Handling Duties(Bambietta/Hime)

Hime had performed many tasks for Abalia, as was per there agreement a few years ago. In exchange for protecting her sister, Hime was to be Abalia's right hand. If a situation required physical force, Hime would be there. If she needed to be a spy, Hime would be there. If she needed to do something as menial as paperwork, she would be there.

Hime questioned nothing. She admired Abalia for her otherworldly will and her strength of mind. Whereas others possessed weapons of immense power, her ironclad will was her immense power. She had received a memo that she was to be assigned to handling someone today. It was a simple message.

Hime accepted. It was not her place to decline, anyway. Reading the report in her hand as she traversed the Seiretei, she read the file of the woman she would be watching over today. Bambietta Basterbine. She didn't bother to read much more beyond that as her journey was short-lived.

She softly rapped her fingers against the door of the woman she would be assigned to handling today.

Another day, another person to watch her all day while she went about her business. Honestly, it's not like Bambietta minded, having someone around to just fuck around with was pertty fun. Not that she'd ever actually give them too many problems, seeing as that'd be a one way ticket to a bullet in the back of the head. Ah well. Opening the door, Bambietta took in the view of her newest accompaniment.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

"Good morning, miss. Specialist Bambietta Basterbine, at your service."

Polite and collected as always, the consummate professional that she always made sure to be for the sake of her own survival. Honestly, she wondered sometimes how many people in the penal legion were like her, and mostly just obedient out of fear. More worryingly, she wondered if Abalia actually knew exactly how many people were like that.

"I don't have anything immediately important for the day outside my typical Shin'o classes later in the evening, but I do need to run a few errands. If that's acceptable with you, of course."

"Hime Tatsumiya. A pleasure to meet you, Bambietta." Hime gave the woman with jet black hair a few observant glances before she looked at the bright skies of the seireitei. She didn't see anything wrong with her running her errands. To Hime, this seemed as if it would be a simple enough duty to complete. She continued to observe Bambietta as she turned to stand beside her. From the reports, this woman required supervision at all times. At first glance, she didn't particularly strike her as volatile but... one had to keep their eyes open.

"It is completely acceptable to me. If you desire, we can speak while you conduct your errands or you can act as if I'm not here." Hime remained cordial yet focused. Still, she had to admit the woman sparked some source of her curiosity. She supposes today would reveal answers or bring more mysteries. Only time would tell.

Right to the first names, eh? Bambietta didn't mind that one bit. If anything, it told her exactly how she ought to handle all this, and she was certainly the kind to take every inch someone gave her. Metaphorically, of course.

But also literally.

"No no, I'd rather we chat. It's more fun that way, especially since I don't exactly know too many people up here. All my special classes are just me and the teacher, so I haven't exactly made any friends."

It would be wrong to say that bothered Bambietta, per se, but it definitely did annoy her, if only because she was the kind of person who very much hated being entirely alone. Things were generally more enjoyable with people around, and honestly, what was even the point of doing something if you didn't have anyone to watch you do it? Locking up her quarters, Bambietta simply got to walking, hands in her pockets as she assumed Hime would follow.

"You're not one of the usual people Her Majesty assigns to keep an eye on me. Er, the Captain Commander. Same person. Nice to see a fresh face."

Hime flashed a warm smile in reply to Bambietta. She welcomed the idea of sharing a conversation rather than remaining silent. She gained some insight into how the woman conducted her days. It must have been difficult to be looked over and trained without having any true freedom to roam around as one might like. Hime was familiar with having no freedom.

She was once a prisoner and even when she chose to be Abalia's right hand, her freedom was limited. There were always watchful eyes to make sure she did not step out of line but she could never recall a time where she was relegated to having to be watched at all times whenever she left her home.

For a moment, she wanted to say she would gladly be Bambietta's friend but held her lips, aiming to remain professional - at least for now. It was better that they learned to know one another but she made such a declaration.

"Thank you. Well, I am Abalia's right hand. My missions are usually paperwork, looking over the Gotei, relaying information, espionage, and if push comes to shove - the physical force whenever she is threatened. It seems as though the others were busy, so handling duties fell to me. That said, so far It's nice to know you. I certainly expected someone less relaxed and more volatile," she quipped playfully as they walked together.

Oho, if Bambietta had been moderately interested before, she was far more interested now. Hime's actual features were frankly secondary to the mention of "espionage," and the woman's thoughts were all too quickly turned from unremarkable base ones to very genuine ruminations on what sort of destruction this lady could bring to the table. That was a thousand times more appealing to someone like Bambietta than even the most perfect face.

"I guess it does come to that sometimes, doesn't it? I only got this assignment on account of too little to do on the surface, so I understand that position. There's not always something to do."

