SHOPPING DAY! [Social, Maria. Kitai, Kohai]

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 7 paragraphs 7 paragraphs total so far

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(1) The light click of maria boots would be the only thing that accompanied her as she walked the alabaster halls of las noches , how long had been since she wished to tear down las noches and kill everyone in it. A small smile playing on her lips as a small giggle escaped her mouth , ‘ah….the good ole stressful days of when rizer was riding my ass to join the espada’ in sick twisted way she would never admit to , he had been the force that caused all those domino’s to fall.

(2) ‘In some ways i guess las noches does owe the king of fools a proper throne i’ll be sure to sweep his legacy aside like the segunda and primera who have come before me…’ she would think to herself as she rounded a corner. Maria's smile would drop as she felt a wet squish beneath her boot , her nose now assaulted by the smell of sickly sweet decay. She would freeze as she looked down , ‘sometimes i forget cami’s reign even existed how she made this foul mess in less than a month i have no idea’ she would think to herself with a sigh.

(3) Maria herself was not fond of the dismal state of the left hands wing , nor was she happy with the state astrid had left the tercera’s palace. ‘Both those fucking slobs deserve each other’ she would scream internally as she squinted in the darkness of the area , the sound of the blood soaked carpet squealching beneath her boots causing her stomach to churn.

(4) She was no stranger to bloodshed but what she had done to this place was unsanitary , and that was the least of it maria didn’t linger long in this section of las noches the last thing she wanted to do was encounter the thralls cami had made no doubt feral due to her absence now. Once she navigated her way out of the remains of cami's domain and enters gujin's she would have a new apreciation for the clean white walls of las noches.

(5) 'note to self dismantle and clean left hand wing and given her thralls i’ll have to sanction a purge of yet more of our forces because she wasn’t content in her position’ As much as she still saw cami as friend , she didn’t appreciate the amount of work she left for maria to clean up the least she couldve done was kill her damn thralls before she went traitor.

(6) Upon making it to kohai’s floor she would pull out her soul phone and check the time , ‘5:00 AM huh he should be up, and itd be the best time to get him out to do some shopping….maybe he’ll warm up to me that way’ she would think to herself as she began to sense out the floor searching for kohais location. Luckily for her it wasn’t hard the man was always letting his power roll off in waves.

(7) Once she had found his room door she would , wrap her knuckles lightly against the door “lord kohai….you in there?” she would ask in a hushed tone , her voice echoing lightly in the massive cavernous hallway. Something in the back of mind screamed at her to leave after hearing that echo…she had grown so used to being surrounded by other beings that the idea of such solitude to this degree seemed almost saddening then again…how many people had the gal to even visit this portion of las noches.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Awake since three in the morning, the King of Las Noches focused intently on making sure the day was fulfilling. He never wanted to let his guard down. He never wanted anyone to think of him as weak, especially seeing as he was hardly weak at all. He took control over this world by force and genius intellect, subduing anyone who got in his way and either making use of them as his attendants or killing them off promptly. So with every step, with every repetition, with every single flex of his muscle did he strive for greatness as if he wasn't already there. So it came as no surprise when he heard the knock on the door because Kouhai would never be in a position where anyone could get by him.

His Segunda was at his door. He could tell easily. The dainty sound coming from where her knuckles had touched the white painted wood almost made the man pause. It was amazing how she could be so delicate, and yet, so deadly. Her title suited her well. Grabbing a towel to wipe off some of the residual sweat, Kouhai rose from the bench he had been using for some of his curls. As he made his way to the door, he recognized where the handle was with his ornate design and golden color. The entrance to his room was quite large, especially since it seemed to open up into another mansion all on its own. To anyone looking inside, it would appear as if he had been working out in his foyer. His equipment came and went as he pleased.

The door casually swung open as Kouhai stepped into view, making direct eye contact with Maria. Lids half lowered with a genuinely friendly grin on his face, he leaned his left arm against the doorframe at a place that was a bit above his head. Seeing as he had just been working out, he was shirtless along with his gray sweatpants, though he preferred being that way even in his more formal attire. He felt it matched his personality better. He had a good physique with lean muscle and very little body fat, as well. Each contour and indent on his body could easily be seen and felt. He may not have been the physically strongest person if he were compared to others at his level, but he valued the strength he did have and kept up his appearance.

"Segunda. To what do I owe the pleasure this morning?"

