Hardly one to consider herself squeamish, it was still nearly impossible not to squirm a little in her seat as Giselle took her joke all too literally. A soft, if but slightly nervous chuckle tendered the silence that hung briefly after the woman finished her insights on dismemberment. “Explains why you’ve taken up at the Fourth…” She half remarked to her cup of sake as she raised it once more to take a short sip. “My kaidō ability is minimal at best – basically all I know was what was introduced to at the academy…I’ll leave reattaching body parts to those more skilled than I.” Raising her cup half up and tipping it in Giselle’s direction to indicate that she included her in that designation.

The reality of the situation she, and the others, found themselves in was a bitter pill to swallow. But hindsight was twenty-twenty; regardless of the resentment that she felt towards Kurotsuchi-taichou’s actions, he had done what was necessary in the middle of a war. She knew that, deep down, she knew that. There wasn’t time to research, to experiment, to balance the costs and the outcomes, nor was there time to turn to the enemy and ask for their assistance. There was a war going on – and there were, in his eyes, four captain-class fighters who could be saved, needed to be saved, so that they could do their duty and defend their ground, protect Soul Society.

She knew all too well that grief came in waves, this was just such one. It was a staggering weight, knowing that the outcome of it all may have been different. Could have been different. If what Giselle was saying was true. She had every reason to lie to her – sensing her state, having felt her anger, her reluctance to this meeting. After all, hadn’t she said that she felt as if her zombies had been ‘taken’ from her. She too was resentful of her present state and how she had gotten here, she could easily be jerking her along to continue to get under her skin, since she couldn’t be in her blood.

There was no bother hiding her anger, the squaring of her shoulders and jaw as she let the cup of sake settle upon the table. Palms flat against the wooden surface. Her pale gaze was ice cold. There was something deliberate about Giselle’s remarks. She would have been fine. The cost was minimal – her life her own, again. But then she would not only have been her plaything, her pawn, but also – indebted to the woman who had used her in war.

Perhaps, no, she didn’t even wish to give the small twinkle of hope a thought. She wouldn’t add fuel to that spark. But, was there a chance that it could all be reversed? The thought was interrupted by the arrival of their food. She didn’t want to consider what might go into finding a reversal process – if it meant in any way falling under Giselle’s control again, and as well as becoming indebted to her. No, she had to accept her fate, as hard as it was.

Her mood shifted as she forced a small smile onto her expression, a heavy exhale followed as she plucked up a pair of chopsticks, taking a moment to point out each of the different meats, the vegetables and the sauces for Giselle before easing back to let her have first choice.

Two steps forward, one step back – that’s where her mind went, she had been dealing with the hard cards dealt to her. She had good days, better days and bad days – and while she was struggling still, up until now, the weight of the depression that her life had been struck down not once, but twice hadn’t felt as heavy.

 “I guess it’s your turn…” She remarked, finally plucking a grilled piece of chicken to place it atop her pile of rice.

Not often she had such a captive audience. Familiarity with her abilties isn't something most sought out. So many just preferred willful ignorance. As if absence of information was a shield.

But she understood the drive behind it. Rangiku had a lot to do, and wasn't content with just having barely made it. She wanted to scrutinize, especially since it wasn't just her own life that hung in the balance. She had ulterior motives. So Giselle didn't mind expounding and expanding. In honestly a way she usually didn't.

Even as Rangiku became more tense, she remained lax and sipped her own drink. Offering a warm smile and thanks to the waitress before watching as Rangiku took a bit of food, and then proceeded to grab some for herself. Chewing a few pieces and perking up. Oh, this was quite nice!

Still. When Rangiku finally DID speak up, she raised a brow and canted her head to the side. Oh? No follow ups? Hmmm.

"My turn hm? This is really good, you made a good choice! It's beena while since I enjoyed something like this." She sighed softly, a fond little hum escaping her throat.

"Hmmm. Well, if you don't mind me asking. Perhaps this is a waste of a question. But what's currently on your mind? All of this curiosity. I understand the curiosity. But this is more...technical than I thought you'd ask about. Is there something you want from me? Or is this just curiosity?"

She knew the sensation that proceeded vomit – the way ones’ stomach would twist and knot at first; then that unassuming tickle that would creep up from the depths to linger in the back of ones’ throat. The taste of bile would soon taint all tastebuds; by then it was almost too late to prevent what was about to happen next.  

It had happened to her the day they had been summoned to the Twelfth, the first time Kurotsuchi- taichou had presented him with his report, hearing and reading in extreme detail what had happened to them – to her – had twisted her stomach, a cold sweat clung to her paled skin. As Kurotsuchi-taichou continued, relaying details not included in the report, she tried shaking off the sensation, nearly wanting to excuse herself in case she couldn’t prevent the impending disaster. But she had managed to keep herself together, even if later, alone in her apartment, the captain’s words replaying on repeat had her dry heaving.

