Making Amends and Discovering Truths(Kaoru)

[Hirato Murano]

A sigh escaped the mouth of the crimson haired man as he stood in his chambers in the Ninth Division, his red maned head shaking in regret over his foolish action during the previous night. What he had been thinking? How could he have allowed his curiosity to dictate his words to a fellow Shinigami, especially in an area filled with her superiors? These days, his control over his emotions slipped sometimes, perhaps due to those ominous dreams he had been having for the past month and half, depriving him of peace in the short time it was completely available to him. Every day, he jolted himself awake, relieved to realize once again that the abyss was nothing than a figment of his imagination, at least in the literal sense. The noble walked along a thin line between treason and protecting the Seireitei, making deals with traitors to preserve the harmony within the white walls. It was a heavy burden, but it was one that he himself had to carry, without involving anyone else, so they were not punished on the slim chance he was caught.

Concentrate, the cerulean eyed man thought, shaking his head again in an attempt to dispel the useless and distressing musings. Using his authority as a Captain, Hirato had summoned Kaoru to his chambers to apologize for his behavior. There was no way to repair any of the damage he had caused at this point, but forgiveness had to be requested in order for him to move forward. He should never have said those words at all, yet his interest had gotten the better of him for just a few moments. The mask Takahata-san wore was all too familiar, reminding him of his own artificial smiles he used to wear 200 years ago in the height of the war against the Quincy. The smell of blood and the moans of dying comrades flooded back into his mind along with the memories, and his eyes closed for a moment before opening slowly. More than his curiosity, the Captain was sincerely concerned for the emotional well-being of the female Shinigami. Only powerful fear or intense pain forced one to put on the facade, and he intended to discover which caused her to do so, tactfully this time.

If it was fear, what terrified her so? If it was pain, what could have caused her to suffer so much? The head of the Murano clan had no desire for her to become like himself during that war, choosing isolation because it was easier to watch a stranger die than a comrade. None of the Shinigami born after the conflict with the Quincy had endured the horrors of war, of true war, and he hoped that none of them would have to, although that possibility seemed increasingly unlikely. His reiatsu detection abilities located Takahata-san, well on her way to his chambers, yet he could not analyze her emotions due to the unfamiliarity of her reiatsu signature. He would apologize to her and make up for his behavior in any way he could, and perhaps even figure out the reason for her acceptance of that mask. His Zanpakuto lay next to his bed quite a distance from where he now stood; the tall man had decided he could without Kaimetsu's criticism and comments for a few hours.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru was breathing heavily as she had ran all the way from the 13th squad barracks to the 9th squad barracks. She had just gotten away from Kyouya as he was about to suggest that they go to a tea shop to commemorate her promotion to 9th seat of squad five. She wasn't particularly happy about the promotion, since she was so set against having a title before, but since it made Kyouya happy, she couldn't take his smile away from him by dishonoring him with refusing the promotion when she was given it. She saw that her vice-captain was happy for Kaoru as well, and that was another smile Kaoru didn't want to take away. She often considered why she stayed around people who could potentially hurt her if it came down to it. She asked herself over and over if what she really needed was to stay away from other people to protect herself from becoming broken again. Thoughts like this constantly pervaded her mind.

Sighing, Kaoru pulled herself out of her thoughts with a shake of her head and pushed open the door to the barracks. Someone noticed her and asked if she needed help. She said that she did and asked where she could find the captain's quarters. The woman she asked was a bit taken aback, but replied that she would take her there. Kaoru followed the woman through the halls as her heart beat a mile a minute. She wasn't sure if this was caused by the run she did, or if it was because she was nervous. This was the barracks of Captain Murano, the captain she had met last night along with the other captains. She had told Kyouya about this, but all she got from him was an enthusiastic cheer and a big tight hug. Her face stayed blank as she remembered the scene with exasperation. Kyouya had told her that she was fortunate that she had met the other captains under such good circumstances. Kaoru was skeptical that she was fortunate, but agreed nonetheless anyway. Since Kyouya has been so good to her since she was a child, she always tried to make him happy with whatever she could.

I wasn't always like that at first,Kaoru thought with a small smile. She remembered that at first she barely trusted anybody around her and would get into a loud of trouble. She stayed to live with Kyouya in his squads barracks, and would still cause trouble. It was mainly Kyouya that gave her punishments, but once in a while the captain of his past squad would give her punishments when he wasn't there. This, however, did nothing to tame her wild and rough attitude. Sighing again, her mind wondered briefly what it could be that Captain Murano would want to talk about. It wasn't until about a minute later that it hit her like a ton of bricks. Last night the captain had unmasked her, so to speak, and Kaoru ended up panicking and running away to Kyouya. For a moment Kaoru regretted leaving Akai Tsukihime in her room since she gave Kaoru a bit more

Kaoru came back to the world around her just in time as the woman led her to a set of doors that must have been is quarters. Her nerves ratcheted up a few more levels as she was then introduced into the room by the woman. "Captain Murano, there is a Kaoru Takahata here to see you," The woman said as she then bowed and left Kaoru there to talk to the captain. Making sure her mask was tightly on, she bowed politely to the red-haired captain and introduced herself. After all, Kaoru had to keep her manners. "Hello, sir, I am here in answer to your summons," Kaoru kept her face blank as she hid her nervousness and worry well behind her mask. Nervous because of her meeting with another squads Captain was a rare thing and worried because she thought, just a bit, that he was going to ask for an apology for abruptly ending their conversation without so much as a "have a goodnight". Kaoru stood up straight and gave a small smile like usual and waited for the captain to reply.

[Hirato Murano]

Hirato stood with composure, patiently waiting for the female Shinigami to arrive. Her reiatsu signature wandered for a bit before nearing his chambers, and he could sense that something was bothering her, likely his behavior the night before. Feeling that he had criticized himself enough for that blunder, the tall man continued to ponder the reason behind her mask. His removal of her mask obviously distressed her greatly, but why did she believe that such a measure was necessary in the first place? His thoughts were broken by a female voice announcing that Officer Takahata had reached his chambers, bowing. The noble nodded, thanking the woman before his cerulean orbs came to rest on the figure of Officer Takahata, who had put on her mask again and maintained the small smile that seemed typical of her facade. I'd better start by apologizing, the crimson haired man thought, remembering how poorly he had behaved in their last meeting. An apology was the first objective of this interaction. He nodded calmly before proceeding to speak.

