A Familiar Face, Yet Unknown [Private: Shuten/Lerna]

Even though Shuten hadn't attended to this particular activity in a very long time due to her being alone as a captain, with no lieutenant, she hadn't the time to scout out prospective students at Shino. However, as things were, Shuten now had the time and a bit of an understanding of who could be potential students and who wouldn't be. She wasn't about to go around and take in random students, but it was definitely true that she was going to try and mark down prospective future members of the stealth division. However, it wasn't easy to say that Shuten felt a bit uneasy about all of this.

The unease only came from how Shuten felt about her job, and about herself. Her recent lover disappearing at random hadn't exactly made Shuten's life light up with sunshine and daises. No, things were a bit more dreary. Compiled on top with a demotion, no matter how expected or temporary her captaincy was, it was all a bit painful. Which was why Shuten appeared a bit distracted as she strolled through the halls of Shino academy, her Zanpakuto being the only thing that accompanied her on this little search; as she felt Alcohol wouldn't exactly be a great idea to bring into a school. And no, the gourd on her Zanpakuto didn't count because that was healing Sake.

However, during her aimless wanderings, still having enough mind to note down who seemed prospective and who did not, Shuten eventually found herself seeing what she felt like was an odd apparition. A few times, Shuten could have sworn she saw Magnolia, her lover... ex lover?, around a few corners. It was slightly maddening, and made the Suika wish she had some alcohol with her. However, the Suika simply continued her tour until she finally was forced to stop. She saw her again, a woman that she believed to be Magnolia but not; as their energy signatures was nowhere near similar. Even if the appearances were deceiving, Shuten couldn't help but feel her heart beat quicken; her mind defying what her body was reacting to. Eventually, Shuten walked up to the woman, tapping her on the shoulder... as best she could at least.

"Excuse me... if I may, who might you be? You bear... well, a striking resemblance to a woman I know. Frankly speaking, the resemblance is uncanny..."

"Yes... Yes I do mean Magnolia. I won't ask why you two look alike, because I'm sure it's nothing any of us could describe. However, you are fine... No scare just... It was very jarring, that is all."

Shuten affixed the papers she had on her clipboard, calmly hiding her notes from Lerna as she also adjusted the Zanpakuto on her back. Frankly speaking, Shuten's appearance alone was likely odd enough; but the captain's badge that was tied around her upper left arm was more than enough to warrant her reasoning here. Either way, she nodded at the woman before her agreeing to go with Lerna to get something to eat. After all, she did get enough notes for her duties of today... and a small break to get to know this odd individual who looked just like Magnolia would be interesting.

"That sounds just fine, Lerna... I was getting a bit hungry, after all. By the way, I'm Shuten Suika. Lead the way, Lerna."

Frankly speaking, Shuten was still a little jarred. Her punkish attitude mixed with the mild formality was just as jarring as her appearance. While nothing like Magnolia, who had swept Shuten off her feet, she still had some odd charm to her; some of which reminded her of Magnolia... and it hurt. However, she kept that small bit of pain to herself, resolving to perhaps telling Magnolia of this encounter when she found the woman... if she found her. Regardless, the Suika followed Lerna to wherever she desired to eat.

"I'd be glad to tell you how Magnolia and I met over a meal... That will certainly give me a bit of time to recover from what I would certainly call shock. Hopefully the story won't bore you..."

"Lieutenant Shuten now, hence the badge, Actually... and he did. It's good to have him back. But I cannot say if he'll keep teaching at the same time. If he tries... well, I suppose I may have to hit him with a stick."

Shuten couldn't help but chuckle the tiniest amount, the shock that was once coursing through her being starting to ebb away. She followed Lerna out of the Academy, picking up her giant gourd, and other accoutrements, before she left the academy completely. Afterwards, Shuten gladly followed Lerna to food cart where Shuten ordered Oyako Donburi. While they waited, Lerna spoke of how she had met Magnolia. An interesting little story at a chance meeting, where they hadn't seen each other since. It was odd, frankly speaking, but it made sense why Magnolia had never honestly mentioned it to her. Frankly speaking, it simply wasn't an issue. But now, with Magnolia essentially gone, it seemed quite the issue to Shuten now... However, she simply decided to brush the issue aside. It would do no good to be uncomfortable around the woman. So, as if out of reflex, the Suika slid a rather colorful, and quite large, sake dish out of a small pouch near the giant blue gourd she had upon her hip. With a practiced swiftness, Shuten uncorked the gourd, tilted the gourd while it still remained on her hip, and filled up her Sake dish with an ample amount of sake. She took a long drink, in which she corked the gourd upon her hip, and then soon let out a sigh of contentment. Lerna may not know what Shuten was exactly, given Shuten was a Suika, but it was obvious to see that holding her liquor was an easy feat for her; even if this was currently Shuten's most casual drinking sake.