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 4 paragraphs 11 paragraphs total so far

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(1) Maria would turn to face the opening door , preparing herself to speak her words being caught in throat at what she was seeing. Giving kohai a once over as she fully turned to face him , while years of keeping a cool head on the battlefield allowed her to remain stoic it was quite the inverse when it came to her internal thoughts. 'what the! why! and oh god dont look down again! dont look down damm it! maintain eye contact! im getting him back for this!' she chided herself internally.

(2) Her tone even and calm as she maintained eye contact with her lord , "forgive the intrusion my lord , i know the hour is early but i have planned a shopping trip for us" she would state a small smile spreading on her face as her embarrassment faded being replaced with bubbling excitment. "while i don't question your lordships fashion , i would like to procure you threading that can both serve as armor as well as an excellent fashion choice" she would explain her smile still in place.

(3) "and..." she seemed to pause for a moment , not sure if the next thing that would leave her mouth would see her killed on the spot. 'maybe im being to familiar with him.....i should be careful how i say this' there was a pregnant moment of silence "...as hard as we've been working i figured maybe  we could both some time to relax , away from the prying eyes of your subjects" inferring she understood he had a reputation to uphold that she would not tarnish.

(4) The segundo espada understood the mucky politics of it all , kohai needed to appear in control and opressive at all times. but maria had seen a softer side of the man , it intrigued her that was the side she wanted to know more personally. His hopes , his dreams, his fears, who was the man she wished to lift up , what made kohai well kohai. she wouldnt get these answers while they both stood in the den of lions for a leader must appear strong before his people.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Her eyes clearly went over Kouhai's body once already. Her facial expressions were calm and collected, which made the man grin with arrogance. Even as a male, Maria - then Marik - had been handsome. Kouhai didn't quite swing that way, and it had been a very long time since he swung at all, but Maria was certainly a creature of beauty. He could acknowledge that much in his Segunda, which is part of what made it so fun to tease her. Still, she was professional. She must have been trying very hard to maintain her composure despite his appearance, and he admired her for that. She had quite the mental fortitude.

"Consider your intrusion forgiven, though I certainly didn't think of it as such."

It didn't take long before she spoke her business, and it appeared she wished to take her King shopping. Kouhai tilted his head and raised a brow, affectionately smiling at his Segunda as he admired her honesty. This was probably the first time he ever experienced such devotion from one of his Espada, and that included his former Segunda. In fact, that man was more of a loose cannon than a devoted subject. Kouhai never missed those days. Kuroi was as arrogant as he was powerful, but Maria was even more so without the arrogance. She had a much more humble aura about her, which was something he appreciated.

She also cared about his image, made evident when she spoke of escaping prying eyes. He chuckled lightly and turned to face away from the Arrancar woman, heading back inside his room with his left hand in his pocket and right hand beckoning her to follow. If she did, she'd find that his quarters of the palace were far more extravagant that they first appeared, stretching further than she probably imagined. The two of them would walk through the foyer and into the kitchen where there had been evidence of a small meal. Kouhai had to fuel his body, after all. He may be dead, but he still required sustenance. Even Shinigami had to eat.

Walking through the kitchen, Kouhai led Maria to a large staircase that twisted up to a second floor, and the two of them would follow it. The upstairs was just as beautiful and large, and several rooms contained various pieces of furniture and decorations. Accessories from previous visits to the human world adorned the walls, each with its own story to tell. With ease and grace, the man took just a few long strides before reaching the oversized master bedroom, which was possibly the most intricately designed out of any of the rooms in this space. Inviting Maria to wait for him by the bed, he entered his massive closet and began perusing some of his clothes.

"I never expected such an invitation, Segunda. I would be happy to take you up on it. Most of my clothes seem to feature a similar style, and none are particularly defensive. Perhaps I never believed I needed that."

After a few minutes, he stepped outside and wore a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to a quarter of the way up either arm. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black dress pants with a dark brown belt wrapped around his waist. He sported a matching pair of brown shoes - the same brown as the belt - that had red bottoms on them. They were another souvenir from the living world, and probably his most expensive pair. Still, they went perfectly with the belt he'd picked out. After unbuttoning the top four buttons so that the shirt opened to about midway down his chest, Kouhai exited his closet and brushed his hair to the side with his fingers.

