Captain's Office

Kano rummaged through the office's shelves and desk, looking for something in particular.

"Tsk. I remember telling him to place some somewhere..." She murmured. "Where in the world did he put it?"

Moments ago, she had returned from her trip to the living world and drafted up a report for the Sou-taichou, to be taken to her via a hell butterfly

Unfortunately, her scout squad had been annihilated. All three of them, Moeta, Yasuo and Haruna had been killed, turned into nothing more but piles of ashes that scattered in the wind. It was a feeling of deja vu when she walked across the area searching for their last remaining traces of reiatsu and Kano could not help but be reminded of her own encounter back then.

Nevertheless, she is now back in soul society and waiting for Masaru to return from wherever he had gone (Probably Nozomi). The guy had suffered some burns from his battle with the demon of fire and naturally, Kano is worried.

"Ah!" Kano cheered, raising up a bottle of sake she had found in victory. In no time at all, Kano had planted herself onto the captain's chair, the seal on the bottle gone and was drinking her fill from it.

"Goodbye Moeta, Yasuo, Haruna..." she whispered.

Silently Xarath opened the door to his taichou's office before taking a look. Kano. He should have known. Just as silently he leaned against the wall next to the door, watching the woman take a gulp from the alcohol.

Idiotic brat poisoning herself too.

Once he noticed the girl taking another gulp he stepped forward.

"Haven't you had enough alcohol for one day? Or do you think it's alright for a taichou to drink themselves into oblivion during duty?"

To be honest, he was surprised that the woman was so unprofessional.
He had expected different from her.

"Masa-" Kano moved to speak up upon sensing the door open and someone entering. She almost called out the sixth captain's name but stopped when she saw that the person entering was not the captain himself, but the vice captain of the sixth division.

Quickly, she propped herself upright from the captain's chair, leaping from the seat in surprise, fearing a reprimand from the stern man like how he did when he exploded in the first division a while ago.

"Ah.. Xarath kun..." Kano muttered in embarrassment, while smoothing down her captain haori nervously. If it was Masaru, everything is all and well, but on the other hand, Xarath Shiru might not take kindly to her desecrating his beloved captain's seat.

"Wher-where is Masaru?" She meekly asked.

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"Masa-"

Xarath raised an eyebrow before clicking his tongue. "Sorry doll, not the man you want." he thought amused before stepping up to the desk.

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"Ah.. Xarath kun..."

Another tongue click while he watched in amusement how the woman tried to straighten herself. Embarrassment? Or was she simply scared of him.
He doubted that though...

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"Wher-where is Masaru?"

"Having a teaparty at fourth." he muttered before he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I have finished our complete paper work earlier while..." worrying his head off? "ha...ha...hav..ing... nonononothing bettttter tototo do." Tongue click.

"What do you need and..." He looked at the bottle in her hand. This was certainly Masaru's, though he could not be angry or annoyed about it. He was glad the alcohol was gone from Masaru's office. Still... "You know, you should not drink. It only causes one problems." No matter how often they had their little arguments... he certainly did not wish for anything happening to the woman.

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"Having a teaparty at fourth."

Masaru, having a tea party? The petite captain's eyes grew as wide as saucers when she heard this interesting development. For a grown man such as Masaru Shirakawa, Kano never knew he had a ... tendency for these kind of things. A quick guess and brain whirling puts the blame on Nozomi. Who else other than the younger girl would be able to drag Masaru of all people into a tea party?

Maybe yourself, Hime. Kekekekeke.

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"I have finished our
complete paper work earlier while...ha...ha...hav..ing... nonononothing bettttter tototo do." Tongue click.

Kano nodded understandingly. "Nice work, Xarath kun." She commented, dismissing the stuttering at the end of the man's sentence. "No wonder there isn't any paperwork around in here."

She meant it as a compliment, frankly speaking - The Ninth division is in a messier state than this place. But that somehow came out wrong and Kano inwardly cringed. Why must it be so awkward trying to strike up a conversation with the other guy? Is it because of his status with one Masaru Shirakawa? While it is no big news that Xarath adores his captain, Kano kind of felt uneasy about that. Every time she meets the vice-captain or Masaru in the former's presence, she felt as though she is intruding into something and she wonders why.

