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The grunts of wounded shinigami could be heard all the way down the many halls of the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho (綜合救護詰所, the coordinated relief station). Accompanying them was the clatter of heels coming into contact with the marble flooring, suggesting that the various nurses inhabiting the Fourth Division Barracks were hard at work, as they always had been. Despite the busy nature of the hospital, it was the least amount of work the medics had seen all month, by all means a great sign. This allowed all healers, most notably the seated officers of the fourth division, some much required time to rest and catch up on some of their more personal activities. One such shinigami had already taken it upon herself to do so, relocating to a much more peaceful atmosphere, of what was the luxury of her own bed. It was none other than the captain of the Fourth Division herself, Rikuri Suigyoku. She was sound asleep despite the presence of broad daylight. Buried under several layers of sheets, one might find it interesting to learn that such a beauty slept bare naked; her black kimono and captain hiori were lying in a heap beside her bed.
A gentle tap could suddenly be heard at the door. It was by no means, loud enough to ever alert Rikuri, even had she been awake. However, it may possibly have been engraved someplace sacred that an invasion of privacy was not beyond the duty of the Inner Court Troop (裏廷隊, riteitai), as it was their rightful duty to notify others of their specific orders. Dressed in the signature red kimonic attire, akin to his designated position, the messenger stepped foot into Rikuri's home uninvited, the scent of her nude flesh arousing him with profound pleasure instantaneously. It was through tracking this scent that he was able to lead himself into her own bedroom, his eyes rolling back in their sockets at such a marvelous sight. Rikuri had been a hard worker her whole life, that was known to all the shinigami across the gotei 13. However, that being said, given her sudden break, she had found little to no time to tidy up the likes of her own bedroom. Previously worn underwear found itself spread out in every corner of the room, from her surreal J size bras to her moist panties. The man was in paradise.
He cleared his throat, issuing a soft whisper in yet another "attempt" to awaken sleeping beauty from her slumber. As planned, it was not enough to force Rikuri awake, and thus, he would have to resort to physical contact. Creeping to the side of her bed, he rubbed his hands together, preparing himself for arguably the greatest moment of his life. As he slowly reached to touch the woman's bare flesh, her eyelids opened, starling him enough to force him down onto his backside. Rikuri was quick to wrap her body with the multiple sheets available, though it was not beyond her to turn as red as a tomato. She simply darted her attention to the apologetic messenger, who had retreated to one corner of the room. After a moment of bickering, he found the courage to explain his intentions, and finally, delivering the message he had come to convey in the first place, he stormed out of her house, grabbing himself a souvenir on his way out.
Rikuri had been called forth by of all people, the captain-commander, Shunsui Kyōraku. Such matters were to be taken with the utmost regard, leaving Rikuri with little to no time to dress herself appropriately; while she was able to cover herself entirely in the trademark black kimono of the shinigami, she was unable to find the time to wear any extra undergarment. This left her without the much needed assistance of her bra, allowing her enormous breasts to do as they pleased, defying the orders of their master. As she made haste towards the first division barracks, Rikuri was unable to ponder upon the question of why Shunsui had summoned her due to the nature of her bossoms. Upon the slightest of movements, they wobbled every which way, trying to break free from their solitary confinement. However, enduring the struggle, Rikuri found herself through the front doors of the first division barracks and down on one knee, before the great Shunsui Kyōraku. The man would have just been made aware of her timely arrival, his backside still firmly facing her.
"Sōtaichō-sama, you called upon me?"
Before his desk where she was knelt, the man respected as the great Yamamoto's successor, Kyōraku Shunsui, slowly rose his head to match his gaze with that of the Fourth Division Captain. Whether the matter was urgent or casual, this man displayed a facial expression that was consistent with his well-known placid demeanor. Kyōraku placed down the thin stack of papers that were clearly the target of his attention before she had entered his office, placing them neatly alongside other sheets containing various pieces of information, before slowly raising his hand and gesturing to the female Captain, letting off a light chuckle. "Now now, Rikuri-san, no need for such formalities." He released a light groan as he stood up from his seat, characteristic of an elder gentlemen, as he stretched a little and light cracks of his bone joints could be heard as he let out a sigh.