"There. Have no fear, Segunda. I did clean up while I was in there so you would not have to smell the aftermath of my morning activities. My closet connects to my bathroom, you see. Is this appropriate for our outing?"

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 5 paragraphs 16 paragraphs total so far

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(1) 'by the soul kings wrath , his palace is bigger than mine!' the sheer size of the inside was mind boggling. "i must say im rather impressed , your palace may be the only one in all of las noches to eclipse my own lord kohai" her tone betrayed her own envy and suprise but then again he was the king it made prefect sense why his would be bigger.

(2) While maria walked she could'nt help but notice kohai's backside as she followed him up a winding stair case. Each beam of light that shone through illuminated his skin , and most importantly his muscles. Kohai himself was indeed by all standards a beautiful individual but hwta hade her attention was his distinct lack of scars. Maria herself despite how flawless her skin was had single scar upon her body , a 3 inch long gash wound from the time her and cami clashed.

(3) she would smile to herself knowing that kohai truly must be skilled n to go ones whole life without attaining even a single scar like she did, 'maybe he really is just that good...or maybe he just hasn't had a true challenge' it made the prospect of training with him all that much more rewarding. She might earn a few more scars in the process but it would be well worth it in the end if it meant she would improve.

(4) Upon reaching his bedroom the segundo espada would look on in awe , kohai appeared far more traveled than he led on to be. "i never would have imagined you cared for the human world" she would mumble as she plopped down on kohai's bed taking in all the scenery before her. The one thing she found odd was there was no memento's from soul society....'i guess he didn't have any friends there..' the thought sadend her a bit as she sat on the bed.

(5) She seemed to zone out for a time , mulling over her human life and choices that led her to this point. She would be pulled from her thoughts as kohai exite dthe closet , she would give him a once over with a small amused smile "my lord you look stunning , ever the fashion model now then what do you say we go break my credit card in" she would say snapping her fingers a nice kumon being created , a portal to bridge them to the human world.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She was so professional in front of him. It made him laugh a bit, though he could tell she meant her words. Kouhai may be a King, but he was a man, as well. He found it rather nice when others appreciated the efforts he put in to his appearance. He wasn't unattractive by any means, and he was unapologetically aware of this fact. Though he never needed to use such a quality to advance on his goals, he found that he was blessed to have been able to call this body his own. He only had flashes of when he was alive, especially now that he had grown so old, but even in those flashes he saw himself exactly the same as he looked now.

"Break your credit card in? Fascinating. So you have delved in the human currency exchange program. When I was still alive, we never had such things. I've been around for several centuries, but the majority of that time has been either in Soul Society or here. I can't say with confidence that I've ever used a credit card."

Folding his right arm behind his body and gently placing his left hand against Maria's back, he gave her a slight nudge to show her that he expected her to enter the kumon first. He was a gentleman, after all. He had standards. Had it been any of his other Espada, save for potentially one, he would not have been the same way or shown the same courtesy. But after she would step through, Kouhai would soon follow, erasing any existence of his previous pleasantries from his personality. The smile he wore when it was only the two of them disappeared. His features became harsh once more - cold, like the snowiest peak. Rigid. Abrasive.

Kouhai looked around and sneered. Unfortunately, it was beautiful. The kumon had opened up to a wide variety of shops, but they were all outside as if it were an outlet mall. The sun was bright, causing the man to squint at first before his eyes quickly adjusted. The only reason why this was so disappointing was because he didn't want yet another reason why he should visit the World of the Living. He already fawned over one of their television shows and watched it frequently enough. He didn't need more of a reason to grow fond of an area he wished to conquer one day. Still, he couldn't help but appreciate the beauty for what it was.

"Alright, Segunda. Where is our first stop?"

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 5 paragraphs 21 paragraphs total so far

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(1) Maria would smile doing a little twirl as she entered the mall , the bustling sound of humans clamoring about. The smell of fast food , oh this was truely heaven on earth. No paperwork , no training soldiers , no worrying about impertant soldiers who didn't know thier ass from a hole in the ground. 'to be free of responsability what a squandered gift' she would think to herself. She would be ripped from her celebration at kohai's question.

(2) "well we should probably go get the important stuff first my lord , so first we drop by the kitai shop, then maybe we spend the rest of the day at a local spa" she would say rapid firing the last suggestion , although clearly improvising that last part as it wasn't kohai who needed the spa day at all. "this is technically a business trip lord kohai but it pays to nurture both your kingdom along with your body and spirit" she would say as she began walking with kohai a bead of sweat forming upon her brow.

