AN ODE TO MY SHITTY LAPTOP
Chapter 4.5
Dell Constantine straightened his posture as his Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku of the Eighth Division, stopped in front of him to inspect his uniform. A bead of sweat ran down Dell's neck as Kyoraku leaned down to inspect the front of Constantine's shihakusho. Kyoraku stood to his full height and glared down at the Shinigami before him; his intimidating frame cast an ominous shadow over Dell, and he prepared himself for the Captain's verdict.
"What's your name?" Kyoraku asked.
"Eleventh Seat, Dell Constantine, Captain!" Dell yelled, his voice thick with false confidence. He expected the Captain to pick his uniform apart and declare that he had failed to even meet the basic expectations of a Shinigami of the Eighth Division, but instead Kyoraku grinned and a quiet giggle escaped his lips before he regained his composure.
"What'd you say your name was?"
"Dell Constantine, Captain." Unfortunately, Kyoraku could not maintain his stoic facade this time, and he burst into a fit of laughter. He clapped a hand onto Dell's shoulder to keep his balance as the Captain doubled over in his glee.
"That is the dumbest name I've ever heard!" He wheezed through the laughter. Dell's face flushed red, and he did his best to keep himself calm.
"Captain Kyoraku, we should really..." Lieutenant Nanao began to speak, but the Captain cut her off as he turned to her.
"Nanao, his name is Bell! He's not even Japanese, Nanao! You should've told me we had an otaku in our midst!"
Not only had the Captain laughed in Dell's face, but he had misheard his name. Kyoraku had labeled him an otaku in front of the entire Division and was still howling while Dell was beet red under the curious gazes of his comrades. He didn't deserve this. He was an Eleventh Seat of the Eighth Division, and for the love of all the booze in the world, he wouldn't stand for this. Constantine spoke up.
"Captain Kyoraku! I am an Eleventh Seat of the Eighth Division, and I have earned my position and the respect of my comrades. I ask that you respect me like you do any other seated officer of the Eighth." Silence washed over the scene for a moment.
"Getting mad?" Kyoraku asked mockingly, punctuating his question with a gentle poke to Dell's chest. Dell was beyond mad at this point and failed to keep his composure any longer. This drunken fool had not only the audacity to embarrass him before the entirety of the division, but he had single-handedly shredded any respect Dell might've had for him. How could this bastard be Captain of an entire Division when he acted like this? The embarrassment quickly turned to rage, and Dell pulled his zanpakuto in a fit of passionate anger.
"Shine! Hikari no seiken!" Constantine and Kyoraku were consumed by a ball of blinding light, and the intense heat forced the other Shinigami to quickly retreat from the immediate area. Inside the light, Kyoraku was untouched by the heat, but the light did force him to shield his eyes. He jumped back and pulled his own zanpakuto.
"You're brash, you know that? Attacking your Captain."
"Shut it, cunt!" Dell leaped forward with his zanpakuto, ready to skewer Kyoraku. Any thoughts for his own safety had left him, and in their place was the single-minded desire to make the bastard pay for his disrespect. Shunsui shielded himself from Dell's thrust, their blades grinding against each other with an ear-piercing screech. The spiritual pressure that was wafting off of Dell shocked Kyoraku, and his defense wavered for a second, but that was enough time for Dell to push the advantage. He shoved Shunsui forward and slashed at his chest, carving a shallow cut into his Captain. It was bleeding profusely, but the wound wasn't anywhere near fatal or even crippling.
"You're strong for an Eleventh Seat, Bell."
"I'll feed you your teeth, you waste of space!"
Unfortunately, Kyoraku wasn't intent on letting this fight drag on any longer than it already had, so he charged at Dell with speed so great that he may as well have teleported and butted the pommel of his zanpakuto into Dell's nose with a crack. Constantine fell to the ground, unconscious, but this wasn't the end of his story. Under normal circumstances, his act of insubordination would've landed him before the Captain Commander, but Kyoraku was intrigued by Dell's strength, and it didn't hurt that the Eleventh Seat amused him to no end, so he was promoted to the Tenth Seat since the position was open and the two's rivalry had been born.