Yue’s various pleas, arguments, warnings and statements were effective. Not 100% effective but effective none the less. Osamu still thought he was right but he was more open to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he was wrong. Certainly Yue was making some sense and he agreed that she had some perspectives and experience that she did not, just as the reverse was true. Osamu was not a man used to making fundamental concessions. He was used to trade and barter, give and take but not compromising on his fundamental nature or his overreaching goals. He looked distinctly uncomfortable for a few moments and when Monty came running up with his stick Osamu gladly took the excuse to put his attention somewhere else for a few moments. Rather than just throwing the stick he engaged in a little tug of war with his dog, a tug of war Osamu could easily have won but he let his dog put up a good fight before Osamu wrenched the stick free and threw the stick again. Whereupon he looked at Yue, then looked at his feet and sighed deeply. 

She was starting to feel slightly concerned for him and her smile dropped, prompting her to step closer and watch him with concern, contemplating on whether to ask if he was alright or not.
 
He stayed like that for about three long seconds before looking up at her and engaging her with a look of seriousness and conviction. “All right. I’m not convinced you are right, only time will convince me of that. I still think the worst is coming but you make several good points and as I have already said, my primary motive is avoiding a civil war or minimising the damage from one I cannot prevent.” His stomach was in knots, he felt like he was going to throw up, his head ached but he kept it all well contained and presented a calm façade that only an expert could see was slightly cracking at the edges. “I’ll slow down. A lot. I’m not scrapping those more radical plans yet but I’ll put them in cold storage as it were. We’ll go with the schools, hospitals, work programs and other key quality of life programs whilst leaving the social order essential untouched. Perhaps something akin to a plebs court to deal with Rukongai issues only could be established. But I’ll back of the bigger affairs for now. If you are right and they are satisfied with that then… so be it. I’ll stop there.” Though even now his mind was pulling in a thouand different directions on this point. He was oddly silent for a few moments, clearly he wanted to say more but it would have been something of an unseemly emotional outpouring and he oddly he cared a bit too much about Yue’s opinion of him to do that just yet.
 
 Instead he kept himself in check and after a moment of gathering himself he continued. “I don’t think they will stop but I’ll avoid putting the other elements of the plan into action until I know they need more, rather than just thinking it.” This was a big concession for Osamu, though he could set his pride aside in small matters, such as insults and jokes, easily enough this was huge to him. Furthermore Yue had to realise he had spent decades preparing this. It was a huge personal sacrifice. He looked at her for some good long time, his gaze suggested now was not the time for her to be leaving. Not just yet. He diverted the issue for a moment and declared in a slightly lighter tone. “Of course this still means taking on the Ichigawa, even with the reduced plan they stand in my way. They are still going to have to go. I believe I can manage this myself without disrupting the social order to the degree where upheaval becomes likely. You never know, I could quite literally replace them. The Ichigawa could become the Iwakura. Stranger things have happened.” He was smiling and laughing by the time he had finished that sentence and though he said it in jest the thought was in his head now, where it would sit and fester. “Still, you clan and theirs have no great love for one another. If anything you should support me in this particular endeavor.” 
 
There was nothing Yue could've liked hearing better and it brought back her smile, significantly increasing its brightness. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that, Iwakura-san. I certainly hope you can achieve your goal of hospitals and schools, you can consider me on board with that." Though the fleeting thought of him trying more crossed her mind more than once, Yue decided to push it to the back of her mind and address it later. There was no point in dwelling on it now, not when there was a far more important thing to worry about, she realized with growing horror. She'd unwillingly and quite accidentally revealed her origins. It wouldn't be enough to reveal anything more; any digging he would do would be useless, as there was no record of Sakurai Miyuki - she didn't exist. Nevertheless, it truly alarmed her and it showed on her features the more she thought about it. 

"Still, I cannot see how getting rid of the Ichigawa will benefit society, nor how it will be possible. Those diplomats are necessary and you might just sorely need them at some point. Trust me, if you haven't yet come face-to-face with an Ichigawa, consider yourself lucky because they might just make you your own worst enemy. They're indispensable, even my father will admit it as long as they stay far away from him. I personally don't like them and I might not mind seeing them as individuals go but they have a gift that isn't worth getting rid of." Here, she paused, her mind still filled with worry. "Though I don't see how you'll manage to make a family big enough to be considered a clan in the next two thousand years." Her tone changed to a slightly lighter one, though not less serious. He wasn't married yet and while he possibly would in the near future, Yue couldn't see him with a large enough family, especially if they had medium to large reiryoku reserves, to call a Clan. Additionally, he wasn't noble enough, unless he married a woman from the other three families.

Yue’s fear that Osamu may attempt more was well placed, he desperately wanted to go further but he took Yue’s cautions seriously. If going further really would cause a civil war rather than avert one, well then, he might just have to stop. Perhaps, if he thought he could win the war, he would go further. A generation of blood was worth the change, perhaps. But these were questions Osamu would have to wrestle with personally, deep in the night. She could however, rest easy for now. As things stood he would stop where he said he would. However, he was clearly not as happy with things as Yue now seemed to be and her pledge of support for his frankly paltry measures rang hollow and mocking. Even if it was genuine it seemed to taunt him. One thing was for sure, he was going to have trouble looking in the mirror tonight. He felt sick and wretched, he felt like he had just betrayed countless thousands, millions even. That he had somehow sold them out. The moral core at the center of his being was twisting and writhing in both pain and protest and he was only just keeping it locked down. He even felt a sense of loss, not of defeat but more akin to the death of something. On the surface he did not smile as she did, he could not even bringing himself to force a smile. Instead he nodded calmly and wordlessly at her pledge of support. He seemed in control but something about his face was wrong. He looked like a man who had just been told that a family member had died and who was ramming the emotional reaction down, deep down to maintain control and decency. 

The worried reaction she was displaying at her slip up did not elude him, as sullen as he may have been he kept an eye open. He knew something had gone wrong and perhaps he could hazard some guesses as to what but he did not know anything for certain. He filled that information away in the archive of his mind and made a note to perhaps do something about it soon but for now his mind was darting about in too many directions to focus on that. 

At this point, she intently noted Osamu's defeated reaction. All the apprehension she'd felt towards him attempting more rushed up all at once but it wasn't enough to squash down her empathy. She genuinely felt sorry for the man and though it wasn't enough to make her go along with his grand plans of pushing down nobility, Yue felt the urge to comfort him through a reassuring smile, though she maintained her distance.

