Happy Synthesizer [Beetle, Koga]

Despite the intense, dreary state of much of the world, there would always be at least one person in Soul Society that would be trying to make people forget about that and stay positive, especially when it came to welcoming new members to the division! Someone needed to, after all!

She had, admittedly, done a little bit of eavesdropping on some of the other members to learn more about the new guy. A few people seemed scared of him -- and from what she'd heard, she couldn't really blame them. Guy was tall and riddled with scars -- sounded pretty imposing. But! She'd still treat him all the same and hopefully give him a warm welcome.

So, afterward, she found herself peeking out into the training barracks for the Eighth Division. Yeah, he sure did fit the description. In fact, she was pretty sure that she'd seen him when she was in the old Eleventh Division.

Could be confusing him with someone else though -- but, with that look, who else could it be? So, stepping out with a wide grin, Beetle's brimming optimism shone through every step she took as she approached.

"Hiya! Welcome to the Eighth! I think I've seen you around before, though. Were you in the old Eleventh Division before the Gotei was reformed, by chance?"

Adapting to a division that was wholly against what he was normally accustomed to proved a tall order so far for the rabble-rouser of the slums. Divorced from the wild unpredictability of the eleventh now known as the fourth, the eighth seemed far more livelier than he expected. Most of the people here were openly kind, friendly to a degree that gave him pause. Some genuinely wanted to hang out for an afternoon, while others talked about the various forms of creativity and artistry they enjoyed beyond combat.

In a word, it was something he could only describe as "pretty chill". Almost too chill, truth be told. Of course, he knew it was pretty unreasonable to hold his new division to the outdated standards of the eleventh. No, half of his purpose here now was to make good impressions, and Koga found himself brimming with excitement at the idea of building his rapport in these barracks. At the moment, he sat languidly across a mat somewhere within the center of the barracks.

As it were, it wouldn't be all that difficult for Beetle to approach him. He was sitting on the ground in a meditative stance with his eyes closed. Quietly reflecting on the past and what the future might bring, comparing and acknowledging his lot in life. The moment she approached, calling out to him with a pleasant voice, Koga turned his head to the woman, greeting her in a blunt tone of speech that could've been misinterpreted as rude on account of the nonchalance present in his voice.

"Yo. That's me. Former eleventh. What's it to ya, lady? ...Hm? Wait a minute... You look familiar."

He promptly rose from the ground to gleam a better look at the brown-haired woman, surveying her face with curiosity. Oh, shit. He might actually know this one.

"Have we crossed paths before?"

Well, he sure didn't come across as super friendly. It was a weird mix of nonchalance and brashness -- no wonder there were a couple of people nervous to approach. The guy didn't exactly scream "huggable teddy bear," now did he? But, she wasn't one to be scared away by something like that! As he turned his head to face her, she'd take a moment herself to look at his face -- one that seemed like it would be pretty hard to forget.

So, to play around, she narrowed her eyes, leaning in a bit close with a soft hum as she stared at him for a few seconds. But, the serious look quickly faded, turning back into the wide grin he saw before as she backed up a couple steps. Yep, no doubt about it -- she knew him from her days in the Eleventh Division -- something that felt a lot longer ago than it actually was.

"I think we have~! You're Habaki, right? I thought I recognized that name. I'm Beetle! Used to be part of the Eleventh before..."

She trailed off, intending to say more, but took another sheepish step back. She didn't want to remember World War 4, and what not just everyone across the realms lost as a result, but her personally. The image of 03, 04, and 05, her predecessors in the Beetle Series, still remained emblazoned in her head.

"...before World War 4. I...took some time off after that."

While her hands had been behind her throughout most of the interaction, one of them all of a sudden had found themselves idly scratching, tugging, and playing with her shihakusho, readjusting it lightly. But, despite the sudden discomfort, it was quick to vanish, the clouds over her face disappearing as the infectious optimism forced its way to the forefront again.

"Buuuut, I'm back now, and in a new division to boot! Get to help out wherever I need to now! Research, Earth, even combat! Nice to see ya again, Habaki~!"

