Internal Affairs

The black boots of Captain Liddell beat against the wooden floors of the Division 6 Barracks. Members stood at attention in a line, their faces covered with sweat as the short, but in no way incapable captain made her way down to the end.

Her face was neutral, if not cruel with her eyes narrowed and her head held high as she made her way. Her arms were folded behind her back and she didn't even glance at the subordinates that feared her so terribly. This captain was known for cruelty and strict harsh punishments. Today was their lucky day. She was not here to crush their spirits this time.

She stopped at the entrance to the halls and her left had waved over her shoulder, letting her Division know they were free to leave. An audible sigh of relief escaped several lips as the two perfectly parallel lines of gotei troops quickly dissipated from the area.

Today Captain Liddell had summoned the 1st Division Vice Captain. Most members of the gotei were observed for irregular actions and suspicions on the day to day in the open, but it seemed this man stuck to his barracks and rarely wondered. He would have a formal meeting to check up on him. It was the duty of the 6th Division to look into internal affairs, and as he was a Vice Captain, it would only be fit for a Captain to observe him. There was little concern as he was just under the nose of the Captain Commander, but everyone needed to be checked and balanced. Not to mention there was rumor she took a shine to him, and that could cause her judgement to be clouded. An Unbiased person such as Liddell would have to do his review.

The division of squad six was something that the clocked figure was not accustomed too. It did not move from the dim lit areas that it could find and would hide from the sight of all that would look its way. This was a place that was different from the first division and the secluded area that he called home and safety.

But a summons for evaluation was not something that could be ignored, even for the figure as he courageously pushed himself forward regardless of what his mind and body wished. The figure would almost feel as if it was pulling in upon itself, trying to make itself even more invisible or unseen and given its history, this could be a very high chance that he was using kido to do so but it was not likely, it knew that he was going to be seen and that it was unavoidable.

And if anything, the cloak it wore would at least keep it hidden from prying eyes. The only hint that there was a person underneath was the purple hair that cascaded down from the hood. The figure would disappear and reappear, flash-stepping from one hidden area to the next, finally coming upon the sixth squad captain as she dismissed a row of her subordinates.

It would finally come into view for her to see as they finally found themselves alone. "C-captain Liddell." The figure would slowly lean forward in a fragile bow in respect toward the higher seated officer.

A cloaked figure quickly appeared before Captain Liddell, seeming hasty and filled with fear. It bowed to her and had a proper introduction to her title. It could be assumed that this was the very mysterious Vice Captain of the Captain Commander.

Alice had a twisted expression of confusion by the timid man. He had a muscular figure and had enough power to catch the attention of the Captain Commander, and yet he seemed so fragile. His voice even shook with his greeting. Not exactly what she had expected.

Alice turned on her heels and opened the door behind her that lead to her office. "Yes, right on time Leftenant (Spelled according to how she pronounces it). This way please." She entered the room, which her boots still pounding at the floor boards as she went behind a large black desk into a red and black throne-like chair. She seated herself and put an elbow on the desk and used the hand to wave him over to the empty average chair that sat at the opposite side of her desk motioning for him to take a seat. Please, be seated. And do shut the door behind you." Her voice was even and calm, which was not the normal tone she took. She was usually very cruel upon first introductions... And every meet after that as well, honestly.

The second in command of the first squad kept silent as it would even seem to shrink under the gaze of the sixth squad captain's gaze. The hood slowly turned to the side as if to make sure their eyes would never meet. Upon speaking to follow her, the figure's attention would come back and nod in agreement to the statement and follow suit of the captain, making sure to keep a good distance back so to not make any sort of offence.

Once in the room, the figure immediately regretted the situation. The throne that the captain now sat upon was nothing short of intimidating. The figure would jump slightly at being told to shut the doors and it did so hesitantly. Upon being shown the chair that he was supposed to be placed upon for this situation, he would sit down and place its sleeves onto its lap. This all began to feel more and more terrifying to the vice-captain.