"With recent situations, the need for the Gotei 13 to present a united front becomes more and more crucial with each passing day. In order to do so, we've had to undertake several operations to maintain that. In the process, as you've seen, those that normally would not have been welcomed into the Seireitei by Old Man Yama are now tolerated. This is all in order to rebuild our destroyed society..." the Captain-Commander spoke solemnly as he stepped out from his desk and made his way toward the window, facing out toward the construction site that was once the glorious castle of the pure souls court. Almost as though he was taking a brief moment of silence — an act of contemplation perhaps — Kyōraku then turned around fully and faced the kneeling Captain. "There is a man that was once a Captain in the Gotei 13 over a thousand years ago, and unlike others from those times, he has proven to be a valuable asset to us in the past. However, just as useful as he is, he's also shown himself to be highly unpredictable. Perhaps even rash in his decision-making." he spoke before returning to his desk in a slow stroll with his hands locked behind his pink haori. "The first Captain of the Eighth Division, who laid the framework for said division... Seireitou Kawahiru." he continued.
Once more, Kyōraku faced Rikuri with his usual expression. "It will be important for us to be sure of what position he has with us, and how willing he will be to work with us, and cooperate with us as we attempt to rebuild our strength and stature, so I've sent a request to District Seventy-Three, Kabuki, for him to come to the Seireitei so as to have a meeting with him. It took a couple back-n-forth replies... but eventually he accepted. Though..." Kyōraku reached up to scratch at the back of his head. "He stated in his reply that if he is to meet with a Captain, he requested you specifically." the man finished.
A hint of a blush escaped the sides of the woman's face, just beneath her eyes. The name "Seireitou Kawahiru" brought upon an awkward sensation throughout her entire body. Given their respective history, would she really be forced to meet with him again? It was beyond Rikuri to contemplate otherwise at this point. The following were direct orders from the Captain-Commander, surely such trivial thoughts were forbidden. Though she would have rather taken the task of clearing all hollow from Hueco Mundo as opposed to meeting with Seireitou once more, denying such precise instructions was not an option. She would have to endure the hardship coming her way; her fate had been sealed. Though hesitant at first, Rikuri found the confidence to slightly nod her head, accepting the mission officially, though she would stick around for further instruction.
"I...I understand." Rikuri managed, her eyes closing slowly.
"However..." continued the Captain-Commander with his usual deadpan tone of voice. "That being the case, even if there isn't a likely possibility of him turning out to be our enemy, I would still feel better if you were accompanied by another officer. Perhaps even another Captain, though that is your own choice, Rikuri-san." Kyōraku firmly expressed, as he reached over to the stack of folders planted upon his desk, picking up an envelope that was sitting at the center. As though he were studying its contents, his gaze stuck to the blank envelope for a silent moment, before slowly extending his arm to hand Rikuri that very envelope. "Asking a man as unpredictable as Seireitou-san if he is on our side would not amount to much... I'm quite certain, given the stories revolving around him and my own encounters with him in the past, that he will not give you a straightforward answer. Therefore..." he said, gesturing to the document being handed to her, before his stoic facial expression slowly curled into a smile. "Take these funds from the First Division and get him drunk. Then we should be able to get him to answer openly." Kyōraku answered, a tone completely more familiar and almost comic from his earlier seriousness; truly an example of this man's reputation for being uncharacteristic.
Rallying Together[]
"I assure you, Sōtaichō, even though it is beyond my own nature to partake in such behavior... I will do whatever it takes." Rikuri nodded once more, accepting the envelope from Kyōraku. She then placed the envelope into her kimono for safe keeping, and proceeded through the exit, closing the office door gently behind her. There was a reason why she had been chosen for this job. The fate of soul society might have very well been in her hands at this point. Failure was not an option. No matter was sort of measures she would have to resort to, Rikuri was poised to see to them, even if it meant going beyond her own comfort zone. As she continued down the path, turning a corner, she couldn't help but take notice of the ensuing ruckus coming from 7th Division Barracks.
