#deathlyshe

[keikakudori]

                               If one thing was certain about Aizen Sousuke, it was that he was never quite used to being addressed by his given name. Very few people used it; only four, to be exact, and out of the four, one of them no longer used it. But then, he had not used it for years. Still, it was true enough that the three senior most captains were the ones who would do just that and therefore, Aizen was only left to smile at the words which were directed to him, a smile tinged with a quiet weariness. Yes, a young captain and a senior one, but then he'd only been wearing the haori about twenty years now. Not a long time at all, truth be told, yet he had stepped up into the vacancy caused by the actions of Urahara Kisuke.

                               Or so the commonly held belief went, that was.

                               ❝ Ah, good afternoon, Unohana-taichou, ❞ he said with that sweetly pleasant smile that had made younger Shinigami flock to him like bees clustering around brightly colored flora. ❝ I actually did come by to ask for your help with a couple things. Regarding Gin, mainly. ❞

                               It wasn't the first time that he'd sought her help and it wouldn't be the last. He had often spoken with seated officers about being willing to try out experimental drugs or concoctions - most of which he had tried out on his own captain whenever he'd gotten ill or injured - but rarely had he ever spoken with her directly. Yet that had changed while he'd still worn the badge once the silver-haired boy that had seemed to turn into his shadow had arrived in his life. How many times had she been witness to him dragging a squirming, protesting Gin to the grounds of the Fourth by now? It was always an entertainment to be had during the period when those seasonal flus or colds would sweep through the Seireitei. Typically he was among the last to fall to those illnesses; for a child of the Rukongai, Aizen was surprisingly robust.

                               Yet her observation of how he never truly came willingly to this place was true enough too. The longest he'd been confined to the grounds of the Yonbantai had been in that month when his back had been left covered in burns. They had healed, for the most part, yet how the skin could still grow tight and itchy when the cold weather came upon them, such as it did now. But he wasn't going to bring that up. Working on applying lotion to the scar tissue did more or less work. But, ah--- yes. His reason for visiting.

                               Still, he bore that gentle, warm air to him which bespoke the compassion he exuded so easily. Seldom did he have a harsh word for the younger Shinigami that seemed to venerate him and more seldom did he show any hint of temper. Such was easily portrayed, even now. But it was true they were both beasts hiding behind their air of gentility. Aizen could feel it in his bones, had felt it from the moment he had first met her, that she was truly dangerous. But he did not seek to provoke. No, there was nothing of that air at all between them.

                               ❝ Yet, if you're offering tea, I certainly won't turn it down. I've found that I enjoy the warmer flavors during the wintertime; I've a quite lovely cinnamon rooibos blend that is excellent and might appeal if you would care to sample it at some point. But I will gladly accept green tea. ❞ If anything, he knew that she was likely to have the high quality matcha that he favored so well.

                               ❝ It's not urgent, but I was simply hoping to replenish the stock of medications that will probably help him out. I know that this is one of the times of year when he is most prone to getting sick. ❞

                               A strange request one might say, yet Aizen had found it easiest to keep such supplies on hand at his own division. It made it far easier for him to simply pin Gin down and shove those medications down his throat rather than expend the excess energy chasing him down and dragging him to the Fourth's compound and it was, equally, far less stressful.

                               ❝ But I shan't say no to sharing tea with you. ❞

肉雫唼 // @keikakudori​

❝ Sōsuke-san that is quite the look you have on your face. Is there something that I could help you with? ❞ The question feel with accusatory inflections. A kind smile soon followed her words; hands delicately clasped before her. ❝ Perhaps you are feeling under the weather. ❞ She remarked, head tilting to the side ever so lightly. She had lived entire lifetimes a criminal turned healer who had seen the creation of the gotei and those who stood as captains rise to prominence. 

A brief pause stopped her inquisition as her gaze studied him for a moment. ❝ What I mean is there must be something bothering you to come all this way to me. As memory serves, you are never the one to come here on your own willingly. ❞ Her words were spoken with experience — there was never a time in which she could recall him coming to the yonbantai without a need to, and generally speaking, that always had little to do with him. Nevertheless, her gaze narrowed slightly as she awaited his response. 

In all her years, he was one that she could never quite figure out. There was something about him that always prompted her to second guess his very nature though such suspicions were always kept hidden, much like the scar upon her chest. Her friendly disposition remained on her features, hiding away the monster that lurked beneath, locked away behind a cage made of bone. Then again, perhaps that was because she hid her true nature from everyone, so it was only normal for her to suspect that it could be said to be true about everyone — hiding away aspects of themselves they would rather keep hidden. There was nothing about him but compassion toward those around him. The kind of empathy that took Unohana almost a century to learn. 

A light hum fell from her lips. ❝ If there is no urgency or need for my skills, perhaps I should set some tea on. I trust that you have time for some tea. What are you drinking these days? ❞ She inquired after a moment. Despite her inkling towards distrust, she did respect him and his accomplishments within the seireitei. ❝ It has been quite some time since I have been joined for tea by another captain. ❞