A Sheathed Blade Still Cuts [Midori, Alastor]

"Now that's confidence. No wonder Murasaki thinks you're so... Well, I had a few words in mind, but I think she'd be embarrassed if I started sharing what she says in her letters."

Midori giggled yet again at that, putting out the embers of her kiseru as she set it aside. Was she taking a student? The last time she'd taught anyone had been Murasaki, but that had been a while ago now. Why not? It was boring down here otherwise, and it was definitely even more boring up there.

"I can, if you want. I don't know if I'm the perfect teacher, but I know a thing or two about the shinigami arts. I was in the Onmitsukido before I got sent to Zero Division, and I wouldn't say I was bad at my job. But don't feel pressured or anything."

This lady thought that she was getting to him by teasing about whatever Murasaki might or might not have said about him. Pfft, who'd she think she was talking to? A guy like him didn't give a crap what people said about him and she was crazy if it was going to linger on his mind after he left this counter with her.

"Aren't those like the stealth guys? I'm not really the quiet type, easier to just beat up the enemy and keep going on. You know?"

He also wasn't the most patient, so the stealthy approach that required discipline and strong resolve to just wait for the ample time is something he was lacklustre with.

"But yeah, sounds cool to do if you're free."

"Well, stealth is an important part of the job, yeah, but so is the ability to fight. I don't think skulking around like that's really my style, anyway."

Honestly, Midori really needed something to do. She didn't want to go back up to the palace unless they made her go, and she was confident that wasn't gonna be happening any time soon. Might as well put her time down here to good use.

"I'm always free, so don't worry about that. I tend to just stay at the Onyx Fountain Inn during the early mornings and in the evenings. Come by whenever you've got the time. Oh, but you should make sure Murasaki knows where you're going. The last thing you need is a rumor getting to her that you're meeting a beautiful older woman at an inn, hm?"

Though she did giggle faintly, there was actually no small amount of seriousness to Midori's tone as she offered that warning. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her daughter.

"Onyx Fountain Inn and where is that exactly?"

Did she exepct him to know every little bit of the Seireitei and the Rukongai, especially not something crazy like inns. After an impatient moment he waved the question away.

"Eh, whatever. Murasaki will probably know where it is."

For some reason he did linger on her talk of making sure to be transparent, he wasn't the smartest dude but it did strike him that if it wasn't her daughter who would be impacted then she'd be perfectly content to drag him through the hell that would be those rumours. Just a hunch though.