#arrives ten years late with gin not answering her question -- another ichimaru special for ya

[godkilller]

GIN REMAINED STILL AND DID NOT TURN TO PROTECT HIS BACK FROM HER MIDST. He did, however, shift his weight from his right foot to his left whilst she casually proceeded to brush a touch against his shoulder -- a minuscule tell of his mild discomfort concerning the breach of his personal bubble.

Ultimately, though, Gin was well-versed in breaching others' comfort zones to press into them, to get them to spill out their own tells and weaknesses, so he knew better than to dislike what was more aptly named as karma. She was seeking weaknesses, and his was rather blatant; if she were to favor his right, he'd feel inclined to withdraw -- the loss of his right arm hovered thickly, the weight of his empty sleeve prominent, Gin couldn't help but feel vastly disadvantaged. There was acceptance with that -- or perhaps this was merely a result of his lingering fatigue... if she decided she wanted him dead, he'd not be rushed to counter that decision. Kill him. He'd welcome it.

For now, she seemed simply curious. That was almost amusing to Gin, the fact that this ever so wise and elder Shinigami powerhouse didn't know what to make of some little rogue that the Rukongai spat out. Why and how he managed to be more than a blip on her radar was a mystery. But, when approached about his intent with the Gotei 13, that became rather fair of an angle for her to take with him. His loyalties were already in question by the majority of the Seireitei, so Gin took no offense to her query.

❝ You'd be th' first to ever call me noble, I'll admit. ❞ The reply came smoothly, though he held within him some reluctance to part with the following explanation she requested -- he was not so easily cracked open, he did not seek to spill the innards of his heart from one well-aimed question posed his way. This wasn't wholly his truth to tell; it was Rangiku who suffered the loss, not him.

❝ Before I answer that, I gotta pose somethin' your way first. ❞ Deflection, but at least he wasn't overly deceptive about it.

❝ What drove you to be loyal to th' Soul King? With all due respect, I highly doubt y'popped up with that disposition from day one. Sure, he protects th' realms, keeps things in balance -- but wouldn'tcha say th' Royal Guard's already doin' all of that themselves? Hell, if what I heard's right, you can do all of that yourself. Is that thing ... for lack of better wordin'... necessary, then, other than servin' as a fancy 'n overrated linchpin? ❞

Ah, some of Aizen's opinions bled into his own over time, but could Gin be blamed? Hearing so much of that man's anti-Reiō rhetoric from the time of being a child to his adulthood now, for the greater span of over a century, meant that inevitably Gin had to agree. The concept of this... braindead entity holding everything together whilst that deed was doable by others with more sentience to them seemed rather pointless, no?

He may as well use this opportunity to raise that query in return fire than ever make the move to answer her pressing question as to why he did what he did. Gin had no intentions of sharing that with anyone, he'd speak nothing of Rangiku, of the piece of her soul still stolen from her and nestled within the now-immortal chest of Aizen Sousuke. He did not share that even with the people directly involved, least of all with a woman he felt was merely plucking at his skin to see how he bled. She'd gain no idle entertainment from the tale of the wounds dealt to Rangiku, she'd not hear of it from Gin's mouth at least.

❝ I ain't tryin' to convince anybody that they should trust me, I'll let my actions speak for themselves -- until then, I guess y'ain't ever gonna know for sure. ❞ Gin turned his head to one side, aiming a well-hidden yet cutting gaze her way. His aura shifted, not so much of a brace as it was a coiling inward -- some could say defensive, others could say it was a preparation to strike. Difficult to discern, the way his turmoil bled into the air and muffled itself into a lowly hiss.

❝ Does that bother you? ❞

WHAT WOULD THE SNAKE DO IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIDER ? both creatures were seen as disgust , as wretched things that devour the weaker . ah , but there was more to them both , more than just their bite . [ shutara had a skilled mind & ichimaru had successfully put a grand mask to parade himself in --- both of them could play any role given . ] however , this wasn't about who could outwit who , shutara had enough pride in her playing ways to know how to work around words . she had been alive longer than the man before her , killing slowly was part of the role of a sly spider .

yes , aizen may have been one of her keen interest , but to think the shinigami before her had not only lived to speak again , & not only that regain his role in his former world , her morbid interest caused the demon like woman to seize whatever words dripped from the poisonous mouth of the viper .

❝ far from it ; --- it is an observation . ❞ shutara spoke now that she stood to the side of gin , her limbs moving slowly & morbidly curious near him as if to study what they do not touch . ❝ your actions for the soul society were a grain to what you truly could have done , but you were willing to die on your hill . something rather noble for a shinigami so silent behind a smile like yours . ❞

her head lowered for a moment , allowing her hair to mask her eyes as she continued . ❝ tell me something , ichimaru . ❞ stepping to stand behind him , one of her golden limbs moved to place itself near his shoulder --- dusting away any small dirt she had noted before speaking again . ❝ what drove you to such a path ? you are skilled in your acts as a taicho , loyal to a degree when it benefits you . . . --- how do any of us know you do not intend to shift your chains to someone else ? ❞

her hand leaves his shoulder , yet she remains standing behind him . much like a backstabber he had once been , surely he understood how dangerous the spine could be when in the presence of a foe . a woman that would rather have him sealed away for a bit , but he had done some good to a degree .

still , she would study him , see what makes him click --- & it appeared as though the feeling was mutual with the words he spoke . there was a chuckle from the older shinigami , gliding to stand before him slowly . he could have been mistaken as naive or foolish , but all shutara would do was study the soul that hid behind the smile he bore for the world to see .

❝ should we trust in you , will we have to face another mistake ? ❞