Summertime Combo [Shizuka]

[Kaen Youji]

It had been way, way too long since Kaen was in the Human World. Shit, when was the last time he’d been here? Must have been….. Oh right, when Rin had pulled him here for that training with the Bount Luke, as an honorary Squad 7 member! Right! That had been a good day! Man though, that made it almost a LONG time since Kaen had set foot in this world. He needed to catch up! Soul Society had its niceties, but it was also pretty stagnant. The Human World? You were away for six months and everyone was now talking about this new style called Gangnam, and six months after that, you just got weird looks when you brought it up. Man, human culture moved along so fast! So Kaen needed to reacquaint himself with it.

And speaking of change….. Kaen’s eyes traveled to the building that loomed over the area. XCution’s “official” Headquarters. Whether this was actually the HQ, or just their public face, Kaen didn’t know. Wasn’t normally his job. Normally it was Squad 3 or 2’s job to scout out information about factions opposing the Seireitei. That said, it wasn’t like Kaen was forbidden from seeking out information with the appropriate approval. Apparently XCution had a new CEO and with new management often came changes in the organizational level. Kaen could easily have justified his being here with scoping the place out, and getting a feel for the new XCution. Asking questions, maybe even baiting out one of their members to see what he could get out of them. Solid enough reasons. Kaen was even dressed for the occasion, in a relatively non-descript outfit consisting of a dark gray hoodie and some jeans with a pair of running shoes. Nothing flashy or special that might make him stand out. Buuuut….

Those reasons weren’t why Kaen was here. The reason that Kaen was anywhere near the XCution building came right down to the three, nondescript brown bags in his arms. The Shinigami found a bench, and took a seat down, setting up the bags next to him and opening the first one. A pair of golden arches in the shape of an “M” was on this bag and he procured from it…. A hamburger. Yep. Kaen had come here under the guise of scoping out XCution to his superiors (Okay, to his Captain, and realistically after that it was just the Captain Commander)…. To partake in food from the Human World. Kaen was getting goddamn tired of the same old fare in the Seireitei, and he kept hearing from all his recruits fresh from the land of the living about how good all of their foods were. So Kaen was going to try this so-called “hamburger”. Two hundred years and he’d never had one before. Apparently he was missing out.

In addition to his hamburger, Kaen dug through one of the other bags for some of the other foods he’d picked up on the way, procuring a couple of small brown fruits that he was told were called “kiwi’s”. He understood that once you peeled them, they were actually extremely sweet and delicious. Well. First time for everything right? Before Kaen could start eating though, something caught his ears. A high pitched whine coming from somewhere behind him. The Shinigami turned his head to see a bundle of fur and fluff sitting just behind the bench, staring at him. Or more specifically, staring at the food in his hands. It was a dog, and a fairly young one at that, just out of puppyhood. Judging by the lack of collar, and a fair bit of dirt, it seemed like it was a stray. At Kaen’s best guess it looked like it had some golden retriever in it, but wasn’t sure what other breeds were there.

”Hey little guy. What’s up?” Kaen asked the pup. Perhaps emboldened by the Shinigami’s words, the dog slowly paced towards Kaen, staring directly at his food, and whined again. ”Are you hungry?” It whined and then sat beside the bench staring up at him. Kaen stared into the fluffy good boy’s eyes. I was planning on eating all this myself… but he’s so cute…. And the Empress would never forgive me for letting a dog go hungry.” Kaen gave a small smile. ”Alright, alright then…” He put the burger back. ”Sorry but this has stuff that’s not good for dogs. These should be okay though.” He told the pup as he pulled out some chicken nuggets. He peeled off the batter from one and as he did, he could see the animal get visibly excited, before he finally reached down and tossed the dog one of the nuggets which it scarfed up gratefully and eagerly. ”Good boy!” Kaen said, peeling off another one and handing it to the dog again.

He continued on in this way for several minutes, seemingly oblivious to any danger that could result from being a Shinigami less than three blocks away from the HQ of Xcution. No time for that, there was a cute dog to feed and to give pets to! It wasn’t even as though he was hiding his reiatsu or anything. Most likely anyone with a decent ability to sense reiatsu would probably pick up on his location easily enough…

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

A yawn escaped the CEO's mouth as she overlooked her office, taking note of the bloodstains on the rug in front of her desk that she had never gotten professionally removed. They reminded her of the fateful day she lost her own leader, someone she admired greatly, and assumed control over her organization. She mindlessly played with a pen by rolling it around on the dark oak wood, enjoying the sound the metal made against the treatment. After a deep breath in, the sigh had a small amount of power behind it and the air moved the pen around for her.

Shizuka was tired. She wanted something exciting to happen to her now that she was CEO, but the last bit of excitement she had was meeting Col. She enjoyed him and truly believed he would bring so much to her team as he began lending his strength more thoroughly. She made a mental note to speak with him more officially as soon as possible, hoping he'd forgive her tardiness. Until then, she sat, ignoring the pile of paperwork before her. She loathed paperwork. She had to submit false tax documents and she was the only one who knew how to do it. Another mental note was made to find someone who could handle these tasks instead.

The Fullbringer pushed her desk chair out slightly, leaned forward with her arms stretched out over her desk, and enjoyed the feeling that came along with mimicking a sleepy cat. She practically slammed her forehead down against the wood and paperwork, groaning over the fact that her life had become so mundane. She imagined so many changes once she took on this role and hoped it would bring every dream she ever had to reality, but that was definitely not the truth. The actual reality she faced was a typical corporate life with occasional adventures, and those adventures were few and far between.

