Fatality [J, Makoto]

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She might've drummed imprints of her fingers into her desk at this stage by how frequently she found herself rolling her fingers over the surface in their regular spot. Now, she was mad. Why? She had to explain to Seventh Division why a member of her division had shown up to handle the arrancar threat on Earth. Did she have such a reason? No, no she didn't have a reason as to why her division that maintained the security and order of the Soul Society had shown up on Earth acting like some hero.

A seated officer and a noble. Plus the sentimental value that the seat held to her being her former position prior to Captain Shiba's promotion, and him electing her to be his vice-captain.

That'd do it. So while she waited for her fourth seat to answer his summons, she just continued tapping away with angry crimson glaring at the paperwork on her desk. She hated dealing with Seventh. Not her counterpart, of course. Shishiyuki was a completely different story but the fact this blueblooded brat had made her have to compile some form of report on an entirely unrelated matter to Sixth Division's role had her seething underneath her poker face.

Upon receiving the summons, J. pushed himself out of bed. Though he was not completely healed from his battle, he functioned just fine. Dressed, he made his way to the place he was meant to meet up with his Vice Captain. He was summoned to her office, and he knew exactly why this was happening. He had broken protocol and left his duties as a member of the Sixth Division and went to fight in the World of the Living. It was no surprise that he was going to have to explain himself. Did he have any idea what he was going to say? No.

Upon arriving at her office, he knocked softly on the door. He had arrived quickly, not the type to leave someone waiting. "Fourth Seat Saionji," was all J said. Once he was given permission to enter, he opened the door and stepped inside. Closing the door behind him, J. turned to his Vice Captain and waited. He has never been a talker, and likely never would be, so he wasn't ever the one to speak up first.

Her tapping had come to a standstill, the crimson glare settling into its task of boreing into the dark-haired man before her. Of course she could just leave it there but she was a little frustrated and this was a flagrant disregard to conduct, and as someone who behaved with principles in every aspect of her working life it was therefore a sleight against her.

There was two options here. Berate him and lecture him or let him explain himself. Maybe both, that was always the most appropriate. She'd let him give his excuse to which she'd then use it as consideration to determine just how severe she would reprimand him. Maybe there was a good reason after all that a high-ranking member of the sixth division was down in the World of the Living to defend against an arrancar attack.

It'd have been the right course of action if that arrancar was in the Soul Society.

"Explain yourself, Saionji."

He was correct. This was all about him leaving for the World of the Living. He understood the frustration, but given the situation there, some leniency might be warranted. However, the glare he walked in on let him believe differently.

"Of course, Vice Captain. Two million," J said, his tone as calculated and apathetic as it normally was. "That is the approximate number of people that lived in the city when it fell into that hole. That is not accounting for visitors. When reports came back about hordes of hollow, normal and colossal, I found it prudent to act. I had hoped to save as many as I could, of humans lives and shinigami alike."

Was that it? She could almost sneer at such a generic response but she kept that to herself. It didn't serve her very well to give him a mocking look right now but she did lean forward to rest her chin in her hands and keep the pressure of her gaze on him.

"Is that so?"

Makoto asked but it was a rhetorical question as he would quickly learn when she continued.

"Now, what happens if that attack was meant to be a diversion to allow for an incursion into the Soul Society? We have three divisions of capable shinigami who are capable of responding to threats on the Earth like this but you thought it prudent to go there yourself when you might be needed as a voice of authority within your own division?"

She explained. Noble intentions and all, everyone seemed to hide behind them.

"Or did you just want to be a hero? Chase a bit of glory by stopping the big bad arrancar?"

Maybe there was a bit of a mocking tone in her voice there when she challenged him. It wasn't like her division was very glamourous. Peacekeeping, investigations, law proceedings. Hardly the division that saw the most action which she owed to being one of the reasons why it didn't garner too many recruits so it didn't seem proposterous that some of them might just leap at the chance to get a bit of the "real action".

If J had received word that something was occuring within the Soul Society, he would have done his best to return immediately. Fact or not, that was not what she cared about. Actually, he wasn't sure what she cared about right now. There was a Captain, herself, and a third seat above him for any authority needs. And the mocking tone about some wannabe hero complex showed that she was probably more annoyed about extra paperwork than his actual actions. Questioning his character like this wasn't professional, it was childish. It's fine if she didn't like his answer, but trying to push her own agenda into his actions was telling. Besides, J was a pretty damn generic guy all things considered, so his answer was on point.

