Dog Days Are Over[Hana, Koga]

Koga's memory wasn't the greatest, but he prided himself on remembering faces at least. One face in particular that came to mind was Hana Aoyama. An elegant woman he approached when her wing woman announced she was single and open for dating. Truth be told, he recognized he was overwhelmingly out of his element here. In all likelihood, he envisioned a scenario where he would fail to secure a second date, but he's already here now at the chosen location.

He might as well follow through and own up to his end of the deal, right? Of course. Since she's an elegant lady, he thought about the many locations he could go and simply decided on a nice place in the Seireitei with a good view. A ramen shop with lovely scenery as a backdrop and pleasant music. It's an honest business with nice people, and the food was pretty good, too. Reclining against a seat, he awaits his guest. What would she wear? Was he appropriately dressed? Ah, whatever. He can't go back and fix that now...

"Fortune probably won't be favoring the bold today, will it, Sensouya?"

The hell are you asking me for, kid? You're the one who asked her out.

"Yeah, yeah... knew I couldn't rely on your stubborn ass for pointers. Tch..."

Outfits one through six were deemed inappropriate for the day's events. Too formal, too traditional, or too casual. It was difficult to find something "just right" for her first real date that wasn't dictated by overbearing parents. Anything outside of her shihakusho she considered too much for a casual date. She needed a new wardrobe, or a few more additions to it. Hana settled on a light blue blouse, dark blue skirt knee length skirt, black stockings, and a pair of pumps with light blue bows over the toes. Cute, elegant, yet conservative. She let her hair fall loose, contrast to her normal high-ponytail. She grabbed a small black leather handbag to hold a mirror, small brush and some make-up for reapplication.

Finally... I think I'm ready to go...

Unfortunately, by the time Hana felt confident in her appearance, she committed a heinous act: she was late. In fact, she had unknowingly partaken in a time old tradition of making everything late because she couldn't decide on what to wear. Fifteen minutes beyond the agreed upon time, Hana shamefully, cheeks flushed, stepped into the ramen shop, clutching her bag tightly as she looked around for the one she was to meet. She only hoped he wouldn't be too mad at her.

"Fashionably late, are we? I'd expect nothin' less from an elegant noble."

The rough playful voice called out to her from a distance. If Hana expected him to be upset, then she couldn't be any more wrong. At the moment, he was idly toying with chopsticks to pass the time. He was in no particular rush to see her, but if she had waited any longer, he probably would've assumed she stood him up. That would have been the expected course of action from his point of view, so this struck him as a pleasant surprise. He can see the effort in her preparation, turning to face her with a relaxed grin. What to say next? Oh yeah, a compliment. That's the approach. Any well-meaning woman loves those.

"You look great. Those extra fifteen minutes were time well-spent. Of course, I... kinda' feel bad that the best I brought to the table was this little ol' ramen shop."

They had not talked enough for Hana to recognize his voice, especially at a distance, but the 'noble' call out caught her attention. She looked over and instantly recognized Koga's face. It helped that his scars were a notable trait that likely would not go forgotten. Cheeks reddened, Hana walked over at a brisk pace.

"I apologize. I did not mean to be late," Hana said in a slight whisper and sat down across from Koga. His compliments brought about a soft smile, though she did not like his self-depreciation. "Well, thank you... and enough of that," Hana said seriously. "I am quite happy to be at this little ol' ramen shop. I am more surprised you showed up. I thought maybe today would be forgotten, or a prank..."

"Oh, and please do not announce to the entire restaurant that I am a noble. For many reasons, it is not something I enjoy advertising." Hana said, whispering again. From her safety to embarrassment, Hana rarely let anyone know that she was a noble. Though, many assumed based off of her mannerisms and clothing, so it was not easy to hide. Another reason to get a new wardrobe. "So, how have you been?"

"Huh? More surprised I showed up? I'm the one that asked you out. Why would I would forget? Also, why are you whispering?"

