The Neverending Dream [Murasaki, Hakuyou]

It had been pretty easy, getting everything together for her own division, but as it turned out there was a lot more headache than Murasaki would have expected with the rest of them. Obviously she still had to deal with the whole Combat Division thing, but she'd get to that one later. For now, she had to figure out what to do about Realm Enforcement... That Veteran Corps was just useless, frankly, and she wasn't keeping them around. Probably smarter to put Realm Enforcement there, but that meant they'd need a new Captain, and it wasn't going to be Magnolia if her letter was any indication. Well...maybe that was for the best.

So after a a bit of reading through, looking over all of the candidates and who was already in Realm Enforcement, Murasaki sent a summons to Hakuyou Shiba, currently Third Seat. He seemed smart, capable, pretty level-headed. Good pick, right?

It was almost strange, not having somewhere as small and comfy as her yurt to have meetings like this. She'd done a bit of rearranging in her new office, hung up some of her more precious mementos and done her best to make it seem...well, like it was her office, not just an office. She took this position seriously, and she didn't want it to seem like she just treated it like some job.

Well, at least she could still have her tea and sake on hand.

Hakuyou Shiba was a relic.

He was a man from a forlorn era, a walking fossil with some measure of youth to his tired existence.

But he was still the head of the Shiba clan, if only by birthright at this point. And that alone made him walk forward with all the pride and grace that so few could often imitate. In a system which broken nobility rose to power by merit of their birth, rather than proving themselves worthy of their titles, he had turned his back on it so long ago. In this new age he truly could reclaim a measure of the greatness his family once laid claim to, not because of ancient deeds but current ones. If he could simply bring but an ounce of respectability to his family in the name of his lost brother, then that would be enough.

When he was summon'd to the new captain-commander's office he answered the summons quickly without delay. If only because the title Murasaki commanded superseded anything else. She was young but her youth was perhaps one of the reasons she would serve the role better than anyone else of there power. He had no opinion on it other than how he could be of service to the soul cycle. The knock on her door was sharp, courteous, and to the point. And when he was allowed inside, he stepped into the office.

Hakuyou walked into the room with a grace and pride so rarely displayed. Not the arrogance and expectation that others may expect of a noble, but a man who seemed completely assured in his ability to carry out whatever was demanded of him. A silent pride that brought with it the noble poise that harkened back to an era which few could recall at this point. Nearly a millennium old he had watched the changing of the guard with silent appraisal.

"Captain-Commander, I apologize for the hold up. How may I be of service?"

He spoke with the perfectly formal, expected reaction of a man his age and stature.

"Oh, sit down, sit down. I don't want you to feel like you need to stand up or anything like that. Even if I am Captain Commander, it's still easier to talk things over in a relaxed way, right?"

Murasaki's omnipresent cheer, while decidedly still clear in her face and her voice, seemed to have mellowed a bit when surrounded by the trappings of her authority. That was not to say she seemed to have lost any of that girlish nature, or her optimistic outlook, but that she had tempered it in the face of her duties. That was just the right thing to do, after all.

She poured two cups of tea, not really thinking that she even needed to ask. Even if he didn't actually want it, that was just the polite thing to do as a host, and she certainly wanted to give off a more inviting kind of atmosphere than her predecessor.

"I was hoping you'd be willing to talk about your division. I know the restructuring left you guys without a captain or a vice captain, and obviously, that's my top priority. Since you're the Third Seat of Realm Enforcement, I wanted to talk to you about it. I'm not really the kind of girl who wants to play games or the like, so I'll just ask directly if you think you would want to take the position as Captain."

The stark contrast to her demeanor versus her predecessor took some adjustment. While he had a great respect for his former captain, he held her in the same regard as the current one. In that they were the authority he answered to he offered a true cordial respect that harkened to a different era. But of course, he'd take the seat she offered at her table, and the tea with a grateful small smile.

He listened to what she said with a neutral expression as if judging what she was saying at first face. He had no reason not to, and while some nobles might have experience in the court of politics, Hakuyou did not care to play those games. So he merely listened bringing the tea she offered to his lips taking a sip of it, feeling ever the old man. The brief image of Yamamoto implanting it's self in his mind before his eyes closed as he went to place the tea down.

"I suppose it would be the natural progression for me to move to the captaincy." He'd remark with characteristic stoicism. His eyes opening half-lidded as he stared at the tea. His shinigami robes feeling heavy on his shoulders, enough that his large frame seemed to hunch over slightly. He looked troubled. "But I question is it wise to place me at the head of a captaincy." He'd remark with a heavy voice, one filled with a deep tiredness.

