Noble Love - Bleach (Kuchiki Byakuya x Oc x A bit of Various)

十三

Captain-Commander Yamamoto brought up the topic on Asa's decision to be placed at the 3rd Seat during the meeting with his fellow Captains. Some of them agreed with the decision, but the experienced ones like Shunsui, Ukitake and Unohana thought that she should be promoted to a higher rank where she could use her abilities, because they felt that it would be a waste for a Shinigami like Asa to bear a rank lower than her initial one. However, the latter didn't much say in it since she had made that decision on her own accord, and they had no choice but to respect that. In the end, it had been decided that Asa would be the 3rd Seat of the 10th Devision, under Hitsugaya Toshiro.

To say the young Captain was nervous about having someone as respectable as Asa working under him, would come off as an understatement. He was very nervous. Besides the fact she was the Captain-Commander's granddaughter, he had heard so many stories about her reputation as a hard-working Shinigami who had done so much for Soul Society, even before the twenty-year mission; and the respect his ex-Captain had towards her meant something. That, as well as her being the wife of a late nobleman, he wasn't sure how to address her, and was worried that he might offend her, especially with his short temper. If he wasn't careful with his words and actions, he might get into trouble with her grandfather, of all people!

On the other hand, his free-spirited Lieutenant, Rangiku was excited to meet Asa. During her time in the Shin'o Academy as a senior, she would hear her school mates talking about the prodigious first-year student who worked her way up to the final year within a few months. Some said it was because of her intelligence and skills that brought her to where she supposedly belonged, while some where downright sour about it and spread rumours that she took advantage of her status as the granddaughter of the Captain Commander. Nevertheless, Rangiku chose to believe the former. And now that she thought about it, she could understand why the moment she met Asa herself once the former had left her grandfather's office.

"You must be Yamamoto Asa-san." began Rangiku excitedly. "I'm the Lieutenant of the 6th Division, Matsumoto Rangiku. You may call me Rangiku. It's a pleasure to meet you, Asa-san, and I'm happy to be able to work with you."

Rangiku was a curvaceous woman with long, wavy blonde hair, light blue eyes, full lips, and a beauty mark located under the right side of her mouth. Like Asa, she let her Shihakushou hang loose for her ample bosom to be revealed, thought it was showing more than the black-haired woman's, and carried her Zanpakutou behind her back. To complete her look, she wore a thin golden necklace tucked between her cleavage, a long pink scarf over her shoulders, and her 6th Division Lieutenant's armband was worn on her uniform's sash instead of around the arm.

"Pleased to meet you too, Rangiku." said Asa with a smile. "And please, you can leave the honorifics if you'd prefer calling me by my name."

The said woman's eyes seemed to light up when she said that. "Really?" she asked, earning a nod from her. "That's good to hear. Anyway, let's go. Our Captain should be waiting there."

Rangiku began walking beside Asa the two women made their way towards the 10th Division, with the former asking her questions like her experience during the twenty-year mission, her volunteer at the Rukongai; things that made Rangiku seem like she was genuinely interested to know more about her new friend. It's not like Rangiku had never seen her before within the walls of Seireitei, it was more of wanting to know someone who was greatly respected by many, who mostly knew her as the granddaughter of the Captain-Commander.

Finally, after all the conversations that led to laughter, they had arrived in front of the Captain's office. "Taichou." called Rangiku from the other side. "Our new 3rd Seat is here."

"Let her in." came his muffled voice from inside, giving her the cue to slide open the door to let Asa in before closing it behind her.

Asa looked around the office with bewilderment. It would've been a simple and clean room with windows, bookshelves full of documents and information, and a little sitting area; if it weren't for the piles of paperwork stacked around her Captain's table. She eyed the piles with surprise and amusement as a sweat drop formed on the back of her head. 'And I thought Ojii-sama's room was bad.' she thought.