"I apologize for my behavior last night. I shouldn't have said that in front of your superiors, and I'm sorry," the Captain said sincerely, hoping that she would forgive him for his grave error. It was uncharacteristic of him to make such a mistake, to allow his heart to control him instead of his mind and he attributed it to the similarities between this woman and his younger self, similarities he wished didn't exist. Living in the past was also uncharacteristic of him, so the muscular man resolved to move forward, starting by clearing up this incident and discussing her mask with her tactfully. He couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice and he had to be extremely cautious to gain her trust enough to speak about it with him. Another thought entered his mind, one somewhat related to the events of last night but not to his current thoughts. He hadn't properly said goodbye to her in the midst of the confusion caused by his foolish actions. If she accepted his apology, he would bring it up later, after his main objectives were achieved.

The crimson haired man awaited her response to his apology, still thinking about her mask as his cerulean eyes looked into her own blue eyes, wondering what pain or fear lay behind their depths. Whatever it was, he intended to find its source and aid her in handling it, if she would allow him to do so. From the one hundred and fifty years between Teina's death and meeting Sachiko, the head of the Murano clan had learned just how lonely and agonizing walking the solitary path was. Although the servants had seen the gentle heart underneath the stoic manner, very few others had, and shouldering the burden he possessed all alone was not particularly enjoyable, either. Sometimes he selfishly wished he could give it to someone else to carry, but immediately his logical mind pointed out the impossibility of that. When the war started, Seireitei had to be prepared for every possible situation and his machinations, however questionable their methods, aided his home in that way. That was the path chosen by the Zanjutsu expert, and it was one he would follow to its end.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru, who was expecting to be asked to give an explanaition for her rude behavior last night, stared in shock at the 9th squad Captain. What he said was not on her list of things that would have been said. For a moment her mask slipped and she was about to stutter out a reply, but at the last second she collected herself and brought back her polite neutral face. She held up her hands as she started to assure the Captain that there really was nothing to apologize for. She politely smiled at the Captain before responding. "There really is nothing to apologize for, sir," Kaoru began to say, but thought that sounded rude so she started again. "What I meant to say, is that you didn't do anything wrong. Whether you said it in front of the other Captains is of no consequence to me, really. Vice-Captain Ame already knows how I am, so I am not worried of being outed on my personal "mask" with her. As for the others, they looked like they didn't hear." Kaoru tried her best to give him a reassuring smile from the bottom of her heart. Her true smiles were rare, but they were honest when given. Her smile dropped slightly as she continued. "As for my behavior, sir, I realize I may have over-reacted, for that I am sorry. It's just that..." Kaoru stopped as she took a deep breath, and looked off to the side. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. Her own eye lids lowered slightly as she spoke more softly. "Well, in all my years of being in the 13 Court Guard Squads, nobody but Captain Morinozuka and Vice-Captain Ame knew about my...mask...And when you saw it and commented on it to me, it threw me for a loop, as it were."

Kaoru took another deep breath again and clasped her hands behind her back. She held firm to her mask and would not allow any unnecessary emotions invade this discussion. If her mask were to slip now, she would be extremely nervous and unable to form correct sentences as well as probably be calling the Captain "Murano-san" instead of "Captain" like he should be called. When Kaoru's mask is let down she looses all her manners and polite speech; her emotions also have no gate on them when let loose and she can go from happy to extremely ticked off when pushed to her edge. She decided to explain herself further. "You see, up until now, the people of the seireitei often ignore how I am. It's really only those that knew me when I was younger or in my academy days that really take notice. So when you said something about it, I wasn't sure how to respond." Kaoru chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head.

With Kyouya, Kaoru really didn't make much of an effort to keep her mask on since Kyouya knew it was all a farce anyway. With her squad mates Kaoru kept it on, but would allow it to slip off once in a while to have some fun with them. They knew she could get wild, but what they didn't know was the extent. Kaoru wondered how the Captain would take her response as she clasped her hands behind her back again. Her blue eyes seemed to emenate her nervousness as she realized that he would indeed ask her about her "mask". Vice-Captain Ame may know about how she is, but Kyouya was the only person that knew the whole story about Kaoru. What do I tell him if he does ask? Kaoru worried to herself in her mind. It was moments like these that she wished Akai Tsukihime was with her now, for her zanpakto often gave sage advice when needed.

[Hirato Murano]

Her denial of his mistake surprised him, but he was pleased that she did not hold a grudge as a result of it. The Captain listened intently to her words, accepting them as the truth while being reassured by her sincere smile. Inwardly, he remained concerned for her, seeing himself in her decision to shoulder all of the pain and sorrow, walking a path that no one else can take. It was somewhat different in that she had allowed others to share her burden while his own weighed him down every day, his distrust of others forcing him into that position. Not since Sachiko he had opened up and allowed someone in, but the unfortunate way in which their relationship had ended drove him further into isolation, creating a vicious cycle. He could have been speaking what she said now, except for the fact that he had simply chosen isolation because it was less dangerous emotionally. Hirato looked at her sympathetically, realizing that her own isolation mirrored his in so many ways.

The crimson haired man nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. When Teina had shattered his facade, he had no idea how to respond at first but over time they built a mutual trust that allowed him to move forward. Her death disconnected him from the world, for he only maintained a necessary bond to it from that point on. Cerulean orbs examined Takahata-san, noting the obvious anxiety she felt in the situation and comprehending it immediately. Her mask wasn't one designed to protect others, but one that existed to prevent others from worrying about her emotional well-being. Either way, it only intensified the pain so that it reverberated throughout one's entire being, crushing it inside. He strode gracefully to a cabinet, removing a pot and two cups before his deep voice echoed out in his chambers. "Would you like some tea before you begin, Takahata-san?" Hopefully, that would put her at ease and allow her to trust him, revealing the source of the pain that plagued her, even now.

Her story was unpleasant, of course, whatever happened; past events of such a magnitude that forced someone into self-imposed isolation were always deeply painful and took quite some time and effort to move past, if one was capable of it at all. The isolation only worsened the problem, making the sufferer believe that no one could have the slightest idea of what they're enduring and sometimes causing them to erect a nigh impenetrable barrier in which they stared at the world with contempt. He had moved past the contempt, but now viewed the world as dispassionately as he could, for he had little emotional stake in it. Perhaps the mask only intensified the pain within and led to crippling deficiencies yet only his servants were aware of the issue, along with one old friend that he had not spoken to in quite a while. "Please don't hold anything back and reveal the truth to me, Takahata-san. Why do you wear this mask?" The look in his eyes was one of compassion and sympathy, because he could not bear someone else becoming as much of a emotional wreck as he was. Whatever the cause, Hirato only hoped that she allowed him in to help her confront it.