"Nice to see you again, too, Beetle. I couldn't forget your blazing spirit of positivity even if I tried."

Koga chortled softly as he reached in to pat her on the shoulders. He didn't pay much heed to the way she trailed off, but then he imagined she wasn't exactly keen on digging up her past. He was aware of World War Four to some degree, but he recalls only hearing it in passing. From what he recalled in the books detailing crucial information on the event, it was a cataclysmic conflict on Earth that tested the mettle of Earth's defenders, but they eventually won out by the end.

Well, something like that. He recognized anecdotes like those had a way of blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Only those present could likely speak at length on the trials they faced during that tumultuous period. Even so, he finds it funny that they now see themselves in the same division once again, though this time with a different number. Part of him feels celebratory, prompting him to motion for the brown-haired woman to follow him.

"Since there ain't much goin' on here, ya want to catch up on lost times and grab a bite to eat at a ramen shop? I know this place that sells some of the best Takoyaki at an affordable price. And they make a mean bowl of Spicy Ramen that'll put tears in your eyes."

Good! She'd be pretty unhappy if he forgot how hard she worked to be a source of positivity for everyone! So, as he reached to pat her shoulder, Beetle reached up to lightly punch the big guy on his shoulder in return. She was glad to see a familiar face around the Eighth Division. It was nice to meet new people to swap stories and share meals with, but there was a part of her that still missed the old Eleventh Division, and it always felt nice to see a piece of that nowadays.

But, him mentioning a ramen shop and takoyaki quickly caught her attention. Reuniting with an old comrade and food? The wide smile she had grew a bit larger as she nodded fervently.

"Absolutely! I'm not a picky girl, but takoyaki and spicy ramen sounds really good right now! Lead the way, big guy! Don't worry about me keeping up, it'd be hard to lose a totem pole like you~"

Plus, it'd make for a good distraction from the usual bad thoughts that creeped into her head, as well as the ones that she was already working on pushing away. Can't have dumb stuff like that keep her down when she's having fun and sharing a meal with an old comrade, now can she?

"Totem Pole? You're pretty tall yourself for a woman, ya know. Anyway, I'll lead the way. Try not to get lost, Beet."

Exchanging a nickname with a playful grin, Koga motioned for them to exit the eighth division barracks as they slowly began to traverse the Seireitei. His location of choice was actually closer than expected, which was relatively ideal for him. He was far from the lazy type, but division work could get busy, and lunch breaks could get short. It helped to be able to rely on a place where he could get a nice hearty meal and continue his day with little issue. This particular ramen stand achieved that and more. In the meantime, though, he was curious about catching up on old times with her and decided to pose a question or two while they walked side by side.

"Since I'm new here... how have things been for you in the 8th division compared to when we were cutting our teeth back in combat? Meet any new friends? Met the captain yet? Our walk ain't gonna be too long, but I am curious to know what the energizer bunny's been up to. Or should I say, pfft... energizer beetle?"

"W-Well, yeah, maybe a little bit, but hush up! Still not as tall as you!"

Beetle stuck out her tongue in response, both to the comment and the nickname. But, she didn't comment on it further. It wasn't the worst nickname she could get, after all. She stuck close to Koga, a pep in her step as she hummed to herself while keeping up with her companion. Even if it wasn't some fancy place, she was excited to see how good the food was.

As Koga asked about her time in the Eighth, her head quickly turned to face him, tilting her head a little bit as she thought about it. She'd met a couple people from the Eighth, the now former Fourth Seat, the Captain himself, and one of the other unseated officers while they were in hospital. Not as many as she'd like, but there were a lot of people in the division!

"Actually, I met the Captain before anyone else. Saw the barracks for a new division and wanted to see what had happened while I was gone -- turns out, they have a whole new friggin' division! Four or five short years away on Earth, and they manage to get a whole new division up and running!"

Even though they lived far longer than most humans could ever hope to, Beetle was still surprised at how much had been done in the time she'd been gone!

