As always, I take ages. I am sorry. I have no defense. Enjoy!

All the thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers and my amazing beta, amazonannielove

Quote of the chapter:

"You are you. Now, isn't that pleasant?" – Dr. Seuss

Chapter 24: Silent rebellion

If anyone had told Nakajima Shin what his days would be like at the 11th Division, he would've laughed out loud. The Zaraki Kenpachi Squad had a certain kind of reputation among the Gotei 13 members. That reputation had spread by word of mouth to the Shin'ō Academy, so Shin had heard plenty of things about the wild card of a Captain and his group of misfits who disobeyed everything except a direct order from their leader. The Zaraki Kenpachi Squad was a band of crazy men.

Except for the Paper Pusher.

Shin had been surprised to realize that almost all of the paperwork of the 11th Division, well over two hundred members worth, was being taken care of a single tiny girl. He hadn't known that to expect when he'd heard the rumors. Probably some sort of a shut-in with a weak Zanpakutō and barely there reiatsu. But Kobashigawa Hinagiku wasn't anything like that. She was, in one word, beautiful.

He'd dreamt about her. About that one moment, during the placement Tournament, when she'd given him that look. That face. Her purple eyes, not full of menace and bloodthirst, but excitement for the battle. Her plump lips in a small smile, expecting his next move, looking for his next trick. Her Zanpakutō, a mere flash of light as it went out of its sheath and straight back in. The quick movement of her Shunpo, something he only dared to dream of achieving one day.

The Paper-Pusher was a formidable warrior of the 11th Division.

So after being assigned to her Squad Shin had done everything in his power to be a proper Shinigami. Whatever she asked of her recruits he did to the best of his ability. Most of the time, it meant filing paperwork on time. On other occasions, there were missions. Some of them were easy clean-ups, where officers led teams on solo or joint tasks. And then, there were the big ones, which Hinagiku led herself. Shin still had yet to see the woman in action during a mission, but he didn't doubt that she would be as formidable as on the field of the Tournament.

However, all of that had to wait. After all, their superior officer had left their Squad under the watchful eye of the 9th Seat of the 11th Division, Kida Rini. Rini was a woman who wore her power clearly on her kosode sleeve. At the barest squabble among them she'd flared her reiatsu and given them a small smirk, inviting a fight. There hadn't been any more complaints after that. Shin had wondered if Hinagiku's last training session, where she'd called them all out to try and take her down, had been an echo of her friend's methods. But that was something he could worry about later on. For now, he had a mission to accomplish. An important mission…

"Nakajima Shin, 11th Division, requesting permission to enter!" he introduced himself properly and waited for a moment in front of the shoji door he'd finally managed to find.

"Hai, hai, come in!~" a voice called to him. Shin opened the door and slipped inside, only to see something he hadn't expected to see. A woman. A young woman in a black shihakushō working behind a desk. She was breathtaking. Long glossy dark hair and wide eyes, the whole office smelling of expensive perfume. She was just as Tanaka and Suzuki had described her! Incomparable beauty! His cheeks instantly went red and he found his tongue tied. "How can I help you, Shin-chan?~" the young woman addressed him.

"M-M-M-M…" Shin's tongue just wouldn't cooperate with his brain.

"M?" she asked, head tilting to the side in question. He had to look away. If he didn't look away he had no way of blocking this formidable attack straight on his soul. Shin's eyes focused on the floor. The floor wasn't cute at all. It was just a simple tatami, which he was used to seeing. Imagine that you're talking to Tanaka, Shin coached himself.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho!" His tongue was working again. "These are the papers from the-"

"Oh, sweetie, you're in the wrong office," the beautiful woman interrupted in a soft tone. "I'm Tsutsui, the 8th Seat." Shin was certain that his face was on fire. Before he could muster up the courage to blab out a number of apologies, the woman, Tsutsui, was on her feet and next to him. "I'll take you to Rangiku-fukutaicho, shall I?~" she said pulling him out the door. "Poor thing, you must've been lost. These hallways are troublesome for new recruits, even ours have a lot of issues. I keep telling Hitsugaya-taicho to put up some kind of a sign, board, or something. Do you think that would help?~"

"I-I-I'm certain that it would!" Shin replied, face still on fire. His arm was burning where the young woman had a grip on it, pulling him along. Soon enough, they were in front of another shogi door.

