SIBLINGS.

The Muguruma siblings were one force to be reckoned with. Both strong in their own right and both high ranking Gotei 13 members. The eldest, Captain of Squad 9 and known as the residential hot-head but still maintaining the level of respect a Captain deserves. And the youngest Muguruma, residing as the Lieutenant of Squad 9. Known for being the yin to Kensei's yang, the dark haired sibling was known for being the more level-headed and understanding of the two. Shining in perception and a master swords-woman, Rieko Muguruma strove to shine the same way her brother did because she did not want anyone thinking that this position was solely handed to her because of favoritism.

Still, regardless of how much she fought to shine, people loved to gossip.

It bothered her for quite some time, walking around Seireitei with her brother caused a lot of stares and drew a lot of whispers. It upset Kensei as well, causing her older brother to snap at their own Squad a few times when they initially sassed or questioned her authority. Reiko took it, biting her tongue and shielding her heart, she couldn't deny the dent in both ego and feelings that came along with the initial disdain from her own squad.

UNDESERVING.

Respect within her Squad came a few years after her assignment as Lieutenant, when Kensei sent her out to take care of a few hollows within Rukongai with a small team. The seated officers had returned pale faced, shaken but uninjured, while Reiko limped back, bloody and grinning. She had nearly sacrificed her own arm to save them against a surprise hollow but had gained the respect of the seated officers and the rest of their division soon after. And, slowly but surely, her division began to back her against the rumors. They defended her against the unbeknownst, stating that she was - in fact - deserving of the Lieutenant title and it was just not a fallacy that was handed to her by Kensei. Sure, said man was happy to have his own sister by his side. But, he would not have put her there unless she deserved it.

And, over the course of years and years, her reputation began to build on its own.

Captains and Lieutenants and seated officers alike saw her as she grew. Always standing tall and proud, sword bouncing on her hip and eyes trained on everyone and everything. People started to see her as she was, as Lieutenant Reiko Muguruma, and not just as Captain Muguruma's younger sister. They saw her as she was, brilliant in her own way. Originally trained under Captain Kyoraku in the Eighth as a seated officer before moving her way up many, many years later. She was proud of who she was, where she was, and with her current title in the Gotei.

LIEUTENANT.

Reiko peered up at the clock that was mounted on the wall over her and her brothers desk. It was almost time to start heading over to the Ceremony for the new 12th Division Captain. Reiko adjusted her shihakusho and the thin silky silver sash at her waist, her bare feet pounding on the wooden floors of the Division. Kensei looked at her from his desk before looking at the clock himself, he sighed heavily.

"Time to go, huh?" Kensei stood, reaching for his Captain's haori.

"Yes, Captain," She extended her reply, dragging both words along lazily and in a near mocking tone, Kensei shot her a look of distaste but didn't say anything as she reached for her sandals. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror that was in their shared office, her black hair fell in straight layers to her collar bones. Her eyes were the identical brown to her brothers, and they shared the same sharp facial features. She wasn't as tall as Kensei, though was also not significantly shorter - standing at a 177cm. Her shihakusho was fashioned to lay open enough on her chest so the '6' tattoo in the pit of her neck would be visible, but left no other skin there exposed.

Her brother and her left their Division soon after fixing themselves presentable, they mostly walked in silence. Save for Reiko asking her brother if he knew the who the Captain was (to which he replied a short and uninterested 'Not a clue').

A soft cough broke the comfortable silence between the siblings, causing Reiko and Kensei to turn behind them curiously.

Reiko perked, seeing Captain Kyoraku, along with Lisa and Captain Ukitake closing in. Reiko bowed politely as she greeted them while they joined her and her brother.

"How are you, my precious Reiko~" Kyoraku sang, leaning into Reiko. She didn't mind the man's charm, unlike most she found it particularly endearing. She assumed though, it was due to the fact that he was the Captain to recruit her after her days at the Academy. That, and she had spent countless days and hours with the man as he helped her better her shikai abilities. Her zanpakuto, Tsukikage, was quite the unforgiving spirit and he took quite a toll on her whilst she was finishing up the academy and when she was a seated officer. Captain Kyoraku helped her get the better grasp on her abilities, more-so than her own brother. And with this, she would always hold a soft spot for the man.

MENTOR.

"Piled in paperwork recently," Reiko quipped, "Lieutenant Yadomaru didn't warn me about the amount of paperwork I would be doing."

"You didn't ask," Lisa shrugged, her voice holding the same bare tone as it always did. Reiko resisted the urge to roll her eyes, the corner of her lips tugging upwards.

