CHAPTER 2g:

The 9th Division: Communications, Diplomacy, Arts and Culture

A thin black wave of hell butterflies danced about, flying to a delightful upbeat melody that they themselves exuded. They weaved themselves around and about the brightly colored dressing room, which adjoined the 9th Division Captain's office.

"Stand still beautiful,

lest we have to start again.

You must look stunning."

The elaborately dressed 9th Division Captain, Sukeroku Omata, said softly to his Lt. whose white face paint he was touching up around the neck and ears, making sure the coating was even and perfect. He hummed to the hell butterflies' tune as they flitted about. He had personally trained several groupings of them to fly in harmonious patterns to various arrangements of music, despite his Lt.'s comments to him on the potential ramifications of misuse of Gotei property.

The Lt. did not respond to him and stood as still as she had done for the past three hours, though her eyes told a different story of losing patience with the Captain. He had already had her spend almost the entire previous night picking out what HE would wear to the Captains meeting, as well as 'helping' him to design his Kabuki face paint for the event, which basically amounted to three hours of her smiling and nodding as the Captain ended up doing exactly what he wanted regardless of her opinions and 'help'. Then, she had been ordered to arrive at 7am to help him dress, only to find him having picked out an entire new set of clothes and face paint design. THEN, after four hours of fitting and painting him, he had decided that HER outfit was entirely 'Unacceptable', and must be changed to 'Better befit the character' of being his Lt. The Captains meeting was scheduled for 4pm, and they were fast approaching that hour, and as her Captain was not the type to rush anywhere, especially for special occasions, time was running out.

Dressed in full and elaborate geisha regalia, as were ALL the female members of the 9th Division, the beautiful dark-haired Lt., Ameterasu Shinotsuka, stood as Cpt. Sukeroku finished her makeup, hoping they could head out soon and be on time. The bright red color of her kimono draped perfectly over her shoulders and laid gently over her thin body. Only the slightest hint of the traditional black Shinigami robes peeked out from under the lowest layer of her beautiful ensemble. It was not normal practice for Shinigami to wear anything other than the traditional black Shinigami robes, but Sukeroku was more than pleased to wade through the vast amount of red tape needed to be allowed to move his 9th Division away from the standard Shinigami dress code.

The Captain's touch with the paintbrush was delicate and precise, almost soothing, at least that is what Ameterasu had thought hours earlier. Now, however, every touch from the paintbrush and his hands in her hair felt like nails scratching against a chalkboard. She had already made the mistake of sneezing once, which led to a full undressing and bath before starting over.

Still she stood, silent and unmoving, as the Captain would dab some paint then step away, folding his arms or bringing his hand to his chin and tilting his head to look at her. He would then walk around her, sometimes shaking his head, or sometimes his eyes would widen and his large smile would come out, which was accentuated a great deal by the white and red stripes in his Kabuki-style painted face.

After a few more agonizing minutes, and in a huff, the Captain then turned around and stood to her side as he looked at the two of them in the full length mirror. He tilted his hips, and turned to the side, grabbing and turning Ameterasu like a doll so he could see how they looked together from every angle.

"You look delightful!

There is no doubt about it.

I, however…ugh"

He said annoyed as he flipped his white captain's haori about. The fanciful Captain wore a long sleeved and beautifully kept white captain's haori over at least five different layers of beautiful silken, brightly colored, and elaborately decorated kimonos. With only two fingers, he lazily held out the top layer, his white Captain's haori, away from his under layers to show Ameterasu the beautiful uppermost kimono layer underneath: a striking, bright orange flowered one, which had a summer's setting sun theme.

"This white does nothing.

Should we Captains look a fool?

Tsk…why not orange?"

He said almost to himself, though he looked right at his beautiful Lt.

Ameterasu furrowed her brow as her Captain adjusted his haori and kimonos looking himself over in the mirror with scrutiny. She did not like where this seemed like it was heading. They did NOT have the time for him to change his mind again.

Sukeroku moved to another wall and began looking at a hanging rack of other multicolored kimonos which he had picked out earlier. All the while, he hummed to himself and in harmony with the hell butterflies which pranced to and fro about him. Their dainty dance almost seeming to encourage his behavior, the Lt. thought to herself.

As the Captain's back was turned and his attention was now upon only himself again, the beautiful Lt. reached into one of her large sleeve pockets and pulled out a small electronic tablet-like device she had hidden despite the Captain's insistence against her carry it. Tapping the screen a few times, she pulled up her calendar and checked the time. Sighing as softly as she could, she looked up to see the Captain tossing out more kimonos from inside the walk-in closet onto a nearby couch, as he continued to hum to himself along with the Butterflies song, entirely unaware of her.

"We have to go. Now!"

She thought to herself as she tapped the screen of the little device. A small window and keyboard popped up, and the Lt. typed in a few short messages to the other members of the 9th Division, making sure all the communications systems were up and running, as she had not been able to check in with them all day.

The Captain was still flinging out kimonos, and Ameterasu knew she had better do something soon if they were going to arrive on time. Placing the little device back in her pocket, she took out a small rice paper fan that was tucked into her colorful wide silken belt behind her small wooden 9th Division Lt.'s badge. Opening the fan quickly, revealing a splash of purple colored flowers, she flapped it near her face, wafting some air onto her painted face as she turned confidently, if not a little coyly, and strode toward the door.

"I am leaving Captain. It is rather ugly to be late, and you would not want your Lt. to be found ugly would you?"

Her soft voice surprised the Captain, who turned his head suddenly to her. His painted red and black eyebrows furrowed for an instant.

Seeing her leave, he hesitated fro a moment and then pranced quickly to catch up with her, stepping over several strewn kimonos, grabbing his zanpakatuo from a hanging peg as he went, and slipping it quickly into his colorful robes and belts. The black blur of hell butterflies followed in his wake.

"Ameterasu,

Ugly? Not on my account!

Alone you shan't be."

The Captain said almost lyrically to her. He caught up quickly and walked next to her as if it was HIS decision to leave when they did. Striding confidently with her, the Captain paraded himself and his beautiful Lt., Ameterasu, first before the bowing and observing 9th Division membership (which was organized to happen per the Lt.'s orders) as they exited their barracks, then many times later before the awestruck citizens and Shinigami onlookers as they made their way down the Seretei streets towards the Captains meeting. The fluttering and dancing hell butterflies flapped about them and provided a fanciful theme to accompany them along their route.