You know perfectly why, Hime.
Enlighten me.
Why, jealousy of course.

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"You know, you should not drink. It only causes one problems."

"Eh?" Kano blinked, before realising that the fukkutaicho was referring to the sake bottle in her hands. "Oh..."

"Don't worry about it, Xarath kun." Kano smiled at Xarath's concern. "It won't bring me problems I don't already have."

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"Nice work, Xarath kun."

Xarath clicked his tongue and looked suspiciously at her. What was she trying to pull here?

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"No wonder there isn't any paperwork around in here."

He glanced at the desk before his eyes settled back onto her.
Maybe she meant it? That couldn't be, or?
Well, why not? He was convinced that Kano couldn't bother with sweet talking, especially sweet talking with him. If there was something she did not like about him he was certain he was the first she'd tell.

-

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"Eh?"

He tilted his head in confusion. She couldn't possibly not understand what he meant.

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"Oh..." ... "Don't worry about it, Xarath kun." ... "It won't bring me problems I don't already have."

What was that supposed to mean? Was somebody blackmailing her? Was somebody using her? He clicked his tongue twice before leaning a hip against the desk.

"Is..." Well how should he approach this topic? He might hurt her pride if he voiced his fears wrongly, but... is there even a way to not make it sound as bad as it was? He clicked his tongue again before continuing. "Is there somebody abusing you?" Tongue click. "You... you can be honest with me." Who else would drink alcohol and say they already have to deal with the consequences? Were used to it. Maybe Kano needed it as an excuse, because she could not face her failure in defending herself? There was no reason why somebody as strong as her would drink alcohol just so somebody else could take advantage of her.

"I... will help you." Tongue click. Seriously though, even though they had their differences he wouldn't want her to suffer, especially not suffering through something like that. "You don't have to give them a reason to take advantage of you."

He'll kill everybody who laid a finger on the woman.

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"Is..." ... "Is there somebody abusing you?" ... "You... you can be honest with me."

What? Did she hear that correctly? To say that Kano was not stunned by this sudden out of the ordinary question was to tell a very big lie. What in seven heavens made Xarath think she was being abused in some sort of way by some sort of people? Actually, if someone was indeed abusing her, it would be Kano herself.

My god, Hime. You actually looked like you were being abused. You poor little pathetic midget.
Shut up.

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"I... will help you." .... "You don't have to give them a reason to take advantage of you."

"I... uh..." How should she say it so that the vice-captain do not get any more funny ideas? The man seemed to be pretty convinced that she is being abused by somebody. "I am not being abused, Xarath kun."

"Really."

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"I... uh..."

Unconsciously he stepped forward, clicking his tongue while he waited impatiently for her answer.

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"I am not being abused, Xarath kun."

... huh? No?

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"Really."

"Are you serious?" he asked, disbelieve clearly in his voice. "I am... am not really one to judge, you know." He clicked his tongue three times, concentrating on her eyes. They seemed confident enough, she was telling the truth.

He nodded and took a step backwards again.

"Alright." he murmured. "Why do you drink then?" Tongue click. Though... what was he doing there? Her business was certainly not his business - he had absolutely no right to ask.
He could not simply ignore it though. Alcohol would only get her into trouble.

"Do you want somebody to abuse you?"
He had no fucking idea why the woman would want something as horrible as that happening to her, but hell... he had no clue what she... preferred in her bedroom.

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"Do you want somebody to abuse you?"

Wh-what? What? What? What? What?
With every "what" that rushed through her mind, Kano could felt steam gushing out of her ears and her cheeks getting redder and redder every moment. How... in the world did he arrive at such a conclusion?

So poor little Hime here drink because she wants somebody to abuse her.
Sh-shut it.
Masaru, is it?
NO!
Hiliarious! Simply fucking hiliarious! Ahahahahaha!
Calm yourself down. Calm yourself down.

"No.. uh.. no Xarath kun." Kano stuttered. "Its not what you think. I am not wanting... somebody to abuse me."

"I drink sake because I like it." She looked at Xarath in the eye with a pleading look, as though begging him not to continue on with the notion of abuse and liking it or something.

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"No.. uh.. no Xarath kun."

No? Now he was really becoming confused.