The mention of her being volatile might have irritated most people, but if anything, Bambietta reveled in it. It let her know that she did have a reputation, if only a minor one, and that was more than enough for her to be confident she'd been doing things right. Best to keep up with her job, though. Last thing she needed was for all that to come crashing down.

"Well, Hime, I do try and keep things nice when I'm not on the field. Out there I'm a little less friendly, or at least so I've heard. Personally, I think I'm more fun when I can cut loose. Er, don't tell the Captain Commander I said that."

Of course, Bambietta knew that there was no hiding her actual demeanor from that woman, and she gave something of a smirk to Hime as if to acknowledge that fact. She knew the point of the penal legion was to atone for her crimes, but she had to wonder if Abalia actually believed she'd ever do that.

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed," she replied with a playful wistfulness in her tone. From first impressions so far, Bambietta was a welcomed presence to be around. Still, the graceful shinigami remained focused. The Captain Commander would not welcome carelessness.

There was a reason Bambietta required supervision and Hime had to abide by her duty, even if she envisioned developing a friendly relationship with the substitute Shinigami. As they continued to walk, Hime curiously glanced over at Bambietta and decided to continue the conversation.

"It's actually interesting to be on the other side of supervision. When I was released from prison, I had to be supervised to some degree as well. Earning Abalia's trust was no small task but... here I am."

"Hey, same here."

Bambietta removed the peaked cap of her uniform and spun it on one finger lazily, rather enjoying this casual little exchange. Someone else who was working off a sentence then, huh? Did Abalia just know how desperate people could get, or was this really some moral grandstanding on her end? Part of Bambietta would have preferred to just leave it be, but it was hard not to think about the person who held your life in their hands.

"Honestly, sometimes I'm surprised she even let me come up here, but I figure she's probably got me on a tight enough leash that she's not worried about it. Not like I'd try and get on her bad side anyway, though. I'd be dead right now if she hadn't let me out, so I owe her that much. Nothing big, just my life."

Though she said it casually, with a smirk on her face, it actually ate at Bambietta whenever she thought about it. Sure, she was alive, but she was still indebted to someone else. It wasn't like she put any grand price on freedom, she couldn't care less as long as she got to do what she wanted. But one wrong step and she was done. Didn't like that, not one bit.

"Perhaps in that aspect, we are kindred spirits." Hime smiled as she flashed a warm, motherly smile in the woman's direction. Hime had truly envisioned a scenario wherein she would be executed, repenting for her sins in death as her spirit rested in peace, and yet against her expectations, Abalia gave her a purpose.

She was a prisoner who deserved to be executed for her crimes, for the people she murdered in the name of wicked men, and yet the woman with an iron will - chose her to be her right-hand. In return, she would ensure her sister's protection at all times.

To this day, she never understood the woman but being in her presence and learning from her, she came to hold an admiration for the woman that not even time could erase. If she so desired, she would gladly lay down her life for Abalia.

"I was a prisoner who chose to return to her cell when she met me. Even more than that, I once stood on the side of the Kokuryuteshi, whose leader desire to usurp the soul king. I have a mountain of corpses on my resume, to the point that my nickname in the forces went on to occupy itself as a name people address me by. Princess of Death. Hime. Still... despite all that, Abalia, spared my life and gave me a purpose," Hime offered her hand as she gazed at the subsitute Shinigami with a pleasant gaze in her amber eyes.

"Had I met anyone else that day, perhaps I would've met the end I expected given my list of crimes. It's not the definitive definition of freedom but I'm content with my life now. I have met wonderful peers, amazing men and women who I would gladly fight beside at their request. Your mind seems to be in the right place, I have no doubts you could come to earn her trust as well."

Er... Wow. This sure got real serious real quickly, didn't it? Well, maybe that was at least partially Bambietta's fault, but she felt like this was still an uneven split here. Alright, well, best to keep things cool, she guessed.

"I sure can't say I didn't anything quite that big. Just some domestic terrorism when I was younger, tried to blow up half Vastime's nobles back when they were still getting everything put together. But I guess I'm glad it didn't work out. Life's better now than it was back then, even knowing I'm one wrong step from death."

Her eyes trailed downward to the hand that had been offered her, and while she didn't make any outward indication of it, there was something about it that rubbed her the wrong way. Was it pity? She didn't need pity. She was the Bambietta Basterbine. But, then again, it'd probably look bad if she just snubbed the gesture, so with a smile that was not particularly genuine, she took Hime's hand and gave it a cordial, even outright friendly, shake. If she'd wanted anything more than that, well... Too bad.

"I haven't exactly left as much blood behind me as you have. If anything, I've probably killed as many people for her as I did when I was still out on my own. But hey, that's the job. I told her I'd do it, and if there's one thing I'm not, it's a liar."