"Forgive me for my presumptions, but I wonder if you remember the days of the noble dominance." He'd remark as he brought his gaze to her, although he looked like a middle-aged man, his eyes held the quiet wisdom (and stubborness) of the older generations. "Your predecessor did a many great things to break the cycle. A cycle which perpetuated the death of my younger brother." He pauses for a moment, unsure of his next words.

"I would take up the mantle of captain but only because I have proved my worth. Not because of the name I am burdened with. And I hesitate to wonder if I have truly done enough for this great organization. It would be greatly unbecoming of myself and all the progress made, if I did not ask if others might be more qualified then myself."

Murasaki wasn't the sort to feed into the heavy emotional states of others, or to let them influence her in turn. After all, she knew perfectly well what she'd gone through, and she knew that supporting people was a far better use of her time. So she listened, sipped her tea, and nodded at his concerns. They were entirely fair, after all. She wasn't going to tell him that he was wrong.

"I know about what happened to your family, and I remember better than most people what it was like when the nobles had nothing to keep them in check. I wouldn't put anyone into authority just because of their name."

She maintained her same demeanor, but anyone who knew of Murasaki's life would know all too well how deeply the ways of the nobility had done her wrong. Did she necessarily think that she'd gone through things as badly as the Shiba had? Maybe, maybe not. She wasn't really the kind of person who actually compared difficulties in life like that.

"As far as the records go, you've done plenty well in your position. You're dedicated to the job, and you're strong enough to defend Soul Society and your position if either one is threatened. Right? I'm curious who you think you would rather serve under, if you only got moved to Vice Captain."

He was silent as he listened to her speak, the heavy weight on his shoulders seemed to make his large frame sag slightly. It was almost like a man sitting in a funeral but stoic and unyielding all the same. This young woman before him eased his concerns and from simply her eyes, he could see the truth within them. But when she put the question to him, he remained silent. He ran through options in his head but most where either objectively too weak or lacked the temperament.

"I cannot think of any on the spot." He'd admit without going into details, his hands coming to rest on his knees. "I will not waste either of our times by denying the position. I will accept it. But I must ask for something, perhaps selfishly." He'd remark as his throat rumbled slightly a clear displeasure on his face. The thing he was going to mention was not ideal, and it served no true purpose to the gotei. But he had to ask. Because it mattered a great deal to him.

"I was away for many years, Murasaki. In that time I learn a great many things had happened that I could not change." Those things weighed on him greatly. The decline of his clan. The death of his brother. "But I have learned of something that I might be able to change. I have a cousin, Isshin Shi- Kurosaki. He had a son. Ichigo Kurosaki. It appeared he did a great deal for this soul society and Gotei but has since disappeared. I wish... to find him." He'd purse his lips for a moment removing his hands from his knees, for once the tired weight which seemed to weigh on him lifting.

"I failed my family a great many times. If I could find him, if he still lives, I wish to do right by him. I would never ask for the resources of the Gotei in this pursuit, but it may require a great deal of my time. I can see it interferring with my duties, temporarily. It is only fair I be transparent about this."

Murasaki thought about that, the gears in her head turning far faster than her typical girlish demeanor tended to suggest. After all, she was the Captain Commander now. She had to think about these sorts of things now, and she couldn't afford to be careless.

"I understand. He's someone we learned about a lot during my time at the Academy, and when I was younger I did my best to try and find him. Just some childish hero worship, ya know? But he's a hero, someone the Gotei used to be able to rely on. I don't think it's unreasonable to look for him. Honestly, I think that's something we should probably put resources toward."

Of course, she hadn't addressed the actual question, whether or not Hakuyou personally could engage in such a search. Could she in good conscience tell a Captain that he could do that? Just go off now and again to search for family? It'd have been hypocritical of her to a serious degree if she just told him he wasn't allowed to do something for himself, and she didn't even really have it in her to tell him that given this was a family thing. Hm...

"If you have a Vice Captain in mind that'll be able to cover when you're gone, I can let you go. I want you to understand this isn't me trying to hold you hostage. I know he's your family. But I want to make sure there's always someone holding things down even when you're out."

"I have my choice of Vice-Captain already in mind. Former fourth seat, Makoto Arima."

Hakuyou would remark his head turned for a moment as if in thought, sizing up the potential candidate. But it was a rather clear cut issue that she was more than qualified to serve in that capacity, and could certainly feel any gaps in his leadership. In fact if she was a bit stronger, she was the prime candidate for the captaincy in his mind. His eyes would turn back to Murasaki offering a small nod to see what she had to say about that candidate.

"I think those terms are reasonable. You have my thanks for entertaining such notions. Is there anything else, Murasaki?"