[Open] An Unexpected Meeting

Serena Takahashi appeared somewhere in the Rukongai, not knowing where she is nor how she got there, "Hello? Is anyone here?" she asked, looking around.

It wasn't often that Shiori was able to get out to the Rukongai. As a vice captain, most of her job had her contained within the Gotei, but on rare occasions, she'd sneak out to watch members of the 6th in action. Dressed in the uniform of an unseated and wearing a wide brimmed straw hat emblazoned with the insignia of the 6th division, Shiori walked the streets of the Rukongai as a sort of undercover boss, her reiatsu restrained to an almost undetectable level.

At an intersection between a main road and a side alley, Shiori paused to watch some children play some sort of ball game. A hand rested on her sheathed Zanpakuto, which was fixed at the small of her back. Oh, to be so innocent again...

Serena saw Shiori and approached her, "Um... excuse me, where am I?" she asked her, scratching her head and looking around.

The voice from behind her pulled Shiori's attention away from the game. She'd not seen this particular girl in this district before, nor did she recognize her at all. She must have been a fresh arrival, or someone with bad sense of direction.

"Hmm? District 35 of the Rukongai. Not too far off the main road, but I wouldn't go down any further if you're lost." Shiori watched, neutral expression, to see how how the girl reacted.

"Oh, thank you, my name is Serena, Serena Takahashi, I just arrived here so I don't know why I'm here or what I'm supposed to do..." she said, still looking around herself.

"Ok well... Hmmm..." Shiori eyes the girl with some degree of concern. "Alright, well, what district are you from? I'm sure I can help you find your home." Shiori turned to face the girl, arms crossed. "Unless... What's the last thing you remember?"

"I... I don't have a home..." Sarena said, looking glum, "My house was destroyed by a giant Hollow..." she continued, tearing up.

((@OnyxLockdown, are you there?

"Hmmm, I see. If that's the case, you're more likely than not dead." She shrugged, offering a slight smile. "Look at it this way. Your hollow issues should be pretty much over. Shinigami are trained to fight hollows, so no more destroyed homes."

((Did you make the guy OC yet?

"Thank you... that got rid of a load from my shoulder... is there any way I can become a Soul Reaper?" Serena asked, curious about the Shinigami the woman was talking about.

"Hmmm?" Shiori raised an eyebrow in mild concern. This girl was dead and already asking about the academy. Apart from a few other red flags that she wasn't sure what they meant, she was getting a feeling this girl may have died just to join their ranks.

"There's an academy, yeah. But you have to have some kind of spiritual potential to even be admitted. Not like anyone off the streets can join."

"I actually already learned something... if you don't mind me using it here..." Serena said, cracking her knuckles and shoulders, getting ready to show the woman something interesting.

"Fine. Go ahead, show me whatever it is you've learned. Not sure who was teaching you but this should be at the very least interesting." Shiori leaned against the building next to her, tilting up the brim of her hat. So far this girl's strange introduction had been the highlight of her day in it's absurdity.

"Alright then... Shunko, Konjiki Bakuretsu Fujinohana!" said Serena, surrounding herself with wisteria flowers which started emitting a sweet-bitter scent all around her, "I learned this from a specific someone that picked me up from my ruined house... you can say one of my foster parents did." she continued, making the flowers dissipate but leaving the sweet scent behind.

Shiori blinked after the maneuver's completion, both mildly impressed and underwhelmed. "Not sure what use that'll have besides freshening up a room,. Ut at least you've got something above most other recruits. Fine, I suppose I could see you attending the academy. Please follow me."

Neat parlor trick aside, this girl was a bundle of red flags. The only thing she cared about at this point was passing the flower child to the academy, where she'd be the first division's problem and not hers. They'd have to sort out the girls story and decide what to do with her from there.

"It only smells fine for my allies, to my enemies, it's a deadly poison that numbs their limbs." she said, "You were safe because I had no intent to harm you..." she continued, looking around, "Oh, by releasing my Shunko, I made everyone happy, look." said Serena, smiling. Then she started following the Soul Reaper.

"That and I'm significantly stronger than you at this point. So pardon me if I'm still a little underwhelmed." Shiori kept her eyes on the road ahead, already annoyed by the amount of paperwork that was soon to follow. It wouldn't have been far more convenient if someone else has found this girl, but no. "Either way, I suppose you'll have a slight edge over most academy students, though there may be noble born students that'll still outclass you."

"True... I'm most excited to get my Asauchi and train it into my own Zanpakuto!" said Serena, jumping up and down in place, "Where do I go to register for school?" she asked.

"Where do you think I'm bringing you? If that's what you're looking for then you'll be the first division's problem, and I can focus on my job again. I'm getting moved to a new division so I have a lot of transition paperwork to do." While she was there, she'd have to petition to find out who trained this girl. She'd not heard of any shinigami leaving self exiling to the human world, so this left her brochure level knowledge of the Seiretei and it's function a little unnerving. "Stay close, don't need you getting lost. And you're not likely to get through the gates without me or another Shinigami, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" said Serena, staying really close to her but not that close to making her uncomfortable, "Are we going to meet Jidanbo?" she said, somewhat excited, and smiling at the fact that everyone else is looking at her jealous about going to the Seireitei with a Seated Soul Reaper. Soon after, they arrived at the West Gate of the Seireitei protected by a giant.

It was getting to a point where Shiori was getting increasingly worried about the information this girl arrived with already crammed into her head. Now she had information regarding Seiretei security? This was just getting worse and worse by the second. As the neared the gate, Shiori stopped and sighed with relief, signing for someone to come to them. An nondescript unseated member of the first division jogged over to her. "Vice Captain Ashina, what can I..." Shiori grabbed his shoulder and pulled him in whispering something in his ear. His expression changed a few times with the information she relayed to him, his body stiff and his posture awkward until she released him. "Ah I see."

Shiori turned to Serena, hands on her hips as she eyed the girl for the last time. Her voice was flat and almost cold as she spoke. "Go with him, he'll take you to the academy, though I'm sure someone is going to want to have a word with you before you are admitted in. Don't give him trouble and keep that flowery shit to yourself." With this, Shiori wandered back into the Rukongai, off to seek the information she'd left to acquire in the first place.

(Leaving Thread)