Taking a moment to relax [Saera, Rio]

Saera grabbed the towel she'd brought into the training grounds and wiped away the sweat that had gathered on her brow before tucking it into the waist of her pants. She shifted a bit, finding comfort in the familiar clinking of Kusari no Kanshi-Sha around her body, the weight a grounding feeling after the hours she'd just spent deliberately pushing herself as far as she could without an opponent to really help push her, but grimaced as she stretched out her arms. She definitely had the stamina to spare to keep going, and physically she was fine, but apparently today was going to be one of the annoying days. She could feel the phantom aches and pains from memories of her time under the demons 'hospitality' lighting up. She could ignore them, it wouldn't be the first time, or the last time if she was honest with herself. It wasn't like the lingering memories of the pain were anything but that, memories. Today though...well it had been a good long while since she'd treated herself, and she knew that old lady Kaede still had that onsen out around where the old Dojo was, and she did still have a standing invite...

With a snort Saera decided that she could treat herself for once, and let out a breath as she re-sealed her zanpakutou and sheathed it. She took the time to clean up the area she'd been using, and made her way back to the barracks to change before heading out. It was a fairly happy woman who strode out of the barracks and towards the Rukongai gates. She had no other tasks right now, and the more she thought about it the more she was looking forward seeing Kaede and her Onsen again. Before she made it out of the fourth squad's grounds though she caught sight of one of her squad mates.

Actually not just a squad mate, her vice captain! Saera paused and thought for a moment, then coming to a decision called out.

"Hey, Rio, I'm heading to an Onsen I know! I can get you in free, you wanna come?!"

Saera nodded and gestured for Rio to follow her, and started off towards the gate using a series of flash-steps to speed up the journey. Now that she'd decided to go visit the onsen, she wanted to be there as soon as possible. At the speeds they were going it didn't take long to reach a more rural area of the Seiretei, and Saera finally came to a stop in the middle of several streets, the forest close by, and started to walk at a more normal pace to her goal. As she passed through she waved to the various members of the district, some who eyed her warily, some who looked genuinely pleased to see her, some who didn't really care about her, but eyed Rio with confusion and a little trepidation, and some who just didn't care about either of them.

As they walked Saera spoke up, "I know Kaede from way way back, and have a standing invitation to come to her onsen and bring any guests with me. I don't use it too often, too much to do and I'd rather not feel like a burden when things are hard enough out here, but I try and stop by to visit every now and then."

After wandering through a few more streets they found themselves walking along the approach to a relatively large building right on the edge of the forest, with the sound of water and faint wisps of steam coming from the trees behind it, Saera smiled and picked up her pace, happily striding through the entrance and greeting an older woman at the counter.

"Old lady Kaede! I've come back to visit, and I brought someone with me!"

The old woman looked up and smiled, before her expression became an obviously fake scowl, "Saera, you lout of a woman! It's probably been a decade since I've seen you! And don't lie to me, I know you're just here for the onsen, is that all I am to you? A hotspring? At least you brought a friend this time! And don't call me old!"

Saera laughed boistrously and walked up to grab the old woman in a hug and picked her up with a squeeze before putting her down again, "It's good to see you too Kaede, how's your family doing?"

Saera engaged Kaede in small talk as the woman led her and Rio back through the building towards a relaxation room, though when they arrived Kaede cut it off herself.

"Here you are, you know how to order food, and how to get to the springs, make sure to wash up first! And the food stays in this room!" Kaede turned and gave a small bow and a smile to Rio, "And it's a pleasure to meet you dear, I'm sorry I haven't said much to you so far, but it really has been a long time since I've seen this one, I hope you enjoy your time here, and if you come back I'll be more than happy to get to know you better."

With that Kaede walked away, leaving the two Shinigami in a fairly simple but comfortable room with a low table and sitting pillows surrounding it, a small bell in the center of the table sitting on top of a set of menus.

"Honestly? First I recommend some drinks. Then head to wash up and relax in the springs, Kaede always makes sure there's a banquet prepared for her guests after they soak, so it's best not to fill up now, but a cold drink that chills your guts makes slipping into the water feel amazing. I know what I want, but feel free to look through the menu. This one's all light foods and chilled drinks, like melonballs, cold cocktails, and fruit juices."

Saera took the opportunity to spread some pillows out and lean back while stretching her legs out beside the table, settling comfortably and watching Rio.

"So. I used to know Hanako well enough, but I don't think we ever talked much. What do you want me to call you, cause at least outside of the gotei I'm not calling you by your rank. Just Rio? Or is that too informal? Got any questions for me, any stories you wanna share? Might as well try to get to know each other while we lounge on Kaede's hospitality."

"Hmmm...I enjoy that I'm actually expected to push myself. All the squads expect excellence in their own ways, but I know what I'm good at, and this is the best place for me to improve my skillset and actually be useful." Saera shifted a bit and grabbed the bell, ready to call someone to take their orders.

"As for stories, I've got more than a few and nothing to hide, we could trade off? I can start, way back some...shit four centuries ago? I grew up out here with my dad. He was an old martial artist, and trained me alone for a good long while until I convinced him to open a dojo, and then we both taught. That's actually how I have the standing invite here. Kaede takes in orphans and gives them a home and a family, that's who you'll see working here, and we offered free classes for her kids since all her money was tied up in the onset and the kids themselves. Turns out those lessons stopped more than one bandit hit."

Saera frowned before shaking off her oncoming melancholy, "Unfortunately eventually a group of bandits took out the dojo, and my dad with it. A shinigami was actually investigating the scene when I arrived back from my supply run," Saera snorts, "I tried to beat the shit out of him. But trained in martial arts or not I wasn't exactly a match for a Shinigami at the time. Dads last words were telling the man he thought I might have enough Reiryoku to enroll in the academy, so the man took me to get tested, and I joined the academy. Went combat cause that was what I was good at and what I enjoyed. Also had a lot of anger pent up still after losing my dad like that, and figured no better place to knock some heads and get mine knocked in return. What about you? How'd you wind up in the fourth? Also, you ready to order? I'll ring if you are."

Saera threw back her head with a shouted laugh, "Managing personalities. I wouldn't call that a bumpy road, the kinda people this division attracts? That's a straight up bitch, but hey, at least it's not boring!"

Saera rung the bell then placed it back down, "Anyway. Detailed reasons of not, any reason is good enough. You're strong, you're good at what you do, and you're not an uptight ass, you got my respect. For whatever that's worth anyway. Now, I could tell you stories about my time out here in the Rukongai, or we could talk about what came after. I'll warn you though, that stuff ain't nearly as happy. Nothing I can't talk about, but, well, each scar may be a story, but the kinds of stories that leave the most prominent scars are rarely happy."

Suddenly the door to the room slid open and a young man dressed in the onset uniform stepped in, and Saera nodded to him. "Your looking good Hamato, keeping up with your exercises it looks like. Remind me after we're done and I'll be glad to run you and the other tykes through their paces, see where you're all at. Anyway, I'll have my usual, chilled passionfruit juice over melonballs, thanks."

The young man beamed at Saera, muttering a quick "thank you" and then turned to Rio, waiting for her order.