Taking a Day Off (Open)

Being forced away from his work was not exactly a pleasant feeling to Alexander. It was one of those mandatory rules that the Seireitei had, hidden in bylaw A, subsection B, Paragraph 302, Lines 10-33 etc. that all Shinigami must take at least one single day off every month for "mental and emotional health". What was that nonsense? He was in his prime, the Captain thought...Oh well, if it had to be, it had to be...

If he couldn't work, then he had to find something to do. It was also the beginning of a new month, so the Shinigami set out to do what he normally did around this time in the Rukon. Wearing one of the Reiatsu Cloaks to mask his energy levels and carrying a decent sized bag while looked pretty stuffed from the outside, the man made his way towards the farther districts, walking at a brisk pace. These districts were not so well off, and many of them were poor and barely making ends meet. Alexander knew that first hand...If he were a normal soul, he might have been attacked by now and robbed of whatever was in the sack, but the Captain gave off his usual aura of "I might end up killing you and dissecting your organs for study", so he was not bothered.

He stopped once he found a small gathering of children in a broken down park of sorts playing with what looked like sticks and rocks. The Captain walked up and simply dropped the bag nearby, which got their attention as they ran over. Digging through it, the kids were way too enamored with looking inside to really pay attention to the cloaked man, and by the time most of them had found a new "toy", he had already vanished, flash stepping to a nearby roof to observe the happy children playing and fooling around with the small inventions he had given them. They weren't dangerous or harmful, most of them were silly things like holographic light makers, smaller versions of his multi-adaptive tool which let the child turn it into material whatever object they could think of, and so on. Things perfect for fantasizing and playing.

A small smile appeared on the man's visage, peering out through his hooded face, and in a rare moment, Alexander's guard was dropped as he took this time to relax, thankful that it was later in the afternoon and the sun was not so intense. Well, perhaps those arbitrary rules of the Seireitei weren't so bad after all...

A swift flash and another cloaked figure appeared on the same roof as Alexander. This cloak didn't hide the person's energy signature, but she didn't want it to as she would feel like a shinigami. The hooded head was tilted and a soft voice came from it.

"You're from Research and development aren't you? Otherwise you just stole stuff from them. But I really don't think you did... That Captain is really good at keeping people who aren't supposed to be out..." Her normally very shy voice was surprised, no stutters or anything of the sort. A small smile could be seen from where the hood wasn't currently covering, a hand reaching into it and pulling out a cupcake.

"Would you like one? I...was going to give them some but you came by with the santa bag first."

Alexander was taken totally aback by the sudden interruption of another person arriving on the same roof as him. A cupcake? How the heck did that fit in that cloak of hers without getting messed up? Strange...he would have to study that material later on...

"Sure, I suppose..." He remarked as he took the treat, still a bit flabbergasted. The one time he let he guard down he was surprised by a disguised lady offering him a confectionery treat. His red eyes were visible through the hood as he turned towards the woman and gave her a look over. With the hood on, it was hard to tell exactly who she was...

"Yes, you could say that." Alexander replied, a slight smirk on his face as he turned his head back towards the kids below. A slight chuckle escaped a moment after as he set the cupcake down to his side for the moment. "Santa bag, hm? I've never had a taste for those human holidays." He paused briefly. "Orphans. They're orphans, you see. In these districts, violence and theft is all too common. A child should not have to go without a bit of joy in their lives. These are just small throwaways anyway..." Alex said in a calm and quiet manner, waiting a bit to gauge the young woman's response.

"...You're the Captain." Mia's voice was surprised and a hand went to her mouth, recognizing the eyes. She was in charge of delivering cakes to all the Captains and Lieutenants on their birthdays... Or well she had been, for years now. She hid well when she did it, but she knew what all of them looked like quite well at this point. There weren't many with red eyes... That height... Able to get the items out of the R&D with no hassle as well? Even she got hassled when delivering CAKES! "I-I am sorry Sir. L-Lieutenant Nezo."

Moving her hood back a bit, she gave a slight bow. However her eyes quickly followed his, her posture relaxing as he smiled and laughed. She watched the children too, with a small nod after a moment following his words.

"They don't have much, so every little bit is precious... Its a much better gift than sweets. They'll last a lot longer and make more memories. You are nice and not scary, aren't you Captain?" Mia turned back, giving Alex a sweet smile.

