Catdog [Sajin, Komugi]

On his way to the Koizumi estate, Sajin decided to take a detour through some of the more damaged parts of the Seireitei. He didn't need to go where he fought Ichigo, there was nothing to see anyway as everything had been flattened beneath their feet. Other sections though, there was much to see. Whether it was ruins or miraculously standing buildings amidst rubble, it was nothing like what he remembered the Seireitei to be.

It wasn't only the Seireitei that suffered at the hands of the Ryoka, however. Sajin knew better than most the state of the Rukongai, having already walked through a District where part of it had been carved out and turned to dust. He had also seen the aftermath of what the demons had done to it a number of years ago, though this was...on another level altogether.

On the road he walked, one cleanup crews had not made it to quite yet, a section of a destroyed building's wall had fallen into the street, impeding travel. Despite nearly dying only the day before, Sajin reached down and lifted the rubble, then gently set it against what remained of the building. He knew he could spend the next month doing this and only this, and still the Seireitei would be in ruins.

Anger boiled within the colossal man as he continued his trek.

Ugh, she knew she should be resting and recovering like the others said, but she just... She didn't feel much reason to do it at this point. From what she was hearing, it was like everything was slipping by the wayside. Would she even have a job after all of this? Was all of her efforts to secure a safe place for her family to live, without having to resort to crime, just a waste? She couldn't admit that it made her little heart sink a little, overhearing night conversations as normal as she slipped through the shadows of the Seireitei with relative ease.

Not getting caught was as easy as breathing to her, something that Stealth had taken interest in, but she'd refuse to take up a role that'd require her to hide... She was tired of hiding after all, she didn't want any of her family to feel the need to hide themselves anymore. Though her gaze was hard on the ground at first, she'd soon be taking her usual ritual of climbing up the remnants of a building and looking across the Seireitei, only ceasing her climb when a particular sight caught her eye, a large figure with pointed ears!

She hardly had a moment to think before she'd jump down, and even in her weakened state she was bounding over happily to the location, her dreary heart lifted higher than it had all week, small footsteps quickly approaching the figure from behind.

"ANIKIIIII!" Her blubbering voice would yell out, tears welling in her eyes, the large segments of her remaining fur fluffed up on end; she didn't even care about how bad her fur might've looked, she just wanted to see her lifelong family member so badly after everything that'd happen. She'd have literally thrown herself onto the giant's leg, hugging as tight as her little arms could.

"Aniki, Aniki, ANIKIII!" She couldn't help but cry into his pant leg, "I've missed ya a bunch, aw man, I..."

She stopped right there when she realized there was no reciprocated bear hug or familiar 'Mugi-chan' from his sweet gentle voice. Oh no, she had just thrown herself at a stranger, her tail immediately drooped, though her jelly legs would quickly pull her up and away from the fixed position she had, stumbling back and nearly hurting her tail.

"A-aahh, i'm... Real sorry, I thought.. You were..." Oh, this was so embarrassing, she wanted to throw up from how sick the feeling made her... She couldn't help but sniff, "..Thought ya were somebody else..."

She was on the verge of bursting like a dam again, ugh...

Sajin himself was a master of remaining unseen, having long since learned to stay hidden as a young man avoiding the judgmental gazes of "regular people". Now though, with the Seireitei lying in ruins, and his own battle with Ichigo partially to blame, he no longer felt the need to hide. He walked through the damaged streets unmasked, his identity no longer worth keeping secret.

In the past Sajin might have reacted with surprise or shock, or even defensively, but the sudden appearance of a young woman sobbing into his leg followed him sensing her heart, one without a trace of the darkness that had invaded Soul Society only a day prior. At first she appeared to be crying tears of joy, dampening the dusty leg of his Shihakushō; this was swiftly replaced with moroseness as she discovered it wasn't her brother's leg she was hugging.

Seeing her current state, as well as being surprised to encounter a Beastman here in the Seireitei, Sajin spoke kindly, his voice instilled with a rumbling warmth "I'm sorry I am not your aniki, miss. Would you like a hand finding him?" He could not help but worry this aniki of hers had been one of the Ryokas' many victims, but with any luck he would be alive and well somewhere.

