A Night on the Town [invite]

The Shimizu Den was a fairly popular bar in central Karakura Town, not far from a certain bakery owned by a certain unique character, that drew in crowds regularly for their drinks and their nightly live entertainment and events. The opened, a bell ringing, and the black-haired Visored walked in. It was just like any other night, but it had been weeks since he’d been here. The last time he’d walked through that door was a day he’d rather forget, the day he apparently drunkenly picked a fight with the head of the Kido Corps and tried to level half the town just to kill Seran. Luckily, he’d failed at the latter of the two activities of that day. He let out a sigh of relief that it seemed things here hadn’t changed.

“Hidane-san!” A blue-haired girl shouted from behind the bar, quickly finishing pouring another customer’s drink and running over. “What the hell, it’s been ages! You could’ve at least stopped by and told me you were alright!” She stopped for a moment, remembering the state he’d been in the last time he’d been her. The last many times, to be fair. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he replied, waving casually, “better than I’ve been in a long time, really. It’s good to see you again.” He sat at the bar, giving a sidelong glance at a drink down the counter. He stared a little longer than he should’ve.

“You want a drink? Or are you laying off for a while?” The bartender appeared to be a young girl, probably college age, but in reality she was a fellow rogue Shinigami who had fled the Gotei to live a simpler life. Kashimizu Kimiko was her name. She kept her Zanpakuto behind the counter in the case she needed to defend herself, but so far her cover had held solid and, as far as Hidane knew, she hasn’t used it once since leaving the Gotei.

“I’ll take one,” Hidane said graciously, “just don’t make it too strong. I’m done with drinking myself numb, at the very least.” He offered her a friendly smile, and she smiled back. They had been on good terms for quite some time; he’d been a regular here long before things went to shit in his life, and had picked up pretty quickly on her secret identity. They became fast friends when they realized they had something in common, and found solace in each other’s’ company when he would visit the bar. Kimiko walked down the bar to get his drink ready, leaving Hidane to his thoughts.

That was when he noticed the other Reiatsu signature in the room.