Tea Parlors and Policies [Shio/Kaori]

So I will take this burden on and become the holy one

Her patrol had just ended, and Kaori found herself glad.  There were few Hollows she encountered these days that gave her much of a battle, but that day there had been one who had proven a bit of a challenge.  Luckily the girl had been able to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, and there wasn't really any surprise she'd been able to outsmart the beasts: she'd yet to encounter a Hollow with above average intelligence.

Kaori sensed the reiatsu of another and paused, searching for the person who she had sensed.  It wasn't rare to sense the reiatsu of another on Karakura Town, where there seemed to be no shortage of humans with strong reiatsu, but it wasn't often the person she sensed was another Shinigami, one who wasn't suppressing their reiatsu.  Curiosity got the better of her, and she followed the person to the small cafe.

Was he having an argument with the cafe's staff about his reluctance to relinquish his weapon to their hands for safekeeping?  Kaori shook her head.  She wondered if this Shinigami knew any of the customs of the human world, or if he was just that protective over his weapon.  It was his Zanpakutou and Kaori understood the reluctance to be separated from her main form of defense, but he was a Shinigami, and surely he knew other ways of protecting himself without relying on the weapon?  The girl stepped forward to intervene and smooth things out (the Soul Society really should teach the Shinigami going to the world about proper etiquette in their world, or leave its protection to those who actually lived there) but the male unsheathed the weapon and placed it on a table.  Kaori walked forward and stood at the empty seat, gesturing to it.  "Would you mind a bit of company?" She asked, offering the male a slight smile.  "Your presence in our world has me intrigued, and in all honesty, a bit worried.  Has something happened that requires the presence of a Shinigami?"  With his approval, the female took a seat.  "Forgive me, I've been impolite.  My name is Kaori Mejiro, the Substitute Shinigami representative of the sixth division under Kukichi-taichou."  She extended a hand for the male to shake.

Remember I am human and I'm bound to sing this song

So I will take this burden on and become the holy one

The male offered an explanation, and Kaori listened, her worry edging away at his words. At least he wasn't here to deal with some kind of threat to their world. "I personally find it more rewarding to perform my duties than lounging about, but I must admit the ability to relax after a fine day's work is rather inviting." At his invitation, Kaori took the seat, relaxing into the seat and crossing a knee over the other. "I'm surprised you find the human world much more relaxing than the Seireitei. I find the Seireitei to move at a much slower pace than this world." She paused, allowing him to interject if he wished before she continued. "Thank you, I would enjoy a cup of tea, and please, Mejiro is fine." Normally others would refer to her as Mejiro-san, her preferred title, but if the male didn't offer she wouldn't request.  "I still have yet to learn your name."  Her tone wasn't rude nor abrasive, almost as if making an observation.

The Substitute Shinigami was quiet, using the silence to study the male that sat across from her. She doubted he was from her division because she was fairly certain she'd not seen him before, but there was no questioning he hailed from the Seireitei. The male seemed quiet and reserved, though it seemed more out of timidness than apathy. He motioned over a waiter, and ordered a drink with citrus in it, a kindness in his voice. So he didn't seem picky, nor was he impolite. The waitress looked to her, and she offered a small smile to the woman. "I'll have a matcha tea with a hint of lemon and honey."

The waitress went to get their drinks, and the male seemed keen on relaxing, leaning back in his chair to do so.  She allowed the peace, enjoying the quiet herself.  As she sat there, she smelled it: subtle at first that she nearly missed it, but present all the same.  It was like trying to recall a song you haven't heard in years when the tune got stuck in your head; once it was there, you had to figure out what it was.  She contemplated the scent for a bit, trying to figure out what it was.  Then she remembered: a mowed lawn.  The scent was common back at the Mejiro mansion, where their gardener often tended to their lawn daily.  She always loved being outside, especially as a young girl, and the scent wafting from the male brought back memories she hadn't thought of for many years.

His words pulled her from her musings, and she looked at him, a simple gesture.  Then her eyes moved to the sword behind him.  "It's not often we find a Shinigami in a Gigai.  I heard you and the manager talking about the sword.  It's not common practice to enter an establishment armed.  How long has it been since you've been to the Human World?  I can make a few things clear that you may be confused on.  I am a part of this world, after all."

Remember I am human and I'm bound to sing this song

So I will take this burden on and become the holy one

The silence that stretched between the two was audible, and Kaori just knew they were both using that silence for one thing: to gauge the other.  Both were studying the other, trying to discern anything of importance regarding the other, such as personality traits and a certain demeanor.  She wondered briefly if she was giving away more than she wanted to, if her perfect mask of neutrality wasn't quite as mastered as she liked to think it was.  This wasn't a human she was dealing with after all, and though there were many similarities between his race and hers, there were enough outstanding differences to make it anything but negligible.

Whatever he found, the male didn't compliment on it.  Kaori watched him, wondering what he was thinking.  He couldn't have been studying her for that long, could he?  She doubted it.  So he was looking for something else, something that likely didn't have to do with her, or not entirely.  Whatever it was, the girl knew at that moment, she wouldn't be able to figure it out, not with something else to go on.  She was good at reading people, but not even she could discern something from nothing.  And when he finally did speak, it was about something as trivial as the sign about the weapons.

Kaori raised an eye at him, surprised he'd question something like that.  Perhaps he was trying to figure more out about his female companion without actually asking her.  If that was the case, then it was a game, one Kaori knew well.  She hailed from a family of politicians, and games like these were commonplace for her.  If he wanted to play, she would entertain him, but Kaori's father had taught her how to win; he'd never teach his children how to lose, it wasn't, as he'd say, the Mejiro way.

This would prove most interesting.  "Why would they panic?"  The female asked, folding her hands together and resting them on the table cloth.  "A person only panics when he knows there's something to fear.  If a weapon is concealed, they do not know it's existence, therefore, there's no reason for them to panic."  She had to admit though, his logic was interesting, and she understood the point he was making.  It was strange though, if what he said was true, then it was a curious thing that he would research the statistics and figures of crime in the human world when he visited it so infrequently.  Curious thing indeed.

He smiled.  Another valid argument.  "I'll have to agree with you on that one, that the law will not circumvent the criminals.  But from the standpoint of the law, it does make sense.  The law exists as a deterrent, and the rule exists for the law.  It will not prevent a crime from occurring if someone is determined to see its execution, no.  But it may help preventing that same criminal from committing a similar crime while he's locked away in a cell."  She could have gone on, but Kaori was more interested in prolonging the debate; the Shinigami was proving to be quite the strategist.

His next comment had Kaori raising an eyebrow, giving him a pointed stare.  She didn't necessarily take offense personally to the comment, but there was no hiding the offhanded way he insulted the human race.  Still, she scoffed at the words.  "It's not a particular trait you will find in every human, though I cannot dismiss its frequent appearance.  We also make it habit to share names with one another.  Is that not something you do in the Seireitei?"  This time, there was a pointed look to accompany her words as she regarded the male, slightly agitated he'd yet to introduce himself.

Remember I am human and I'm bound to sing this song