"Scary? Is that what they say about me....I suppose that is why I am by myself in the Division." Alexander spoke in an amused tone as he picked up the cupcake he had set down and took a bite out of it. Normally he didn't like sweet things too much, but this creation of the Lieutenant's was approved by the man, a satisfied look on his face as he turned back towards the young woman.

"Now I recognize you. Eufemia Nezo, Lieutenant of Squad Ten. I've seen you multiple times in the Library, always reading..." He chuckled lightly. "Knowledge is the most important thing to better ourselves and our society. It is good to see that I am not the only one who enjoys the books you have. Your Captain...smart lad, but I believe things other than burying his nose in a dusty old book occupy his mind." The Captain laughed again, before eating the rest of the cupcake.

Mia felt a comment or an agreement to the captain would make him upset or just be plain rude, so she looked away and pulled her hood back down again. He sounded amused but she didn't want to end up angering him...

Her eyes did glance back at him as she saw him pick up the cupcake and eat it, a soft smile coming to her lips as he seemed pleased. That was good, she liked it when others enjoyed her food...

She really wasn't prepared to be recognized, he had seen her!? Jumping a bit, her hands flew up in a rather shocked attempt to ward off things and also anything other than compliments towards her Captain. "I-I...just books are nice... I-I attempt to deliver cakes to your squad but... Y-You keep your office too locked up for me..."

C-Captain is just young... He still has room to grow... A-And learn." Feeling a bit protective, she gave Alexander a small look that was almost a glare as she lifted her hood off of her face and settled it on her shoulders. "Knowledge is...good and all...but being kind and using it for good things... Like you just did... for those kids. It doesn't do anyone good with it alone..."

Taking off his hood as well, Alexander turned towards the younger woman and listened to her words. She was right. Knowledge without a way to apply it was worthless, and even more so when one cannot use it to help others. He also caught her semi-glare. Well, he meant nothing by it anyway, but perhaps he could have been a bit more tactful in hindsight.

"Yes, you're absolutely right. I do my best to create things that would be beneficial to the Soul Society, but sometimes I can get lost in my own world." He spoke, briefly turning his head back towards the children and watching them play.

"I am from these sorts of Districts myself, so I know what life is like at their age. I do my best to ensure children like these have things to distract them from the harsh realities here...and maybe create an interest in science as well." The captain laughed, though he was being sincere. "You're actually the only person who knows about this. Congratulations, Eufemia Nezo, you know one of my many secrets." He smiled a bit as he turned back to look her way. Perhaps it was fate...this one was quiet and reserved, the perfect sort of person to discover his activity.

"Mhm, its good you have reminders like this then. Otherwise... You could go bad." Nodding solemnly, she read way too many books to think that a scientist as smart as him with no morals wouldn't end up with bad things happening all over. Robotic armies, plagues, mass destructive weapons...

Her mind whirled with all those possibilities that she didn't voice for now.

"You are? Thats... not what I expected...I-I mean it wasn't like I thought you just...appeared, you had to come from somewhere but... not like this..." Now Alexander had her curiosity and she moved closer, violet eyes staring up at him before they turned worried. A small scared eep, as she covered her mouth, sounded before her voice got small. "M-My lips are sealed! I won't say anything to anyone else! A-And...its Mia. N-Not...that..."

She was obviously still a bit scared of the Captain's wrath and experiments, but couldn't stand being called her full name... And he had a soft spot for the kids, like she did. She couldn't help but feel a bit less terrified knowing all that, and watching those kids play with the toys he had brought them. It was nice seeing them so carefree and smiling...

He had also liked her cupcake. That meant he was a good person.

"Ah yes, excuse my ignorance. Mia it is, then. I am glad my secret is safe with you." Alexander smiled again. He could tell the Squad 10 Lieutenant was a thoughtful person by nature, so he appreciated what she had said.

"If I go bad, hm? Lose my way and start my revenge against this wretched place and all of the miserable, insipid insignificant souls inside it..." His tone grew dark and foreboding, his face becoming emotionless as he looked at her with a deep stare for a few moments...

Suddenly, he broke into a genuine laughter and his demeanor returned to its previous at ease self. "Hah, it sounds like something out of a B-grade novel. Far too predictable for a person of my stature, wouldn't you agree?" The Captain laughed again.

"M-Mhm. Its okay." Mia gave a firm nod, she would keep his secret! She was good at that, really good and could be trusted she felt. Plus he was smiling, so she smiled in return. Captain Releigus was a really nice person actually...

