Vague Ambition [Bambietta, Alastor]

Perhaps it was telling that the 2nd division's resident substitute found herself spending more time with people outside her own division, but really, what else was Bambietta supposed to do? She got along well enough with plenty of people sure, but there was still a sense that she didn't quite belong yet. She'd get there in time, sure, but for now, she had someone else she tended to get along with far better that she hadn't seen in a while. Knocking on the door to a yurt in the 7th division's grounds, Bambietta called out to its resident in a way she knew well would identify her better than simply saying her name.

"Bonjour, mon cherie~!"

There was only one person in Soul Society with whom Bambietta spoke in her native language, and as much as she'd abandoned that part of her life, she'd also be lying if she said it wasn't the easiest thing for her to communicate in, even now. Sure, her thick Parisian accent had subsided over the years, but that was probably a good thing. Nobody liked a Parisian, not even her.

Of course, she also knew that such a term could probably give the wrong impression to anyone listening in, but she doubted anyone around here would even pick up on what she'd said. Besides, it was just a fun little way to speak with him, nothing serious.

Bambietta couldn't entirely help but be a little caught off guard by that immediate response, even if it was pretty much on brand for him. A boyfriend, huh? Well, she'd be lying if she said the idea sounded unappealing, but it wasn't exactly something on her radar, either. She had other things to deal with.

"A boyfriend, huh? I'm sure the guys around here are just waiting for the right time to strike, you'll see me with a guy on each arm before long."

She didn't believe that for a second, and even if her lips were still smiling, her eyes weren't. Still, he wasn't necessarily mad at her bud over that, and she shook it off like she shook off plenty of other things.

"Come on, let's get some drinks. We haven't caught up in a while."

That definitely wasn't the response that Bambietta would have been hoping for, but she kept up her cheery bravado despite the faint disappointment that was starting to loom in the back of her mind. It was no big deal, obviously. He had other stuff going on in his life and all that.

"That was the plan, if you're free. I don't have anything going on for the rest of the day, though I do have some studying I could probably get started on. I've been thinking of trying to go for a seated officer spot."

Of course, that wasn't really what she'd been planning to do today, but it would be a good way to fill the time if this didn't work out.

"Ideas, huh? Sorry, Alastor, but you're not quite my type. Besides, I don't like the idea of hitting on a taken man, that's weird."

Most people might have been a little taken aback at the thought that he might've expected that from her, but honestly, Bambietta was used to that, so it wasn't too big a deal. Besides, considering how she'd been until just recently, it hadn't even been unfounded. She just took it in stride, more as just banter than anything else.

"What're you in the mood for? Izakaya? Something more traditional? I've been wanting a good beer for a while now, honestly. The sake up here is nice and all but it gets a little old."

"Reassuring? You're lucky we're friends, or I might be insulted."

Of course, her wide grin didn't suggest she took it as anything other than banter, and Alastor's lack of any particular preferences meant her grin only grew wider, the thought of yakitori and a good beer already running through her mind.

"Low-maintenance, huh? Not that that's a bad thing, of course. I know some girls like to practically babysit their man, but that's always seemed weird to me. You'd obviously want someone self-sufficient, right?"

It was a sentence that almost certainly came off as impressively lacking in self-awareness, but the reality was that Bambietta was all too aware it didn't apply to her.