Speaking of Rivals and Allies ( Mirabelle/ Anna)

Anna sighed flopping back into her chair in her office, finally getting a chance to clean and rearrange it since returning to the Gotei. She hasn't heard of Okami returning or the Captain Commander. Hell, even Kokoro was absent still. Did they perish inside Las Noches while trying to save her? This worried her greatly. Three captains possibly dead all to save her from a situation that was not even worth saving her. She never asked for any help and if needed, she probably could have escaped if needed but she wasn't a heartless monster nor could she not feel bad for them. She just hoped she was worrying for nothing, or the gotei was fucked if the Primera and cero didn't end up fighting. All she knew was it wasn't going to be the last time she was going to see those two." Come back safe everyone" she said to herself looking out her single office window to her left as she sighed playing with the end of her pink scarf, lost in thought.

Mirabelle offered nods of acknowledgement to her old comrades as she walked down the halls of the Kido Corps. They were all familiar, if not friendly, faces from her time in the division. There were brief congratulations thrown her way, a nod to the haori that now hung on her right shoulder. The newer recruits kept their head down as she passed, not wanting to draw the attention or ire of another squads captain. It was for the best, she thought, that any like that were here rather than her squad.

The redhead's mind was free to roam as she made her way instinctually to the captain's office. Nothing changed here, just like in the rest of the Gotei. If she wanted to she could mindlessly wander the halls and never once get lost. As she reached the office door she noted that it was, oddly, empty.

No name bore admission as to who laid claim to the office. So much was still so new for the division that it was likely the lower seated shinigami were still getting around to making the nameplate for the new captain. Still, Mirabelle didn't need a nameplate to know who was inside.

"Anna?" she calls, her fist already striking three sharp knocks as she speaks. "Are you in?"

Anna was lost in her thoughts, staring out the window, watching her reflection before hearing three sharp knocks, snapping her back to reality "Yes I am In, you may enter."She called to the door as she straightened up sitting at her desk, resting her hands in her lap as she waited to see the familiar face that she knew that went with the voice. It was none other than the one shinigami she would consider a rival if she even had to think of one that nearly matched her. She straightens her cotton candy pink hair along with her uniform as he looked at her blade before re resting it against her desk drawers "I know but it's necessary "She spoke to the silent blade before returning her attention to the door.

"How are things coming along for you?" Mirabelle asks, nonchalantly pushing the door open and letting herself into the other captain's office. Her head swivels as she takes in the room. Despite the recent move things were neat, organized, and generally well managed. She wondered how Anna could have possibly had time to manage her division if she'd found the time to organize her office. It was no wonder she still had no nameplate. "Seems like you're all settled in. Everything in order?"

The redhead strides over to a book shelf, idly browsing the exposed spines. It was no accident she chose the shelf that would best expose the new and still unaddressed haori over her shoulder. She flashed a knowing look and sly smile over the same shoulder as she called "A lot seems to have changed in such a short time. Its a wonder any of us can keep up."

He zanpakuto sat silently at her hip, the hilt jutting out just beyond the white veil of her haori. Despite her distaste for the spirit within, Mirabelle had to admit that it was something of a statement piece. She never quite felt herself without the Witch at her side.

great she was coming in. Anna thought watching Mirabelle closely, she never liked her things getting touched after getting them all situated and organized into their spots. She examined Mirabelle closing as if wondering why she bothered as the only thing that it could be was from the Haori hung over her shoulder. Anna closed her eyes folding her hands into her sleeves as she kept a calm demeanor "Yeah I prefer that if my office is clean and organized the rest of the squad tends to be the same way, would you follow one who lives in a pigsty or one who has everything in place and can get whatever they need within seconds. As for a lot of changes, a lot happens when one is having fun and achieving what destiny sets out in front of them. Nice Haori by the way, though it seems a bit big for you or maybe too small, maybe it's a bit too void of some sort of color."She muttered keeping her eyes closed, Her pink hilted zanpackuto sting against the wall behind her as if enjoy the light that it was basking in. "What is it I can help you with Captain Mirabelle, you just don't seem the type to come and check up on old squadmates out of the blue."She said

"Oh, this?" Mira feigns a look over her shoulder at the haori. Her eyes widen in faux surprise, as if forgetting the garment hung from her frame. "You noticed!"

"Thank you for the congratulations!" her words drip from her mouth, tone too sickly sweet. "I just thought I'd swing by, see how you were doing, how the squad was-"

"-and see who was worth bringing into my own." her tone shifts on a dime as her sweet smile turning to a predatory grin. "Do you have any recommendations off-hand, or should I go hand pick them myself?"

"Perhaps the later would be best? It is my squad after all." Mirabelle turns to face Anna, bringing a slender finger up to her chin as if in thought.