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"Its not what you think. I am not wanting... somebody to abuse me."

Why was she so stupid to drink and make her an easy target then? In this state everybody could make use of her.
Especially because she looked so adorable.
Damnit... he didn't even manage that...

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"I drink sake because I like it."

Xarath clicked his tongue and turned his attention back towards her.

"But... are you not scared of the consequences?" Tongue click. How could she just look so confused when the problem was so obvious? "Don't tell me you don't know how easy it is to take advantage of somebody drunk." Tongue click. "Hell, it is already easy to use people who are not drunk, but with that poison in the system..."

How... how could she not fear it?

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"But... are you not scared of the consequences?" .... "Don't tell me you don't know how easy it is to take advantage of somebody drunk." .... "Hell, it is already easy to use people who are not drunk, but with that poison in the system..."

Kano stayed silent. What Xarath had said was true, yet it was also what Takijawa had told her before all the years back. Back then when the older woman found out she was destroying herself slowly with alcohol, she had been awarded a hard slap by the shinigami. Heck, the shame she had felt when she woke up in the dormitory corridors in a pool of her own vomit with all the other students laughing and pointing at her was bad enough.

So how could she not know the consequences of drinking? If someone had decided to try something funny back then, would there even be a Kano to talk about right here right now?

Yet, Kano had never managed to detach herself away from sake entirely. Sure, she had promised Takijawa not to indulge too much in the drink, but with the woman long dead and so many things that had happened...

"I drink when I am sad, Xarath kun." She found herself saying.

Xarath continued to watch her, noticing how her eyes seemed to have zooned out. Was she remembering something?
He clicked his tongue, slowly starting to feel ashamed.
What if... if he reminded her of a horrible memory she tried to forget?

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"I drink when I am sad, Xarath kun."

Tongue click.
"Why..." he tilted his head and looked at her in confusion. "Why don't you do something more healthy like..." Like what? "Uh... like hiding under your bed?"
Was that really that much healthier? Because of that he had the social skills of a stone.
He clicked his tongue again.

"Why don't you... talk about it? You and Masaru seem really close." Tongue click. "I am sure he'd be upset if he'd find out you think you can't trust him with that."

He was not stupid enough to offer himself as somebody who'd listen. He would not mind it, but he knew that he was not too close to the woman. What reason did she have to share personal feelings with him?

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"Why..." he tilted his head and looked at her in confusion. "Why don't you do something more healthy like..." Like what? "Uh... like hiding under your bed?"

At that, Kano had to stifle a giggle. Sometimes, the vice-captain can really suggest stuff that does not fit with his uptight personality.

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"Why don't you... talk about it? You and Masaru seem really close." ..."I am sure he'd be upset if he'd find out you think you can't trust him with that."

"I can't really talk to him much anymore, seeing how we are both captains now." Kano sighed, turning to look at Xarath with an unreadable expression. Besides, how is she to bring herself to tell the vice-captain that he is part of the reason of why she could not really find any private time between Masaru and her? A vice-captain spends much more time with their captain than other captains anyway...

Jealou-

Kano stamped her inner hollow shut before it could speak any further.

"Besides, its not just a single thing you know." She sighed again, hoping that her explanation this time would satisfy the vice-captain. It is the half-truth anyway and there is no need to tell more than necessary. There had never been a need to.

"Like when I found out Moeta and his friends all perished, there is nothing I could do but to drink." With that, she finished the whole bottle in one gulp.

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"I can't really talk to him much anymore, seeing how we are both captains now."

That... made no sense at all. With both being captains it actually gave them an excuse to be together often. It made less sense if they spent their time with somebody superior to them.

Why... was she looking at him like that?

Immediately he clicked his tongue twice and took a step backwards.
Something was just not right here...

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"Besides, its not just a single thing you know."

No. Actually... he didn't understand her at all. What the hell was this all about?
Was she... did she not want to spend time with Masaru anymore? The poor sod just got ditched by her?
His poor captain!

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"Like when I found out Moeta and his friends all perished, there is nothing I could do but to drink."

Disappointed he watched her empty the bottle, before clicking his tongue. "So you rather spit on their grave by drinking instead of remembering them as the fighters they were?" Tongue click. "I doubt they deserved that treatment."
Who was he to judge though? After the death of his family he did by far worse things.
"I... apologize." Tongue click. "I should not have said that."