She forced herself to stand up after a few minutes of stretching her body and cracking some joints. As she stood and approached her office window, she glanced around and saw several people enjoying their lives, running along the sidewalk outside of her very obvious headquarters building. Though Xcution had publicly announced downsizing, they didn't destroy any of their buildings. Shizuka sold a few, primarily in a few states over in North America, but Japan was going to remain standing. It was sentimental to her. She was practically raised here, and all of her employees are housed out of this building.

As she peered further, she saw something in the not-so-distant area. A man and... a dog? Shizuka got excited. But the excitement was suddenly clouded by a strange feeling she had. This was odd. She wasn't used to this feeling still but it was somehow somewhat familiar. Shizuka sniffed the air, as if that helped, but was able to focus her mind on this feeling to try to figure out what it was. Soon enough, she realized she was sensing someone's energy again. She was seriously not experienced with this at all after so many years of not being able to do it.

Shizuka dashed out the window as quickly as possible, stepping on air ground to avoid falling to her death. Would she actually die? No, but she didn't want to get hurt. As soon as she touched the ground, she ran at a relatively average speed towards the bench where the man was sitting and sniffed again. It was him. But the only thing on this planet that could ever take over her attention was also there. The puppy he was feeding was so freaking cute and she wanted to be its mommy! It had been so long since she was an animal's mom.

Ignoring the man at first, the woman approached the puppy and knelt down, understanding how frightened he probably was with some stranger. She smiled, reached out her hand, and gave the puppy the chance to come to her on his own. As soon as he did, though cautiously, Shizuka squealed and picked him up. The puppy climbed up her shoulder and licked her cheek, causing Shizuka to absolutely melt. This was the only thing that could thaw her icy heart. And despite knowing the answer to this question, she finally acknowledged the man and asked anyway.

"What a cutie! Is he yours? Shinigami?"

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen was finding the act of just playing with and feeding this very hungry stray puppy more than a good way to spend time this day. The pup certainly seemed happy with his snack of nuggets! Kaen dimly noticed a flicker of reiatsu, but with his mediocre Energy Sensory, he failed to notice much more than that, until a blonde woman was suddenly in front of him, and seizing up the dog. She.... was clearly a dog person. Yep. Definitely a dog person, and the animal seemed to recognize it, with the puppy clearly happy about being held.

"Awww! He likes you!" Kaen chirped happily at the sight, a broad smile on his face that didn't diminish for even a moment when the woman addressed him as a Shinigami. Kaen's only sign that the word meant anything to him, was a brief eye flick in the direction of XCution's office building. "Nah, he's a stray. He looked hungry, so I figured I'd share my lunch with him. If I remember right, dogs are fine with chicken, right? He seemed to like it enough. Didn't yoooouuu~" He said petting the dog's head, which the animal definitely seemed to appreciate.

"And you... Must be one of XCution's finest." He replied. "That much is apparent, just by looking at you." While Kaen's energy sensing wasn't great, he could certainly catch flickers of the monstrous power within this woman. And there was an elegance in her movement, even while snuggling the dog that definitely informed Kaen of the danger this woman could present to him. "I'm not here on official business, don't worry about that. I just wanted to take in the sights of the human world. And the food. My name's Kaen." He introduced himself. "I'd offer you a handshake, but I see yours are a bit full of fluff." He remarked, smiling at the very clearly happy pup.

There were probably some Shinigami that would have recognized Shizuka on sight. Kaen, unfortunately, was not one of them. His focus had typically been within the walls of Soul Society, and directed towards Las Noches. Not as much the Human World. In fact, Kaen himself had never had any dealings with XCution, though from what he understood, XCution probably had notes on him-- apparently more than a few anti-Soul Society groups had stuck a bounty on his head. Oops.

"I mean, I can't take him back with me, much as I'd like to, so if you want this good boy, he's all yours. He certainly doesn't look like he'd mind~" Kaen added, the smile sticking to his face. "Also, I recognize this is probably a bit awkward, given our group's history together. Eheh..." He rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment, before putting his hands back in his hoodie's pocket. "...But I don't mean to be a bother. If you tell me to shove off, I get it. If you have some sniper around and are gonna try and put a bullet in me, I also get that-- but if that's the case, do you mind if I finish my lunch first?" Kaen procured the kiwis he'd been planning on eating from his lunch bag. "I've never had these before, and from what I've heard about these fruits, it'd be a damn shame if I died before knowing what they tasted like, right?" He suggested.

In general Kaen's attitude seemed pretty easy-going and casual. Which was pretty normal for the guy. Despite talking to someone he'd identified as someone that, should by all rights be an enemy of Soul Society, there was zero animosity in his tone or body language. He seemed pretty genuine all things considered. He was on Shizuka's turf, and if she was unhappy about that, he got it. For Kaen, his work as a Shinigami ultimately was just that-- work. If he was off the clock, he didn't consider there to be any reason to be hostile or aggressive to Shizuka whatsoever. Especially since she looked so cute while snuggling her furry friend!

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The Shinigami's friendliness took Shizuka aback slightly. She wasn't used to people being so kind to her off the bat. He either didn't realize who she was or didn't care, and both weren't exactly sitting right with the Fullbringer. Shizuka nuzzled the puppy but didn't quite want to let him go, not even when the man continued patting its head. Care for animals was common amongst good people, so she hoped he wasn't planning on hurting her immediately. That would mean bad news for both of them. So why else would he choose this exact spot to sit?

"And you... Must be one of XCution's finest. That much is apparent, just by looking at you."

