- makes the whole world blind

"In more ways than one." She remarked back.

Carmen watched him round the corner, a pleasant smile lighting her face. He looked different in the fading light, not as threatening. Then again, the last time she had seen him was in the pitch darkness of the night with a sword pressed to the back of her neck. Carmen did her best to act natural, to dissuade onlookers from pausing in their commute.

When he finally came to her, he returned her smile with his own, and offered her an arm. The gesture threw her off a bit, and her smile faltered ever so slightly. Even so, she took the arm he offered without hesitation, rising up whilst sheathing Sanzaru with her free hand.

"Two days. To awaken it, at least." She spoke casually, letting him guide her to wherever it was he planned to go. "Thank you. For helping me." Carmen added awkwardly after contemplating what to say next.

"I suppose it is time for me to return the favor?"

She watched him with confusion, walking a bit behind him as she lead her around. They came to a tea shop she could have sworn was closed, and entered in silence. He chose a seat by the abandoned bar, walking off and letting her arm slip from his. She followed him and took a seat beside the man, looking at him with suspicion. Something was amiss, she could feel it in the air.

A question regarding what was amiss nearly escaped from her lips before he interrupted her angrily. She didn't know how to respond to his strange inquiry, looking down at her hands awkwardly. "I'm afraid I do not, señor. Is it common knowledge?" Carmen hadn't believed it was which was why the question had caught her off guard.

His next one did as well. What was he getting at, exactly? "Of course I do." Carmen responded defensively. She held a vast knowledge of many things, the history of the Seireitei was something she had familiarized herself with long ago.

Carmen had assumed he had lacked a second eye, ripping the patch off of his face in order to reveal what she already knew did little to shock her. She eyed it once before looking back at his good one with a raised brow. The purpose behind this meeting must have been one she had misunderstood. What she had thought was a follow-up seemed to be more of an interrogation-esque get together. Her suspicions were confirmed when Keiji's name was uttered.

"Yes, what about him, señor?" Still confused as ever, she tried to find a reason behind this outburst. Had she done something wrong? No, no she hadn't. At least nothing that anyone besides she and the subject in question knew about. Carmen had made sure to carefully hide any sort of evidence that her daily trips to visit the old fukutaichou were anything but that. Her meticulousness had prevented any sort of suspicion from arising, so in truth, she had no idea why these accusations were being spit in her face.

All of these questions lacked answers. They were all rhetorical, though, trying to get Carmen to see what she was doing from this man's perspective. "I haven't done anything to compromise your intentions, señor. Keiji is still rotting right now, as we speak." She reminded him. His outlandish final request caused a spark of anger to flare within her, but she only let it show in her dark eyes. Carmen hated being threatened. She always had. Such a tactic did little to make her cooperate fully. Why did he resort to this again?

"Explain what? I fail to see how I'm stabbing you in the back in any way." Shizaru's courage had given her an edge. Death didn't scare her anymore either. Experiencing it once had taken the edge off. "What of the deal? What do you want from me in return for helping me? Isn't that what this is about?"