After Shuten had taken that long drink, their individual meals had arrived and Shuten guided them to a nearby, and relatively private, area for them to sit and eat. In that time, Shuten had simply silently noted what Lerna had said with interest. However, after taking her seat, and setting the giant gourd upon her hip down on the grass standing up, she looked at Lerna curiously before she shared her own tale of how she met Magnolia.

"Much like your meeting with Magnolia, it was quite at chance. I was in an onsen, out in the world of the living if my memory serves me well... Let's just say that Magnolia was an alarmingly charming woman who had knocked me head-over-heels far more easily than I care to admit. To put it very bluntly, Lerna, we were lovers... Seeing you, well, while not unpleasant, it was certainly shocking. And yes, she did 'poof' as you said. It, well, it has not been easy. I hope to find her every day, but have a feeling I may never set my eyes upon her."

Shuten's eyes, as she spoke, had become distant, her Oyako briefly forgotten before the purple-haired Shinigami shook her head gently and took a rather large bite of her food; which she chewed as if to distract herself. And, as if to capitalize upon the action, she chased the food with a drink of sake again. After a brief period of silence, from Shuten at least, she gave Lerna a tentative smile.

"Apologies, I'm afraid I am not quite over her sudden disappearance. But, enough about that... how have your studies been going at the Academy? Are you aiming to be a full Shinigami instead of a substitute Shinigami?"

For a moment, Shuten had to pause and rub her temples. She had forgotten a great deal about where Magnolia was during her worry about her duty, and her demotion, and just about everything. Which caused her to utter misinformation. The Suika sighed, pulled a sake dish out, and took a long drink from the dish she had just filled; a warm sensation filling her being. It was the last of her sister's sake she had from the last time they had met, but it was enough to help her relax, enough to clear her head. Really, she needed to stop trying to do so much, it was going to be the end of her; and wallowing in the one she could no longer be with wasn't a solution.

"I'm sorry, Lerna. I've been caught up in my own head and was giving you the wrong information. I forgot where she was and, in my forgetfulness, panicked for silly reasons. She's not missing, she's simply gone where I cannot reach her; the Zero Division. I've simply let myself worry about too many things and that has... muddled everything."

Shuten shook her head, replacing her sake dish where it was before, and then she gave Lerna an apologetic smile. Shuten wasn't lying, or simply being dramatic, the shadows under her eyes was enough to tell Lerna that Shuten had been doing a bit much and hadn't been letting herself be herself. She was a fucking Suika, not an uptight Shinigami. So, the Suika stretched a tiny bit before she gave Lerna an apologetic bow.

"I'm sorry if I confused you, because I was confused myself I gave you an incorrect recollection of events. I must apologize for that, but I certainly should try not to get so lost in my own head that I start spouting untruths."

Shuten smiled sheepishly before she turned to her food. Shuten certainly did seem a bit more relaxed than she was before, for multiple reasons it seemed; paramount among them was the sake she had imbibed earlier. Among them was also the clearing of her head, and the proper organization of her thoughts. Really, Shuten needed to spend more time with her family. The Suika soon had turned towards her food and attacked it with ravenous hunger, something that also seemed to help the woman relax a further degree. Eventually, Shuten placed the half empty bowl down, to let her stomach settle and also converse a small bit before she finished her meal.

"I still am quite curious how you look so much like Magnolia. But I can only assume we both can just put it up to pure chance, correct? Regardless, it is fascinating how some of us in life have these twins that are not related by blood, or seemingly in any way, yet look so similar. Again, I apologize for my previous behavior. I've let too much build up on me and haven't given myself a chance to properly relax with another and not just by myself."