He fixed her with that oddly heavy look again. Monty came up to his master but rather than throw the stick Osamu just gently gestured for the hound to sit, where Osamu absentmindedly tickled him behind the ears. “Permission to say something personal.” He waited for her answer, he wasn’t about to take liberties with what he was about to say with Yue being amenable to it. Plus he was about to ta subject she didn't want to discuss head on but he felt he had to do it. Yue nodded in response, her mind already far off of the meeting, eager to return back to her Division. A question or two couldn't hurt her more than this meeting could've.

“Your fiancé. If you love him, fine. I wish you the best of luck, happy life, many children and so on. But if you don’t or if the cost is too high for your liking don’t damn well do it you fool. You can hit me for that statement if you like.” That last sentence was said like a joke but you could tell by Osamu’s tone that he was using humour and levity to ease a difficult topic. “Set aside family duty for a moment you are a Captain of the 13 divisions. We do a damn hard job for a damn small reward and it’s a damn important job to. We deserve some basic happiness in our lives. We can’t all get it but we shouldn’t lie down when misery is forced upon us and I certainly don’t want to see you subjected to that. Disregard any family duty you may have for a moment and ask yourself. Do you want it? If yes then good, and as I said, feel free to hit me.” There was that humour again. “But if no then let’s find a way to get you out of it. I’m assuming you would have tried point blank non cooperation but I know there are other ways. I’ve weaseled me and my sister out of enough arranged marriages to know it can be done. Certainly don’t let the Ichigawa force your hand. Besides, if I keep on going as I am going they won’t be any position to force your or your family to do anything soon. But you deserve to be happy.” He let it hang there, keeping her locked with eye contact. His tone had been dripping in sincerity when not forcing humour. He wagered she would just walk off which would be a shame. Agreement and violence were also realistic options. He also knew the two had other things to discuss but that could wait for a different day. Today, this topic was the only weighty thing left to talk about.

Had she been anyone else, Yue would've slapped Osamu for he hit too close to home for comfort. But what he said was, in fact, true. How could someone love a stranger? Yue doubted her non-existent feelings for Ryuusei would change even through marriage because while she hadn't told him - or anyone else for that matter - she knew he preferred another just like she did. The chance of infidelity was not too high yet they were both careening toward a disastrous marriage with no brakes. Yue herself would never have cheated as it went against her morals but Ryuusei... she couldn't tell.

"I think it's obvious to anyone who knows us both can tell that I don't love him. He's a stranger to me, a stranger that I'll have to marry sooner or later. But I'm willing to do so if it gets rid of the animosity between our Houses. If it benefits my family, I'll do it." She'd been selfish countless times before, mostly prior to being adopted. But her compassionate nature often thought of the greater good and the benefits. It was a matter of personal sacrifice that she was willing to take in order to see others happy. That was one of the drawbacks of being much too soft and compassionate but Yue couldn't stifle it down like most others did in the face of an unwanted event. "I'm thankful for what you said and what you think. I won't feel as heavy anymore, knowing that someone could see through the greater good and see what it really is for. But even if I wanted to, I couldn't. It's a binding contract hidden somewhere. It'll have to be terminated by both Heads agreeing in an unanimous decision." At this point she looked away and drew her light, blue-green eyes up towards the sky. Light, poofy clouds floated against the blue backdrop, bringing with it a sign that it was probably going to rain that night.

"I'd have strongly preferred someone else I already have feelings for but it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Yue laughed lightly. It was forced, yes, but still sounded natural. She applauded herself for the ability to overlook her fate but it hadn't been so in the beginning, having left the room in tears. The following days had been tear-filled, sorrowful and lonely as the rumors circulated and people congratulated her left and right. "Out of curiosity, though, how did you get yourself and your sister out of marriages?" It wouldn't apply to her, of course, but Yue was genuinely curious. Osamu hadn't struck her as one to be married away. 

Her mention that it was likely that both family heads would have to agree made the machinery necessary to break off the marriage far more complex but still a workable machine. Her mention of her already having feelings for another man made Osamu raise an eyebrow as he instinctively said. “Wh..” He didn’t even finish saying the word who, as he raised a hand and said in firm but apologetic tone. “No, none of my business. That might become relevant later on but it’s nothing that needs to be divulged now.” If the identity of this mystery love interest would become important to the plan he would ask. Otherwise it was for her to say, when and if she ever wanted to. He did not laugh or even crack a sympathetic and easing smile when she forced her own laughter. He was taking this far too seriously. When she asked how he got out of the marriages he looked at her and paused to think for a moment. 

Yue smiled serenly, though it did make her face color slighly, a light pink that stood out against her pale skin. She didn't divulge that particular bit of information much and wasn't used to admitting it - in fact, today had been the first time she'd said it out loud. It was slightly uncomfortable to do so and to come to terms with but she knew the inevitable couldn't be avoided. Though most suspected nothing between them, it was far from the truth concerning her feelings. It was a double-edged sword, however, bringing home the fact that it could never happen. It was Ryuusei she would be betrothed to, though - luckily, in 200 years. There was still time to avoid the man.

Osamu was pleased to see her smile like that, with some colour added to her cheeks. He was secretly a little disappointed not to know the identity of the true target of her affections but he could live in ignorance of that for now, for her sake.

Osamu had taken Yue’s previous warnings about the power of the Ichigawa seriously, he would adapt as a result of them but he remained undeterred. Ideas were flashing up in his head already. Most of them bad ideas that were swiftly rejected but a bit here and a bit there might survive the intellectual cull and slowly something resembling the skeleton of a plan was already coming into being. Of course the stakes were too high to be rash and hasty so he would reflect on his designs in private for a while before even mentioning them to those who would be the closest confidants in his scheme. These thoughts were still in his mind when she talked about her doomed and seemingly inevitable marriage. It pained him to see her surrender herself in this fashion. He didn’t know the woman well. The vast majority of their time together had consisted of one slightly heated meeting and one surprisingly civil argument. Perhaps the woman had managed to erect a truly stupendous lie through the whole proceedings but he doubted that. Certainly he hoped that was not the case. Never the less, no matter what the truth of things she had garnered respect and an odd sort of fondness from the man and he knew that he did not want her to plunge head long into this misery. 