(3) she sounded like a god damn hypocrite in that moment , as she herself was the prime example of all work no play. How long had she spent building a beurocratic system just to fall victim to it , building the walls , building alliances , the endless training. She would grasp kohai's hand gently attempting to guide him through the crowd. If he allowed such a thing she would begin humming as she made her way down to the escalator .

(4) Although once she saw the kitai shop opposite of the escalator , she would become all to aware she was holding kohai's hand...well lets be honest holding his fingers a little to long. "my apologies my lord i got distracted" she would quickly say as she released his hand , patting the sides of her hips akwardly as she stepped off the escalator. "hopefully he doesnt have hard feelings about the whole killing him thing , although he kinda had it coming" she would say mummbling that last part.

(5) with a sigh she would make her way twoard the door planing to open it first , just in case kitai had some trap rigged at the front door "he may be a tad over emotional , but when it comes to weapons of war and military defenses you'll find no one better" she would say. A genuine smile on her face as she recounted all the cafeteria food fights and non-sensical sheningans the kitai clones caused during the construction of the wall.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

He had never seen Maria so happy the way she was right now. The twirl was cute. Kouhai made a mental note to take his Segunda out more often, and then felt his face get warm at the thought of that. Since when did he really care about stuff like this? He had agreed initially because he thought it would be a somewhat good opportunity to see about Maria's resourcefulness. He also felt like getting out of the palace and couldn't say no to the opportunity. Contrary to what the entire universe believed, he was actually a simple man. He wanted to experience simple things. And despite how he was dressed since he was, in fact, trying to impress people, he wanted to come across as having a sort of simple life.

The Kitai Shop was definitely a good move once he'd heard Maria suggest it. He nodded in agreement and then caught the tail end of what she'd said, offering a spa as an additional way to treat his body. He raised a brow at her but smirked at her clear attempt to make it sound as professional as possible. She was treating him as if he were 'one of the girls,' so to speak, though he didn't particularly mind it all that much. She was being sweet and he found himself wanting to make her happy, too. It was an interesting feeling that he hadn't felt in years. Allowing her to take hold of his hand, Kouhai was led freely down the escalator and further into the mall.

All too soon, she ended up letting go once they got to the bottom of the elevator, and Kouhai glanced down at the hand she'd once held. "It's quite alright, Segunda." Still following closely, Kouhai looked up at the entrance to Kitai's shop. He must have had dozens of these scattered throughout the human world. "Should he prove to be a problem, I can speak with him. I would prefer you not be uncomfortable if I can prevent it."

Yes, he'd heart of Kitai. This was a man who had died and been revived for what felt like several times now. He owned a monopoly on the world of battle items and other such things, though it was difficult for Kouhai to know specifics. Kitai was a mysterious man who kept to himself for the most part, which made it difficult for anyone, including the Kind of Las Noches, to gather information on him. Frustrating though it may be, Maria seemed to know him well enough, so Kouhai was going to let her take the lead on this one. He simply followed, not wanting to get too separated him her if he could help it.

[Kitai Yoru]

Once again, Kitai was sitting at his usual spot on the shop floor; behind a wooden counter, working on something random as he waited for customers. Right now he was soldering some wires together inside a mechanical arm. He was working on improving his Bionic Limbs line in the future, as he had yet another wild Mod Soul working for him that had wandered onto his properties. It was crazy how irresponsible some people were with their Mod Souls. The Shinigami were the worst of them, having accidently released them onto the human world after trying to destroy them. Like the killer hornet. Luckily for humanity, the Mod Souls mostly kept to themselves, and weren't usurping the native life.

He was currently working on a sort of gift for Cain, though it was a touch tricky. He wanted to make a pair of functioning arms for the plushy, ones that could be deployed at a moments notice as the stuffed animal that he currently was, but at the same time, could be adapted to his eventual human form. He still needed some growing to do before that happened, but it didn't hurt to plan ahead. The problem was the weight and the balance of the limbs. If they were too heavy, Cain wouldn't be able to move, or he would be too top or bottom heavy. Then there was the connecting the limbs to the soul pill, rather than strictly to the physical body. It was a fun project to work on.