"Outside of the Captain, I also met Mizu when I first got back, but, she got promoted and transferred to Lieutenant of the Second Division. Oh, oh! I also met one of the other unseated officers! She was in the hospital recovering after a bad incident in the Living World, so I wanted to drop by and cheer her up!"

After all, she couldn't just let her squad mates get away from her that easily, especially not in the dreary drain of a hospital room.

Koga listened to her recount her experiences so far in respectable silence. For one who enjoyed learning about any and everything under the sun, it was always nice to hear about other people's experiences. He was fairly new here and needed to learn as much about his fellow members as possible. That's what he adored about the combat division of the fourth.

They were reckless and relentless, but when push came to shove, they found a way to make their wild mix of violent techniques and talents mesh together to achieve victory, each member challenging the other to grow a little stronger than the day before. A momentary pang of nostalgia set in, but he quickly brushed it away once she finished, turning to her with a grin as they made it to the popular stand in no time at all. It was a short-lived trek, to be sure, but he intended to continue their conversation over a meal, so little was his worry.

"I see, I see. You've certainly gotten up to a lot since you've been here, eh? Since you met the captain, can ya tell me anything about the guy? I've seen him in passing, but I haven't been able to talk to him quite yet. What's he like?"

As they arrived to the stand, Beetle took a moment to think. How would she describe Captain Otoribashi? She put a hand to her chin, looking upward as she thought back on her only real encounter with him. She had only had the time to talk with him when she had just come back from her extended leave, and he seemed nice enough. Cute, too!

"Mmm, well, I only got to talk to him once, and that was when I first came back. From that conversation, he seemed to like a bit of dramatics when he talks. Not that it's a bad thing! I didn't get to learn a lot about him when we talked, but I heard he really likes music and even plays a few instruments!"

However, even if there wasn't a whole lot she knew about him, the memory of that conversation with him brought back unpleasant thoughts. That even one person being able to create someone like her could be one too many. But, before she let herself fall down that rabbit hole again, she unconsciously raised her hands, smacking the sides of her face hard.

'What the heck, Beetle!? Getting all sad and mopey while you're about to sit down and have ramen with an old buddy!? What's the matter with you!?'

Beetle shook her head a few times, letting out a sharp breath as that big, wide, confident grin came back in full force.

"Sorry about that! Let's get some ramen! And, enough about me! What about you? What've you been up to since the Eleventh Division? I'd figure you'd go to the Combat Division again, you were always pretty adamant about that place."

"That's what most of the division says is the best part about the guy. That easygoing nature of his and his love of music. Wonder if I could get him to teach me guitar one day. I hear that's one of the coolest instruments on earth."

Chuckling heartily, Koga's gaze continued to survey the menu, even though his order was essentially set in stone. He didn't know too much about his current captain, either, but for all intents and purposes, he was adored by his division. As one who believed in division unity first and foremost - rooted in the belief that such a dynamic was essential in fostering a great division - Koga found himself geared toward this division precisely because of the man's reputation. If it was a captain that could demand his respect, then it was a captain worth serving. That's what he enjoyed the most about his days spent under Zaraki's captaincy.

Turning away from his menu for a moment, blinking at Beetle, who had just slapped her hands across her face, he chuckled softly at how adorable she appeared and ruffled her hair. He supposed he could shift the subject to himself to alleviate whatever she was feeling so nervous about right now. Putting in two orders of his favorite appetizers and ramen for Beetle and himself, Koga handed the menu back to the shop owner and leaned against his chair. .

"Honestly? I thought that was the place I might go back to. Everybody thought that was where I was going. But I couldn't do it. There was nothing left for me anymore after Captain Zaraki vanished. Our core group of guys and girls went their separate ways, and today, it looks nothing like the combat division I admired. I hear they run things way more intensely than back then, and while I don't mind that sort of energy... The few members who did stay behind said it isn't anywhere near as pleasant as it once was. Don't get me wrong, in a division full of guys like that, I get it... but I miss the old days. I miss them... and I missed you."