...
I took a sip of the offered tea, my expression immediately grimacing at the taste in the process. Calmly, I fixed my expression into a passive one, slowly spat the drink back into the cup, and put it down onto the mat.
Raising my gaze, I gave Yamamoto an unamused look. One he returned with a questioning eyebrow.
"What?" I deadpanned. "It tastes like crap," I added on with a sniff. "And considering where I am from, that says a lot."
Technically, I was from Britain where we prized our tea with a passion- Not that I partook, mostly because I was addicted to coffee, but that was neither here nor there.
Though, all things considered, I am pretty sure Yamamoto took my words to mean the 'future' timeline, given the twitch that appeared on his forehead.
I am not sure what's more impressive, your lack of foresight, or your lack of foresight.
...You just repeated yourself there...
I felt the need to point it out twice, lest you get the wrong idea.
"I see," Yamamoto remarked "Up until this session, you haven't mentioned any problems with it," He sniffed. "Has your sense of taste changed recently?" He questioned picking up his own cup.
"No, but my sense of trust-"
Not a thing.
Going with it anyway.
"-may have evaporated considering Santa Claus told me, he told you about a certain promotion for me into the royal pricks of the Soul king."
Yamamoto briefly paused in his attempt to sip as he leveled a gaze with me, processing my words for a moment before raising an eyebrow at me. "I take it you refused?"
"Obviously." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
The slightest smile made itself known on the man's face, though his beard hid it pretty well. "Obviously? I take it he didn't take your refusal very well?"
I nodded, watching as the man's expression briefly turned to one of amusement before he schooled it into a passive one as he raised the teacup in his hands. "And? what reason did you give him for turning it down? It's not every day a shinigami does so to such a... prestiged position." He took a brief pause, his eyes gazing down towards the liquid in his cup. "Surely, he must've asked for one."
I nodded casually as I leaned back into my hands, watching as Yamamoto took a sip.
"I told him I had ethics."
Yamamoto promptly coughed, the teacup in his hands shattering in the process as he pumped his chest with one hand, while his reiatsu immediately destroyed any hints of the liquid before it stained anything in the room.
"Neat tric-" I made to say before Yamamoto interrupted me with a laugh of all things.
That was the moment his lieutenant quickly barged, took in the laughing captain commander, and immediately left.
"Ethics!" The old man rasped. "Ah, I haven't heard something this humourous in ages!"
"Humour- I am pretty sure he's pretty pissed at me, you know?"
Yamamoto let out a sigh, and quickly composed himself. "Yes, I imagine he is. Though judging by your status as a time-traveler, I imagine he has reason enough not to destroy you for it."
I felt sweat quickly build up at the words.
"...Destroy?" I deadpanned. "What? Can't he take a joke?"
Yamamoto let out a subtle shrug at the words as he started filling up another teacup with tea.
"I mean really, you'd think a guy who uses a paintbrush for a weapon would have a better sense of humor."
"...Indeed," Yamamoto remarked, staring at me oddly. "What happened with him in the future? What did you learn that... Tarnished your opinion of that court?"
I shrugged.
"It wasn't anything they did in the future per se, but rather the past."
A knowing expression appeared on the man's face at the words as his mouth took on a frown.
"So there's no changing it." The man's tone was almost disappointed...
"Well, yeah, can't un-shish kebab the soul king." I deadpanned in response. "Though I am inclined to try duct tape."
Yamamotto blinked at me.
"I don't think that would work."
"Worth a shot."
"...Captain Aizen, you are by no means to attempt such a thing."
I clicked my fingers.
"Though, I am a little surprised," I remarked with a furrowed brow.
...Don't- Hm... I wouldn't recommend going down that line of thinking.
Really?
Of course not, let him have it.
"About?"
"Well... You obviously don't agree with what went down with Huya's dad."
"Yhwach."
"Yeah, yeah, that fucker." I waved a hand, earning an amused expression, albeit curious one from the captain commander.
"I wasn't aware he was his son."
"Ahh, I mean, Maury hasn't given a verdict on it yet, but I am inclined to agree with it on the account of his bullshit powers."
"Right," Yamamoto stated with an utterly passive expression. "Yes, if you are asking, I don't agree with what happened."
I nodded. "So... Mind explaining to me what was going through your head when Rukia was sentenced for execution?" I took a pause. "You know, unless it was national hypocrites day or some other nonsense, it's basically what went down with the soul king."
Yamamoto briefly narrowed his eyes.
I raised my left hand. "Hero shinigami saves a town by sharing her powers, helps bring about one of the strongest shinigami's ever against the hollows, gets executed unjustly." Raised the other. "Hero shinigami-"
Yamamoto let out a sigh and raised his own freehand. "I get the picture." He remarked, frowning.
"Pot calls kettle black," I whispered under my own breath, earning an unamused look from the other captain. "Just saying." I shrugged.
Yamamoto briefly held my own gaze for a moment before he turned back down towards the teacup he'd placed on the mat... "Perhaps you're right about the tea after all... Some changes may need to be made to avoid such a terrible taste."
I blinked in response.
"I mean that's good and all but I'd prefer-"
It's a metaphor, you idiot.
"-Wait, does this mean this tea's still gonna taste the same? Cos' I'd really rather you changed that too."
After making me uncomfortable with his staring yet again, Yamamoto let out another slight chuckle as he shook his head.
"It's... inspiring that, despite all you've been through... Your outlook on life is still so... positive."
"Gotta balance out the bullshit somehow right?" I grinned at the man.
"...Indeed."
"'Side's, when your whole world's literally taken from you, you really just stop giving a fuck about everything. I mean really, I followed all the laws back then, played the good soldier and everything and that literally didn't help whatsoever when the fuckery happened." I took a brief pause and raised the teacup before me. "So, if the worlds gonna randomly end anyway, might as well make the most of it!"
"It really is impressive, that you turned out the way you did..." He remarked, shaking his head before he took a sip.
"Thanks? Either way, I am still not drinking this sewage," I promptly placed the cup down. "Not enough apocalypses in the world for that one."
Yamamoto let out a sigh at that before his face took on a more serious expression.
"On that note, Captain Aizen, thanks to your actions, the Hollows while not completely neutralized... I take it are no longer the most concerning issue?"
"Well, considering they all have to start from scratch as Groban's plan will never succeed, I'd say so."
Yamamoto nodded. "Then what is? And how soon-"
Just before he could finish, however, several captain reiatsu's promptly skyrocketed all across Seireitei.
I gave the man a deadpan look.
"You're not busy right now right?" I deadpanned towards him. "'cos-" Whatever I'd been about to say was interrupted as the man promptly flash stepped towards the location. "Ookay, just go right ahead-" I promptly got up to my own two feet, about to do the same before my gaze landed back down onto the tea set.
Hey Aizen, think we can poison whoever's attacking with Yama's tea?
... Just move already. From my own side, I can't seem to make out whatever it is that's intruding.
If I was a betting man, and I really used to be- It was a major problem- I'd say it's the start of the Zanpakuto Civil Rights act.
Aizen promptly let out a scoff into my own head.
If you're right, I'll give you a statue in my inner realm.
Deal!
I was being sarcas- Just move already!
I still want my statue!
...
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