Captain Shunsui Kyōraku (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sake_shinigami) wrote2019-11-19 10:32 am
sake_shinigami) wrote2019-11-19 10:32 am
Seireitei, Soul Society; Tuesday [11/19 FT].
So it would seem that the quaint little island that Shunsui was so fond of was hitting him much harder this time around. Funny how actually having a siginficant amount of new backstory this time around that could work. He figured, on Monday morning, the kids probably had it the easiest. Most of them could probably remember being those ages not too long ago. The adults living in the town, maybe a little more jarring...a decade's difference, two, three, four, five...
He was fairly sure he was one of the few who had more than two thousand years to reconcile with this one. And if that wasn't something to make you really feel your age, then there probably wasn't much else that would. So, after some consideration and at least one whole jug of sake to help that consideration along, he decided to head somewhere where most people he knew were at least a hundred years old, and where he could find the one person he could think of that would understand.
And he was right: drinking sake and reminiscing with Jūshirō over his brother's grave on the family estate was just the right balm for this ancient Soul. But most of what they talked about involved haori and hairpins, and little four-eyed lieutenants.
Is she doing okay, though? Really, Jūshirō?
She is. She's very strong, even if she doesn't realize it yet herself. But you already knew that.
Don't tell her I'm here, though. I want it to be a surprise.
Nanao hates surprises, Shunsui.
Yes. I know ♥.
And then Jūshirō would take a sip of sake just a little bit too big and start coughing, as Shunsui gently patted his back to help him out, and he tried to slip his handkercheif back into his robes after the fit was over, as if Shunsui wouldn't see, as if Shunsui wouldn't already know, of the blood that had been coughed into it.
That was how he spent yesterday, building up for today, for the real reason he returned, thanks to the sharp reminder of the woman who allowed that boy he'd been all weekend to become such a thing of the past in Shunsui's long, long memory, and he headed toward the dormitory of the Eight Division.
The Eighth Division was made up of three naturally occurring factions: Shunsui's squadron of dedicated fangirls who were clever enough to beat the vetting system designed to keep them strictly out of the Eighth Division, Nanao's cadre of far-too-serious young women whose disdain for their captain was bested only by their love for their lieutenant and the most powerful eyerolls in all of Soul Society, and the small handful of men that Yamamoto kept slipping in to foist Shunsui's dreams of having the only All-Female Division in the Gotei 13. It was absolutely the first of these factions that filled the room with excited squeals and a rushing flurry of black robes toward the door as Shunsui fluttered in.
"Captain!" "Captain's back!" "But Ise-san said not to expect him so soon!" "~Oh, Shunsui-sama ♥!!"
"Ara ara ♥ ♥ ♥!" Shunsui couldn't help but laughing, as he deftly ignored all the daggers being glared at him from behind the shield of adoration. "Clearly, I need to come back more often, with a reception like this ♥! But I hate to be the bearer of bad news, ducklings, but I'm here strictly for business with your lieutenant."
"You? Knowing about business with the lieutenant before I do?" He could hear the quirk of Nanao's brow without even looking her way. "That's a first."
"~Nanao-chan~ ♥!~" Shunsui gushed, before moving through his lovely officers to approach her, meeting that surprised expression (masked so well, too, with a glower of anger) with a bright smile. "Wonderful ♥! I was hoping you'd be in."
"Of course I am," Nanao huffed slightly, pushing her glasses up her nose a moment before her arms folded in front of her. "I'm practically running this whole Division by myself these days, if you haven't heard."
"Oh, come now, Nanao-chan ♥," Shunsui tilted a smile at her. "I know that's not true, you've got all these lovely officers here to help you. You have been helping your lieutenant, haven't you, ducklings ♥?"
A general twittering of agreement and assurances followed, while something very quiet passed from Shunsui to Nanao when he caught her eyes, and her shoulders relaxed a little, though her irritation still clung to her like a wet robe.
"That's what I thought ♥," he said. "But, come, Nanao-chan ♥." He swept past her, through the door into their office. "Let's have a bit of privacy; I believe we're a little overdue for a meeting, neh ♥?"
