Lawless Curiosity(Law/Ren)

A tint of red formed across Ren's cheeks when Law turned back to her, offering a compliment in passing. To be certain, Ren never particularly paid too much attention to her appearance, no more than the average woman at least. Research was her pride and joy, and she'd likely gush over the slightest praise at her level of intelligence versus her physical appearance. Even so, she certainly felt some tinge of flattery at his words.

"O-Oh. I don't think anyone has ever openly called me beautiful before... but thank you. Flattery will certainly get you far," she quipped, half-jokingly to ease her sheepish demeanor trying to present itself. Act cool, you idiot. He complimented you. Did you learn nothing from your peers at the academy? Eh, hm... Probably not. They hosted a bunch of stupid conversations she held no interest in, truth be told.


The aroma of food being prepared filled her nostrils, aggravating her cravings for a meal. His order was roast duck. Wasn't that something of a delicacy here? Prepared well, it was delicious. Roast duck would be just fine. She'd probably ask for some appetizers while she was at it, too. Something to hold her over until the main course arrived at their table.

"I'll take the roast duck, too. And if you don't mind, could a few appetizers be added as well? Thank you."

With that, she would turn to face Law, a bright expression dominating her countenance. She wondered what to talk about and simply defaulted to the first thing that made her curious.

"So, I know why I'm interested in you. Your abilities, the ambition towards the soul cycle, and your strength... but might I ask what intrigues me about you so much? I take pride in my knowledge of many things, but I can't help but feel as though I am clearly lacking in other areas. I haven't even fully tapped into my Zanpakuto yet..."

To tell the truth, she wasn't coming down on herself or trying to present a case wherein points ought to be deducted on the Law Approval Scale, but still, she was well aware of who she was. Some loved to build themselves on pride and deny it, but Ren knew who she was. She could always grow, of course, but still... she wasn't there quite yet.

Law noticed her blush, but he made no further comment on it. It wasn't something that was out of his expectations. He did raise an eyebrow when she responded though.

"If you haven't heard it before you must not be paying very much attention. Or you just have bad hearing."

Law's chef took their order, and disappeared for a few minutes before he came back out with several options for them to snack on before the main meal was ready. This included such things as deviled eggs, roasted mushrooms, vegetable platters, and other assorted easily prepared dishes. Law thanked the man, and sent him off once more.

Law knew that it would take some amount of time for the duck to be cooked fully, so he decided to make some small talk while they waited and ate the appetizers before them. He devoured a deviled egg, and Ren gave him something to respond to while he did so.

"Hmm. I find you attractive, and you obviously have some level of potential, even if you are remarkably weak at the moment. I believe you'll improve in the future, especially if I decide to help you. I'll consider this our fist date."

Moments after Law began speaking the main course arrived. He looked over the duck, and the mashed potatoes and green beans that had come out with it at the same time, and nodded in approval. Of course, he hadn't expected anything less, this was a world class chef, after all.

"Ah, the food has arrived. Please, enjoy yourself."

Another blush formed in her face the moment Law said he considered this their first date. Those words dropped on her like an anvil, and she didn't particularly know what to say, if she had anything to say at all. Still, she did truly feel flattered by everything else he had said.

It felt good to know that her potential was acknowledged, and although she didn't reflect on her appearance all that much, it was certainly a breathe of fresh air to be referred to as attractive.

Taking a curious glance at him, she could admit that along with the composed air he gave off, he was handsome in his own right. The appetizers would arrive, allowing her to find a quick distraction to compose her mind. She consumed three devil eggs, and a roasted mushroom or two while they waited for the main course. It was really delicious!

"I feel honored you see the potential in me, then. It's hard to pinpoint the words I could use, but it's a wonderful feeling to know someone has belief in your development, even more so when they're willing to possibly help you along in that process. For a first date, I'd say you've made quite the impression so far," she remarked, enjoying his company.

When the main course was set on the table, Ren's eyes lit up by how good everything looked. Mashed potatoes, Green Beans, and the main dish - the roast duck. She took a spoonful of mash and green beans before finally indulging in the duck. The flavor and texture alone had sent her mind into a realm of bliss.

"Wow... this tastes really good. I... this feels kind of surreal. I thought I was staring death in the face with those hollows, but now I'm here with a man with very unique abilities and similar interests. I feel a little spoiled," she quipped, gazing up at him as she continued to enjoy her food.

"Really... thank you. I appreciate it, Law. Would you mind if I posed a question? You can brush over it if you want but... that lady from earlier said something about somebody wanting you to back to the Gotei. How was that experience?" Ren hadn't exactly enlisted a division after graduating. She had her eyes set - to no one's surprise - on the research division but curiosity compelled her to know about his experience, if he was willing to divulge. They had to talk about something while they ate, no?

Law paused for a few moments after listening to Ren.

"I'm glad you've enjoyed the meal. As for my relationship with the Gotei.... Let's just say that we aren't the best of friends. I don't hold anything against them, nor do I think that they are pursuing matters of the material world to the best of their ability. I would say that I find the Gotei to be misguided, to a degree. But that's why we're doing what we're doing. They won't be able to deny our findings when we've proven ourselves right."

Law took a moment to think to himself.

"That's why I've chosen you. I believe that you haven't been coerced into the corner of the Gotei as of yet, and that you wish to make things known as they are. From what I've seen of you, you don't place value in what others think of your work. That's exactly what I need, and what I would expect from an intelligent young woman."

Law ate a bit of his food before he continued to speak."

"I'd like to make it perfectly clear that I have no intention of going against the Gotei, I just don't agree with all of what they have to offer in terms of academic research, and I think that there might be quite a few things that they are wrong about."

Law paused for a moment, looking over his meal, and the young woman in front of him.

"I think we've had quite a long chat, and that I've given you more than a bit to think about. I believe it would be best if we got together again at a later date. How about this weekend? I'd love to treat you to dinner someplace a bit more... traditional."

Law's explanation certainly provided Ren with a clear perspective of where he stood in regards to the Gotei. There was no animosity in his heart towards them. It was merely a matter of disagreement with their point of view versus his own. From a neutral point of view, he was entirely justified in his ambition. Ren hadn't enlisted into a division, which made her pose the question in the first place.

Unlike others in the academy who put their blood, tears, and sweat into working towards joining the Gotei, Ren chose to act from a position of diligence. Her father once served as a seated member of their forces, giving her a first-hand account of how one conducted themselves in that setting. There was no rush on her end, and the current perspective certainly opened her eyes to taking a little longer to come to a decision.

A soft smile lined her lips at his next words. Compliments of how she seemed to approach things from her own point of view. True, she wasn't one to be easily swayed or influenced by anyone's opinions but her own. The pursuit of knowledge and exploration was a path she expected to be filled with isolating one's self in hopes of new discoveries, but it was certainly always a pleasure to meet others with like-minded views and ambitions, those who didn't merely default into the commonplace thoughts of society.

She hadn't known him for long, but Ren could infer from this conversation that he seemed to be a free-thinker. A man with his eyes on something greater than mundane discovery. She wondered what he might find, how she could assist in his pursuits. It was something to ruminate on, to be sure. A second outing with the man would be interesting.

"Well, I didn't quite get the idea you wished to make yourself an enemy of the Gotei. I quite enjoy the ambition of someone who isn't afraid to challenge what they're told, to pursue their own discoveries and findings rather than believing in what they are told. In this, I certainly feel we are kindred spirits. Although I don't mind the meal we've enjoyed here, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to connecting with you again on the weekend. I must admit, this meeting has left me quite curious to see what we could discover together in the future."