Episode 15: Echoes of Past Lives [BleachitP]

[Ganurath]

Mia sat at the virtually empty desk in her room, her zanpaktou set out in front of her. The sun coming in through her window illuminated the modest quarters, her bed at the back wall flanked by bookshelves and file cabinets. It had been two days since she was rescued from captivity at the hands of the shinigami. Every minute or so, anyone outside her room would be able to hear her say "Drag them to the depths, Calamar Gigantesco."

((Private thing for Mia and Liz.))

[strawberryman]

Liz hums to herself, a vase of roses under her arm as she headed for Mia's room. She had been meaning to visit, as she'd heard of her recent captivity in the Seireitei, and wanted to make sure she was unharmed. She raises an eyebrow at the Arrancar's apparent act of releasing. She knocks. "Mia-san, is everything all right?"

[Ganurath]

"Come on in, Liz." Mia glances up at the door with a smile, waiting for Liz to enter before making one last attempt at releasing, both hands hovering just short of contact with her zanpaktou. "Drag them to the depths, Calamar Gigantesco! ...Figures. I've been trying to figure out how to release without being in contact with my zanpaktou."

[strawberryman]

Liz comes in, setting the vase of (red) roses down on Mia's desk, an obvious gift. "Hm... yes, I can't say I've heard of that being possible, unfortunately. How are you?" She sits at the closest available seat, smiling at Mia, but betraying a slight look of concern in her eyes.

[Ganurath]

Mia sheathes her zanpaktou, being careful not to knock over the vase. "...Better now that I'm free again, but still shaken up. I was pretty much reliving the end of my mortal life."

[strawberryman]

"Mm... I was hoping you might tell me about it... Your capture at the Soul Society, that is. Did they treat you well?..." Her smile fades, now being replaced completely by concern. Though, Mia's mention of being able to even recall her Mortal Life made her somewhat envious...

[Ganurath]

"When I woke up, I was in a cage of kido barriers. When I realized I couldn't form a garganta... The man addressing me, for the briefest moment, looked just like my murderer." Mia's hands cup themselves over her hollow hole, although the full signifigance of the gesture may be lost on Liz since it's covered by her shirt. "I went into a panic. I was gripped by fear more solidly than rage would grip Abishai in a snake pit."

[strawberryman]

Liz clenches her hands together, and leans forward. She'd offer a hand to hold, if she didn't have a discomfort with them (her own). "Mm...?", she prompts.

[Ganurath]

Mia starts wringing her hands in her lap, taking a deep breath before she continues. "The more I freaked out, the more they tried to box me in. The more they tried to box me in, the more I freaked out. It only got worse when that Vice-Captain I've been running into showed up. He picked me out as his rival, and had recently become an untrained Vizard. It took the intervention of the 2nd Captain to stop him from killing both me and my captors."

[strawberryman]

((Actually, she didn't offer, unless Mia is reaching out. Was kind of assuming she was on the other side of the desk, too. So unless Mia reaches out Liz won't initiate. She's that uncomfortable with her hands.))

[Ganurath]

((Editted accordingly.))

[strawberryman]

Liz sighed... "I would hope things had gotten better after that... Otherwise I may find it outside my ability to find compassion for such foes..." She really hoped she could. Such behavior from people who were supposed to be protectors, though... was inexcusable.

[Ganurath]

"It did get better after that." Mia smiled halfheartedly, glancing up from her lap to look Liz in the eyes. "The 2nd Captain limited access to me to a handful of people so the initial lunatics would stay away. He came by for an interrogation sensation, but it wound up being more of a conversation on philosophy. It went south when I responded to his efforts to villainize Father by bringing up his late Vice-Captain, though."

[strawberryman]

Liz sighed yet again, though this was one more of relief. "That is good to hear." ...though having compassion would make fighting them that much harder, now that she thought about it... Was her mind trying to torture her? She tried to push those thoughts to the background, the only thing important now was Mia. "What had he done?", she asked curiously.

[Ganurath]

Mia seems to pale at the question, looking into her lap again. Her head then snaps up in realization. "Oh, the Captain? He asked me why someone like me would associate with 'horrible monsters' like Father or the late Octava. He was still alive when he used him as an example, by the way. His efforts in that regard were more of a secondary goal, but they were still enough to get under my skin."

[strawberryman]

"Hm... It is true Augustus-san had some... sadistic tendencies... But I do not believe Erscheinung-sama deserves such a title as 'monster'... Are they really so blind to the fact that we're a family, just as any other?... I am sure we could live in peace if given the chance... Even with those of us such as Abishai or..." Liz stops for a moment, recollecting herself before her deeper emotions got the best of her and spilled out. "I'm sure our primarily violent nature could be sated against the more primal denizens of this world... Are we not the same as them, now? We can feel things other than Hunger or Aggression..." She stopped herself again.

"I'm sorry... I was rambling. Go on?"

[Ganurath]

"Yes... Other than that, it was just some books I requested and a bed until Father came to rescue me. The same Captain let me out, got me my zanpaktou..." Mia smirks and nods her head toward a book that had yet to find a shelf. "Even let me keep the book I was reading."

[strawberryman]

"Hm... Maybe there is some hope for peace after all..." Liz smiled a little bit at this thought, as foolish as it may seem to hope for such a thing.

[Ganurath]

"He actually expressed a similar sentiment..." Mia tilts her head in thought, reflecting on Captain Satoshi's words. "At least, he thought the two of us could have gotten along if not for the war."