Anna watched her before closing her eyes with a sigh, knowing exactly what she was going to say as every part of her wanted to rag on the gall of this woman walking foot in here, thinking Anna was going to roll over and let her take anything without earning it. "Honestly, your appearance and presence in my squad is an utter disgrace to the Shinigami of every squad. The fact you roll over and allow the new captain commander to pit you again someone who is going to put you in your place clearly. I know what you think, and I know what the commander thinks, and in the famous words of the Fifth Squad captain, You're going to have to take it over my cold dead body Mirabelle" She said, allowing her spite to flow through her words. This was the straw that broke her back, and it was time to cause a massacre and put her foot down.

"I am tired of playing nice and drawing inside the lines, go by the books...Being around the Arrancar for the small-time was refreshing cause you are a parasite with a mask, and it really turns up the ugly."She said, not holding her filter back. "You want my squad and my position? Fight me for it. If I win, you will be my vice-captain. No, if and or buts. If you win, I will be your vice-captain end of the story. Winner takes all, let's put an end to this one, and for all Mirabelle," She said, allowing a twisted smile to creep across her face slowly.

This Anna was strange and not her normal self. She could feel an itch of sorts for battle and the possibility of seeing death. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself, shaking her head. That was right. She hated fighting. She hated death. Telling people off wasn't her, but maybe she was a bit too exhausted to put up a front anymore. "We will fight in this squad's training grounds in a day, unless you want to fight now."She said calmly, adjusting the blade at her waist.

"You really shouldn't threaten me with a good time, Anna." Mira says, shaking her head slowly. "Our spells will cross one day, that much is certain, but it won't be now. I'd much rather watch your flounder in your pathetic attempts at leadership. To let all of the Gotei see just what a failure the Nanashi 'prodigy' really is."

"Then, when you've so utterly failed, I'll swoop back in and pick up the pieces, making this squad mine. Just as it should have been." the redhead's arms cross at her chest as she looks down at Anna. The girl was considerably smaller than herself. So much of her attitude stemmed from the fact she came from a noble clan, one who had bought her passage through the ranks of the Gotei all the way to captain status. It wasn't right. "I've worked twice as hard as you've had to over the years for half the recognition. I've mastered Kido in a way you could only dream of and you have the gall to say that my presence in the squad was a disgrace. The very idea is laughable."

"What have you done, worked for, that wasn't handed to you by way of your namesake? I suggest you get off your high horse before your superiors or, better yet, your subordinates, kick you off of it themselves." making her way  to the desk, Mirabelle doesn't break eye contact with Anna. She plants both hands on the surface of it, leaning over so she could speak more comfortably to the other woman. "Its fine that you don't want to 'play nice' anymore, neither do I. I wish they'd have left you in Hueco Mundo. Perhaps being chased by the arrancar and hollows would have forced you to become half the caster that I am. Or maybe, if I was lucky, you'd have turned or been eaten yourself so that I could have the pleasure of purifying you."

Mira's smile softens as her eyes flick back to the door, her body relaxing as she pulls herself to her full height. "But, that's enough of that. I have my own work to be getting back to, I'll be passing out applications for transfers on my way out. See to it that any turned in to you by mistake are brought to my attention as fast as possible. After all, we wouldn't want our own, personal, feelings get in the way of the way our squads function, now would we?"

"Oh it isn't a threat is it very much a promise, my fellow captain. You say it will one day but the only way your taking my squad is in combat so by all means, All you done is whine and complain that your not getting your way and really, it is causing wrinkles to show on your face, very unfitting for a woman."She said making her voice sickly sweet with a bright smile before allowing her annoyence to show with a sigh "Oh wah! I'm not getting my way, I'm going to go cry to commander Ika and suck his royal marbels to get me a cool looking jacket and men to follow and count how much my chest jiggles when I move. Grow up mirabelle. I worked for what I had gotten. I care not for my name nor did I ever want the fast track."She said in a mocking whiney tone rubbbing her eyes before she cut the act. "Why I am here is simple. Doku wanted a face that is Kidou bound and your zanpackuto does not scream kidou...I only smell tar from it but then again maybe that is what is best for second place?'she replied tapping her chin in a mocking thought.

Anna's Eye narrowed as she heard Mirabelle speak her thoughts as that broke her back of really beinh nice allowing her reiastu to leak out as she leaned up from her chair getting closer "Honestly, The only chance you could ever think of stepping to my level was if I stayed in hueco mundo. but then again you will do exactky as you done all this time, you bitch and moan when you dont get your way like everyone else instead of sucking it up and outright attacking me. Atleast the arrancar don't hide their true intentions from one another. It is survival of the strongest there and I enj oyed my time counting down their numbers and toying with their leadership, plus the vacation from backstabers was really refreshing.And to think that if I became a hollow that you could even hold a candle to my flame is laughable, Now if you don't mind honey, your tar smelling ass is really ruining the serenity I had going on here."She said lifting a h and dismissively waving her away plopping back in her chair with a confident smile "Eat me! Don't forget to write!"She called after mirabelle as she pulled back in her reiastu. She needed to keep calm and keep her usual self, she can rest in a few days.