“Sir! I’m sorry sir! But we need this chicken for the supper tonight!” someone yelled. A cook from Squad Seven was running hard, chasing after the chicken-thief, who, with a few easy steps, quickly outpaced him. The bird was tucked carefully under his arm.
“‘S that so? Well, ya’ve got a terrible amount of birds, don’t matter if one is missin.” Hein called back. As he turned down the alley he realized that a group of cooks were waiting for him, kitchen knives drawn in fury. There was a terrible commotion as they collided. Swords and knives clashing, angry men shouting, and a chicken squawking hysterically. A huge cloud of dust covered the scene, blocking all the combatants from view.
From the haze of the battle, a lone warrior emerged. His powerful form was silhouetted for a moment before he strode out confidently before Rikuri.
Well, wobbled drunkenly, rather. It was the chicken.
“Oh dear.” Rikuri said as she took in the creature’s various bruises and wounds. Needless to say, the chicken was the worse for wear. Rikuri picked up the bird and stroked its head softly, crooning to it comfortingly.
In the meantime, the brawl in the alley continued.
“Stop! I dropped a contact!” someone screamed. The fight immediately ground to a halt as the Shinigami paused. They all began to search the ground for the missing eyepiece. That is, except one.
“All right, where’s my bird?” Hein asked while brushing his hands off. He turned his head side to side as he walked out into the street, although Rikuri couldn’t tell what he was looking for, seeing as he was blind. Hein finally seemed to notice her and stopped.
“Well, ain’t this exceptional.” he said with a toothy grin. “How are ya doin’, obahan?”
Rikuri immediately seemed to bristle in his presence, and Hein could tell she was uneasy. In fact, she seemed to be uneasy whenever he was around. He held out his hand.
“Now why don’t ya dump that dull bird so I can finish this.” Rikuri recoiled at this, her posture suggesting horror as she clutched the chicken.
“What are you going to do with it?” she asked, somewhat tersely. Hein’s smile faded.
“That’s none of ya’re concern.” He fingered the hilt of his Zanpakuto irritably, as she was complicating his plans for practicing a flame-throwing technique that involved a small, moving target. “’Spose you could call it an experiment. Now why don’t ya hand it over.”
Rikuri gallantly took a stand for the chicken, shaking her head as she refused. But Hein did not like taking "no" for an answer.
“Hey, that’s terribly indecent of ya, refusin’ such a nice request.” He stepped closer, releasing a bit of Reiatsu to intimidate her. “I’ll tell you one more time ‘fore I clobber ya—hand over the bird.”
Just then Hein picked up on a powerful, unique Reiatsu approaching from the distance. The subtle eletric current to the spiritual pressure was a dead give-away as to who it was. Ain’t this real interesting? Hein thought to himself. Well, seein’ as things are terribly dull around here…
Using Shunpo he snatched the chicken right from Rikuri’s arms and landed on the roof of the building above them. And just as his keen senses had picked up, there was another being following the trail. A woman of ebony complexion and a mane of messy black-and-red curls, she was a Captain, as the haori she wore denoted and the gigantic sword slung loosely over her shoulder gave away her identity even quicker.
She was more than a few houses away, but gaining on the bandana-wearing Captain rather quickly. With all the grace of a bull she leaped from building to building, controlled but fast motions built up in her legs, rippling motions of Hohō. "Of all the bleedin' things to ask a Captain, chicken wranglin' has to be a new lo-", she halted herself when a twitching sensation erupted from inside. Nothing physical, but a feeling from the other half that caused her to simmer down and listen. "It is right ahead", spoke a familiar whisper.
"What, you can tell?" Seia questioned only to have her head filled with laughter, it reverberated in her skull like a bell, hitting all the corners with echo-y derision. "What manner of beast do you take me for, my child? Of course I can", the voice replied. Seia's eyelids fell partially creating a look of obvious annoyance, though it quickly faded into the backdrop. "This one is particularly fresh", there was an animalistic hunger to the voice that was almost making Seia hungry too; she was beginning to recall the last time she'd had such a delicacy, years beyond counting to be sure, at least for her.
