Don't Shoot The Messenger [Fujiko, Erika]

Someone had asked her to do something.

That was the extent of what Fujiko remembered from her morning briefing. It was midafternoon now and nothing had arrived on her doorstep for her to deliver, which meant that she was either meant to pick something up or turn up to something. That was a lot of variables that, frankly, she did not have the time to account for in her busy schedule. If she forgot then it was because she was busy, the Seventeenth Officer had a lot on her plate right now, during this monumental change that was a new Captain-Commander deciding to restructure a new Command Division from her old Division, a new Sixth Division, and the previous iteration of the First Division. She missed Saki and the gang already. Things had been quieter then, easier too.

Sprawled atop her empty desk rather than even bothering with a chair, eyes locked intensely on the ceiling above, her mind had been hard at work solving problems all day long. The most accurate route to visit each Barracks whilst still passing by that pastry stand with the little Earthen delicacies? Perfected. The inflexions of the new Vice-Captain's voice as she handed out instructions? Probably important. The exact number of knots in the wooden ceiling? Completed. The sound that a footstep made as it stepped on the floorboard right outside her little office? Memorised.

Hey, wait, there it went again. That notable tension as a weight was pressed upon a slightly weaker foundation. Twice in succession. Almost like someone was about to burst in and catch her slacking off.

Only, Fuji wasn't slacking off. This was training. Intense spiritual training. The kind you didn't get taught in the academy. What a workhorse she was, the Ever-Diligent Fujiko!

"Just strategising, Vice-Captain."

Her tone certainly sounded serious, though Fujiko did not make to move until Erika was towering over her. Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, she gazed upwards somewhat wistfully into the features of her taskmaster for a long moment before the realisation seemed to set upon her that it was expected to move. Erika looked pretty funny from this angle, one that so few people probably ever saw unless she was done kicking their butts on the training yard. Kinda felt like she was dreaming right now.

"But you can just call me Fujiko, or Fuji if you're feelin' real lazy. No need for all the formality for little ol' me."

Sliding off the desk now, she turned to face Erika and offered what might have barely constituted as a bow. Straightening her most certainly misplaced uniform, Fuji did make some effort to try present herself favourably.

"Brings ya down here anyway? Need something delivered?"

Erika might have expected Fujiko to double down on the bluff, or to grovel. Instead, she simply spoke her truth and that was that. She was an airhead, after all.

"Oh, ya know, important details, Vice-Captain. There's this bakery that I know some of the other officers really like, so when I'm out doin' a message run I want to be able to stop by and pick up some goodies for them without wasting too much energy. I could grab something for you next time I'm out and about if you'd like?"

There was such a pleasant bubbliness to her demeanour, a warmth that mixed so smoothly with her nonchalance that it seemed she did not even know that she was being interrogated. She placed a finger to her lips, as if deep in concentration. This was an important matter, after all, so she would need to dedicate significant brainpower to the cause.

"I reckon you'd like their little strawberry tarts, sweet but packing a punch..." Her gaze wandered just a little too far, beyond Erika and into the wall beside her. Suddenly, she was dreaming again. "You're kinda a badass, right? Ever knock a guy out because he stole your place in the queue before?"

"Oh? Of course not, duh. Who would cut in front of you. Silly me!!"

Her gaze snapped back into focus at the mention of work. If Erika had come all this way to give her a specific task then she had better pay attention, so, whilst she was paying attention, it was time to assess what sweets the Vice-Captain might like. If she was not sold on tarts... Perhaps there was something else she might like? French toast? Croissants? Scones? Or was she getting too 'western' and she should stick to the classics? Daifuku? Dango? Manju? Murasaki?

Package to Murasaki?

Right. Easy. Simple. You got this Fujiko!

"For the Captain-Commander? O-okay, I won't let ya down Vice-Captain!"

She paused a moment to adjust the bow in her hair, to keep it off her face and then got a little too into the adjusting until it had gone on for a moment too long, before finally, a hand shot out in Erika's direction. Taking the paper, she tucked it into the depths of her pocket and made for the door.

"Other side of the Seireitei, huh? That's a sinch."

And with that, and a sudden gust of wind that might have scattered any nearby paperwork were there any to be disturbed, the Seventeenth Seat was gone from the Barracks.

It was not exactly an easy task, to just run to the other side of the Seireitei at the drop of a hat. There was plenty of room for distraction on such a journey, even when you were travelling at such a blistering pace that it was almost impossible to spot Fujiko as she weaved through the back alleys and side streets. Stopping in for an afternoon snack was to be expected, right? So maybe she dallied for a few minutes wolfing down a few pastries before continuing on her way.

Then came the matter of even tracking down Murasaki once she was there. Still comparable to finding a needle in a haystack, but this time the needle was an incredibly busy woman who was trying her best to maintain a schedule that Fujiko had definitely been shown and never remembered. Fuji did eventually catch up, perhaps by sheer dumb luck alone, before being sent on her way with a reply of her own.

And so, eventually, the Officer returned to the barracks with that same blur of speed that she had left with. Fuji had forgotten to swing by that bakery that she had been talking about beforehand, but that was hardly at the forefront of her mind right now. Nigh collapsing into her office, she was almost surprised to see Erika waiting there for her but perhaps the Vice-Captain was just as fond of dozing off as she was. Reluctantly, she forced herself to stand to the best attention that her body could manage.

"Told ya it wouldn't be a problem." She huffed a few long breaths, composing herself just a little more. "Captain-Commander even had a reply for you."