The Measure of a Man [Chojiro]

Shio walked down the halls of the first division feeling oddly happy and excited today.  He passed by at least a dozen other people, and as always he stopped to share a few quick, empty words.  Inspiring, all the same; he never seemed to have trouble getting them to like him, at least not these days.  It was strange that he'd only truly be able to connect to others -after- everything he'd been through.  Why was it that these people were so much more willing to fraternize with a cripple than an overachiever?  Why did they give more leeway towards those who overcame their handicaps than to those who applied -the same- effort towards excelling?  Perhaps it was because a cripple, even a remarkably competent one, was still crippled.  There was no good way to justify looking down on those truly disadvantaged.

No.  No, that was all wrong.  It wasn't that any of them had changed.  It was something far simpler than that; for the first time in a long time, Shio didn't feel worried.  He couldn't spend every spare moment analyzing the faces of others, trying to anticipate the warning signs.  There were no warning signs when all you could see were colors and splotches.  And somehow that left his mind free to focus on...other things.  Things that he had always acknowledged as important, but had simply never been able to -focus- on.  Stopping every few minutes to make sure he hadn't mistakenly trodded on someone's toes had taken up so much of his time and effort.  And now that all seemed so pointless.

He stopped in front of one of the doors, hands folding by his side; a small leather pouch banged against his leg, causing him to flinch for just a second before he remembered that he had brought it himself, to make this meeting a touch more informal.  The orders had come quickly, and they hadn't left any real room for negotiation; Shio was going to be meeting with Vice-Captain Sasakibe, and...well, the rest remained to be seen.  Again, it made everything seem so remarkably, blastedly simple.  Shio waited just outside the door, taking a few breaths, and steadying himself.

If life could remain this simple in the Soul Society, he just might be able to find a way to bear an eternity of service.

He knocked on the door.  Once, cautiously, as if he had simply bumped his hand into it, probing around blindly.  A moment later a series of knocks, two at a time.  Two, a second's pause, and then two more.  He reached for the handle of the door a moment later, trying his best to open it gently, without causing a fuss.  Even normally he couldn't know the layout of the office, and in this condition...he'd almost certainly stumble and make an ass of himself.  Tempting, but perhaps not the best response given the inevitable conversation that was about to come.  Playing the fool would only make this all so much worse.

Obedience it was, then.

As soon as the door opened, Shio's scent seemed to drift in, filling the corners almost immediately, and making one imagine that a lemon grove had just been planted in the doorway.  It was crisp and enticing, almost immediately soothing, and seemed to make the entire air feel...cleaner.  As if someone had passed by just a moment ago, and wiped away all of the negative feelings.  Or perhaps sucked them all up, to be released when the time was right.  Yes, perhaps that was a bit closer.

"Vice-Captain Sasakibe.  You sent for me.  I trust you won't take it as a personal insult that I brought my own tea leaves?  I thought it was only proper that I bring something for my host."