Not Enough Graves [Yuuto, Valerie]

"TO THE UNITED AFRICA FRONT!!"

The cheer no doubt would have cut through the camp.

The successful repulsion of the Hole's latest assault on the surface had been something to celebrate. After what had ultimately been wave after wave of being pushed back or barely breaking even. While no doubt the Gotei and the Vandenreich still had vigilance and might have mixed emotions about having something to celebrate for. The Civillians had an entirely different outlook. Again and again, the spreading influence had made evacuation and establishment of safe camps for the refugees almost impossible. But the forces had managed to hold the line, and as a result, while efforts still were underway to handle the injured, it was still a major boost of morale.

In that very moment, Valerie brought a glass up amongst many others. Other Scaffold Officers, as well as a few other civillian middle managers who had the time to get together and celebrate. Similar celebrations were going on at various other sites in the area. Valerie herself smiled fondly as she took a sip of her own drink, a man in a cast almost spilled his own drink on himself as he threw his head back and began spinning a loud and detailed tale of his own experience on the front lines. A story he'd told no less than three times this evening,though never the same twice.

IT was nice, enjoying moments like this. Though as the others focused on the story, her own attention shifted as she noticed something. A faint tingle that caused her to tilt her head. She poked her head out of the tent and spotted a gloomy looking goth man walking through the camp, and promptly she leaned on one of the support posts for the tent and offered a wave.

"Hello there! You're one of the Gotei's Representatives right?" She promptly marched right out, not giving him a chance to respond as she stopped a short distance away and gestured toward the tent. "you were on the front line right? You should come inside! We're having some food and drink. No need to be out here all by yourself." She insisted energetically, certainly there was a force behind her voice. Not shouting, but her voice certainly carried as she put a thumb over her shoulder, as a particularly loud bout of laughter spilled out from the tent. Causing her to glance over her shoulder. Tch. Aliz was drinking a bit too much. She made a mental note to cut him off before the next round.

She couldn't help but smirk a bit knowingly when she saw that pause. No doubt she could tell he considered saying no. But she was pleased when the Shinigami capitulated, chuckling softly as she gave the man a hearty pat on the back. "That's the spirit! Name's Valerie. Pleasure to meet you. Yuuto." She noted with a lopsided smirk. Oh yea, he definitely had that 'needs to relax a little' look about him. And so promptly she began steering him into the tent. Of course she abstained from just marching him into the middle of the room. Cast boi was still telling his story and so the two joining the celebration was hardly noticed. she gestured to all of the food and gave the man another hearty pat.

"Soooo, you're a shinigami right? What squad are you in?" She ventured, promptly making her way to where the drinks were and promptly snagging some fermented honey. A special alcoholic sweet drink. Perhaps not the best for the situation, but its what they had. A few of the nearby men and women gave appreciative looks to Yuuto, acknowledgements, nods, even a few pats on the shoulders before they turned their attention to the man who was currently describing how he'd managed to sneak out from beneath a stomping Gillian undetected.

But of course, Valerie had eyes for Yuuto, a calm and curious smile on her face as she waited for him to answer her question.

Valerie certainly noticed his reaction to it all. And once they were off to the side and not the center of attention, she couldn't help but chuckle as he provided a bit of insight. "Stealth Force huh? Well no wonder you seem like a fish out of water. Still, I'm glad to have guys like you around." She hummed, glancing off to the side. A few other scattered shinigami and Vandenreich had also been pulled into the celebration. But they notably kept separate as groups aside from a few little pairs.

"You may get a few funny looks I bet. But right now? Everyone's just happy to be alive. So for right now? Just relax." She poured themselves a bit of the African Mead. Sliding a mug to Yuuto, she tilted her head. "Hmmm, though I suppose you being stealth force means I probably won't get any stories from the front lines. A real shame. You seem like you'd get into a lot of interesting scraps." She chimed, flashing a little half smile as she took a sip of her own drink.

"So then, I guess I'll have to settle for hearing a bit about yourself, stranger."

Valerie SNORTED softly and promptly gave a SWAT to the man's back and shoulder, a bark of laughter as she smiled from ear to ear. "HAH! Listen to you. Sure maybe you're not always on the frontlines. Heck I know you shinigami sometimes have to do work that's a little odd or unsavory. But who cares about all that? People feel safer with you here. Even if you're just here keeping tabs, checking boxes, and pushing pencils. You're still part of the effort." There was no uncertainty in her voice as she took another swig of her mead, sighing to herself as she gave the man a lopsided smile.

"And that's fine. If ya've not got anything interesting to say, go ahead and gimme something uninteresting! Or if ya like ...." She noted with a slight puff of her chest. And in that brief instant, a cascade of light gold energy ran along her skin in a web. A brief flicker of gold in her veins as she straightened her posture. Leaning in intently before she tilted her head to the side and whispered. "OR ya know, you can just make somethin up~ Hell if I'll be able to tell the difference. M' just lookin for somethin to go with the drink." She noted with a chuckle, taking another drink before gesturing for him to go ahead.

Oho? She was a bit impressed when she noticed him downing the drink without any question or struggle. "Well well, look at you~ Downing Mead. Not your first time eh? Some people get startled by the sweetness!" She chuckled, though she quieted slightly as he made his intentions clear. Ohhh a little game eh? She couldn't help the slow, sly smile that crept across her features. Well now this was an interesting choice of game. "Hmmm, trying to trick me huh?~ Didn't know you were quite that sort of man. Well alright then hit me with your opener." She chimed with a flash of teeth and a wink in his direction.

She took another steady sip and peered a bit at Yuuto for a moment as he promptly made his first little claim after a bit of consideration. And a little snort escaped her as her lips curved upward into a playful little grin.

"Oh? So that's the kind of man you are hm?~ That's rather cute." She chimed, a slow, mirthful little tilt to her voice as she looked Yuuto up and down before looking straight ahead and straightening her shoulders, eyes closed sagaciously as she took a sip of her mead.

"Asher was taken down by a squad if I'm rememberin. Heh. Trying to trick me with somethin that sounds like an absolute statement. This is where I go ' Ah, there's no way that Shinigami-san-... Oh. Right. Don't suppose you have something you like to be called?" She ventured, briefly interrupting herself as she pondered over that question, only to grin and swing right back into it. "Ahhh~ As I was saying! You'd love nothing more than me to say 'Ehhh? There's no way Little Yuuyuu could take him alone~' But I bet you had a part to play in his demise, which would mean...." She flashed a bit of teeth as she glanced back at Yuuto, that knowing smile breaking out into a grin. " I'm going to say that you DID Kill Asher, as in you were part of the squad that took him down!" She grinned as she turned to glance at the man, curious to see if she'd read him correctly.