made his brother softer, in a way that he had never experienced growing up. He had briefly envied the way his brother interacted with the Ise woman, but then got over the feeling. His brother's relationship had improved with the rest of his family and that's what he was most thankful for.

He kind of wanted a woman that could be like a cup, creating some sort of protective layer around his personality. He knew he was a bit exuberant and hard to manage. He had picked up more than enough bad habits between his high tolerance for alcohol and his procrastination methods. He needed a woman that would cradle that all, and bring out the joy in his life like nights of drunken behavior did for reckless youths. Yet, he also wanted a woman that could not just be a full cup of life and knowledge and charm, but be durable and strong in its material.

It was a rather lofty standard. Shunsui sometimes mused about it, thinking that he should give up or at least change the fantasy. But, it wasn't as though he was picky about how the woman looked or even how those character traits manifested so he decided that it gave him enough leeway. He knew kind of what he was looking for, and that's after having gone through some trial and error. He could accept that.

Years into his friendship with Jushiro and he thought that the man had picked up on it. He had laid off on calling out his behavior, knowing that it was innocent and normally just words. Yet, he and his friend noticed it, like a drizzle that turns into a downpour, when Shunsui kept coming back to the thirteenth division for tea. Something that he, himself, had missed.

Shunsui found the young girl interesting. Her actions had been meticulous, and the upturn of her sleeve was folded just like the servers at his manor. Shunsui might have mistaken her for a noble with the way she acted and wore her face. There was a strong upturn of her nose and clean cheekbones, barring people from her. She walked up straight and tall; letting nothing touch her within a ten foot radius. But as soon as he made a comment the lid over her eyes popped off at they grew wider, and there was flush that came across her cheeks making her soft and approachable.

At first he had mistaken the reaction for shyness, but he came to notice that it was not that at all. There was some sort of fear that came out of her reactions, like she didn't want to be around men. He was going to pull back on it, but he saw her speaking very casually with a few of the men in her barracks so it left him confused. She wasn't terrified of men like he had originally presumed, so he came to the conclusion that she was terrified of touch and flirtations.

The only way to break someone of that fear, was to make them face it again and again. As she grew used to his flirts, she edged up along ignoring to physically reacting to them. It depended on the day, so it he could never predict how the interaction might shape out to be. Jushiro played along with his interest, but chided that he take it slower. He didn't want one of his new recruits upset or hurt by his behavior. Shunsui could understand that so he nudged the girl in other ways to see what would happen.

The idea cracked on the day she played along. He never would have expected it, but there she was blinking her eyes up at him, leaning over in a slightly provocative way. Her words had slipped into a higher register, coming out in a slow tune, serenading him with the words that were running through his own head. Her fingers felt soft on top of his. The muscles twitched at the waft of them against just the hairs of his hand. She was the master of touch, not afraid of it.

Shunsui had no idea what it was, but he wanted that type of reaction again. She never gave it, and reverted to some sort of dormant state of being a regular woman. He pushed even more, going so far as to actually attempt holding and hugging her for long periods of time. She never fell into a single hole that he dug, something shining in the back of her eyes as if she could see all his words coming.

For once, he got a bit frustrated at the prospect of meeting someone who he simply couldn't seduce in some way. She gave reactions to him. He knew this because she interacted with no other man in the same way as she did with him, but the reactions were never the ones he wanted. She didn't feel like his zanpakuto spirit, who was fickle in her playing, but more like a game-master that could slip and slide knowing all of the cheat codes around the rules.

Shunsui thought that it was just a game. She was a good colleague to have and a good distraction. She made his friend happy, and it brought out the best mentor that Shunsui had seen in him. He was thankful to her for doing that, and he did enjoy her company. With lives as long as theirs, distractions in good company were always needed, but also the hardest to develop when one stood as a captain. She didn't seem to mind it so much, talking with captains, so the odd trust and care was able to fester and grow.

Shunsui fell in love with her. It happened like when weather changes seasons; with slow shifts in the visible surroundings. His surroundings were his brain and his heart. He had always been an introspective guy, but this feeling had seeped in through the tiniest crack in the window and it took him a while to understand them.

The thoughts occurred one night when she had fallen asleep during a conversation. She had snuck to the forest clearing that he used to go alone until he showed her. He found her after Jushiro had noted her absence from the barracks for more than half the day. It wouldn't have been so odd if she had mentioned training, but she had been doing paperwork earlier and then just disappeared. Shunsui supplied that he might know where she was, so he'd go and take care of it and that was the end of the discussion. He wandered into the clearing to find her in jinzen. When she came out of it, they spent the time talking. She fell asleep curled into a little ball, with his kimono around her.

Instead of using a flash step, he decided to go on a stroll. There was no rush, since he could explain it all away to Jushiro when they got back to the thirteenth. He had taken her up into his arms and cradled her there. She was tiny compared to him, standing a foot beneath him at five-foot-three-inches, so it was an easy carry.

She had woken from the doze at some point that he couldn't recall. She had chosen to stay silent, and he hadn't noticed through his light humming, until she had raised a hand up to stare at it. When the words started coming from her mouth, he thought she might have gotten sick or was still in a half-sleep state, but neither was true. Her brain was going a mile a minute with theories, and she staring at her hand as if it was the epicenter of the universe. She shifted those globe eyes over to him and spoke half-not in reality whilst never looking away. Her presence was so acute, he felt like he was breathing her in for days.

In the subsequent days that followed that all too short walk back to the division, she had disappeared again in her training. She came back fruitful and overjoyed, for the first time calling towards him as she was carrying tea. Her ramblings for the other night, which he still felt bouncing around his head, had been about her shikai and he just hadn't known that at the time. She thanked him profusely, never letting him get a word in. Not that he could figure out how to get his mouth to work; other than getting a few sips of tea down his throat.

Jushiro snickered at him for months after, jabbing at him what he already knew but didn't confirm out loud. Jushiro would know without the confirmation. It had always been that way. The only person Shunsui told with words, because he knew that in a strange sort of way she would understand, was his lieutenant. He told her in the way a flirter told anyone else, and that was by using carefully hidden adjectives in his sentences. A standard person wouldn't have thought twice about it, thinking they were just normal descriptors, nice in their implication.

Lisa had caught on quickly, and vowed in such as many words to never reveal the secret that he held close to his heart. And that was why they could flirt with each other relentlessly. And the very same reason why Ayake Ichiyuko could stay hidden in his very beating heart without him suffering in the slightest.