She must have paled a shade at Giselle’s statement, the same cold sweat appearing on the back of her neck at the thought. Blood. Her skin prickled in bumps beneath her uniform, wrists retreating below the table’s edge so that the Quincy couldn’t see. Crave blood. Nails bit into flesh upon her palms, the pain a reminder that she was present, alive. Blood – her blood alone – coursed through her veins, her nerves, frayed momentarily, were controlled by her – and her alone. Her mind, her body, it was all hers – not Giselle’s, no one’s but hers.

A shake exhale escaped as she reached, a soft tremble in her outstretched hand as she grasped her sake cup, lifting it to her lips. The sharp taste soothed her, smothering the rising bile and preventing anything unseemly happening.

“…What appetizing dinner conversation. Perhaps over dessert we can discuss dismemberment,” She shot, a faint little smirk tugging the corner of her lips upwards.

Steading herself with a breath, she slowly raised her pale gaze to Giselle once again, “You said you’ve had others who have returned to normal…but I’m assuming they weren’t…” the word formed like a lump in her throat before she forced herself to continue, “dead. Like I was. Before you turned me…Right?”

It was still difficult to wrap her mind around, she remembered so little, even at the end it was foggy. Pain, unlike anything she had ever felt, even during her fight with those three arrancar’s beast – she had thought that injury would have killed her, but it hadn’t it. Maybe it had been the adrenaline that had numbed the pain back then, less of it coursed in her veins prior to her demise making the sensation of steel into flesh so much more acute.

“I guess…I’m asking…had you merely weened me off of your blood…I’d just have been dead, right?”

She was familiar with the look on the woman's face. And she took a moment to down her own cup before pouring herself another, offering to top off Rangiku once they'd taken their own sobering sip.

"Oh?~ Dismemberment isn't quite so interesting. Unless you're really into nerve reconnecting. My Schrift makes the finer details unnecessary in the short term. But you'd be amazed how important finer control can be when you're getting things put back together." She chimed playfully, as she COULD indeed, spend the afternoon talking about dismemberment. But she hardly intended to actually do so.

The topic of others had her pause. Considering it as she drummed her fingernails. "It depends on how long they were dead and how much time I have. If they've been dead dead for a while, then it can take a lot of work to get them up and running. Usually I just use however much blood is necessary to get them up and fighting. But that comes at a cost. Higher functions, and just some general deterioration." She took another drink, downing the second cup without so much as a pause.

"If I'm going to do that. I'd need to give them a lot of blood, and slowly repair all the damage. Of course it won't be perfect, but if I can get their marrow up and running they'll be fine. If the marrow can be salvaged, they can start making their own blood, and I can slowly remove my own. Then that leaves them with all their own blood. Even if they were completely dead, if I can manage that, I can turn them into a zombie, and then return them entirely to normal, though it's rough on them. But uuuusually I can handle it without shortening their life too much. Lets see..." She closed her eyes and thought back.

"I think.... the longest one of my released zombies lived was..... Seventy? So they only lost a few years off their life. From dead dead? They lost maybe forty percent if I could salvage their marrow or if it was still intact even less. If I had to rebuild their marrow or if there was vital organ complication, then that dropped them by a good Sixty plus percent." She folded her legs and let her cheek rest on her knuckles. Eyeing the woman as she paused, remembering.

"You weren't dead for long. Your marrow was still fine. Your heart had stopped, but your vital organs hadn't been too bad when I got to you. That captain of yours, with him and Cang fighting nearby, you were more or less refridgerated. If I'd weaned you off myself? You'd have been more or less fine. Captain too." She stated simply.

‘Does it matter?’ The nonchalant response felt like a lit match tossed into a pile of dry leaves, instantly igniting them into a raging inferno – a biting retort was poised on her lips, brows furrowing as her hand gripped the mug of tea till her knuckles were ghostly white. It mattered – it mattered to her; and that was all that mattered right now. Too many times she had been left without answers to the questions that were seared into her mind, etched into the very fabric of her soul – if she wanted to know ‘why’ she was going to get the answer, one way or another.

Swearing that she heard a faint crack – the sound of the porcelain cup cracking under the extreme pressure of her grip her hand retreated to her lap; note to self – order a drink before you ask another question.

“…Pepe…” Muttering the name under her breath, her gaze upon Giselle drifted to the edge of the table as she racked her brain for the name. The events of the war were a garbled mess for most; as they had been spread out during the fighting – much of the happenings were recanted in reports, the first hand accounts the only way of finding out the actions that had took place. She too had learned much of what had happened to her by the accounts of others, a notion that still made her skin crawl. Still, the name struck a chord and after a brief moment of thought she returned her attention to Giselle. “Yeah…A friend of mine engaged with him…he wasn’t a fan, either” injecting a rather comical and lighthearted note into the foreboding thoughts.

