Long Awaited Return [Henrex/Mirai]

It had been four months since she was last in the Soul Society. Finally home from a long and tedious mission, Mirai made her way to her Captain's office with a skip in her step. As she normally did, she avoided other members that were wandering around by ducking in and out of rooms or wall hopping through halls. She had no interest in talking to anyone until she spoke to him. After reaching Yuuto's door, she opened it up and threw a celebratory arm in the air, yelling "I'm baaack!" but he wasn't there. Ah, damn it. She should have known. If he wasn't here, there was only one other place he'd likely be found. So, she made her way to the training grounds.

Upon arriving at their Division's training grounds, Mirai found which one Yuuto was in pretty quickly, and only by sensing the reiatsu he was emitting. She used that moment to lower her own further than she normally would have to while back home. It was as if her presence was erased from the world around. Rapidly moving through the different areas to the one Henrex was in, Mirai wasted no time in attacking. This was a common thing they did with each other, even if it bothered others. It wasn't exactly a good thing to suddenly charge and attack your Captain. However, random attacks were their way of saying "I'm back, and I'm fine."

Mirai darted at Yuuto as fast as her legs would allow. She knew she still was not up to Yuuto's speed, and likely never would be, but this is why she trained. Hopefully, she was hiding her energy well enough to not be sensed. And as she ran, she was as silent as a feather falling to the ground. Each step was deliberate and focused. When she met the appropriate distance, she leapt into the air, spinning into a well-aimed round-house kick where her foot would be targeting Yuuto's upper back.

Training, at times, felt strange. It felt arrogant to be practicing so publicly, someone that people revered and feared from the power he had. But, he needed to keep those anxieties out of his head and hope that seeing their Captain partake in training with his free time would give others motivation to continue their own work. He had heard that a certain someone had come back after a rather long mission in the Living World, something that brought a smile to his face.

Mirai was someone that he had taken a great deal of care to since meeting her when he was but a lower officer, not long after his graduation from the academy. Here they were now, him as Captain and her under his division. He had little doubt that he would be the first person she saw -- he knew her all too well by this point. He danced between the moving targets, darting around with them at high speed and cutting through them with flawless precision.

Then, he sensed it -- the subtle shift in pressure, as if something had disappeared. He could hear something moving through the wind, the rustle of clothes as they grew closer, until, on instinct, he spun around in an instant and quickly reached out, grabbing the offending leg that had just about reached him. He didn't hold her long, releasing her almost immediately after grabbing her, letting her get her footing as he chuckled softly.

"It's good to see you again, safe and sound, Mirai."

The swift turn done by Captain Astillon was everything Mirai expected. Her foot was grabbed mid air, a bit of power bursting out from the impact. She never held back, but only because she understood and trusted his skill. The moment she hit him, was the moment something was wrong or she had reached a level that this little attack-game they did couldn't keep happening. She would feel way too guilty. And so, as he released her a moment later, she quickly gained her footing and landed gracefully next to him, a big smile stretched along her face.

"I certainly hope so!" Mirai said and threw her arms to the side, and stepping in for the usual hug. "That mission took way too long, but the target had two look alikes that through off my recon and never went anywhere alone. In the end, I had to climb the side of a high rise and lower myself into his room through the air conditioning system to even reach him. Even then, his body guards...Well, look."

Mirai had very few scars from the years of assassination missions she had, but as she rolled up her shirt, she showed off a new four inch cut on her left hip. She smiled proudly because she was pretty sure it was going to scar. She even did a few small excited hops, showing that she had no problem with a new scar or two.

She had become a tremendously capable assassin, and he couldn't be more proud of her for that. As she stepped in for a hug, he sheathed his sword, opened his arms and welcomed the embrace, patting her on the back gently. He had gotten a little worried about her when she had been gone for such an extended period of time, but he had faith in her to get the job done.

But, he knew that this job wasn't without risks, and when he saw the new scar Mirai showed him, he winced. Neither of them had a problem with scars and wounds on themselves -- but, he at least didn't like seeing them on his friends and loved ones.

He cared for people too much, a love that had eventually ebbed and waned at his patience, leaving him as both the loving, kind man that most saw, as well as a formidable assassin.

"I was a bit worried with how long it took, but, you've become an excellent assassin. But, just to be sure...no other scars or cuts? Nothing that we'd need to take a trip to the Medical Division for?"

He figured she wasn't hiding anything, but, with how close the two had become since they met all those years ago, it was best to make sure. He trusted her, but sometimes, even friends keep secrets from one another.

Mirai wrapped her arms tightly around Yuuto, with a tad more enthusiasm than some expected of her. She missed him! That was all. He was her best friend after all. Nothing more... After a long winded explanation, she released him from her anaconda huge and showed off her new scar with a wide smile. She was fiiine! She doubled up the V for Victory sign on both hands to prove it.

"I promise, Captain Astillon," Mirai said, poking fun at the promotion he had been given a mere month of time before she had to head out. "I'm perfectly healthy."

"Enough about me, what about you?" Mirai said, crossing her arms along her chest and raising a concerned eyebrow. "How is all this Captain stuff taking? And from what I saw, we're still down a Vice-Captain... I'm kind of surprised?"

