Consequences [Ira, Kasha]

He had spent the morning investigating and disguised but the continued need for it disappeared after an uneventful morning and the news of the Gotei United's disbandment. In a way this would be something he should discuss with Shishiyuki of but it wasn't immediately his concern. She was likely still occupied with Yuuki at this stage or had more important matters to attend.

Things were only going to become more complicated and eventful in the coming days and the longer he delayed meant greater risk was accumulated.

"Ira."

Despite the tips of his hair still being white he had scrubbed the disguise from his features. He didn't particularly like having his true features on display for the world to see but his true face was also the one that had the least attachments to it. If so few ever saw it then he was a ghost that even the world could lose track of.

"You're lookin' mighty worn out."

In brighter situations, Ira might have been a little bit more playful about it, made it a sort of lighthearted ribbing. But he was at least aware enough, relatively speaking, of what had happened. He might have liked it if he'd been told more about it, but Ira wasn't one to press things when they still seemed hot. Now, however, it all seemed a bit less hectic, at least from his little safehouse.

"You gotten a chance to rest since everything happened? C'mon, take a seat. Lay down if ya need."

Ira imagined he did, in fact, probably need a rest. But he also knew Kasha wasn't quite the sort to take his own health too terribly seriously when he had something he felt like getting done.

"No thank you, I'm fine."

He had not the chance to check on Kyo just yet either nor had he found the time to fulfill his assignment. Though the latter was now arbitrary, even if he continued with that investigation there was no senior officers to hold the woman accountable. What a wonderful time to be a criminal this must be.

"The Gotei United has dissolved. I expect the Soul Society will only become more chaotic and I won't lecture a seaman about how dangerous a storm can be."

Ira didn't hold back his sigh at Kasha's response, having already expected it but certainly not too pleased with it. He wasn't the type to hide how he felt about these things, and he certainly wasn't going to be supportive of Kasha pushing himself to this degree.

"Then I guess I should probably find a way outta here sooner than later. And how're you doing? Not Soul Society or the Gotei. You."

There was a certain pointedness to the way Ira had asked that question, the sort of tone that only an old man could quite replicate even if he hardly looked the part anymore. He didn't have any otherworldly instinct as to these things; he was just old enough that he wasn't going to be convinced that Kasha was so unfazed by all of it.

Kasha's mind went to focus on the issue of Ira being stranded and considered the factors at play but it didn't seem they were on the same page for priorities. So the shinigami raised his hands defensively at the probing questions, all of that took away from the gravity of the situation.

"This feels like a question I should be asking you. Regardless of my feelings on the current circumstances, my status as a nobleman of the Koizumi affords me security in this turbulence."

"My status as a human means I ain't got any horse in this race other than you. Yugiri's downstairs, the rest of my friends aren't shinigami."

Standing to approach Kasha, Ira looked down into his eyes with a seriousness he rarely held. Sure, some people might have tried to be more affectionate, more understanding. But Ira wasn't that kind of person, and Kasha certainly wasn't the sort who would have wanted it anyway. He liked to think that the two of them were, by and large, honest with one another. Kasha's lack of makeup was something that he felt reflected that.

"I'm safe. I'm alive. And I wanna know how you're holding up. Not just about whether or not you're secure. I wanna know how you're feeling, in here."

Ira brought a hand up to poke Kasha in the chest, his voice still firm in its conviction. When he spoke again, though, there was faintly less stern a tone to his voice, not because he felt he should coddle Kasha with his questions, but rather because Ira knew, better than most younger humans would have, what death felt like.

"Your big sis alright? Your aunt, your friends?"

Kasha looked down at the finger to his chest and pouted at the mention of the people close to him. Being reminded of her death and Kyo's current situation didn't bring him any comfort. They were things he couldn't do anything about right now, or rather one of those things he could do something about but he hadn't had the chance to go see Kyo in the wake of what had occurred.

"You are the living in the world of souls that currently exists in a delicate precipice between delicate stability and total anarchy."

He insisted, this hardly felt the time for this when he was trying to focus on the immediate situation at hand. Ira who was currently his responsibility. They were here because of him, and that meant he was responsible to ensure that Ira was able to return home unharmed. No matter what justification was used, noblesse oblige or others.

"Yeah, it's probably dangerous up here. Can't be more dangerous now than it was when them Arrancar were here. And I've been in plenty'a bad spots before this. America durin' the war, afterward when things went south in Jefferson."

Ira's arms crossed in front of him, still transparently annoyed that Kasha was continuing to focus only on that issue. Still, if he wanted to only talk about that, then Ira would talk about it. It wasn't something he saw any reason to be particularly worried about, after all.

"If I've gotta get outta here, then I will. Not the end of the world either way. But I can't exactly just walk back down there, so unless we're headin' out now, it's not really worth worryin' too much about it, is it? I'll get outta here when I get outta here. Fightin' a storm's how you end up beneath the waves."

With one more step forward, Ira looked into Kasha's eyes for a few long moments, before sighing and giving him a brief kiss on the forehead.

"You didn't answer my question about your family. When's the last time you slept? You know I'm not gonna let you just worry about me like it's a one-way street, 'specially in a time like this."