Girls' Night In [Abalia, Makoto, Elyss]

As she made yet another check to ensure that everything was in order, it occurred to Abalia that she had not had friends over to her home in a long while. Well, this was not exactly a social gathering, was it? There were serious concerns to be taken care of, after all, and it was rather important to discern if Makoto and Elyss were compatible as collaborators.

Well, there was no further planning that she could feasibly do for now. She had of course had a veritable feast readied, rooms prepared, all possible hospitality for her two guests tonight. That was what a friend did, was it not? Especially given how very much she was asking of them.

The afternoon light was starting to fade, she noted. That meant the two of them would likely be arriving quite soon.

Arriving early? No. This time it was squarely on time, she didn't want to put any preparations out for Abalia. She also had to inform Shishiyuki that she was not available tonight due to the request made. It was a little uncomfortable for a couple of different reasons, what a mixed bag.

Makoto didn't bother dressing casual, she had a bag with spare clothes in it and other necessities but she showed up wearing her shihakusho. Silently she let the servent lead her towards whatever destination that Abalia had planned or arranged. When she finally arrived, she naturally bowed and greeted her friend.

"Good afternoon, Abalia."

"Ah, good evening Makoto, Elyss. It is a pleasure to have you both."

Though her tone didn't seem particularly different from its usual dull nature, there was very much a slightly more casual air to Abalia's overall demeanor. This was not, after all, an official Gotei meeting, made most immediately apparent by the fact that she was not in uniform. Given Makoto and Elyss both wore their shihakusho, she likely had not conveyed that nearly well enough.

"I of course wish to discuss the matter of this search party, and so we will cover this first. That said, I suppose introductions are in order, yes? I would of course have introduced you, but I do not wish to speak for you. Ah, would either of you care for a drink? If you are hungry, we can eat as well."

Abalia was not out of her element in this sort of situation. Far from it, in fact. Rather, it was simply a side of her that very few ever saw. She put forth none of her authority as the Captain Commander, nor as the White Gold Queen. She was simply Abalia, offering hospitality to friends in her own home.

She held herself back from bowing. It'd probably only irk Abalia if she did it, the same way she didn't like hearing herself called ma'am outside of situations when it was required. It was slowly something she was getting used to doing. At least she wasn't the only one, this red woman had done the exact same thing. Who was she again? Elyss? Didn't she read a lot of reports about her from the Seventh division?

What a strange choice. Makoto could not begin to fathom how that might connect or work out. It must've though if Elyss was here too.

"Makoto Arima. Fourth Seat of the First Division... Also Abalia's friend, she and I met during training one evening."

It was all very formal and tight, Makoto wasn't going to be very relaxed around this stranger until she had formed an opinion of her in person. She had to already decide whether or not she should let reports bleed into Elyss' reputation with her.

"I would appreciate some water, if that's alright."

"Of course."

Most likely would have assumed that a woman of Abalia's standing would simply have one of the family servants pour Makoto's drink, but that was not the sort of woman Abalia was. She poured a glass of water, and handed it to her with a polite nod before turning her attentions to Elyss.

"You have traveled the world extensively, yes? That alone would prove exceptionally helpful, but your capabilities in combat are also quite well-documented. Those two, combined with the trust I can place in you, give plenty of reason to ask. Unless you believe Alex's faith in you is misplaced?"

That could have sounded accusatory, if said in another way, but Abalia only meant it supportively. She knew the bonds of friendship proved quite strong in these sorts of conversations.

Makoto just took her drink and began to sip at it, she felt like a third wheel in this situation. Who was Alex? It was a good thing that she was not the nosy type. While they discussed the fourth seat just wached from the sidelines and stood there looking around.

This was a nice house. She pondered, wonder what Shishiyuki was doing this evening instead of their training session.

"Very good. I'm afraid the family sake reserves are a bit low at the moment, but a hot chocolate is very much within the realm of possibility."

Given the specific nature of that request, Abalia did have no choice but to have a servant go to fetch it. Whether or not that made her unhappy or not, though, did not seem apparent.

"I do have a good deal of confidence in you both, yes. I am still considering if there are any others that may be able to assist you, but at this time I feel that the two of you would be more than sufficient."