"If heroism was my intention, Realm Enforcement is not where I would find it," J said. To some, those words may have been insulting, but J was a man who calculated his decisions. If she knew anything about her Fourth Seat, she'd understand that he chose this Division on purpose. He researched it, likely even questioned other members before joining. She may have even been one of those he talked to. Either way, J's word were not aimed at insulting his Division. It was a way of telling her he knows exactly where he is at. Glory was not his intention.

"You are correct."

She shot back, her glare not letting up. She pondered taking more shots at his character as childish as he thought it was. The reality was that they were a division that upheld the order. They could not have, she would not tolerate, chaos amongst the division. Whether those were his own whims or another member of this division. She understood her captain well enough to know that the he'd react with some of the same irritation. Too familiar were the experiences of aristocrats that did as they pleased for whatever reason they pulled out to justify themselves in doing so.

This didn't feel any different either.

"But you went anyway? Did you not trust in the capacity of your fellow shinigami among the other divisions to handle the arrancar? What about all your other assignments? Perhaps checking with any of your superiors? Did you consider any of this, Saionji?"

She poked, fishing for him to break his calm little demeanour and give a more substantial reason than this waste of time because even if it was something as stupid as a hero complex or even a moment of hysteric breakdown which compelled him she could at least buy that rather than believe her fourth seat was actually trying to tell her that he went down there to save people.

Their division dealt with investigation and she was happy to sit here and break apart his reason until he had answered every question, this was an examination after all as much as a scolding.

J had no other demeanor aside from calm or angry. Calm was for everything that wasn't combat. Anger was for combat with the intensity level similar to what brought on this conversation. Anything in between those things was alien to him.

J took a moment to think on her questions. His mind went back to that day and ran through his decisions one by one, as if they were playing on a movie reel.

"Yes, I went anyway."

"Two dozen Shinigami would be dead had I not been present. No other qualified individual appeared at the time I approached the Arrancar."

"My assignments had been cleared for the day."

"No, there was no time to hunt anyone down."

"Yes, I considered it all."

The only change in J's demeanor was when his shoulders raised only slightly, and only because he had taken in a slow, deep breath. He hated talking this much, especially about topics he felt needless. He had already given his answer, but she assumed he was lying or holding back. There was nothing else to tell.

"Vice Captain," J spoke freely, not just answering a question. "I do apologize if my actions have inconvenienced you, or anyone else, but I'm sure I did not break a law. I may not have informed anyone at the time, but I filed my report correctly. I traveled through the correct channels to get there legally, and I did fight of an Arrancar in the process. Is the issue really just my leaving regular duties for a couple of hours?"

"Absence without leave is an issue, yes. As the division that uphold law and order, if we do not carry a good example then why should any other division do the same."

She remarked to his question. A growing scowl at the impudent behaviour, she said for him to explain himself not argue the finer details. A simple yes or no would've sufficed. As it turned out for her rather blasé fourth seated officer disappearing for a couple of hours was a big deal to her because if she could not trust . The level of inconvenience it was for her aside, though it certainly antagonised her in its own way.

"Regardless of these details, it was not your place and it was certainly not your place to make that decision at your own discretion. The fact of the matter is that I was neither informed nor aware of this and if you are the type of individual that thinks you're above the rank hierarchy then how can I rely on you, or trust you, if you may not be there when you're required in the future."

Makoto had heard enough of this, it was fortunate that Hakuyou was leading an investigation for the next couple of weeks and that the decision was left up to her in his absence. Her captain was hardly the forgiving type as she recounted the two of them, and how they handled Hono. He made her look very forgiving.

"I'm putting you on three months probation, you will continue to act as the Fourth Seat but under the supervision of your superiors. Any further incidents and I will consider you for demotion or transfer to a more appropriate division, or leave it up to Captain Shiba's discretion. That's all, Fourth Seat."

She explained, watching for his reaction but once more tapping her finger on the desk as a cue of finality to the topic.

This woman had a reputation for pretty much being a bully, so her opinion wouldn't shake J. If she wanted to put him on probation, he would deal with it. He had been a member of the Gotei long enough to understand that three months really wasn't much in the eyes of a Shinigami. He could blink and it would be gone. However, there was a part of him that wondered whether this rather dramatic display of authority was her trying to reel in the reigns of the Division. Had he caused her that kind of problem? He truly did not know her well enough to understand whether this was just a show of force to send a message. It was a good tactic, but that furrow in her brow led J to wave those thoughts off and kept him silent until dismissed.

J gave a curt nod and bowed politely, "Understood, Vice Captain."

The man turned around and left, quietly sliding the door shut behind him. His mind went to breakfast as his stomach began growling at him. Still, the pain in his arm from the injuries he had sustained blocked the hunger out. He placed a hand over the injury, recalling how he had gotten it. Yeah, not a single regret.