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 He had noticed that Lenalee became more and more withdrawn, oftentimes retiring to her barracks and refusing to come out so as not to deal with this problem.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.

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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?