The Deceptive Nature of Names [Kasha, Murasaki]

Class over. It seemed like the most pleasant part of the day when he could retreat from the scene of needing to play as someone he was not. It was his time of relaxation, and that is how was leaving the academy. Trying to avoid running into others or have to be caught up in more fake conversations.

He was almost home free before a macho looking man blocked the way and seemed rather interested in him and his dark long hair, effeminate looking features and the fact he had changed into a soft pink kimono since he was on the way out. It wasn't like he tried to deceive people, Kasha wouldn't be opposed to wearing the exact same thing if his appearance was less soft.

"Leave me alone. I have things I want to do."

The point didn't seem to cross the bridge that Kasha's words had to follow to get to his ears and so it did create a little bit of a disturbance in the crowd to see this tall fellow arguing with a pretty young lady.

It was a relatively common occurrence, these days, that Murasaki found herself teaching zanjutsu at Shino Academy. Of course, that wasn't to say she minded at all, far from it actually. She really liked teaching people about it, to her it felt like she was really helping them understand themselves. And, besides, Murasaki just liked to help people out, that was in her nature.

Ah...speaking of helping people out, it seemed like there was someone that could use a hand right now. Murasaki was all for a guy being forward in his approach, and she'd be lying if she said otherwise, but this didn't seem like it was just typical forwardness or anything.

"Hey, how's about you get going, mister? Classes are over for the day, after all."

Despite the relatively gentle nature of her reminder, Murasaki's hand on the taller fellow's shoulder was quite exceptionally firm, and her smile did not seem to be reassuring so much as it was simply masking a far more threatening aura. Only after he'd made his way off did she turn her attention to Kasha, her smile much more genuine now.

"You all good? He didn't like, do anything to ya, right?"

Was he really going to need to utilise his fighting style here? He didn't want to, he hated fighting but he didn't want to deal with this anymore than he had to. Kasha was ready to turn and leave before he felt a hand on his wrist which didn't seem intent on letting go until he had given an answer, he sighed for a moment while preparing a counterattack in his mind.

It didn't happen though when another woman seemed to intervene, it was an easy enough guess to make as to who she was. Kasha found it beneficial to know every Captain after all. He smiled in thanks to Murasaki, it was strange to be face to face with Shishiyuki's niece. A Koizumi that was not a Koizumi, how enviable.

"I'm perfectly fine, Captain Kagayaku. I appreciate the assistance ma'am."

On one hand he thought to take this and continue on his way but she did save him some issues, begrudgingly it didn't seem too bad to try and repay the favour by making an offer to try and give her something back.

"May I offer getting you something to eat for the assistance, captain?"

"Oh, don't worry about it! It's no big deal, people like that gotta get a firm hand telling them to go away sometimes."

Normally Murasaki would have assumed an invitation like this was asking her out on a date, but she figured that in these circumstances, that probably wasn't the case. Well, she hoped it wasn't, anyway. That'd be pretty awkward, huh?

"Sure thing! You're...ah, hang on, I'm pretty good with names usually. Um..."

Murasaki was almost positive she'd had him in a class at some point or another, just on account of how familiar a face like his. But the name really was escaping her, and it didn't help that she could only really remember it wasn't a super common one. Ah, this was so frustrating!

"It's...mmm, I think Kasha, right?"

"Kasha. Koizumi Kasha."

He smiled in response when he said it, it was a surprise that she'd remember his name. It had only been a few classes really and yet she remembered it, he did wonder if it had something about the name they had incommon even if Murasaki never got it.

"Can I get you anything in particular? I'm afraid I don't tend to buy meals very often. I prefer to cook though I don't mind if it's expensive or anything of the sort."

Kasha figured he may as well spend some of the wealth he had on hand, if he didn't use it on himself beyond simple luxuries then it might as well be spent as a show of gratitude.

Murasaki was actually a bit surprised about his being a Koizumi, though she certainly didn't give that away visually. She was something of an expert at keeping her emotions to herself, after all. Still, it was pretty recent that she'd had that part of her life brought to the forefront of her mind, so to be interact with someone else that was strictly family was...odd.

"No, no, you're already the one taking me out, after all. We can go with whatever you'd like. The last thing I'd wanna do is impose or anything like that, you know?"

Her expression was wholly gentle and generally reassuring, the usual cheer that she always carried herself with. After all, the last thing Murasaki wanted to do was make him uncomfortable just because of the situation or anything like that. He didn't seem like he was used to these sorts of things, but maybe that was mean to assume...

That was troubling, Kasha was hoping she'd be more decisive. It was a little bit of more pressure, if it wasn't that he didn't like bringing people into his own space he'd offer to just make the meal himself and be done with it. It bothered him when he felt indebted to people.

"I understand captain."

Why'd she have to say it as taking her out, that sounded incredibly scandalous and made him incredibly conscious about how the situation could be perceived by peers and others that knew him. The last thing he wanted down the rumour mill was Kasha being seen having lunch with Murasaki and them extrapolating some stupid falsity from it. People were stupid like that and rumours .

"We can just get tea and something simple then."

He reached behind his head and pulled the ribbon out of his hair to let it out. It was his signal that marked the end of the day as a student, hair down meant it was time to relax and release the mask. Though it was only a little since he had to spend time with Murasaki.

What a drag, it wasn't like burning the guy with his strikes would've been any better though. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

"Oh, that sounds perfect."

Honestly, Murasaki would have really been down for anything. She was fairly easy to please when it came to things like food, and she'd have been perfectly happy just getting ramen from a stall on the street even with all of the extravagance the Seireitei had to offer. She was a simple girl, at the end of the day.

"That sort of thing probably happens to you often, huh? That's got to be annoying."

It wasn't so much an indictment or even a chiding, more just an observation of a fairly unfortunate situation. Besides, she'd be lying if she just didn't acknowledge how pretty Kasha actually was. She was kinda jealous, actually, but then again she was pretty hot too, so it wasn't really any big deal.

"I am glad you think so."

He gave a small bow, if only to keep up the professional look befitting one from a noble family. Particularly to someone like a captain, he did not want to see a repeat of what happened when the Shihoin tried to speak a bit too assertively to a Gotei Captain.

"All the time? I suppose, sometimes it does. It's a lot less common now."

Kasha wished sometimes he could just choose not to conceal his skills, if he could make an example of one then they'd probably never bother him again but then he'd be revealing his Pheonix Crown Fist to them and that wasn't smart.

"Oh yeah? Well that's good, I'm glad they're not bothering you all the time. That'd be pretty bad."

Murasaki's demeanor was rather remarkably casual, but that was more or less just how she was. Oh well. Despite the fact that she knew more or less exactly how these things went, she felt like there was a question she really ought to ask of Kasha. She knew a little bit about the Koizumi from mom, and more from having talked to her aunt, so she figured she may as well test the waters here.

"So, which Koizumi branch are you from? I'm guessin' you probably know about me, right? Are we close?"

If this was her family, at least in blood, then she felt like she ought to ask these sorts of things. Maybe she would get along with her family, maybe she wouldn't, but it was only right for her to ask.