Alice leaned forward onto her desk. Her elbows now on the wooden surface and her hands under her chin, fingers intertwined. Her eyes were narrowed and focused on the Vice-Captain with a look that imitated a hungered lion or hunting jaguar. Over all very preditoresque and not particularly friendly.

"So." she began without skipping a beat. "My reports are alarmingly short when it comes to you. As you are aware, I'm sure, it is my job as the head of internal affairs to have at least a bit of a sense of all members of our organization. Thus, this meeting." Alice then slid back into her seat and opened the manila folder that sat upon the desk. A few sheets of paper were inside very little seemed to be printed on them.

Captain Liddell slid out the sheets in front of her and glanced over the papers. "So, what can you tell me about your relationship with your Captain?" She asked boldly, while not even looking away from the printed pages. Her voice, even and unaware of how very invasive such a statement could be. Well, unaware or uncaring.

Another jump. The voice of the captain of the sixth squad broke the air like a rock through a window and it startled the vice-captain in doing so. She spoke to him about just how little was actually known about him and it was her job to know more which actually began to terrify the indigo haired man. As she slid back in her chair and looked into a folder that he could only assume to be about himself.

The hood of the vice-captain would move back as just a shed of light would show the chin and mouth of the man but his eyes would remain hidden in the darker part of the hood. But as she spoke about his relationship with captain Izuna, his hands held onto one another, as if to reassure himself that he wasn't alone and that holding his hand would be like holding a dear friend's for comfort and reassurance.

"C-captain Izuna. S-she's nice to me, a-and she is a great captain and takes care of her squad and she lets me stay in the captain's quarters when I want to be alone." His thumbs began to twiddle between themselves, something to keep him from actually having to look at captain Liddell.

Alice looked up from the papers to the trembling man, hidden in the shadows of a hood. He was a bit hunched over and his eyes were locked on his nervously busy hands. He seemed to be extremely skittish and lacking all forms of confidence. She saw no reason for his story to not check out.

She reached out and grasped the feather, sitting in a glass ink vial. a few words were quickly scribbled onto the papers that lay openly on the desk. She made no effort to hide the words she added to the documents.

Motherly relationship with Captain. Skittish. High anxiety. She placed the quill back and folded her hands on the desk and locked her eyes back onto the man, They were narrowed, judgmental, and harsh. "Lower your hood." t did not come out like a request, but indeed a demand.

The man just could not find any sort of positive light to his current situation and wished for nothing more than to find himself back in the first squad's quarters once more, safe and alone. His attention brought itself to her once again as she took hold of her writing instrument and began to write something down. He was afraid with no logical reason as to why. But the more he thought, the worse things got in his head.

Was she saying that he was unfit as a vice-captain and should be transferred to another division?! He wasn't allowed much more time to delve into the abyss of dark thought as she spoke to him again, this time to remove his hood which caused him to freeze on the spot. He went to open his mouth to find some word to object but stopped almost imminently. The captain was not one to take the word 'no' as an acceptable answer, her very tone demanded it.

His hands hesitantly rose from his lap, as if not to make any sudden movements that might imply he was going to do something stupid. The hands finally reached the hood after what he felt like to be forever and then some. "Y-yes ma'am." He took several breaths, preparing himself. Surely Suki would want him to cooperate with captain Liddell wholesomely and he did not wish to disappoint her. As if to rip off a band-aid, the hood was flipped back to expose the vice-captain's face.

His hair was put up in a ponytail of sorts but its length was far longer than normal as were the side strands that usually trickled from the hood onto the front of the cloak. He was hesitant to meet the gaze or even the general direction of the sixth squad captain but knew that if he put it off, she might get mad. He would gaze at her for longer than a standard moment till he assumed it to be enough contact and then looked back down to his own hands which were clasping each other tightly. It was as if he was in the midst of battle and his heart was racing.