Season of Pink[Moe, Rio]

Rio smiled at Moe's reaction, almost expecting it would come sooner or later. To be sure, it had become a recurrent theme with each person she met. Rio walks out into the Seiretei, socialize with someone, and they react in shock at her surname. Pretty standard at this point. Yet the novelty of humor it left in her spirits always remained fresh. It never got old. One wouldn't be wrong to claim she got a kick out of it nowadays.

"I've been discovered yet again. Nothing escapes your eyes, Moe," she spoke with a jest in her tone, a warm smile lined across her caramel features. "Yes. I am a Shihoin. That said, you needn't worry yourself over it. I wasn't doing anything of particular note today. Common misconception about nobles is that people expect most of us to be quite busy, but lately, I've been anything but."

Rio would turn towards one of the employees of the shop, raising two fingers as she pointed to the menu. She placed in Moe's order for ramen and one of her own for a pork bowl. Something nice to satisfy their pallets. Turning towards Moe, Rio would gaze at her, curiosity gleaming in her golden eyes.

"How about you, Moe? Did I keep you from anything? Gotei duty? Academy study?"

"True, we can certainly agree on that much. I will admit I was quite the busy body in the past once."

Rio saw the merit in Moe's point of view. The Shihoin weren't exactly considered small house nobles. Their lineage encompassed many generations, with a few notable names that reside in history books to this day. She once took great pride in that, and to some degree, she certainly still did. It wasn't as if she had relaxed on her duties, but there truly was little to be done concerning the family at this moment.

None of the noble families possessed as much weight or power as they did before, and a lot of her own close relatives and siblings were living their own lives. She viewed her newfound freedom as something of a commodity, and dared not to waste it trying to tend to things that, quite simply, didn't require her attention at the moment. Listening to Moe as they waited for their orders, the Shihoin's woman eyes would perk up a little when she revealed her division.

Combat division, eh? Rio inwardly admitted that made her a little curious. She wouldn't dare voice it, but Moe's appearance didn't exactly invoke combat division in her mind. Then again, perhaps that might make her a hypocrite. No one expects a noble to typically and casually wander Seireitei to sate their curious mind. The waitress would arrive at the table, ramen and pork bowl in hand, setting down each respective dish before returning towards her station. Rio would lean forward and pose another question, carrying the conversation forward.

"Combat division? Ah, so you're a fighter, I see. If it weren't for the pain in your back, I'd certainly like to see what you're capable of in a spar. Apart from that, how have you enjoyed the division? Is it something you'd recommend for someone like me?"

Rio would smile playfully, pulling her chopsticks apart as she pulled a piece of pork towards her mouth. It was both a playful and serious question. She had humored the idea for some time, and it never hurt to get an opinion from those who work closely to the divisions she found worthy of her skills and talents.

A journey to the top, huh? Rio certainly admired the determination in Moe's tone. It was a trait any aspiring shinigami ought to have, and she definitely seemed to possess it in leaps and bounds. A tinge of competition fluctuated in her soul at Moe's next sequence of words, a childish confidence burned with excitement at the thought of impressing the woman across the table. Rio couldn't confirm if she was a huge fan of the combat division at this moment, but she knew she would adapt well if that is where things led her.

Moe seemed more than welcome to the idea of sparring with her after her injury passed over. Something about that last part of fighting strong people reminded her, to a small degree at least, of a taller friend with pink hair in Igen. There was something infectious about upstarts aiming to fight strong combatants regardless of their current ability. Chewing on a piece of pork, she would pose a question, golden eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Is that so? Honestly, that sort of reminds me of someone else I met in the Gotei recently. A rather exuberant man named Igen. The first time we met, he challenged me to a fight and the rest was history. People like you and him... are interesting. There is something to be admired about striving for the top and fighting great opponents. What is that feeling like? Why do you enjoy fighting strong opponents?"

Rio was genuinely curious to have an answer. It wasn't heavily important by any stretch of the term, but to some degree, maybe it was. What was it? A sense of competition? Truly proving you deserve to stand at the top of the mountain? It was truly a joy to unravel mysteries like this when it concerned others.

Rio chuckled at the hair comment, reminiscing on how many people she met with pink hair. There was Nanashi, Igen, and now Moe. Each of them seemed to possess this desire to go after all that they desired. Was this a common trait among those with pink hair? She wondered. A humorous musing, really. Rio was genuinely curious to see the extent of Moe's determination, too. Fate seemed compelled to bring her into contact with these people. Why not take advantage of it? Rio had already gone through half of her bowl, though she was far from finished, and moved towards consuming the rest of it as she listened to Moe voice her reasoning for desiring to face strong opponents. While she was uncertain as to whether she could agree with it entirely, she still found it admirable all the same. If it was what gave her joy, who was she to question it?

"I suppose I can see the merit in that point of view. In order to climb the ladder, it makes no sense to fight those you know you can win against. True improvement can be found simply in fighting those you know outclass you. I could relate to an idea like that. Honestly? Make me even more excited for our eventual spar."

Moe's upbeat energy and determined frame of mind was quite infectious. Rio could certainly envision enjoying her company beyond today. She allowed a soft chuckle to escape her lips as the woman flexing her muscles, visibly impressed by the act. Rio assumed Moe wasn't just talking, but a good flex of the muscle was always a good way to get an idea of the person's physical capability. She wouldn't count that little mishap that led to Moe being confined to a chair for now.

Finishing the rest of her bowl, she would lean back to ponder on an appropriate answer. A day in her shoes, huh? Honestly, it wasn't all that eventful. Beyond what one would expect a noble to do - at least one who wasn't in the Gotei - her days could range from entertaining - if she wandered out enough - to relatively dull if she made the decision to remain in the estate.

"A day in my shoes? Well, It isn't anything I'd consider noteworthy, nothing that'd blow the average Shinigami away. I usually conduct some business and keep an eye on the estate, and with the rest of my day? I chose to go out in search of entertainment. Like, meeting someone new, sparring if I find a suitable partner, and recently, drinking now and then. It isn't something entirely grandiose, but it makes me happy at least. I was a teacher recently but... it didn't quite work out. I'm not fit for that line of work at all."

Rio didn't know what sort of answer Moe may have expected, but Rio was never one to be dishonest. She wished there was something more fantastical to speak of, but outside of the entertainment she could find, if she wasn't careful, her mind could quickly find itself on the end of
a severe tedium.