"Tsutsui Tomoka, 8th Seat, coming in!" Tsutsui opened the door to reveal yet another odd scene.

A busty beauty was molesting an albino boy.

Shin quickly connected the Shinigami with their names and positions. The tall woman whose cleavage was spilling dangerously over the collar of her kosode had to be Matsumoto Rangiku. Her lips were glossy and her hair was heavenly. She was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. He'd caught a glimpse of her during his last mission, but he hadn't connected the face and the name back then. Now he was certain he'd never forget the woman.

Next to her, or in between her breasts, there was a young boy. But Shin knew by now that appearances could be very deceiving when it came to Shinigami. He wasn't imposing, per se. In fact, he looked rather like a disgruntled cat or something similar. He yelled at the Lieutenant and made her back away, grinning and giggling. That was Hitsugaya Tōshirō, the youngest Captain in the Gotei 13.

"Ah, Tsutsui. What do you need?" the Captain said when he spotted them. The 8th Seat led the way into the office.

"We've got a young lost Soul from the 11th Division here, taicho.~" She smiled. "He's looking for Rangiku-san to turn in his paperwork." Tsutsui wandered over to the couch in the middle of the office, making herself at home there. Soon enough, she was joined by the Lieutenant. Shin thought, in all honesty, that he would die from the image in his head. All the beauty of these two Goddesses would forever stay there in his mind, he was certain, for when the darker days came.

"Y-yes! Nakajima Shin, turning in the paperwork from the last joint mission," Shin declared as he managed to gather himself.

"Nakajima?" Hitsugaya-taicho looked at him with curious eyes. "Come here and hand it to me. Matsumoto is…" the Captain tossed a look at his Lieutenant, taking in the joyful way she was inspecting Tomoka's nails , "busy." The man groaned, rolling his eyes and waving Shin over. "Where's Kobashigawa? She usually turns these in," the Captain asked flippantly as he went through the papers. Perhaps the rumors of their relationship were true, Shin mused.

"Hinagiku-sama is on leave, sir," Shin replied standing at attention, back straight and hands behind him, gripped together.

"On leave? Is she sick?" Hitsugaya-taicho placed the papers down and looked at Shin with worried eyes.

"Oh, she has the mogi, doesn't she?" Tsutsui joined in from the couch. When everyone gave her a curious look, she elaborated, "It's a coming of age ceremony for the females of more prominent families. Being a Kobashigawa, Hina-chan is the heiress and sole inheritor of a Judge position at the Central 46. Now that her esteemed Grandmother has deemed her ready for marriage they will host a coming out party, introducing Hina-chan to the society as a spousal candidate. Of course, there is also the matter of choosing a patron, the capping parent." Tsutsui hummed, thinking, "I haven't heard who's been chosen by Kobashigawa-sama, but I don't doubt that it's someone important."

"I see…" Hitsugaya-taicho trailed off, seeming a bit lost at all the new terminology.

"I've got an invitation, of course, being a Tsutsui," the 8th Seat continued, smiling happily. "I can't wait for the shenanigans! It's almost a tradition for the host to be embarrassed in some way or the other. Tehe!~" giggled the girl.

"Somehow, I can't imagine Hinagiku-chan being embarrassed at that kind of a gathering," laughed Matsumoto.

"Indeed! Hinagiku-sama is one of the most graceful women I've ever met," Shin agreed with a nod.

"Are you curious, taicho?" Tsutsui wasn't looking at anyone except her Captain, noticing his thoughtful face.

"N-not particularly," his cheeks colored, making Shin think about the relationship between the Captain and his superior once more. Perhaps they really were lovers, like Tanaka had suggested.

"You could be my plus one, of course." Tsutsui wasn't giving up, however. She had a small smile on her face, to any unsuspecting person it surely looked innocent. But to Shin, who was quickly learning the inner workings of the 11th Division, that smile was too pure. He had seen it on Rini's face a number of times before she'd slammed her sheathed Zanpakutō across Tanaka's head for an insensitive comment.

"I- no. I couldn't inconvenience you like that, Tsutsui," Hitsugaya-taicho tried to brush the invitation off with a stoic face. However, his pink cheeks betrayed him.

"Nonsense, taicho!~" Tsutsui looked like she'd won the battle. By the clear expression of surrender her Captain had, she obviously had. "Besides, you're a Captain. That's a rank which should be completely appropriate to get you in the door. I will simply be your voucher, if you prefer to think of it that way," Tsuitsui said with a wink and rose. "We will have to find some proper clothes for you, though~" she mused leaving the office and a gaping Captain in her wake.

