Chairman and Shihoin[Rio, Tsubine]

"You two have caused me no inconvenience at all. I find that energy quite endearing. Never lose sight of that spirit, okay, Mayumi?"

Rio offered a warm and reassuring smile, far from discomforted in their presence. If anything, this proved far more entertaining than wandering the Seireitei aimlessly. Of course, Rio couldn't help but listen in on their conversation. Ikeda Tamura, eh? Rio had no particular location in mind to begin with, and part of the sisterly side of her spirit was humored the idea of treating Mayumi to a visit to this restaurant. Rio had no prior engagements for today, and if Tsubine was alright with it, why not treat the young girl to a fine time for her troubles? She survived bumping into a steel wall. Her efforts ought to be rewarded. Rio turned her gaze between Tsubine and Mayumi, stroking her chin softly.

"Well now, I don't know. I think I like Mayumi's idea. This place she's speaking of sounds interesting. I don't think I've been before. Sure, it's not a quick lunch, but I'm not pressed for time, and I think she does deserve a suitable reward for handling things so well, no? Of course, I have other places in mind. I wouldn't wish to override a father's choice, after all."

Rio lowered a hand to give Mayumi a victorious fist bump, smiling warmly as she turned to follow them. The journey was neither complicated nor long, and Rio spent any moment speaking about anything that entertained Mayumi well enough.

The Shihoin woman felt a great deal of nostalgia, truth be told. It wasn't something she commonly revealed to anyone, but as someone who had to singlehandedly be a guiding force to the younger Shihoin of her household, Rio had a soft spot for children. They were fairly pleasant to be around, and by all accounts, she had yet to meet one that annoyed her to any degree.

Mayumi ensured that streak would be maintained. When they arrived at the Ikeda Tamura, Rio simply went with the recommendations offered her by the chef, regarding them with a pleasant smile as she turned to Tsubine and his daughter. While the food was being prepared, Rio answered Tsubine's inquiry with relative ease.

"For a long time, I simply tended to the duties befitting those of a noble. Most of my attentions were oft devoted to my family. Events, meetings, gatherings.... anything one could imagine a Noble engaging in, I engaged without questioning it. Nowadays, my living is fighting under the banner of the Gotei as the vice-captain of the combat division. Hm, what about you, Tsubine? What do you do for a living?"

"Oh? A community outreach? I commend those who aim to offer their best efforts in making the Rukongai a better place. How have your efforts fared so far?"

Rio arched an eyebrow curiously in response to that description. Community outreach and private security firm? An interesting piece of information, to be certain, and although Rio clearly had never dabbled into anything too much beyond visiting the Rukongai, it still elicited the woman's curiosity. She could certainly commend a man for bringing some sense of organization and stability to a place that was in need of it. Depending on how things went, she wondered if he'd broach the subject about offering her resources to aiding him in his efforts.

He seemed a respectable man. Perhaps she would humor the thought after more conversation. Before she could voice any other question on top of her own, golden eyes found themselves focusing in on Mayumi. Aunt Kei and Uncle J... Kei. J. Ah! Two members of the Saionji family. Although Rio didn't heavily involve herself in noble affairs anymore, she still kept herself updated. They were a fairly prominent noble family, and had been making something for themselves according to the inner circles. She hadn't met either of them, personally, but that was probably change sooner or later.

"Oh my. I take it Aunt Kei has a preference for women? Alas, I don't recall meeting them personally, Mayumi. They're from the Saionji family, correct?"

She inquired, directing that particular question to Tsubine, curious to know his relationship with them. Friends from the past? One of his connections? The possibilities were endless, but it was best to get confirmation from the adult to make sure.

Rio was clearly amused by the way Mayumi so freely revealed information on the Saionji siblings. It was welcomed information, of course. It is inevitable that they might one day meet one another given their connection to whatever remained of the noble structure in the Soul Society as a whole. As such, any piece of information is welcomed notes in her eyes. When the meal arrived, Rio's eyes lit up with curiosity. There was always this theory she humorously spoke about between her and her peers in her division.

Was expensive food any better than cheap food? Naturally, she was always playfully teased about their perception of her and how she always likely enjoyed state-of-the-art meals day in and say out. Whether high-quality cuisine or something at a cheaper price, Rio held no bias. And so, she wondered, did this taste good? A bite or two hadn't really answered her question, but it was pretty tasty. As she indulged in the first dish, Rio listened to Tsubine, acknowledging his words with a nod of his head.

One of her conjectures were indeed correct. The past bond. J was a man who had saved his life. From his words, though, he seemed wholly against the idea of joining the Gotei. That was understandable. Military life wasn't for everyone, and although she had no basis to go off of, the man who sat across from her struck her as someone who beat to the sound of their own drum. Considering the Rukongai connection, his dreams likely existed elsewhere.

"There is little to be ashamed of there, Tsubine. For a while, I never humored occupying a position in the Gotei. Certain events changed that, of course, but it definitely didn't cross my mind at first. The Gotei now is slightly confusing to follow at first nowadays, so I won't contest you on that. The first should still be in charged of administrative duties, but I cannot say for certain. Since we're on the subject, what led to your desire to focus all your efforts on the Rukongai over a position in the Gotei? If you don't mind my asking, of course."

"Mm..."

Rio found no inherent fault with Tsubine's opinion. From a historical point of view, the gotei had rarely devoted effort toward to shifting the livelihood of the Rukongai in a positive direction. The scales of the past always seemed to favor those in the upper crust rather than those in the district of wandering souls. Nobility held far too strong a sway in the past, those who could get by on name alone were high in number.

The former captain commander put an end to that, stripping nobility of the power that had carried them for so long. At first, Rio didn't particularly view the decision as favorable, but no matter what awaited her family, she would support them until the end of her days. Nothing more, nothing less.

Of course, before she could offer any opinion regarding that point of conversation, an interesting piece of info caught her ear in particular. A captain of the Gotei that left him feeling so uncomfortable that he wished to run away? Among the current order of captains, there was no one that particularly stood out as someone she would regard as unsettling in terms of their overall disposition, not offhand at least. Rio certainly thought the man had made a fine impression on her. Therefore, the conjecture that he incited anything seemed faulty at beast. Approachable men rarely incited anything. Unable to contain her curiosity, she leaned forward ever so slightly, her expression growing curious.

"Honestly, I find that shocking. You have but nothing but approachable and light-hearted to me, even if you had every reason to lash out for my inadvertent bump with your daughter. If... you don't mind my asking, did this newer captain have a name?"