Shizuka raised a brow. He didn't know who she was! Should she be relieved? Upset? By now, who didn't know who she was? She never once made any effort to hide her abilities or mask anything. And with where she was in life, that made it abundantly clear that she wasn't a weakling anymore. Although, how could she say anything about this? She didn't know who he was, either. If he was some big shot up in Soul Society, he had to have been new. She'd never seen his face before and wondered briefly if it was borrowed or real.

"I'm not here on official business, don't worry about that. I just wanted to take in the sights of the human world. And the food. My name's Kaen. I'd offer you a handshake, but I see yours are a bit full of fluff."

The Fullbringer tilted her head and squinted her eyes in a questioning glance. "Shizuka Sanamizu, CEO of Xcution."

He clearly had no idea that he was potentially in immediate danger. Shizuka wasn't about to act so long as she had a puppy in her arms, and he was slowly closing his eyes off and on. He was getting sleepy and there was no way she'd disturb him. It had been a while since she'd had any kind of family dog since the two she grew up with passed away a few years back. She remembered how hard that was, especially for her parents. They were so heartbroken to lose two beings who were practically children. Shizuka pouted and started to hand the puppy back to Kaen.

"I mean, I can't take him back with me, much as I'd like to, so if you want this good boy, he's all yours. He certainly doesn't look like he'd mind~ Also, I recognize this is probably a bit awkward, given our group's history together. Eheh... But I don't mean to be a bother. If you tell me to shove off, I get it. If you have some sniper around and are gonna try and put a bullet in me, I also get that-- but if that's the case, do you mind if I finish my lunch first? I've never had these before, and from what I've heard about these fruits, it'd be a damn shame if I died before knowing what they tasted like, right?"

Though honestly a little startled when he reached into his pockets, Shizuka was relieved when she saw the kiwi fruits. She was also extremely confused at this point. She didn't realize Shinigami could be nice, but she thought back on her previous experiences with them. Well, minus one. She didn't need to think about that one. Kaen was obviously a good soul deep down and she briefly had a flash of memory containing Celes, the young one she'd met a short time ago. He reminded her of Celes. Absolutely.

"I suppose I could take him. He's a sweetie little baby and I think he's just precious, but I'll have to bring him home. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone to wander these areas, primarily because I don't really understand or trust you, so I'm hesitating. As for your food, you're welcome to eat it. Kiwis are freaking awesome but are actually kinda sour, so the acid can burn through your skin if you have too much at once." Shizuka paused. "Oh, not like I'm speaking from experience or whatever, but I'm just saying."

She averted her gaze for a moment before looking back down at the puppy in her arms, smiling, and snuggling him some more. Kaen was smart for protecting himself using an animal. Shizuka wasn't going to do anything to hurt the sweet pup, so that whole situation would need to be held off until he was safe. She'd think about a name later, too. All of these things were way more important than melting a Shinigami on the sidewalk. Plus, given how regular people could see everything related to Fullbring, she really didn't want to become a social target. Again.

"I'm going to put him in HQ real quick. You're welcome to come since it's safer in there. You gave me a son today and for that I am thankful, so to return the favor, you may eat your lunch in peace in our garden."

[Kaen Youji]

It was Kaen's turn to raise an eyebrow. "I might have guessed by the power you're radiating. But I didn't think that someone like me would warrant the attention of such an important person." He stated, and smiled a little. "Well then, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Sanamizu." He added cheerfully, his demeanor immediately relaxing again. "I apologize for not recognizing you. I'd heard that XCution had a new leader, but I wasn't given a description myself."



Kaen hadn't missed the flash of confusion on Shizuka's face. He had gotten pretty good at reading people, and had started making a few educated guesses about Shizuka's previous experiences with Shinigami. "Ah. I see you're previous interactions with Shinigami have been... less than positive." He commented. He sighed, and rubbed the back of his head with a hand. "Can't blame you for making an assumption about me. A lot of us are kind of assholes." Man, he was finding himself apologizing for Shinigami to definite potential enemies of Soul Society a lot lately. He probably shouldn't be making a habit of that.

"I suppose I could take him. He's a sweetie little baby and I think he's just precious, but I'll have to bring him home. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone to wander these areas, primarily because I don't really understand or trust you, so I'm hesitating. As for your food, you're welcome to eat it. Kiwis are freaking awesome but are actually kinda sour, so the acid can burn through your skin if you have too much at once."


Kaen gave a good natured chuckle in answer. "Well I'm glad he's going to someone who will give him all the love, attention and treats he deserves. He seems very good natured." He answered. "And thank you for letting me finish my lunch, Miss CEO. As it stands, I don't get to travel to the Human World very often, and frankly, you guys have the best foods here." He stated, and promply peeled some of the skin off the kiwi and took a bite. His eyes pretty much shone when he did. Oh! That was good! It was sweet! And a little bit tart, but mostly sweet!

"I'm going to put him in HQ real quick. You're welcome to come since it's safer in there. You gave me a son today and for that I am thankful, so to return the favor, you may eat your lunch in peace in our garden." Kaen grinned broadly. "Inviting me into XCution's HQ. You sure I'm not about to die a horrible death?" He chuckled a little as he grabbed his lunch to follow after Shizuka. "Well, I can't say I'm not intrigued to learn a little bit about the newest top dog in the Spiritual World-- whether or not my peers would say that." He quickly moved up alongside Shizuka.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, Miss Sanamizu, do you mind telling me a bit about yourself? Or is that sort of thing off limits to potential future targets?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Inviting me into XCution's HQ. You sure I'm not about to die a horrible death?"

"Can't promise it." She mumbled a response.

"Well, I can't say I'm not intrigued to learn a little bit about the newest top dog in the Spiritual World-- whether or not my peers would say that."

