What We Are Here For [Tsubine/Joshua]

This had been the second-worst-week of Tsubine's life. He still ached even after Kaminari's extensive healing. He still felt phantom burns from Ignacio's flames. But that wasn't the only flame burning. Pride. Anger. Duty. Those flames raged within him as a combined inferno. Mayumi was safe. J was safe. And Kohaku was the first one to greet him back once he had made it back to the Shōjin.

Tsubine had been hard at work since the moment he returned. Thanks to Kohaku's leadership in his absence and a few other surprise elements, the Shōjin had escaped major damage. Some buildings were destroyed, and many lives were lost, but it could have been so much worse. The emergency bunkers Tsubine had dug out within the Shirazumi-rengokai's offices had been the best investment he had made post-Demon Incursion.

Because of how little his district was damaged comparatively, Tsubine wanted to send aid to the most hard-hit region: the Seireitei. Unfortunately, no one was speaking to him or his men. "God dammit. Can't you find me someone to speak to?! I don't want the fucking Gotei to think I'm sending an invading army into the Seireitei." Tsubine punched a hole in the wall of the makeshift office he was operating out of in the upper districts. He had left Kohaku in charge of keeping the peace while he was just outside of the single-digit districts.

His men winced at his anger. They understood why he was angry, but there was nothing they could do. J had said that his Division wasn't the one to speak to about it, and that Kei was too busy to see him. As he was about to punch another hole, a bald member of the gang opened the door in a hurry. "Boss, I just heard from some of our guys; there's a Shinigami going out looking for supplies. I thi—" Tsubine shot up. "Take me to him. Now." He grabbed the athletic jacket he wore and follow-led his subordinate.

"What's the Shinigami look like? We got a name?"
"They say he's got red hair and wears a funny-looking hat."
"Funny hat, you say..."

Tsubine was led to what looked like a lumber yard where a red-haired Shinigami just finished shaking the hand of what was likely the foreman of the site. He approached while the subordinate kept a distance. "You the guy asking around for supplies?" Tsubine extended a hand. "Tsubine Shirazumi. I'm here to offer my organization's assistance."

Tsubine let his "pleasant businessman" smile crack into a genuine one for just a moment. "Of course. If I were a carpenter or lumberjack, I wouldn't be here myself. I'd be cutting wood so someone who looks like me could sell it to you at a premium. Well, I imagine that person would be in a nice suit instead of this." He placed his hands back into the pockets of the cargo pants he wore. If it weren't for the obvious high quality of the clothing he wore, he wouldn't be out of place in that lumber yard. Any stain, fray, or tear was clearly fresh. But of course, aside from the white sleeves and the bottoms of his pants legs, there weren't any of those.

"I've got labor, material, and clean facilities that can easily be sterilized for medical facilities. The problem is, well..." Tsubine took off his glasses and slid them into the pocket of the black shirt he wore. "I don't want to be accosted by the Gotei for having civilians assist in the rebuilding, nor do I want my associates to encounter problems while they're providing this much-needed relief. I know the Seireitei is a protected area normally, but I think we all are residents of Soul Society right now; there's only a token barrier between the Seireitei and the Rukongai. So, Jehanna-san, are you willing to help make this deal happen?"

Tsubine was doing his best to not send debris flying in anger. This Shinigami was just another middleman. Not the person he could make any sort of deal with. But getting angry at this man wasn't going to solve anyone's problems. If anything, it'd cause more harm that good right now. Taking a deep breath, Tsubine recentered himself and tried to think of something a lot more pleasant. It didn't work well, but it worked enough.

Tsubine's tone was clipped, and it was clear he was frustrated. "I have been told 'come back later' at best by quite a few Shinigami. I understand that things are in a jumble. I have heard some of the rumors milling about. I know that your command structure isn't exactly in the best of shapes." He let a tight breath leave through his clenched jaw. "But I am offering to help relieve one of your problems."

"You have, so far, been the only person to even consider taking my offer to someone who can make such a decision. Card." Tsubine held out a hand and one of his escorts—they weren't his bodyguards, but bodyguards for the people around him whilst he was in such a mood. A beshaded man handed over what looked to be a business card to Joshua. It read simply:
Shōjin Construction, Ltd.
Tsubine Shirazumi, President

This was one of the many legitimate groups that Tsubine owned and operated. Most of the staff were members of the Shirazumi-rengokai, but its services were entirely legitimate. "I'm currently operating out of the Sonozaki Kyūshin Inn... or what's left of it, really. Once you have an answer, present this card to the guys at the door. They'll let you in."