But he was sadly interrupted by the bell at the front door. "Hello! Welcome to the-... uhhhhhhhh." And unfortunately, he recognized one of the two visiting his shop today. Flashbacks to being the center of Hueco Mundo's sun flashed across his eyes. Kitai made a violent spasm with his neck, as his eye rapidly twitched as the sight of the green haired arrancar. A false calm quickly overtook Kitai's features, as a much too wide smile spread across his face. He grabbed something out from under the counter, a grenade that looked like it was made of sand, and held it, resting his head on the backs of his hands, flicking the pin of the weapon. "My my~, you must be awfully confident you can kill me a second time if you came back!" He told her in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Poisoned honey dripped from his words as he hunched forward, entirely expecting a fight. His eyes dared flicker towards the second individual, gleaning just enough of the person to know that they were a guy with brown hair, and an entirely too handsome face. "And you even brought your boyfriend! Are you trying to show off? Do you really think you can kill me dead twice? In my own home? I assure you, I have many friends waiting if you do." The smile never faltered as he spoke, the grenade pin flicking methodically. One wrong move, a single move, and he'd be more than happy to drown them all in sand! IT WOULD NEVER GET OUT OF HER HAIR FOR THE REST OF HER DAYS!

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 6 paragraphs 27 paragraphs total so far

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(1) Maria sighed as kitia made his inquiry about her presence and the man she brought with her , it wasn't that she wasn't afraid of what the device might do. No she knew kitai to be merchant of death , but the mere fact he'd be willing to detnate it with himself incapable of escape left her sceptical of it's lethality. Patting kohai and the arm she would point to the rack of proper uniforms , kitai's most expensive item and arguably his most useful. "Please go to the blazer and suit section please , i have a matter i need to speak with the shop keep about pick something nice" her voice was stern but encouraging as she wanted him to explore the shop see what he likes.

(2) she would wait till kohai was out of ear shot before walking up to the desk , maria would place both hands on the counter top showing she wasn't armed or here for trouble but given what kitai knew of her. And what she knew of kitai they where both flirting with death at this close of a proximity "i didn't come here for a fight , or to cause trouble, i came to apologize , we had some fun times me spending little over half a million ryo in here, and re-desighning your shop" she would say a small smile on her face , matching kitai's own in a less sinister way , dropping the most in your face clue to her true idententity.

(3) she would raise the hand holding her purse, signaling she was not done speaking. "killing you is something i can't take back , and to refuse the order was to write my own execution order and i know that still doesn't make it right" her voice even and calm a counter point to the maelstrom of emotion that was Kitai , the sound of mall goer's echoing outside the shops doors as she flipped open her purse revealing it to be a check book.

(4) "but if your willing to call it even and let bygones be bygones seeing as you did invade las noches and dog walk the espada and left hand and cause significant structural damage, which lead to me having to chose die or kill a friend..." she would say mentioning the poinant reasoning for the reason he had the kill order issued as he was far from inoccent in all this , in the eyes of most this was simply tit for tat and kitai had given more than enough tat for the tits up fight he received. "...we will make this next order worth your time" she would say maintaining eye contact slowly pulling a kitai brand pen from his counter.

(5) Slowly she would begin filling out the check and when it came to the numbers , oh she would be sure to make a show of it. Each zero drawn as a perfect circle leading into the next first one zero, then another, then another, then another. This would continue till six zero's stair up at kitai from the check book , maria would then click the pen and place it down on the counter top her hand resting on the check book. "now then kitai lets start over no need to rush into buisness , we havent spoken in a year whats new in your life" 

(6) Her smile still in place as she locked eyes with kitai , her body language relaxed and calm. She came here for two reason , to mend the bridge with a friend , and to give kitai the biggest order of his life. With kohai and maria having worked on a list of defenses for a good solid year now , the shopping list of things she had for kitai to do would be a drop in the bucket compared the funds he would recieve shoud he accept. "the malls nice , i see you put all that money i gave you to use" she would say trying to move thier conversation along.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It became quite clear the moment Kitai greeted the two of them that he and Maria had been acquainted before. Their interaction made Kouhai grow a bit of an arrogant, sultry smile as he glanced sideways at his Segunda, appreciative of the fact that she was so powerful that she was recognized immediately. Not to mention, Kitai said something about killing him a second time. How fascinating. He knew Maria was strong and wouldn't ever dispute that, but it gave him more of a sense of pride when others actively acknowledged such a thing. Yes, she was scary. He was so excited to hear that from others.