Shizuka's ears twitched. His peers? Um, seriously? Despite cuddling a sweet angel baby puppy, she was actually a force to be reckoned with. Well, she thought she was. She felt like she could be most days. There were a few times she was genuinely scared for her life, but overall she felt as if she could handle her own. How dare those idiots up in Soul Society judge her so harshly? Did they want to come down and get a taste of their own medicine? Shizuka groaned angrily. She didn't want to waste her energy being annoyed by something like this, but here she was.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, Miss Sanamizu, do you mind telling me a bit about yourself? Or is that sort of thing off limits to potential future targets?"

"Me?"

Could she talk about herself? Oh, absolutely. She could drone on about herself all day, probably to the point where people would get irritated by her. In fact, she's fairly certain that's happened a few times with several of her employees and she made a mental note to try to be better on that front. Still, sharing personal information with a Shinigami was questionable, even if he was nice to her. He may not be a huge threat right now, but taking her chances on something like this could be dangerous. As the two of them approached the main doors to the headquarters building, Shizuka turned to Kaen.

"I don't have much to share about myself. I was young when I discovered my powers and now I'm here. That's pretty much it."

The doors opened and she led Kaen straight back to the gardens. The doors to these gardens weren't intricate, but they were different from the two main doors they just walked through. The garden doors were made entirely of glass with some brass components to be decorative. They spun and each door had three potential sections for people to get trapped by before finally being released. The brass elements acted as intricate decoration around the framing and beautifully clean handles for people to push as they moved. Shizuka didn't dare touch the handles. Instead, she willed the doors to turn on their own and promptly walked through, putting the puppy down once she reached the grass.

The garden was something else entirely. Rows of roses lined the edge, creating a fence-like structure with an actual fence reinforcing them. The fence was made of black iron and had spikes at the top of each post, yet it somehow looked so much like vines. A large tree was in the middle of the garden with a small stream surrounding it in the form of a moat. Four bridges, each assigned to a cardinal direction, acted as the only links between the grounds they were standing on and the beautiful land the tree inhabited. Not many people saw these gardens because they were hidden by Xcution's building and were only accessible from the inside.

Shizuka watched her new puppy run around and pee on just about everything as she crossed one of the bridges closest to her and sat on a bench under the tree, ever-sprouting cherry blossoms. It was forced to be that way, but Shizuka never complained. She looked towards Kaen and patted the space next to her, inviting him to sit down. As she waited, she admired the hydrangeas of many colors that surrounded them and protected the other various flowers from harsh winds. It smelled lovely outside. Shizuka would often come here when she was feeling cold and distant in order to warm up.

"I had a really normal childhood. Nothing crazy happened to me and my parents loved me tremendously. I suppose you were probably looking for, like, a prodigy-type story or something but that's just not me. I do everything I can for these people because they take care of me and I love them. It's as simple as that."

The Fullbringer breathed and smiled as she saw the puppy sniff around some flowers, obviously very excited to be in such a beautiful place, yet contained for safety. She sighed. She was tired, but not physically or emotionally. Just kind of bored, really. Kaen coming here was exciting, but still not quite what she was looking for. Did she want to fight him? Well, no. He seemed nice but it was really hard to fight the growing anxiety she had. Still, in an effort to calm down, she figured it was best to not instigate anything.

[Kaen Youji]

Instead of seeming worried about Shizuka's warning, Kaen just shrugged a little. "Well, if I end up getting killed, at least I get to die in charming company~" He chirped as he gathered up his things to tag along with Shizuka back towards the XCution HQ. He did notice that she seemed visibly annoyed by his comments, and he quickly added in an additional note. "I'm sorry if I've gotten things off on the wrong foot. A lot of Shinigami... have very outdated views. I'm not going to try to defend it, really. I'm as annoyed with it as you are to be frank." He added.

"I don't have much to share about myself. I was young when I discovered my powers and now I'm here. That's pretty much it."


Shizuka's explanation of her own origins was short, succinct and to the point. Too short in fact. Kaen smiled wryly a little. Well, he supposed it was probably a little unfair of him to ask that of her. Shizuka was being very cordial and polite to him, given the history of their organizations, and Kaen really couldn't ask more than that of her.

Following along, Kaen took in the XCution building. "Wow..." Kaen murmured, stumbling slightly as he passed over the threshold and marveling at the Human World architecture. He'd seen buildings like this of course plenty of times, but he'd never actually been inside an office building. Probably. It was possible he'd been knocked into one during a fight here or there, but in the midst of pitched combat you didn't usually have the luxury of admiring the building you were getting pile-drived through. Kaen's eyes sparkled as he observed the spinning brass doors as he followed Shizuka, being knocked slightly by one of them, showing a clear unfamiliarity with that sort of door. "I love the Human World." He murmured quietly.

The gardens here were fantastic as well. In Kaen's biased opinion he felt he liked the recent redesigns of Squad 7's Barracks a bit more, with the classical sakura trees around, but this certainly held up. It was a stunning melding of Human urban architecture and botanical beauty. "You've got an impressive home, Miss Sanamizu." He complimented, while Shizuka set her new dog loose in them.

He didn't hesitate to accept Shizuka's offer of a seat, sitting down beside her and taking in the sights and smells. And what she was saying of course. A part of his mind was contemplating the various ways he could be taken out right here and now, but there were too many even before he accounted for unusual abilities. Snipers in the windows. Subterranean attacks. Poison in the air-- no doubt Shizuka would have built up an immunity. Oh well.

"I had a really normal childhood. Nothing crazy happened to me and my parents loved me tremendously. I suppose you were probably looking for, like, a prodigy-type story or something but that's just not me. I do everything I can for these people because they take care of me and I love them. It's as simple as that."

