New Squadies Make Amends, New Training Begins!

[Gaz]

Shiro #16

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The young officer had no sense of hesitation to dig into his meal, he quickly bowed his head to the waitress and then towards Lenalee and his plate. “Thank you for the meal.” He said reverently, eating was something he struggled to do as a kid, and big meals like this were so exceedingly rare that he had only ever had one before attending the academy. In a swift action he looked up and snatched up his utensils in a practiced motion, spinning the steak knife in his hand a few times before settling on a perfect grip.

There was not another peep from Shiro for the next few moments as he masterfully cut up his meat, sliced some vegetables and began to eat. He chewed fast and swallowed quickly just before replacing the food that was in there. He savoured every taste and bite, but his speed of eating came from when he had to eat fast or lose it to someone else with fast hands. The meat was cooked perfectly for him and the mixture of tastes coming from the mushroom sauce and steamed vegetables just exploded.

Before he knew it he blinked and his plate was empty. “Now that was enjoyable.” He spoke before sitting back and finally seeing outside of his own little world. “I’ve not had something this good ever!” He exclaimed to his dining partner. “Asami could never cook, when she did she always burned it… which is impressive when she attempted to make a salad.” The young man joked with a light chuckle, only now seeing how little Lenalee had eaten.

“I… Can finish what you don’t eat if you want… If that is too much for you.” He whispered over quietly, not wanting to bring attention to her outside of their small table.

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #16

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Lenalee ate extremely slowly, mainly nibbling on the steamed vegetables and sides in her dish. When she did touch her steak, she only cut off the edges that were the most cooked and barely touched the rest of it. With her head tilted, she was currently in the process of scanning the quality of the piece of meat she was slicing, trying to determine if it was cooked enough for her to eat, when Shiro suddenly whispered to her. The rest of what he so happily exclaimed prior was lost on her.

Looking at her companion at the table, she let out a soft sigh, a stubborn look on her face for a moment, before she gently pushed her plate over in his direction across the table. A little embarrassed and disappointed in both herself and her meal, she shook her head slightly.

“Sorry, it’s too much, I didn’t expect such a huge portion.” That was true, but not the whole truth. In reality the portion itself was not particularly larger than an average one, and on top of that, she was certainly not a big fan of meat only cooked to this degree. She did, however, continue to pick at the veggies that were left along the edge of the plate.

Lenalee’s appetite was as limited as always, only eating small amounts and feeling perfectly fine with it. It was one topic that she and her mother had frequently clashed about.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #17

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Seeing the defeated sigh Lenalee unleashed Shiro felt a pang of guilt… he knew of the girl’s reputation for small meals from the academy, it had at first caused concern in her peers. Then like everything to do with Azai Lenalee every one adjusted and let her carry on as she wanted. With all of the playful teasing and chatting that they were doing it had completely slipped his mind that she would not be comfortable with a standard portion meal.

“No worries, I burn enough to eat for like five people!” He joked as he shifted his plate to the side and leaned in closer to cut up the steak, his long arms making this an easy endeavour. This time his eating was a lot slower than average as he paid more attention to his companion and her method of eating, it was still faster than her though.

“So, do you want to go and do some training after this?” He asked, the last bit of steak on his fork and hovering dangerously close to the dark maw of his mouth. “I know some good places no one will come and badger us.” He added before taking the last chunky of pinkish steak and eating it, chewing quickly and swallowing in moments.

As he finished and waited on his reply he swapped what was in his hands for the sake cup and the small jug and filled up what was left so he could have a nice drink.

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #17

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Lenalee watched Shiro as he took her plate, coming to her rescue to ensure that the food didn’t go to waste. She would soon be done with the vegetables and then sat back, a soft smile returning to her face.

As he put forward his proposition, she hummed in thought, before gently shaking her head. “Another time, maybe? I do need some good places to be undisturbed, so I will definitely be taking you up on that in the future.” With a light shrug, she continued, “This was nice though. Maybe we can both actually walk this time and just talk about things.” the girl muttered, looking away as her memory took her back to their days at the academy.

“We’ve come a long way, Shiro… and as much I hate to admit it, I can now look back and say that I’m glad I had you by my side throughout this journey.” Lenalee was aware that she was getting uncharacteristically emotional, but some things just needed to be said.