"Please go to the blazer and suit section, please. I have a matter I need to speak with the shop keep about. Pick something nice."

"Yes ma'am," Kouhai replied, his voice giving off an obedient but playful intonation.

He smirked at Maria and raised a brow as he started to walk off, glancing back at her and eyeing Kitai as he passed them both. Once he got closer to the back of the store, Kouhai perused the options for a split second before pretending to look around. He leaned his body back to see beyond a wall and get a better glimpse of Kitai and Maria before she slammed her palms against the desk, making the man jump slightly and set his body straight once again. He even added a brief whistle to act as if he hadn't been trying to hear them. Today was not the day to be nosy, it seemed. With a light chuckle, Kouhai went back to looking through the suits, being more partial toward the white ones.

Kitai was a well-known name. His crafting abilities were second to none, and he was clearly good enough to make specific things for Maria. In fact, his abilities were likely so unparalleled that she saw no reason to go to anyone else despite their tumultuous history. How trusting of her. Kouhai could not say for certain that he would be the same way in her situation, knowing himself better than that. He would fight first and ask questions never if it were up to him. Maria being so confident and handling herself the way she did made him feel as if he wanted to support her, something that he was quick to try to choke down. He wouldn't dare think that way. She was simply a subject of his, and he had to remember that.

[Kitai Yoru]

Kitai was in a bad mood. He wanted nothing more than to get some payback against this woman, and yet he couldn't. Not without destroying his shop, and that wasn't something he was going to do. At least, he wasn't going to be the one who started that fight in his shop. She blew a hole through it last time, and it took him awhile to fix it. He would destroy it if he had to, but if he could avoid the hassle, he would. Still, he was on the edge of his seat, waiting for her to take the first swing. He was just waiting for the excuse. So he was incredibly disappointed that this vile woman of ill repute had the absolute audacity to ignore him to order around her boy toy. IN HIS OWN SHOP!

he nearly pulled the pin right then and there. Unfortunately, depending on your perspective, a hand grabbed his shoulder. It was a grip that was trying to be strong, but just lacked the strength to be anything more than gentle. "Kitai, I think we can afford to hear them out." Kitai knew who it was before he even opened his smarmy mouth. Jack. "After all, it isn't every day when Sonken Kouhai graces 'lesser beings' such as us with his presence~." The Mod Soul took the grenade from his hands, something he let him do. Kitai's scowl deepened as he turned to glare as his brother.

He spied Jill leaning against the wall, leering as both of their customers with the eyes of a starving predator. He shuddered to think of what was going on inside her head, and was suddenly more motivated to leave the room. Kitai made a show of it, rolling his eyes as he gave Jack one last glare. So he listened to what the arrancar had to say. He was shocked at first, looking to Jack for confirmation, and receiving a nod, and a knowing smile. He hated Jack sometimes. He probably knew who Maria was the moment she popped back into the Living World, and chose this moment for dramatic effect. The man chuckled at his thoughts, only agitating him further.

Kitai watched Maria with a cold glare, with each zero only lowering the temperature further. He said nothing to her attempts to butter him up, and just looked at her, before he stood up. The man placed his hands against the countertop, mirroring Maria, lowering his head to her level. "Do you think this is funny?" He asked in a voice so cold, you could practically see his breath. "Do you I'm some money hungry whore that you can fuck and throw money at to calm me down?" Kitai was practically shaking in anger. "You think you can just kill me, send me back to Hell, and walk that back with money?"

Kitai didn't consider himself a prideful man, but this? This was so far over the line, he couldn't see where the line was anymore. "I build you a palace, down to the exact specifications you asked. I built you a wall that encompassed the entirety of your sandcastle in your sunless world! Billions of pounds of Seki-Seki infused concrete! I had to rely on clones to do the job, because the dust itself was lethal! I died countless times doing what should have been impossible, and the thanks I get is a cero sucker punch, a massive hole in by shop, and a trip back to literal Hell!?" He was starting to yell now, not used to holding himself back like this.