He sighed heavily. "It's just not something I understand, you see. Why somebody would give others an opening to ..." He shook his head. He learned it the hard way and they were fools for not heeding his warning. "But not spending time with Masaru anymore? What is going on between you two?" Tongue click. Also not his business, but he'd be damned if he'd let her break his captain's heart without at least trying to understand WHY. "You are both captains. You have the perfect excuse to meet as often as you see fit." Tongue click. "Don't you like him anymore?"

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"So you rather spit on their grave by drinking instead of remembering them as the fighters they were?" ... "I
doubt they deserved that treatment."

"I..." She faltered. Who is she to argue with his logic? He had a point, but remembering them... is far too hard for her. Moeta and his many fuckwalls, Yasuo and his stoic unbending self and Haruna and her shy personality. She might be their captain but their deaths, even more so at the hands of cursed flames, affected her a lot. Right now, the only thing she could remember about them, was their faces of agony as they withered into ashes just like Kinon and Fuda back then.

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"But not spending time with Masaru anymore? What is going on between you two?" "You are both captains. You have the perfect excuse to meet as often as you see fit." "Don't you like him anymore?"

"I do." Kano unwittingly said. Wait. what? What was the topic on right now?

Masaru...
Oh crap!


Flustered by her slip-up, Kano quickly whirled into overdrive to think up of an excuse. ANY excuse at all, to defuse this awkward situation. How could she had gone and admit her feelings to Xarath of all people regarding this topic that is as sensitive as... she don't know.

"I think I'm ma drunk." Kano hastily continued, trying to do her best imitation of swooning and almost losing her balance. Chalk up everything to the alcohol, yes, that is what she will do.

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"I do."

I do? That was all? He stayed silent for a little while longer, when he noticed that yes, she would not continue. Xarath clicked his tongue. She did wha...

Oh.

He could see how panic took over in her eyes, how her face changed to an expression of utter shock.

Ohhhhh....

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"I think I'm ma drunk."

This, this was just too good to be true. Immediately a wide smirk appeared on his face and he leaned over to her - one hand placed onto the desk of his captain.

"Oh sweetheart." he purred. "That is just lovely."
That tiny woman had the HOTS for Masaru! How the hell could he have not noticed that before?

Now only one question remained... was the noble interested in her? Xarath clicked his tongue. Well, the man seemed certainly fond of her and the woman knew things about him nobody else did.

"Leaving the field so readily?"
"I thought you had enough of me today."
"I hate it when you don't fight."
"There is reason to fight. I gave up dreaming, don't you remember?"

He clicked his tongue before the smirk made room for an actual smile. "Have you told him?" he asked softly.

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"Oh sweetheart." he purred. "That is just lovely."

Kano's eyes widened when the smirk appeared on Xarath's face and she at once knew the other man was not buying any of her excuses. They proceed to widen some more when he leaned over to her, until one hand was placed on the table to her side, as though he is cutting off a way for her to escape.

At once danger bells sounded in her mind.

Oh... god...

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"Have you told him?" he asked softly.

Faced with such a direct and forceful question, Kano wished she could run or hide, but the fact that the taller Xarath was literally already looming over her smaller form with his overbearing presence somehow froze her notion of escaping. It does not matter that she was a captain and him, a vice, Kano had no choice but to answer truthfully or something... bad will happen to her.

She slowly shook her head.

Carefully he watched the woman in front of him, noticing how she seemed to panic more and more every second. He clicked his tongue. No, panic was maybe too strong a word, but the female certainly looked uncomfortable.
Poor thing.

Then, when he thought she'd simply try to break her way free, he saw her shake her head.

Xarath sighed heavily before clicking his tongue twice. Sucks for her, it must be horrible to be stuck in such a situation. No... he was stuck in such a situation too, but he had already accepted the fact that for him there just were no chances.
She on the other hand... she had the best chances of them all.

He leaned a hip against the desk, simply to look more relaxed - to show her he was no thread.