Even through blobbing teary eyes she could tell the person who had come to face her was not a typical man - he had that familiar strong protruding jaw and the ever familiar fierce yet kind eyes of a wolfman, the rumble of his warm voice in her chest reminding her of her uncle's own, as if even the softest words of his could shake the earth at her feet. In her shock, she hadn't realized she'd been staring at him, gawking for thirty seconds too long. She'd rub her eyes, so embarrassing! Swore her heart would give out with how much awkwardness she's been subjected to..

"S-sorry, it's just that.." She had to force some words out, "I-I didn't know another Beast Clan member was... Here, like here here. I don't think.. I've ever seen you before.. Oh, sorry, right my aniki he's..."

Her whole body seemed to droop just realizing it, "..Probably still stationed in the World of the Living with no way back right now... Well.. Maybe it'll be enough time for Eighth to look anything like it used to..."

Damn, she almost started crying again...

Though just about the millionth time someone had stared at him with wide eyes, in this case Sajin wasn't bothered. He didn't feel like he was being judged by this teary woman, in his eyes she was as surprised as he was to see one of their own people here in a random rubble-strewn street of the Seireitei. Maybe it was awkward to her, but his heart swelled from seeing another Beastman out and about without any kind of facial or head covering.

"I did not expect to come across you, either. I did not know another Beastman clan member joined the Gotei after me." Having always believed himself to be the lone Beastman to ever serve in the Gotei, Sajin was glad to no longer be "unique". "If they are in the World of the Living, at least he was safer there. I am sure you two will be reunited soon." Sajin didn't have the heart to tell the despondent woman there wouldn't be an Eighth Division to return to its former state. There wasn't a Gotei at all anymore, and some seemed to still be in denial. Or, he considered, they were hopeful.

Reaching his massive hand out in greeting, Sajin introduced himself to the distressed young woman "My name is Sajin. I cannot repair the Senkaimon, but I will find someone who can, and then you will see your aniki again."

..After?

She sniffled a big glob of sadness back up, her sulking not so severe that she wouldn't catch that - ears perked with that discrepancy in her knowledge. There weren't any wolf men during her tenure, at least none like this towering figure, til Taro joined... She'd hardly miss someone this big and so reminiscent of her slightly older cousin...

That drop of the name was what really got her to stiffen up, uneven patches of fur standing on end as her bright yellow eyes looked like eclipsed moons with how wide with shock they got in such a short time frame. Distractions were the best way to quickly pull her out of a bad mood, and the man before her was practically a walking one with the information he gave with little knowledge of it's gravity to the tiny lady. She felt fit to explode; Former Captain Komamura, in front of her? She must've fallen off that building and hit her head! Wasn't he dead? She never even had a chance to meet him before! But he can't be dead he's right in front of her oh Rei-o this can't be real it must be a dream she MUST be dreaming oh...

A hand had thoughtlessly extended, as a single thought crossed her mind before her body stiffened and fell over from the shock:

Everyone's is going to be so jealous when I tell them I managed to meet Sajin Komamura first.

Oh. Right. I'm dead.

Between the woman's apparent youth and having spent the last day walking around without any kind of cover for his face, Sajin had quickly grown used to being "alive" again in the Seireitei. He underestimated what might happen if someone who knew of him suddenly found out he was alive again. Lyza had taken to the news rather quickly, taking it in stride, but as his yellow eyes watched Komugi's fur raise and her body freeze as if she had suddenly been turned into a statue, it was his turn to feel awkward.

Out of worry of Komugi's mental state, upon her stiffening and falling over Sajin dropped a knee beside her and placed the hand he had held open for her on Komugi's shoulder, though swallowed a big part of her arm and torso as well. He could sense her tumultuous heart, and hoped a gentle, reassuring touch might help calm her some amount.

"I apologize for so nonchalantly identifying myself. Sometimes I forget my name still means something to some people in Soul Society. Is there anything I can do for you? How about we start over with introductions? My name is Sajin Komamura, of the Wolfman Clan. What is your name?"

