Kiyone blinked and gaped at the emptied basket on the table. Somehow from coming into the meeting room with her sister and settling with the small basket of rice crackers 'til now, she had emptied the basket with her nervous nibbling.
She blushed, pushing the basket surreptitiously back across the table. She couldn't help it! She was hungry and stupid Sentarou with all his yelling that morning had rushed her, making her skip breakfast.
Which was probably why, when the vice-president of the shinigami woman's association, Ise Nanao called for volunteers, she blinked and went, "Yes? What?"
"That's settled then," the strict vice captain gave her a look and noted it in her book.
"Huh? Settled what?" Kiyone blinked out of her daze.
"That you'll be the next one to obtain photos from Kuchiki-taichou for the book."
"Eeeeh!?" Kiyone paled. Rukia's brother? The scary... Kuchiki-...taichou. Oh, no. She had heard horror stories about what his house was like from Isane after she had tried to get photos of him. She had heard Renji telling Rukia what a hard-ass her brother was. To... be expected to...
"No more matters to discuss?" Nanao had just finished saying, "Very well, we'll adjourn this meeting and-"
"Wa-"
"And reconvene on the twenty seventh. I trust that works well with everyone?"
The thirteenth division third seat paled. What was she going to do? They couldn't seriously expect her to... She blinked up as Isane gave her a weak smile, "Good luck, Kiyone."
-----
Kiyone's hands trembled on the grip of the camera. So his mansion hadn't been a good place to go. Maybe. Maybe just maybe if she tried elsewhere. Like after a captain's meeting. But then she'd have to come up against scary captains like Kurotsuchi-taichou and Soi Fong-taichou. And Ukitake-taichou would be there as well and she knew he'd ask her what she was doing and oooh...
That's why she had decided to be upfront about the matter. She drew in a deep breath and knocked. "Kuchiki-taichou?"
"Come in."
Another deep breath as she opened the door, bowing before dark eyes.
"Kuchiki-taichou, sir. I'm part of the shinigami women's association and could you please please please take a picture for me?"
A cough that sounded suspiciously like a covered up laugh broke the silence that followed her announcement.
She blinked up and he nodded.