Her devotion to her family’s interests was admirable, and though Osamu thought it was slightly misplaced that was not an argument he wanted to have. Besides, it would likely only frustrate her and he was not here to do that, not on this topic anyway. “I understand your willingness to sacrifice. It’s odd where we draw our lines. I’m willing to be poor, hated, imprisoned, vilified in history, despised by my family, send my whole family to prison or the executioners block, die cold and alone in a forgotten shack in a forgotten slum, all for the cause. But I won’t marry for it. Odd. It’s inconceivable to me.” He caught himself about to go into a rant on the evils of arranged marriages, words like slavery and prostitution came to mind but he stopped himself. He didn’t need to convince Yue and such descriptions would likely only upset her. What he needed to do was find her a way out. 

"Well, as long as he or she leaves you alone and doesn't force you to do anything, I think it's fine." Yue wasn't really convinced much herself, making her argument sound slightly weaker and unsure. Countless other features of marriages, most unavoidable, surfaced and drifted through her mind, nearly breaking her controlled exterior. But it wasn't enough to dissuade her from doing her duty. If it meant spending the next thousand years with a man she barely knew, then so be it. 

Osamu’s heart twisted slightly at Yue’s desperate attempt to justify to him, and perhaps herself, that the arranged marriage would not be that bad. When she made the delicate but obvious reference to sex Osamu’s soul groaned slightly. He didn’t let it out of his mouth, that would have seemed patronizing. What made it worse though was the fact Yue must have known she wasn’t getting out of her sexual obligations and was engaging in pointless denial. Refusal to consent at all was grounds for a dissolution of a marriage and if it was broken up almost as soon as it was formed then the whole thing would have been pointless. She was going to have to lie down and take it and this idea infuriated Osamu. He had known it all along but now his attention had been called to it, it was really rubbing him the wrong way. Essentially they were talking about rape, it was clear Yue wanted no part in things and Osamu viewed it as worse than murder. The wheels of Osamu’s rage were starting to spin faster and faster but he kept it all under control. His resolve however, had only be strengthened. He did however, slowly shake his head a Yue and the message was clear. It said ‘if you marry you know you aren’t getting out of that particular obligation.’
 
Relaxing a tad he squatted down and tousled Monty for a while before throwing the stick again. “My father is an ambitious social climber. Never one to accept limits on what one’s station is or what a man is meant to do. I suppose I get that from him but we aim at very different targets. Plus, he kind of think he’s the only one that should be unrestricted, but I’m getting off topic. My family doesn’t need for money. We’re well off and if we ever end up short we are very good at making more. I’d wager we could outspend some nobles, though not the big four. In the space of my life time we went from modestly wealthy to really rather wealthy. But we never had class. He married into class though, relatively minor nobility but nobility none the less. He bought his way in, got them out of a financial tailspin whilst they still had decent assets and got an heiress wife as part of the fee.” Osamu suddenly chuckled slightly, two amusing thoughts struck him simultaneously. Neither of which he voiced. One was the fact that he suddenly realised that Yue, in some respects, reminded him of his mother. Meekly surrendering herself for the good of the family to a man she barely knew. The other was the fact that he had more noble blood in his veins than her, after all she was adopted, yet he was the one who had the poorest relationship with the nobles. He felt that neither the comparison not the reminder that she was adopted would be particularly kind here so his laughter went unexplained. He wished he could have kept it inside but it crept up on him too quickly. Instead he just waved an apologetic hand and kept going. 
 
Returning to the matter at hand he cast a sideways glance at Yue, smiling slightly. “Good old dad is a force of nature and was determined all three of his children should marry up. As the first born I was the prime cut of meat for the market. His first attempt was before I even took up the sword. I stamped on that one by exploiting the fact that the girl’s mother had a soft heart, it was the father who was behind the arranged marriage. I made it very clear to the girl in question that I would make her miserable. I intentionally made every moment we had together agony, I was an utter ogre, whilst simultaneously putting her in situations where she would meet lots of dashing young men. Then through bribed servants, the fact I knew the daughter would go to mother and an absolute model of a man I paid to pour affection over the young woman I created a situation where the mother was absolutely livid with the whole state of afairs. I got a lot of stick but I didn’t care. The girl’s father got more and he was weak willed. He gave up under the hen pecking. That solution won’t work here at all though. By the way, I hear the girls happily married now with two young boys so that worked out well.” 
 
He cast his eyes to the sky as he remembered the second occasion, taking in the same clouds Yue had been looking at so intently mere moments ago. “Number two was a twist on the same approach, but I appealed to wallets rather than hearts. Only reason people would marry us, other than love, is money so I just had to find someone eligible, willing and richer. It was a minor chap from a sub branch of one of the big four. I just got into social situations with the identified bachelor and his parents and kept talking up the marketable qualities of the girl I wanted to lose without seeming too obvious. It took a while but it worked eventually. As soon as that family started sniffing around the girl’s parents dropped my family like a hot brick.” Osamu contemplated things for a moment before saying. “Without wishing to sound base I reckon you are fetching a very high price indeed, not necessarily in coin but in other, more valuable things. Finding someone worth more than you and trying to do a switch probably won’t work. A shame you had to be so valuable.” He grinned slightly at her, it was an odd compliment, wrapped in a joke, but a compliment none the less. Still, he did not dwell on it and continued with his stories. 
 
“After that father decided to drop trying to sell me off, decided I couldn’t be managed. I had shot down several more attempts buy being a stubborn, immovable jack ass. Those two were just the serious threats. However, father decided to move onto a softer target, my sister. Fun fact, you want me to break your neck just touch my sister.” He gave a little chuckle again followed by a sigh as he moved slightly close to Yue with a long, casual and comfortable stride. “I’ll sacrifice her for the grand cause but if anything other than that comes close to harming her I’ll rip its arms off and stamp its head into the ground.” All of this was said with a warm, gentle smile. It was clear he was not merely protective of but also fond of his sister and he had good reason to be, the woman doted on him and at times acted more like his big sister than his little one. But that was a conversation for another day. “It swiftly became clear that my sister didn’t want to be married off so I set about sabotaging the thing. I couldn’t do it by assassinating her own character as I had my own the first time. I didn’t want to spoil her prospects in the event she found someone she actually wanted to marry one day. So I had to go on the offensive. First one I near bankrupted. Got hold of various financial information, got my hands on a few of their plans, built up a good picture of their business model and then went about feeding information and advice to their competition, through conduits of course. Better yet the law started sniffing around when a tax irregularity came to light. Even father wouldn’t marry us into poor nobility so that put an end to that.”
 