[Kaoru Murano]

When he had asked if she would like some tea, Kaoru politely nodded her head as she stayed standing where she was. It was times like these that Kaoru stayed away from. She took no comfort at the sympathy she saw in his eyes. Heaven forbid that she had recieved countless looks like the Captain's many years ago when Kyouya had first brought her to the Seireitei. He had tried to shield her from many questioning people. Nosy good-for-nothings, as Kaoru used to refer to them as. Now, since so much time has passed, she still did not like the look of sympathy and compassion those regard her with whenever they learn of her history in coming to the Seireitei. None of them knew the real reason, of course, but why should they? Kyouya made sure not to let his true reasons out. He once told Kaoru of the real reasons he brought her here. Though, she never quite understood them even though she was now older. At that time, she was a wild child that had difficulty playing well with others. Her rage and sorrow had not lessened in her childhood. Her memories were still too fresh. Kaoru avoided his eyes as she glanced down at her red sash that held together her uniform. She drew strength from the good memory it held.

When Hirato had asked if she would share her past with him and tell him the truth, Kaoru clung tightly to her mask. She did not smile, nor did she intend to. The mask, this time, was merely on to force back her rage and sorrow the memories of her past held. Bringing them back up would just make them resurface. She didn't want her meeting with Captain Murano to go badly since she did want to have a nice conversation with someone once in a while. It would make the conversation better since he already knew her mask was a farce so she wouldn't have to hold back much when talking with him. Her rage and sorrow may have diminished over time, but it was still deep within her heart threatening to eat her soul and everything good about her lest she not keep it in check. Her eyes, still not meeting his, had formed into a glare unintentionally. Her hand had held tightly to her sash, as if the good memory could banish her bad ones. Kaoru took a bit more time to answer then was probably necessary, but when she finally did she spoke simply and softly. She could not look him in the eyes, lest he see her for what she was. A cold, lonely, and sad little girl who felt as she would not be satisfied until her heart was soaked with blood and black with her shadows. The mask may hold back her emotions, but her mask cannot mask her memories. Kaoru took a deep breath.

"Please understand, Captain Murano, that I do not hold on to this mask to protect others from my own emotions. It is entirely selfish on my part," Kaoru wanted to laugh bitterly at this, but held her tongue. She didn't want to bring out any unnecessary emotions. "I do not care for sympathy or compassion, so please withhold yours. I have seen it much too often in the eyes of others concerning me, and do not need it now. Before I tell you why I hold so tightly to my mask, please promise me that you will not say a word of this conversation to anyone else. Aside from what I tell you now, Kyouya Morinozuka is the only one who knows the whole truth, and that is how I want to keep it. I am unsure myself why I need you to, but Kyouya-niichan has asked that very few know." Kaoru sounded cold, yes, but she did not care at this present moment. At the mere mention of asking for the truth about her mask, Kaoru automatically shuts down. Emotionally speaking, she will not hold back her bitterness and sorrow, but at the same time her mask comes down regardless of her trying to hold on to it tightly. Kaoru felt like her body was being crushed by the weight of her emotions now piling up. This happened every time Kyouya tried to get her to talk about what happened all those years ago as well to try to get her to open up to him. However, with Kyouya, Kaoru always looked to his smile and kindness to hide herself in. She was a coward when it came to what she truly felt, but then again, she truly felt that keeping herself lonely kept herself from being hurt again and stop the flood of sorrow and rage from eating away at her soul and mind. She may have a need to be lonely, but she still stayed around Kyouya. To this day Kaoru herself doesn't understand why.

Kaoru, still not looking at the Captain, had bowed her head so that he would not see the sorrow already gathering behind her eyes. Her body shook slightly as she struggled to stop her voice from doing the same. "Please, just promise me that, Captain. You can have your answers as soon as you do. It's just...kinda hard to bring up...ya know?" Kaoru, still not looking up, had waited patiently while her emotions began to eat away at her as she dragged up those painful memories of long ago. Kaoru could still see the blood on her small hands as Kyouya carried her away toward the seireitei. The complaints of the men as they were being led behind him still fresh in her ears. The image of her mother's bloody corpse was forever burned within her mind. Kaoru shook her head to try to clear away those images. Tears threatened to fall, but Kaoru pulled harder at her mask to stay on. Eventually the tears stopped troubling her and she chanced a blue-eyed look at the Captain.

[Hirato Murano]

Busying himself with making the tea after seeing her nod, he decided to make fresh green tea, hoping that was to her liking. Inviting someone into his private chambers was a rare occurrence, but as always, he did it for a specific reason, with a specific intention. She did not seem to welcome his sympathy much at all, likely familiar with the sympathy but not his comprehension of the situation, not his perception, not his desire to take on the pain. He did not see her as someone to be pitied or someone you assisted simply to placate your own self-interest; rather, she was someone who had the potential to be a capable, powerful member of the Gotei 13, a veteran of the type of pain that most brought with them to their grave. Hirato finished making the tea and walked over carefully, motioning politely for her to sit down, as this subject would take some time to explain, most likely.

His own tall form sat on the floor, sipping warm tea from the cup and waiting for her to speak. Rushing her was not his goal and he understood that discussing topics such as this took time, time to prepare oneself for the overwhelming emotions that accompanied revealing the complete and horrid reality of the story of one's life. His story probably paled in comparison to hers, and it was mixed with sorrow and joy, the dark and light colors running together to form a gray backdrop. Over the years, one of the most crucial lessons he had learned was to accept the sorrow as well as the happiness, the antithetical figures walking alongside while he strode on his path. Sometimes it carried pain, just as any other path did, yet the crucial truth was that it was one he had chosen, fully aware of the sacrifices he might have to make to continue following it. The glare in her eyes refocused his attention on her, his senses attuned to her when she took a deep breath.

Her first words caused him to look away, the truth of them in his case as well as hers all too obvious. The ones that followed were much as he expected, the name of a fellow Captain registering in his mind before his mind finished processing her words. Cerulean orbs returned to the female Shinigami's form and the noble thought that he owed it to her and to himself to finally admit the truth of his own mask to someone else. "I wear my own mask for purely selfish reasons as well, Takahata-san." Pausing for a moment to consider his next words, the deep tones of his voice rang out in the large chamber. For this matter, the choice was utterly simple; he would keep his silence about what she revealed to him, no matter what the consequences of that were to either of them. "I promise that I will never reveal any part of what you tell me to anyone else," the muscular man said, the truth and sincerity in his voice evident, his eyes reflecting similar sentiments. Only he and this Captain she mentioned would have knowledge of this, for he would never reveal it. He had made mistakes, but he always kept his word, regardless of the situation or person who had put their trust in him.

Her slight shaking surprised him, simply because it was apparent to him that she did not make a habit of revealing her emotions to others. Feeling rather inept at the moment, he wondered if he should attempt to comfort her or he should allow her to handle it herself. In response to her words, Hirato repeated his promise never to reveal what she told him to anyone. She trusted only a few people, and he hoped that she would do him the honor of including him in that group. His sharp eyes saw tears start to form in her eyes, causing his countenance to become concerned and genuinely sympathetic. She did not have to maintain her mask around him, even though it might be her habit, and he was casting his own mask away in front of her so that she might realize he was willing to share her burden. His concerned gaze met her uncertain eyes, giving her a reassuring look. Perhaps they could assist one another in shouldering the burden that they had each carried for so long without assistance. Perhaps it was time to trust another again.