"Sucky situation." he muttered before clicking his tongue. Oh yes, captain obvious stroke again. "Unfortunately, I am the last person being able to help you." He really had no experience with romantic behavior... hell... he had had his dreams, but those were already long ago written off and... well they were just that - dreams.
Besides... he was not all that sure if he wanted her to succeed.
He wanted to see Masaru happy and he was pretty sure she was the key to it, but as long as he was not 100 percent certain... he would not play with the man's feelings.
"Tch... sounds like I'd actually have influence on that."

Again he clicked his tongue and stroke a finger over his chin. Damn... now he just didn't know what else to add to this delicate topic.

Whilst keeping his reiatsu hidden, Masaru walked through the halls of the 6th quietly; giving any shinigami that greeted him a wave or smile.

Once at his office, he stopped after having just heard Xarath finish saying...something. What the Fukutaicho had said though he wasn't sure, but he knew that the conversation was between Kano and him.

Should he interrupt?

Masaru though, looking between the door and the exit as he weighed his options. This conversation was a private one...wouldn't it be rude to interrupt? Take a step back he began inching towards the exit.

'I think you need to go and find out what it is the other Taicho wants.' Ikari advised, which stopped Masaru.

Giving a silent sigh he approached the door once more, knocking before finally opening it. "I'm not...um...Interrupting a private conversation am I? If so I can come back later..."

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"Sucky situation." .... "Unfortunately, I am the last person being
able to help you."

Kano merely stared at the pretty man in front of her who is not adopting a more relax position by the table. Is that what she think she saw? Something had flashed across Xarath's eyes just now after she gave him her answer and Kano was sure she noticed some... pity for her? and self-loathing? or resignation? deep within. But why exactly? There is nothing for the vice-captain to resign his fate over, or is there?

Masaru duh.
Stop giving Masaru as the answer to everything!
Che. Think about it, idiot.

Before Kano could do just that, there was a knock on the door and the man in question opened it.

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"I'm not...um...Interrupting a private conversation am I? If so I can come back later..."

Now, this is really getting awkward. "No, Masaru!" She quickly started at the noble's mention of "coming back later", albeit a little too forcefully. "You are not interrupting." Her eyes flirted to Xarath and back again. What to do? She is desperate to keep Masaru around to ward off any further interrogations from Xarath but what if the man decides to spill everything to his captain?

Some times, her life just suck a little too much.

Xarath noticed as Kano's expression became more thoughtful and therefore decided to stay silent for a little longer. Maybe she needed time to gather her thoughts...

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"I'm not...um...Interrupting a private conversation am I? If so I can come back later..."

Well, seemed like her time ran up. Xarath clicked his tongue twice, before standing up straight again and turning slightly to his captain.

What now? Judging from the woman's face he could see just too clearly that she seemed to worry.
Tch... it was not his business, she should not fear at all.

He clicked his tongue again before facing Masaru completely.

"Nn..No." he pressed out before walking up to the door, where he turned to look at them again.

"I will leave you alone now." he murmured. "Taichous." Xarath bowed, clicked his tongue and walked back to his office.

Masaru gave a small nod as Xarath left the room, sensing that Kano did actually have something to discuss with him.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked, his eyes showing concern.

Though he hoped she'd understand what he meant. He knew she must be rather distraught over losing three of her officers, but was there anything else bothering her?

"I'm sorry for your loss." He added as he moved over to sit down on the floor with his back resting against the wall while Kano sat in the chair. Pulling his left leg up, he let his arm rest there as to be in a more comfortable spot.

"Do you need to talk about it?" He asked, motioning with his right arm for her to stay seated in the chair lest she decide to try and move. "I'd be glad to listen."

A tiny mouse wiggled it's way under the door to the captain's office. He made his way silently along the baseboard of the wall and hid underneath Masaru's desk. He had a small tape recorder strapped to his back. He'd gather information for his master.

"No... its alright." Kano replied, still uncomfortable after being "traumatized" by the vice-captain of the sixth division. "Nothing is wrong." Shaking her head to reaffirm herself, she moved towards the injured captain, hands reaching out to gently touch the place where she had seen him suffered those awful burns.

"Are you f-fine though?" Kano whispered, a slight tinge of fear showing in her eyes as she could not entirely suppress the bad memories that had sprung from within. "Does... it hurt?"