In casual, almost vacant tones he continued. “Attempt number two on my sister doesn’t count. I lucked out. Guy got beaten to death buy some intrepid thugs who made it into the good part of town. Likely made more money off of his purse and clothes than they would usually see in a few years. Not my doing.” Then turning to Yue, with an odd smile he said in a manner that made it obvious he was being ridiculous. “Don’t suppose you’re willing to murder a couple people are you, or have them murdered?” Despite his tone he paid attention to Yue’s answer, ready to carefully examine any nuance or subtle and hidden meaning. He guessed her answer would be no, but it might not be.

"If ordered to, I would." No saying who would, or for what otherworldly, strange reason, the Central 46's orders would be carried out. "As much as I would like my hand to just slip over their afternoon tea, I couldn't live with myself having killed an innocent soul." Her gentle nature made itself clear at these words as her tone slipped back to her characteristic soft, gentle voice. All the murder she'd comitted along with countless assassinations had had, in fact, made her feel so guilty that she couldn't sleep at first. But when their crimes came to light - murders of innocent people, rape, thievery of priceless objects and treason - Yue had no qualms with getting rid of them, even if it was achieved by slitting their throats in the dead of the night, leaving behind no sound or trace. Over the years, as she'd climbed up through the ranks of the Second Division, she was already on par with the most skillful of assassins, being the quietest and most maneuverable of the men. Most didn't even know she was there, not even when their lives flashed before their eyes and were met with the telltale light that accompanied death. It was more of a routine, really, one that somehow never got old as the targets always changed.

It was seen as impossible to be a good, honorable and genuinely nice person with no ulterior motives but Yue had learned to live with it. Most outside the Gotei didn't know her Division's specialty enough to judge her as a heartless assassin but the distrustful look she got from some low-ranked Division Shinigami did hurt a bit, especially when she usually wished them a 'Good morning' and got alarmed looks and cautious looks in turn, probably expecting to be made her next target. "I have other people for that, don't worry," She had once replied to an inquisitive yet brave Shinigami that had asked it to her face.

Her response to his question, though serious, was slightly disappointing. Then again, he had never expected to garner any meaningful information from her due to the light tone in which he asked the question. What he really wanted to know was if she would kill on her own initiative, without the approval of the central 46 or the captain commander. Not if she would perform a legal assassination but a cold blooded murder. The answer to that question would have to come later. The answer she gave was vague, she seemed unwilling to kill but he was not sure of the veracity of it. 
 
“Attempt number three on my sister I resolved with blackmail. Every family has skeletons and I made it my business to find theirs. I shan’t go into details. It would break the blackmailer’s code.” He said that last little bit with a smile. “But you would be amazed what the threat of jail time and loss of property under proceeds of crime rules can do to motivate a man. I doubt the Ichigawa have been so stupid as to be in a position to be readily blackmailed by the likes of me but I can send out some sniffers. It does, however, give me an idea for a bigger, more ambitious ruse that might get you out of this particular little problem. But the idea has only just sprung into my mind and I need to think it through.” 

Yue laughed, genuinely entertained at the mental images. No doubt Osamu would've gone to such lengths to rid himself of unwanted obstacles but his persistence made her laugh in near-amazement. She wondered what other methods he had under his sleeve, how many other ways he had to ruin an arranged marriage. It would be entertaining, at least, she thought and it was obvious as she continued to laugh softly to herself. "It seems you aren't much of a fan of marriage, are you?" It was a rhetorical question she didn't expect to be answered but nevertheless, it was an question she already knew the answer to. "I'm amazed at how many ways you found to get rid of fiancees though it does certainly sound encouraging to anyone trapped under the weight of one." It did slightly disappoint her to know every method - the financial blackmail, the sabotage and even the murders could have any affect against her own predicament. But Yue did feel happy for Osamu and the fact that he'd gotten away, several times. "Truly ingenious. You certainly seem knowledgable enough to get rid of anything your father cooks up for you and your sister. It almost makes me wish I had a brother like you too."

Whilst Yue might not have expected her question about marriage to be answered, it was answered none the less and it was answered seriously. It was a subject Osamu felt strongly about and though he approached the question with a slightly light hearted air you could tell he meant every word. “No, I take marriage very seriously and I want to be married, long and happy. Children, grandchildren, the unspoken knowledge and bond between two fundamentally compatible souls, the knowledge of struggles endured together and the fact, that at the end of the day there is someone there for you. It’s safety and security, it’s trails and troubles, the odd flaming row, difficult in laws, nights spent worrying about if tomorrow will get worse and the eternal hope that together it might just get better. I want it all and I want to get it right.” Sighing he smiled and looked up slightly. “I take any such emotional commitment seriously, even if it looks like it might all end up fizzling out before marriage. That’s why I fought off those women. I want to be a happy man, a good husband and a good father. I want to be loved and loved in return. So do we all really except mad misanthropes.” 

"I'm glad you see it like that, it's nice seeing someone who remembers the values of marriage." Yue replied, giving him a wistful yet sunny smile. Most marriages were now either due to necessity in the case of Rukongai, misjudgement, a prior arrangement in the case of nobles or simply having no other option. It was rare seeing a truly happy married couple - true, everyone went though rough patches at times but it was uncommon to have it work out in the end. His reminder made her wish for one as well, all the potential moments and events running through her mind at an alarming pace. It did make her smile to herself; to love and be loved in return. Osamu really did have his head straight on that one, it was pretty clear he was on the right path unlike most others who never bothered with the seriousness of marriage. Not until they got thrown in an unwilling engagement, anyway. 
 
