Day 3:
She made it to the office, not early, but just barely in time. There was not tea nor a gift this time, having rolled out of her bed, dressing, and making haste out the door. But, there was quite a lot of baggage under each blue eye. She was tired, her uniform wrinkled, and her face plain, hair every direction. She damn near considered wearing a paper bag on her head, embarrassed of her appearance.
Toshiro watched as she crossed the floor, weaving subtly, feet dragging. He figured she had a rough night out carousing with the disreputable squad eleven once again. But, seeing as she had made it to work, and on time no less, he decided to let it slide.
"Good morning lieutenant Matsumoto." He greeted her a decibel louder than truly necessary.
"Morning captain." She replied, voice dull. Shifting to get comfortable, she prepared for the day of sleepless torture. Opening her drawer, bright blue eyes went from half lidded to saucers. She had left her paperwork at home in her room. She dropped her head to the desk face first, repeatedly. After her brief period of pouting, she heaved herself upward to make her way back home and retrieve the forgotten papers.
Just as she reached for the brass knob, a knock sounded from the other side causing her jump with an undignified yelp. The door creaked open to reveal a stack of papers carried by a well-rested, disgustingly cheerful, at least to her, Renji. She grabbed the papers from waiting arms and unceremoniously slammed the door in his face.
"You're welcome!" Renji yelled at the door. Rangiku could hear his solid footsteps as he stormed down the hall and out the door.
"You mind telling me why lieutenant Abarai had your paperwork, Matsumoto?" He seemed calm on the exterior, but Rangiku could see her breath fog out in front of her. He was pissed.
"It's not what you think captain." She began reassuringly, trying desperately to placate her irritated superior.
"It better not be, because what I think happened was the coercion of lieutenant Abarai to get him to complete your work." His finger tips were turning white as he gripped the edge of his desk, physically hanging on to control over his temper.
"No, it was nothing like that captain. You see, after I left, I went back to my place to finish up my work. It was late and as I was completing some files, he showed up drunk." Her words came in a rush as she attempted to explain. She paused, waiting for an interruption. Recieving none, she continued. "I told him to leave but he wouldn't and threatened to serenade me if I didn't let him in to crash. So, I let him in and we got in a tickle fight and it was so late when I got to sleep. I was hardly awake and in a hurry when I left that I forgot them at home in my room." She gave a weak smile, shrugging her shoulders.
He raised his brow.
"Funny story hey captain?" She laughed nervously knowing that silence was worse than an ass chewing.
"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Short legs swung up onto the desk, slender body leaning back in the chair. His eyes were narrowed in attempt of intimidation. It was his own special brand of truth serum.
"Well, it's the truth." She stated plainly as she sat down with her pile.
Suspicious eyes scanned her form.
"If I find out you lied to me Matsumoto, I'm putting you on suspension, do you understand me?" There was no anger, no emotion, just pure fact.
"Yes, captain. I understand." Face solemn, she dug in to the fat stack in front of her.
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By lunch time, she had more than enough margins and ledgers to last a life time and her liquid comfort was calling to her. There were multiple bottles hidden throughout the office, just in case of certain circumstances, and she could feel her will power being stripped away.
Her fingers began to itch for one of the bottles that was mere inches away in her top desk drawer hidden in a false bottom. Her pen cap became nothing more than mangled plastic as she tried to figure out a way to take it out discreetly.
"Matsumoto." Toshiro called to her, eyes not leaving the squad entry form being submitted to his scrutiny.
"Hmmm?" She continued to stare into empty space.
"You've got ink all over your face." He finished, his own pen dancing across the paper with his name in a flourish of precise letters.
She looked down at her stained hands, nose wrinkled in disgust. Pulling a silver hand mirror from the desk drawer, she took in the damages. Her lips were stained blue, and there were small streaks where she had set her chin in her open hand while thinking. Getting up, she left the office without a word to get to the nearest sink, soap, and water. As clear as day, she could hear her ever stoic captain chuckling at her expense.
Sick of work and the constant torment of sitting beside her oh-so-delicious but untouchable bottle of goodness, she wandered the seretei to clear her mind. In her meandering, she once again found Nemu, carrying a copious amount of what seemed to be science texts of some nature.
"Like a hand with those?" Rangiku offered cheerfully.