"My condolences, taicho," Matsumoto-fukutaicho grinned, not looking one bit sorry.

"Matsumoto," growled the short Shinigami, his eyes turning to her, deadly glare in place, reiatsu flaring. "Paperwork!" Shin quickly excused himself before he became collateral damage in the blizzard that was bound to sweep through the office any second.

Hinagiku had risen at first light. It was the same routine for her as always. She opened her eyes and got up, as if she hadn't been asleep at all. It took her mere seconds to realize that she wasn't at home. Home, for her, meant a room at the barracks of the 11th Division. It smelled of paper, gardenias, Rini's deep perfume from Gense, and fabric softener. The floor was always littered with her roommate's clothes, as Rini always had trouble picking out a casual outfit when she went out after work. And when Hinagiku rose, always in the early hours of the morning, she had to navigate the carnage in the dark. Her own paperwork in neat piles and Rini's clothes in haphazard bundles.

So, as soon as the petite woman's feet touched the floor, she knew that she was not home. The tatami mat was clean and the room smelled of the autumn breeze outside, seeping in through the window she'd left cracked open. With a small sigh Hinagiku steeled herself for the day. She hadn't seen her Grandmother since she'd arrived, but that wasn't entirely uncommon for them. Kobashigawa Setsuko didn't care much for faked affection. She had her own work and she would come around to seeing her heir when the time permitted. Hinagiku had learned at a fairly young age not to demand attention. Demanding something from her Grandmother never brought about good results.

Therefore, as the sun rose Hinagiku got herself ready quietly, slipping into a simple kimono and tying the obi expertly. She missed her shihakushō. In the Gotei 13 her shihakushō was more than just a uniform. It was a symbol of equal standing with her peers. However, here at the Kobashigawa compound Hinagiku had to show her rank in her state of dress. For a second she'd played with the idea of wearing her Shinigami uniform. It would've made that vein on her Grandmother's neck pop, she was certain. That one vein which always popped when the woman was furious. But Hinagiku knew that she had no room for her usual rebellion. She needed to save up all of her loopholes for later, when the matches began arriving. At that time she would rebel with all of her heart and sinew. For now, she would play the dutiful granddaughter and heir by blood.

"Hinagiku-sama!" It seemed like her entourage had arrived. The petite girl turned, seeing the three female attendants in the doorway. "You should've called for us! We're here to assist you with anything you may need." Hinagiku quickly noted that Kitty was the leader of the group, always doing the talking.

"I would've, if I'd needed it," the heiress brushed their concerns off in an even, icy tone and headed for the door. She didn't have time for their groveling or scolding, whichever came first.

"Hinagiku-sama!" Kitty called after her, attempting to re-route her, but Hinagiku had only one destination in mind. She slid soundlessly through the mansion of a home, heading for her Grandmother's wing.

The Kobashigawa estate looked positively ridiculous to the petite Shinigami. During her childhood it had been the castle of her dreams. The tall arches, traditional rooms, and servants dressed in fine silks were almost like a scenery from a painting. But now that Hinagiku knew how the Gotei 13 looked, this house of cards with its pretenders was just that- a fake. Her Grandmother relished in the luxury of it though. The woman had built more rooms than they had need for and created long gardens for romantic walks which nobody used. For guests, obviously. Hinagiku knew how the whole thing worked. They were supposed to show off their wealth for any guest to see clearly, and the estate did just that. Gold shimmered in the morning sun and clean surfaces sparkled like diamonds. The scent of fresh food carried from the kitchens and mixed with the smell of exotic flowers from the back gardens. Yet, she didn't care. It was all dull to her. As dull as the bars of a prison cell. Because this mansion was just a giant, pretty birdcage waiting to slam and lock its doors on her.

"Kobashigawa-sama, Hinagiku-sama is requesting an audience." Kitty had managed to speed up her footsteps enough to get in front of Hinagiku. She waited for the owner of the estate to reply behind the beautifully decorated shogi, but there was no answer.

"Open it," Hinagiku demanded in an even tone. Kitty's eyes widened and she spluttered, knowing that she couldn't disobey a direct order from her charge, nor could she cross the mistress of the home either.