[Kaoru Murano]

"Thank you, Captain," Kaoru looked away as she sat down across from Hirato. She kinda felt at ease since he confessed to have a mask himself and for selfish reasons too. She found she might have a friend in this man after all. She was still shaking slightly, but she tried her hardest to stop doing so in front of him. She couldn't hold back her mask any longer, now. She saw his reassurance in his eyes when she looked back up. Her heart seemed to stop since she never really saw that look in anyone's eyes but Kyouya's before. Her breathing seemed to shudder as she picked up the tea cup to take a long and big drink before she went on. Kaoru cast aside her mask now, as he seemed to have done moments ago, and decided to put her trust in someone new. Not just a small amount, but her whole trust. This was a big step for Kaoru since she only ever trusted one other person. That person was obviously Kyouya, and now she'd be opening up her world just a bit more. Part of her was frightened that what she would tell him would make him disgusted and hateful of her, and another part whispered to her that it was alright to trust this man since he seemed to understand her.

Kaoru took a deep breath before opening up the pages of her past memories. She chanced a look at the Captain before starting. "It started with my first memory. The moment I first experienced everything. I was raised in the 78th district of the Rukongai called 'hanging dog'. There I lived with a woman named Yuki Takahata who worked as a clothes mender for the people of the districts around us. She told me that she found me in the rain on the path through the forest, and it was then that she took me in. She was a kind woman of so much patience. She was all I had..." Kaoru stopped as the image of her mother flashed within her mind. A small woman with brown hair and blue eyes and a smile that made her feel as if everything was fine even when it wasn't. Kaoru closed her eyes to the memory and went on. "She said that I never cried once in that rain, even though I know now that wasn't normal behavior for a baby. Many of the villagers of the district thought I was a bad spirit sent to punish them, but as time progressed, I grew to be a normal girl....or so I thought. For you see, I never really played with the children of my district and never showed much emotion when it came to it." Kaoru smiled bitterly to herself as she traced the top of her cup with her finger.

"Whenever someone I knew died, I merely stood there. Emotionless. However, inside I was crying and upset over their death. I would never show it, though. This happened for many other things as well. Deaths, birthdays, celebrations, births, parties in general...each time I showed nothing." Kaoru took a deep breath to steady herself again. "I would feel everything so raw and so deeply that sometimes it got to be too much for me sometimes. I would not act out, but...just feel it hit me over and over. I remember not knowing what to do most of the time." Kaoru looked at Hirato with a look that showed her confusion as well as her sorrow. Her mask was off, so he was about to get all of Kaoru in the process. "But with my mother, I smiled with her, I talked and complained with her. She was all I had and I felt I needed no other. I suppose since I had her, I never felt the need to open up to others emotionally or verbally. She calmed me down whenever I felt my lowest and I, in turn, carried her burdens, though she never thought i'd notice them." Kaoru looked back down to her tea cup as she continued.

"In any case, time went on and the people of the district gossiped about me and turned me into the thing of idle chatter and rumors. They often called me a 'demon' or 'broken' whenever they thought I couldn't hear. They thought there was something wrong with me since I never showed what I was really feeling. I could hear them every time. At first I was hurt by it, but after about 12 years I had turned cold to them and my anger was the only thing that was left for them. The children of the district followed the grown-ups attitude towards me and began to pick fights and call me names. The only thing that separated the adults from the children were that the children would act on their rumors and gossip while the adults were content to just stare at me as if I was a freak." Kaoru's grip tightened on her cup as she remembered their cold and judgmental eyes as they watched her around the village. "My mother tried to shield me from them, but she started to get mocked and eventually they shunned her outright. I couldn't bare for her to carry my burden, so I took it. I fought with the children whenever they came at me and would not talk to anyone but my mother for a long time. This continued on for quite a while. There was one group of children that especially hated me and I never understood why. However, I suppose it is thanks to the cruel treatment by the villagers that made me more independent and a better fighter."

Kaoru cut herself off there as she tried to calm herself over having to drag up the memories from the last night she was in that district as a young child. It's true that she goes back regularly each year to visit her mothers grave, sometimes even twice a month if her duties permit her to, but each time she goes in and waits for the villagers to clear out for the day or goes at night when they are all asleep. She chanced a look at the red-haired captain and hoped that he wouldn't ask her too extensive of questions regarding the villagers. Kaoru wasn't as polite a person as she shows others today. Her body shook as she began to think about the next part of her story. Her blue eyes filled with pain as she dredged up those bloody and painful memories that caused her to break so tragically. Kaoru couldn't quite look him in the eye as she took another sip of her tea.

[Hirato Murano]

She seemed to have cast away her mask entirely and he could feel the weight of her pain at last. It was such a heavy burden, especially for someone as young as her. With experience came the knowledge of carrying one's burdens without being overwhelmed by them, or at least without the perception of being overwhelmed by them, a distinction that few bothered to make. The illusion became more and more difficult to resist as time passed one, for none would admit that the passage of time did nothing to lighten the load they had to carry. He had completely removed his own mask and inclined his head in acceptance of her gratitude, sipping from his cup composed and ready to listen to the beginning of her enormously painful tale. Hirato listened intently, nodding when she revealed that she was from Rukongai, the lawless districts outside the realm of the white walls. He had suspected that already, for a childhood like that produced strong individuals with heavy loads to carry.

A light smile played across his face at the mention of her mother, his thoughts returning to his own parents, taken from him much too early by the creatures of the shadows. His mind rushed back to absorb her words, the picture of a child silent in a storm occupying the forefront of his thinking. Her mask had come into existence in that time, likely to protect her from the horrors of the chaotic Rukongai. It made perfect sense, a necessary measure to prevent the erosion of her sanity, yet it was still unfortunate. He did not truly comprehend the danger and the fear of the place, being born to nobility within the peace of the white walls of Seireitei, but he could imagine what living there would be like. Absorbing all of her recollections of her mother, the crimson haired man did not meet her eyes, lost in the pondering of the people created by the violence and crushing poverty of the Rukongai. Certainly they emerged self-reliant and strong in their own right, but they were often damaged, sometimes physically and almost always emotionally, unable to trust others, even though they were their brethren.