With one last dramatic leap, she was able to at last catch up with Hein. Landing rather gracefully just ahead of him, though the slopped nature of the slanted roof forced her to slide forward. The friction of her sandals against the ceramic slats eventually stopped her, leaving her teetering on the edge of the building though she somehow looked perfectly balanced standing there. "Alright there, Stretch?", she asked of Hein in what one could only assume to be a greeting from the Thirteenth Captain.
"Well, Obahan." Hein said with a huge grin. "How are ya doin'? Finally came up with a name for me did ya."
"Hehehe, nah, I call anybody Stretch, ain't got 'round to you proper yet" Seia replied, almost bemused behind the light laughter, as if her inability to nickname the man in front of her was a massive slight on her track record.
"Don't matter." he said with a shrug whilst Seia tilted to the side and looked past Hein to Rikuri, who was still standing in the street.
"So, what's up with Sunshine?", she asked, a growing assumption that Hein had something to do with the general unease she was sensing from the Captain of the Fourth Division.
"Ah, ya see, I was goin' to use this bird for target practice." Hein said casually. "Don't know why she's feelin' so rough about it. I can grab another if ya want to come along."
"Nah, I think we should act like the polite ol' grandma and the...", Seia stopped for a moment, uprighting herself in the process. "Actually, I don't care how old your s'possed to be", she remarked just as her foot shot forth, like a bolt of lightning. The blow sent Hein catapulting from the roof. The distance was too short for him to right himself and he crashed head first, into the ground, then rolled head over heels before hitting the opposite wall.
The chicken, now squeezed tightly against his armpit, was unamused. It flapped, fluttered and spluttered, and generally tried to make known to the world the fact that it was suffocating... both from the lack of air and the stench.
"Hey, that was terrible indecent of ya." he said as he shot to his feet. "Goin' for nothing to kick a blind man while he's holdin' a chicken." he said, brushing the dust from his jacket. He had lost one of his geta in the fall, and casting about he quickly found it and picked it up before chucking the sandal at Seia.
Before it could slap into her forehead she reached out her hand and caught the projectile. Seia stared at the geta for a moment before she smiled and dangled it over the street.
"Sandal for the chicken?" she offered dryly, swaying the footwear from side-to-side in her grasp.
Hein clenched his fists. For a moment he said nothing. But then, rather sullenly, he held up the chicken like a peace offering, or a sacrifice to an angry god.
Seia leaped down from the roof, strode over calmly, and took the chicken, which, rather abnormally for that particular species, climbed across her arm to perch on her shoulder, like a plump, white parrot.
"Ya must think ya're some exceptional animal handler, don't ya?" he said spitefully as he was envious of Seia's expert chicken wrangling skill. In reply, she loosened her grip on the man's sandal just as her arm swung forward, causing it to casually fly through the air towards him, before clunking into his skull. He caught the geta before it could fall to the ground and, still glaring at Seia, quickly placed it back on his foot.
Looking around, Seia cast her gaze to the side to the bewildered Rikuri who'd been stuck observing the two Captain's shenanigans the whole time. A finger rose to absently stroke at her newly acquired bird, while Seia waved with her other hand at the Captain of the Fourth Division as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"'ey kiddo, why the doom 'n' gloom?"
Rikuri folded her arms beneath her enormous breasts, a hint of a blush appearing beneath each of her eyes. The wind picked up, elegantly fluttering both her captain hiori and luscious brown hair. By the looks of it, the woman was obviously nervous, for whatever, or rather whomever she was to meet in the near future. She avoided eye contact, instead looking down at her feet. A hand darted towards the side of her face, repositioning a few strands of her hair back behind her ear. She finally looked up, paying little to no attention as to what had just gone on. She had been much to distracted, always thinking of her orders. Even with the event that had taken place before her very own eyes, it was a challenge for her to maintain a high degree of concentration.
"W-well, you see.." She began, once again folding her arms, her fingers caressing the tips of her elbows. As Rikuri lifted her head to pay her respect to her fellow peers, one might have easily noticed the beauty of her big blue eyes under the rays of the sun.