"Why don't you open it, Toyohara. My insolent granddaughter won't take no for an answer," came a feminine voice from inside the room. Kitty instantly obeyed, relaxing a little. Hinagiku entered, but stopped as soon as she did, forcing her entourage to stay outside. The shogi closed.

The inside of her Grandmother's rooms were exactly as Hinagiku remembered. Furnished in deep green and vibrant red, with all items strictly traditional, it looked like a geisha's playground. The walls were covered in tapestries depicting different important women in the Soul Society's history. The wide expanse of the floor was all done in tatami with only the center raised a bit, making her Grandmother look like a deity on her stage.

Hinagiku's Grandmother was exactly the same as twenty years ago, when the petite Shinigami had seen her last. Long straight hair, once black and now pure silver, flowed down her back in the mornings before being braided and pinned up in an intricate traditional updo. Narrowed, sharp, purple eyes didn't miss a single thing happening in front of her. The tightly wound muscles demonstrated the proper posture of a perfect lady. Kobashigawa Setsuko had been a beautiful young woman once and she had aged gracefully.

"Come," the Judge beckoned Hinagiku over and the young woman obeyed. She slid up the single step, walking onto the raised tatami and sat across from her Grandmother, ignoring the delicious feast in front of her. Setsuko's eyes narrowed. "I didn't tell you to sit yet."

"It's nice to see you after all this time, Grandmother," Hinagiku replied in her own even tone, her eyes never leaving her Grandmother's. Show no weakness.

"I heard that you achieved something in that Division of yours," her Grandmother questioned while continuing to eat her breakfast gracefully.

"The 19th Seat," Hinagiku confirmed. She'd known that this was coming ever since receiving a congratulatory letter, obviously written by her Grandmother's aide. It had been too personal to be Setsuko's.

"Finally," Setsuko grumbled, sipping her tea. "How long have you been serving under that brute? What was his name? Kenichi?"

"Zaraki Kenpachi-dono," Hinagiku supplied, her nails biting into her palms at the blatant disrespect for her Captain. "A little over thirty years."

"Kenpachi," her Grandmother spat out, almost like she'd sipped poison. "He should've named himself Nanashi. That man is no good. Transfer." Hinagiku was certain that her palms would bleed if she pushed her nails in any further. "I've spoken to Sōsuke. Wonderful man. He would grant you his eighth spot and remove you from fieldwork."

"I will think it over." She wouldn't. Hinagiku had no plans on transferring into another Division. Especially not a Division which would keep her on a gold leash as a pet.

"That is the same position as Tsutsui Tomoka, is it not?" Setsuko looked up from her food to fix her daughter with a glare. "Is it too low for you? Do you not strive to be on the same level as the Tsutsui heir?"

"Tsutsui-dono has done well for herself." Hinagiku was careful not to say too much. Sure, if she transferred she could probably obtain a better Seat, but her Grandmother's hand held many nooses in it. She would undoubtedly aim to play Hinagiku's new Captain like a puppet. That was something Setsuko couldn't do as long as the petite Shinigami was in the Zaraki Kenpachi Squad. Not that she hadn't tried, but bribes, threats, and promises didn't work on the 11th Division's Captain. Only the rule of the strongest did and Kobashigawa Setsuko wasn't strong in his eyes.

"Do you think yourself inferior to her? Tsutsui Tomoka is a fool. A pity that her father diluted the noble bloodline by marrying that tramp," Setsuko continued, making Hinagiku count in her head to ten. She couldn't react. A reaction would be showing a weakness. And, she couldn't afford that. "You are a dozen times better than that foolish girl. Haven't you heard? She's gone and had an affair outside of her chosen partners. She's tainted." Hinagiku hadn't known that. She'd known that Tomoka had plenty of men she loved. But, she hadn't known about an affair of any sort. "Nobody will take her now." Setsuko's eyes met Hinagiku's again. "More for you."

"Yes, Grandmother," the petite Shinigami replied.

"Which brings me to the current matter." Setsuko placed her chopsticks down and took her teacup once again with her delicate fingers. "I've arranged everything. You will meet your patron soon enough and we will begin the cleansing ritual. In ten days, you will be coming out to the society as an eligible lady of noble blood."

"Forgive me, Grandmother." Hinagiku forced her lips not to form a grin. "I've only been approved for five days of leave." The tension in the room rose even more, if possible.