The judgmental and ignorant nature of those people, even infecting the children, made him frown deeply. Those teachings were what the teachers attempted to impose on him, although his uncle and father would have none of it. They never believed themselves better than those born in Rukongai, only more fortunate because they did not have to battle every day simply to survive. The people she described were exactly the type of man his father had not desired for him to become, and despite his flaws, he felt he had honored that request, at least. Cerulean orbs eyed her with concern as she shook again, longing to reach out and comfort her but restraining from doing so at the memory of his last impulsive decision. He could not relieve her of the pain she carried, to his disappointment; not even a god was capable of that. Still, they might each allow the other to assist them with their own burden and in doing so, learn to truly live rather than simply moving through the motions of life. Speaking finally, he said, "The villagers follow the path that my father never desired for me. Whatever my other flaws, I have never believed myself above another simply because of the circumstances of my birth."
He looked her in the eye when he spoke, a deep voice filled with sincerity and truth evident to all. Noble birth did not make one better than another, just as birth in Rukongai did not lower one below another. People were not born what they are; they are what they choose to be.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru, still clutching her tea cup, had begun to trace the edge of the top with her finger. She broke out of her thoughts long enough to see the Captain respond to her words. She did not expect pity or sympathy, for this man was in a league above her with his noble status. She didn't expect him to understand what it was like growing up in the Rukongai districts and the effects it can have upon a soul. Kaoru never cared much for statuses or ranks, for such was her mind set from the very beginning. She knew that each side, noble and otherwise didn't really know how the other felt and lived, so Kaoru never made it a point to try to make the others understand her. Opening up like this to Hirato seemed to make Kaoru want to tell this man all that troubled her and all that she held secret. She felt like she could say anything to this man and he would just accept it, though she also wondered how much she could say before he thought of her like the villagers did: broke, beyond repair, and weird. Kaoru wondered for a moment if she should tell him her deepest dark secrets. Part of her refused, but another part wished to have someone who would listen even if for a little while. He spoke, presumably in response to the villagers treatment of Kaoru, and she smiled sadly at him as she looked him straight in the eye for once.

"It is good to hear you say that, Captain," Kaoru said as she took another sip of her tea. "I never thought of myself better than a Noble, nor better than anybody really. So I understand what you mean. I merely went through the motions of my life content to be with the one person that I deemed most important. That's all anyone can hope to do, really," Kaoru lost herself in her thoughts for a moment before snapping back to reality. This had been something that was nagging at her since she let her mask down at the beginning. "By the way, Captain, you may call me by my first name. I honestly don't mind. I'd much rather you used that than my last name. In all honesty, I don't use last names when caught without my mask; it's how it was when I was little, so it was how I always have been. I do still use them when talking to a Captain, though, I will not make that mistake again," Kaoru's eyes seemed to radiate with her sudden brightened mood. Since Captain Murano was going to hear about all of Kaoru, then he should at least call her by her first name afterwards since he would be more familiar with her. At least, that's how Kaoru saw it.

Kaoru's mood dropped as she nervously went on with the rest. Her finger went back to tracing the edge of her tea cup. Her shaking was less so now that she seemed to take the edge off with the memories slightly faded from her sudden good mood. She still shook, but it was less and less noticeable. "Anyway, that continued on for the first 12 years of my life in the Rukongai district, but everything came crashing down on me one horrible night," Kaoru stopped to take a deep breath and continued on. She tried her best to not let her unease permeate the conversation. "I was on my way home one day, my mother decided that I needed time to play instead of working with her all the time, and I had been gone for two...three hours? Well, I had found a book in the next district over that I thought she would like, but it took a bit of haggling with the vendor so I was late coming home. I knew, though, that she would welcome me back with a smile instead of scolding me for being late. I ran and ran until I reached the edge of my district. The streets were empty and the day was steadily turning into night. Deep down I knew something was going wrong, but I couldn't figure out what. So I ran to my home." Kaoru stopped to swallow hard and look down at her tea cup clutched tightly in her hands. They were almost white with how much force that Kaoru was using. No matter, though, she knew not to break the cup and released slightly on it.

"I ran into a group of children that seemed to have a vendetta against me. Their leader, a boy about the same age as me, had stopped me in the middle of the streets. He asked what I had, and I told him it was nothing. I attempted to leave in peace, for my mother would have been sad to know that I engaged in a fight when she did not like that I did, but was stopped again. This time I had no patience for their behavior." Kaoru grimaced with bitter annoyance at the memory. "In a instant, when they all threw themselves at me, I had kicked and thrown all of them up against the walls of the surrounding homes. I made sure not to hurt them, for that would only concrete what everyone thought of me already. I did not wait for them to get up, so I ran. I was faster than the children in the village, so running away was no problem for me. Though, looking back on it I often wonder why I didn't do that in the first place. When I next looked back, they were running after me. So I ran faster." Kaoru's expression turned tired as she remembered her fear and annoyance at the little group of children from her childhood. "I ran and ran until I came upon my own house, but fear and unease stopped me cold when I got there...I suppose deep down I understood why I felt uneasy and was afraid to be right..."

Kaoru's eyes seemed rivited on the spot in front of her. Instead of her revealing the rest, she clutched the cup tighter than she intended and almost broke it. Catching herself, she set down the still whole cup and laid her hands in her lap as they clutched each other while shaking. Her eyes closed tightly as the pain from the memory overtook her body and for a moment she was brought back there again. She could feel the cool night breeze and crippling fear that overtook her body as she gazed at the lone bloody hand reaching out of the doorway to their home. Kaoru's eyes widened with fear at the memory. However, she tried to push through it and keep going. This part of the story always gave Kaoru trouble, even with Kyouya. "What I saw was...I mean she was...I..." Kaoru had to stop for a moment to gather herself for the next part. Her mind rebelled and tried to pull the mask back on herself. Her mask automatically tried to shut her down before she hurt herself any further emotionally. Her blue eyes, downcast, had filled with pain and fear. She fought with her mask to stay off, for Captain Murano's sake in understanding why. The rage and sorrow she painstakingly hides everyday began to manifest itself in a surge in her spiritual pressure and a slight red glow lit her eyes. Since she cast off her mask, this was making it hard on Kaoru to keep a lid on her spiritual pressure. Kaoru fought to keep it down and not lash out at her surroundings. "Give me a moment, sir..." Kaoru muttered as she finally pushed back her darker emotions. she breathed heavily as she red glow in her eyes dimmed and soon faded away completely. Kaoru was embarrased at having a weak control over her spiritual pressure, so she could not meet the look in his eyes.

"What I could not say before, Captain, was that I found my mother dead..." Kaoru decided to let that sink in before continuing.