"I am to pay a visit to Kawahiru-kun, and... and.." The hesitation in her words was obvious; for what ever reason, the woman seemed to be in quite the trance. "..and I wouldn't mind if the two of you... tagged along." Though on paper the words forming the sentence would have appeared as a formal invitation, or more so even just a minimal compliment, the tone of her voice, combined with the fluctuation of her reiatsu proved otherwise, almost as if she was relying on her comrades to get her through such a task. It was truly uncommon to see a woman who was always smiling in such a condition, surely the others would have recognized this and for her own sake, accepted her request without so much as a question, as at this point, it only would have come across as an insult, as surely the woman was not too fond of her current emotions.
"And why the hell would we want to do something like--" Hein began, but he was cut off when Seia slapped him on the head. She had begun pacing, as if it helped her to think, though in truth she was only looking for an excuse to wallop the blind Shinigami once more, her hand was practically raised to strike a second time. Hein rubbed the back of his head, "That was terribly indecent of ya." he muttered under his breath.
Seia ignored him, and let her hand fall, assuming the man would behave. At least for a minute or two. "Well, all the reports are done, anythin' else Glacies can pick up, I even found the chicken those idiots wanted, so, sure, I got nothin' better to do", with that she was agreeing to accompany the voluptuous Captain. Seia turned to Hein, "What excuse you got?"
"A rough amount of work is what I've got." he began to count on his fingers. "There's a terribly unruly bunch of division members to clobber, a Lieutenant that should be relaxin', a mountain of paperwork to read..." Seia scoffed.
"Like you'll be readin' paperwork."
Hein continued, ignoring her. "...there's lunch in a couple of hours, there's a game of cards to finish, there's..."
"Yep. He's taggin' along." Seia cut in. Hein began to protest her speaking on his behalf, but Seia raised a hand and he stopped.
"I'll go, seein' how it don't matter." he said with a begrudging shrug. "Terrible dull around here anyway."
Seia had resumed her pacing, apparently deep in thought. "We gotta bring the chicken."
"Yeah? And why's that?" he asked. He was distracted by Rikuri's fluctuating Reiatsu, as if she were wavering and needed the assurance of the other two Captains. He wondered why she was concerned, and was suddenly keenly interested in whatever mission she had been given. Well, this smells terribly interesting. He thought.
"'Cause I need to return it, it was your mess after all."
"Three Captains escorting a chicken through the Rukongai," he said, "That's goin' for nothing-- we'll look like a bunch of dumb asses or such-and-such." Seia's hand moved incredibly fast, but Hein was ready for it and dodged this time. "Hah! That was a real miss!" he cried in triumph. She kicked him in the back instead, sending him sprawling to the ground once more.
"Well, should we go then? If we start now we'll get there before noon."
Rikuri sighed in relief, the mountains lifted up and over from her shoulders. Her confidence level also went about replenishing itself, enough for the woman to finally stop worrying about her additional bodily movements and instead focus on the task at hand. With others at her side, she was ready to confront Seireitou. In fact, she was now somewhat eager to face the him, ready to bury her knuckles into the man's forehead the first chance she received. He would need to repent for his long list of sins, especially if he was going to be up to his usual perverted antics. A smile appeared on the side of Rikuri's face, though her inner guilt worked quick to nullify it completely. Turning to face her comrades, Rikuri offered a quick nod, before continuing down along the path.
"Thank you guys so very much!"
In due time, the captains made their arrival within the Kabuki District. Their sudden presence resulted in several animosities, whereby the inhabitants of district 73 encouraged a hefty dose of precaution in every single one of their steps, curious as to why a captain had shown up out of nowhere, three at that. The captains felt as out of place as the civilians, the bright lights and booming music coming from the several nightclubs orchestrating the district. Rikuri especially was thrown off by the lifestyle of the district, her brother had always told her to distance herself from such a horrendous place. Those who settled here cared not for their own well being, as far as meeting standards of life went, but rather, for momentary pleasure, as evident by the various moans and groans acting as sirens, appearing as if the district were haunted by ghosts. As much as she despised such nature, Rikuri slowly began to understand why exactly is was that she explicitly had been warned to stay away from such a place. Her internal guilt; such behavior around these parts was not uncommon, better yet, it was expected.