"Five? We can't do a proper genpuku in five days." Setsuko was seething. Hinagiku could see it in those violet eyes. The vein on her Grandmother's neck had popped out, too. "You will request more." Her tone held a finality to it.

"I cannot, Grandmother. My captain has assigned me a mission on the seventh day from now." Smug. Hinagiku was beyond smug. Kenpachi hadn't been against giving her more leave. He'd been surprised when she'd offered herself as a volunteer on the mission right after her leave, but he'd approved it with a wide grin, encouraging Hinagiku to play as much as her heart desired.

"I see," Setsuko hissed through gritted teeth. "Then, we must begin as soon as possible."

Hinagiku surrendered to the torture willingly.

Rini stood still on the wooden walkway of the 11th Division barracks, looking out into the inner garden where the members of Hinagiku's squad were squabbling with each other. She had a frown on her pretty face and could feel her irritation rising proportionally with the annoying antics of this clearly undisciplined squad. She'd given them free time to do some practice. Go challenge Ikkaku. Finish their paperwork. Not squabble and quarrel in the zen garden.

Despite recently acquiring a new Squad of unruly subjects, Rini had easily reigned them in. She used her reiatsu, her katana, and the dulcet tones of her shouting voice to get the new and old members of the 11th Division to accept their recently appointed 9th Seat. But apparently Hinagiku hadn't done that. Instead, from an already lawless bunch she'd managed to assemble a rowdy lawless bunch, which in Rini's book wasn't an acceptable thing. So the 9th Seat brought her fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle, her other hand on the hilt of her Zanpakutō. Instantly, she had the attention of the squabbling group.

"Ah!" Her finger came up when one of the Shinigami tried to speak up. "Your superior officer is addressing you," Rini told them. When nobody made a motion to do anything the 9th Seat made them all fall to the ground with a wave of her reiatsu. "If you don't want to be kneeling in front of me, then I suggest you stand at attention." The reiatsu vanished. Soon enough, without much grumbling, the Squad assembled, lining up and standing with their backs straight and hands on the hilts of their Zanpakutō. "Good."

"Kida ninth-" one of the men, whose name Rini didn't know nor cared to know, spoke up.

"Shut your trap." Rini's eyes narrowed at him and she swiftly directed her reiatsu, making him fall to his knees and the others around him sway. "You will speak when I give you permission." There was silence. "Hina has been very lax with you lot, I see." A couple of the officers exchanged glances, but nobody spoke. "You lot have disgraced this division. Disrespecting her. Disrespecting me. It clearly shows that you disrespect our captain and the way this division has been built. If you have something to say, then say it with your fucking Zanpakutō. If you don't, then shut your trap and do as you're told." Rini glanced from one to the other Shinigami. "If I say practice your Kenjutsu it means that I know you suck and that you need practice. What were you squabbling about anyways?" A tentative hand rose from a young-looking boy in the middle. Rini nodded, allowing him to speak.

"We were trying to arrange a hierarchy." His voice was young sounding too. Rini tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out where she knew the boy from.

"Ma'am," the 9th Seat corrected absentmindedly. "Sama, dono, 9th Seat or anything similar. You address your superiors with proper respect." The kid's face looked too familiar.

"Kida-sama," he corrected himself. Rini's head tilted to the other side.

"Name," she demanded. When she didn't get a reply, she huffed. "What's your name, boy?" Rini asked, motioning with her hand for him to hurry up and tell her.

"Nakajima Shin, Kida-sama!" He bowed politely and Rini's mouth opened in a little 'o'. Nakajima. That was the officer who'd died on Hinagiku's mission during summer. So this was the younger brother her friend had been obsessing about. The 'o' became a wide grin on Rini's face. The boy was rather handsome. She couldn't fault Hinagiku for obsessing.

"You've just scored my right-hand position, boy," Rini told him, her hands flying to her hips. "Now, let's set up a little scuffle with Ikkaku and get ourselves a hierarchy. Come, you rowdy lot." Rini led the small group towards the favorite dōjō during the rainy days in order to book them a beatdown.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I'm so sorry about the wait, and also, about the long review section of this chapter. The chapter is, as always, 4k words long. The reviews ended up piling up during my absence and I wanted to address each one separately, as always :D

Reviews:

Tobiramamara:
Hi! Thanks so much for the lovely review :D
I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter and I'm so happy that you like my writing :) I usually spend a lot of time on my OC, so it's always a nice thing to see that the efforts are appreciated :)
I hope you'll keep enjoying the story! Cheers!

