Between "Heaven" and Earth [Murasaki, Sophie]

Perhaps those words would mean more to another quincy, one that wasn't like her. Older, affected by the actions of the Gotei towards the Vandenreich. In a vacuum she did think they were despicable, intolerable and all that. She was only a recent quincy though, it was a painful path to get through with that gruelling training but it was thankfully past that point. Now it was the climb into their techniques and quincy arts.

"A militarised country that is new, attempting to adapt to the current world and exist and has restored stability in the African continent. Names like France, Italy, Germany, America etc. All of these are archaic, incredible that they survived through the dark ages of the spiritual world's encroach onto the living one's. It would not surprise me if we saw more of them popping up. I assume you wanted my personal opinion on Vastime itself though? I can't say I've been and to make comments on something that's unfamiliar or not tried is insincere to forming an opinion about it."

Sophie wasn't going to act like she could comment a great deal on the nation called Vastime when she was so detached from it, viewing it objectively rather than experiencing it. She knew that Alastair had spent time there and things that went on, that their king and the grandmaster were acquainted but that's all.

"Well, it was a bit of both. Professional and personal. You're right, though. They've brought a lot of stability to Africa, and I'd say even to Europe and America during the war. But I also think you're right that we'll probably see more countries start to pop up now that things are changing."

Murasaki took a sip of her tea, trying to think of how best to word her next point. She didn't have an issue with the woman before her, nor with the organization she represented. At least, not in the abstract.

"I wonder how much more influence they'll have. How much more the Vandenreich will have, too. I don't think you're exactly looking for war, but it's like you said. They're pretty militaristic by nature. I get the feeling that things on Earth won't be stable forever, and I think this situation with Death is only going to make things worse. Vastime was kinda quiet with their king gone. But something tells me he won't be back and just get to internal reforms."

"Are you presenting more than just suspicion in this point?"

Sophie poised, it wasn't like she had ever discounted the threat that Vastime might present by nature of its values, nor would she say that the thought of them looking to expand over the entire continent of Africa, the pockets that remained out of their hold but she wanted to know if Murasaki knew something that she might not.

At the same time, she thought it smart to clarify a detail.

"Under your last captain commander who I believe was the Queen of Vastime, you were allied no? Is that still the case?"

"I don't have anything hard to put forward at the moment, no. It's just speculation on my end, so I wouldn't try and think too much on it."

Of course, it wasn't blind speculation. Murasaki had spent a long time on Earth, after all, and she was someone that had a fairly strong understanding of others. She knew that, while Vastime had certainly maintained a solid sense of patriotism and goodwill, there was an undeniable cult of personality built around their king, that their propaganda machine was nothing to sneeze at. It wasn't a place she necessarily trusted.

"We're not allied anywhere near as closely, no. I think the last Captain Commander's two positions were a conflict of interest that she only barely managed to avoid causing any problems with, but that relationship was one of the few. I respect their position on Earth, just like I respect the Vandenreich's, but I won't ally with a country that has its own needs placed first."

Murasaki knew she was likely setting the Gotei up to be in a far less friendly position than it had been. That was fine, as far as she was concerned. She didn't think the Gotei recently had really been doing enough, if she was being honest. It was too complacent, too willing to bend to diplomacy for the sake of good PR. Murasaki didn't like violence, didn't like war, but she also didn't like the idea of just capitulating to anyone.

"If you say so."

She said while contemplating the rest of her answer to the question that Sophie had poised, about their allegiances. It occurred to her to wonder if Murasaki did in fact respect that position or if she was just putting up a front, well if she hadn't decided to attempt to erase them then the admin supposed that there was some leeway being provided her.

"I don't know if I'd say Vastime is as insular and selfish as you make them out to be, their actions in Europe during the Fourth World War, their king's assistance in the Minatumi situation. For a country I think they are quite willing to protect more than their share of the planet, moreso than many others. For example, Japan is quite the stronghold but that is all it is. The Lux Orior may operate out of the country but the country itself remains very centred on itself."

Sophie did say that with the underlying meaning that because Vastime was more willing to engage in other events that it showcased some dedication to operate out of their actual borders and reinforced Murasaki's casting of suspicions.

"Their king is associated with Lux Orior, isn't he? I don't imagine him stepping in at Minatumi is really that surprising. It's more expected than your Grandmaster showing up, I think, and that wasn't too surprising either."

Of course, that didn't address the matter of stepping in during World War Four, but Murasaki had to think more carefully about that one. Vastime had been involved in Europe and America both, and while she was glad they'd stepped away from America, that didn't end up being the case in the other theater.

"I think we'll probably see them step into more situations, whether it's in their borders or not. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe it isn't, but it's going to lead to some more conflict. War is always something that gets the Gotei's attention. All that death, all that negativity. Causes a lot of problems for us."

Of course, that much was true no matter who started it, but the implication was fairly clear. Murasaki wasn't going to let things escalate on Earth just because the Gotei was in Soul Society, and if they did escalate, she'd be holding people accountable.

"I suppose you're right"

She acknowledged Hayden's position in Lux Orior did make more sense though the fact she referred to it as more expected was a little peculiar. Sophie decided to formulate a response after hearing her out and the problematic nature of war.

