The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the streets of the World of the Living. You had just finished up a routine patrol when you felt the familiar, almost electric pulse of Yoruichi’s presence, a constant, magnetic force that never failed to make your pulse quicken, even after everything.

You turned a corner and saw her, leaning casually against the brick wall of a nearby alley. She looked relaxed, almost indifferent, but there was something in the air, something just a little off. She crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze narrowing as she met your eyes.

“Hey,” you called, grinning at the sight of her. “I didn’t expect to run into you tonight.”

Yoruichi pushed off the wall and took a few steps toward you, her movements fluid, her posture still as effortless as ever. But something about the way she was holding herself was different. There was a slight tension in her shoulders, a flicker of something in her amber eyes that you couldn’t quite place.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice smooth as always, but with an edge you hadn’t heard before. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately.”

You blinked, confused. “About me?”

Yoruichi’s lips curled into a wry smirk, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’re becoming quite the hero, huh? The talk of the Soul Society. Everyone’s whispering about how you’ve been handling all those high-level missions, how you’ve stepped up to the plate.” She paused for a beat before adding, her voice slightly softer, “How they can’t stop praising you.”