A Dedicated Plea [Igen, Rio]

Everything was a mess. Panic, uncertainty, stress, fear. Every emotion you could think of was bottled up and shaken and poured all over the sereitei. People were gone, missing, severely injured. And frankly, even if Erika hadn't given him direct orders, Igen was still all over the place. Retreiving reports. Compiling and comparing them. Meeting with officers from just about every single division to get status reports. Damage reports. Casualty Reports. Combat reports. Third Division had investigations into what was destroyed or missing after the incident in the lab. The Sixth and Fifth Divisions were running around trying to work in both the Sereitei AND the Rukongai. And Seventh was scrambling to try and figure out a way to get in contact with so very many shinigami, from their squad and many others that had been deployed on Africa watch.

He himself, had almost gone out on that duty last week. It was a bit shaking to imagine a time when he would be stuck on earth at a time like this. It almost didn't bear thinking. Still.

He knew that he wasn't the only one who was busy, and ....shocked. Rio had, once upon a time, talked about her past. Perhaps not in great detail, but at the very least, he knew that she and Hakuyou had known eachother. The death of the Captain had been one of many shocks, no less, that Rio now found herself as the Acting Captain of the Sixth. The very position that had once been filled by Hakuyou.

And so, admist all ot the Chaos, he found just a moment. A short little gap between tasks, to slip into the woman's office at the Fourth.

He didn't imagine she'd have time to get moved over. And his hunch was right, he could sense her as he gently knocked. Waiting for her to ask him in before slipping inside and checking in on her. He had ... a small, anxious smile. He knew he would be walking into a lot. But thats why he hadn't come empty handed.

A Bento box, complete with a warm tea in a thermos. Making his way over to her desk, he set it down and gave a sheepish chuckle. "Hey, I know you're super busy. I uh. Just wanted to drop this off. Kinda figured you probably haven't thought to get any food or drink in you. I got some nice stuff, finger food and tea. Something you can eat and drink while you work." He explained concisely. He didn't hug her or peck her on the cheek like he might normally. He was giving her a bit of space, but stayed where he was. If she gave any indication of needing it, he'd be around that desk in a heartbeat and holding her. But for now, he had no idea how busy she was, and so at the very least, he just wanted to get her the lunch. If she was feeling up for a brief check in? All the better!

Those gentle words brought a slight brightening of his smile. Watching her, he could see that she had a lot on her mind, but more than that he paused when she stated that she wanted to talk to him about something. And in that moment his own mind raced. But he didn't allow it to get away from him. Nodding his head, he gently closed the door to the office behind him and then walked up to the now Acting Captain. "Of course. I'm listening." He offered, that soft smile relaxing into a more... earnest look.

He had no idea what it was she wanted to talk about, but he knew that he was here for her. Her squad. Hakuyou. There could be so much on her mind, that he couldn't even really guess. But that didn't matter. Whatever it was, he'd be patient with her. And so making his way over, he stood with her just near the window and gave a gentle nod in her direction for her to go ahead. Fear, uncertainty. All of that was pushed behind him.

Whatever was on her mind was clearly bothering her, and so he was focused and determined to hear her out, and prepare to help her in any way he could.

He reached up and gently brushed away that tear, his smile was more than enough that he didn't have to interrupt her. He was here for her. And as she began to speak, he continued to stay close. He had suspected it had something to do with him. After all, she had not gone into detail about ...what exactly it was that he had meant to her. He had been patient, after all it wasn't technically any of his business, but given what had happened, he had suspected, at the very least, it was related to him. But as she explained, his brows raised for a moment in surprise as she revealed just what the connection was between them. They had been ...together? Or at least courting, he didn't know a lot about noble couplings, but all the same he listened closely.

The grasp of his hands caused him to look down, and then back up to the woman, andhe felt his heart ache. Not because he knew what was coming, but simply because he hated to see her like this. And all the more, he winced as he heard about how she had seen him. Not just heard about him. But .... seen him. Cut apart by an enemy. He ...could not have imagined how such a thing would feel. But ....he started to feel it.

He wasn't good at this. He had no experience. Not with this sort of talk. But as she continued...

Ah.
He started to feel it now.
He didn't understand explicitly. But her tears. The way she looked at him.

He knew that look.
And yet it was entirely different all the same.

She was so much more....sad. And in that moment, he knew how much he meant to her. That such a thing tore at her. And with a gentle grip on her hand, he felt tears well in his eyes as he pulled her close. He knew what was going to come next. And before she could spit it out. Before she could say the words that he knew would only make those tears all the more bitter, he gently pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay." His voice surprised even himself. Holding back his own tears, trying to ... sound calm. His voice came out a bit deeper than usual, but he didn't put too much thought into it. That springing joy that usually pitches his voice was smoothed out, and he held her, as if protecting her from her thoughts.

"I....I don't understand. I don't think I ever could. But I do.... understand." He assured her. Trying in some way to make what had to come next a bit ...easier. Whatever that really was. AS if some part of him just ...refused to aknowledge the specifics.

Something painful.
But something that needed to come out. Gently pulling back, he looked the woman in the eyes. And he couldnt help but feel...an embarassed smile. Thinking about his ....shaky attempts at being a good boyfriend. At how he'd tried to be what he was supposed to. Their ....weird dates. Heh. He always had sortof...struggled. And floundered. He didn't quite ... KNOW how to push them. Every moment, he felt like he was with his best friend. He had ...struggled to figure out if it was supposed to be different? More?
And now, perhaps inappropriately, he wondered, but only briefly.

They'd been together. And that's what mattered. Whatever they ...WOULD be? If that's what Rio needed.

He was fine with that.

And so he waited to find out what that was.

He wasn't sure what it is that he felt.

Most certainly, it was painful. Not just as he felt the relationship that had found him gently unravelling, but no less, that this had to be added to her burden. He honestly didn't know what he was supposed to do. He wasn't indecisive. Even before she had spoken, he knew what his answer was going to be. More than anything, he wanted to help her, but some part of him did register. Regardless of what he was compelled to do....he briefly wondered what he should do. What was the smart thing to do?

Perhaps he was damning himself. Maybe Rio as well. The possibility that this was .... a bad idea did flick across his mind, but only briefly, and only as fleeting acknowledgement. He could worry about that later. ...right? But right now, Rio had a job to do. They BOTH had a job to do.

And so regardless of what the smart thing to do was. He grasped her hand in his, swallowing the sting in his chest, closing his eyes as he took a breath. A flicker of pain in his expression. Even he couldn't just... smile through all of this. This excision, however partial.

"No matter what happens. You'll always be my friend. And my Rival." He noted softly, harkening back to before they had ever become so close. Back when they had just been two drunks out in a courtyard, deciding that they would beat the hell out of eachother.

He held her hand, and in that moment, much as he wanted to, he didn't pull her into a hug. Not right now. Not when there was.... so much they had to do. IF he held her right now, she might just buckle. HE might just buckle. And so, afrer a brief moment, he released her hand and took a step back. It was just a single step, and yet, he felt so much more coming between them.

"I don't know what the rest of ...well.. I dunno whats going to happen from here. But. When theres.... SOMe sort of time. We'll hang out. And we'll talk." He assured her. Ah....ah there was .. so damn much he wanted to say. To ...TALK about. But everything was falling apart. And he knew damn well that SHE had places she NEEDED to be. IT hurt so very much. He didn't want to leave this room. To ...end this conversation the way that it was.

But still he turned around, and walked out the door.