He gave a little chuckle and sighed at himself again, he was smiling too now and it was a genuine smile, though a self-deprecating one. “That explains why I never really got close to anyone in that regard. Never really had the chance to get to know someone who might fulfill the criteria. Well, that and the great unsightly thing I like to call a nose. Seriously, who would want to marry this face?” Truth be told he wasn't really ugly nor did he think of himself as such. Characterful would have been what he went for but he knew not everyone agreed and he was using this for a bit of a laugh at his own expense. He considered making a crack that Yue might like to volunteer but, given the situation, he thought that might be in bad taste. Instead he gave another laugh before sighing once more, more sadly this time however, before saying with a surprising resolve. “I like you and I wouldn’t give up hope yet.” He then said with a smile and a slight laugh. “You’re right, I am a genius, nice of you to finally notice.” Before returning to more business like tones. “As a genius I think I can cook something up. I have a good track record and believe me those solutions I went through do not constitute my whole bag of tricks. My ideas are not fully formed yet but it’s coming together. I may have to consult with you later on, if it gets deadly and criminal I may distance you from the design so they can’t hurt you later on but as I said, my ideas are half baked at the moment. The oven of my mind works fast but it’s not instant.”

Yue felt slightly uncomfortable at his joke but laughed along good-naturedly anyway for lack of anything else to do, she'd never known what to say when people citicized themselves.It really couldn't have been nice having people judge him for his nose, something he really had no control over. Eventually, she spoke. "Don't say that, any decent woman wouldn't be superficial enough to be unable to look past your appearance," Yue said, her voice denoting her slight disapproval towards such people. While initially it'd been the first thing Yue had noted about him, she'd moved past it a few moments later and she failed to see why others couldn't now. It made her feel a bit emapathetic towards him, knowing that he'd noticed. It really wasn't fair to him, not anyone else. 

Not sure whether he was serious or not, Yue laughed along with him on his second statement, preferring not to comment on it. "I'd appreciate it, but you'd get into too much trouble. The Central 46, through the Ichigawa, might even put you on a hitlist just to spite me," The prospect of it was all too-true and the last thing Yue wanted was for someone to die in her name, doing something to try and liberate her. And on top of that, doing the killing herself. No, that couldn't happen. As much as Yue wanted to grasp at one of the last shreds of hope she had, it would kill her inside to see Osamu die for something so insignificant. And it showed on her face, her normally peaceful look now riddled with worry.

Osamu chuckled slightly and smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” Then, realising the accidental insult of her words he said in mock insulted tones. “Look past my appearance? So you agree with them! Well now I am hurt, to think I thought you were different!” He even put on a tiny little pout but a second later his face erupted into a smile as broad as a Cheshire cat and he just laughed. He knew she didn’t mean anything buy it and she probably knew that he did think she was different. So, after a few moments of chuckling he just said. “We both know good men and women are in short supply these days. We have to value the ones we find.” On the face of it that statement may have seemed sad but he was still smiling because, despite their differences, he believed Yue was going to turn out to be a good woman after all. 

"You know I don't mean it like that. Appearance, whether attractive or average, plays no part in a relationship. There's nothing weird about your face, as much as you jab me about it." It took effort to keep the amusement out of her voice, well, most of it. 

The look of worry on Yue’s face made him worry as well, less for his wellbeing and more for hers, certainly emotionally and perhaps physical to. Furthermore he took her words seriously. To try and ease he worry he just lowered his voice and said. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I was just thinking out loud.” She really was too good, kind and soft for her own wellbeing, but she could be hard when she needed to be, or so Osamu thought. She was a rare woman indeed. Something worth protecting and making happy. Though he wouldn’t say it quite like that out loud.

Her words about wanting a brother though, moved him yet further and he gave her a long, warm smile. “You may not have brothers but I am determined, whether you like it or not I’m afraid, that you’re going to be my… friend.” The word friend seemed to have difficulty coming off of his tongue, as if it wasn’t quite the word he wanted but had to settle on it in the absence of anything else he could say. “And what are friends if not the family we chose? Maybe I’m not quite as fond of you as I am of my sister yet but she’s got over a century’s head start on you. Either way if I can stamp on this I will, and, if other problems should arise you can come to me. I think you need a… friend even more than I do and believe me I need one.” Again the word friend seemed not to want to come, it seemed childish to Osamu but there was something else, it didn’t seem adequate for what he had planned. But he gave no real sign of any of that, instead another truth about him manifested though the hesitation. He really wasn’t used to saying the word. He had good men behind him but he really didn’t have friends. “Unfortunately for you I may need you at times as well but, for now, you’re getting all the benefits and none of the cost.” 

Compared to how they'd started out the meeting, Yue felt her respect for the man go up. Fine, his plans were out of this world and threatening to ruin most of them including Rukongai but she couldn't deny the fact that his hard-working qualities were admirable and paid off. She found herself changing some of her personal opinions of the man, regarding him with more importance and respect than she'd originally had. 
 
Getting slightly closer still to Yue, though not so much as to be uncomfortable he said in hushed and serious tones. “You don’t want to hurt your family, you want to serve them to the best of your ability even if that means marriage. Fine. I can respect that. Well, respect might be the wrong word. I think you’re a damn fool but I’ll work within that criteria. It’s your life, your rules. But I’m not going to just sit back and let you throw the potential for a good and happy marriage later, away. Call me a bleeding heart romantic but I know it’s one of the things we really should do everything in our power to get right. I respect you, value you and….” He then leant in and whispered to her with a little smile. “Don’t tell anyone this but, like you…” Before he leant back and continued speaking at his previous volume. “Too darn much to idly watch you slide into oblivion. If I can get you out of this mess without comprising your family too much I will do it. I’d beg you to be more selfish but that’s not going to work. You’re too nice for that. Your devotion is both apparent and admirable, if frustrating at times. If I can get you out I will. I’m not sure how yet but I have some proto ideas knocking about my head. You are a Captain and a good woman, you deserve better treatment. But it will involve locking heads with Ichigawa, as will the core cause we were discussing earlier.” Taking a step or two back Osamu than paced in a small circle around Yue, a look of deep contemplation on his face. “I need more information, about them, your family, the exact hold they had over your father to get this marriage going rather than just vague warnings about their power. I’m going to need the support of your house and other houses. I’m going to need a lot of things. But I think we might need to reassess the invincibility of the Ichigawa. Mighty, yes, but even titans fall and even if I can't make them fall I can prize a few chunks out of them, you included. You may have opted to give this one up but the Ichigawa haven't beaten me yet. They may one day but let them come. I'll have to be clever about it but it was you who told me mere minutes ago that anything is possible.”