alexachuPEW:
Hello and welcome to the family! I'm always glad to see a review that's a bit longer xD
I'm sorry about my hectic, and painfully slow, updating schedule. I typically like to write quality content, so it takes me a bit of time, and my beta has been busy the past couple of months, so it simply took a bit longer. Also, I'm a horrible procrastinator, which just says everything xD
Regardless, I'm glad you're enjoying not just the romance in the fic, but also the slice of life aspect of it, as all my fics turn into me shamelessly exploring my OC and the fandom world xD I'm going to do my best to keep you entertained!
Looking forward to hearing from you again :D Cheers!

Fishies2:
Hi! Thanks so much for the reviews :D
I'm glad that you enjoyed the first couple of chapters of the fic :D I also hope you liked the rest of it, though it gets a tad long hahahaha
As for Daisuke and Daichi, I agree, always one somewhere in fics :P For me, it's my vice to look for popular Japanese names when it comes to giving my characters their identities :P
Cheers!

A:
Thanks so much for the review and thank you a loooot for the compliment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the fic :D

Emerald Gaze:
Hi! And… oh Gosh! Such a great review they always make me soooo happy when they're long!
I'm glad that you enjoyed my writing so far and I hope to keep you entertained in the future :D I'm a bit slow with updates, mostly because I procrastinate like nobody's business, and I'm so sorry about that xD
Hahahaha frustration over Hina getting crap from her coworkers xD Exactly what I was going for xD Unfortunately, regardless of how one gets to their position, they usually get shit for it, excuse my language. I wanted to showcase that a bit, because I don't think it's showcased enough in Bleach. People will always look for excuses as to why someone is more successful than them, and it should cause outrage :D We will see yet how Hina deals with the mess hahaha Kenpachi, though, he's a tough one to influence :P That's one of the reasons why Hina is so loyal to him… However, while he can protect her from her Grandmother, he can't protect her from other members of the division :)
On the topic of her and Tōshirō, it's a hard one… I have to admit that I hadn't thought through those aspects of their relationship when I made Hina as an OC… They both ended up as people who won't take the initiative hahahaha I'm gonna have a blast getting around my own road blocks xD
I hope you liked the new chapter! Cheers!
P.S.: Indeed, the little snippets in the beginning of the chapters are her Zanpakutō :P I thought that it would be a good way of showcasing what was happening to Hina deep inside, as a Zanpakutō is supposed to reflect the depths of one's soul :)

CallmeCrazylol:
Hahahahaha welcome to the reviews! I promise to clear the Zanpakutō confusion soon enough xD Hint: it's all in the name :P
Hope you'll keep enjoying the show!

SmillyReaper:
I'm sorry for the long wait, hope the chapter was worth it!

Kristina'sMyName:
Hello there! :D
Nadam se da su kolokvijumi dobro prosli :D Samo opusteno, citaj kad stignes, vidis da I ja kucam kako stignem hahahaha
Hina je jos uvek apsolutno urghhhh toliko zelim da im sve po spisku sredi, ali nece da mogne tako kad je takav lik xD Sama sam sebe sredila hahhaha
Bice jos akcije sto se tice celog tog haosa oko ko je koga zasto ubio :P Mislim da me je Law and Order unistio xD Samo pisem neka konspirativna ubistva hahahaha jooooj xD
Date night nisam mogla da odolim xD Nadam se da je ovo poglavlje bilo dovoljno dobro I dostiglo ocekivanja zuraje xD
Cujemo se!
P.S.: Rekoh prijateljici koja me je ubedila da pisem da imam citaoce iz Srbije ona kao staaa zezasss xD I dalje sam u soku xD Iskreno, nikad ne bih rekla kad sam izbacila prvo poglavlje da ce biti ovako popularna prica .

