Closed -- Ongoing

[sixty_plus_nine]

WHO: Rangiku Matsumoto venusgiapponese, Shuuhei Hisagi sixty_plus_nine
WHAT: Shuuhei gets the assignment to move in with Ran. (He totally volunteered.)
WHERE: Matsumoto's apartment building, Vescovo territory
WHEN: After Hitsugaya's departure.

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[sixty_plus_nine]

Shuuhei waited patiently at the door, giving her whatever time she needed to collect herself, emotionally or otherwise. Rangiku was given a soft nod in greeting when she opened the door for him. In spite of an admittedly pleasing figure, he was careful to keep his eyes on her face and no lower. He wasn't such a louse that he'd get an eyeful of a woman obviously having a bad day, no matter how much his baser instincts tempted him.

"Thank you." He nodded his head once more in gratitude before stepping across the apartment's threshold. He tried not to notice the lack of smile, feigned oblivion at her misery. Shuuhei at first thought it the polite thing to do. But a few moments in her presence was all it took to make him doubt his initial decision. He glanced back over his shoulder at her, though his expression revealed little to nothing of what he was thinking. This was his partner. To not offer support wouldn't be polite. It would border more on being callous.

"Matsumoto-san." Words failed him almost as soon as he said her name. Shuuhei busied himself with placing the box down and starting to sort through it's contents. "I understand that I'm no replacement." He may be filling in someone else's role but when it comes to matters of the heart, substitutes aren't so easily made. For a moment he seemed awfully preoccupied with song titles on a CD that he'd listened to a thousand times. "I can promise you...that you won't have to go through this again. Not with me." He scowled slightly while his back was to her, wondering if his words were too personal. At length he decided that he didn't care. He just wanted her to feel reassured in some small way. Shuuhei lifted his head to look back at Rangiku. "He'll be fine." He could only hope that the mention of Hitsugaya wouldn't be too painful. "And you'll be fine too." Shuuhei added quickly, just in case. "I'll see to it." His voice was a little firmer with those words as he plucked the box in it's entirety up again and turned to face her. "So. Which room is mine?"

[venusgiapponese]

The atmosphere seemed so horribly tense as he entered the apartment and she slowly closed the door behind him before standing in that one spot and bowing her head. To some extent, she felt badly that she was so down in the dumps, but Rangiku wasn't really sure what she wanted to do now or how to react. All she knew was that she didn't expect for things to turn out this way or for his move to be so unpleasant.

Then he spoke, and she knew that he was also trying to deal with the situation. As an outsider. As a replacement--no, just a substitute for Hitsugaya while he was away. Shuuhei was saying that he'd be alright, and Rangiku wanted more than ever to believe that. Her smile brightened a little bit as she approached him quietly. "Arigatou."

Locking arms with him, she tugged him along, finally replying, "And your room--" She pulled him toward the bedroom and flicked on the lights. "--is also my room, hai?" The bedroom, like the rest of the apartment, wasn't exactly in great condition, but it was clear that Hitsugaya had done a marvelous job at keeping it very clean and tidy.

[sixty_plus_nine]

Her smile made him smile, and Shuuhei responded with another soft nod of her head when she thanked him. A brow arched when she locked arms with him, but Shuuhei offered no resistance as she started tugging him along with her. He hadn't yet realized where they were going.

"...." His eyes darted around the bedroom once the lights were switched on. At first Shuuhei tried telling himself that he hadn't heard her correctly, or that he'd somehow misunderstood. But there really wasn't much room for error. "A one bedroom apartment..." He hadn't considered that that would be the case. Shuuhei stepped into the room and placed his box down. He'd try to keep it as neat as it's former occupant had. Fortunately he didn't have a whole lot to create clutter with.

He returned to stand in front of her, crossing his arms over his chest. It was more habit than defensive gesture, a stance that she'd probably get used to. "Your voicemail earlier cut off." He brings it up only in case she wanted to say whatever it was now. "And you promised me sake." Shuuhei added with a faint smirk.

[venusgiapponese]

"Eeeeh? Did it really???" She looked up at him and blinked before semi-dragging him over to the kitchen. Now the woman didn't really know her way around the kitchen because Hitsugaya did pretty much everything around the house; however, she DID know where to find herself some deliciously warm sake.

Close enough to the table, she released Shuuhei before kneeling down at one of the lower cabinets and retrieving a bottle of sake. After placing it on the table, she moved about the kitchen in search of the sake set--darn, where was that thing when you needed it.

