i don't own Bleach; enjoy!
"Um, Captain Mori?"
"What's up, Momo?"
The brunette lieutenant exhaled as she finally caught pace with her captain, "I'm surprised you're so quick to get to this morning's meeting. I've never seen you like this." She said.
The blonde captain slowed her pace when hearing the slightly winded tone in her usually kind voice, pausing to let her catch her breath. "Sorry, Momo-chan. I just… I guess hearing about the Arrancars has shaken me up." She looked at the tall building of the first division only two divisions away from them, seeing some memory the brunette couldn't take part in.
Hinamori Momo looked at the woman in slight surprise, "Captain…?"
Shaking her head briefly, Yasakawa looked at her and put on an assuring smile that somehow or another didn't reach her garnet eyes. "Don't worry about it! I'm fine, Momo." She looked at the buildings again and sighed, "Let's move." She continued, albeit lowering the briskness of her pace for her lieutenant's sake.
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Momo chirped, jogging after the Vizard woman.
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She was antsy, to be blunt, though fidgety also seemed to categorize her mood.
Kuchiki Byakuya discreetly reached behind to take hold of her left hand, feeling her stop her movements; she only ever behaved like this if something was wrong or if she was in trouble.
Given she hadn't done anything unruly as of late, he ruled out the latter.
"Sorry…" Kuchiki Kita mumbled, her cheeks reddening.
"It's all right; I suppose it's difficult to think about something that once harmed you and not get fidgety." His longer fingers squeezed on hers affectionately, a reflex honed during the years, before and after their wedding. "Just try and stay calm." He instructed softly.
She quieted and smiled softly, squeezing his hand in return. "I will."
Across the hall Yasakawa was staring ahead past Captain Soi Fon's head, seeming for all the world lost in thought. The events of the meeting the day prior flashed repeatedly in her mind, namely of her outright defense of the Arrancars captive.
Was she insane to be extending mercy to two former enemies, one of the two having roughed up her greenhorn-captain on more than one occasion? No, she was being sane… If Captain Unohana saw her point made sense, then she wasn't crazy after all.
Geez, only twenty years as a captain and she was already making a name for herself… Some way or another, she imagined Hirako Shinji would be the first to cuff her on the head and say something along the lines of 'not using yer head much, are ya, kitten?'…
She closed her eyes and exhaled.
Although she could only wish for more time to think on just what had transpired by her opening her big mouth, the familiar cane tapping sharply on the wooden floor of the room to distill the murmurs and chatter surrounding her destroyed what hopes had risen to the fore.
Vizards and Arrancar weren't the same… Sure both pseudo-hollows were scorned by the same prick currently wasting away in Mūken, but that isn't enough to defend a former enemy of the Gotei 13.
… It wasn't, right?
"Given you all have had time to think over what was said in yesterday's meeting, it would be in everyone's best interest to have a vote. If the majority votes 'yay', both Arrancars' lives will be spared. If the majority votes 'nay', the Arrancars' death will be dealt by my own hand." Yamamoto stated, Lieutenant Sasakibe having been standing faithfully at his right holding what appeared to be a small box. "There will be a twenty minute recess for each officer to cast their vote; dismissed." He added, allowing the twin rows of captains file out of the room firstly to cast their votes outside of the room.
Backing out of it now would seem foolish, and given she was a captain, her reputation would be ruined for however long eternity was… She inhaled steadily.
Her olive eyes beheld the spacious hall that had to be the Shinigami's meeting room.
After being given a breath of fresh air after a decade spent inside that heinous man's laboratories, being poked and prodded and experimented on with gods-knew-what, she was grateful to not only have a moderate-to-high tolerance for pain, but for what felt like the first taste of freedom she hadn't felt in… well, years.
The bluenette next to her momentarily scowled down at the seki-seki shackles around his wrists and ankles once again, following the aimless direction her eyes went if only to keep from letting his annoyance get to him.
Sure was a spacious place… Then again, he doubted the rest of Seireitei was any smaller.
The white dunes and never-ending vertical grin of the moon in Las Noches was a far cry from the reishi-infused, unsurprisingly mild, season-affected climate known as Soul Society.
Vague traces of memory flitted through his mind of that first day he'd arrived in this world that was quite the opposite of his former home, most of it too damn fuzzy for him to piece together.
Pain had dragged him out of consciousness and it was pain that dragged him right back into the light.
"So, you think things could get any weirder, Nel?"
He had only heard rumors scattered here and there during his years climbing the ranks of the Espada of how Harribel had taken over for the green-haired woman next to him; not surprising, Neliel's downfall had been taking Nnoitora too lightly, letting her guard down for one miniscule second that cost her not only her powers but her memories as the former Tercera.