That tone though, her eyes widened as the man started speaking in a rather...scary manner. Those words were creepy and a bit nerve wracking for the already anxious woman. She didn't know him nearly well enough to know if he was teasing or not! They were in the rukon, he was strong enough to end her utterly and no one would know the wiser...

Saying nothing but looking like a deer caught in headlights, the sound of his laughter just barely got her in time to stop her from running. Falling to her butt on the roof, she stared up at Alexander, a small frown on her face as she tried to laugh it off. "I-I...Yes...It does... Y-You scared me for a moment there though Captain..."

Alexander merely chuckled at how she had fallen to her behind due to his antics. He got up and walked over, offering a hand for her to pull herself up with.

"I apologize Lieutenant, you just set me up too well for me to avoid doing that." He smiled, another light laugh escaping as he looked down at Mia. Perhaps she was the wrong person to do that to...well, he would make it up to her.

Taking the offered hand for help, Mia felt a bit better about touching others and the Captain was nice. As she stood back up, she gave Alexander a small look before nodding and laughing very lightly. "I-It is funny. E-Especially my reaction... Its okay, don't apologize."

Thinking for a moment, she pulled out another cupcake from her cloak and held it out in offering. "D-Do you want more? I have a ton."

He was really nice and she liked to feed people. So what? Besides she felt a bit bad for her stupid reaction and looked to the side.

Taking the new cupcake with one hand, Alexander reached into his own cloak and dug through it for a moment. He pulled out a pair of one of his inventions, the thin sleek looking finger-less gloves he named the Power Grips.

"Here, these are for you. I shouldn't have scared you like that when you have been nothing but nice to me." Alexander stated, a light smile accompanying his words as he extended his other hand outward so she could take them.

"You must have to carry a lot of books in that Library. These should ease the burden. Just channel some energy through them and you'll find your strength is multiplied by a notable amount. Also good for smacking your Captain if he ever got out of line, no?" He joked.

"Ah!" Mia's face became rather surprised, her hand coming out to accept the gift she had not even been close to expecting. Her face turned red as she pulled them back, closer to her body as she looked down at them in awe. "Th-Thank you Captain... Th-This is...really nice of you."

Pulling off her usual gloves, she stuffed them into the cloak and then put the new ones on. They fit nicely, and if what he said was true... It would be very very useful! Giving a soft giggle at the joke, she nodded. "Yes! It'll be p-perfect. I could just drop piles of books on him instead."

Thinking for a moment, she glanced up at Alex and met his red eyes for once. "...Why do you hide your kindness?"

"Most people, when they see me, they assume I am going to throw them on an experiment table and start cutting them open to run some tests." Alexander remarked, a bit of an amused smirk on his face as he returned the look Mia gave him. "It's easier to control through fear, at least when it comes to the work I do. I get no interruptions this way." The Captain spoke honestly, taking a bite out of the cupcake. She did know how to bake, that much was true.

"I never had anybody to rely on when I was growing up, so I never felt like things like "friends" were a necessity in my life." He finished. Gee, he sure was a sad sack wasn't he?

"I...yes you give off that air a lot." Mia sighed before giving Captain Alexander another sheepish grin. Her hand went up to her mouth and scratched the side lightly. It would be impossible for her to lie to him. That was the general vibe she got as well.

But he had a point... His methods did bear fruit, no one would ever bother him. She reluctantly nodded, a bit sad he kept himself so far apart from others. Mia normally did the same, but for different reasons. Her unbearable shyness kept her from others and a wish to not bother them.

Moving closer, she reached out while looking down at the roof and gripped a bit of his cloak. He seemed lonely... And he liked her cupcakes. "M-Me too... I've always been alone... B-But now I have people. So...maybe I can be your friend? Even if they aren't...n-needed they are nice to have."

"Hm...I'd like that. To friendship, Lieutenant Nezo." Alexander smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder in a friendly manner, shoving the rest of the cupcake in his mouth with the other. It was a pretty comical scene.

She'd been delivering these treats the entire time and he never noticed? Perhaps the squad members were taking them before he even got a chance...when he got back, he would deal with that. At any rate, Mia was certainly intelligent enough that he wouldn't mind her company. The captain was picky when it came to those he let pierce the "general acquaintance" bubble.

A warm smile brightened her features as Captain Releigus accepted her friendship. Mia nodded and raised her hand up to pat the hand on her shoulder. "To friendship! Did you want to give more gifts or are those all you have? I can help you Captain, if you'd like. I have lots of sweets for this trip."

