Good Things Come to Those who Wait[Shio/Mirja]

Shio could already see that she was starting to lose her composure; whether it was because of his own commentary or because of her natural personality he couldn't say, but he could notice countless tiny signs that said she was about to strike, or do something very foolish. He contemplated, for a few scant moments, actually coming clean. He considered all the possible realities that could've spun off from that one tiny decision; telling the truth, he concluded, could have many possible outcomes. And the mere possibility of nothing at all happening was too much for him to stomach. So he simply turned back around, and shrugged.

"You can't force a man to have conviction. You can't make someone decide something is important. I'm not sure what you want me to say, at this point. You're trying to convince me the best thing I can do is to make my death memorable. That's a pleasant thought, but I wouldn't know where to start. I'm a soldier, and that means I follow orders. There's not much room for innovation or initiative in the life I lead, and the work I do. The soul society doesn't need shinigami waxing poetic and wondering 'but what if' when there's paperwork to be done, and souls to be ferried along, and a balance to be kept. The best thing I can do for the Gotei is to wait patiently for my orders."

He turned around once more, sighing softly to himself, and beginning to shake his head. It was so very difficult, trying to spew this garbage. He knew what he wanted to say, all the countless conversations he'd run over in his head. He had run all the possibilities over and over. And how desperately he wished he could see the look of shock and disgust. How much he wanted to hear the sympathy in their voice, to know that for the first time there was someone who could actually tell him in no uncertain terms that things were going to change.

But again. Such a thing wasn't to be. And so he had to simply go about his life, swallowing those words he so desperately wanted to say, and get back to the soul-crushing monotony of training drills and scouting.

"And fix my wall. That's a pretty good use of my time, too."