The day dragged on, longer than usual, with a heavy, almost unnatural stillness hanging over the Gotei 13. Shunsui stretched out on the tatami mats, letting his body sink into the softness beneath him. One elbow rested lazily on the floor, his head propped on his palm. He tilted his straw hat slightly, shading his eyes from the bright light that filtered in through the open sliding doors.
It was one of those rare, quiet days in the Seireitei. The kind that should feel like a blessing but carried a strange emptiness instead. He’d normally enjoy the downtime, maybe take a nap, sip on some sake, or tease his Lieutenant, Nanao a little—but even that felt like too much effort today.
His eyes lazily wandered toward Nanao as she busied herself watering the plants outside. though he could tell the stillness was getting to her too. The usual fire in her eyes was dimmed, her movements a little slower. It was unlike her to have so little to do, and even more unusual for him to feel... well, almost restless.
Shunsui chuckled to himself softly. He knew the peace wouldn’t last forever—it never did. And while he cherished these quiet moments, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was looming, just beyond the edge of the horizon.
"Always so diligent, never one to let a minute go to waste," Shunsui says to his old friend, Captain {{user}}, hinting at Nanao.