Looking for... (Byakuya)

Rukia entered the 6th division grounds hesitantly... She was looking for her Nii-sama.... Rukia watched as members of the 6th division walked by her, giving her questioning looks. They must be wondering why I am here... I never visit Nii-sama while he is at work...

She turned her gaze to the floor boards as more members passed her. She felt her face heat as it turned a shade of red. She desperately tried to calm her features and tried focusing on her objective. She slowly walked to the 6th division barracks, keeping her head bent, hoping that any that passed her would think her deep in thought. Her hair hiding her blush from the world as she took in deep breaths... in, out 2... 3... in, out... Slowly her color returned to normal, and her skin cooled.

Too soon she reached the division headquarters, and looked for Renji to appear to tease her. Until she remembered... Renji was no longer the Vice-captain of the 6th division, he had transferred for reasons still not known to her... She wondered vaguely what they could have been... She approached the door to her Nii-sama's office, hesitant to knock, not wanting to disturb him while he was working, but wanting to seem him...

She raised her hand to the door, ready to knock, but unable to complete the motion... how long she stood there didn't enter her mind, to her it felt like an eternity, although it could have been a mere second. She wondered if she should just leave, and come back again later. With her mind lost in the fog of her own making, she forgot his ability to read her spiritual presence...

It's a beautiful day, Byakuya thought as he looked out his office window at the bright blue sky with hardly any clouds. Of course, it had been raining so much lately so any calm day would look beautiful, but to Byakuya this was truly a nice day. The birds had come out again and were fluttering around, chirping happily, most likely glad the storms were over for now. Byakuya never much liked the birds, he always thought there chirping was loud and annoying, but now he was glad it was them he heard instead the constant pounding of rain on the ground. Hopefully it stayed that was for a while. Byakuya didn't know how many times he'd looked out his manor window to see large drops of water hitting the ground. And he'd had to go from his manor to the office in the rain, sometimes getting soaked if he forgot his umbrella... yes, Byakuya was very happy the sky was bright.

His gaze left the window and fell on the papers stacked on his desk. There were some new ones which must have been delivered early that morning. Every time he turned in paperwork he got more the next day, even when he turned it in early which he usually did. He sometimes wondered if he got more paperwork than the other captains, then quickly brushed that off. Of course the captain commander wouldn't do something like that.

The 6th division captain glanced at the first paper. It was the monthly division report the captains always had to write. That could be put off since he had already turned in his last one last week. He put it aside, and looked at the other paper. Taking out his ink, he carefully dipped his pen in and began to write in quick, neat strokes, being careful not to spill ink or mess up his writing. When Byakuya finally but down his pen, the finished result was stunning. Byakuya had always been good at calligraphy, and his words looked like art on the bright white paper. Carefully he took the paper, and put it on the edge of his desk so it could dry. He was about to reach for another paper when he felt a familiar spiritual presence out side his door. Rukia. Byakuya frowned for a moment. Rukia never visited him at work unless it was extremely important. "Come in, Rukia," he said, quietly but loud enough for her to hear.

"Come in, Rukia,"

Rukia took a deep breath and steadied herself as she walked in the room where her brother sat. He was filling out paperwork... Was he always filling out paperwork?

"Nii-sama, I am sorry to disturb you..." Rukia made a deep bow, standing in the doorway.

"I heard that Ukitake-san had returned... What happ... happened?" Rukia looked at her hands trying not to show the amount of emotion on her face. She still was trying to be stoic in front of her brother...

"What is going to happen to the 13th division?

Rukia didn't want to appear weak in front of her brother, but she had a hard time hiding her emotions from him... he was too observant...

Byakuya looked up as the door opened and Rukia came in. She looked a bit nervous, he noted, as he put down his pen. He nodded at her, showing her it was fine she was here. "Yes, Captain Ukitake has returned," he agreed. "I believe he was in a coma, although how he got that way I'm not quite sure." Byakuya paused for a minute, and wondered how to tell Rukia this in a way it wouldn't hurt her too much.

"It seems Captain Soren has... has decided to leave," he told her. "As are captain Kensai and Captain Konoka. He didn't tell her Captain Kensai was betraying the Soul Society. She would find that out later. It would be best for her to stay calm now, since so much of the Soul Society was panicking. "Captain Ukitake will take over the thirteenth division again," he told her calmly. Secretly he wondered if Ukitake was up to it. Last thing they needed was for him to collapse due to stress. "And your fourth seat has returned from her trip, so she can help," he added, although he really didn't think Kiyone Kotetsu would be much help.

Byakuya looked her in the eye. "It may be hard getting used to having Ukitake as a captain again, but I believe your division will be fine." He gave her what was almost a smile. "After all, they have you for a lieutenant now, don't they?" It was a small display of affection, but one none the less. After the whole Aizen problem, Byakuya had began to treat Rukia more like his sister and less like some regular soul reaper.

"After all, they have you for a lieutenant now, don't they?"

Byakuya's words had been spoken in his usual manner of detachment, and most would not try to look past them to their meaning. Her Nii-sama rarely offered praise of any kind, to anyone... When it was given it was usually well earned. This lightened the burden resting on Rukia's shoulders a great deal, but she was unsure of how to demonstrate it without completely losing her composure.

But still... I wonder how Captain Soren is taking stepping down from his office... Was it completely voluntary? Or had he been asked? And where was he now? Rukia had not gotten much of a chance to get to know the captain, so him leaving did not impact her much. She had missed her old captain but was torn for her love of him and concern for his unstable health. She resolved that as his lieutenant she would be there for him always.

"Hai, Nii-sama... I am honored you believe I am an asset to the division, I will strive to uphold our families honor and perform my duties with pride." She smiled at her brother, something she rarely did, unable to completely conceal her happiness at the compliment her brother had bestowed on her. She always strove to prove herself to him, to prove that she was not a mistake, that she would uphold and bring honor to the Kuchiki family.

Her thoughts returned unwanted to the previous captain, even though she had not entirely liked him, she still was curious.

"Nii-sama, I must admit..." she glanced briefly away at her next words, uncertainty in her voice and actions, "Where will Soren-taicho... I mean Soren-san go if he is no longer captain of the 13th division?"