The distraction of the waitress was pleasant enough, allowing her to shake off the building feelings from overwhelming her this early on in their evening. Taking the lead as Giselle requested, she ordered them a selection of skewers, a variety of meats and grilled vegetables as well, including rice and soup to pair with the meal. Additionally, before the waitress left, she made sure to ask for a carafe of sake – and two cups.

Giselle didn’t waste a second once they were alone again, her question felt like it was the first in a prying exam. Swearing, she could hear the hum of a blinding, artificial fluorescent light; the restaurant fading away till she found herself alone once more in a sterile room, cold steel beneath her. The thud of the sake carafe rattled the table and snapped her from her thoughts; the noise of the restaurant, the smells, the warmth all flooded her senses momentarily.

“Can’t say that I have…” She responded, hand wrapping tightly around the neck of the bottle to pour herself a drink, gaze lifting to catch Giselle’s stare as she lifted the bottle in question to if she wanted her to pour her a cup. Prior to an answer, she did anyways – it wouldn’t go to waste even if Giselle declined it. “If you want an honest answer – my emotions have been…all over the place, justifiably. Some days I’m fine…as fine as I can be, I guess. Other days, I’m a wreck but I hide it…” Lifting the cup to her lips she threw back the shot, letting the saucer settle on the surface of the table as she leaned lightly upon her elbows as she sat forward. “I’m angry…” she noted, her gaze leveled upon the Quincy, “and other times I feel like I’m a failure. I failed my captain, my division…And yet, I know they don’t think that, but I can’t shake it…”

She was well aware of how important the questions felt. Of that there was no question. But ultimately, there was simply the matter of the following. With every question Giselle answered. Did Rangiku REALLY feel any better? She was getting what she wanted, but that didn't mean that that improved her situation. And something as simple as 'was this targeted or a coincidence?'. Did knowing that Giselle had made Rangiku and her allies a priority target matter? Did it make her feel any better? Worse? Did the notion that even if Giselle hadn't gotten to them, Pepe might have, do anything for them?

The mind was so very good at distracting itself. But it couldn't do so forever. But she supposed thats what the point was, wasn't it? to slowly peel away at these things that FELT important, until they got to what actually was.

"Yyyyep~ I'm sure you're familiar with the feeling of not quite getting along with all of your allies. Pepe was that kinda guy. Got a little too into his schrift. He wasn't born with them, and frankly he let them get to his head. " She hummed, eyeing the menu for a moment as she reviewed what Rangiku had ordered for them. She gladly accepted the Sake as Rangiku offered it and she took a little sip, watching Rangiku throw back the shot. Hmmmm.

"That sounds pretty normal then. At least as far as zombies go. But you also seem a bit on the lucky side. Some zombies have some little quirks if they're taking off. Maybe it's just the work your Captain did. But sometimes Zombies get a little hemofixated. Having their existence hinge on blood, sometimes when they were turned back, they'd still crave the stuff. Sometimes mine, sometimes just blood in general! But looks like you don't have any of that." She hummed as she surveyed the woman.

"Your turn~"

"Yes, somewhat outside of the west gate there is a quaint Ramen place. I frequented there, at one point."

He'd comment after a small moment in thought. It was a neutral place, he didn't expect too much trouble for either of them. Truth be told, with his status of a minor pariah they might have more in common than he initial thought.

"I'll lead the way."

She couldn't help but tilt her head slightly as he continued to have that strange look on his face. Well, she supposed if anyone WAS going to tolerate her. It'd be someone on the strange side of things. Birds of a Feather and all that.

Still, as the man led the way, she couldn't help but pry just a little.

"Sooooo all that stuff about Killing. You normally open with that?" She ventured with a smile, not seeming bothered by the fact that he had. they were still going out to get food weren't they? No, she just was a bit curious about the fella.

@leichefrau said:

Soifon shifted her attention from her desk, eyes blinking a few times before she turned her gaze up to catch Giselle's. The surprise clear as day, even as she spoke, "Ah, thank you, I... didn't think you'd remember,"

Setting her pen off to the side, she reached forwards to grab the sides of the package, lifting and pulling it closer so she might unwrap it, "May I?"

The Captain’s surprise resulted in her smile widening just a little. Fondly enjoying that surprise as she let her head tilt to the side. “Of course I did. I do my best to remember dates for people that are important to me.” She chimed, sitting on the edge of the desk and lightly kicking her feet. Her tone, her posture, everything spelled out the same story.

That Giselle was incredibly happy to be around the woman. The almost sheepish question from Soi brought a pleased little smile to the quincy’s features.

“Go ahead. Its for you after all.” She pointed out. The package itself was simple to open up. The thin paper easy to tear open and reveal its contents. A Keychain made from a clean polished silver. A wasp with the symbol of the second division etched into its thorax.

“iiiiits nothing awesome but it has been a while.” She conceded, before turning towards the Captain and holding up a finger. “Which is why! I also wanted to take you to Lunch! Yaknow incase the Gift sucked.”