Guest:
Hello! Thanks so much for the lovely review :D I hope you're enjoying the story still :) I'll do my best to update the drabbles as soon as possible :D

TamaTama:
Hello there and thanks so much for the lovely review!
Yessss the intro is the Zanpakutō talking :) I thought that it would be a good way to introduce it, and also give you guys a bit of an insight into Hina's inner world. Glad you caught it :D
Aaaah constructive criticism! I love it :D To be honest, that is a bit of my fault… I've written characters with accents before and they never seem to satisfy me when I finish them and they speak on the page… I always run dialogue in my head as I'm typing it and Hina always seemed to speak in a Kyoto kind of accent xD I just wanted to add that into the story, and I promise that it will become relevant later on… For now, all I can say is that any kind of accent isn't considered 'proper speech' in her family. Hence, the speech, typically overly formal, which Hina uses in common conversation is simply another hint as to how much her Grandmother controls every aspect of her. I promise development to come about it, though :) I'm not too happy as to how I introduced it and I'm glad you agree xD Means I'm not too paranoid hahahaha
No worries about the early hours of am xD I'm typing this at 4:30am xD Completely get the names being a bit hectic. I definitely wanted to show that 'ghosts come to haunt you when you're alone'. I mean, the job of a Shinigami is risky and plenty of them die in battle, but I wanted to showcase a bit how the job itself could haunt a person… I've almost wrapped it up, and yes, Hina definitely battles with survivor's guilt and Nakajima's 'ghost' in real time throughout the story :) I still have plans for that in the future, but not necessarily as PTSD.
Hahahahha I love the fact that you've become invested in Hina's personal development xD I wanted this to be a romance fic, but I think it ended up more with me selfishly writing slice of life? xD I wanted to explore the world a bit and ended up getting too immersed in it :P I'll do my best to live up to your expectations!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter :D

Train55:
Hello and thanks for the review!
I'm sorry that I don't have more content out :D Here is a new one to keep you afloat a bit? :P
I'm so glad that you enjoy the writing all round :D I had such a great time with the story so I'm glad that you guys are also having fun reading it :D
Hope to hear from you again :D
P.S.: If you need more content, there is a series of short drabbles on my page, as well :D

GreyMoon . Huntress:
Hi! Welcome back to reviews :D
Glad that you enjoyed the last chapter :D I had a blast writing it!
The date wasn't planned, but I decided to showcase that they actually can have a normal conversation outside of work hahahaha They're both so awkward it's hilarious for me to write xD
I hope you have fun reading more :)
Best!

Guest:
Hello there and welcome to the review section :D Thanks for the comment :D
I'm not saying anything :X More to come on that topic hahaha
Hope you enjoyed the new chapter :D

Hybrid301:
Hi! Nice to see you in reviews again :D
I had fun writing Hina's transitions from work to play mode :P We need to keep in mind that it's the 11th Division in the end xD
Tōshirō and Hina are so bloody awkward I love writing them together xD I'm glad that you enjoyed their date :)
Cheers!

Guest:
Hi there and thanks for the review! Especially the constructive criticism :D
The Omakes are happening in the story :) Typically, they are the continuances or previews which should come right after the chapter. It's mostly ideas that were in my brain, churning, but didn't fit into the chapter itself :)
Hina's little secret to keeping life at her Grandmother's place interesting :P And, super easy for you guys to remember who is who in the story with so many characters appearing hahahaha
We will see how Hina will deal with her squad yet :P I promise fun times ahead :D
I'm sorry about the slow progress between Hina and Tōshirō… They are both just urghhhh xD I need to be careful when writing stuff in order to keep them both in character :)
Shikai is definitely my next upcoming big topic :D
Hope you keep enjoying the show! Cheers!

Cooliceprincess:
Hello there! No worries, as you can see, I'm also a very slow writer xD
I kinda ended up tying my own hands with Hina's character… While she fits with Tōshirō nicely, she's also as awkward as he is in my head so I can't get any decent progress in their relationship… It's going to be painfully slow sigh xD
I hope you publish it at some point! I'll definitely read it :D And, oneshots are a great way to start :D Helps you flesh out your character and know where you're going with it, with personality, relationship, etc. The sucky mood though gets all of us… even with all the tempting plotholes… I know I'm a victim of it myself, when I stop writing for months at a time because I just end up sitting in front of a blank page like a dingus xD
No worries! I've got the timeline mostly in my head :P Their date wasn't technically a date, it was more of a 'let's meet and play shogi outside of work' thing. But, Tōshirō obviously thought it was a date in the end :P And, Rini kinda pushed Hina into similar thinking… thank god for that girl she's the only one moving the relationship along hahaha
As for the letters, they started way back, at the beginning. Hina's been getting them on and off for a while. Sometimes they are in the form of flower language and at other times they are actually written word with the flowers. The relationship with whoever is sending them is definitely developing, too :D
I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and that your college is going well! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you :D
Cheers!