"Ne~ Just make yourself at home, hai? I'll get this ready since I promised that to you~" She continued bustling about the kitchen in search for that cherished drinking set. "It's good to loosen up and share a drink once in a while, right?"

[sixty_plus_nine]

Shuuhei blinked when she grabbed him and dragged him off in the direction of the kitchen -- not that he minded. "It's not that urgent." Not so much so that she need be rushing around her own kitchen so furiously.

Shuuhei leaned against the table, his polite posture from earlier relaxing now. A free hand reached out for the bottle of sake. Now that was a welcome sight. Granted, there were several places in Italy that sold it. But not all of his commrades had a taste for it. Either that or they really didn't care what it was, as long as it was alcohol. For some reason that seemed almost...disrespectful. Sake, to him, was in a class by itself.

"A woman after my own heart." Shuuhei murmured before placing the bottle down and watching her search anew. He arched a brow, wondering if he should start helping her. She seemed a bit out of her element in the kitchen. That made him smirk to himself, though not in a mocking sort of way. And when she turned her face to him, Shuuhei was careful to have that serious mask back in place. "Need any help?"

[venusgiapponese]

"Mou~ It's very important!" She pouted, still rummaging through cabinets fairly quickly because she wanted her sake pronto. After all, sake was the best! But after going through all the cabinets -and clearly missing the obvious set sitting in front of one of them- she turned to him sheepishly. "Ummm, kinda?"

But before he could do anything, she added, "Waitwaitwait, ne~ I could do this again--I just know it." And Rangiku began to scour the cabinets one more time, finding the sake set right in front of one. "Ah, see~ I wonder why I missed it the first time, ne~"

Of course, if she actually had paid closer attention the first time she'd combed through the cabinets, she'd have easily found it. Nevertheless, she cheerfully made her way back to the table and set everything up before properly pouring them some sake. Finally taking a seat, she nodded for Shuuhei to take his drink, saying, "Please, enjoy~"

[sixty_plus_nine]

Shuuhei pushed away from the table and straightened, but then she wanted to give it another go on her own. He nodded to her and waited, quirking a brow when she finds it right under her nose.

"Huh." He's got a pretty good idea of why she missed it the first time. She was obviously still distracted. Though he wouldn't call it merely that. There were all sorts of emotions that Rangiku was likely feeling right now. His eyes stayed glued to her, just as watchful over her when they were alone as he would be when they were out.

Shuuhei relaxed again as she was fixing the sake. He gave her a nod of gratitude and even a smile before taking up his drink. "I'm sure I will." He murmured before closing his eyes and tossing back the sake. He did it with the ease of someone who'd done this before, but his expression suggested that he savored it like it was the first time all over again. He sighed happily before opening his eyes and smiling at her again, but a little easier this time. "A new beginning. I'll drink to that."

I need more icons and don't have an appropriate drinking icon. For shame.

[venusgiapponese]

[ooc: I'm so sorry for this really late reply... DX]

"Mm. A new beginning," she agreed. "Kanpai~" A toast, and then she drank. Heartily. Of course she was savoring it, too... just more of it at a time. Shuuhei was right that she was an emotional wreck, and the bitter burn as it went down was some sort of comfort to the miserable woman.

It wasn't long before she needed a refill, which she gladly handled on her own.

"Ne~ How long have you been working with the Commission?" It was just a wonder, after all. All the members seemed so spread out and isolated. Doing their own thing. It was a wonder that the organization managed to stay afloat somehow, which meant that someone had to be doing his job right.

Of course, that someone wasn't Rangiku. She had better things to do than play as their dog. But with Hitsugaya suddenly off and away, she wondered if she really had any purpose or reason to stay. However, if they could find and fix Hitsugaya...

[sixty_plus_nine]

Shuuhei wasn't one to judge about most things. Especially not when he's been in shoes similar to her own. The way she handled her sake was impressive though. He had to hide his smile at the thought that here was a woman that even he might not be able to keep up with. In that department anyway.

The question about the Commission made Shuuhei arch an eyebrow and he quickly swalled down his sake. "'Bout five years." Had it really been that long? Shuuhei reflected on that for a moment before nodding. "Not sure where I'd be now if I hadn't joined." He smirked. "Probably dead. Or doing things that too many people are already doing." Shuuhei ducked his head down to try and catch Rangiku's attention and give her something more to focus on than her own misery. "What about you? "Why are you doing this..." He trailed off, a thin smirk crossing his lips before he decided to go through with the joke. Whether she was shocked, laughed, or got angry, it would be better than her being sad. "Instead of being the mother of my children." He finished. Shuuhei was already lifting an arm up in his own defense. At least he could blame it on the sake.