“It feels like there’s longer to go, still.” Chuckling, her eyes glistened as they shifted to look at him again, her smile softening further into something more genuine and relaxed. Then another one of her giggles escaped her.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #18

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Shiro held his sake up to his lips for a moment as Lenalee replied to his offer for training, accepting it… but at a later date. That was fair, sometimes that training needed a quiet period to relax and unwind. Hearing how she thought this entire night was nice made the Shinigami nod before drinking what was in his cup and placing it down on the table. “Walking and talking is good with me.” He spoke, acknowledging her suggestion to walk this time. The thought that it had to be specified put a smile on his lips.

Then the talk took a turn he was not expecting, Lenalee had let emotions out… something she had rarely done in the academy. This was nice, it set her apart from her mother and was a perfect example of why she would never be trapped in the large shadow captain Azai cast. The statement earned a nod from him, one of agreement.

“Life before death, journey before destination.” Shiro uttered, speaking some wise old saying he had picked up from his time in Rukongai. “We’re always on a journey, Lena.” The tall Shinigami spoke before pouring the last of his Sake into the cup and drinking it in a quick motion. His eyes now settled on his apple juice, despite being tall and having an amazing metabolism there was a light flush of red in his cheeks from the alcohol.

“I’d be happy to walk as far as I can with you on the journey that is life.” The officer of squad twelve stated before leaning back and raising his hand to get the attention of the waitress. “Do you want dessert?“

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Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #18

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As Shiro finished off his drink, Lenalee looked at hers. She had barely touched it. Reaching out for it, she poured herself a glass and gulped it all down rather quickly, perhaps for the sole purpose of not returning a bottle that was nearly untouched.

She hummed in response to her company’s words, the glass still against her lips, before she lowered it with a soft sigh. The offer that was made instantly made the girl’s ears perk up and she looked at him with a guilty smile. “Yes!” she spoke through her teeth as her smile grew involuntarily wider and was followed by a giggle - after having eaten very little of her proper food, asking for dessert must have seemed ridiculous, but that was the number one rule at the table. No matter how full you are, there is always a reserved space in one’s belly for dessert!

“You need to help me finish this off though, it’s practically still full, and I’m embarrassed to give it back like this.” As Lenalee explained her predicament, her little hands already went to the bottle of sake to pour herself and Shiro a glass of the alcohol.

“The rosy look suits you Shiro~” she teased, although she was not one to talk. If either of them was more of a lightweight, it would undoubtedly be her, as one or two glasses were clearly already enough to make her chatty.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #19

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With the offer and the extension of the bottle Shiro let Lenalee pour him a glass of Sake, smiling as he did. Now this was something he never would have considered a possibility, Saeki Lenalee pouring him a cup of Sake and being nice to him. Hell! She wasn’t just being nice, she was being friendly and open! The world must have stopped spinning and pigs must have been flying!

“Suits you better, you have the cheeks for it!” He replied before raising his hand to try and get the attention of a waitress. “I know exactly what to get us for dessert, if you don’t eat it all I will finish it again!” He teased as he noticed the waitress coming over, letting him drop his hand back to the side before he took a drink from the cup that Lenalee had filled. He felt the liquor go down his throat with a familiar warming burn.

“Hi! All finished here? Is there anything else I can get you?” The woman asked as she moved to pick up the plates.

“Yes please! Can we get a house special cake each? Both with a singular scoop of the lemon sorbet please?” Shiro asked, leaning back to give the woman proper space to pick up the table that now only had their alcohol on it.

“Certainly! I won’t be long.” She said before scurrying off to leave the pair alone again. The air of the restaurant had cooled since Lieutenant Honda came in like a whirlwind, the chatter of the other patrons had gone away from Shiro and Lenalee back to their own topics.

“This has been nice. It just feels right, ya know? Us being friends and close.” He said, pulling Lenalee’s Sake bottle away to fill his own cup and then hers again.

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #19

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Lenalee giggled and sipped her drink, taking larger mouthfuls of the liquid rather than the tiny sips she had been taking earlier. She then lowered her glass and stuck her tongue out at him.