Rikuri's body suddenly began to tremble beneath her kimono. Nothing noticeable, though beads of sweat soon followed afterwards, credit to her anxiety. It was not out of fear, but rather, most peculiarly, out of excitement. She had only just managed to take notice of the grueling spiritual pressure in the distance. A familiar feeling, one that had been long forgotten. Rikuri couldn't help but bathe her body in such characteristic pressure; the man who they had come for was near. Closing her eyes, the woman took a moment to relieve herself of such trivial pleasures. For whatever reason, she found the utmost comfort in Seireitou's reiatsu. It was almost as if it were calling her at this point, awaiting her arrival. Her eyes opened, a look of determination overtaking her face. With a quick glance at the other captains, Rikuri followed the path led by Seireitou's precious spiritual pressure.
Silver-Haired Anomaly[]
And in a sight that the Captains, after hearing stories of this man, would not have anticipated to find him, there sat the silver-haired man they were seeking; in plain view, no less. He had been sitting down at a corner of the road they had been treading down through the district, accompanied by what appeared to be a homeless man; both holding cups filled to the brim with a drink that could not be ascertained until one were to look at the sake bottle firmly held in Seireitou's hand. Strangely enough, this man was wearing such garments that it was hard to tell the two apart — except to a trained warrior that could feel out his spiritual pressure. He was dressed in a ratty old blue kimono, paralleling the dark beige one worn by the homeless man he was sharing a drink with, as the two conversed amongst one another even as the Captains had slowly been walking by where he sat.
"No no no... Matsuei-chan was much too cute to fall for a man like Takeda-kun. She should have stuck with Riki-kun instead, the two were much more compatible. And she wouldn't be at odds with Christie-chan either." Seireitou remarked as the homeless man shook his head in protest. "What nonsense ya sayin', Matsuei-chan and Christie-chan would've always been at odds, ever since their disagreement about the vacation trip they took. Riki-kun is far too stuck up for them anyways." the homeless man retorted. It was as though they were having some type of disagreement about a soap opera or something; surprisingly, they were rather popular in the last couple years.
It was then that Seireitou looked up at spotted the arriving Gotei 13 officials, his eyes narrowing as he took a good look at them. "Hmmhmm... Now this is a pleasant surprise." he spoke, sipping from his cup as his gaze happened upon the Fourth Division Captain; almost as if he was intentionally ignoring the others that arrived with her.
Hein and Seia had followed Rikuri all the way through Kabuki-- the so-called "red light" district. Hein could not say he was impressed. For one thing, he gathered details mainly through sounds and smells. Aside from a few vendors here and there selling pork buns, nothing had managed to catch his attention. Personally, he couldn't see much interest in places like these, especially during the day. Why a supposed legendary figure chose to take up residence here, and establish a dojo no less, he could not say. Except that it must be because he was that sort of man. Hein had known many such districts and the men that lived in them in his past life, and he smiled to himself. Now this smells real interesting.
On the other hand Seia, with her eyes un-obscured, could eye the various establishments clearly. And picked out more than a few that took her fancy. Sure, each of them likely doubled as something less noble than a pub, but that didn't matter so much as the ale was good. She was also lucky enough to notice Seireitou, as inobvious as he tried to be. His spiritual power wasn't the best hidden, and she happened to be familiar with it. Just like he had been doing though, she pointedly decided to ignore the homeless-seeming figure. "Same ol' perverted prick, I see", she remarked under her breath. Her gaze cast away from his direction toward the rooster perched on her shoulder, making it look like she was talking to her feathered companion, who cocked its head to the side responding with a look of curious confusion.
For some time now Hein had been able to sense the man's immense spiritual pressure, even before they had even entered the district. It was suppressed, to be sure, but managed to color the entire district in his unique reiatsu signature until it blended with the atmosphere itself, becoming one with the place. Considering this, it did not take long for him to pinpoint Seireitou's location, it was like following a thin thread to the center of a matrix. A huge grin spread across Hein's face. Before anyone could say anything else he jabbed his finger in Seireitou's direction and shouted:
"Hey Otchan! It seems like we've finally found ya; ya doin' all right?" there was no response, so he continued. "Terrible indecent weather, wouldn't ya say?"