Reiko noticed there was a crowd already walking towards the main room ahead of them, all steadily walking to the barracks. Captain Kyoraku cut in as Hirako Shinji and Aikawa Love seemed to be talking about one of the old 11th Division Captains.

"You're early today, Shunsui," Love commented offhandedly.

Reiko feels her body tingle unpleasantly, alerting her that someone was watching her, so her own eyes drag over to meet the brown irises of the 5th Division Lieutenant. Aizen Sosuke was someone she felt oddly about, his eyes reminding her of her own. Full of knowing and calculation, she never could bring herself befriend the man. She didn't know how to quite describe it, but the goodness he seemed to show everyone was just so.. sickeningly fake to Reiko. But, she kept her feelings to herself, never really knowing if she was being paranoid or if the man really was what she suspected.

UNTRUSTWORTHY.

"How are you today, Lieutenant Muguruma?" Aizen smiled softly, warmly. He bowed shortly as they all walked.

She bowed back politely, "I've been good, Lieutenant. How's the 5th been doing recently?"

Small talk was all it got to for Reiko and Aizen, she didn't let it get much further than that, no matter if he tried.

"Busy, you know how Captain Hirako can be."

"Oi!"

In fact she did, she ran paperwork past the Fifth too often for her own liking. It wasn't a problem with the Division itself, just with Aizen she didn't like. She hated the feeling of being watched, calculated, and interpreted like foreign material. Shinji often stopped her to talk since, originally, he had also reached out to potentially make her a seated officer within the 5th after her graduation from the Academy. But she had already pre-decided on going to the 8th, and had pretty much accepted her position there by the time she'd met him. So to say, Shinji was a little too late in his proposal. He still liked to bring that up whenever he saw her.

Reiko nodded in acknowledgment to Aizen's response, uninterested now in continuing the conversation with the man. Though, she did made brief eye-contact with Shinji, who's eyes glinted with interest.

"Promoted?"

Shinji snapped away from her gaze to scold his Lieutenant for interfering with a conversation that was clearly spoken mostly between the Captains. She passed her eyes around as she half-heartedly followed the conversation, keeping quiet to herself. Reiko knew some of it, based on a brief conversation she had with Kensei, about Captain Hikifune being promoted to the Royal Guard. It was interesting, a first she had heard of. But she also was not nearly as old as Kyoraku, Ukitake, or Unohana.

"Hey!" Her brother interrupts everyone, pointing back towards further inside of the First Division barracks, "He's here. The new guy."

Reiko follows her brother in, only stopping when something crawls it's way over her shoulders. She glances at Kyoraku with a raised brow as the man pressed his cheek into her shoulder, "Promise to visit me soon, Reiko~!"

She opened her mouth to answer but Kyoraku flew forward due to Lisa's rough kick in the behind, Lisa passed by with a thumbs up as she looked at the black haired Muguruma, "I agree."

Reiko's lips turned upward a fraction as she gave a lopesided smile. She only nodded in response to the two, then moving to stand in line behind her brother as the new Captain skidded in.

Reiko blinked at the newly promoted Captain's aloofness. She heard Shinji mumble something about him being a slacker to Aizen. She eyed the Captain up and down, not particularly trying to hide the fact that she was looking at him with a critical gaze. The Captain was tall, a little taller than her brother most likely. He looked innocent enough, but with the Captain's haori hanging on his shoulders she knew he was anything but. Sandy blonde hair fell between his pale grey eyes, he glanced around the room nervously whilst rubbing the back of his head. Reiko tilted her head to look around the room, gauging reactions. Her eyes stopped on Aizen, her eyes narrowing seeing the look in his. It held nothing close to the warm calmness he tends to try and show everyone. She drags her gaze away quickly before he would notice she was staring.

"Sorry I'm late," The new Captain smiled, rubbing the back of his head, "It's nice to meet everyone."

Pause.

"Um, can I… come in?"

Kensei and Reiko glanced at each other through their peripherals, her brother crossing his arms over his chest and Reiko tilting her head slightly forward. The new Captain definitely was a curious one, she would be the first to admit that.

Yoruichi scolded him quickly as she yelled at him to enter, though he seemingly did not have the time to enter on his own accord before he was shoved in by the Captain Commander himself. Reiko again listened half-heartedly, instead choosing to glance around the room when she felt she could. Nearly all the present Captains and Lieutenants were listening intently save for two or three.

"I hereby appoint Kisuke Urahara as the new Captain of the Twelfth Division."

CHANGE.