Attrition [Jorlo]

A hand picks up a quill pen, the tip dips slowly into the inkwell on the corner of the desk, and comes out dripping. The hand lightly shakes the pen, causing droplets of ink to fall back into the inkwell, to be used at another time, on another paper, on another dull and dreary form that must be read over and signed. A sigh is heard from the owner of the hand, and it begins to sign the owner's name for what seems to be the thousandth time that day. As the signature is finished, you see the name written on the line that is reserved for such signatures. "Jor'lo Shoukyakuro"

Captain Jor'lo Shoukyakuro, Head of the Tenth Division, sat at his desk, his shoulders slumped, his head rested on the palm of his left hand, propped up by his arm rested on the desk. He let out a sigh, and dipped his pen into his inkwell again. This was going to be a long day. There were some new recruits coming in from the Academy today, and they're paperwork showing they were now members of the Tenth Division needed signed off on. He looked up as there was a knock on the door. Excuse me, Captain. More paperwork coming in from the Shino Academy. This is the last bunch. Jor'lo's eyes rolled, and he dismissed his subordinate with a wave of his hand. The man bowed, placed the stack of papers into the box on his desk labeled "In-box", grabbed the stack of papers Jor'lo had already signed, and left without another word. Members of the tenth division learned quickly not to disturb Jor while he was bored and doing paperwork, for no matter how bored he was, he knew it to be his duty, and to disrupt Jor'lo doing his duty will bring the wrath of the tenth division Captain upon you.

Once his subordinate left, a sigh once more escaped Jor's lips. He shook his head. Sometimes I hate the incessant amount of paperwork required of me as a Captain. But duty is duty, and I suppose there is no harm in new members for the division. And, at that, Jor'lo dipped his quill into the inkwell once more, slowly pulled it out, and shook off the excess ink left on it's tip. Yes, this would be a very long day.

Jor'lo's fingers methodically strummed on his desk. From pinky to index finger his fingers hit the desk, in quick succession. He had just finished his paperwork for the day. Thank the Soul King that is over. Jor thought to himself. He needed a drink. He glanced over towards the bar he had built into his office on the day he became a Captain. A subordinate made sure to keep it stocked and to check every day to see if it needed any of it's stock of delicious Sake replaced, which it generally did at least once every three days.

Jor smiled and stood up. He decided he would pour himself a cup. Yet, just as he was about to reach his bar, he heard the frantic breathing of someone running. Jor'lo growled under his breath. Great. What do this insolent subordinates have for me NOW. He decided to play it cool. He continued to walk towards the bar, and heard as the subordinate knocked on his door to his office. He ignored them, and calmly walked behind the bar, and slowly pulled a Sake cup from underneath it. He then reached for the bottle of Sake, but before he could touch it, the subordinate spoke. "Captain Shoukyakuro, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have something that is freaking all of the Division." Jor'lo sighed. He knew this was the case, but that did not give this underling the right to interrupt him as he was pouring himself a drink.

How many times have I told you insolent fools, do NOT interrupt me while I am drinking! If there is an issue, speak to my Lieutenant. Why the hell do I have her if she can't deal with a little freak out? Jor'lo truly hated being interrupted during his drinking time. The only one he ever let interrupt him, let alone join him, was his Lieutenant, for if she interrupted him, there was either something truly important, or she wanted to join him, which Jor did not mind. The underling immediately dropped his gaze from the piercing glare his Captain shot at him. I...I'm sorry, Captain Shoukyakuro, but...Captain Shuken is walking this way...And is taking no means to hide it At those words, Jor'lo heard the distinct sound of hard-soled boot hitting stone floor.

Jor'lo's ears perked up at the sound, then quickly shooed away his subordinate. He would have to make a note to thank him later, but right now presenting himself as a Captin was more important. Jor'lo reached under the Bar and grabbed his Zanpaktou, strapped it to his belt, then continued to pour his drink. He then stood there, casually leaning on the bar, but staring intently at the door frame, wondering in his mind what this, the most secretive and secluded of the Captains, even more-so then he himself was, would be doing stomping through his Division, scaring his subordinates, and generally causing turmoil that could have been avoided so easily.

