Bleach | The Hungering, the Thirst [HIATUS]

2 | Old Friends

A/n: Mate, this isn't even a sketch this was me actually trying digital art aaaghghhhhhghghhgh. Bruh its so hard to make precise lines 🤦‍♀️  but yeah, here she is (you can probably tell I gave up halfway)

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"L-l-lieutenant Ōmatsu?!"

Everyone looked back and forth between the pale man and the strange woman who was gaping back at him in amazement.

"E-eh, Kumagai? Damn, you really meant it when you said you'd never retire huh," She scratched a dappled cheek, blinking like an owl at the greying man who stumbled towards her to get a better look, for his eyesight was poor.

Kumagai gasped. "It is you! Well bless my soul! I thought I was seeing your father!" He exclaimed, poking and prodding at her as if she might disappear into thin air. "You look just like him now! Of course, a bit shorter and more womanly heheh. Last I saw you, you were only up to here!" He held a big hand up just below his wide shoulder, of which she was now level. "I wouldn't have known it was you if you didn't resemble your old man so much, hahahaha! Wait til' the others see ya kiddo, you'll sure be a sight for sore eyes," he rambled, pausing only when he caught sight of two men walking past across the forecourt. How he recognised them from such a distance when he was half blind was miraculous. "Oooooi! Miura, Toyotomi! Look who's back!"

Low and behold, more shocked inhales and hearty greetings followed when they came closer, completely disregarding the captain who was stood there with his patrol, confused as to what all the unwarranted fuss was about. Slowly, more and more Shinigami came over to see what the conundrum was, only a couple of them joining in when they recognised her. She'd looked happy at first but was soon becoming overwhelmed and rather irate the longer things drew on.

"Ira ira, I get it, I'm back. Can I just, eh— let go," her patience wearing thin, she snatched a hand back from someone who'd been keenly shaking it in a forward grip, "Give me some space damnit," Ryoichi steamed, then rummaged through her robes for a small wad of papers which she approached the captain with. "My name's Ryōichi, formerly of this Division. I've been away for a while on leave... of sorts," she winced, not fancying the term suitable for what she'd really been doing. "These are all my legal papers and— hey!"

A tiny hand had snatched them up and unravelled them. Ryoichi was about to yank them back until she noticed the bronze badge tied around the pink-haired girl's arm. "Hmmm! Kenny look, it says this lady's from here!" She stuffed the ID paper in the man's face whilst happily analysing the others. He couldn't read it even if he wanted too because of how close it was.

"Get that outta my face, Yachiru!" He growled, batting it away. "I don't care for paperwork." Then his wild hazel green eyes bore down on the woman in front of him as if she were something on the back of his sandal. "I've never seen you before and I don't really care but women don't tend to last very long around here. This ain't a place for weaklings."

Ryoichi had to cross her arms so hard that her ribs began to ache, fighting with the urge to so something stupid with them and his brutish face. "Weakling?" She sputtered, dumbfounded. "Were you listening to me or are you deaf?" She hissed. "I've been a member here long before you probably ever dreamed of stepping foot in this place. If you don't believe me, use your eyes and see what I gave you. That's if you can even read," Ryoichi scoffed, regarding his overall ragged appearance with a disdainful jeer. It was obvious to everyone that she did not hold a very high opinion of him from the get go.

Of course, he didn't take her attitude well, a vein on the side of his head was bulging. "What did you just say!?"

"You heard me, squatter-lookin' ass."