"Thank you, lieutenant Matsumoto." As usual, Nemu's creator's embedding of absolute subordinancy and propriety won out despite their previous discussion.
With a sigh of defeat, she took half of the offered tower of books and followed Nemu into the squad twelve barracks.
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"This place is so freakin' creepy." Rangiku muttered as she passed the many fluid-filled jars with various tissues, severed anatomy, and numerous unidentifiable items as well. The place reeked of chemicals and machines sounded throughout the main lab as they monitored testing, logged data, and tracked vitals of the numerous "guinea pigs".
"You can set them down here lieutenant Matsumoto." The brunette's free arm signaling to a large, stainless steel desk. Rangiku, deciding to just give up on the formality lecture, followed Nemu's direction and set her armful of books next to the others.
Glancing around her surroundings, her mind became boggled at the amount of information flowing back and forth via radio transmissions, verbal reports through subordinates, and the line of screens capturing every nook and cranny of the seretei. She was a bit miffed when the image of her spacious and feminine bedroom came into view.
"I better get royalties if profits are being made from this." She growled at the poor man who had the misfortune of being nearest to her. She poked her finger into his chest with each word, causing him to back up into a corner with each jab.
"Th-that isn't wh-what it's for lieutenant." A short, bald headed man stammered, blush assaulting his round face.
"I don't care what it's for pal, I didn't give permission for anyone to conduct surveillance of my bedroom." Her scathing voice was as intimidating as her menacing position over the much smaller man. Tired of being bullied on his own turf, the man gathered his pride and extended a hand, careful to touch only her shoulder, and moved her back from him to exit the corner.
"Captain Kurosutchi gave clearance for such surveillance and his rank trumps any discrepancies you may have with our operations here in squad twelve, lieutenant." Adjusting his wire framed glasses, the smug and pudgy scientist waddled away.
Nemu came up beside her blonde friend, face blank, hands behind her petite form. She could feel the other lieutenant's reiatsu bite up and down her skin. Rangiku, sensing the other woman's presence, turned a stern face with knitted brow in her direction, absolutely seething from the breach on her privacy.
"Did you know anything about this?" She questioned the brunette, teeth gritted.
"I do have access to that information." Nemu stated in a matter of fact tone.
"You condone the invasion of a person's privacy?" Rangiku asked incredulously.
"I do not. I merely follow my master's orders, that is all." Unshaken by her friend's ire, she maintained eye contact, back straight.
Brunette unwavering, Rangiku relented her need to lash out at somebody, anybody, visibly shaking the irritation from her form. Running slender fingers through her hair, she pushed out a quick breath of air to switch mindsets.
"Hey, Nemu. You wanna' go get lunch? I'm starved." Her usual mega-watt smile was back in place.
"As you wish." Her words were accentuated with a nod, a mere bow from the neck really. It was a step in the right direction at least.
The busty blonde led the way out the door, Nemu following close behind.
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They sat across from each other, red tea pot and matching cups between them. Rangiku was telling Nemu about her crumbling will power and the many bottles of temptation scattered about squad ten's office.
"So, do you think you could give me a hand then?" Rangiku sipped her tea, lip curling. Gods did she wish it was sake. Setting the cup down, she slid the barely touched cup off to the side.
"Of course. It will be taken care of immediately." Nemu agreed with a brief nod, then bringing her own cup up to her lips. Emerald orbs studied the face across from the table.
Lines, not yet etched deep, extended from the corner of blue eyes, eyes that were just a bit duller than usual. The skin beneath them, bruised and puffy. It was obvious that her friend was suffering, and to an extent, it provoked a minor stir of what she could scientifically claim as "feelings".
Recognizing her window for opportunity, Nemu let the brightly colored cup slip out of her fingers, sending the steeped leaf beverage into her unsuspecting companion's lap, said companion jumping up brushing down the front of her robes.
"Please, forgive me." Nemu plead with as much feeling as she could muster.
"It's alright." Rangiku replied, voice tired. She moved from the table to make her way to the restroom, seeking there towels to absorb some of the liquid.
Nemu watched and waited until she was sure Rangiku had gone out of line of sight. Pulling out a silver flask, she put three drops of a mud colored, viscous fluid into the other woman's near full tea cup.