[Hirato Murano]

She easily accepted his words, as he expected her to due to being born in Rukongai. Only the nobles born behind the white walls had the luxury of maintaining such arrogant fantasies; those born in Rukongai were much too occupied in protecting themselves from the myriad of threats in the lawless districts to entertain thoughts of superiority above others suffering alongside them. He had heard that she did not put much stock in status or rank and immediately perceived the attitude as evidence of an upbringing in the slums of Rukongai, for most Shinigami of noble birth considered status of great importance. Another immediate result of that knowledge was a feeling of respect for the young female Shinigami, because despite his noble birth, status and rank seemed almost entirely irrelevant to him. The worth of an individual is not measured by their status but by what path they choose to take, either the difficult path of kindness or the more common and easy path of rejection and judgement.

Her request for him to refer to her by her first name surprised him and his cerulean orbs glanced up at her, clearly not expecting such a request. Still, the Captain nodded, accepting her request and taking another sip of his tea, musing over the reasons for her request. He supposed if he was going to learn the entirety of her past, it would not do to refer to her by her surname any longer; whatever the other consequences, her decision to share it meant she was putting her trust in him and he would honor a simple request such as that. "As you wish, Kaoru-san," Hirato said, his tone light and composed. Now he wished in some way that he wasn't a Captain, so she could refer to him by his first name; however, a seated member could not refer to a superior by his first name, no matter what she shared with him. It simply could not happen. While Kaoru continued, he listened attentively, sensing that they were nearing a particularly unpleasant part of the story. He could picture the scene of a younger Kaoru returning to her home, feeling that something was off. It was a sense innate in anyone, but he supposed it was sharpened considerably by the dangers of the Rukongai.

The subject of the children was again upon them. In response to their harassment, she had attacked them, not seriously injuring them, but at least keeping them down for a time. He nodded, understanding the occurrences of the night so far. She had ran until she finally reached her home and somehow, Hirato knew what she would discover when she returned, perhaps from her tone, or perhaps from his reiatsu perception abilities, which allowed him to examine her emotions, especially so at short distances. His expression softened sympathetically when her hands start shaking again and he desired to comfort her but did dare to, for fear that it would result in another foolish mistake like his earlier one. Simply nodding, the noble understood and would allow her as much time as she required to compose herself enough to finish her statement, even though he had a sinking feeling he knew what the rest of it was. Her spiritual pressure fluctuated greatly and he was caught off guard again, glimpsing a trace of something in her eyes. He was certain it was neither a trick of the light nor a hallucination of his, but what was it exactly? He looked at her sympathetically when she finished her statement and simply replied, "I'm so sorry," feeling feeble that he could not manage a better response to her statement. His tone was sincere and his cerulean orbs examined her, showing the sympathy in his gaze. She was truly carrying a massive burden, and Hirato was only more determined to hear all of her tale so he may understand and assist in shouldering it, if she gave him that opportunity.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru nodded back with a small sad smile at his words. "Thank you," Kaoru murmured as she held back her sorrow from color her words. Her mind wandered for a moment back to that night as she came upon her house she shared with her mother. She could still feel the soft night wind as it blew through the village. She shook herself out of her thoughts at the last moment and set down her tea cup on the floor. If she gripped the cup any tighter any longer, she feared she might break it. Her blue eyes seemed to express her sadness at the memories she was dragging up. She tried to talk at first, to explain the rest, but her mouth seemed to intent on silence at that moment. It was times like this that she wished Kyouya would show up and just whisk her away like any other day. Kyouya often would show up for no reason and steal Kaoru away for some time together and away from her duties. Of course Kaoru would protest, but ultimately she would give in and let Kyouya have his way.

"What happened next seemed to break everything I had locked away within myself. I looked into the house and saw my mother on the floor, dead and bloody, as she lay sprawled on the floor. There was blood everywhere...at first it made me sick to see it all, but seeing her there on the floor seemed to break me. For what once was a seemingly emotionless existence for me, now ended up releasing the gates that I thought were forever closed to me. I called out to her, though I knew she was dead, and clung to her limp body." Kaoru's hands tightened as they clutched each other in front of her on her lap. Her eyes closed as the pain from the memory gripped her once more. "I did not care that all the blood was getting on me. I didn't care much for anything at that moment but that I had lost the one person who made my existence matter in this world. That being said, I did not see the three men that were inside my home taking all that belonged to my mother and I. Material possessions did not matter to me, but her life had been taken from me and that mattered most."

Kaoru's face steadily started to go blank as she told the rest of the story. This part of the story always made her angry and she had a hard time telling it when Kyouya had asked about it before many times. Kyouya was under the impression that if Kaoru talked about it, she would feel better. Though, whenever she did, she just got even more angry. The feelings she always tried to suppress for years have now begun to bubble to the surface. "They had noticed me and I had noticed them. I was still crying over my mother, but...my gates to my emotions had now burst open, and they would never close again..." Kaoru opened her eyes and the rage was clearly seen in them, so she kept her eyes downcast as her eyes narrowed. Her blue eyes seemed to get darker with her darker emotions. "When they tried to kill me, I had used my fighting techniques from fighting with the other children to evade them and even take one of their swords. I had knocked them all out of the house and into the street, but soon they had regained their own sense of balance and since I was smaller, I was at a disadvantage. However, I lost control of myself at that moment. My rage and sorrow had nearly consumed me. I was...broke...you could say..."

Kaoru's face twisted into rage as she nearly softly snarled the rest. "I wanted to kill them; I was broke and I wanted them to pay with all that I was capable of. I suppose it was at that moment that I realized that I was capable of power. With what I know now, my innate talent for spiritual power manifested. From what Kyouya-oniichan told me later, I had begun to glow red. I gripped the sword tight in my hands and lifted the sword above my head, ready to deal out punishment upon the men who had stole my sole reason for living." Kaoru's voice dropped as her eyes locked on to the space right in front of her. She felt as if she were back at that night. Her spiritual pressure had started to waver again, but she pushed it back down. Kaoru without her mask had a hard time keeping a lock down on her power.