“Matsumoto,” Her tone was curt, pausing briefly as she attempted to inject some pleasantries into her voice. If they were going to be seeing one another from time to time, she might as well attempt to start off on the right foot, “I mean, you don’t have to call me Lieutenant…”Her nostrils flared as she released a rather pent up exhale, “I’m not big on honorifics…so, Matsumoto is fine…Might be able to work your way up to Rangiku…eventually,” she chimed, allowing a little bit of her usual sparkling personality to shine through.

Her feet felt as if they were surrounded by concrete, or chained to two cinderblocks, it took every fiber of her being screaming for her to finally move. Luckily, her stride was casual, even as she felt the weight of chains snaring every appendage in their iron-laced grip, and the petite, smiling Quincy at her side – held them like strings.

“You say that like you’re expecting to find that we eat strange or odd things,” she offered, there was a hint of amusement in her rather dry tone – right foot, right foot – she chided mentally. Another expressed exhaled as she pondered briefly, “…There’s a yakitori place in the First District that we can go to. They have good food,” ‘and even better drinks’, she noted mentally.

It was a small hole in the wall restaurant, one that didn’t attract too much attention, and hardly any shinigami frequented, meaning that the chance of someone catching her associating with Giselle was highly unlikely. Still, she’d feel far better after this evening was done with and she could put it behind her – until the next time Giselle called upon her.

By the time they had made it through the thoroughfares of the Seireitei and out into the Rukongai, the roads had become a bit more congested. She kept Giselle always within her peripheral view, not that she felt as though she’d sneak away – she was getting exactly what she wanted, the blonde’s undivided attention. Slipping under the restaurant’s curtained entry she took a seat at the back of the small space. The room was cozy, the lingering aroma of the grilled meats hung heavy in the air, a sizzle of the grill cutting through the soft hum of the restaurant. As she expected she saw no one of any note, none at least that donned shihakushō.

Once seated she lulled her head gently to one side, her neck lightly crackling to relieve a tad bit of the tension she was currently bearing. An older woman breezed past, placing menus upon the table, and placing a teapot and two cups down. Her hand wrapped around the mug of tea, the warmth penetrating her skin – an oddly calming reminder given her current company.

She had hoped sitting across from Giselle would settle her nerves, that she’d finally be able to look at the Quincy and not feel that seething pit of anger boiling in her soul; she wouldn’t feel her muscles clench, her mind race – she’d just see another pawn, another solider, another victim but it was impossible to put aside everything; to not level blame on her for what she had endured, how she had suffered. No, she hadn’t been the one to deal the fatal blow – but she had played a villainous part in her suffering.

“…You said earlier…if I had questions, I could ask…” She remarked, knowing that she probably should have ordered something stronger before speaking up, “…Why us? Was it just opportunity or did you want the strongest pawns that you could make into your puppets…”

The instant that correction came up, her smile widened at that and her palms met with a soft and excited clap! "Oh! Matsumoto then!" There was no shortage of mirth in the woman's voice at being provided such instruction! Of course she had a feeling it wans't really anything other than the woman's disdain for formality, but all the same, she was happy to celebrate the promotion~

"I'll do my best~" She promptly chimed in response. Certainly pleased to hear that more natural tone to the woman's voice. A pause given to process the woman's comment about food. "Yes! I mostly have eaten a lot of stuff from Europe. My home. A little bit into american food as well, but I've not really eaten a lot of stuff from the east." She stated simply enough. Making note of the set of eyes that followed her, but hardly letting that bother them as they went. A little hum escaping her throat as they went.

The place itself seemed cosy enough! And she paused for a moment when she noticed the corner Rangiku was taking her to. She almost considered teasing the woman about keeping her all to themselves, but well, she wasn't going to take that little playful comment before as them magically being friends. She kept her little jab to herself~

That said, she did perk up, having looked over the menu only a few moments before the first question came out. Oh?

"Does that matter?" She ventured as she took a sip of the water that had been set out, lightly kicking her feet, though she was careful not to make contact with the woman across from her as she did.

"I was making as many zombies as possible. I'm not really a fighter type. Sure I COULD. But I don't really enjoy that kind of thing. So I sortof kept to myself and started making for the bodies. I suppoooooooose to some extent, I did beeline once I sensed your spiritual pressure die out. But that was mainly to make sure Pepe didn't get in the way. He has a habbit of trying to poach my zombies with his weird little Love Schrift. The guy creeps me out so I admit I do hurry when someone strong drops." She gave a little pop of her shoulders as a shrug.

Once the waitress came back in, she gave a happy little smile and asked Rangiku to order for her. After all she knew what was good at the place. And once their orders had been taken, Gigi folded her hands and let her chin rest on her knuckles.

"Have you noticed any psychological changes since your recovery? Any ... muted emotions, numbness? Things like that?" She decided to take a turn with asking questions.