And Jor'lo decided he would ask Captain Shuken just that. That is, until he heard the words that came out of his mouth. That surprised him. Jor faltered for a moment, only a moment, then regained his composure. "Excuse me, Captain Shuken, but who are you to stomp into my office, unannounced, and demand some preposterous question of me? First off, there must be a mistake, no scum of the Soul Society would know my name, let alone be speaking. And second, even if there was, what gives you the right to storm in here and ask me in such a way? There are hell butterflies for a reason Captain, maybe next time you should use one." Jor'lo, during this exchanged, had moved out from behind the bar and was now standing face-to-face with the Captain, barely an arms-length away. Yet throughout this exchange, Jor'lo continued to drink his Sake, for he'd be damned if anyone was going to stop him from having his drink.

A sarcastic smile crept upon his face while his brow raised questioningly; deep within his throat emanated a throaty chuckle. He eyed him extremely cautiously as he stepped closer and closer to his person, his cup of sake firmly in his grasp, with a bit of condescension, as well. He brought his arms up from his sides and slowly crossed them over his chest, keeping his weight evenly distributed between his two legs.

“Ah, well, it seems you've answered your own question, doesn't it?” he asked pointedly, tightening his lips to prevent another sarcastic smirk. “It is as you said, Captain: I am Captain,” he said, emulating Shoukyakuro's emphasis of the word, “Shuken of the Second Division, and you are Captain Shoukyakuro of the Tenth Division; my duties are to maintain anonnimity as I take care of cases, criminals and anything else the Sixth might, those is deemed too dangerous or too secretive. You sit here in your office with knowledge of all things important in terms of Seireitei Defense whilst a criminal utters your name in desperation,” he went on, taking a half step closer; he was a mere few centimeters away from actually touching the Captain's face with his own.

“Butterflies do not exist for that which must remain secret, you understand, yes?” he asked under his breath, to Jorlo's face, slowly... and dangerously. He broke off afterwards, sidestepping the Captain and walking into his quarters, eying it with false glee. He saw the nasty drink which he'd poured into his container moments ago sitting atop the wooden bar, scoffed and turned back to face Jor'lo.

“We have two options ahead of us at this moment, and it comes in the cliché phrase: 'we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way,' you understand, right? The easy way is for me to take you to this prisoner and attempt to clear your name, while the hard way is a bit more … well, you know,” he said dismissively. His arms were still crossed, though his body was far more ready than it appeared to be if this Captain felt insulted enough to attack. He certainly wouldn't be surprised – were there anything for Captain Shoukyakuro to hide and Ichigenka was onto it, an attack on him would be very logical indeed. One must always attempt to save their tail. They care not for the fate of themselves until the time of reckoning is upon them.

“So, which will it be, Captain?”

Jor'lo sat absolutely still, his arms crossed, and a blank look on his face as his fellow Captain slowly made his way towards him. As the Captain made his way around him, Jor'lo sighed, closing his eyes. Captain Shuken, do not lecture me on the importance of secrecy. Do remember, I was once a part of your Division, and not some small part either, if you will recall. But courtesy must also be recognized. Would a simple message stating your future visit break this "secrecy" you deem so important? No, it would not. Remember, Captain, that while at one point I may have served under you, I am now your equal in rank and position. Treat me with the same courtesy I am sure you expect from your colleagues and equals. At that, he slowly turned around, pointing himself where he felt Captain Shuken to be standing.

Upon opening his eyes, Jor'lo found his estimation to be eerily correct, as he was staring directly into the eyes of his fellow Captain. As for this criminal scum who dares utter my name...Yes, I do believe I will come with you, if only to find out who this criminal is. Yes, let us find out why the name of Jor'lo Shoukyakuro echos through the halls of the Nest of Maggots. Jor'lo then turned to his bar, and slowly walked over to it. He stepped behind it, poured himself another drink, and sat in the bar stool he has behind the bar, contemplating what all this could mean. Slowly, he finished his cup, then stood, keeping his gaze deliberately away from his fellow Captain. If he would not show him courtesy, then Jor'lo would show him the same lack of courtesy. He reached under the bar and tied his second blade to his belt, securing it tightly, so to make sure it does not come off. He then grabbed his Haori off the hook on the wall behind him. He threw the Haori into the air, and gracefully slid his arms in as it came down, donning his Haori in what was a very flashy manner, something even Jor'lo had to admit to himself.

Once the Haori touched his shoulders, Jor'lo jerked the collar ever so slightly, straightening it in a flash. At this point, his back was turned from his fellow Captain, his head bowed, the smug smile on his face hidden from his fellow Captain. Next time though, Captain Shuken, do not delude yourself with delusions of grandeur. If I was truly guilty... At that word, guilty, Jor'lo stepped to his right, towards the door to his office, and a pop could be heard as he shunpo'd, landing in the doorway, leaning up against the door frame, his arms crossed, the same smug smile on his face. [color:2023=00ff00]..You would not be able to catch me anyways. After those words Jor'lo stood there, showing no hostility, no sign that he wanted to run. He made it absolutely clear by his words and his actions: That was simply to prove a point, nothing more, nothing less. Though, he truly wondered how Captain Shuken would react to it.

