When Two Artists Meet

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #01

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Since returning from their last mission, Maki had lost count of the number of times he had seen people approach Lenalee. Some were trying to be supportive, others were aggressive, but either way it was unwanted attention that the girl did not handle well. He wasn’t on such friendly terms with the Saeki girl to be any kind of pillar for her - he was convinced Shiro had that covered - but he hated to see that she was hurting and there was nothing he could do.

Until he thought of something that might help. He had noticed that Lenalee became more and more withdrawn, oftentimes retiring to her barracks and refusing to come out so as not to deal with this problem. He was in no position to counsel, but his imposing figure served to be enough to ward off prying eyes and curious wanderers with tongues longer than a viper’s tail.

As he sat outside Lenalee’s closed and presumably bolted door, he wondered how much longer it would take for news of this incident to disappear into the background. The former captain Saeki’s name was plastered everywhere and echoed on the lips of every Shinigami he came across. He himself was quite tired of it and sympathised with the girl’s daughter, though he remained impartial to the actual accusations that were fired. In any case, it was just a way to ruin someone’s day.

While he wasn’t directly involved, his valiant gesture of standing guard, unbeknownst to the target he was aiming to protect, had cost him as well. Before setting out on their last mission, he had left a note for one particular Shinigami from squad 11, Ishifude Shitabayashi, who was quite known for her love of poetry and ancient literature, asking for a meeting to pick her brain on a piece he was currently working on. Unfortunately, with all the drama that now surrounded his squad mate’s name, he doubted such a meeting would be possible in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps it was this disappointment that resulted in his next death stare toward whoever dared approach the little miss Saeki’s room being particularly cold. Taking a deep breath, his shoulders broadened further as his frown grew.

---

Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

It was a rather curious thing to return to.  Ishifude did not often receive messages.  This was actually quite unusual for a member of the 11th squad, notorious for the difficulties its members constantly presented in getting paperwork done and turned in.  Comparatively she was fairly straightforward and easy to work with, an exemplar of filling out what was required and turning it in promptly.  Typically she would return from a patrol, fill out everything required, spend the exact minimum amount of 'downtime' fighting whoever would agree to during the day and spending her evenings writing, perhaps at a tavern, perhaps in some tranquil piece of nature.

Come back to a message from someone she didn't know, about her poetry and writing?  A message wanting to consult with her on something they were working on?  Well, it was certainly a first, but an intriguing prospect nonetheless.  Of the ongoing drama with a captain fleeing in exile and disgrace?  Ishifude really hadn't given it any thought at all.  As much as the idea of fighting an exiled captain appealed, there was no way someone of her status would be involved in tracking such a figure down.  So, she would not be fighting them, it had no bearing on her patrols either, and thus?  It was completely shuffled out of Ishifude's mind.

The idea that it had anything to do with the man she was going to meet didn't even cross her mind. 

It wasn't hard to find where he was, a few simple questions of other folk in his division had her heading that way, heedless of warnings that 'now might not be a good time.'  He'd sent the message, she was responding, and she hadn't come all this way to just go home and send a message that she'd gotten his message just because he might not be in a good mood!

So around the corner she'd come, to see a man standing outside a room fixing her with a cold, deathly glare.  My but she could practically feel the temperature drop.  Her response though was to let a grin spread across her face, eyelids lowering slightly, a relaxed and predatory return to his glare as she continued to walk forward, hand moving to stroke along the hilt of her zanpakutou affectionately.  "My, my, in the 11th we tend to take a look that severe as grounds to start a fight right where we're standing you know."

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #02

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As the woman rounded the corner into his vision, Maki didn’t falter in his gaze that warded off several others before her. Her grin irritated him and the relaxed expression on her face was frustrating, perhaps because it was so far from the way he was currently feeling. Maki was anything but relaxed at the moment and a part of him regretted taking it upon himself to stand outside Lenalee’s room like this.

What a fool, he thought to himself while his eyes remained on the approaching Ishifude.