Contrary to Shizuka's expectations, Kaen grinned broadly at her story. "I like it. Everything here. This building. This garden. Your strength. Your abilities. Your wealth. Companions? You earned all of it. No help, no grand destiny or anything like that. You seized it on your own initiative and own hard work." He stated, folding his hands in his lap as he contemplated that.

"I'm actually a bit envious of that, truth be told." Kaen replied, his voice drifting slightly as if held by a memory or two, before snapping back to the present. "But I understand that-- as I do your bond with your people here. You sound like you have a bit of a gift for leadership then." No doubt Shizuka was a talented analyst, but so was Kaen-- he could pick up on the tiny tells that suggested she seemed fidgety. "Well, you've told me your story. If you have any questions it's only fair I answer them in return." He said, turning his gaze away from the garden and the puppy for the moment to Shizuka, prepared to answer any questions she might have had for him.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It was hard not to smile and Kaen's natural optimism. He seemed genuinely sweet, which was a trait lost long ago by many, including this Fullbringer. It wasn't as if she couldn't be positive all the time, but everything around her had her exhausted. There was always some fight going on or someone wanting to dominate something. It was as if there could never be any peace. That, alone, was enough to discourage her efforts. She wanted nothing more than to be able to look around in her garden, admire her sweet little puppy, and think of how peaceful the world had become.

But Kaen was different somehow. It's so odd that most of her Shinigami encounters had actually been rather pleasant, but she couldn't help feeling suspicious of them to this day. They did nothing to personally harm her that would make her feel the way she felt, but there was something in her, something that kept trying to fight any rational thought she had. Was it fear? Not necessarily. She didn't have much reason to fear anymore. So what could possibly stop her from simply becoming friends with all of them?

"Questions, you say?" The woman's ears twitched a bit as she was quickly brought back to the present from her tremendously loud and intrusive thoughts. "Okay, yeah. I can ask you a couple."

She turned towards him, shifting her hair from one shoulder to the other. It had been put up in a ponytail not too long before she made her way downstairs to see who on this planet could be disturbing her relatively uneventful day. Baby hairs and some semi-styled bangs hung down to frame her face exactly how she always liked. She didn't enjoy having her hair slicked back against her skull. She thought it was too professional. But once she had gotten comfortable, she looked at Kaen right in the eyes.

"Who sent you here? Do you have anything to do with the Gotei 13? I'm assuming you do, but you can answer me. Do you know who Taiho is? Er, was? If you do, what information do you have on her? Have you ever killed someone? Do you think you will in the future? Would you ever consider killing a human? More specifically, have you ever considered attacking my organization?"

Throughout her interrogation, she watched for any small movements Kaen would make in order to see if he was lying. It had been so long since she fished for information from anyone, and he didn't seem like her usual type. Honestly, her 'usual type' was more of, like, the older and way more horny man. They made it seriously too easy for her to get any answers. Since Kaen wasn't one of those, probably, she couldn't use her usual tactics and ultimately decided it was best to be direct. At least, that would be best for now.

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen looked contemplative for a moment, following Shizuka's questions. He didn't break eye contact. Good questions. Most of them. At least one of them was unusually specific. But, Kaen had said he'd answer some, so he had no problem following through on his word. She certainly wasn't asking anything super highly confidential or anything. He had no reason to lie to her about this.

"I came here, because I wanted to be. I love the Human World, like I said. You hang out in the Seireitei for two hundred years and you need a breath of fresh air. Soul Society is stagnant. Nothing changes there. If you took a snapshot of it today and compared it to one a thousand years ago, the only difference you'd see is that some of the faces have changed. The Human World is so dynamic. Every couple of decades it changes radically. Every time I come back here it's new. So I took some time away from my official duties, to come here and enjoy the sights and scenery, and well. Learn about it. Too many Shinigami just assume that because they lived here fifty years ago, or because they've read a couple of books on your history they know the place. I disagree. I can only learn about this world by experiencing it.

...So that's a bit of a long winded way of saying nobody sent me here." He rubbed his head, slightly embarrassed at how he just went on like that. "I'll try to keep my other answers a little more on topic." Focusing in on the questions, he continued. "I'm the Lieutenant and currently acting Captain of Soul Society's 7th Division. So yes, I'm an officer in the Gotei 13. Taiho... I knew of a Taiho Kasumi'Oji, the former Captain of the 8th. I've not heard anything of her in quite some time though. We didn't interact much though... Or at all. Only ever saw her at big meetings. I'm afraid I don't know the details about that."

Kaen shrugged slightly. "Yes. I've killed people. Mostly Hollows and Arrancar. A couple of Shinigami who refused to be taken alive. A lot of Mod Souls recently. I don't enjoy it. I'd rather find alternatives. But if I have to kill, I will. And I probably will in the future too. As for Humans..." Kaen frowned. "It's not a matter of considering. I have killed one. Well. Helped kill one. In my defense he was trying to kill us first. Almost killed a Bount awhile back. Thankfully he talked some sense into me, and I didn't have to. His name was Luke, I dunno if you've met him. He was pretty strong, I figure the groups Human World might have taken note of him." He stated.

"As for XCution specifically... no. Not personally. I've certainly taken notice of you, and keep my ears to the ground for you when I'm in the field. We've lost some good people to your organization. I'd be stupid to ignore you. XCution has some very competent, and skilled individuals in your ranks. But I'm in the 7th Division; Soul Society's internal affairs. I've got my hands full enough dealing with the assholes in Soul Society, and the fact that Arrancar keep trying to break in every second Tuesday." He replied.

