Ad Esse Confido [R]

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

It was not uncommon for most Omnitsukido to be stationed at the Shihouin estate. Of course...she herself had yet to do so, having had most of her Training done personally by Enki who was not such a firm believer in.....organized training. But.....this was not why she was here now. She had received an order to make her way to the estate. By request of the Seventh Division Captain. A fact that somehow weedled it's way into her mind and for once in such a long time....sowed seeds of fear.

She made her way into the estate, down halls that would seem empty, even with her in them. It was common practice not to be.....out in the open. And in an estate where nobles often met, her squad was to remain.....unobstructive. And so she slipped through those hallways, unseen and unheard save by those who also delved into her craft. Which naturally Kimiko was not. So...largely without their knowledge most likely, Shizuyoko simply appeared in the room she had been summoned to, in uniform of course, black covering her from head to toe. The only indication of who she was being those rather unique eyes of hers.

A bow of her head, as she waited to be addressed. As she was trained: she did not speak until spoken to.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko sat in her room for the time being with reports on the small table in front of her. She had sent for Shizu some time ago and knew that the young girl would be arriving shortly. It was one of those days when Kimiko had decided to simply rest at the estate of her family. Away from the constant need to overlook every detail that her division required. It wasn't so much the actual job as it was boring to train all of them when they were all around the same level of skill.

Kimiko had been feeling bored and wished to speak with someone. However, if it was family there would without a doubt be nothing aside from lectures. She couldn't seem to find Kisala more than likely due to her being at the barracks of the second division. Kimiko could have gone there to find out however such a thing would have been against why she was home to begin with. So she had sent for a interesting young girl that had potential and needed someone to guide her.

The reiatsu of the girl presented itself as she moved throughout the hallways and Kimiko smiled at the fact she was trying to approach without anyone knowing. It seemed that the Onmitsukido was better suited for her than it had been for Kimiko. She was in the room after another minute and as she bowed Kimiko motioned her hand in front of her to the other side of the table that was now clear of papers. "Come sit Shizu."

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

When at last she spotted the woman, she closed her eyes, nodding her head silently, as she was in full uniform, mask up and cap on. Her hair completely hidden beneath that dark cap, whilst a cloth mask formed over her lower face, obscuring every inch of herself aside from a narrow band that showed those eyes of hers. It was........safety. The ventilated cloth. The obstruction. She wore it every day for training, and somehow she felt....safer in it. Less exposed. Less vulnerable.

And yet before kimiko there was even greater issue. Before she might have taken the time to admire the woman. Her Strength. Her Composure. Her Beauty. But....she was the Captain of Squad Seven. And a Liability to her....continued existence as a shinigami. She had a dark reiatsu, and for all intents and purposes, practically an illegal being with her hollow essence. The only thing she felt before the woman was fear. Fear for arrest. Fear for execution. Fear for exile.

She remained silent. What was there to say? She would not incriminate herself, nor provoke a noble by speaking out of turn. It was a practice she retained from her training. Speak when spoken to. And never let her reiatsu be felt. Ever.... It didn't matter that Kimiko knew. And Shizu HOPED that she had told nobody. Of course....that was no quarentee. As far as she knew the entire Shihouin clan had been made aware of her condition. But as precaution, she hit it anyway,  as she always did. Lest she cause a panic by making the other shinigami believe that a hollow presence was attacking.

And so....she waited, for Kimiko to speak first. Her hands held tightly in her lap, and her tails wrapped stealthily around her legs as they always were. Her eyes set straight ahead as she simply waited, not a limb would tremble or move as she played statue, fearing that doing anything else would invite the tears that lie jus beneath the surface. She didn't want to die. But more and more, it seemed that was becomming entirely more and more possible.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Sitting there on the other side of the table was now Shizu. Kimiko could see in her eyes that the girl was serious and it seemed that Okami's teachings or rather the teachings of the Onmitsukido were in full effect on her. The memory of how Kimiko herself had to rely on those teachings was fresh to this day. Unable to bring herself to kill anything other than a hollow was the norm at one point. By expelling her sense of honor and moral code she drove herself into what it meant to be an assassin.