Jor'lo continued to lean against the door frame, his smug smile not dropping for a second. He knew that any resistance here would mean that the rest of Seireitei would be on his trail in a moment, not that any of them would be able to catch him. He knew the ins and outs of the Seireitei by heart, and his speed alone allowed him to out-pace even Captain Shuken here. So, as his fellow Captain had his little...Temper-tantrum, as Jor'lo saw it, seeing as he'd just beaten the "Captain of secrecy and speed" at his own game, Jor'lo simply smiled, listening intently. "You may be right in stating that we are not equal. Yet my statement still holds true, we are both Captains, and we both both deserve and demand the same amount of respect." Jor'lo began, as Captain Shuken's little tantrum began to wind down. He watched closely as he came closer and closer, not moving and inch, until the last moment, when Captain Shuken made the wrong decision, he touched Jor'lo.

As Captain Shuken's finger touched Jor'lo's shoulder, his hand shot up, catching the Captain by the wrist. He held him for a moment, while he said a few simple words. "I do believe I have already spoken to you about not acting rude to me. I have not touched you, do not touch me." The smile dropped from Jor'lo's face at this point, and at the same time, he threw down Captain Shuken's hand, forcing it down to his side. "Now, I do believe you had something, or rather someone, to show me. I suggest we get that underway, before this encounter of ours becomes unpleasant. Or rather, more unpleasant than it has already become."

At those words, Jor'lo turned on his heel, and began walking with purpose, almost marching down the hallway, throwing dirty looks at those few brave underlings who dared showed their faces outside their own rooms to see what had riled up their Captain so. When he got to the end of the hall, he stopped and turned back around and looked back at Captain Shuken. "Oh, and Captain? The next time you walk into my Division, let alone my office, unannounced, don't expect me to be so accommodating. Feel lucky I feel generous this day, or the blades above your head wouldn't be inactive right now." Jor'lo said, pointing out the saw-blade-trap he had set up upon moving into that office. One could never be too careful.

He shook his head completely and entirely incredulously; was he really taking things to this level? Did he really feel this strongly about something so undeniably trivial? This sounded like an issue a Third Seat – maybe a Lieutenant – would have, but a Captain? He expected a Captain to understand the underlying sense of urgency. He was not a diplomat; none of the Captains were. They had duties to do and he expected a fellow Captain to understand, though to him, Jor'lo seemed more concerned with the touchiness of his feelings than the efficiency of duties. He did, however, note a mental victory when the only thing Jor'lo responded to was the statement of equality.

“Hahaha, yes. Respond to only what you know how to,” he quipped mentally, but otherwise kept the attitude to himself.

Jor'lo's hand made swiftly made contact with Ichigenka's wrist; he really should habe expected as much with how sensetive it seemed Jor'lo was, so he responded simply by jerking his hand from Jor'lo grip and giving him one of the most profound death stares imaginable – you could say... the tension between the two was profound, right?

“Rude and disrespect go completely and entirely hand in hand, and I'll want you to really give that statement some thought, you childish cur,” he snapped, his lack of patience finally manifesting physically, though only enough to show faintly upon his eyes and the corners of his mouth.

The two proceeded a few feet before Jor'lo found it necessary to quip once more, furthering Ichigenka's state of utter annoyance. He made a – however subtle – threat to Ichigenka that if he were to do as he'd done today, the blades that were above Ichigenka's head wouldn't be as they currently were: inactive. He smirked slyly, “To attack a Captain of the Gotei Military for not only doing his duty, but because he or she offended you? Yes, I'm quite sure the other Captains would be so understanding. You'd be dead before you know it – that is a third degree offense and I really, really suggest you not make any threats, subtle or otherwise, to me ever again,” he warned, dangerously. His hand was closer to the hilt of his weapon than ever before, though he made sure to appear casual: hand of his hip, but ready for action!

“[color:8233=#b746fo]We'll have to stop by the Second Division. I'm sure as you know, or rather, as you don't know, but the Nest of Maggots is a secret location that none may know. As is my duty as Second Division, I travel there weekly with my subordinates to relieve those working in the Nest, but they all travel blindfolded. You will be absolutely no different. Such is ancient tradition and law, all for safety of both the Gotei Thirteen and the Inmates”