“Well, this is hardly the place or time for a fight, and I’m looking for one. If you’re here to make jabs at Miss Saeki, however, I ask-” his response wasn’t practiced in any way, as what he gave other visitors was considerably shorter and less verbal, but something seemed to click in his mind half-way through his response.

“Did you say you’re from the 11th Division?” Maki’s demeanour immediately softened, though he was clearly still on guard. This will either be a great revelation that would brighten his day, or a huge disappointment if he learnt that she was here with the same purpose as the last person who passed by, to mock and ridicule Lenalee.

Maki had never met her, nor did he ask what the recipient of his letter actually looked like, but he now began to wonder if this was her. It felt like he had left the letter for her so long ago, although not that much time had passed in reality… their mission didn’t take that long despite feeling like it did. While his gaze hadn’t left her for a second, they were no longer hostile but filled with curiosity and perhaps a hint of admiration.

---

Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

'What a fool' was a sentiment that had likely been thought about members of the 11th division since time immemorial.  For all of her eccentricities Ishifude was a natural fit for that organization of bloodthirsty fighters.  Her expression did shift though when he mentioned 'Miss Saeki' in that the smile turned to one of confusion.  As if she had no idea who that was or why he'd even bring them up to begin with. 

"I did."  Ishifude replied, walking up to him and stopping barely a meter away if that.  "I'm looking for a Makikimori Kyoshin, I was told I could find him here.  So is that you, or is he in the room you're so intent on guarding?"  While she had no idea who this Saeki person was, it was obvious he was standing guard.  That still wasn't enough for her to connect any dots though, just left her wondering what was going on that someone would need guarding.  A stalker perhaps?

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #03

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Maki couldn’t believe it - this was actually her, the Ishifude Shitabayashi that he had written to, the very same one. For a moment, he looked dumbfounded and was lost for words, before he offered a humble smile in contrast to his previous greeting.

“That… yes, that would be me. I’m sorry for getting off on the wrong foot, what a first impression…” he shook his head for a moment, before politely nodding to the woman that he greatly respected for her literary skills if nothing else.

“You received my letter, then?” The surprise in his voice was impossible to disguise, as he expected the note to be discarded. The fact that she appeared so oblivious to the situation of his squad members, however, suggested that it was only for this reason. She hadn’t heard the news. Was it possible? Perhaps she simply did not care.

Maki straightened a little bit, now in the presence of a figure he held in such high esteem.

“I’m working on an illustration of an ancient piece of literature - a scroll. I’m a scribe by hobby, not professional and I make no profit, but I was wondering if you had any insight to offer regarding the original text’s context… I understand you are very well-versed in the world of ancient literature, yes?”

Flattery might not get him anywhere, but maybe it would be enough to rectify the poor first impression he was convinced he’d made with what he would consider a celebrity in his own view.

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Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

Ishifude knew one of the captains had apparently gone rogue and that was all she did know.  It was less that it didn't occur to her that said captain might have relatives but more that she didn't care.  It was so far outside her field of interest that she still didn't make the connection even now.  Instead her attention focused on the man she was speaking to and his talk of scribe work.

She brought a hand up to her chin and considered.  "The line between professional and amateur is no thicker than a single coin."  Well he didn't have to worry about her viewing him as lesser for being professional, she'd never even tried to make money off of her own work.  "Mmm, you're right.  In truth the more ancient dialects of Japanese are much more my original language than what we're speaking now, or rather hearing."  The shinigami gave an odd chuckle.

"Mmm, but if you're standing guard you probably don't have the scroll on you and can hardly wander off to fetch it."

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #04

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“Oh, erm… well, no, I don’t have it on me at the moment…” Maki fumbled with his words a little bit, laughing at how inconvenient that was. This wasn’t so disheartening, however, as he reached into his robe to fetch a folded piece of paper.