“You won’t be getting two portions of dessert, greedy!” she teased before sitting back and watching as he handled ordering their dessert. She always knew Shiro was charismatic, but this was a side of him that she hadn’t seen. It wasn’t about how he brought himself with the waitress or everyone else in public this time, it was all about how he brought himself with her. He made her order for her when she didn’t know what to get, saved her the embarrassment of returning a full plate and bottle of sake, and now he took care of ordering her dessert for her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, however, that was making her smile from across the table.

As she heard what he ordered, she nodded, visualising some massive slice of cake and a scoop of lemon sorbet beside it. It sounded delicious and she was sure that she would have enough room in her stomach for something that tasty. Offering her plate to the waitress to help her clean up, she politely smiled to her and watched her scurry off before turning back to Shiro.

It wasn’t until he expressed how nice he felt this was, it feeling right, that she finally figured out what it was about all of this that had feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. It was so different to what she was used to, as she watched him pour her glass while the realisation came to her.

He’s taking care of me…

Shaking her head lightly to dismiss that thought, considering it quite preposterous to chase it any further, she then picked up her newly filled glass and held it up to him. “To ‘being friends and close’ then!” Her smile promptly returned with another giggle and after their glasses clanked, she emptied hers into her mouth. Her head was swung back down from its backward tilt and the glass placed on the table as a soft sigh came from the girl.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #20

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With a raised cup he nodded with a large grin. “To being friends and close!” He repeated, downing the entire cup in one go and grinning. He placed it down and got comfortable in his seat, beginning to ignore the world around them as it wasn’t important anymore. The desserts they had ordered would come when they come. This feeling of calm was something he had rarely felt in all of his years, he was usually worrying about one thing or another as if he was an ever blowing wind that had to keep on moving.

“Shiro.” A voice spoke inside of his head. “You have finally understood what it means to live. You’re the calm and the storm. Remember my name and call it when you need strength.” The voice spoke, causing the young shinigami’s eyes to widen slowly with the revelation.

“Now?” He uttered; a brow raised as his gaze was just on the middle distance. His vision of Lenalee and her bright smile being replaced by that of his inner world. A mountainous plane with a tense calm that was permeated with an electric energy just waiting to explode. The skies above were full of dark roiling clouds wanting to burst in to a vicious rain, the air smelled of ozone. It was as if he was about to witness a cataclysmic storm.

“Call Rairyu and I will Strike the Heavens (Ten o utsu).” The voice spoke with pride before receding back, shunting the young man back into the restaurant.

A grin came to his face before he leaned down and closer to his companion. “I think… my Zanpakuto just gave me his name…”

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Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #20

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As the two raised their glasses to being good friends, they both emptied the contents of them into their mouths. Lenalee had to split it up into two sips, but she made sure to drink every last drop. Putting her glass down, the rosy-cheeked girl mimicked Shiro’s behaviour as she banged the glass on the table and let out a loud satisfied sigh.

Getting comfortable in her seat as well, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from giggling as she watched him. He seemed to be in a trance, which Lenalee tried to bring him out of through a number of means, each one appearing to be less successful than its predecessor. She tried snapping her fingers, knocking on the table, and even getting up on her her chair, knees pressed into the cushion, to lean forward across their table and wave in front of his face. Nothing was working.

It was, of course, at this moment that the waitress returned with their desserts. Turning her head, her entire torso on the table as her elbows did little to hold herself up, she looked at the woman with a shameless grin.

“He’s ignoring me~” she explained, as if it excused her behaviour, and then sat down again with a little huff. “Making me eat dessert alone…” with a bit of a sulk, she waited for a couple of minutes, the spoon in her hand as her mouth watered for the delicious cake. It was sponge and looked decadently moist, layers of cream and syrups inside it and out. To pass the time, she continued to drink.

“Shiro~ I can’t keep waiting for you!” Cutting into the cake with her spoon when she had had enough, she scooped up a bit of it and some of the lemon sorbet that was neatly placed on top of it.