Well, it seemed like she was telling the truth -- if her bubbly, enthusiastic attitude was enough to showcase that. As she poked a bit of fun at him suddenly rejoining the Gotei under the mantle of Captain again, his calm, warm demeanor quickly shifted to bashfulness. He rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling softly, before gently nudging her shoulder with his own. She wouldn't lie to him -- not about something like this.

"Good."

That was all that needed to be said. A quick, yet clear end to that topic, and onto the next...her inquiries of his own status, and, most notably, their lack of a Lieutenant. The thought brought a more awkward, uncertain expression to the Captain as he sighed softly. As their conversation started, he had quickly, thoughtlessly sheathed his sword, looking to the other members of the division passing by the area.

"It's certainly been...a change, one that I never would have dreamed to happen. But, on the topic of a Lieutenant, that's been an ongoing issue. Shuten stepped down to Fourth Seat, and, maybe I'm being a bit picky, but there are only a very select handful of candidates that I've found."

Mirai's face brightened and her cheeks became pinker as he nudged her shoulder. She cupped her hands behind her back and leaned her head to the side, a posture that was often seen as "cute." ... Mirai watched his sword get sheathed and pursed her lips in a slight pout. She wanted to spar, and he was just going to put the blade away? Rude! Of course, she said nothing. Maybe he had been out here a few hours and preferred a break. Maybe she'd run and make him some tea...

"So, you haven't actually found someone?" Mirai said, "I'd say I'm surprised, but I'm not. You're in an interesting predicament with all of this." Mirai gestured to the world around them and then lightly tapped his chest, right over his heart. "Just make sure it's someone you trust. Otherwise, I may have to target my own Lieutenant. I think we'd both agree that sounds like a horrid time. Too much paperwork."

Mirai gave Yuuto a knowing smile. The part about the paperwork was meant to be playful and joking. Though, Yuuto knew exactly what Mirai would do if she found out that someone betrayed them, or him, specifically. It wouldn't be pretty.

He was being particular about selecting a Lieutenant. He had talked about his desires for the ideal candidate for the position with Kaminari, and while he knew that he wasn't going to find that ideal immediately, it was something he was keeping in mind. She did have a point -- above all their skill and qualifications, he had to select someone he could trust.

Even as Mirai gave a light jab at the idea of the mess to clean up in the wake of needing to target their own Lieutenant, he knew that she would be quick to act on that. But, he would be faster. Trust was something he valued beyond most things, and if someone had betrayed him or something he had so much investment and care put into...

Their corpse would be strung up before sunset. His fingers tightly gripped the handle of his Zanpakuto at the thought. But, he pushed it out, instead giving her a soft, playful smile as he nudged her shoulder.

"Considering you're one of the candidates, I certainly hope that I could trust you."

Mirai noticed that grip on his zanpakuto and eyed him curiously. He was imagining something, probably pertaining to their current conversation. His smile returned moments later, along with a playful nudge. Her smile never left and she kept eye contact with him as she gave him a gentle nudge in return.

"Have I ever given you cause to doub-... and the day we met does not count!"

Mirai's cheeks flushed with pink. Their first meeting was interesting. Mirai was sent to kill him by her old boss, knowing she wasn't strong enough to get the job done. If it weren't for Yuuto's kind heart, she would likely be dead, or at least in jail.

"But wait, I'm a candidate?" Mirai asked, realizing what he said, as her smile and eyes both brightened "How exciting! I accept the job!"

Mirai gestured a "shooing" motion with both hands, as if she were waving off the competition. "No need to look further." she said, only slightly joking.

He had to give it to here there -- in all the time he had known her, she had given him little reason to doubt. For the longest time, he was worried that his naivety would come back to haunt him. There were plenty of people who had reason to lie and save their own skin, were they in a scenario like hers. There had been the occasional thought harbored where he may have had to revoke the kindness he shared with her.

It had never been a thought he relished, but, thankfully, she had long since proved to be a valuable ally and friend. She was a skilled assassin and trustworthy friend, how could he not consider her for the position? He smiled, chuckling quietly as she made mention that the day they met didn't count. Her enthusiasm toward the prospect of becoming Lieutenant, however, caught him off-guard.

He had always known her as someone that talked to barely anyone in division, aside from him. In fact, that had been one of his concerns when it came to selecting her. He needed to be sure that she would be able to handle the job, socialize, communicate, and interact with not just the other members of their division, but in the Gotei and Seireitei at large.

A Lieutenant's goal, at its core, was to be a secondary Captain when he was not there. So, while he was a bit shocked and pleased to see her take to the idea with such enthusiasm, there was still things he wanted to make sure were dealt with and addressed, before he made a decision too quickly.

"Now, now, we can't go getting ahead of ourselves just yet. I know you're joking, but I am serious about considering you. Before I make any decision, I want to ask you about a few things."

He quietly gestured for her to follow, and Henrex silently began making his way to his office, opening the door, and letting Mirai enter first and sit down, before stepping in and seating himself as well.

"I'm sure I don't need to ask you what being a Lieutenant would mean, so, I wanted to address some concerns I had. These will be a little personal, but, they're important nonetheless. Is that alright?"