That had been the only way to keep herself quiet and calm during harsh battles when she had only started out being a Shinigami. Now she could do such things without forfeiting her own personality. It was a shame though that Shizu seemed to believe such a thing was needed right now though. Kimiko couldn't really blame her since she was obviously worried due to her reiatsu and the fact that Kimiko knew about it.

She still didn't seem to understand that Kimiko whether she be the Captain of the division in charge of justice and the law or not she wasn't going to turn her in for simply being different. Kimiko herself was different and someone that had always been told no matter what no. She had already gone against what most Captains would accept and most Shinigami would believe to be wise or even lawful. All for the sake that people are what they choose to be not what they're born as.

"You know Shizu there is no reason to be so tense. Whether or not you believe me no harm will come to you while I'm here. Like I told you before I'm interested in you and would like to know the real you not what you believe should be shown in the face of a Captain or a noble. Treat me as a person. . . just like I do for you." Kimiko smiled across the small table. She was wondering when the meal was actually going to arrive, but speaking to Shizu first was more important.

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizu was.....surprised. That's right....Kimiko had actually told her some time ago about this. IT was.....an odd sentiment. And she actually smiled behind that cloth mask. A mere captain.....and the title of nobility that shinigami seemed so intent on. No......none of that was in her fear. She was hardly afraid of such things. She never had been. In all those ages where she had consumed those old shinigami daughters, or had fought beside the traitor-quincy's right hand, not once had she ever supposed she had feared a shinigami simply because it was a captain. They were.....weak. Not in soul or body. But simply in spirit.

Looking up at Kimiko, there was such youth in the woman. She had been so concerned with her own well-being that she had actually forgotten that the woman was so much younger than  her. All of them were.... And in truth, she found it....endearing. Children did so often find ways to cheer her up......they always had. Sure, Kimiko was no child, but....somehow she always could see the good in others, and looking at Kimiko, she could practically see that shining young face. Before the burdens of captaincy had befallen her.

Slowly, Shozuyoko reached up, gently pulling her mask down for a moment. How foolish she'd been..... worrying and acting so shamefully over something so simple as her own mortality. Smiling down at Daihachi-bi......she was.....amused. As if death would free her from them. "I mean no disrespect Kimiko. But....not once did I ever see you as a Captain. I've....never seen 'Captain' as anything to see. You, nor any other Captain, are especially different. Strong perhaps. Brave. But you are still shinigami. Even those born with abnormal and extraordinary powers...." She thought back to susanoo. Who for all his might, had never truly defeated her. She smiled.
" Have never truly been able to separate themselves from who they are. And you young lady." that smile softened further as she looked at Kimiko, for a moment forgetting herself, how she looked, and simply chuckled. "Are someone I certainly would hate to lose to the Title of 'Captaincy'. You're more than that. You're Kimiko Shihouin." She nodded, leaning to the side for a moment before she realized.

"You....did call me for a reason. I apologize. Did you have something you wished to ask of me? I understand that what happened must have been confusing to you. And it is..... a complicated situation. I doubt that even in your wildest dreams would you be able to even imagine.... And even so... I cannot guarentee that I will be able to answer your questions to the extent that you'd like." She murmured softly, honestly. True, there were.....elements she could share. But she had only met Kimiko. The young were always so quick to trust, to believe that simply because someone like Kimiko had abstained from damning her, that that made them trustworthy, or even a friend.

She would confess, that Kimiko was indeed far more trustworthy than most her age. But.......she was not of kindred soul. Certain things......she simply could not share with a mere shinigami. And deep down, she hoped Kimiko would be able to accept that. As a noble, she did hope that the woman had more....integrity than that. But she supposed if Kimiko could not accept this, then that would simply mean that......circumstances would need to become very complicated.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Shizu seemed to be listening and taking everything that Kimiko had just said to her into consideration for a few moments later she seemed to hesitate at first and then go for it. Moving her hand up to her face and pulling down the black cloth that concealed her mouth. Kimiko knew how hard it could be to go against what someone teaches you so the fact that she was even trying was a good sign. However, when Shizu started to speak Kimiko wasn't sure what to say to her. She couldn't really tell if the girl was lying or not due to some of what she said.

