Black on Black [Kintori x Keiko]

Kintori found herself on this particular day doing something that she wanted. Despite the Shihoin not really giving a shit about what the Gotei does now that the Onmitsukidō is no longer a thing, Kintori has been going around and keeping general tabs for anything that might actually help her or the family in any way. Whilst doing that, she's also been taking tabs on stuff just in case her sister ever decided she wanted to reintegrate into noble society. Anyways, one of the few things that had peaked her interest recently was the new hakuda instructor, well actually a teaching assistant but a hakuda nonpracticing nonetheless, just like her. If this person was good enough to be able to teacher others how to use hakuda, maybe they'd be willing to give her a few pointers. This was a stretch if anything but she thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Which is why, at the moment. Kintori was roaming around the Shin'o academy looking for said instructor. It's quite obvious who did and didn't take their hakuda classes seriously just by getting a general glance at their posture and physical build. There were some shinigami that had actually impressed her and others that made her laugh, internally of course. She had an image to keep while in public and didn't want to shatter that by laughing in a place like the academy. Anyways, she's been looking long enough by now that she should ask for help. So that's what she did, approaching a short and young looking girl, who also looked like she didn't belong here. From appearance alone, Kintori knew that she didn't take her hakuda classes seriously.

"Excuse me miss, I'm looking for someone and I'm wondering if you know where I can find them?" Kintori looked at her hand to get the name, a trait she picked up from Chidori that she still has yet to grow out of. "A miss Ulv Amber, apparently."

She was able to tell that there was something wrong here, and she didn't want to assume but there weren't many people in the Soul Society that had skin like hers that weren't Shihoin. Though for some reason, Kintori didn't know about the girl in front of her when she probably should have. Nobody in the family has had any kids recently, well besides Chidori, so the name escaped her at the time.

"No that was it, though now that I'm here and talking to you I guess there's one more thing you can help me out with." Maybe this was one of the times when Kintori should drop the nice act and be blunt. "Who are you?" Okay hold up, that was too blunt. So much so that it sounded more rude than anything, and Kintori realized this as well. She better save face or else this whole interaction was going to be a lot worse right off the bat. "It's just that you look kind of familiar and I was wondering if I knew you from somewhere."

Oh. Huh. Now she felt like an asshole, forgetting part of her extended family like that. In fact, Keiko's birth was quite the debacle when it happened. Kintori remember Papa was pretty pissed when it happened, and that man rarely gets angry unless you offend him, his daughters, or his family. Yoshimaru got an earful that day and shamed to an extent that he doesn't go flaunting around the Shihoin name. It's one thing to have a kid, another to abandon them. Especially with the Kuchiki since, at the time, relations were a bit rocky.

Anyways, back to Keiko. They probably have met at a ceremony before, just that Kintori goes to a lot of those that she doesn't remember much of what happens. "Oh, sorry about that. How are you doing? I think it's been a while since we've actually had a conversation like this before. Almost like you're avoiding the family or something..." Kintori wouldn't blame her if she did. This entire thing was super awkward.

"Oh! When did you join the academy by the way? How're the classes here? Must be pretty easy considering you're part Shihoin and part Kuchiki. Basically a prodigy waiting to happen." Yeah, perhaps poking fun might make thing between them a bit lighter conversation-wise.

"It's hard to dispute your genetics but as you wish. I'll drop it though do note that having royal blood does make you better than the rest skill-wise. Because of your Shihoin blood you have a stronger aptitude to hakuda and hoho than the rest because we used to be assassins long ago. You don't have to be a Shihoin, but you are Shihoin." Kintori frowned. She spoke not with malice but disappointment. She didn't expect Keiko to have such a disdain to her father's side of the family, but she couldn't really know what she went through since she knew her father and her mother was a nobody.

"And sorry if I made it sound like I wanted you to entertain us, I was simply making light of how little we actually see each other and how little our families interact." For a moment, Kintori stopped talking and began eyeing Keiko's physique. There was no way they thought she was done with her Hakuda classes with a body like that. Hakuda, as Kintori knows it, requires both strong body and mind to truly capitalize on it's potential. "Are you sure you're at graduation level, anyways? From what it looks, they haven't taught you much of the fundamentals of Hakuda at the least. If you want, I could show you how to actually use Hakuda." It was a genuine offer coming from a good place with good intentions, hopefully Keiko didn't take it the wrong way.

Oh what? This was not the way she expected to do this, but if that's how Keiko wanted things to go then Kintori was happy to obliged. She wasn't too keen on fighting and injuring her niece so she had made the conscious decision to hold back before even going into the fight. Silently, Kintori followed behind Keiko to the flag pole outside and just stood there, waiting for Keiko to do something. Actually, she should say something before they start.

"Are you sure you really want to do this, kid? I could beat a good portion of full-blown shinigami, and no offense, I don't think someone who hasn't even gotten through the academy would stand a chance." It came off a lot more like humble bragging than she intended it to but by the time she realized this it was already said. Kintori, despite being one of the diplomatic face of the Shihoin when it comes to minor things, wasn't very good at word choice and conveying what she actually means.

Anyways, Kintori stood adjacent to Keiko, hand on her hip, waiting for something to happen that she could react to.