Yue wasn't all that bothered by the closing distance anymore, not as compared to when he'd first started pacing and circling around her like a shark, slowly getting closer. She doubted he'd attack at all, as was evidenced by the contemplative look on his face. It did indeed strike her that when they weren't arguing about something or the other concering 'the cause' and his grand plans, they were quite easy to get along with. And he certainly did move her with his attempts and willingness to help; most wouldn't be bothered with her personal problems, though the marriage was common knowledge. She was still getting congratulated to this day. 

"I'm flattered that you do and I respect you just as much, but Ryuusei-san is a good option considering the alternative." Even now Ryuusei's name was unfamiliar on her tongue and it didn't seem to be fading away anytime soon.Up until now, Yue hadn't shared the last bit that cemented everything into place. "It seems I've had a growth spurt, because Otou-sama is considering me ready for marriage. Even if it somehow breaks between Ichigawa, he'll marry me either to some other noble or worse, to a Yukihiro. Have you seen my family men?" Perhaps a stupid question, but a necessary. Yukihiro Hayate, before his death, had been a prime candidate as Yue's future husband and he'd certainly made it clear enough that he liked the arrangement. She did feel a bit bad at not regretting his painful death but she knew there were more in line, patiently waiting. There was no saying what they would do, compared to Ryuusei. "My father has said he wants a strong heir. Ryuusei-san is obviously an exception but if that plan of theirs goes down the drain, there are more to take his place to 'produce a strong heir', a direct quote from Otou-sama. For all it's worth, I hope the kid comes out scrawny." The last bit, Yue smiled wryly yet sadly to herself, imagining a child - a young male version of her as slender and graceful as she, something Isao would definitely spit at. 

Osamu had not been blind to the potential that she might be swiftly sold off again, but it did not deter him. Yue had sold the Ichigawa as the ultimate threat, if he could break them then he could break any other candidates who came forward. A marriage within the Yukihiro’s would be an interesting challenge though to say the least. But he did not let that private doubt surface. “If I can break the Ichigawa then I can break anyone I damn well please and I’ll keep on breaking them until you get what you want and deserve.” A degree of vitriol had crept into his voice, aggression and confidence were both obvious but it was just as obvious that none of this was directed at Yue. “You will get what you want and I believe any such marriage or resultant child can still serve your family, fulfilling all of your criteria” His tone was firm and the way he hit the word ‘will’ left little room for doubt. 

"It's not as easy as you think. You can be arrested for meddling. Plus, they're pretty strong... I'm sure you've seen them, haven't you?" Size nor strength didn't bother Yue in the least, nor did appearance. It was their violent, forceful and demanding personalities as a whole that put her off to a large degree. Still, his words gave her lasting peace and her eyes softened. "I cannot control children, Iwakura-san. It's up to the DNA to decide their stature. I'm already halving the chances seeing as how I am," It was highly likely that any child produced by Ryuusei and Yue would be a lean one, something that probably wouldn't be liked by Isao. And his reiryoku wouldn't be as potent seeing as his father's would dilute the strength of Yue's. Nevertheless, it made no difference to her - strong or now, it was her child and she'd love them. But she doubted Isao would see eye to eye with her.

Her jibe at scrawny children though made him smile as well, again in a moment of self-deprecation. “Hey, leave the scrawny kids alone. I was all skin and bone and look at me now. I’m perfectly proportioned, maybe a bit lean.” Compared to many other male captains he was a tad scrawny, statuesquely gaunt was how he preferred to put it. Besides, he thought the muscle bound ones looked like gorillas someone had thrown some clothes over. Furthermore, if people kept on calling his stature into question he could always just cut their heads off, he was good at that and it tended to settle most arguments. 

Yue laughed softly and didn't reply for a moment. "I don't have anything against them, I'm the same. But my father... that's a different story. It would be amusing to see him flip a table over a baby." It all played over in head, unwillingly - Yue protecting the small bundle in her arms as she leaned away from the airborne table. Isao raging at her, telling her to produce another one pronto and this time, it'd better be stronger. It made her laugh, her eyes filled with mirth at the mental picture. "It'd be worth it, really." 

"But... I'm really moved that you want to help. It's breaking my resolve and I don't think I can handle it." Truly, it did move her enough to finally let some of her distress show; it did feel slightly relieving not having to continuously keep up her tranquil demeanor, one that didn't have any resemblance to her inner turmoil. It wasn't enough to make her completely break down, however, though that would happen sometime that night and over the next few days. 

Her confession that she was grateful for his concern and that her resolve might be breaking drew Osamu closer to her as if by instinct. He knew that any, small sign of a genuine emotion from her meant volumes and the more vulnerable that emotion made her appear the more important and meaningful it was. As such, her small display of vulnerability meant a huge deal to him. Slowly, but without fear he went to put just one reassuring hand on her shoulder. Any sign of unwillingness from her and Osamu would be able to smoothly move the hand away as if it were just another one of his many gestures. But if she didn’t give some negative sign a gloved hand would end up on her shoulder, resting there gently but reassuringly. “Even if I did not have to lock horns with the Ichigawa over that other matter I’d fight them for this. You will find I use the word promise very little. I take it very seriously and I only use it when I know I can deliver. As such I will not promise you success. I will however, promise you my every effort and my efforts usually lead to success. I am going to make this better. Now you can stay here and talk about this or any other matter as much as you like you don’t have to say a darn thing if you don’t want to.” At this juncture Monty came up, but as was so often the way with dogs, he picked up on the emotions present readily enough and rather than harass his master to play with him he instead lay down at Yue’s feet and looked up at her piteously, in a way only dogs can do. 

The hand on her shoulder made her tense and instinctively slip her hands deeper into her sleeves, reaching for the scalpel-like blade that lay there. She fought down the instinct and abruptly pulled her hands out of her sleeves, the bright glint of the diamond making her shove the sleeves down lower and lace her fingers together again. "But it's only going to cause more damage to others than any one person, no matter how 'valuable' is worth it. Really, Ryuusei-san isn't so bad. As long as he waits, I'm fine with it. I got the good end of the deal, considering the other candidates. And believe me, you can't meddle with inter-House affairs." At this point, Yue knew it was hopeless. But she was determined to see the bright side of all this, even through the prospect of marriage. 

