Weighting on a Woman [Tsubine/Yusei]

The closer districts were hit hard, and even with some trouble near his own District of 66 West, Tsubine couldn't help but hear the plight of these citizens that were caught up in the crossfire. He still hadn't heard any real information as to why this invasion occurred. Sure, there were rumors about people getting kidnapped, Captains dying, etc... but all of that seemed like a smokescreen for something bigger. There was something more going on. He just knew it.

But the time for thinking about whys wasn't now. Tsubine had just finished handing off some dry goods to one of the many refugees around here when he heard a loud crack followed by a scream. His two escorts, the same not-twins he had been using when Kohaku wasn't around, rushed after him as he took off towards the sound of trouble. He could hear people clamoring—their voices hopelessly intermingled except for a constant cry of help.

The scene was not pleasant. It looked like a wagon being used to transport someone's whole life from a house still smoldering had tipped over. It wasn't just any wagon, where whatever it carried would just spill out. It was something in between a carriage and a standard farmer's wagon—and many of the items inside were still trapped within.

Also trapped was an elderly woman. She was not inside the wagon, thankfully, but she was in a precarious position. The wagon was clearly on top of her somewhat—she wasn't able to squeeze out of the gap between the walls of the wagon and the street, but she wasn't being crushed. Yet. "Sazanami. Suzukawa. Split up and find a doctor. If you bring two, you bring two. I'll pay them for their time." Tsubine's authority went unquestioned by the two not-twins. Their bowl-cut forms nodded and split off.

Tsubine took in a deep breath and scanned the crowd for anyone that wasn't old, injured, or (perhaps with a bit of protective misogyny) a woman. He caught sight of one person. "Hey you, with the sunglasses." Tsubine pointed between a gap in the ground. "Yeah, you. Mind giving me a hand here? I can lift this, but I need someone to pull her out."

YUSEI KUROIWA | DAREDEVIL

END POST | dancin' in the dunes

The young guy was quick to react. Good. Tsubine nodded in thanks. He felt around the wagon's wall for a good handhold. Once he found it, he planted his feet. He likely could have just used his Zanpakutō for this. It might have even be faster. But he was close enough to the Seireitei to warrant not doing such a thing. Otherwise, it might attract the wrong kind of attention. Muscles it was. "On three. One. Two. Three."

With a heave, the wagon was hoisted upward. The young man acted quickly. Once both were completely clear, Tsubine set it back down on its side as gently as he could. He ignored the sound of glass breaking from somewhere inside there. Whoever owned this wagon would likely be mad, but he'd eat that if for no other reason than to make sure that the person that pulled her out wouldn't catch flak.

Tsubine dusted off his hands and turned to see the guy over her, clearly trying to comfort the woman. The woman shook her head in response to Yusei's comforting answer. She was still in the middle of catching her breath and her legs were still weak from shock. Tsubine took a few steps towards them. He placed a hand on Yusei's shoulder. "Thanks for your help there." He turned his attention to the woman who was still regaining her composure and breath by kneeling down on one knee. "You're not hurt, are you?" The woman shook her head.

"Well that's good. Here," Tsubine removed his jacket and lightly lifted the woman's head up so she could lay her head down on someone more comfortable than formerly-cobbled stones. Still knelt, he turned his own sunglassed gaze to Yusei. "So, kid, what's your name? Anyone who rushes to help like that deserves to have their name known in my book." He extended his half-gloved hand. "Tsubine Shirazumi."

YUSEI KUROIWA | DAREDEVIL

END POST | dancin' in the dunes

Tsubine expected either of his two subordinates to return soon. Hopefully both would. Instead of just waiting, it was time to get to know at least some of the people around here. The Shihakusho was already a giveaway the guy was a Shinigami. Tsubine didn't know the Divisions, besides the 4th being the Combat Division, there apparently being a "Death Division," and the 6th was Realm Enforcement. Though, that didn't really matter as much now that the Gotei United was gone. At the very least, someone in this 8th Division was a decent person, and that was what mattered most to him.

"A textile mill, huh?" Tsubine focused in on that. In some ways, there was a bit more of an admiration there rather than on the Squad 8 mention. There were a lot of people who were skilled in fighting. People who knew how to work complex machinery for processing materials into clothing, bedding, or other "textillic" goods were just as needed. "Well, I hope it didn't get blown away in all this. Unless you've got other plans now that the Gotei's gone. It's going to be a wild world for a bit, I tell you."

Tsubine wondered about some of the Shinigami he had encountered—the multitude whose attitude put him on edge. He was concerned about their actions more than anything else. "Some people are going to be trying to get power for selfish, evil goals. Thankfully for everyone, I'm not one of them." He scanned the crowd for any sign of the two not-twins. "So, Yusei Kuroiwa formerly of Squad 8, what is it that drew you to the Gotei and away from working at a mill?"

YUSEI KUROIWA | DAREDEVIL

END POST | dancin' in the dunes

Tsubine was meeting quite a few people with gumption in the wake of the Gotei United's dissolution. It made him question his previous thoughts on the group. Sure there were bad apples, and maybe they didn't do as much as they could or should have... Between this guy, Tento, and others, there was something to be said about the type of duty that was being instilled into them. These were good people, and he hated that they had to be associated with people that weren't. His cocksure smile widened some.

"You've got spirit, kid." Tsubine wanted to test some of that spirit himself. A kid who unfastens his Zanpakutō like that was someone not afraid to use it. He placed his hand on his own Zanpakutō—a blue-hilted katana with no tsuba. The second sword at his hip did not match like a traditional daishō pair, and it remained untouched. "If you want to help out the Rukongai, sure you can go back to that mill. You can do little jobs like this," he gestured with his chin to the overturned wagon, "that do mean something. But I'd like to offer you something else."

"I'm forming a group that takes the burden of the Rukongai off the shoulders of the people who want to serve the 'higher cause' of preserving the balance and whatnot. That way they can do their thing, and the people that actually care about the Rukongai can defend it. I've already been doing this in 66 West for many a year now, and we're probably just as prosperous as a single-digit district. Compared to others, we weren't hit as hard, and I'd like to think that my work had something to do with that. I just want to expand my work past just my own little corner, and I want people with spirit and care—like you."

Tsubine made some bold claims, but it was hard to deny the truth of them. Whether Yusei had heard of the prosperity of 66 West—Shōjin—was about a 50/50 shot. Some people cared about the further districts, some didn't. "You interested in hearing more?"

YUSEI KUROIWA | DAREDEVIL

END POST | dancin' in the dunes