The measure of a man
“And there you are again, I swear Shiba Fuku-Taichou you're going to waste away yourself behind that desk!” Miyako paused at the doorway to slip off her shoes bowing before entering the office which Kaien souly occupied as Ukitake remained in 4th. Placing the kettle and the two cups to one side while she neatly picked up the growing forest of paperwork from his Desk Miyako finally set the tea pot down on cleared space. She merely smiled at his raised brow and slight irritated look. “There, some white tea to clear your mind some.”
“Miy... Fushimi-San, As appreciative as I am I've go-”
“None of that. Just a moment to clear your head. If I may be so frank Sir, I, please humor me for a I feel as if I took part in your sister's Injury.” She poured the cups placing one in front of him.
Setting the ink pen down Kaien shifted his weight and folded his hand on his desk, sharp teal eyes examining her face “What makes you say that? Kukaku is responsible for herself and our clan. Her Injuries during a battle is due simply to her own negligence. I'm grateful you brought her to the 4th despite regulations, I'm also grateful that she had sense enough not to loose her life. Please understand I don't hold you accountable.”
Miyako set herself on the floor, hands folded in her lap and chin tilted to her chest. “I, I am still guilty. If Kukaku wasn't here speaking with me on my request then I would have never asked her to come with me an-”
“Miyako-san!” A sharp voice that set Miyako almost down to a bow paused the woman mid sentence “I don't give a damn why Kukaku was here. Frankly from what I was told if she hadn't we might have suffered more injuries. As I said, Kukaku is her own person and makes her own decisions. I'm not too happy with you not out right asking me however.” He twisted his lips and took a slow sip from his tea.
The woman looked up and quite calmly stated “Because you wouldn't let us.”
Kaien blinked and tilted his head “What do you mean? How did I not let you? That's easy. Hey Kaien, what's up with this, coudlja tell me a bit about what might be going on? Lets have tea, sake... beer. Nothing hard about that!”
“There is a point when you can see those whom you've worked with, lived close to and care about pull away. Its not something you can pinpoint, but its like the change of the seasons. It was summer yesterday and suddenly gradually you notice that the leaves have changed and there is a crispness to the air. We change in much the same manner Shiba Fuku-Taichou.
I can no easier point out when you started to push away and hide under frantic eyes and small shoulders any more then I could tell you when the seasons have changed. The point is, we did notice.” She gave a soft laugh and a tilt of her head “I say we because I'm not the only one who's noticed. We care for you, all of us both your squad mates and even your family who adores you to tears. I was desperate for answers the last thing I wanted was to see you fade away, I couldn't just sit still and wait you know. I suppose I'll make a horrible wife in that aspect.” She gave a soft laugh.
Kaien sipped at his tea to hide a coloring to his cheeks, collecting her words before finding his voice “I..... I think cause of that you'd make the perfect wife...” he coughed once “Course well With all the stuff that's been going on, I guess I just got a little lost in myself. Wasn't your or anyone's fault you know. I just wish that someone said something earlier rather then just, sitting back and letting me run around like a chicken with my head lopped off.” He huffed lightly trying to keep his pride polished.
“We tried, but because your head was off your shoulders you couldn't hear us. Shiba Fuku-Taichou” Miyako winked.
“Kaien.” He smiled “Just, simply Kaien.”
Miyako smiled with a sparkle in her eye “Miyako then, Simply Miyako. Kaien-san, your Sister's arm... She knew the young man who did it to her. I'm sure Taichou would be upset with me for speaking so freely but-”
“Koryuu right?” As Miyako nodded Kaien sat back a bit on his seat swirling the tea around in the cup “Ohjisan had this idea, this fucking ridiculous idea that he was going to take over the Serieti. Koryuu was never right in the head and it doesn't surprise me if he's going to follow in Ohjisan's footsteps. The plan was simple, destroy all within the walls of the Serieti and take down the King himself.”
Miyako simply raised a brow “How did he planed to do that? As soon as he got near the Seki Seki anything that had been touched by spirit power would be rejected- violently.”