"Please, promise me you won't do anything yet. You don't know how much this means to me but it's better if I think it over and consider others rather than only myself." Yue gave him a reassuring smile that for once through the whole conversation, was genuine. It wouldn't do good to only think of herself, she'd feel incredibly guilty afterwards. And that usually didn't end well, at best with a few hundred broken training dummies. Strange emotions she wasn't used to feeling so much ran through her at a hundred miles per hour, threatening to shut her down for good. It took her a while but she eventually got a hold of herself, successfully convincing herself Ryuusei wasn't so bad. He really didn't have the capability to force himself on her, did he? He had helped her out of the mess of the previous family meeting, at least.

Her timidness at his hand on her should made him worry slightly, but she seemed to adjust quickly and become familiar with the hand. He did however, see the ring as she flinched and he wished he hadn’t. That damn thing troubled him now almost as much as it did her. He wanted to rip it off but he controlled himself, breathing gently to calm himself down and just generally being a stable support for Yue for these few minutes. Her claims that somehow this was not worth it made him shake his head. To him, she was rapidly becoming worth it and it was made all the worse for an odd cognitive dissonance in Osamu’s personality. He had something of a white knight complex but at the same time could be cruel, deceitful, callous and even murderous should the situation call for it. “Don’t forget, this is about more than just you, at least in part. You just happen to be singularly important.” He was tempted to go into a great long demonstration of just how important and valuable she was but he stopped himself. It would serve no purpose for now. 

As much as she wanted to be left alone in regards to marriage, Yue knew it wouldn't be so, at least for the time being. Nevetheless the well-being of others was still a central worry - her belief that everyone had some good in them was butting heads with her desire to leave everything behind. Naturally, her compassionate side won, like always, prompting her to shake her head. "Ryuusei-san isn't that bad, believe me. I should think of him too - he's the same age, maybe a bit older, and getting tied down just like I am. Everyone has some good in them and they don't deserve getting shunted to the side." To Yue, her people-were-precious complex often collided with logic but today, it didn't. It made sense, at least to her, that the greater good in everyone shouldn't have been overlooked when dealing with issues that didn't involve war and crimes. Though when dealing with others, people often overlooked the other party and the other side of the argument, which was something Yue couldn't do. What if the other party had it just as worse as she did? Didn't it call for action that would benefit both parties? Otherwise it ended up becoming an unfair war, victory depending on who had the stronger support. 

Yue’s words seemed to make no sense to Osamu, when she spoke of the good in everyone and the need to consider the other side in this arrangement, her husband to be. If he was at least partly a good man, as she seemed to be asserting, and she wanted him to be well served as well then breaking of the marriage would still serve that goal. He could marry off for love as well. Of course, Osamu was unaware of the brain dead state of the object of his affections but that scarcely affected the reasoning. Love was rare but it was not singular or unique. A person could love more than once in their live and souls lived long lives. He could find another that grabbed at his affections. However, that was not the only thing that confused Osamu. True, you should consider more men than just yourself but not those who are actively going to hurt you to those you care for. They are enemies and an enemy must be beaten. But even if they were friends then breaking of the marriage helped Ryuusei as well. “Marrying him hurts him just as much as it hurts you.” Osamu didn’t feel the need to voice his justification. He trusted Yue would be able to understand it on her own. 

Yue shrugged, already having gotten through that. "He doesn't mind." At all, actually, she added to herself. Despite his other girl, he hadn't put up any resistance to the prospect of marriage, emotional or verbal. It had surprised Yue and still did, making her put constantly put her guard up around him. Nevertheless, his intentions were clear. "He's like a male version of me. That's why it's not going to work; we're too similar." Ryuusei was just as passive and peaceful as she was, at least in public, and while Yue felt lucky at first - and perhaps still did - she didn't feel like it would even remotely work. Logically, it shouldn't have. How many couples like that had she bypassed here and there? It never worked. Either way, despite her inner thoughts, Yue sighed as she took Osamu's words into consideration. She'd have to personally ask Ryuusei, though she could already tell he didn't mind. 'Well, that makes two of us.' As much as justifying the marriage hurt her, she couldn't let Osamu waste his efforts; it was out of consideration of him as well.

It did, however, make her feel a little bit better knowing she did have some sort of support, not only from others but from Osamu himself. Having been thrown into several arranged marriages as well, he knew what it felt like to have no control but unlike her, his weren't unavoidable. She had to admit, he'd done some handy work getting rid of women and his sister's suitors; it was far beyond anything she'd imagined. But her question had come with another purpose, to see the extent he was willing to go. And it was quite far, farther than she'd originally thought. She'd kept herself distant, unwilling to reveal anything else apart from the general details already known to the public but his actions worried her, as did his mind. If he decided she was too dangerous, too much of a liability - despite his words, and Yue knew opinions tended to change - he could pose enough of a problem to make her lose focus. In her Division, during her duty, everywhere, Yue knew she couldn't be safe. Nevertheless, she was a person who thought she had no reason to cover up and displayed her genuine personality to him, barely even lying, making the chance of him changing his mind highly unlikely. 

Despite all of that, all of the conversation they'd had regarding his and her marriages, Yue personally kept herself distant - until he stopped his grand plans, she couldn't count upon herself to trust him - it simply didn't work that way. People often had an annoying habit of stabbing others in the back, or even in the front when not looking as was often in the case of friends; Yue probably knew that better than anyone else. It set her mind off at a hundred miles per hour, thinking of possible next moves. What was she supposed to do at this point? She didn't trust Osamu and refused to budge an inch towards his side but he had offered her aid, aid that she wasn't willing to take if it meant hurting others. No, no matter how 'valuable' she was, her freedom wouldn't come at the expense of others. At least for the time being, her mind was set on this decision, inwardly cursing herself for her excessive compassion as she descended into yet another slightly sad yet worrying moment. She sighed, lowering her eyes to the dog at her feet. Oddly, the animal didn't bother her as much. But her own mind did, bouncing back between hard logic and her sometimes naive gentleness. She was willing to bet that one day, it was going to get her killed.