Kaen took a breath after his explanation. "What about you? I'm guessing you've killed a Shinigami before. You probably expect to again in the future. I don't mean to turn this into business, but off the record, just between us, what do you think the relationship between our groups will be going forwards? More importantly, what do you want it to be?" His eyes went back to the garden. At the end of the day, Kaen wished things could be more like this. Just... talking it out. Sure, he liked fighting. He loved the thrill of combat, the idea that he was one misstep away from death-- the feeling of accomplishment in continuously avoiding that misstep. But not the killing. Not the murder. Battle and fighting was one thing, all out war was quite another. He wondered if Shizuka was of the same mind-- preferring peace to war. "May I ask you something? It's alright if you don't want to answer, it's a bit personal. But why do you do what you do? You said you had a pretty normal childhood, except for the bit about discovering your powers. What made you choose the road that led you here?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

While it was good to note that Kaen wasn't here on official business, she absolutely hated hearing that he had anything to do with any Squad. What made these things so difficult was how well-behaved this Shinigami acted. Could anyone ever imagine killing or brutally torturing someone who is genuinely nice? No, of course not. But he is still a threat as far as I can tell just based on his allegiance." That was enough to be concerning. Shizuka took note of the feeling she got from this guy and came to realize he didn't bleed any tremendously dangerous energy, but it was not going to be easy to sway her.

The lack of information on Taiho was especially disheartening. It seems as though that trail has ended, and any ties to this woman are basically completely dead. Were there any captains left who knew anything about Taiho or her wrongdoings? More specifically, do they know about her murder of Kento? Shizuka bit the inside of her lip and chewed a little. As Kaen went on, she just became more and more demotivated. Even mentioning the killing... She should have known. Of course he ended lives. Important lives. This probably sounded rich coming from her, but if she had to say anything about it, she may as well just leave that alone. She's ended lives, too.

But then it hit her. Luke. Just hearing the name made Shizuka flinch noticeably, and she would not be able to keep that contained in front of his Shinigami. She averted her gaze and somewhat pouted, taking a deep sigh to keep herself calm. She missed him. His final disappearance was unfortunate, and despite her best efforts, she can't locate him. He was certainly the only person who ever made her feel so... human. He understood her. He cared about her. He loved her. Shizuka missed him fiercely. So much so that she didn't realize a tear had escaped her right eye as it trickled down her cheek, so she quickly wiped that away and kept listening.

At least it seemed like he wasn't fully aware of Xcution's business, which was definitely for the best. She didn't want to openly admit anything, either. Unfortunately, he was a curious man and asked her question, as well. Shizuka rolled her eyes, mostly to herself, but there was no doubt Kaen would see something. She mainly just didn't know how to answer him. How could she possibly figure out what the relationship between them would be like? Humans and Shinigami were too different. Yes, obviously she knew Shinigami could be born from human souls. But it was way more complicated than that. As Shizuka's new puppy friend ran around the garden, she sighed one more time as she thought of answers.

"Well, in order... Yes, I've killed before. Yes, they were Shinigami. I've killed many people, as well. Admittedly, they were truly all bad. My company only targets those who genuinely wish to destroy the order of the world, or any who we're paid to end. We are a business, after all." The Fullbringer used some of her passive abilities to make some wind dance before the two of them. It picked up leaves and swirled them around in the air. "I don't know what we'll be like in the future, though. I can't imagine it would be peaceful since that's unrealistic. But I do think we can come to some common ground, even if it's forced. As for why I do this..."

That was a good question. All her life, Shizuka was groomed into the woman she was today. She almost didn't even have a choice in the matter and frequently questioned herself on this, as well. She didn't want to think she was being controlled, and she certainly had enough power and influence to be the master of her own destiny. But, wait... That was it.

"Power and influence," she spoke with confidence. "I'm sure it's some sort of complex, but I love having power. I love what I am and who I've become. I love that I can do all of these amazing things, that I can be better than everyone else in some way, and prove that I could do everything I ever put my mind to. I love that I've become a CEO at such a young age, can support myself, my family, my fur babies, and everyone between. I didn't need trauma to mold me. I had my own goals."

A smile was plastered wide across her face now. Shizuka could feel the adrenaline growing, her power roaring inside of her heart, wanting to be displayed. She contained the desire and the burning excitement she felt, but it had been such a long time since she'd felt anything like this. Truthfully, she didn't think talking to Kaen would bring that feeling out in her. Actually, it wasn't even a passing thought. But here she was, remembering why she chose this life, and being genuinely thankful for her past self. After a short while, she finally met her gaze with his once again.

"You might find that weird or whatever, but it's who I am. And I love who I am. I have so much going for me and that's enough for me. I don't know if that makes a whole lot of sense, but it's my truth."

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen could not help but notice Shizuka's reaction to the name Luke, and he also visibly flinched at her reaction. "I'm sorry! I dug something up there... or pushed a button I shouldn't have. I apologize. I'll drop it." He said hurriedly. From that reaction, it was not a subject he wanted to go down on a matter of first impressions.

The eye roll though? Kaen grinned broadly. "Ehe... Sorry. Can't help it, I'm practically chatting up with a celebrity afterall, right? Only fair I'm a bit curious myself." He replied, with humored undertones. Of course, Shizuka had killed people. Shinigami among them. Kaen couldn't hold that against her. Even if she'd killed someone he'd known. With really only a few exceptions, war was war... And it sucked. If Shizuka hadn't killed those Shinigami, Kaen was sure one of them would have killed her.

Admittedly, they were truly all bad.