"However, I did not ultimately get to deal my justice upon them. I was stopped by a tall man with kind eyes. At the time, though, I thought of him as annoying and in my way. I was not pleased to have been stopped by this man; in fact, I wanted to kill him as well," Kaoru wanted to smile at this as she often told Kyouya this part without hesitation. He would merely sigh and give Kaoru a big crushing hug. "He put up a barrier around the men, both stopping them and stopping me from inflicting damage on them. As I turned to the man, I could see his hesitation in my appearance. After all, I was covered in blood, had a sword in hand, and looked like I was going to massacre the entire village. Though, he immediately caught himself and started to talk to me. Upon closer inspection of the man, I found him to be a shinigami. This was the moment I had met Kyouya Morinozuka for the first time. He talked me down from wanting to kill the men." Kaoru's voice softened as her eyes softened as well. The blue in her eyes turned lighter with her lighter mood. "He told me that if I went with him to the seireitei, I could learn to fight and protect everyone that I wanted safe, though I already lost all that I had and had no one else. For a few moments I had nearly turned my sword on him, but after a moment of looking at this calming and kind individual I had begun to change my mind. After all, I had no one and nothing could get any worse than it already had. Of course, I still wanted to tear their throats out and rip them to shreds,"

Kaoru was silent for a moment as she took a sip of her tea. "Kyouya had brought me and the men back to the seireitei. They were taken care of and Kyouya had managed to get permission for me to live with him at his barracks. We went back the next day to bury my mother on the outskirts of the village." Kaoru sighed as she set her cup down again. "Kyouya steadily became a pillar in my life to hold me together...sorta. He forced his way in, though, and often would give affection such as hugs and kisses on my forehead when I was not in my best moods. I was a wild child, growing up the rest of my childhood in the seireitei. For years I would stay with Kyouya even when he changed from squad to squad. Eventually when he was moved to the 13th squad to a high seated position, I had gotten into the academy at the age of 17. And the rest is history. I was wild and rough in the academy and would often get punished for doing so. I'm sure if you looked up my records you would see that. It wasn't until the last punishment I received from Kyouya did I see that my emotions would eventually get the best of me and soon become out of my control. And so my mask came into existence and began to cover all that I felt. Though I still have trouble keeping it on sometimes."

Kaoru looked up at him with her blue eyes showing all that she felt. Her sadness over her mother's death, rage at her inability to kill those men, annoyance at Kyouya's constant happy mood, and her exhaustion over having to keep up her mask every day. "To this day I am not sure why Kyouya saved me that night, but part of me is glad he did. However...the other part of me wishes he had let me kill them. I suppose now the villagers are right about me. I have been broke for a very long time from the moment I saw my mother dead. Even to this day whenever my mask slips I lose all the control I ever had." Kaoru bit her lower lip as she had expressed the words she most never wanted to admit, least of all to herself. She felt since she was already trusting this man with her story, she felt she could trust him with the next part.

"I am not how I appear to be. I am broken and lonely. While I have Kyouya now, he can only fill so much of the hole that has taken residence in my heart. There are more darker feelings that are hidden beneath my mask that threaten to consume me everyday. Rage and sorrow are the main ones, but often times the other lesser emotions lean toward the extreme. Since the gates are no longer there, so to speak, I often go from one extreme emotion to another. An example would be recently when I was being punished unfairly by Captain Kuchiki over a mission gone wrong, that I had lost all control over my mask and ended up yelling at him and mouthing off. That made it worse when he got angry and that made my already bad wounds worse. I was wrong to do so and paid the price for such actions." Kaoru sighed and winced at the memory from a few days ago. She looked up at Hirato. She wondered what he thought and wished she could read the mans mind.

"S-sorry for rambling on and on about this, I...I guess I was just nervous," Kaoru stuttered as she dropped her gaze and took another big drink of her tea. She felt lighter after talking about it, but her mind spun from having brought up all those emotions and memories from her past. "Thank you, though, Captain Murano. I feel better having told someone besides Kyouya about what happened. I may not feel better with my past, but talking seems to have calmed me down enough to keep my mask off for a bit more. Now you know the past behind my mask. I may not look it from an outsiders perspective, but I am a broken and lonely girl. If I am not careful, my bloodlust will come back and I won't be able to control myself if caught without my mask." She was referring of course to her constant feelings of rage and sorrow that threaten to consume her if she wasn't careful and how lonely she felt all the time despite having Kyouya and squad mates to lean on. She managed to smile at Hirato slightly and look him straight in the eye now. Her shaking had stopped, but now was replaced by nerves.

[Hirato Murano]

He responded to her smile with a sympathetic one of his own, waiting for her to continue. In the lull of conversation, a long drink of the tea washed down his throat, and he savored the flavor. The two of them were more similar than she knew, perhaps more than they would care to admit; both of them wore or had worn masks in the past to protect themselves, both of them had tragic pasts, and both of them owed their current existence to the intervention of another. Perhaps Kaoru-san innately sensed this and decided to trust him or she may have simply found him trustworthy and confided in him. Either way, he was humbled by the amount of faith she was placing in him, for he understood exactly how difficult sharing of oneself like this was. His thoughts were interrupted when she began to speak again, his attention focused on her once more.

Looking away, Hirato cursed his vivid imagination at the moment, seeing the scene of a house covered with the blood of a loved one. More than she could possibly comprehend, the horror of such a sight was ingrained in every fiber of his being. Recollections of times past, when his arms cradled the dying form of the woman he loved occupied the entirety of his mind and it started to spiral out of control. The noble put his hand to his forehead and rubbed his temples, attempting to regain the control he had lost so quickly. When she continued describing the selective apathy of the situation, how the blood had soaked him without her notice, his hand left his head and he simply breathed slowly, the control beginning to return to him. The Captain saw fury in her eyes, the thought of the men who had taken her mother away clearly affecting her deeply. As for this part, the tall man had to admit that it wasn't as familiar to him, since the Hollow that was responsible for his fiancee's death ceased to exist before he even reached the scene.

So she had spiraled out of control and attacked them, a perfectly understandable response to such a situation but the tide had turned against her when they rose again to continue the battle. The snarl in her voice did not go unnoticed by the crimson haired man, yet no comment was necessary and it would only cause issue due to its uselessness. In that moment, she had awakened her spiritual powers and overpowered them, ready to destroy them for what they had done. It could not be argued that they did not deserve such punishment; yet vengeance does not feel as wonderful as some might believe and it never restores the dead to life, only starting a vicious cycle of retribution. He could comprehend her sentiment of wanting to destroy anything that stood in the way of revenge and he was pleased that she had not carried it out. It would only have caused her more suffering. This Captain she had previously mentioned reminded him of his uncle: a compassionate man who desired nothing more than the happiness of those he loved. A smile involuntarily crossed his face for a moment at the thought of the man, but disappeared quickly.

Although Hirato had already heard of her desire for power, only now did it become apparent exactly what it appealed to her so strongly. He sipped his tea a moment after she did, glancing at her when she began to tell the story of her time in Seireitei. He sincerely hoped that the rest of her early life had been bereft of suffering like she had to endure with her mother's death. Her own time in the Academy sharply contrasted with his; while she may have been wild, he was controlled and careful, always listening to his instructors and progressing well through the classes. So her mask materialized at the end of her time in the Academy, had it? Considering this carefully, his hand rubbed his chin in his characteristic action of pondering, analyzing the available information with all of his mental faculties. His cerulean eyes met hers and he saw many emotions, all blurring together in her mind, considering her with a thoughtful gaze. He nodded again at the description of her mask, for it fit the description of his own, one of the mistakes the man regretted greatly.