Osamu was a bit like a train, when he got going it was hard to stop him, he would plough on with a singular inevitability. Smashing through every obstacle until he reached his destination or he was run off of the rails. Yue had done the remarkable today. With regards to his main plan, to fundamentally reform the whole Soul Society, she had managed to apply the brakes to such an extent that the speeding runaway train that had once been his designs had slowed down to a gentle, manageable pace. In so doing she had, somewhat strangely, instilled a respect and fondness for her in Osamu that then got the engine of an entirely different train rumbling into life as he resolved to save her from a bad marriage and allow her the freedom to marry for love. Even now the wheels had begun to turn and the heavy, lumbering monolith began to slide out of the station and start to pick up speed. Now Yue was applying the brakes to this particular train as well. Osamu would have to be careful around her, she had a singularly strange effect on him it would appear. Considering her plea carefully he eventually nodded his consent. “Very well, I will not make a move for you yet. I will let you think on things but as you think I beg of you, beg of you, to give some consideration to yourself. Do not give any care to the Ichigawa and their prospects and do not fear for your own family. They can come out of this stronger than have been in the past three hundred years.” He sounded almost desperate and pleading in his tones, to his mind he was watching someone do something very, very stupid and permanently damaging for no reason. “We have plenty of other business to attend to in the meantime, like a war and tomorrow’s battle. But, we must start to make moves before the occupation is over or the Ichigawa will be able to strengthen their position. Furthermore, if opportunities come up that aid what we discussed earlier, I’m going to take them. But I will head your cautions.” 
 
Osamu let the moment hang for some long time, letting Yue process any emotion that went through her and not rushing her in the least. After this significant pause he smiled and said with friendly and reassuring tones. “You need anything come to me. Oh, and please stop calling me Iwakura-san. You can use my given name you know.” Then, as an amusing little aside. “Just not in front of the men.” 

Saying the same briefly went through her mind - but Yue knew she couldn't help him much in his grand plans. But, as a friend, she would try being friendlier with him. "As a friend, the same offer is extended to you. And I cannot, it's not my place," Yue replied, having been taught to automatically give that response whenever a situation like this presented itself to her. It was unavoidable - plus, being on first name terms would likely attract a lot of trouble, as well as fuel assumptions that the two were somehow involved. That wouldn't serve well to either of them, nor would the implications of her family finding out serve well. "Or my family," She added with a light laugh. There was no knowing how Isao would react to anything and while it was amusing at times, it was also unexpected and shocking, bringing about fright and apprehension.

Osamu was a little saddened that she declined to call him by his first name, but happy that she both accepted and reciprocated his offer of aid. He would not call upon her to aid his grand plans, not yet any way. He was far more likely to go to her for comfort when he was struggling to come to terms with the reduced plans he may have to settle for. “Not even in private?” He asked, almost hopefully but with a slightly mock tone to suggest he wasn't asking too seriously, but he suspected the answer would still be no. Still, he would respect her wishes even though it put up a barrier between them that he did not particularly like or think was needed. He was scared for her, for what she would decide to do. He had to save her from this, it was a rising compulsion and one he was not sure he could resist. He had to help, he had to! He would rescue her! 

Yue shook her head with a small, apologetic smile. She did hope he didn't mind her distance, wondering whether they'd really made any progress today, at least apart from the professional discussion. Yue had offered to aid him as a friend and while she didn't feel much of the personal attachment often associated with a friend just yet, she could provide the warmth from her natural reactions. Everyone deserved to be heard out and comforted, no matter their stance in life. Rich or poor, polite or rude, ambitious or not, it didn't matter. If Osamu needed a warm smile or an embrace, Yue would gladly do so, even if it was only to be able to see him happy. Really, despite his shortcomings, Osamu truly was a caring being, someone who didn't deserve to handle everything by himself. In fact, he was much more caring that she'd originally given him credit for and that was threatening the collapse of her logic against compassion. "You can say whatever you want in private, though, if you want. Even if you need me to forget it later, you should be able to speak without getting judged." Her voice was far gentler now, soothing and displaying an even softer side to her. Perhaps it was more that she was originally willing to allow but she did feel he needed it, if not more than she. It was tough to sort out her feelings, finding herself becoming more accomodating and perhaps a tad more emapathetic. He'd finally hit her weakness, that one part she couldn't control as much as she normally did. 

Osamu allowed a long, easy smile, to manifest on his face when she said that he could say whatever he wanted to her in private, without getting judged. He wasn’t sure if she meant it but he thought she did. He smiled partly because he believed it would be good for her and partly because he knew it would be good for him. He need a friend, someone he could talk at for a while, someone perhaps to go to just to complain. He had trusted colleagues by the truck load, men who would die for him. But none of them were really his friends. Privately he suspected Yue was in a similar position but he could not be sure. The biggest reason for him smile though, was not her words but rather her tone. The perceptible softness of it, gentle and soothing. He heard those tones far too little and he loved being on the receiving end of them. But even more he liked hearing Yue say them, her specifically. For her own good, in his mind, she needed this kind of openness with some people and he thought she would be a lot happier if she just allowed it out every now and again. Of course, professional image and detachment were important but you needed people you could be unprofessional with. It was one of the reasons Osamu had a dog, it was something to be unreservedly warm and affectionate to and something that gave back just as much. Osamu knew the need to release and give warmth and kindness could be just as great as the need to receive it. “And you can come to me for the same thing if ever you need it.” He felt it was important to reciprocate the offer and he tried to muster in his tone the same degree of comfort and care she had demonstrated but where it could really be seen was his eyes. 

Calming his mind down he briefly considered embracing her more fully but decided she probably would be deeply uncomfortable with that plus it would be a tad too familliar at this juncture and so just stayed as he was, one hand on her shoulder and looking deep into her eyes with all the emotion and sincerity he would allow himself to muster. “Is there anything you need or you want, anything you want to say or ask?” His tone really did convey the fact that nothing was off the table. If she had nothing further, they both had a battle to arrange for tomorrow. Though Osamu would not be able to dislodge Yue and her predicament from his mind for some time. 

The hand on her shoulder no longer felt as alien as it’d originally did; it was almost soothing, almost. The meeting had taken a turn for the better with hardly any arguments but even now, more than an hour in, Yue was still surprised by Osamu’s warmth towards her. It was unexpected but appreciated, nonetheless, and returned just a genuinely, even though Yue was still internally battling with herself. Absentmindedly, she wondered why Osamu seemed so unaffected and calm, as decisive as he normally was. Yes, it was comforting but it piqued Yue’s curiosity a little bit. She refrained from giving him a questioning look and instead simply smiled at his reciprocated offer. “Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. But I prefer listening.” It really did make her feel content just listening to others, allowing them to get their problems off their chest. It did help to have a sanctuary at times, even if for seemingly insignificant thing. And Yue was willing to be that sanctuary, for nothing in return and simply seeing them happy.