"The winter sun is pretty nice actually", Seia replied as an unintended reciprocant. Hein shot her a glare.
"I wasn't talkin' to ya. We're walkin' into this guy's throne room here," he said, gesturing towards the curb Seireitou sat upon, "So I figured it would be best to show some manners and such-and-such, ya know?"
Rikuri came to a sudden stop as soon as she was made aware of his appearance. Seireitou was as unpredictable as he always had been; looking down at him, it was hard to believe such an imposing figure chose to live his life in such a manner. A hint of a blush appeared beneath her eyes as soon as her gaze met with his, causing the voluptuous beauty to turn her head in an attempt to hide such a fact. Glaring, she proceeded to opening her captain's haori, reaching inside before revealing the documents she had been entrusted with earlier. She then extended out her arm, gesturing for him to accept it from her, using her one free hand to tend to her haori, stretching it to conceal the rest of her figure from the lurking eyes of the Kabuki District.
"Orders from the Captain-Commander." She announced, turning away once again.
Shadows covered the silver-haired man's eyes as he watched the playful argument between the officers that had come to meet him, save for that of Rikuri, who had just then held out a series of papers for him to take. Of course, before doing so, he wanted to take it all in. He hadn't laid eyes upon this woman in quite some time, whether it be the lurking eyes of a perverse predator or a meeting between warriors, so he relished this moment for at least a good moment before acknowledging her gesture by taking the papers into his own hand. "So... Kyōra-kun has really come up in the world, huh. Good to hear that time he spent with me didn't ruin him." Seireitou commented before letting out a hearty laugh, slowly standing up straight as he turned to the homeless man he had been spending some time with. "I'll be sure to continue this talk of ours some other time." he explained, as the elder homeless man softly chuckled. "No no, the pleasure was all mine, Nii-san." he answered. Seireitou slowly trotted away from that spot, believing Rikuri and the others would follow him as well. "So, do what do I owe these "orders"?" the silver-haired man asked them.
Rikuri followed behind him, though she made sure to keep a fair amount of distance; her attempt to emphasize that she did not enjoy his company. She was trying too hard to behave casually, though in the end, she only appeared to be that much more awkward. "I believe a formal in person meeting would be sufficient enough, if your capable of it." She teased, though she quickly regretted adding in that last bit, wondering if he would see to it as flirting. To correct such an error, she opened her mouth, yet again. "You know, since your dressed like that." She added, seeing as though he resembled a homeless man.
She then felt guilty once more, unsure whether or not such a statement would have hurt his feelings. "I mean, er.. not that there's anything wrong with it, I mean, I think you look good. I mean, not you, but the clothes on your body." She quickly shook her head, struggling to keep her trail of thought. "Not that I was thinking of your body or anything like that." She bit her lip, quickly working to change the subject to avoid anymore awkwardness.
"Seeing you in person should be good enough." She finally managed, something she should have just stated from the beginning.
During that entire back-and-forth of Rikuri's awkwardness during that moment, Seireitou's eyes remained narrowed as though it were a comic situation. With the final word spoken by the female Captain, the silver-haired man merely responded with outright laughter. "Same as always, Rikuri-san. Listening to you talk is just as fun as observing the bounce of your cleavage. Well, not really, but close enough." Seireitou crudely declared; such was his way, he was not one to not use perverse language during a conversation, no matter the level of seriousness. But even in the middle of such rude and crude demeanor, there were those rare silver linings that were subtle yet significantly bright. "Though I am happy to see you — that you're doing well after all the shit that has been thrown at Seireitei as of nine years ago." Seireitou added, flashing her a brief look of calm composure glittered with the hint of a smile, before turning his attention to the others that came along with Rikuri; his demeanor quickly returning to the original sarcasm from which he was vastly known for having. "...And then there's you two? Didn't know I was such a V.I.P. to have multiple Captains come here to meet me." he remarked, in an almost sarcastic tone toward Hein and Seia.
