[the seireitei]

[yanagiissui]

It's been hectic lately. Issui's glad it's time for lunch and that Shinobu's back from her assignment. It's a relief to get out of her squad even for a little while. Issui shuffles along towards the Eleventh Division and hopes no one between there and here remembers she's in 13. She's going to be answering enough questions over lunch without stopping to please gossipmongers on the way.

Even with the distance between the two divisions, Issui travels this path often enough that it doesn't take her long. She doesn't even get much of a response from the men out in the training yard, which she has to walk around to get to the offices. Hopefully Shinobu is actually done enough with her post-mission paperwork load to leave. Maybe she should have brought takeout instead. Hmm.

On her way in, she passes... what was his name? One of the tenth seats, she thinks. He stammers a greeting at her and she nods. He's always struck her as a little weird. She knocks on the door, but enters without waiting. Issui shuffles to Shinobu's desk and bows deeply. Almost too deeply, actually. Don't overbalance and fall, Yanagi. That's ridiculous. "Good afternoon, Akiyama," she says gravely. "I hope you're well today."

Comments

[abarairenji]

Renji arches a brow, regarding both women curiously. Are they up to something? He can't quite tell. Akiyama is... Akiyama; he didn't get to know her very well before he left 11, but he learned enough to be suspect. Yanagi he knows less of, but she is Akiyama's friend. And apparently flustered at the sight of a Lieutenant. "...Thank you," He manages, after a moment.

After a couple seconds later, something dawns on Renji. "Yanagi, I've heard Captain Ukitake has been, uh..." He trails off, awkwardly. "Sick again. Has any news gotten through? I don't even know if his 3rd seats delivered my reports or not."

[yanagiissui]

Issui straightens slightly. "No sir, we haven't heard anything." She makes a small sound somewhere between a scoff and a sigh. "I suspect they thought it was too much for Captain Ukitake to hear during one of his episodes, and that it would be rude to tell the rest of us anything before the captain." She shifts a little and her shoulder pops. Oh good. That's not weird at all.

"All we've been hearing are the same rumors everyone else has," she adds after a moment. "If there's anything you can tell me, sir, I'll make sure the rest of the squad actually hears it." She really doesn't like the third seats. This latest failure to do their actual jobs is just more annoying than usual.

[abarairenji]

Renji glances briefly to Akiyama, who merely shrugs in response. As if she'd know any better. He frowns slightly, sighing, "I should have figured."

He barely notices the shoulder popping, really; he's already headed back towards distracted woolgathering while he tries to figure out the most coherent way to say what he means to say. It's difficult. "Rukia's being detained in the Squad 6 barracks until further notice. As of now, Captain Kuchiki's reporting to the Central 46 in regards to her sentencing. I don't know what it is they're planning on handing down, but execution has been mentioned." He furrows his brows, frowning in a very lopsided way. "Seems mostly like that's putting on a big show about it, making noise about that. Execution? For her crimes? Ridiculous."

Akiyama just snorts loudly. Charming.

[yanagiissui]

Issui tilts her head, listening intently. "From what I've heard, I agree," she says after a moment. "Execution would be excessive for anyone, but a noble?" She scoffs. "I can't imagine them deciding to execute a Kuchiki." Especially not when her brother's in there reporting to them. Even taking his notorious aloofness into account, nobles are all about family. Can't marry Rukia off to another family some day if she's dead, after all.

As she files this new information away to consider and relay later, Issui realizes... she's been staring. Well. She's been making proper eye contact while Renji talked, but now she's staring. Um. At least she was looking at his face and not anywhere else? She feels her face heat again.

[abarairenji]

"All the same, Captain Ukitake needs to know about this. Delicate health or not." Renji does feel ever so slightly bad about that, for the briefest of moments. Ukitake's been at this a long time though. He'll deal with it. "Having her Captain informed and involved would probably help."

Yanagi's slowly turning colors again. Renji shifts awkwardly. Even off-duty, he's still a lieutenant, he supposes. Even if now is not one of the times he'd like to make people uncomfortable with that particular rank.

"Is it true they actually sent you and Captain Kuchiki to apprehend her?" Akiyama pipes up after a very long moment, and Renji's honestly glad for it. He guesses Yanagi will likely be, too.

Renji finds himself struggling not to shrug. "Yeah. Who else would they have sent?"

[yanagiissui]

"Yes, sir. I agree. I'll make sure he does." Even if she has to awkwardly barge in on the Captain's resting. The third seats certainly do that often enough.

Shinobu's question surprises her. She actually hadn't heard about even that. "Wow," she mutters, glancing over at Shinobu, "you really are more informed than my squad." She may have to hurt Kotetsu and Kotsubaki.

She squints at her friend. Stop looking smug. Issui already knows she's going to be getting shit for this forever.

[akiyamashinobu]

Shinobu shrugs at both Issui and Abarai. "What? It's about the only thing 11th Squad heard right." Unsurprisingly, really. That a Captain and his Lieutenant went out in the human world is something the people in Squad 11 would most definitely want to know. The details after that, though... Well, pies.

Shinobu's briefly distracted from her growing smugness by Lieutenant Abarai suddenly glancing at them both rather quizzically. "Where were you two going?"

[yanagiissui]

Issui turns back to Renji. "Oh. We were on our way to lunch, sir." Why is he asking...? Oh wait. Of course. "But maybe I should head back to my squad immediately to let everyone know what's going on." Since the third seats aren't planning on filling anyone in.

She probably won't be able to make it there and back before Shinobu's lunch break is over, but that's okay. They can reschedule. Issui turns to her to say as much. Wait. "What?" Shinobu is giving her a look, and she's not sure why.

[akiyamashinobu]

Where the hell does she think she's going? Shinobu squints at Issui, though she refrains from outright blurting that out. "I'm sure it can wait a little bit longer. What do you think, Lieutenant?"

Abarai glances between the two of them for a brief moment before scratching the back of his neck. "I, uh... I suppose so."

It's right about then an idea hits her. Issui can get mad at her about it and/or thank her later, for now, she just barrels on ahead with it. "Were you also going to lunch? You could join us."

There's a brief, awkward pause, and Shinobu almost feels a little bad - almost - until Abarai finally answers. "I was. If I'm not interrupting anything... sure."

He sounds a little dubious, and looks even moreso. Shinobu grins and waves that off. "No, no, it's fine." He pauses briefly, flicking her gaze over to Issui. "Right?"

[yanagiissui]

Issui almost goes on ahead anyway-- it is important information-- but then Shinobu goes and invites Renji to lunch. Well. She manages not to squint or glare at her friend this time, but it's tough. And a good thing, because Renji... actually accepts?

She blinks. "Of course," she says before she has a chance to get tangled up in her own awkwardness. "The more the merrier, right?" Don't overdo it, Yanagi. ...She's pretty sure people do actually say that in real life, though. Pretty sure.

[abarairenji]

Renji is still suspicious that these two are possibly, maybe up to something, and that is mostly Akiyama's fault. How very pleased she seems about this doesn't dispel this hunch of his any. At least going to lunch means he can keep an eye on both of them. ...And also, getting lunch, because he is kinda hungry. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

He's not sure how to answer Yanagi, though. "Suppose so," He shrugs, glancing between her and Akiyama - who still looks like she's trying something, there. "Alright, lead the way. Before Ikkaku or someone else hounds me for gossip."