"I can believe that." Kaen replied bluntly. And there was no question that he did believe Shizuka when she claimed that the Shinigami she'd killed were truly all bad. His eyes travelled along as Shizuka used Soul Command to move the wind and the leaves around. That was so cool. Soul Command.... He knew the name and some basics but seeing someone use their mastery of it so easily was inspiring, and reminded Kaen of the lesson he'd given to Luca not so long ago. Shinigami and Humans... Shinigami weren't superior. Just different.

But Kaen let Shizuka keep talking. About her plans for the future. About why she did the things she did. He let her have her moment to respond to all of his questions. And as she answered, she seemed to be starting to practically glow, and Kaen's own grin grew in spite of himself.

"You might find that weird or whatever, but it's who I am. And I love who I am. I have so much going for me and that's enough for me. I don't know if that makes a whole lot of sense, but it's my truth."

"Why would I think that's weird? That's not all that different than my own reasons. I mean... different end motive but still. I walked this path for the same reason. Power. The power to protect the people I care about. The power to be able to pursue my own goals and my own freedom. Seems like you got there ahead of me though..." Kaen chuckled. "You know. I keep telling my colleagues... and they always look at me like I'm crazy. Humans are amazing. I've been pursuing the kinda strength you've acquired for almost two centuries, you know? And maybe I've gotten a bit close to that, but even if I have, it took me two hundred years! And you just walk up and achieve that in... what? 21? 22 years?" He asked, with a chuckle. "And I didn't miss that display with the leaves and wind either. I'm really impressed by you Shizuka. By Fullbringers in general, but it's obvious even among Fullbringers you stand out. You wouldn't be the top dog here if you weren't after-all, right?" He inhaled and sighed.

"Wish more Shinigami would see that, honestly." He added wistfully. "You talked about coming to some common ground? I agree. I'd like that. But damn if it's not going to be a pain in the ass. The powers that control Soul Society still act like it's three millennia ago, back when Shinigami really didn't have any rivals to our power. They resent groups like XCution and Uzaki Enterprises pushing for a change in the status quo. I'm trying to change things from within myself but... Well.... For all my progress, I still feel like there's so far to go." He admitted sheepishly. "Still. It's... good to hear that you have some hopes for that as well. I definitely don't want to have to keep living in a world, where I have to worry about you trying to carry out a hit on me!"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It was amazing how different people could be. Over time, the bias towards Shinigami began to wane but Shizuka would never admit that. Actually, her constant encounters with nice ones made her pause for a second and question her life-long obsession with eradicating the entire race. That may not be the best way to phrase something but it was still pretty much the truth. She felt it was her responsibility to end the constant torment that the world of the living received, but was that even fair? Where did people go when they died? Couldn't Shizuka theoretically become a Shinigami one day?

Kaen was a sweet guy. She didn't feel the endless need to chop his head off and didn't feel vengeful in the slightest. That could be dangerous, especially since she'd let her guard down, but she ultimately decided it wasn't worth getting worked up. He obviously didn't mean her any harm, so she wouldn't bring harm to him. He didn't deserve that and he certainly didn't deserve anything less than Shizuka's best behavior. It was nice hearing how his goals were so closely aligned with hers that it refreshed her outlook on a few things, but made her dive in a bit to how this could affect her plans.

The truth was that Shizuka didn't look to end all Shinigami. It didn't need to be that way. She was simply looking for a way they could co-exist without having them interfere with human affairs. She didn't want to feel as though she were being hunted constantly, even if the threats weren't very harmful at this point in her career. She'd thought back on previous encounters, wondering if those people ever remembered her as much as she remembered them. And when she did think back on these times, she recalled how she'd made more friends than enemies. Perhaps she just wasn't cut out to be a villain.

"Y'know, when I was little, my aunt basically forced me to believe that all of you guys meant harm. I don't even know why. I feel like the stories she told me were lies meant to distract and blind me." Shizuka smiled up at Kaen, enjoying the sound of the puppy running around the garden. "If you want peace, I'll help. But I don't mind forcing a heavy hand. We obviously both have it in ourselves to do that."

And she meant it. Maybe her version of peace and his version of peace were different, or perhaps not. She could question him and figure that out for herself, but what she did know in that moment was that Kaen was being genuine. Honestly, that's all she wanted. She had gone for so long not trusting people, but nothing about this man made her feel uneasy. That had to have been a good sign, so she wanted to make sure she didn't ruin any future relationship she may have with him. If Kaen really wanted to make the world a better place, she was all about it.

"I think my mind could be swayed. I'm more of a reasonable person, and I really don't like being serious all the time. So what do you say we consider ourselves friends starting today?"

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen gave Shizuka a gentle smile despite what she was saying about what her aunt had told her. "I don't doubt your aunt believed what she said, and that we gave her reason to say it. I don't deny our arrogance. Our misplaced arrogance at that." Kaen replied. "That said... course I want peace. I absolutely want a world where I don't have to worry every time I send someone through to the Human World that that's the last time I'm going to see them. I'm sure a few of them were done in by you or at least by someone in XCution. That being said... I don't hold it against you. This is war after-all." Honestly if it came right down to it, Shizuka probably didn't have to worry about ruining anything with Kaen. Kaen would befriend an enemy as readily as a friend. Kaen was at least old enough to understand the complexity of war, and how wars weren't as simple as "good guys" and "bad guys". Maybe the Vandenreich were an exception. But hell, if Kaen could befriend an arrancar, he could befriend Shizuka no problem.

"Though I wonder what you're "heavy hand" would look like." Kaen replied. "But you're right. I should find it in myself to start making bigger plays. Guess that settles it. I should probably go make a bit of a ruckus when I get back home." He commented, in a tone that almost sounded like a jest, but Kaen was very much serious about that.