Pulling a plate of cookies from her cloak, she showed them off before storing them again in the cloak. She hadn't mentioned most of it was for her father to try. That was classified as far as she was concerned.

"That bag was all I had. Should keep them busy for a while...at least until they break everything." The Captain replied with a slight laugh. He watched her somehow pull out a plate of cookies from her cloak and put them away like it was no problem...how did she do that? His inquisitive nature meant that he would have to find out...not now, though. This was time away from work.

"So tell me a bit of your story, Mia. Were you an orphan as well? Perhaps our friendship was destiny then." Another light laugh escaped. Of course, Alexander didn't believe in fate, or destiny. Man made their own future.

"I think a few of them are being really careful. They probably treasure your gift." Mia glanced down and saw a few at least who seemed too awed to play roughly, holding the toys carefully and treating them with care.

Captain Releigus' question startled her and she shook her head.

"...I-I am not. My mom is traveling the Rukon and my dad is also someone who travels a lot too, a wandering swordsman." Mia felt bad admitting both of her parents were alive, though her father was... a bit of an odd story that she couldn't repeat. Looking away, she tugged at her hair a bit.

"I was... I had strong spiritual powers when I was little and set things on fire when I slept. So... I was taken away from Mom with her permission when I was a kid to the Seireitei. They um... helped me though... But...I couldn't go back so I stayed in the seireitei since I was about... five or so."

"Taken away." Alexander remarked, as if he was re-affirming what she had said. It almost sounded like she was given away to him. The Captain said, his demeanor back to its serious normal self for a moment. He looked like he was in deep thought.

"So neither of your parents were willing to accept raising you? My condolences, Mia. It isn't right to do that to a child, one who was likely scared of what was going on around her." The captain said as he looked over towards the lieutenant. A hint of sympathy in his eyes belied his stoic demeanor. "Have you re-united with them ever since, or do you not wish to? Understandable if its the latter."

"My Dad didn't know about me... M-Mom had no idea who my father was? So... I didn't find out until later, when she found him again. And... it was to protect me, the leaving." Mia looked down, shuffling her foot. She felt defensive of the pair, neither one was suited to raising kids though for different reasons. Her father might be a good dad, if he had been given the chance... And her mom... "People...weren't happy with their houses burning down. They...didn't like me much, so to keep me...safe from them and to learn to stop... it was best I go."

"I-I met my dad recently and go out here to visit him. M-Mom started traveling the Rukon a few years back. I send her money, I used to visit her twice a y-year or so before then." Still looking down, she did smile. "Thank you... Its okay though! I am fine. J-Just...shy. I'm sorry..."

"Well...alright. If you're okay with what happened, then I am as well." Alexander replied, a light smile adorning his features. If she kept in contact and was in good relations with both, then why should he push the matter even further? Still, he personally disagreed with leaving a child in the hands of strangers, but that stemmed from his orphan past, and subconsciously he knew he wouldn't be able to fight that sort of feeling.

It was the Lieutenant's business however, not his. Back to his professional self, he considered the matter dropped and cleared his throat.

"So, Mia, is this something you do every so often yourself or did you have other business here in the Rukon? I hope I am not delaying your arrival anywhere that you need to be." He asked the young woman, pausing to smile a tiny bit "If so, you have my permission to tell them that I, the dreaded Captain of Squad 12, held you up for a while."

She was as okay as she could be, considering it happened a long time ago. She made due with it and her mother... Mia didn't want to have t explain that woman to anyone and blushed slightly. The airheaded woman would be the death of her.

Listening to Captain Alex's words she shook her head. "I-I had already gone to visit my dad. He was happy to see me and we spent time together... I just stopped when I saw those kids playing and met you on my way back to the Seireitei. Its no delay at all!"

Waving her hands a bit frantically, her eyes widened as she attempted reassurance despite the small smile. "You aren't dreaded either! You are really nice Captain! I would never say that about you!"

"Hm...I don't know, we did just become friends. How do I know you've never said such things before?" Alexander teased with a bit of a smirk, his tone quite obvious that he was just fooling around. "Nice, huh...well keep that between us then. If people ever got word that I am 'nice', they won't be frightened of what I might to do them anymore." He laughed as he leaned back a little bit, his posture becoming more of a relaxed sit as he looked out towards the sun, which was getting close towards the Horizon. It wasn't getting dark yet, but in a little while it would be.

"How long have you been a Lieutenant? I could check my database, but as I am trying to get better at this 'talking to actual people' thing, I figured I would ask you personally."