Momochan77:
Hello there! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
I'm glad that you enjoyed the little impromptu date :P I had a blast writing it!
I'm not promising much, but there will be more talk about the Zanpakutō soon enough :P
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Most Mouse:
Hahahahhahaaaa you make me so happy with your reviews, they're always so fun xD I loved the tipsy comments xD I always end up re-reading reviews before I start writing the next chapter, keeps me motivated :P
I hope you'll be as happy when you get your 'hi hello daisy updated' yet again xD I'm sorry I'm such a slowpoke! But I'm a horrible procrastinator and also very anal about my writing xD
I'm glad you find Hina so relatable :D Maybe not in the same way, but, I feel like everyone is pressured to do certain things in life… whether it's your choice of college, partner, profession, or something as seemingly trivial as a sense of fashion, it exists. So, I definitely wanted Hina to be an OC every reader could find themselves in… Hence, her 'controlled choices' and 'battle for identity' may be a bit exaggerated. However, I'm glad that you're enjoying reading about it :) Her mother… I'm not sure if she would approve of all of Hina's choices, but she would definitely support her in her quest to seek individuality :D
I have to be honest with you… When I first started making OCs, Hina's personality was very much like Rini's came out… She was much more outgoing and outspoken… Because I thought that that would be a better foil for Tōshirō… But, then I decided to make Rini, and everything kind of fell into place :) I definitely relate to Rini more than Hina on a daily basis, except maybe Hina's brooding and almost depressive nature? xD I guess that they are the perfect introvert-extrovert relationship? I definitely have fun writing them and I'm glad that you are enjoying it as well :D
Tōshirō? A spoon? xD Hahahhahaha I love this xD But, yep, he's a total spoon xD I was laughing so hard while writing their date scene… I wanted to make it as embarrassing for him as puking on his shoes was for her a while back xD A relationship, for me, always needs a balanced clown act hahahaha Maybe we will see him step his game up soon? Who knows xD
Your summary of their date and their emotions killed me I swear xD But, yep, it was pretty much an 'oh shiz it's a date' moment and urghhh so satisfying to write xD I can't promise that they're in love yet, but there is definitely some romantic progress xD
About the trouble Hina keeps getting from her squad, I feel like it's necessary. I mean, she's a tiny lil thing, nothing remarkable about her except her paperwork-doing abilities and she's been in the Division for ages. Her rising in rank is something quite unusual… Bound to be some rumors and acting up at least :D She will just have to tame them step by step hehehehe
It's no worries about the long review :D I love long reviews! I'm so happy that you like this story, I can't even put it in words how much it means to read a comment telling me that in such amusing detail, as your reviews always give :D
I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and hopefully I'll hear from you again.
All my best!

Yue in the Stars:
Hello there! Thanks so much for the excited review xD I hope you keep enjoying the story!

Omake:

It had to be Hell.

Or some form of it at least. Tōshirō was standing in his room as Tsutsui Tomoka threw one kimono after another from his wardrobe onto his bed. From time to time she would pause, take a closer look at the fabric, and murmur to herself before throwing the cloth away. How did he get there? He didn't know. It had all begun with that innocent invitation to become Tsutsui's plus one at Hinagiku's whatever it was. Now his clothing choices were being scrutinized.

"None of these will work," Tsutsui declared as she finally pulled her head out of his closet and turned to him. Tōshirō took a single, tiny step back. It was a step of shame and they both knew it, but Tsutsui was apparently too focused on her task to comment on her Captain's cowardice at that moment. Tōshirō knew through experience that you didn't deter a woman on a task. He'd tried it twice. Once with Hinamori and once with Matsumoto. Both had ended very badly. "Kanna, arrange for these to be put back."

Tsutsui had brought her personal faction of servants to Tōshirō's home outside of the barracks, the three women dressed in impeccable kimonos and standing quietly, awaiting orders. The one on the left moved when Tsutsui gave the order.

"Tsutsui, there's really no need-"

"Nonsense, taicho!~" The woman turned to him with a sugary smile. That was another thing Tōshirō knew about women. That was an evil smile. Never to be trusted. "Since you're my plus one, it's my duty to take care of you.~" Tsutsui had him by the arm, gently pulling him with an air of finality around her.

Tōshirō didn't know what he was in for next, but he was certain that it would be worse than the wardrobe purge.

They said that Hell had nine levels, after all.

Cheers!