Kaien wobbled his head from side to side “Well yes and no. See, we are Shiba! Our specialty is fireworks and anything that is related to! Seki Seki is even mined out of our own quarries as we seek the minerals needed for our life blood. We know how to break through it. One good hard pin pointed puncture and you can break right through the barrier. All one needed to do is to get a projectile through the Seki Seki gates, detonate it and you're inside. This has been a long known problem that my oldest ancestors and only the king are aware of. No shield is impenetrable and this, was the only fault out of our otherwise stay free shield.”
Miyako felt her color drain, a part of her had been quite secure in the knowledge that they would be safe where they were, all hollow attacks were outside of the Serieti walls but they had been getting closer. “how would they even be able to get something to fire a projectile. Wouldn't it need to be moving rather fast? Further away the object the slower the speed correct?”
“Indeed. They would need to be very close yes. The old Shiba Estate now abandoned would have been the perfect spot. After the collapse of the spires and the ruined court yard it no longer became big enough to house what they might be able to use to create such an exploitation. Fortunately building something that would work would be rather noticeable.” He watched as Miyako stood up and crossed the room to Ukitake- Taichou's desk. Quietly she pulled a paper out and unfolded it examining it closely.
“Where was your old estate again?”
Kaien slowly lifted himself up form the mats the desk groaning a bit as he used the old wooden surface to brace himself. He examined the paper which turned out to be a map with the same marks Kaien had put on his own, updated markings and soft reds from the pigment that had yet to oxidize rested where the attacks curved in closer and into the middle of the cities beyond the walls. Kaien pointed to the lifted rocks in the middle of the Rutongai district.
Quietly Miyako placed a tack where the location was, another on each of the red dots, a final white on upon the middle of the Serieti. Pulling a string out she connected each red dot to the white one, the spiral becoming far more predominant....save for an empty spot towards the bottom near the forest just south of the rutongai. She placed a tack in the aria and connected a string to it. Together it looked complete now.
Kaien's brows knitted together, the spot in the forest was in equal distance from the Sereti as the old estate had been. He rubbed at his face looking up at Miyako “Have you showed Taichou?”
Miyako shook her head. “Are you up for a little Investigating Sir?” She had a smirk and a twinkle in her eye.
“Miy... Fushimi-San, As appreciative as I am I've go-”
“None of that. Just a moment to clear your head. If I may be so frank Sir, I, please humor me for a I feel as if I took part in your sister's Injury.” She poured the cups placing one in front of him.
Setting the ink pen down Kaien shifted his weight and folded his hand on his desk, sharp teal eyes examining her face “What makes you say that? Kukaku is responsible for herself and our clan. Her Injuries during a battle is due simply to her own negligence. I'm grateful you brought her to the 4th despite regulations, I'm also grateful that she had sense enough not to loose her life. Please understand I don't hold you accountable.”
Miyako set herself on the floor, hands folded in her lap and chin tilted to her chest. “I, I am still guilty. If Kukaku wasn't here speaking with me on my request then I would have never asked her to come with me an-”
“Miyako-san!” A sharp voice that set Miyako almost down to a bow paused the woman mid sentence “I don't give a damn why Kukaku was here. Frankly from what I was told if she hadn't we might have suffered more injuries. As I said, Kukaku is her own person and makes her own decisions. I'm not too happy with you not out right asking me however.” He twisted his lips and took a slow sip from his tea.
The woman looked up and quite calmly stated “Because you wouldn't let us.”
Kaien blinked and tilted his head “What do you mean? How did I not let you? That's easy. Hey Kaien, what's up with this, coudlja tell me a bit about what might be going on? Lets have tea, sake... beer. Nothing hard about that!”
“There is a point when you can see those whom you've worked with, lived close to and care about pull away. Its not something you can pinpoint, but its like the change of the seasons. It was summer yesterday and suddenly gradually you notice that the leaves have changed and there is a crispness to the air. We change in much the same manner Shiba Fuku-Taichou.