And as soon as the door closed behind them, Nanao's irriation morphed into something a bit closer to fussing panic. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me? Is everything okay? Did something happen?"
And, knowing that would happen as soon as the door was closed behind them, Shunsui chuckled, lifting his hands and shushing Nanao in an effort to placate her concern. "Ara ara, Nanao-chan ♥," he insisted lightly, "everything is fine, you worry too much! I told you before, I wasn't going to neglect my duties here in the Soul Society while I was gone, didn't I? I just had some time and figured I'd check in, see if there was any work that needed doing, or that you needed help with, so that you don't get too overwhelmed, my dear ♥."
From irritation to worry to suspicion. "You expect me to believe that you, of all people, went out of your way to come see if I needed help...with work?"
Hearing her put it like that, Shunsui had to wince a little and had to wrinkle his nose a little through his probably not very convincing smile. "...yes ♥?"
Nanao narrowed her eyes for a moment, reading him very carefully, very closely, and then took in a deep breath. Before launching into a very detailed, very complicated, very lengthly speech about all the things that have been piling up in his absence, various tasks that needed his approval, the mountain of paperwork she'd been diligently trying to scale, so on and so forth, each additional word seeming to land on Shunsui's shoulders like a weight of regret, as he reminded himself that, no, no, this was important, he needed to do this, he was the one who was supposed to be taking care of and looking after Nanao-chan, not the other way around.
"So, obviously," Nanao eventually concluded, "the sooner you get started...the better."
And now Shunsui was looking at the mountain of paperwork (really, quite literally, and he was tempted to ask how much of it was paperwork that Nanao herself had just made up) with a certain sense of dread and had a bit of a...plan in strategy. "Yes, yes, Nanao-chan, of course ♥," he mewled. "Right away Although....perhaps...well, before I truly get started, I should actually make a teeny, tiny quick stop to see Unohana-san about an injur--"
"An injury!" That delicate mix of fury and concern that only Nanao Ise could pull off so well was back and in full force. "Captain! What happened?"
"Ahhhhhh," Shunsui chuckled lightly, trying to wave it off with his hand, "nothing much, Nanao-chan ♥, just a wound sustained when traini--"
"Training?!?" It was impressive, really, how such a mighty incredulousness could come from such a small person. "You? First you come in here, looking to work, and now you say you've been training?" A single finger went out accusingly, as sharp as if it were an actual blade. "Who are you, and what have you done with Shunsui Kyōraku?"
Before Shunsui could even try to make an appeal in response, Nanao had somehow managed to reach up and grab his ear and pull his down, yanking him along as she headed through door, despite his instant complaints over the pain. "Good thing you were planning on going to see Unohana-san, anyway, because we are marching straight down to Fourth Division and having her examine your Reiryoku to confirm that you are exactly who you say you are, because the last thing we need right now is some sort of....doppleganger situation, with people masquerading around, pretending to be Shinigami! Although you'd think you could at least have done a better job with your research, because you're not fooling anyone!"
"Nanao-chan! Nanao-chan, please! It's me, I promise, yo---ahhwww! Nanao-chaaaaaan~~ that's hurrrts, ow ow ow, Nanao-chan, mercy! Mercy, Nanao-chan, lovely, lovely Nanao-cha----"
A little pain in his ear and a slightly injured ego from being dragged by it across the barracks in front o fhis entire division was a small price to pay, though, for the absolutely indisputable evidence that Nanao-chan certainly did have things handled here, and there was a deep comfort in that fact. So he'd gladly take whatever else Nanao-chan and quite possibly Unohana-san had in store for him.
Well, perhaps not that gladly, but...he wouldn't complain about it too much, at least.
[[ 1. With nothing to do but rub two brain cells together last night at work, I finally took the deep dive into deciding Shunsui's actual age and managed to find the path of least contradiction which, delightfully, means OLD AS HELL, and then came up with all this nonsense.
