Cross Fire[Rio, Igen]

To say that Rio was the equivalent of a deer caught in headlights would be a profound understatement. A single word had yet to pass her lips before Igen, quite literally, swept her off of her feet, carrying her in his arms. A quick shade of red visibly reared its head, eyes popping open like saucers as she stared up at him.

What threw her for an even greater loop than this action alone was the degree of unbridled passion he spoke with, dismissing her worries about what the servants thought of her enjoying a night out for once. A stronger shade of red filled her caramel-colored cheeks as she struggled to speak, stunned into silence by his words.

It didn't exactly help that she was dealing with a hangover, either. Her body felt so unsteady right now. She had a headache, she felt exhausted, and worst of all, nauseous. She wanted to throw up so much, but held her body together, composing herself as she listened to Igen continue to speak.

As much as that noble aspect of her soul tried to cry out that this felt wrong, that this looked unbecoming, hearing the heartfelt words that shamelessly escaped Igen's mouth had singlehandedly turned her worries on their head.

To be quite honest, it felt surreal. Even amidst her peers in those halcyon days at the academy, they always regarded her with some sense of tactfulness, always asked her if it was okay to conduct themselves around her naturally since she descended from noble lineage.

They were always mindful of that, and it certainly annoyed her. She didn't exactly make things any easier by choosing to pursue her own path, one that didn't involved the Gotei United to any degree. However, she couldn't believe what she was experiencing right now. Igendai couldn't care less about her nobility, viewing her only as the friend with whom he shared an adrenaline-fueled spar and a nightcap of alcohol.

A force of nature - that was the most apt descriptor she could offer. She was a immovable shield but he might as well have been an unstoppable force in personality alone. The visible blush, along with any embarrassment that it accompanied, slowly settled down as she allowed herself to laugh - as best as she could manage currently - unable to believe the type of person who now proudly called himself her "homie." The laugh was more akin to a giggle, though. She didn't want to do anything that might make her any more out of sorts than she currently was.

"Its over there," Rio commented pointing towards the door that would lead them back into the estate. She gave up on trying to fight back. Perhaps, a result of believing Igen would probably get even more boisterous than he already was. Still, a heartfelt smile lined her lips as he guided her forward.

"...Thank you, Igen."

Of course, she certainly wanted to say more, but all other conversation could come after she consumed water, and got over her hangover. Even if she wanted to regret it, this charismatic spirit had seemingly made her feel happier than she would have expected, as if she was acknowledged regardless of the mistakes she perceived as running counter to noble etiquette.

There was more to her thank you that Rio wanted to explain, something that went way beyond the vibrant shinigami carrying her towards the kitchen. Of course, any will to do so was simply defeated by a desire to push through this hangover.

The moment Igen set her down, she immediately turned to the sink, emptying out her stomach. It wasn't particularly the finest sight, but fortunately, no one was present enough to witness her throwing up besides Igen, and, she doubted he cared to any real degree.

As she allowed her stomach to settle, Rio couldn't help but to marvel at how surreal this felt still, how her past self would react to experiencing their first hangover after a night of acting as if she were one of the boys. Truth be told, it made whatever effects that were assaulting her feel like little more than a minor nuisance at this point.

Igendai was right. Didn't she deserve some level of comfort? To live a little? Rio would take the cup of water as she went over to sit down, taking a few mouthfuls to wash the sour aftertaste out of her mouth. She took a deep breath, two... three... and four. Slowly but surely, the effects of the hangover would settle down.

Her natural sense of movement returned, too. No sooner than she could walk properly without stumbling, she would quickly go through the morning routine. Cleaning her body to wash away any dirt on her body, along with any dry blood on her noise. Renewed in body and spirit, Rio redressed herself within a kimono that felt comfortable enough to wear around the estate.

Rio would look around the estate, wondering where Igen was at the moment. Her schedule was not particularly busy. One of the perks of not being the head of the Shihoin. Her schedule may as well be an open book at this point. If nothing else, she hoped to be able to get something off her chest. She was grateful to him in more ways than he could imagine.