sirenspull_logs | Painting pictures with my mind

Who: Hinamori Momo (

plum_that_snaps) and Kuchiki Byakuya (

soul_scatter)
When: Tuesday, April 10, evening
Where: An art gallery in Sector 3
Summary: Two shinigami share their taste in art.
Warnings: None!

Hinamori flipped over the glossy, full color postcard announcing the opening of a new exhibition at a small art gallery catering to young, emerging artists in the Port. Exhibition open all day. Reception, 6-8pm. It looked like precisely the sort of thing she would like to go to. She liked art, perhaps more than she let on, and it was a chance to get out and see more of the city. It seemed like it would be a nice affair, cultured but not too high-brow or elitist.

She decided to wear some of the more casual clothes she had bought since arriving in the Port, figuring that her shinigami hakama would make her stand out far more than she wanted. As she came downstairs, she saw Captain Kuchiki at the kitchen table, buried in papers. She just looked at him for a while. He worked so hard. A little absent-mindedly, at times, but really dedicated to his work and his students. She admired that.

Hinamori approached him cautiously. "Captain... Kuchiki? I... don't know if you're interested, but I was going to go out and see this exhibition tonight. It's for a showing of up-and-coming artists in the Port, at a gallery over in Sector Three? I would be glad for some company, if you'd like to join me." She thought perhaps he could use a break from work, and she did always prefer spending time with others to being alone.

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Byakuya's lips twitched again, as their food arrived. He nodded to the waitress, when she refreshed their tea pot. "It would not trouble her. It is just as easy to gather them for you, as it is to gather them for disposal." He doubted Ella would mind at all.

Besides, Ella would be good for Hinamori. No reason they shouldn't meet.

"They think it a bribe so I will be gentler with their grading." Another flicker of a smile. "They are greatly mistaken."

"You— you can't mean you throw them away?!" She said it before she could stop herself, and in retrospect, froze just a little at her boldness in questioning him. Such a waste of sweet, yummy things. "Ah, I'm sorry, I mean, in that case... thank you very much."

She smiled, both at his kindness and at his remarks about his students. Picking up her chopsticks, she began to eat. It was good, just as good as she had expected. Better, in fact. It was a very high-quality restaurant.

Byakuya hid a grin behind a sip of tea. He hated wasting it as well, but there wasn't much else to do with it, unless Ella always took it home and he knew she didn't do that. He'd be sure to call her and tell her to save it for Hinamori.

"You are quite welcome." Because he liked making her smile. He liked making a lot of people smile, but it so rarely happened.

"You would like Ella-san." He thought the two of them should get together. He was sure Hitsugaya would approve.

"Who is she, then? Your... assistant?" Hinamori had almost said vice-captain, before remembering that Abarai-kun had become Captain Kuchiki's vice-captain. And then remembering that none of that mattered here. "I'm sure she's very nice. I would love to meet her."

"She is my teaching assistant." Byakuya wished there was a better way to describe Ella. She ran his life when they were in the office, and that made his life so much simpler. "She works in my office, and is a good friend of Hitsugaya."

He briefly thought about warning her about Hattie, but Hinamori wasn't an idiot. She would see for herself how the woman treated Ella.

"How is your dinner?"

"It's..." She coughed as a bit of spice hit her throat the wrong way, and laughed a bit. "...perfect, thank you. The tuna is really good! I suppose being surrounded by ocean they can get it quite fresh here. How is yours?"

"I do not know how fresh it always is. The Pull means that you cannot go too far from the island." He wanted to warn her of that, so that she didn't try to go out and become ill.

He sipped his tea, the refreshing taste pleasant after the burn of the spices. "Quite good. I often come here for Hitsugaya and I."

"Ah." She frowned. She remembered having been told that, by her Greeter, but hearing it said that way made the city seem less like a vacation spot and more like... a prison. It was disconcerting.

Then her eyes turned up thoughtfully. "Should we perhaps bring him home something, when we're through?"

That's because the island is a prison, if a semi-comfortable one.

He ticked up an eyebrow. "Feel free to order him anything you think he would enjoy." And he would pay for it. Because that's the way he was.

Hinamori called the waitress back over and picked out a few dishes she remembered Hitsugaya liking from home. When that was over and she had explained to the waitress that it was for carry-out afterwards, she turned back to Byakuya.

"This... has been very pleasant." She smiled. "Thank you for accompanying me, Captain Kuchiki."

Bya glanced up at her, and inclined his head. "It has been my pleasure, Hinamori-fukutaichou."

He had enjoyed himself. It had been the break from grading that he'd needed. "Whenever you wish to return." He would escort her home and return to the abominations that his students inflicted upon him.

She nodded, and finished the last sip of her tea. "I'm glad you could take a break too. All those papers..." She smiled. "Although it reminds me of home, a little." Funny how nostalgia could make even paperwork seem homey. "Seems like no matter where one goes, there's always paperwork to be done. Records to be kept, memos to be sent..." Even at her new job, she seemed to spend more time filling out forms than handing people flowers.

Hinamori got up and made ready to leave, pulling her coat back on. "If I can ever be of help, though, please don't hesitate to ask." It was a bad habit of hers, helping people with their work when her own was hardly done, but she never could break it.

Byakuya stood as well, and paid the bill, taking the containers for Hitsugaya. "I will spare you the tragedy of my students' papers." No reason to hurt her. And yes, that was another joke.

"though the offer is appreciated. Shall we?" He held open the door for her, because no matter what, Byakuya was a gentleman.

Hinamori gave a slightly uncomfortable smile. It was the kind of joke Hinamori understood but never quite knew what to do with. However tragic said papers might have actually been, it still wasn't right to joke about it.

She again gave a deep bow to the hostess before leaving, then walked out the door and into the cool night. She slipped into an easy shunpo, not in the mood for speed just after eating. The night was beautiful in the city; lights sparkled and glittered in the evening. The gentle buzz of cars echoed in the streets—impatient taxis looking to drop off their last patrons before Sirens sounded.

They arrived safely back at home, and Hinamori took care to hang her coat up and write a note for Hitsugaya to let him know there was food for him in the fridge. She also started a fresh pot of tea for Captain Kuchiki, knowing that he probably wouldn't be finished grading papers for several hours.

Painting pictures with my mind

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