2. Have I mentioned how many new shinies I have for this boyo since his last run?!?
3. Can you get cell phone reception in the Soul Society? IDK, why not? NFB for distance, obviously, but open if anyone wants to try to get in touch. Unless you're Apu, because Shunsui blocked that number. Or, heck, if you've got a reason to be there, why not? Just enjoy the army of Shinigami at your back on high alert the moment you arrive... ]]
He was fairly sure he was one of the few who had more than two thousand years to reconcile with this one. And if that wasn't something to make you really feel your age, then there probably wasn't much else that would. So, after some consideration and at least one whole jug of sake to help that consideration along, he decided to head somewhere where most people he knew were at least a hundred years old, and where he could find the one person he could think of that would understand.
And he was right: drinking sake and reminiscing with Jūshirō over his brother's grave on the family estate was just the right balm for this ancient Soul. But most of what they talked about involved haori and hairpins, and little four-eyed lieutenants.
Is she doing okay, though? Really, Jūshirō?
She is. She's very strong, even if she doesn't realize it yet herself. But you already knew that.
Don't tell her I'm here, though. I want it to be a surprise.
Nanao hates surprises, Shunsui.
Yes. I know ♥.
And then Jūshirō would take a sip of sake just a little bit too big and start coughing, as Shunsui gently patted his back to help him out, and he tried to slip his handkercheif back into his robes after the fit was over, as if Shunsui wouldn't see, as if Shunsui wouldn't already know, of the blood that had been coughed into it.
That was how he spent yesterday, building up for today, for the real reason he returned, thanks to the sharp reminder of the woman who allowed that boy he'd been all weekend to become such a thing of the past in Shunsui's long, long memory, and he headed toward the dormitory of the Eight Division.
The Eighth Division was made up of three naturally occurring factions: Shunsui's squadron of dedicated fangirls who were clever enough to beat the vetting system designed to keep them strictly out of the Eighth Division, Nanao's cadre of far-too-serious young women whose disdain for their captain was bested only by their love for their lieutenant and the most powerful eyerolls in all of Soul Society, and the small handful of men that Yamamoto kept slipping in to foist Shunsui's dreams of having the only All-Female Division in the Gotei 13. It was absolutely the first of these factions that filled the room with excited squeals and a rushing flurry of black robes toward the door as Shunsui fluttered in.
"Captain!" "Captain's back!" "But Ise-san said not to expect him so soon!" "~Oh, Shunsui-sama ♥!!"
"Ara ara ♥ ♥ ♥!" Shunsui couldn't help but laughing, as he deftly ignored all the daggers being glared at him from behind the shield of adoration. "Clearly, I need to come back more often, with a reception like this ♥! But I hate to be the bearer of bad news, ducklings, but I'm here strictly for business with your lieutenant."
"You? Knowing about business with the lieutenant before I do?" He could hear the quirk of Nanao's brow without even looking her way. "That's a first."
"~Nanao-chan~ ♥!~" Shunsui gushed, before moving through his lovely officers to approach her, meeting that surprised expression (masked so well, too, with a glower of anger) with a bright smile. "Wonderful ♥! I was hoping you'd be in."
"Of course I am," Nanao huffed slightly, pushing her glasses up her nose a moment before her arms folded in front of her. "I'm practically running this whole Division by myself these days, if you haven't heard."
"Oh, come now, Nanao-chan ♥," Shunsui tilted a smile at her. "I know that's not true, you've got all these lovely officers here to help you. You have been helping your lieutenant, haven't you, ducklings ♥?"
A general twittering of agreement and assurances followed, while something very quiet passed from Shunsui to Nanao when he caught her eyes, and her shoulders relaxed a little, though her irritation still clung to her like a wet robe.
"That's what I thought ♥," he said. "But, come, Nanao-chan ♥." He swept past her, through the door into their office. "Let's have a bit of privacy; I believe we're a little overdue for a meeting, neh ♥?"
And as soon as the door closed behind them, Nanao's irriation morphed into something a bit closer to fussing panic. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me? Is everything okay? Did something happen?"