The spoon was hovering over a very widely open mouth when Shiro seemed to stir from whatever daze he was in. As he leaned closer, she lowered the spoon and leaned in as well. “Uh huh?” The tipsy woman whispered back at the first pause in his speech. “Oohh… uh huh?” she continued, narrowing her eyes as her liquor seemed to translate Shiro’s language into a foreign one. “Aaah…” she nodded sagely, confusion written all over her face… until she processed what he was actually saying.

“AAAHHH!” Springing back in her seat, the desert on her spoon flew across the restaurant and landed somewhere she didn’t dare look, then she banged on the table with both of her hands in an exaggerated expression of shock. “NO WAY! YOU GOT YOURS BEFORE ME!? That's not fair... That's NOT FAIR!” A twang of jealousy mixed in her tone, Lenalee was amazed and the grin on her face was enough to reveal that there were no ill feelings toward him for his magnificent progression. “I demand! To be! The FIRST person to see!” she shouted with awkward pauses, her arms crossed as the spoon was now dropped onto the table and she did her best to look like some official judge of such a serious matter.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #21

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He watched the desert fly off to the side in a glorious fling as the moment realisation hit her face, her loud call as that revelation hit caused all the other diners to silence. The world was now focussing on them and the next scene they had created. Her hands banged on the table and Lenalee called out how it wasn’t fair in a joking half jealous way that made Shiro’s grin just widen as he shifted back in his seat to pick up his spoon.

The young officer used his utensil to take a small chunk of sorbet and cake and held it close to his mouth, taking that bite as the demand was made of him. This food was just glorious! In a few chews he swallowed and looked into her glimmering eyes and nodded. “I’ll show you after this, ok?” He asked before taking another bite… and another. If anyone were to blink or look away what was in the bowl was vanishing in an alarming rate.

The waitress came over and placed down a wooden tray with a scrap of paper on it with an amount of money on it. “I have been told to ask you both to leave.” She said in a soft and annoyed sigh as she looked back at the manager who had sorbet being wiped off of his face and a fuming look.

Shiro chuckled and pulled his wallet out, the bowl being empty with the spoon polished clean sitting in it. “Ah, sorry about that. We just had some good news.” He said as he checked over the bill and with a nod placed some money on the wooden tray and picked it up to hand back. “No change… hopefully the tip soothes your manager over.”

The young woman nodded and took it away as Shiro stood up. “Are you ready?” He asked almost buzzing with energy to go and explore this new power.

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Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #21

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Lenalee nodded several times, her eyes wide as she stared at her former classmate. “Yes, yes you will!” she agreed, but her excitement was interrupted by the waitress who placed down a wooden tray and the bill.

Turning to it, the girl narrowed her eyes, then looked up at the waitress, her cheeks red with the alcohol. “Why? Were we being too loud?” She innocently asked, before she turned her head in the direction the waitress looked, to see the manager. Watching as the sorbet was being wiped off his face and how angry he looked, Lenalee couldn’t help a little giggle escape her, which then grew louder into a hysterical hyena fit of squeals and gasps.

“I’m so sorry!” she said in between her laughter, though it was sincere, as she sat back in her seat, her hand over her belly to try and ease the spasms caused by her laughing. Perhaps it was the combination of her drink and the stress of being in such a situation that caused the girl to laugh uncontrollably - it was quite unlike Lenalee Saeki to make such a spectacle, but the more she tried to stop it, the worse it got. Raising her hand to cover her mouth, she lowered her gaze to her half-eaten dessert and tried her very best to silence the urge to explode into howls of laughter… yet no matter how hard she pursed her lips, there would always be one more muffled giggle that resurfaced, followed by another, and then another.

While she couldn’t bring herself to look at the manager without completely losing it, she did glance at the waitress with a more genuine smile. “I am sorry… really.”

One look in the man’s direction and Lenalee was clearly gone in hysteria again, having to put her head down on the table and just narrowly missing a sorbet collage from forming on her own face in her attempt to stifle her cackles.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #22

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Shiro watched how Lenalee was drunk and shook his head with a smile as he walked around and gently picked her up from under the arms and then carried her in his arms this time. That smile stayed as he walked out of the restaurant with her, ignoring all of the hushed comments and giggles that came from the patrons that had enjoyed the show that the paid had seemingly put on during their own meal.