Hein had lost interest in the entire encounter between Rikuri and Seireitou, and was currently picking wax out of his ear. He looked up as the man addressed them and scowled.
"Oh yeah? And what gave ya that idea, Otchan?" he asked. "Like I care whether ya come back with us or not, I just came to sight-see. Been terrible dull 'round the Seireitei of late..." he yawned, stretching his arms behind his head. "Not like there's much to be seein' here, place is indecent. Smells stupid, I'd say."
Seia had affected a similar pose as the yawning Hein, only differentiated by the presence of her over-long Zanpakutō. "I'm just here to make sure these two don't get molested", she remarked casually. "Y'know how it is with them wily silver-haired types", she passively chided.
Hein snorted. "Like I need some grandma to keep me under her nose, that's goin' for nothing," he said, "I'd say ya're the one whose been molestin' me this entire time."
The rooster, who had been perched quietly on Seia's shoulder, suddenly whipped his head towards Hein and... hissed. He jumped back, his hand flying to the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"Hey, obahan, looks like something has possessed that bird there." he exclaimed. With one smooth motion he had drawn his blade, leveling it at the head of the chicken. "I'll clobber ya, demon-vessel bastard." he growled.
Seia looked at him squintedly and then began to laugh. "Nah, I just think he don't like you much", she'd risen a hand up to pet the hissing chicken, turning its previous aggression into affection.
"Like me?" Hein guffawed, "It's some dumb-ass chicken. Don't think it's got much in the way of brains and such-and-such," he returned his sword to its scabbard and added: "Sort of like yerself."
"Heheheh, I'm not the one being scared by a chicken of all things, now, am I?", she'd laughed again clearly unphased by Hein's remarks.
"Ya can never be too careful when it comes to chickens," Hein said gravely, shaking his head. "Why do ya think I use 'em for target practice in the first place?"
"Huh, I always took it to be some weird ritual practice you cooked up in your head", it hadn't been the first time Seia had seen Hein's chicken rituals, just the first where she'd been asked to intervene.
"Ah sure," he retorted, "And ya forgot to mention the fact that when it comes to yer own training it shuts off all communication signals for miles 'round... how am I supposed to watch my soaps in a lightning storm?"
"That's just the Soul King tellin' you to get off your arse and get some exercise", she retorted, though there was a pang of regret in that remark for the woman who would never know the joy of television. The rooster clucked at her comfortingly.
"S' that so? And what makes ya think I'm lyin' 'round on my ass all day? I've got a terrible rough division to handle, ya know." he cleared his throat. "And as for the wake-up calls bein' issued, I'm real sure it ain't me they're tryin' to get up." he said with a pointed look in Seia's direction. "When's the last time ya exercised anyway? Exceptional figure ya've got there." his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Yeah, it is pretty exceptional, huh?", Seia replied dryly, knowing all too well that Hein was being sarcastic. "Anyway!", she began, driving away from their frivolous little back-and-forth. "Chicken here needs a name, ideas?"
Hein, who had been getting bored with everything and thus peevish, suddenly took interest in the new task, and his demeanor changed, becoming slightly less abrasive.
"Well," he began. "Ya could name him for that exotic lover in the soap I never get to watch." he suggested. "Think he's a Flamenco dancer, or somthing."
"Heh, alright, what's it called?", Seia asked.
Hein cast his gaze upwards and scratched his chin. He did not respond, and for a long time the only thing that could be heard was his metal-lined geta clacking noisily against the cobblestone street.
"That's a terrible real question ya got there..." he trailed off, unable to recall even the name of the show.
"Hey Otchan," Hein suddenly called out to Seireitou, who was walking some distance in front of them. "Know of any real place to watch some soaps 'round here?"
After his brief discussion with Rikuri and the subsequent acknowledgement of Hein and Seia, Seireitou had been moving at the head of the pack almost as though he had no clue where he was going. Almost as though he were walking around just for the sake of walking around. With a subtle turn of his head toward Hein, he merely expressed a rather plain expression. "Depends on the interests. Striking Cupid Handle is a pretty popular one... so I hear." the silver-haired man explained, gesturing toward a nearby bar. "They usually have one playing around this time of day."