In the depths of her soul, she couldn't escape the overwhelming sensation that she had forged an unholy covenant with the very devil himself—a malevolent pact conceived to shield the ones she held dear. A weighty burden, destined to be shouldered in solitude; so long as Toushiro never found out.

“…Give us some time…” She remarked, her tone softer, the turbulent ebb and flow of her emotions finally catching up to her. She shoulders slacked as she peered down at the number she had been given, head finally lifting to Giselle once more, “The war is still a fresh wound on everyone’s mind,” and their bodies, their souls, “They lost friends, mentors, captains…They’re angry still, and frankly most don’t have a healthy understanding of how to release their emotions. It’s easier to punch someone than to talk about how they feel…”

Slipping the number into her pocket she gave her a small nod. “Till later then,” she chimed, standing motionless until Giselle had vanished from her vision. She turned, pausing briefly, to stare back into the barracks of the Tenth, towards the windows of her office. A figure passed by the shadow caught in the pains of glass, she was certain it was Toushiro, either on the way out the door or finally ready to lecture her about not being prompt in returning. She’d save him the trouble, quickening her haste to return.

Still, as time ticked by, and morning passed into the afternoon she felt the heavy hand of dread upon her shoulder. She’d need a drink – or twelve – to get through whatever Giselle had in store for them; but she needed to keep her guard up and mind sharp. Figuring there was no way to back out of her deal, without putting Toushiro at risk, she tried to sound as cheery and normal as possible as she bid him goodbye, but she lagged back, shooting off a message to Giselle’s number before making her way back to their intended meeting spot from earlier.

At the sound of approaching footsteps she turned, praying that it wasn’t a friend – she really didn’t wish to explain – lie – as to who she was waiting for.

That smile of hers returned as she was provided that soft response. Ohhhhh? Her brows raised for a moment as she received a surprisingly...mature response from the Lieutenant. Not just an angry little hiss, or a pointed finger, but rather, a soft murmur of reason in the woman's voice.

Ahhh~ She'd made the right choice after all~

"Fair enough. What's that they say about time and wounds?" She hummed, pleased with the way that Rangiku's mind seemed to work. She wasn't just stonewalling. Her words DID seem to be sinking in. Good~ That would be so much easier than just them begrudgingly dragging themselves along. "Have a good day at work then~" She chirped before she took her leave.

Of course, she wound up heading the rest of the way to Fourth Division. After all, she DID still have work to do. But still, when that text finally popped up on her phone, she couldn't help but smile to herself. And of course... mentally collecting her thoughts.

No doubt Rangiku had fears and concerns about all this. Even just mundane interactions were going to be painful. But she couldn't help but be a bit excited. This was a rare situation. Not only that but there was something.....else. Something she had sensed back during the war. Something she was, presently, keeping to herself.

No reason to be too loose in the lips. After all, she was sure Rangiku would realize it eventually. No time soon of course. Rangiku would likely just think to herself she was being what she had to be. But Giselle knew better, a little smile on her lips. Thinking about how .....quickly that anger had evaporated. How well Rangiku had taken to her words and her deal. Hmmm. A topic for another day~

In the meantime however, she promptly made her way to the designated spot, a bit of a bounce in her step as she spotted the Lieutenant from a ways away and smiled from ear to ear.

"Nice to see you again, Lieutenant~" Politely abstaining from the Nickname Rangiku had bristled about earlier.

"Are you all ready to go? Since ythis is the first time, why don't you pick where we go to eat? I'm not too familiar with what you Shinigami like to eat." She offered calmly enough. Her voice casual, friendly. As no doubt Rangiku's brain would be racing, and those pretty eyes would be watching her like a hawk.

She'd expect nothing less.

RP MUSE VALENTINE’S APPLICATION.

It was nearly like déjà vu, the same knee-jerk reaction she had felt when Kurotsuchi-taichou had delivered the news to the four of them after the war. It felt as if all the air had been forcefully ripped from her lungs, unable to breathe, her mind racing over countless thoughts. How long did they have – an ambiguous answer, who could say. A shinigami’s life could be ten times as long as even the longest living human, and even then, there were exceptions by thousands of years.

Still, that day, weeks ago when that news had been delivered, she remembered the void of expressions upon the other three’s faces – they hadn’t reacted as she had. Muguruma-taichou had merely squared his shoulders, clenched his jaw before he had turned and left. Ōtoribashi-taichou’s expression hadn’t changed, he simply waved a dismissive hand and followed after Muguruma-taichou. While she had fought against her knees buckling and trying her best to regain a sense of composure – it had been her taichou’s voice, steady as always, telling her that they were done here, and to head back to the barracks. Still, as calm as he seemed, she couldn’t quite shake that there was a small speck of fear in his hardened turquoise gaze.

