Kohana yawned dramatically, fanning her face with her hand. "What's you say me and you get some nice, long, sweet sleep, Hisa darling?"
Hisa looked up from her second glass of sake. She knew her limit and wasn't pushing it quite like Kohana was. "How about you put something other than liquor in your stomach?" Hisa pushed a plate of food towards her friend.
"Oh, I couldn't eat another thing," Kohana said. "Let's get outta here, buddy."
Hisa supported her friend out into the street, Kohana's arm wrapped around her shoulder while Hisa's was wrapped around her waist.
"Hey, Hisa!" Someone shouted behind her.
Hisa glanced behind her in time to see that damn red hair. "Pick up the pace, would you, Kohana?" Hisa hissed.
"Who is it?" Kohana wondered drunkenly. She turned unsteadily and smiled at the men coming towards them. "Oh, is this that Lieutenant you were telling me about? Oh, he's a cutie. Wait, wait, aren't we gonna stop? They're coming right up to us."
"Hey, you going somewhere, Hisa?" Renji asked when he caught up to her. Izuru and Shūhei walked beside Renji.
"Taking this drunk home," Hisa muttered over Kohana's not-so-quiet whispers in her ear.
"Oh, so you've got a place here?" Renji wondered.
"Oh, not really," Kohana blurted. "It's just a room at the inn, really. You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like."
Renji's cheeks turned slightly rosy, but Hisa stepped in before her friend could embarrass herself any further. "Ignore her, she's stupid drunk. And what brings you out here? Don't you have a job?"
Renji stretched his arms, earning him a few more comments from the inebriated Kohana. "We were out getting drinks and left around the same time you did," he explained.
"He'd actually been standing outside, waiting for you two to come out," Shūhei added.
"Oh! That's just so sweet! Isn't it, Hisa? Big, strong Soul Reapers walking us home like gentlemen."
Hisa gritted her teeth. "Keep it up," she spit, "and I'll dump you in the street." They continued to walk in relative silence, Shūhei and Izuru making small talk. They came to the inn, and Izuru offered to help Kohana get settled.
"Oh, see now, Hisa," Kohana whispered loudly to her friend at the door. "I'll go to bed and you can have this cute little blond all to yourself! Just what you need, too!"
Izuru blushed like a blossoming flower, and glanced quickly at the ground. Hisa's face flushed, and she felt so sorry for the man. She cleared her throat and composed herself. "Really, just ignore her, she's silly drunk; I've been saying it the whole time. Well, thanks for walking with us, Lieutenants. We'll catch up some other time," Hisa promised, then remembered something Izuru had said to Shūhei. "Lieutenant Kira, I'd really like to know more about your poetry," she continued. "Perhaps we can meet for tea and you can teach me how to write some of my own." Hisa let go of Kohana just long enough to open the door and for her friend to stumble inside.
"You mean it?" Izuru asked, a little dumbfounded.
Hisa nodded earnestly. "I don't know much about the arts, but I appreciate them nonetheless. Thank you again for walking with us." She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
"You can't write poetry," Kohana slurred, leaning on the wall like it was her only hope. "That poor guy probably thinks you like him."
Hisa grabbed her friend again and half-carried her down the hall to their room. "For your information, I do appreciate that they walked with us. Especially since you're a sack of bricks." As if to prove her point, Hisa loosened her grip and Kohana tumbled to the floor. "And perhaps I can make up for your behavior tonight by lightening the mood a little." Hisa ruffled her hair. Before she could continue berating her friend, she heard the tell-tale signs of sleep from Kohana. "I like poetry," she said to herself. "It's sweet, and slightly romantic and stuff. I can be sweet and slightly romantic if I want to." Hisa plopped down on her own bed. She was out cold before her head even hit the pillow.
Sunlight came streaming through the window too soon for Hisa. She pulled the blankets over her face and rolled over, all too aware that her friend was already awake and preparing breakfast. She'd exhausted herself from the day before, so she deserved this time to relax. She dozed for a few more minutes until Kohana ripped the blanket from her grasp and offered a plate of hot food to her friend.
"Eat up," Kohana ordered. "We got a letter."
Hisa sat up, and took the plate. A letter? How long had it been since they'd gotten a letter? "What's the job?"
"We've been hired as bounty hunters again," Kohana explained. "Maybe it's time we made that our field of work."
"What's the job, Kohana?" Hisa asked again.
"Some fool didn't pay his gambling debts," she began. "Client says he skipped town and likely headed east. We've got to find the guy and bring him back."
Hisa swallowed a spoonful. "Gambling house, right? Why don't they send out their own guys?"
Kohana scoffed. "Priorities, probably. Why send your own guys out to find this guy when they can be making money off of some other poor sucker. Anyway, they sent us aliases, face sketches including disguises, and next-of-kin. They also sent some information on a brother."
"Shit," Hisa hissed.
"Yeah, no kidding. This one's got a little bit more meat, too." Kohana dropped the file on Hisa's lap.
"Second Division. Loyal?" Hisa hoped not.
"Like a dog. From the description, these two are as thick as thieves," Kohana said. "I'm thinking his brother's probably looking out for him."
Hisa finished her food, setting the plate aside. "I'd bet so. Well, we've got our information, so let's go get him, shall we?"