“But I have my notes.” Opening the folded paper revealed it to be in fact three papers, which he handed to Ishifude. There were writings, scribbles really, and sketches all over the paper, a couple of doodle patterns that reflected the time period the original document was from. The papers themselves had clearly seen better days, the crease marks where they were folded almost coming apart. The contents of said paper features annotations of poetry and a few key terms that related to ancient folklore, undoubtedly referred to within said literature, as well as names of well-known authors and critics alike.

“I didn’t expect you to come and find me right now, if I were being honest, so I’m sorry that I’m not prepared for this consultation to be happening here. Although… I think Miss Saeki will be fine for an hour or two, if you could spare me the time?”

With a gentle smile, the scribe’s shoulders relaxed a little bit. Why shouldn’t he go off and enjoy his day like everybody else? He wasn’t asked to guard the room, anyway, and if the job was started voluntarily, than it could end in the same way.

“Would you like to go somewhere more appropriate?”

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Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

Ishifude nodded as he said he didn't have it with him, which was to be expected.  Given he was on guard duty too it seemed that more than likely they should now arrange for a better time, such as later this evening perhaps.  The notes though caught her attention, her eyes fixing on them as she took the papers gently to begin peering over them. 

Her head tilted to the side as she studied the scribblings, notes, lists of names, annotations and more.  It was not particularly well organized and that always made something more difficult to read if you hadn't written it yourself, but there were definitely aspects that hit off some memories in her head.  "Hmmm....a bit messy but from this I think I might indeed know something about...eh?" 

She looked up at the man in surprise as he said he could step away for a couple hours.  It still hadn't clicked in her head that what he was doing was voluntary and thus the only thing she could think of was, "My I didn't know this division was so lenient!  Well then, in that case let us be away then.  Now that I've had a glimpse through your notes I'm quite curious about the genuine article."

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #05

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There was something about the way this woman put it that made Maki stifle a laugh that turned out halfway between a grunt and a snort, before deciding he was better off just letting out what was left of a chuckle.

“Lenient? Well, the captain is, I suppose, but he only has a soft spot for Miss Saeki, I’m afraid… and she is fierce enough to chew anybody up and spit them back out as unrecognisable mush. No, I wouldn’t call it a lenient division - but I’m not under any order at the moment.”

Maki didn’t elaborate further, not seeing the need to, although he quickly pieced together the misunderstanding. Still, he did wish to return to Lenalee’s door no more than an hour - two, max - later… just in case.

“Well, now that you’ve seen my crafty work of art,” he indicated toward his messy notes with a little smile. “Do you think you’ve got enough material there without the authentic piece? I would be more than happy to schedule a second meeting… if you’d like. One with better preparation, and the actual article.”

Politely, Maki gestured for her to walk with him down the corridor, though he took his time for her to answer in order to determine which way he’d need to go toward: the exit, or his own quarters.

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Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

He wasn't...he was volunteering to do extra guard duty and could just stop at any time?  Ishifude was well and truly lost about what was going on, but it also didn't concern her.  Thus she felt no real need to ask further questions about it and simply accept what he was telling her at face value.

"Mmm, your notes are interesting, I can glean a few things from them but if what you want is my thoughts on the historical context of the artwork I'm not sure I'll be able to tell you much based on these notes alone.  Based on these I'm not sure I'll be able to distinguish if it's an actual illustration from the time period of these authors you listed here for instance.  This could be a contemporary work of their era or something made significantly later directly in homage or reference to them, or even a revitalization of that style and nature in a later era, although..."

She looked at his notes again, "I think you'd have noticed if it was from a period of that kind of revitalization."

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #06

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Maki suddenly felt nervous and he could feel his cheeks flush ever so slightly. Perhaps it was simply the attention that he was being given, or the compliment, or maybe he was simply fascinated enough by the woman’s intellect to trigger an involuntary response in his body that didn’t come very often.

“Yes, I think I would have, but… things can slip past me sometimes. If you will permit me a quick minute, I’ll fetch the scroll and meet you at the entrance to the barracks?”

He wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement that he intended to put forward, but his smile was far more resolute than his tone - he was eager to get her thoughts on the matter one way or another.

“I won’t keep you waiting long, I'll just be a moment!” The excitement that he felt was quite heavily suppressed, Maki’s inner nerd threatening to peep its way through his usual stern and unbothered façade. With that, he politely bowed and hurried down the corridor toward his quarters.

The entrance was only a few steps away, and as promised, he really didn’t take long. He knew exactly where the scroll was stored and fetched it in an instant, flash-stepping to move faster as if in fear of Ishifude leaving him stranded if he didn’t. On top of that, he had a limited amount of time to work with… he considered abandoning his post, but knew that he would feel too ashamed of himself later, doing so only for his own personal gratification.

An entire kit folded in his grasp, he returned to the entrance of their barracks in very little time to meet with Ishifude once more.

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Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

This scholar seemed suddenly quite concerned.  Perhaps it was a case that he could leave his post but that it would be frowned upon in a sense?  Truly Ishifude could not understand how other divisions operated if this was a regular thing, but still she nodded.  "That sounds fine to me."  Perhaps she should have offered to stand guard in his stead until he returned?  It had seemed like he was genuinely guarding against other shinigami causing to cause trouble which certainly sounded fun, but ah well.

While Maki went rushing to fetch the scroll and his kit, Ishifude simply walked to the entrance of the barracks as instructed, settling herself against a doorway, arms folded in front of her and partially leaning against it she looked out over one of the small gardens that dotted every single part of the Gotei 13's headquarters, simple, tranquil and lovely.  Although she'd seen these so many times they didn't offer much inspiration anymore.  Granted there were some interesting differences, albeit small ones, between this and the one in front of squad 11's barracks. 

It wasn't enough to really hold her attention though so when Maki came back her attention went right to him.  "Ah excellent, is the scroll in delicate condition by the way?  I'm afraid I did not bring a pair of gloves for safe handling if that's a concern."  Although she could probably tear into the sleeves of her kosode as a little improvised covering.

[Bobbie]

Makikimori Kyoshin #07

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“Oh, definitely not in delicate condition. While the text is as close to the original as it can be, the scroll itself is not the original. It is still a rare find, mind you…” Maki was quick to clarify, a hint of boasting in his tone as well as caution. “There are not many replicas, but I suppose I was owed a favour, and this one was loaned to me for however long I deem it important to be in my possession…”

The shinigami politely gestured toward the garden where they could find a bench to sit before taking a step in that direction himself.

As he walked, he unravelled the scroll - it was a replica indeed, the text almost perfectly identical to the ancient scrawls from centuries before, and the fabric itself also seemed to mock its weathered nature. Whether this was intentional or not was yet to become known. He held the scroll, open in his hands, for Ishifude to glance at while moving, should she follow him to a bench where he’d sit down.

“Of course, my aim is not merely to make another replica… I wish to include annotations from all sorts of sources. Including the expertise of one as skilled as you.”

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Maki Kyoshin: #dd6a00

[freshstrawberries]

Ishifude took the hint easily following him into the tranquil garden to go sit down, her attention more on the scroll as he unfurled it to show it off to her.  She hummed thoughtfully red eyes pouring over it, but she needed a closer look. 

"It's funny when I first arrived in Rukongai I did not realize how rare it was to keep one's human memories.  I'd already realized how fortunate I was to even be raised in a place that taught me reading and writing, although I didn't appreciate it enough back then."  She scoffed slightly as she sat down next to him before taking the scroll. 

"Hmmm...this has hallmarks of the deliberate and simplified syllables used in Kegan calligraphy and painting in the Kamakura period, but from what I gathered from your original notes this is dated more to the mid 1600's.  I believe there was some kind of large revival of the Kegan sect during that time, alas I never met anyone who came from that period and had their memories, so perhaps its a deliberate homage, or an attempt to utilize that same technique of easily readable syllables to enable easier access by those with a more limited education?"