The female Arrancar took another gander at the walls, the far wall with a door leading to another section of the first division. She shrugged, the chains clinking softly, "I can't say for sure… Judging by the tension from some of the Shinigami, though, I don't have much doubt we're still not welcome here, Grimmjow." She answered with a slight smile.
Even with tension she was oddly optimistic… Maybe Harribel replacing her had been a wise choice after all, given she was strange.
The former Sexta scoffed, blue eyes narrowing slightly at her words. "No, what was your first fucking clue?" He mused.
The ex-Tercera chuckled despite his sarcastic remark.
Both Arrancars stiffened on habit when the doors were opened and the captains and lieutenants filed back into the room, only the Captain-Commander and his lieutenant shrugging to the front to resume the position of leader.
Kita blinked once at recognizing the shock of blue in the middle of the room, chains binding his wrists and ankles to the wooden floor; she took note of the likewise-shock of green to his left, also in the same state as her former enemy.
It had been twenty years but she could still recognize the former Sexta from a mile away; his hair color gave him away in a heartbeat.
Byakuya stared at where she had been looking and he took note of the rugged-looking bluenette; gray eyes tightening, his jaw muscles twitched so his mouth formed into a thin line.
Yasakawa looked from the bluenette to the green-haired Arrancar infront of her, her olive eyes that stared forward into space, the strange maroon line running across her pretty face.
She had done some digging on Grimmjow, but not on Neliel.
"The votes have been counted twice by myself, and once by my lieutenant, and are tallied!" Yamamoto's voice cut through her thoughts, the moment of silence left to stand after his words faded might as well have been an hour; she chewed her lower lip, gaze down. "24-8. Twenty-four yay, eight nay."
Ichigo balked; Yasakawa's head jerked up alertly; even Kita was left slack-jaw.
Seriously!?
"Both Arrancars will be returned to their holding pen in twelfth division; Mori Yasakawa, Kuchiki Byakuya, both of you will meet me in my office. Elsewise, you are all dismissed." His words made both captains blink in slight surprise as the two Arrancars were escorted out of the room.
Kita squeezed her husband's hand reflexively before following Rukia and Renji out of the room as the others dispersed from their ranks to exit; Ichigo looked at Yasakawa and offered a small grin before he traipsed alongside the Kuchiki women.
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I understand why Ojii-san would ask me something of this caliber, but why Kuchiki-kun? She wondered, replaying what had been said in the old man's office in her head for the third time.
'I will keep the former Sexta under surveillance in my division's headquarters, Sōtaichō. It only seems fair, given placing him under any other division would seem a bad idea.' She had proposed, smiling assuringly.
Yamamoto had nodded to her, 'Very well, I shall see to it that Captain Kurotsuchi hands over custody of the Arrancar to your division tomorrow morning. Thank you for volunteering, Mori-san.'
Byakuya had finished the conversation with all of his usual stoicness in his voice, 'Then I will keep the former Tercera under surveillance in my own division's headquarters…'
"You sure Kita's going to agree with taking the Tercera into your custody, Kuchiki-kun?" Yasakawa couldn't help but ask, bursting the silence that stood between the two captains as they returned to their respective divisions.
Byakuya briefly lifted a brow at her question, gaze intent forward as he answered, "From what I gather, she is of less harm to anyone than her fellow Arrancar. She did aid Kurosaki at one point during the Winter War, according to the reports."
"So she did…" She mused, exhaling and rubbing her neck. "Do you think I did the right thing in extending mercy to them? I don't think anyone with half a right mind would've spoken for them when they couldn't do it themselves." If it was anyone in Seireitei she could ask advice from, aside from Unohana and Ichigo, it would be Kuchiki Byakuya.
He had been a captain longer than she had, after all, so he had experience with self-doubt.
He thought on her question for a moment, gray eyes momentarily noting they were passing the fourth division's gates. "If what my brother-in-law said about your history holds true, I don't believe you acted wrongly. Sympathy towards one who also experienced what you went through does not make you weak, or foolish, Mori-san." He answered after thinking his words through.
Yasakawa looked up at him, surprise in her garnet eyes; soaking in his answer, she nodded slowly, smiling a little. "It figures Kiba would know about that…" She sighed and stopped to bow briefly to her colleague. "Thanks for your advice, Kuchiki-kun; I can see why you're the head of the Kuchiki clan." She smiled kindly up at him before turning to disappear in a whisper of shun-po.
Byakuya blinked at her added compliment, allowing a faint smile to form. He continued on his way to the sixth, having a distinct feeling he would be bombarded with questions from his fidgety lieutenant.
hopefully you guys don't think i'm moving too fast with the plot.. just trying to get things under way before the action starts in future chapters. anyway, tell me what you think!
also, 190+ views already? whoa thanks, this made my day! (: feel free to leave some reviews, people.
food for thought: Grimmjow and Neliel together?