How long…Had his life been cut down by? Her young captain, wise beyond his years, having already shouldered too many burdens was now given another to bear. It was easier for her to deflect her own fears onto him, he became the catalyst for her own unknown future. How long…did they have left? She had dwelled upon it over drinks, alone, because she knew the others wouldn’t talk about it and she didn’t dare bring it up to her friends – they wouldn’t understand. Had the other two captains been so unphased because they had already faced so much; their futures having already been twisted and turned upside down once that this new uncertainty felt normal? But what of her captain, what of her…

She hadn’t remembered bridging the distance between them, her fists twisted roughly into Giselle’s uniform forcing the other up upon her toes. Semblance of the Quincy’s words slowly started to return, just as she complimented her on her use of Haineko. How tempting it was to reach back and unsheathe her, let her see up close and personal just how ‘gifted’ she was with Haineko. But she knew better, one drop of her blood was all it took, no matter how badly she wanted to see her bleed out at her feet she wouldn’t put anyone at risk of what she had gone through.

It wasn’t a forceful shove as she retracted her hand from the other, but it wasn’t gentle by any means. She placed herself out of arm’s reach of the woman; her back half turned to her as she felt the anger slowly begin to subside.

“…Fine,” As if she Giselle was the one facing the conundrum, she was practically blackmailing her into letting her observe her.  Let her run into Muguruma-taichou or Ōtoribashi-taichou, they could certainly handle themselves, and it wasn’t like Shuuhei and Izuru would stand for Giselle overstaying her welcome. “You can visit me, we can talk…” She turned, once more facing her but she raised a lone finger, “On one condition, you won’t go anywhere near my taichou. Understood? You won’t come into the office if he is there, you’ll make yourself scarce around my barracks if he so much as passes through the courtyard. My duty is to protect him, and I failed to do that before, I won’t this time.”

The look on the woman's face was .... interesting. IN most circumstances, again, she was the one weaning her Zombies off of things. She'd inform them of the situation while they had limited mental faculties. It allowed the substance to sink in without superficial thoughts and such getting in the way. And then, as they returned to their own selves, they simply already KNEW the situation. And so when she told them again, it was simply as if they were being reminded. A smoother process.

But this was so much more....pronounced? And she couldn't help but feel a hint of sympathy for the woman. Truly it was a shame that she hadn't been the one to ease them out of things. Buuuuuuut she knew better than to go saying that just yet. Nope, especially not when she was lifted all but clean off her own feet as that spike of rage suddenly crashed through Rangiku's head. Her Blut was already active. It had been as such since the start of this conversation, but she was still glad that the woman had the self restraint not to try it.

And of course. As that concession finally came out, that was the situation and she was certainly intrigued.

Huh, Rannie was much more like a big sister than she'd thought. well no. Actually. She was more than aware of just what sort of big sister she was. But rather, that was just her day to day. It was, rather, interesting that even in a situation like this. She still maintained such protective instincts.

She knew that if Shiro found out, he'd be furious~

That smile of hers softened slightly, and she couldn't help but hum a bit to herself as she walked back up to Rangiku and spoke.

"Thanks for not attacking me. It's a bit exhausting ya know? Having to keep my blut up all the time. Not everyone's as restrained as you, ya know? So I appreciate you not making this a problem." She hummed, and then folded her hands behind her back.

"You've got a deal. Here's my number. When you're done with work for the day, we'll meet here again. We'll find someplace to get some food, and we'll take things from there. And hey, if you think of anything you wanna ask me. Feel free. We're gonna be seeing a lot of eachother. so may as well sate your curiosities." She chimed, before promptly turning to take her leave.

No reason to bother Rannie further when they'd have all afternoon together.

There had been too many casualties – the unranked squad members, lower ranked officers – divisions had all but been decimated. Too many names of her own squad, members she had seen cheer and rally at their appearance on the front lines – were now on the list of those they lost. Ones she failed to protect, save; some they were never able to recover their remains.

As much as she hated to admit it – she was technically right – or rather, Kurotsuchi-taichou had merely deemed their lives, the lives of three captains and a lieutenant more important than soldiers for fodder.

That remark ‘you could also just be dead’ delivered so casually, so nonchalant, had her triggered once more. Nails dug into palms as her arms uncrossed, dropping to her sides – swearing she saw the faintest tint of red growing at the corner of her peripheral vision – her jaw clenched, brows knit together as her pale gaze aimed draggers at Giselle.

“But at what cost. Do you know that? I lost my life…” Her anger veiled the emotion that had managed to creep into her tone, pausing to settle the raging torment within her, “And I paid for a new one at the cost of my lifespan – how long? No one can tell me that. Kurotsuchi-taichou doesn’t have any idea, but he tells me every opportunity he gets that I should be grateful for his genius. Don’t get me wrong, I am. Because you’re right I am a live, I’m not one of your zombies. But what you did to m–” stopping a syllable short, the admittance lodged like a brick in her throat. “–them, my captain…” She scowled, shaking her head as her lips drew into a thin line.