He stood to his full height, towering over the arrancar. "I trusted you to the point where I made you a credit card. You were such a good customer, I was willing to take you at your word that you would pay me back. You didn't just stab me in the back. You didn't hesitate to kill me, not for one second. You tried your damnedest to make sure I died, and for what? Orders?" He patted his chest, before he spread his arms wide. "I'm still alive! Did you think I can't fake my death? Does your brainless moron of a boss know I can come back from the dead? Or how about, you know, me building you guys up after I beat up a few of your Espada?" He scoffed. "What a fool I am. For thinking that I could trust other people." This was a strange pain. It was like a knife to the chest, a pain that he couldn't ignore and push through. "Get the hell out of my shop." He turned, moving towards the same doorway Jack and Jill had walked out of. Neither of them stopping Kitai, but neither would they stop Maria if she went after him.

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 6 paragraphs 33 paragraphs total so far Soul has informed me the back room is sound proof

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(1) Maria kept a netral expression upon her face as kitai spoke , she could feel the emotion trailing in his voice. The anger , the hurt , the wrath , she could respond with some smart ass quip like she had done astrid ; but she would let him air his grievances it was after all his right. She had things herself needed to say , as he stormed out through the back , she would pinch the bridge of her nose feeling a migrain come on the size of las noches itself.

(2) She would hold her tounge till she was past the bead curtains leading to the back room , easily keeping pace with kitai. She would keep pace her tone calm and even as the next words that left her mouth sounded like fly by statement. "respecfully your full of more shit than you accuse me of being" just kitai hadn't she would not mince her words.

(3) the sound of her heels against the cold stone of the backroom being an accompanying squish as she walked and then came to halt. "you did more than rough up a few espada you ass!! those fuckers are so traumatized now all they talk about is how you made them feel like fucking brittle knives against a mountain face!" her voice taking on a deeper more serious tone as she began to raise her voice , the calm shell falling away.

(4) "your a goddamn hypocrite! i've been buying from you since before you invaded my damn home out of bordom! was that my fucking thanks fifty thousand ryo in and my front door kicked in !? BECAUSE YOU WHERE BORED!?" her voice was like a damn harpy with it's nails on a chalk board , as it echoed through the room stock piled with mountains of boxes.

(5) "and yes i fucking killed you! because i didn't want to fucking die for refusing an order! news flash for you sulfur and brimstone smelling asshole we all dont crawl out the grave when we die like you do! THERE IS NO COMING BACK FOR ME!!" her riatsu would begin leaking out as the air around them both grew frigid , maria's own anger at the situation bubbling to the surface.

(6) she would close her eyes , taking a breath forcing her riatsu down "as for the fucking money , you keep calling me customer , all you've ever seen me as was another war monger coming to line your damn pockets!" Grabbing the first thing she could reach being what appeared to be a purple plush snail , she would would haul off and chuck it as hard as she could at kitai's head. "i may have considered you a friend , but i know for you it was all transactional so yes i was prepared to bring money not because i think your some whore but because that seems to be the only thing you want! THE ONLY WAY TO SHOW IM SORRY!'

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It was clear that Kitai had no intention of being a polite shopkeeper. This warranted a bit of an eye roll from Kouhai who continued his browsing since he wished to avoid whatever discourse these two had. Interestingly enough, though, it appeared at least somebody knew who had graced this shop with his presence. Interesting. Kouhai never made mention of his name, though it was possible that Kitai's employee knew of him simply because he knew of Maria and could put two and two together. Nevertheless, it appeared that the Saika was willing to keep things tame, at least at the moment.

That moment wasn't destined to last, evidently. Kitai's position mirrored Maria's as he spoke, clear disdain in his voice that anyone with half a brain could understand. For whatever the reason, it made Kouhai's body ache with the desire to take the Saika down. He should be honoring the fact that the Segunda Espada was here, spending her money that she worked hard to earn on his stash of items as if he owned the only store in the world. She had already given him so much in exchange for his help, so surely he could just let bygones be bygones, could he not? Truly, this was becoming too much. He felt himself take a step back toward the two of them before stopping after he heard one more comment from Kitai.

"Does your brainless moron of a boss know I can come back from the dead?"

Kitai went to leave the room and Kouhai was about to be right on the Saika's heels had he not watched Maria follow him. As devout as she was to the King of Las Noches, the growing need to flare his power and crush this store had to be choked down due to his trust in that woman. Instead of following the two of them, he remained there and walked back to the entrance where he leaned his body against the side of the door, barring anyone from entering or exiting. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, closing his eyes so he could have a moment of pretend silence. All he could do was wait for the two of them, but Kitai had better count his blessings that Kouhai allowed him to go to another room.