"I think my mind could be swayed. I'm more of a reasonable person, and I really don't like being serious all the time. So what do you say we consider ourselves friends starting today?"

Kaen grinned broadly. "Well now that's far more than I could ever have expected or asked for when I sat down to eat lunch outside your HQ today. I'd love to consider you a friend Shizuka!" He replied exuberantly. He looked around at the garden. "You think I'll be able to ever come and catch up again without someone here trying to take my head off? I don't want to be going around causing problems or complications for my newest friend after-all." He commented. "Course if the answer is no, I get it. I'd probably have just as hard a time approving you to come visit me if it came to it. Not that I probably wouldn't try if you asked." He added with a slightly more mischievous grin. Letting the CEO of XCution into Soul Society's walls was the sort of thing that probably could get you executed for treason. Something Shizuka may or may not have been aware of.

"Either way, I hope we'll be able to figure out ways to arrange meetups again. I don't plan on this being my last trip to the Human World after-all. Next time I'm in town I hope we can figure something out, you know?" He suggested.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Kaen was unusually sweet. Shizuka thought so from the beginning, but now it really showed. She truly didn't believe he meant her any harm and was amazed at how friendly he was being. She didn't regret her offer, thinking it'd be a good opportunity to make some connections in the world of the dead, and Kaen was probably the best option in that case. Judging by his demeanor and how great he had been so far, she really thought he was going to be an asset going forward. That, and someone she seriously enjoyed talking to. He just had that positive aura about him that made her feel as if she were talking to herself.

So she let her guard down a little bit. She choked down the professional version of herself that she preferred showing people upon their first meeting and eased up a bit, literally stretching it out of her as she raised her arms in the air and enjoyed the feeling. Once finished, she lowered her arms, stood up, and looked back at Kaen. The puppy had run off, but seeing as he was stuck in the garden with them, Shizuka didn't mind. She made a mental note to have someone retrieve the poor baby later since he was busy enjoying himself now. She didn't want to forget her new fur friend!

"We can meet any time, any place. You don't even have to worry about me finding you." The Fullbringer reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small black card, handing it to him. "This is how my people get in contact with me, and how new recruits summon me when they've made up their mind about joining. All you have to do is pulse Reiatsu into it and I will know exactly where you are."

These cards had a special property about them that was linked to Shizuka's Reiatsu signature. Whenever someone pulsed into the card, she'd be able to locate them immediately almost by instinct. She'd feel the link take place in her mind and be able to discern where it was coming from as if she were searching in a very well-lit area for an extremely large object. Thankfully, it made everything super obvious at that point. It only works so long as the person pulses the Reiatsu and Shizuka cannot pulse back, but she'd be able to appear in a matter of minutes. She hoped Kaen wouldn't mind using it.

"Kind of high-tech, I guess, but it gets busy when you try to recruit people all the time who show potential! I think I've handed that out like three times this week. It's insane."

[Kaen Youji]

As Shizuka offered Kaen the black card, Kaen gave a grin and bounced forward to give Shizuka a big hug. "That's so cool! Thanks Shizuka! I'll be sure to give you a call if I'm in the area!" He exclaimed, gladly taking the card from her when he released the woman from his hug. He was careful of course, not to hug her with all his strength, but Kaen was pretty used to regulating that nowadays. "You're gonna have to tell me all about the places around here! You look like the kind of person that likes to hit up parties and the like." He commented. "If I'm right you gotta take me to one!"

Meanwhile Kaen would have to see what he could do in Soul Society to try and smooth things out with XCution. That... would probably be tough. Given the history of the organizations. But still... He'd have to ask around and start poking around. This was a chance to get an enemy off of Soul Society's back, and more importantly than that, make it that Kaen didn't have to be sneaky and suspicious when going to see his new friend! And if things went really well, who knows, maybe Kaen could show Shizuka a bit of his own world sometime, like she was letting him see some of hers! He knew full well at present that simply taking her to Soul Society was a bit of a bad idea.

"Kind of high-tech, I guess, but it gets busy when you try to recruit people all the time who show potential! I think I've handed that out like three times this week. It's insane."

Kaen snickered a little. "Ah, bugger, does this make me an honorary XCution member now?" He teased. "I mean to be fair, I could get in a lot of trouble for this stunt when I go back home. Nice to know I might have a place to go if Soul Society gets mad at me over this~" He added. "But mind if I give it a quick test run?" He added, and pulsed some of his reiatsu into the card to see if there was an effect. Would be handy for sure to catch up with her! Or if Kaen ran into trouble. Not that he planned on using Shizuka as a get-out-of-jail free card, but then again.... Well. Kaen would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to see how XCution's CEO performed.

But definitely not today and definitely not against him right now! There was a time and place, and this wasn't the time or the place! But damnit, someone didn't get to Shizuka's level without enjoying the battle at least a little bit, and Kaen did hope he'd get a chance to see that side of her someday. "You know, if you're getting overworked on recruitment, you are the CEO. You need to take a vacation day once in awhile. I'm sure you got a ton of stuff to do, but that's what you got your staff for right?" He asked, seemingly innocently. "Or you know. Do what I do. Take extended "missions" out somewhere! I think you guys have some nice places here right? Uhh... Hawangi?" Kaen inquired, absolutely butchering the name of Hawaii. "Or Paris or Italy or stuff like that, right? I'm sure there's work for XCution's CEO in those places as well, if you get burned out with work here!" He gave a mischievous grin.

"Or you know. If you need more specifics, just tell your staff there's some high priority Shinigami somewhere you took up a job for, and we'll meet up~"