She was quick to raise her hand, a sign for her to stop. She knew – she had read about it, for weeks she could hardly make eye contact with her friends within those divisions. The thought of raising her blade against fellow Shinigami was unbearable thought. “Stop. They may not matter to you but there were good people in those squads. I don’t want to hear about the blood I have on my hands.”

But her justification? That tinge of red was growing now as she took a step forward, but paused before she could bridge too much of the distance between them. She feared what she might do if she got within striking distance – justified or not. An unamused, sarcastic laugh escaped her, her sneering smirk returning. “Oh right, cause we’re at fault for defeating an invading force,” she shot back. “And it was four captains, including Captain-Commander Yamamoto, not to mention three vice-captains and countless officers. But who’s counting, am I right?” She snapped.

She knew she should walk away, storm into her barracks and demand the door be barred, with stern instructions to not allow anyone resembling Giselle’s appearance to be allowed to cross the threshold – but she failed to follow her own sense of logic. “Rannie?” She hissed back, “Don’t. You don’t have a right to give me some nickname like we’re friends.”

'But at what cost? did she know that?' What an interesting thing to ask her.

"Extremely~ You're among the first zombies to be taken from me, but you're not the only ones who have returned to normal. Your little Captain did it his OWN way, and so youre actually probably worse off than the examples I'm familiar with. But I'm quite aware of the process." She chimed. Yes, her casualness with which she addressed the subjects was simply by merit of how familiar she was with the subject matter. How many exterminations had the quincy suffered? She'd lived through most of them.

"As for you and the others. You were all taken cold turkey, not getting weaned off. And sooo I imagine..... Seventy... Eighty percent? Maybe more depending on the job the Captain did. But then again I'm more familiar with human lifespans." She shrugged her shoulders.

She paused as that hand went up. Oh? Guilt? that made sense. She waited patiently as Rangiku took her words in stride. Ahhhh, who would have thought she'd made such a good talking partner! Perhaps she shouldn't have turned off the woman's brain after all. She seemed rather cognizant of a lot of things most would just gloss over.

"Nope~ I don't blame you in the slightest. Assigning Blame is a pointless exercise. I say you killed my friends. you say I killed yours. I say you decided to genocide my people. You say we were destroying the balance. We could spin this back to all the conflicts our people have had. But will that really accomplish anything? No. we both fought as best we could in a war. You were gifted with your Zanpaku'to. And any number of soldet found themselves being shredded to pieces by little particles of ash they might not have ever had the chance to see. And me? Well I have my own share of unfair qualities." She abstained from a more descriptive foray as the woman seemed to be squeamish about the subject.

Her head canted a bit to the side as the woman hissed in response to her nickname. And she ... pondered how to respond. "Hm. Well I think Friends is a bit much to expect at this point. I'm content with working on 'not enemies'. Dontcha think?" She smiled and held her hands behind her back, tilting her head to the side.

"I've already been attacked. And its super annoying having to use my quincy powers to make it so I don't bleed on people when they do it." She paused for a moment and folded her arms thoughtfully and tapped her chin for a moment as she ...regarded the woman.

"You seem like you're going through a lot. So I'm kinda at a conundrum here. I'm very curious about my zombies, especially ones who aren't mine anymore. Buuut I have a feeling that you don't like being around me. But I ALSO totes get the feeling that If I decide to go looking for one of the OTHERS You'll like that even less. And I'm gonna run into them eventually anyway." She hummed and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"So how about this? If you want, I'll leave you alone. I won't go near you. I can even try to avoid you as much as I can. And I'll just turn my attention elsewhere. OR. IF I know you shinigami well enough. You probably don't want me going anywhere near Kenny, Rosie, or Shiro either huh? Thats a little too many people for me to go tip toeing around soul society away from. So as an alternative, if you don't mind me coming, talking to you now and then and visiting you, I'll do my best to avoid the others. Alrtnatively, I can just keep doing what I'm doing, I'll do where I please, and we'll run into eachother now and then probably. I'll say Hi~ You'll scowl and glare at me. So waddaya think?"

@leichefrau

Well, there was a face she hadn't seen for some time. Her brow ticked up slightly, and after a brief scan up and down, she landed her attention on the gummies then to their face.

"Indeed, I had wondered if you might've perished."

"I may as well have. But I'm back now. Tooooo a bunch of new faces." She sighs softly. It truly did feel like she'd lost so much progress. so many shinigami that HAD seemed to be warming up. And well now it was back to square one.

And to that she offered a...different, softer smile to the Captain herself. "How have you been?" She asked, her voice dropping it's usual singsongy tone. A hint of ...hesitation.

She'd been gone, and so she understood that her memories were..outdated. She had hope, fervent and ......desperate inside of her. But she also understood. Absence didn't always make the heart grow fonder.

"False. Just because there isn't an active war, does not mean death sits idly. The cultivation, and maintenance, of the Soul Cycle is constant. There are always threats, external and internal, which must be removed."

