Welcome to Gaia! ::

The door is open. Mock said, as he heard the knocking on the office's door. He had actually been feeling Evil's reiatsu for a long while now, so he wasn't surprised when someone knocked, as well as he knew quite well who it was. You can come in, Evil-san.

The honorific came without him giving it too much thought. It was discourteous (at least according to Mock's etiquette) to address the Captain-Commander as an equal. He wasn't trying to, but it might seem like that, especially after having requested her presence at his own office, when normally it should be the other way around.

He didn't correct his conduct though, there was no need for it. Correcting it would merely augment the error. Mock treated Evil that way, because the last time he talked to her, they were being treated as equals, by no other than his mentor and once Captain-Commander - Daven Moto.
Also, the reason that made MockaDash request Evil's presence at his office, was also an act of bonding and pleasantry. Such formalities would just ruin the whole thing.

Please, take a seat. The Captain asked from behind his desk filled with paperwork, employing his usual hoarse tone of voice, as he cordially extended his right palm in the direction of the chabudai. You are my honored guest here.

The chabudai, a small round table in the center of the tatami floor - that covered half of Mock's office - had a tea set on top of it. Steam was coming out of a large tea-pot. Evil, would most certainly be able to recognize this particular tea set, if not immediately after seeing it, then surely given some time she would.

Mock smiled at the Captain Commander. He had a keen reiatsu perception. One so developed, that even allowed him to perceive subtle changes in (let's call it) auras. He was able to notice, up to a certain degree, other's states of mind. He could feel Evil's apprehension towards his invitation to sit first, so he was glad that she was making an effort to comply, especially since she was trying not to let it show.

MockaDash got up from his chair, and sat across the small round table, opposite to where Evil was. He ritually commenced preparing and serving the matcha, and said By the way your eyes are locked upon this tea set, I can see that you've remembered who it once belonged too. It was in fact Daven's, hence why I requested your presence here. I wanted to talk with you while having tea, and I wanted to use this set. I hope you don't mind. He finished, while presenting Evil with her bowl of green tea.

Aside from your wedding - in which we barely even talked - and that regretful circumstance that was Daven's presumed death, we have yet to truly socialize. While talking, Mock reached for his kiseru and tobacco pouch that were inside his kimono, and started preparing the pipe to smoke. I think it's a shameful thing, especially because you're the Captain Commander now, and we both - in a way - share a common past. We were once his Vice-Captain.

Placing the pipe on the corner of his mouth, he asked I hope that now, after shedding some light on and under this particular circumstances, you don't mind my sudden invitation anymore, Evil-san.

Mock was put a bit off guard by Evil's unresponsiveness. He invited her to talk and for them to get to know each other better. He did so, maybe because he felt the need to connect to the new Captain-Commander like he once had done with Daven. Or maybe because they should have a thing or two in common, since they were both chosen (at different points in time) by the same man to be his right-hand. Or even maybe, just because he'd heard how short tempered she was, and he was secretly hoping to fight her.

He didn't knew the answer himself. He just knew he wanted to invite her over. But now, he was unsure of what to say, especially after Evil herself showed little or no interest in being the first one to start a conversation.

Do you mind if I smoke? He asked. It was the only thing he could think of to say.

As if acting by reaction to Evil's response, the tobacco ignited on itself and the pipe was lit. Mock took a short puffs of smoke. The pipe lighting on its own wasn't an act of magic of course, unless you consider "Demon Magic" to be what you'd normally call "magic". A simple focus of reiryoku on the tobacco as he was preparing it, could easily be triggered into a small combustion with the right amount of reiatsu focused on the right place.

Sending the smoke high into the air so it would not disturb his guest, and also for it to quickly escape through the open window towards the outside, Mock answered Evil's question. The moment I knew Daven was when he asked me... Well not ask... That man never asked anything. The Captain paused to take some more puffs and slowly exhaled the tobacco smoke as he continued. He transferred me from the 5th Squad - where I was an unseated member - to the 1st Division as his 3rd seat. Soon enough I was made his VC. Well maybe not that soon, time just went flying I guess...

Taking yet another pause in his speech, Mock rested the kiseru on top of the table in order to pick up the large bowl of matcha in front of him with both hands, and took a long sip of the hot tea.

...and you?

I never asked to hear your life story. He bluntly said. His own was still a bit painful to him. But after hearing some of it, I see that we share another thing in common in our past. I too know what the deep sorrow of losing someone we love is.

Taking a deep breath and closing his left eye (the right one was covered by his black eye patch), he took a moment before saying, as he once again fixed his stare on Evil I lived in Rukongai. One of the worst districts to be precise. In there, I shared my days and cold nights with 4 other friends. We were all orphans. And they were all killed by Hollows. I couldn't do nothing to prevent it. He employed a rather calm and somewhat cold tone of voice. I still bare the scars from that day. Not merely the physical ones. The rest, is history... I was the only one the Shinigamis were able to save and they brought me here to Sereitei to be healed in the 4th Squad.

Mock picked up his pipe once more, and inhaled a large amount of smoke from it. It seems our group was targeted by the Hollows because I possessed a level of reiatsu higher than usual for a common Soul, even at that time.

Therefore, ironically, my power is also my curse. If I didn't had this potential in me in the first place, my friends would still be "alive" right now.

(( The alive is between quotation marks, because a soul is already dead, but it can die again in Bleach. You got the point X3 ))

Mock smiled. He now recalled the last time time they met, on Daven's old office. She had some tomato juice with her. To-ma-to Juice? He almost spelled it, in inquiry. I don't think I've tried it yet. Can I have some? For a moment there, he regretted his decision. He wondered if the tomato juice would go well along the green tea.

It probably won't. he thought.

(( Short post to counter your short post! XP ))

MockaDash promptly grabbed the bottle of tomato juice handed to him by Evil. He was actually a bit reluctant to taste it, but it would be rude to let it show.
The Captain took a single sip from the bottle, almost only wetting the lips. It tasted funny at first, but had some amount of sweetness to it. Mock couldn't quite grasp the taste from such small sip, but it wasn't at all distasteful. So he decided to take a few gulps of it this time, in order to better feel the flavor. He even allowed the last sup to remain inside his closed mouth for some time, and played with it, moving it back and forth almost gargling. This allowed the juice to get into contact with his entire tongue, and Mock swallowed the last amount of liquid with a gasping sound.

Surprisingly, it's quite nice! He said with a grin. Not actually sweet, but not sour as well. I would say it's bittersweet. As if possessing an enjoyable sourness!

I liked it! He squinted as his grin got wider.

That's okay! I'm fine thanks. Mock answered as he showed her his open right palm, as if signaling her to stop. I honestly liked it, but I'm not as crazy for it as you seem to be! He was still warningly smiling as he talked. It wasn't the juice that lifted up his good humor, it was rather the gradual way in which the atmosphere around them was getting less and less dense with each passing second.

It does seem however... He observed in a somewhat worried manner. ...That it has a strange effect on you.

It's as if you're getting pumped up all of a sudden!