I can no easier point out when you started to push away and hide under frantic eyes and small shoulders any more then I could tell you when the seasons have changed. The point is, we did notice.” She gave a soft laugh and a tilt of her head “I say we because I'm not the only one who's noticed. We care for you, all of us both your squad mates and even your family who adores you to tears. I was desperate for answers the last thing I wanted was to see you fade away, I couldn't just sit still and wait you know. I suppose I'll make a horrible wife in that aspect.” She gave a soft laugh.
Kaien sipped at his tea to hide a coloring to his cheeks, collecting her words before finding his voice “I..... I think cause of that you'd make the perfect wife...” he coughed once “Course well With all the stuff that's been going on, I guess I just got a little lost in myself. Wasn't your or anyone's fault you know. I just wish that someone said something earlier rather then just, sitting back and letting me run around like a chicken with my head lopped off.” He huffed lightly trying to keep his pride polished.
“We tried, but because your head was off your shoulders you couldn't hear us. Shiba Fuku-Taichou” Miyako winked.
“Kaien.” He smiled “Just, simply Kaien.”
Miyako smiled with a sparkle in her eye “Miyako then, Simply Miyako. Kaien-san, your Sister's arm... She knew the young man who did it to her. I'm sure Taichou would be upset with me for speaking so freely but-”
“Koryuu right?” As Miyako nodded Kaien sat back a bit on his seat swirling the tea around in the cup “Ohjisan had this idea, this fucking ridiculous idea that he was going to take over the Serieti. Koryuu was never right in the head and it doesn't surprise me if he's going to follow in Ohjisan's footsteps. The plan was simple, destroy all within the walls of the Serieti and take down the King himself.”
Miyako simply raised a brow “How did he planed to do that? As soon as he got near the Seki Seki anything that had been touched by spirit power would be rejected- violently.”
Kaien wobbled his head from side to side “Well yes and no. See, we are Shiba! Our specialty is fireworks and anything that is related to! Seki Seki is even mined out of our own quarries as we seek the minerals needed for our life blood. We know how to break through it. One good hard pin pointed puncture and you can break right through the barrier. All one needed to do is to get a projectile through the Seki Seki gates, detonate it and you're inside. This has been a long known problem that my oldest ancestors and only the king are aware of. No shield is impenetrable and this, was the only fault out of our otherwise stay free shield.”
Miyako felt her color drain, a part of her had been quite secure in the knowledge that they would be safe where they were, all hollow attacks were outside of the Serieti walls but they had been getting closer. “how would they even be able to get something to fire a projectile. Wouldn't it need to be moving rather fast? Further away the object the slower the speed correct?”
“Indeed. They would need to be very close yes. The old Shiba Estate now abandoned would have been the perfect spot. After the collapse of the spires and the ruined court yard it no longer became big enough to house what they might be able to use to create such an exploitation. Fortunately building something that would work would be rather noticeable.” He watched as Miyako stood up and crossed the room to Ukitake- Taichou's desk. Quietly she pulled a paper out and unfolded it examining it closely.
“Where was your old estate again?”
Kaien slowly lifted himself up form the mats the desk groaning a bit as he used the old wooden surface to brace himself. He examined the paper which turned out to be a map with the same marks Kaien had put on his own, updated markings and soft reds from the pigment that had yet to oxidize rested where the attacks curved in closer and into the middle of the cities beyond the walls. Kaien pointed to the lifted rocks in the middle of the Rutongai district.
Quietly Miyako placed a tack where the location was, another on each of the red dots, a final white on upon the middle of the Serieti. Pulling a string out she connected each red dot to the white one, the spiral becoming far more predominant....save for an empty spot towards the bottom near the forest just south of the rutongai. She placed a tack in the aria and connected a string to it. Together it looked complete now.
Kaien's brows knitted together, the spot in the forest was in equal distance from the Sereti as the old estate had been. He rubbed at his face looking up at Miyako “Have you showed Taichou?”
Miyako shook her head. “Are you up for a little Investigating Sir?” She had a smirk and a twinkle in her eye.