More Than Rice Alone [OPEN]

It had been a long, well not a siege since they were not holding fast behind fortified walls beset by the enemy yet that same uneasy hold fast and wait feeling was the same as a siege (or at least how she imagined a siege to feel since she hadn't actually sat through one - that she could remember at any rate). Or at least it felt like a long time despite being in fact only a handful of weeks. Either way the effect was the same.

Sato Miyuki was ill equipped for waiting when it was not part of an ambush. It made her feel restless from the need to go and do something - anything - rather than just sit there and risk having to confront the personal demons conjured up by an idle mind. She was no great planner, and there was only so much time she could reasonable devote to talking to Akatsukimi in meditation without going sparse. Luckily enough there were still some things she could do; a course of action she could take that would let those with both the talent and responsibility for that focus on what was needed to retake their home.

Armed with a list that already contained the basics, as well as few items she'd like to pick up for personal use if it was possible, Miyuki started to make the rounds of the Shinigami to find out what she needed to pick up during her shopping trip.

It was a fine day, infact the sun was bursting through the heavens and there was not a single cloud to be seen in the sky. It was the perfect day to relax after some serious training. Which is what this snake was doing, sleeping on some toasty rocks in the shinigami compound. Well, half sleeping. It always payed attention when out in such an open area, mostly just incase a hollow appeared.

As the snake lay there thinking, a scent caught its attention and it looked up. The snake was familiar with many of the gotei members, not freinds per say but it liked to keep tabs on these things. Which is why this new scent made it look up, and raise itself from the rock a little. The snake let out an intrigued hiss and if it was not noticed, would begin to follow the new girl, slithering quite quickly along the path behind her to see what she was up to.

There weren't many of them here, at least not for the moment. Some would've been out on patrol for hollows and souls did not care that they had been broken so that they'd had to flee their home or risk loosing even more than they already had. Others were out doing their bit for the war effort - information gathering, searching out alliances, conducting small raids on the enemy which achieved any number of small objectives. Others still were just not there; no doubt out in the world doing whatever. So far Miyuki's supply list was short and pretty basic but there she wasn't quite done asking around yet. It would be enough for her to head out to the local department store, however, and really there was no real reason for her to seek out those few who she had not spoken to and were still here.

The nebulous presence of something off but not a threat gave her pause. Tucking her list in her purse, she waited and tried to suss out what was out of place.

The girl seemed to notice something was off, but she didn't quite figure out what. Having followed her for a little while, the snake began to get bored, and decided to say hello. It slithered up let out a hiss to draw attention. "Well hello young shinigami. Might i ask who you are?" The snake said.

It slithered past and moved infront of her. If she made and sudden movements, like attempting to kick the snake, it would dodge with seemingly impossible ease. "You look like your off on some errand. Would you like a hand?" It let out a laugh like hiss, because as a snake it had no hands. The snake raised its head and seemed to be smiling, which was pretty strange for an animal. It waited patiently for her reply.

Miyuki stilled even further, barely daring to even breath. She knew little of snakes save that what was before her was a snake (certainly not enough to put a name to a species or even divine if it carried poison that killed or simply a noose's luck) and that, as a general rule, snakes did not speak. No animal did. And for while she knew of Yoruichi (like many of the heroes from the Winter War), she did not know Yoruichi. Talking animals were the stuff of spirit tales and legends, and while they too would in centuries hence would dwell within legends of their own making, having taken back the Seireitei (for they would take it back), that time was not now. Still surprise was no reason to be rude. Slowly and carefully Miyuki bowed.

"I am Sato Miyuki." she said in introduction, "and if it suited you Snake-san, I would not mind any assistance you would care to offer."

The snake hissed in pleasure. Or something like that. "Nice to meet you Sato Miyuki. When did you come to join the gotei?" The snake asked. When she accepted the offer of help, the snake nodded. "Give me a moment then." The snake said, and then a cloud of red smoke exploded out from the snake as it spoke the word of a kido. Seconds later a fully clothed woman stepped out of the cloud. "Sorry about that, its kind of public here, cant be shifting in full sight."

"Well if you still dont know who I am, I'll tell you. Diath Xios, at your service." If Daith was right the name should click with the girl, because Diath was actually the vice commander of the gotei, and her younger sister the captain commander. "So what is it you need to do? I'm sure I can help."

Miyuki paled even further than she naturally was and might've squeaked. Not because of the whole animal/human transformation thing (as a shinigami, that was hardly the weirdest thing she'd seen) but because Diath was one of the highest and most respected members of the Gotei 13; for someone who felt that she was just an ordinary shinigami this was an honor and a privilege that she felt she in now way deserved.

"Ma'am." she squeaked out, quickly snapping to attention. "I thought that I would do a supply run; see if there was anything that anyone needed - especially outside of the ordinary, general things."