When she was finished with her first part though Kimiko was somewhat disappointed. It wasn't nearly as much as she would have been had it not been for the last part, but it seemed that Shizu still had much to learn even if she believed herself or she was in fact much older than Kimiko like she seemed to state just now. Whether or not that was true didn't really matter. Shizu still seemed to be looking at things based on the first layer and not was below something only the young make a hobby.

That was when she continued to speak though and seemed to address the fact that Kimiko was more than likely wishing to speak with her about what had gone on when she had awoke her shikai. Kimiko and Tsukuyomi both had been present and it was no secret to either of them that she had the reiatsu of what seemed to be a hollow. So it was only logical to believe her to be a vizard. The question was though why hadn't Kimiko acted on this as the Captain of Justice.

"Well whether either of us wish to discuss what happened doesn't really matter. I have an idea of what you were prior to this life you have now. I could be wrong and really I don't much care. The only thing I need to know is if you're an ally or a threat." Kimiko spoke for a moment with intense pressure her gaze that of a predator looking down at its prey. "You're not the only one and you're far from the last that I have met. As I stated that day Tsukuyomi is similar to you. Perhaps that's why you don't feel you can open up . . you haven't learned how to truly trust another for fear of what might happen if you do."

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizuyoko had to admit that the woman was very direct. Perhaps much to her own dissappointment. Then again, she hardly expected the woman to be as... casual and carefree as she had been before. For a moment she considered the woman's words. The fact that they had their own ideas of age and the like. But then again Shizuyoko wasn't entirely sure that mattered. For all of her great age, when she had been stripped of her powers, made a human. She had acted like a teenager. She'd lived a similar lifestyle. And indeed she couldn't help but smile softly to herself as she remembered what that was like.

But that smile soon vanished. Professionally, this was a very serious cvonversation, and as she lowered her head, letting those bright green eyes glow behind the shadow of her bangs, she contemplated her response. What WAS she to the sereitei? It was a complicated answer and admittedly never one she had had to answer. Never did really Las Noches expect loyalty to any that did not go to her. It was not really a conquering establishment. And honestly it would have been too time-consuming to attempt to do so. She had been on her own, and for once in her life she was expected to belong.

"I am whatever soul society allows me to be. If given my druthers... I'druther be a member of the omnitsukido. Loyal, ambitious... and willing to give my life for the ideals of my squad. But I also understand that Soul Society, en large, does not always accept individuals like me. And that if I am asked to turn myself in to .....whatever you do to my kind... I will not...." She closed her eyes slowly, collecting herself as that rage built up a little, rage at the very idea of shinigami using her either as an example, some..... little show execution to try and make people think they were making a difference. Or worse: their guinnea pig.


"I just want to be treated like any other soul reaper. I..... I wish I could just.... not give off this .... 'smell' of reiatsu. That I could just seem like a normal shinigami. The only reason you are even asking these questions is because of it..." And there was a hint of resentment in there. She didn't hide it. In some...small... little way... she resented that Kimiko would think that simply because of what she was, there was a question as to her loyalty. She had been accepted, and trained, within the omnitsukido. She had been an exemplary student in her academy class. She knew of course that she had reason. She had every right to be suspicious with how.......two-faced, some arrancar were. But understanding didn't mean that it did not hurt.
It didn't mean that she didn't start doubting that Kimiko would ever be actually able to have any sort of real relationship. Because in the back of her mind, she culdn't help but wonder if Kimiko was just waiting for an excuse to 'execute the traitor'.
She kept it to herself. And well... It was easy. Daihachibi gladly drank in that dark thought, leaving her, as well as that powerful light aura, as deceptively calm as ever.

"So.... what happens now?"