“Come on Giggles, I’ll show you my Shikai back at my Barracks.” He spoke softly as they left the building and he slowly walked through the dusky streets. Some buildings had lights shining through windows and others had shades or shutters closed, though there was still some activity in the streets it was no where near as busy. Shiro did take care to avoid the entrance to the squad six barracks this time as he didn’t want another run in with Lieutenant Honda.

“Did you have a good dinner, Lena?” He asked, tilting his gaze down so he could see her face as he walked with her towards his goal. Getting back to Barracks and letting her down somewhere safe. Hopefully captain Saeki, Lena’s mother, wouldn’t catch wind of this happening. He and her did not see eye to eye on a lot of subjects and it caused a tension in the squad…. A lot of the members seemed to be scared of standing up and challenging their captain on some of her experiments.

The walk was not long, the sun was setting further and further cascading a array of reds and pinks into the sky that slowly shifted into a purple colour. Stars started shining just as he turned the corner through the gate and into the main courtyard of Squad Twelve. The young officer placed Lenalee down on one of the wooden walkways with her feet dangling down to the grass below as he moved away and drew his Zanpakuto.

“Well… Here we go!”

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Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd

[Bobbie]

Lenalee #22

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The short girl let out a little squeak as she was unexpectedly lifted and then giggled once she was in his arms. As if by magic, she found herself floating out of the restaurant, which only seemed to amuse Lenalee even more. Along the way of their walk, however, her amusement would eventually die down.

To Shiro’s next question, Lena only offered a little hum in agreement, resting her head on her companion’s chest as he carried her toward his barracks. Unlike earlier, she wasn’t on the defensive. There was no struggling, no flailing and kicking, and she was barely even looking around her to determine if anybody could spot her or not. There wasn’t any panic whatsoever, as a certain calmness washed over her and she only seemed to grow smaller as she curled in Shiro’s arms.

Before they would reach main courtyard, Lenalee had closed her eyes and fallen asleep in the comfort of a person who only wanted to take care of her. When Shiro lowered himself and her, placing her down on one of the wooden walkways, she suddenly jolted awake with the movement.

Reaching up to rub her eyes, she did her best to hide that she had been sleeping for at least part of that walk, though she had no idea how much of it.

“Okay… here we go!” Lenalee said, sitting up in a position that would make it easier for her to focus. The powernap gave her enough energy to place all of her attention on Shiro’s Zanpakuto, clear curiosity in her eyes, but no scepticism. No, as jealous as she may have been of him accessing his Shikai before her, she had nothing but faith in him, a sentiment that very few people had acquired from Miss Saeki.

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Lenalee: #54d5e3
Captain Azai Saeki: #bd9ac4

[Gaz]

Shiro #23

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Shiro knew she was drifting in and out of sleep as they made their way to the squad twelve barracks but he had promised her that she would be the first to see his Shikai. He wanted to explore it too and the fatigue of the day was washed away as he held his Zanpakuto in his unusual stance, the blade being held high and horizontally with the tip pointed slightly down as if to his target. There was an energy in the air that he hadn’t realised existed until he focused on his next move.

“Strike the heavens, Rairyu!” Shiro called, shifting his stance as the sword changed in a visible flash. His blade extended and the guard changed to be the open maw of a dragon, roiling storm clouds started to pour from its mouth and sparks of lightning danced through those clouds and down the black blade. Thunder rumbled lightly as if it were distant but ever present.

The young officer bore a giant grin as he moved into swinging his blade and it felt just so right, his movement precise and strong, quick as a lightning strike. He moved into another strike and stopped as his blade was pointed to a training dummy, he had left set up. The clouds that followed the path of his sword all swelled with electricity and an intense bolt of lightening short forth and struck the dummy in a flash of explosive light. When the blinding effect vanished, the dummy was nothing more than smouldering remains.

“That’s so cool!” He shouted, not keeping his voice tamed anymore as just having his Shikai active made a lot of noise. He then looked over to Lenalee, wanting to see her reaction as if he were a kid looking to his best friend for support or confirmation on how cool this was. “Did you see that Lena?”

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Shiro: 7319e6
Shizu: b1e619
Captain Adachi: 6c84ff
Waitress: d8ff92
Lieutenant Honda: 5094dd