The ultimately logical man believed in neither fate nor destiny, thinking both of them restrictions on the individual's free will. Still, without it, would Teina have approached him and provided him with some of the happiest times in his life? Running what she said through his mind another time, the Zanjutsu expert found he couldn't help but comment on her words because one of his most valuable lessons was applicable to that very human desire. "Killing them would only have brought you further pain, Kaoru-san. Vengeance is not what some imagine it to be, nor does it restore the dead to life," said the crimson haired man, his tone one of sincerity mixed with sympathy for her suffering. He opened his mouth to speak again but the words were lost and he instead took a sip from his cup to disguise the action. His hands were positioned around the sides of the cup and his fingers ran across it while his mind absorbed her acceptance of the truth. Looking up at her when she admitted to behaving that way toward a Captain, Hirato was quite surprised, to say the least. Broken and lonely, huh, thought the muscular man with an inward sigh, feeling sympathetic for her yet realizing the potential opportunity afforded by the situation. Despite its unlikelihood, it was still a possibility and the noble considered it seriously.

Shaking his head, the Captain responded, "It's all right," in a light, reassuring tone. Her mention of the bloodlust caused him to look away again, feeling that he somehow had a responsibility to shoulder the pain with her and assist her in coming to terms with her past. That was the only way she could ever truly move forward. Their eyes met again and Hirato returned her smile with one of his own, thinking that now was the time to make his proposal. Making sure to be cautious this time, the deep tones of the Captain rang out again in the large area of his private chambers. "I have a proposition for you, Kaoru-san," began the man matter-of-factly, choosing his next words carefully. "Would you like to train with me tomorrow at the 9th Division's training grounds?" His tone was polite and even somewhat hopeful, since it was his earnest wish for her to agree to train with him. Depending on how it turned out, the crimson haired leader might soon have a pupil, the first and only one he would ever have. The man took another sip from his sip and looked at her serenely, patiently awaiting her reply.

(OOC: I don't normally do this, but the word count for this post was 1,166. Sorry for making it so long. I don't know how that happened.)

[Kaoru Murano]

In her silence following the end of her explanation, she briefly observed the red-haired man in front of her. She wondered how he seemed to understand her well and not judge her based on what she had told him. Kaoru constantly worried that if she ever confided in somebody that she had a constant bloodlust that threatened to consume her, she would be judged unfairly and pushed away. However, part of her fear was lessened when Kyouya never did such and now the rest of her fear was lessened when Hirato hadn't said anything bad toward her admission of blood lust. What he had told her was basically what Kyouya had told her that very night and the days that followed whenever she stressed over it. Her mind flashed to a memory of her younger, smaller self as she saw herself in Kyouya's arms as they sat beneath the cherry blossoms and he was talking with her about what went on that night in hopes to lessen some of her pain. She remembered feeling calmed by his words and soon fell asleep within his arms. The memory was one of her good ones.

Shaking herself out of her memories, she remained back in the present. When he had returned her smile, he had stated that he had a proposition for her. This peaked her interest as she straightened up to listen. She felt lighter and more at peace for the moment at telling someone about her past. What he said next threw her for a loop as she wasn't expecting to be asked if she would train with him. This was rare, especially to train with another division's captain when one was with another division entirely. Her shock registered on her face, but was quickly dismissed as she gained control over her emotions once more and offered the captain a smile, this one was honest. "I must admit that this is a surprise to me, sir, since we are of different divisions, but I will accept your proposition. It would be an honor to train with you," Kaoru bowed from her sitting position and straightened up when she was done. Her eyes seemed clearer, but she knew that once she stepped back into the rest of the seireitei, this would change and she would go back to being her regular masked self once more.

Her mind wandered briefly as she tried to remember what Kyouya was doing today. It was his day off and she remembered that he expressed his wish to see her that day. She now had some good news to share with him and could already see his smiling face. Part of her sighed as she knew that the inevitable bear hug would be waiting for her and the other part wanted to laugh as he would make a fool out of himself in public and wouldn't care. She smiled at the captain as she sipped her tea once more. "I have been training with Kyouya-oniichan lately, so it'll be nice to have a different partner," Kaoru said as she chuckled and shook her head with her good mood.

[Hirato Murano]

His proposition surprised her, no doubt because it was such a sudden change of topic and not really expected. It pleased him that she returned his smile and he listened passively as she returned to her typical state. After what she had admitted to him, he could almost see the mask covering her again, shielding her emotions and protecting her heart. Although it seemed unlikely that it would ever cease to exist, it appeared that Kaoru-san trusted him enough to remove it in his presence. That was considerable progress and it satisfied him for now; perhaps he might return the favor and trust her with sensitive information about his past sometime later, but not at the moment. While she appeared trustworthy, the bond between them was not strong enough at the present time for the passage of that information from him. Soon, the noble thought, his eyes wandering around the room aimlessly for a few moments before refocusing.

Her agreement to the training was expected, and her acknowledgement of the opportunity as a honor sharply contrasted what his actual intention for the preliminary training was: to use as a test. If she passed, it was possible that the two of them would train on a regular basis and he would assist her in reaching ever higher realms of power. If she failed, well, the crimson haired man had to admit he would be very disappointed, indeed, but he would continue on and proceed with his own training by himself. The thought reminded him of how one of his first actions as Captain had been to increase the funds allocated to the maintenance of the training grounds, because his Zanpakuto did not even remotely understand the concept of holding back, as always. Their training sessions damaged the training grounds on a regular basis, so the squad had already accepted its inevitability. Hirato smiled in spite of himself, recalling how they had reacted the first time he exited the training ground, tore up by Kaimetsu, meeting them with an explanation of his Zanpakuto's unfortunate habit.

The sound of her voice and a chuckle made him raise his eyebrows, then smile at her vastly improved mood. The noble had not trained with anyone but Kaimetsu for quite a while, now that his mind considered it and variety did benefit the advancement of one's abilities. "I've only trained with my Zanpakuto recently, actually", admitted the man, his cerulean orbs meeting her blue eyes while his tone conveyed realization and slight surprise at the realization. Standing, the tall man looked at her, believing that there was something missing, the nagging at the back of his mind making him continue to ponder what the lacking element was, its exact form escaping him. His hand rubbed his chin involuntarily, his mind setting into motion to discover what was not present and immediately realizing the answer. Her accomplishment was likely already praised by others, but that should not mean that he could not contribute to the praise. "Congratulations on your promotion, Officer Takahata," Hirato said, purposely emphasizing her new title with sincerity and praise. They would be seeing each other again soon and he could not deny that he was looking forward to it. Wondering what abilities she possessed, the Captain sipped his tea, draining the last of the delicious green tea. The prospect of a new training partner interested him greatly and the Zanjutsu expert expected that she would not disappoint.