And, knowing that would happen as soon as the door was closed behind them, Shunsui chuckled, lifting his hands and shushing Nanao in an effort to placate her concern. "Ara ara, Nanao-chan ♥," he insisted lightly, "everything is fine, you worry too much! I told you before, I wasn't going to neglect my duties here in the Soul Society while I was gone, didn't I? I just had some time and figured I'd check in, see if there was any work that needed doing, or that you needed help with, so that you don't get too overwhelmed, my dear ♥."
From irritation to worry to suspicion. "You expect me to believe that you, of all people, went out of your way to come see if I needed help...with work?"
Hearing her put it like that, Shunsui had to wince a little and had to wrinkle his nose a little through his probably not very convincing smile. "...yes ♥?"
Nanao narrowed her eyes for a moment, reading him very carefully, very closely, and then took in a deep breath. Before launching into a very detailed, very complicated, very lengthly speech about all the things that have been piling up in his absence, various tasks that needed his approval, the mountain of paperwork she'd been diligently trying to scale, so on and so forth, each additional word seeming to land on Shunsui's shoulders like a weight of regret, as he reminded himself that, no, no, this was important, he needed to do this, he was the one who was supposed to be taking care of and looking after Nanao-chan, not the other way around.
"So, obviously," Nanao eventually concluded, "the sooner you get started...the better."
And now Shunsui was looking at the mountain of paperwork (really, quite literally, and he was tempted to ask how much of it was paperwork that Nanao herself had just made up) with a certain sense of dread and had a bit of a...plan in strategy. "Yes, yes, Nanao-chan, of course ♥," he mewled. "Right away Although....perhaps...well, before I truly get started, I should actually make a teeny, tiny quick stop to see Unohana-san about an injur--"
"An injury!" That delicate mix of fury and concern that only Nanao Ise could pull off so well was back and in full force. "Captain! What happened?"
"Ahhhhhh," Shunsui chuckled lightly, trying to wave it off with his hand, "nothing much, Nanao-chan ♥, just a wound sustained when traini--"
"Training?!?" It was impressive, really, how such a mighty incredulousness could come from such a small person. "You? First you come in here, looking to work, and now you say you've been training?" A single finger went out accusingly, as sharp as if it were an actual blade. "Who are you, and what have you done with Shunsui Kyōraku?"
Before Shunsui could even try to make an appeal in response, Nanao had somehow managed to reach up and grab his ear and pull his down, yanking him along as she headed through door, despite his instant complaints over the pain. "Good thing you were planning on going to see Unohana-san, anyway, because we are marching straight down to Fourth Division and having her examine your Reiryoku to confirm that you are exactly who you say you are, because the last thing we need right now is some sort of....doppleganger situation, with people masquerading around, pretending to be Shinigami! Although you'd think you could at least have done a better job with your research, because you're not fooling anyone!"
"Nanao-chan! Nanao-chan, please! It's me, I promise, yo---ahhwww! Nanao-chaaaaaan~~ that's hurrrts, ow ow ow, Nanao-chan, mercy! Mercy, Nanao-chan, lovely, lovely Nanao-cha----"
A little pain in his ear and a slightly injured ego from being dragged by it across the barracks in front o fhis entire division was a small price to pay, though, for the absolutely indisputable evidence that Nanao-chan certainly did have things handled here, and there was a deep comfort in that fact. So he'd gladly take whatever else Nanao-chan and quite possibly Unohana-san had in store for him.
Well, perhaps not that gladly, but...he wouldn't complain about it too much, at least.
[[ 1. With nothing to do but rub two brain cells together last night at work, I finally took the deep dive into deciding Shunsui's actual age and managed to find the path of least contradiction which, delightfully, means OLD AS HELL, and then came up with all this nonsense.
2. Have I mentioned how many new shinies I have for this boyo since his last run?!?
3. Can you get cell phone reception in the Soul Society? IDK, why not? NFB for distance, obviously, but open if anyone wants to try to get in touch. Unless you're Apu, because Shunsui blocked that number. Or, heck, if you've got a reason to be there, why not? Just enjoy the army of Shinigami at your back on high alert the moment you arrive... ]]