Cap'n Crunch

With a chuckle you nod, “I don’t see why not, would you care to join us Soi-chan?”

Soi-fon blushes again, her hands unconsciously fumbling with one another as she fails to meet your gaze, “N-No…I-I don’t w-want to impose John-sama!”

Again you chuckle softly, your hand gently lying on Soi-fon’s shoulder as you speak, “Nonsense, come and join us, I’d love to meet you and learn about you as well as Shunsui-san!”

This silences any further argument from Soi-fon, her body following your led before she ever so gracefully sets herself in the seat beside your own. After letting Soi-fon settle you turn to the rest of the inhabitants of the room, Katen and Kyokotsu both eyeing Shunsui with curious and worrisome gazes while Yoruichi does the same. With confusion and curiosity in your eye you turn to Shunsui, the flower covered man having already helping himself to a saucer of Sake as you speak, “So Shunsui-san, what brings you to my humble abode?”

Shunsui gives you a soft and lazy smile, his hand rising up his saucer as he quickly changes the topic of conversation, “Care to share a toast John-san? It is always much better to drink to something than to drink for nothing at all.”

With a simple shrug you fill your own saucer with a fair amount of steaming hot rice wine as you speak, “Very well, to a bright future and good friends.”

Shunsui joins you as you down the saucer with a quick sip, the long haired man easily keeping pace with you as you both set down your saucers at the same time, “Ah, a wonderful toast John-san, I couldn’t say it better myself.”

“You are too kind Shunsui-san,” You say with a grin, your hand holding up the sake and pouring both of you a decent amount once more, “Care for another to love and peace?”

Another chuckle and you both share another drink, a light pink tint covering the tips of your noses as Shunsui laughs deeply, “I really do like the way you think John-san! But, I suppose that’s enough games for now…” You wait silently as Shunsui shifts in his seat, Katen and Kyokotsu sitting on pins and needles as Shunsui reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small wooden badge with several symbols decorating the face of it. Without another word Shunsui places the badge on the table, sliding it over the smooth wooden surface and into your waiting hand, “That’s for your John-san.”

Staring at the badge for a moment you blink a couple of times in succession, your hand turning the odd looking object over in your hands before you speak, “What…exactly is this?”

“J-John-sama…” Soi-fon speaks up, her voice trembling as she speaks, “Th-That is…th-this is…insane!”

“Soi-chan I’m not understanding a thing you say,” you mutter as you look from the small dark haired beauty to your other, equally floored girls, “Oh come on, is anyone going to tell me what the hell this is?”

“John-san, do you know what happens in Soul Society when two Shinigami have the same Zanpakuto?” Shunsui speaks with a calm voice, his lips taking another slow sip of Sake as you shake your head. With a sigh the man’s lazy brown eyes meet yours, his face the picture of calm and composure as he speaks again, “In order for the rules of Soul Society to be satisfied, there must be only one Shinigami to one Zanpakuto. In short, the two Shinigami with the same Zanpakuto must fight to the **** in order to be named worthy of holding the shared blade.”

A powerful feeling of rage and disgust at the insane rules builds up in your stomach as you speak your next words, your hands clenching over the badge as your teeth lightly grit together, “So is that why you are here? To challenge me for the right to Katen Kyokotsu? If so then I must tell you that you have walked into a **** wish, no matter how much stronger than me you might be I will never give them up to anyone.”

Both Katen and Kyokotsu blush deeply but Shunsui merely chuckles, his head shaking back and forth as he speaks again, “Oh no, you see I detest fighting so doing anything like that would go against every natural fiber of my being.”

“So then why are you here?” Your voice is filled with tense curiosity, your hand still rolling the badge around your nimble fingers as you wait for your answer.

However it is Yoruichi who is able to shake off her shock the fastest, her voice calm and even despite the flaring sense of surprise in her eyes, “John-kun, what you have in your hand is the badge of a Division Captain…whoever is holding that is the designated captain for the Eight Division of the Gotei 13.”

You blink owlishly a few times before you speak up, “E-Excuse me?”

Shunsui chuckles a bit as he rises from his seat, his hat shading his face as his pink kimono flutters from the sudden ascent, “I forfeit John-san. As the previous owner of Katen Kyokotsu I am officially retiring from the Shinigami life and settling down, maybe set up my own clan…nah too much work, maybe just sip sake for the rest of my days, now that sounds like a beautiful couple hundred years.”

“I-I’m sorry Shunsui-san,” you speak with regret and apology, your body rising to your feet as you address the dark haired man, “I never meant to make you retire over this…”

Instead of anger as you would expect Shunsui laughs, a deep belly laugh that shakes the windows with its intensity, “Don’t worry about it John-san, besides if I were a vengeful man then giving you that badge is enough **** in and of itself.”

“What do you mean?” your tone is coated with worry as Shunsui gracefully skirts out of the room, a grin on his face as he calls his last comment over his retreating shoulder.

“It means you get all the powers and responsibilities of my position as the Eighth Division Captain, enjoy dealing with Nanao-chan!”

“What.” You tone is flat as the man walks out of sight, your eyes turning from the empty space where Shunsui once stood to your now gawking girls, “H-He can’t do that…can he?” As the four of them nod slowly you groan, your forehead finding your palm as you sigh in exasperation, “Wonderful…what the hell else can go wrong today.”

The second those words leave your mouth a deep sense of dread fills your gut and with a powerful bang your front door opens to a large breasted woman with messy black bandaged hair and a single arm standing in the doorway with a deep snarl, “Yoruichi!!!”