Wuff, did she just rapidly lose blood pressure or something? She still felt a little lightheaded from the shock; normally she just felt a bit of a slowdown if she had that much of a shock to her system; being injured was not fun. Not only was she embarrassing, she was embarrassing in front of a childhood hero! This was not her week in the slightest...

A deep breath would precede her suddenly hopping back up to sit, throwing her arms up and impulsively calling out, "Of COURSE it still means something! Me and my cousins heard all about you as kids! You're awesome! I've ALWAYS wanted to meet you!"

She was smiling ear to ear, probably the biggest smile she had pulled in a good long time, gesturing all over the place as she hardly sounded like she was keeping her breath together, "I'm Komugi Yadou! You're such a big inspiration, you have no idea! I don't even cover up thanks to your bravery! You-you made a Beastman being capable of great things, of having better, of not having to hide forever - seem possible! Even my grouchy old sofu couldn't totally keep a blind eye to it!"

Her chest rose and fell quickly as she caught her breath, finally - it sounded like she'd never run out of air talking. There was still disbelief and admiration in her gaze, but it'd slowly fade into a sulk as she was reminded of her situation,

"It's... So great to actually meet you, alive.. But," She'd look around her with an uncertain expression, "..Things're changing so quickly here, and I dunno if i'm even gonna have pay... I'd have to go back home and figure something else out if I can't make any money... "

Her eyes became round again, looking down, "..How am I supposed to get my family somewhere safe now..? Nobody would hire me in the Rukongai, and even if so the pay wouldn't be even.. C-close to enough..."

Sajin was taken aback; had he been without fur, it may even appear as if he was blushing. Surprise glinted in his eyes as he nearly fell backward from the woman's sudden outburst of excitement, though he did manage to stay kneeling. Everything she was saying made sense to him, that him being the first of their kind to not only serve in the Gotei but to do so without covering up was obviously something others may look at as inspirational. The way the last century went, as well as the last couple days, he was still shocked to witness such a reaction to his presence though.

"It is good to meet you too, Komugi. I am...glad my service meant something to you." he said, struggling a little to maintain his emotions. While this thing beating in his chest often granted him the ability to stay calm by sensing others, it also sometimes made it more difficult to keep control of his own feelings. Recently it was wrath that consumed him, but now it was something different, something better.

Komugi echoed a sentiment Sajin had heard from other Shinigami he had passed or talked to over the last twenty four hours. Lyza's uncertainly about the future rang out in his mind as well. He knew he didn't have the answers, and while he wanted to find them in the meantime he couldn't just stand there with nothing to offer. "I do not have the money necessary to employ you long term, Komugi. For that I am seeking out others who may offer what I cannot. In the interim, I can offer you some pay and any protection I can provide. I cannot promise I won't lose again, but I can promise I will do everything in my power to help you and your family."

"It... It really gave me the hope that things could be different for us.." She held her arm, ears drooped and her free hand balled into a fist, tears glittering in her eyes as she'd loose a heavy sigh from her aching lungs. She needed to figure out something for her and Taro to do when he got back, they needed some way to get their family out of that unforgiving lifestyle...

Her gaze shot up to look upon the giant with rounded eyes; if this were just some stranger, she would have felt a degree of offense or wariness to the offer the Wolfman had given her; Nara-chan had taught her well enough to not simply accept a good offer without a promise of service, and that the ability to manage one's self within that duty was the most important of all. She kept her pride in check as she'd calmly answer - she knew full well he meant well:

"I-I can't simply accept that kind of offer, Komamura-sama!" The emotion in her tone was measured, but sounded fit to burst as she tried to be respectful, "You are only one man; I can't possibly entrust you alone with the care and protection of a family, even if we are of the same walk. Life in the Zankokuten District is harsh and unforgiving but.. I.. I need to earn my family's place of safety. But..."

She sunk, and breathed, "No. No buts. I need to find another way. Your offer is kind, but I can't accept it; I couldn't possibly imagine burdening you."