[strawberryman]

"...If only things were different." Liz pushed her naive hope to the back of her mind once again. As long as her family was endangered, she would have to fight. "Did you witness any other insight as to the mindset of our enemies...?"

[Ganurath]

"The aforementioned Captain was considerate, patient, and sociable... Provided you didn't attempt to provoke him. The man who was originally in charge, Kambei, he was the cliche knight in shining armor made interesting with emotional instability. The Vice-Captain... Imagine if he was Abishai and I was every snake in existence." Mia furrows her brow at this particular thought.

[strawberryman]

Liz sighs, again. "It truly sounds as if we are not so different... And yet they consider us the monsters..." She shakes her head. "It is good to see you unharmed, at the least. How were things before your captivity? It is my regret I was not around in my family's time of need..."

[Ganurath]

Mia's mood suddenly changes to something like complaining about workplace conditions. "Father and I are in the mortal world, watching Abishai fight some vizard, and I go off to grab a snack. Hey, tuna sandwich, the shinigami won't attack me for eating something other than mortal souls, right? I have my mouth full when I'm first introduced to the Vice-Captain I mentioned. We trade words, we trade blows, we both part ways. Thus begins the saga of being stalked by a Vice-Captain and not being able to finish my tuna sandwich."

[strawberryman]

Liz nodded, still thinking deep down that their foes were not so different. Truly, if they had others of such instability, how could they consider themselves to be in the right? How could they consider themselves any better? It baffled her to no end.

[Ganurath]

Mia continues on, sighing a moment first. "I helped Carcharadon get stronger with the combination of some torture chair he strapped himself into and my triggering his blood frenzy. Father wasn't too thrilled with that idea, but everything worked out in the end. I had to bribe Abishai out of interfering with my tuna sandwich, though. He decided to get involved anyway once Carcharadon broke free, so I didn't need to see if my void ink blocking his sense of smell would end Carcharadon's frenzy."

[strawberryman]

"Hm... I hope no one was caught in the collateral..." Maybe she should spend a visit to Carcharadon, she thought. There had to be better things to do in his free time...

[Ganurath]

"Nobody was, the fight was isolated to the chamber housing the chair. After that, I went to get another sandwich, ate it while talking with a substitute shinigami who had no clue what I was or that I knew what he was, I found an anomalous character that I thought we had recruited, but apparently the offer didn't sit well with him. Then Toho-sama ordered everyone who wasn't fighting off invaders to attack Soul Society, and I'm sure you can guess who's right there waiting when I arrive." Mia rolls her eyes at the thought.

[strawberryman]

"Your 'stalker'?" Liz shakes her head in disbelief.

[Ganurath]

Mia grimaces and nods. "I was already in release, though, so I was able to quickly cover him in void ink. Apparently he really didn't like it, though. His inner hollow started to come out! I kept telling them while I was in captivity, that guy needs to see a therapist..."

[strawberryman]

"I sincerely hope that not all their Vice-Captains are of such instability." Liz frowns.

[Ganurath]

((Coming from Nukari's player...))

"And I sincerely hope that it's just a coincidence that every guy that's been attracted to me has been criminally insane." Mia sighs as she glances toward her bookshelf, resting her chin in the palm of her hand with an elbow on the table.

[strawberryman]

((Hey, she doesn't know about him yet. :smalltongue:))

Liz seems somewhat surprised at this comment. "I'm... sure you'll find someone?", that being the only response she could think of.

[Ganurath]

"At this point, the problem's more on my end anyhow..." Mia's mind seems to wander at this, but quickly snaps toward her guest. "So, how've you been?"

[strawberryman]

"I have been fine... My recent activities have been centered somewhat upon 'catching up' with everyone... Takeshi-san and I have come to a bit of a standstill at sparring matches... 8-7, I readily admit him to be in the lead. I've talked with Helena-san a few times..." Liz recounts some of her visits with the other Espada. She then sighs (yet again), happily. "I missed this place during my travels. I love seeing archaic castles, but I love this place and my family so..." She smiles sincerely at Mia. "And I am sure Erscheinung-sama is more happy than I am to see you back safely, but you are a sister to me as well."

[Ganurath]

"Thanks, Liz." Mia's eyes are still fixed on her bookshelf. "...Have you told Takeshi how you feel about him, yet?"

[strawberryman]

Liz's face almost immediately turned to match the shade of her eyes at Mia's question. "Uh-um... No... I l-left him some roses the other day, though... IhopehelikedthemIhopehelikedthemIhopehelikedthem.. ." She stared at the ground.

[Ganurath]

"I'm sure he will, Liz." Mia can't help but smile at Liz's reaction, propping up her chin on both her hands. "Since you're usually the gift-giving type, though, you may need to be more direct if you want his... Attention."

[strawberryman]

"Uhm... I wouldn't know where to start... I... All I know is my duty... I feel so awkward and shy around him..." She looks at her feet, shuffling them around.

[Ganurath]

Mia glances around in a conspiratorial manner. "How about you and I make a deal, then? You help me find a guy I can have a healthy relationship with, and I'll help you hook up with Ta. Ke. Shi."

[strawberryman]

Liz looks up at Mia; her face is still as red as the roses set on the desk. "A-are you sure...? Um..." She thought about it for a moment... It was more than she could have hoped for, but she didn't feel she deserved someone like Takeshi. But... she could help Mia, too... And she felt that she couldn't decline the receiving end of the bargain. "...A-all right, it's a deal."

[Ganurath]

Mia grins, and reaches out to shake on it. "Excellent!"

[strawberryman]

Liz reaches out a hand, smiling, but looking uncomfortable with the handshake. "Indeed."