His eyebrow raises when she speaks again, a faint amusement on his lips.

"It would be rude of me to not indulge an honored guest."

Perhaps he can ease some of the tensions that still exist, particularly surrounding this Quincy.

Well that was pretty dramatic. She raised a brow slightly at his assertion, but decided not to push the topic along any further. Especially with the shift of conversation.

"Cool beans! Know of any good restaurants?" He seemed....... amicable! At least a bit less hissy than a lot of other shinigami, which was something to work with! She enjoyed having stuff to work with.

The interior of her left cheek was sucked in, pinned between her back molars as the young raven-haired Quincy spoke – each sentence uttered drew harder pressure until it was on the verge of drawing blood. Dare she tempt her.

Of course, the cohabitation, a tough pill to swallow if she was being honest. She had been resentful at first, much like many others who couldn’t quite grasp the notion that Quincy that had survived, the very same Quincy who had quite literally played a part in the destruction of the Seireitei, who had annihilated whole squadrons of divisions were allowed to live, just outside their walls. She couldn’t help but wonder, had the tables had been turned, would the Shinigami have been allowed the same luxury?

“…The Fourth, really…” She couldn’t help but wonder how Isane felt about this ‘cultural exchange’ as Giselle called it. The Fourth has suffered plenty of their own casualties, were they that desperate for healers? She ought to be headed to the Twelfth, Kurotsuchi-taichou would probably relish getting his hands on her – a cruel thought.

It was an involuntary reaction, a flinch, her gaze snapping briefly away as she turned towards Giselle. When her lids once more lifted, her pale gaze was cold, hard, a smirking scowl on her features. “Well, aren’t I just lucky then,” she retorted, arms crossing beneath her chest, “Or perhaps you are…I doubt the others would be as pleasant of company around you.” Her vision drifted back towards the Tenth’s Barracks, hoping that her delayed return didn’t prompt her captain to come outside looking for her – he had a bad habit of being quick to anger.

“My recovery…” Brows furrowed as she leveled her gaze once more upon the raven-haired Quincy, a cold, joyless laugh escaped her. “…I mean I’m alive…no thanks to you, I have Kurotsuchi-taichou to thank for that one…Which he never lets us forget whenever he sees us at the countless appointments he requests. I’m a recovered zombie,” bile rose in the back of her throat as she choked it back down, lips turned down in a scowl, “I’m a science experiment…” Her eyes squeezed shut as she shook her head, “The worst part is I don’t remember any of it…” Her right hand rose to press in against her shoulder, the scar from her fatal injury concealed under her uniform. “Which I should be thankful for…. but only if I didn’t have to continue to read about it in reports…”

Oh she wasn't blind. She could see just how much her presence bothered Rangiku.

It was fascinating to see.

"Yep! It's been mostly self study at the moment. But as it were, finding stuff that I can do outside of using my blood is pretty cool." She chimed with a lopsided little smile. Of course, seeing that kneejerk reaction, she couldn't help but cant her head a bit to the side as Rangiku threw out that little barb.

"Don't you mean 'Especially thanks to me?'. You don't see any of your allies that were properly killed still around do you? Not that we managed to kill many of your higher ups. But it LOOKS like the only dead that are kicking again, are the ones I turned into zombies." She noted idly, with no real vim or vigor to her voice. A simple statement of facts.

"So it seems. Bue you could just also be dead~ You get to see your friends. You get to protect people. And Kenny, Shiro, and Rosie get to maintain the Gotei's fighting force. And stick around for those they care about. As much as I DISLIKE that bastard clown. I'm impressed with what he's been able to do." She clenched her teeth at the mention of that man.

But well. She wouldn't go so far as to say she hated him or anything. Otherwise she'd be just like those idiots that hated her.

"Hmmmm~ You didn't do much actually!" She chimed. "You did cut down some of Squads Eleven and Five. But it wasn't long before you were beaten. Not that that's your fault. Zombification can only matter so much against Gotei Captains ya know?You guys certainly wiped US out." She noted, before looking pointedly at Rangiku.

"Because you guys killed like..... just about all of us yaknow? You loooost... what. Some men. And one or two Captains? And we losssst.... all but just a handful?" She noted calmly, a baleful look given to Rangiku for just a few seconds. That this woman who had lost.....almost nobody. Was acting like SHE was the monster? After they killed Askin. Gremmy? Bernice? Pernidas? Gerard? Mask and James?

And how many of HER friends wound up being turned into little clown ecperiments?

It disgusted her. That these petty. Crying. DisGUSTING shits could take so much from her and act like SHE was the monster.

And just like that the tension left her.

"It's whatevs~ I guess you shinigami have had it pretty easy. This issssss what. Your second war? I guess I can't be TOO mad. The first few times is pretty rough. So I don't blame you being all hissy Rannie~"

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