Koga didn't pay much heed to her words about her status as a noble. He actually didn't know anything about her at all. To him, she simply seemed to be the elegant and ideal image of the noble women he'd see passing through the Seireitei. Excluding that, he couldn't quite understand why something like that needed to be hidden. He was here, after all, and if anyone wanted to attack or attempt to rob her, he'd be the first to bash their heads in. Ah, well. Maybe, it was a nerve thing. She's here now and that's what matters, right?

"Me? I can't complain. much. Currently, I'm learnin' to adapt to the way things go in my new division. How about you? How's life been treatin' ya, Hana?"

Settling in, Hana set her handbag in her lap. She took a look around at the others in the restaurant, a little distracted as he talked, but she heard it all. "I see..." she said and then turned her attention back to him, "Life has been quite calm the past few weeks. Due to the shut down, I have not gone on as many patrols as I prefer, but it has allowed me to get some training in. You said that you have joined a new Division? Which one, if I may ask? I do hope they are treating you well."

"8th Division. Pretty nice and lively place. I think you'd dig the energy there. Everyone there is pretty kind and generous. I haven't seen the captain face to face yet, but I hear he's a pretty cool guy."

Grinning from ear to ear, Koga described his genuine heartfelt feelings on his division so far. They were well-mannered people with good heads on their shoulders - a far cry from the brutal and no-holds-barred edicts of the combat division. He missed those days back in the eleventh, but he certainly enjoyed the time spent in his current position. To be honest, it was a miracle he still lived and breathed. What was there to complain about? Playfully pointing a chopstick in her direction, he once again posed a similar question.

"Just now, you said "due to the shutdown". That means you're a member of the seventh, right? How's your division been treatin' ya?"

"I am glad to hear that," Hana said, when chopsticks were suddenly pointed her direction. She jumped only slightly, blinking at him a few times before thinking on his question. "Ah, well... You are correct in deducing my division, of course, but I rarely feel like I fit in anywhere... It is uncommon for someone to be blatantly rude or unkind, but no one is truly friendly either. I assume they are all busy with work, so I understand their standoffishness. I wish the lockdown would end."

Hana sighed, her mood showing a decline as her smile vanished and her eyes slightly closed. "Truthfully, the main reason I stayed in my Division no longer exists. I hoped my friend would have joined me, but she chose otherwise when she graduated. Now, I have no clue why I am even here... The perks of the World of the Living help. Though I want to become stronger, the constant battle is a put off..."

"I see, I see. Hm..."

Koga stroked his chin as he contemplated her words. From his point of view, the way she described her experience seemed far less pleasant in comparison to his own. Of course, that was to be expected. Not every division has a collective group of friendly individuals. With so many variable personalities, there was no guarantee everyone would get along. He supposed that was the life of a military soldier in a nutshell. At the end of the day, once you signed up, it was your duty to honor your division and do what they asked. Quite the conundrum. If the constant battle upset her so much, why not join a division where she could have the best of both worlds? After all, it sounded like she wanted to have her cake and eat it too.

"What was the reason you joined in the first place? Constant battle used to feel like heaven back in my old division, and I admit I like a good fight as much as the next guy, but I could see how it could wear down on those who aren't all that invested in battle. What's keepin' ya here? There's gotta be more than the perks of the living world, right?"

Hana was silent. Koga had no way of realizing that he touched on a subject that hurt her. How was she supposed to explain to this man, this stranger, that she had nowhere else to go. Her parents practically disowned her and she had no other skills outside of nobility education. The fact that her parents had given her the ultimatum of "marriage or military" was... sad to explain. And this was date, they should be having fun or at least getting to know each other on a more positive level. She couldn't shift the mood any further; she wanted today to be a good one.

"You are correct, of cour-..." Hana blinked and looked around. "Should we not have ordered by now?" A good deflection, a good lie. Another skill Hana possessed was the ability to hide true intentions, especially one as simple as changing the conversation. "Excuse me," Hana grabbed the attention of a waiter. "Can we get a couple of menus? We have waited a while..." It wasn't long before they had their menus and were given quite a few apologies. Hana did her best to offer forgiveness, a small flustered smile on her face. "What do you eat here, Koga?"