"Our goal in the Vandenreich is to protect the living world from threat after the veil of living and dead was encroached upon over all those years ago I mean no disrespect Captain Commander but we will not remain idle, conflict is inevitable, ideally there'd be less of it if we weren't living in a dystopia where spiritual beings could crush the regular denizen of Earth as easy as breathing - where these fears were once unknown."

Clarifying their objective, the reason why the Vandenreich in its current iteration existed and aggressively tried to restrict travel or influence. Sophie felt the need to emphasise why that position existed.

"We should not be expected to rely on you shinigami and there's a historical precedent that us denizens of Earth should not rely on the shinigami in the modern era. You speak like you intend to hover as a shadow over everyone, any disruptions to your flow of souls will be treated as an offence of sorts. However, what right do you shinigami have to take this stance as being the balancers when the scales were tipped, no broken, more than a century ago?"

The Gotei were archaic, clinging to their identity as balancers while they waved broken scales over a spiritually polluted world. Neither tackling the greater issue of fixing that pollution or allowing the denizens of that world to adapt by insisting on their position as adminsitrating the whole process themselves.

Was it accusatory? Just a little, maybe a bit more snippy than she'd normally do but she allowed some room to speak freely. Murasaki could point out that the Vandenreich did not have a good track record albeit under far more incompetent individuals than their current leader. Sophie was blunt at times but she was not hypocritical nor so arrogant that she'd cling to an idea that her own faction was the most righteous and just of all groups ever to exist in history.

Her view of the history of the situation was coloured though, obviously. She viewed the Gotei as inept for the fact that it could not succeed. A hundred successes became nothing in the aftermath when you so demonstriably failed. It was just her opinion, if you can't trust someone to do it then do it yourself and that's what she did.

That lead to her strong resonation with the goals of the Vandenreich, to protect the living world that was her home which is what she didn't understand in her brother's attitude about it, what did these detached individuals that proclaimed to balance what was so heavily tipped to one side already? Why did he work with these people, was it just because of the woman opposite her that her brother worked with the Gotei? She really didn't get that idiot.

As captain commander, Murasaki knew that she probably should have defended the honor and good name of the Gotei. That she should have argued the good in their position, that they'd done the right thing. But that would have just been a lie, wouldn't it have? After all, Murasaki knew perfectly well what it was like to have no faith in the Gotei, to be done wrong by them.

"My predecessor said that one of the most important things to remember as a shinigami was that the average person, on Earth or in the Rukongai, will never be able to do even a little bit of what we can do. I think she's right. I lived on Earth for almost two hundred years. I know exactly how bad it can be down there, and how much the Gotei let that happen."

She poured herself a new cup of tea, not concerned at the idea of speaking ill of those who had come before her. If they'd done better, she wouldn't have to. Why should she respect people who hadn't earned it?

"The Earth, the people on it, they're part of the cycle just as much as anyone else. It's our job to protect the cycle, and if we've failed in that job, it just means I have a responsibility as the captain commander to make up for all the mistakes of the people who came before me. And don't think I'm unaware of just how many mistakes they've made.

The Gotei of the past has been made of a whole lot of stupid people. People drunk on power and thinking they're superheroes. They don't represent me, or what I intend to do. They've made an important duty look like an absolute joke, but I won't let that get in the way of doing the right thing. If there's a major conflict on Earth, the Gotei will step in. Those souls will have to be sent on, those Hollows will have to be purified, and I'm not going to keep on doing nothing just to keep up the legacy of the captain commanders before me."

Murasaki wasn't mad, and there was no venom in her tone even as she said all of that. However, it was a point that she wanted made very clear, that she was perfectly willing to let everyone know openly. That she was intent on returning to how things should be.

"I agree, for the most part people do not have the power to survive in this grim landscape. However, the climate is no longer the same. Hollows are no longer just the enemies of shinigami, the moment the veil was peeled away they became the enemies of everyone. People down there aren't concerned about your soul cycle, people down there are concerned about their lives, their loved ones, their homes. Things they need to protect. For us of the Vandenreich, built of people who do call the living realm their home. They aren't thinking about the fact that their soul is important to your job."

She explained from her point of view. A person that once didn't have a lot of power, she didn't conceal the fact that her reiatsu was still very low as well. Murasaki could easily have killed her by releasing her reiatsu if she wanted right now but Sophie didn't become a quincy because she thought it'd be a nice change of pace, it was a pathway to climb and seize a means to protect the things that she cared about. She was good at her craft but she felt the reality of what Murasaki was saying in regards to feeling powerless, she was in that group of people. Her brother was in that group of people.

They fought against their own powerlessness.

At this point it was a greater sense of Sophie's personal views bleeding into her argument, she didn't care too much if the Gotei operated. She acknowledged their role and she thinks the Grandmaster did as well, as much as she wished it wasn't the case. They were a necessary thing. However, the idea that people of the living realm who were no longer in the dark about spiritual activities should be given the same freedom and power. It was their home.

"I apologise, at no point am I trying to imply that your role isn't important. The Vandenreich acknowledges that it's a necessary thing, though at the same time I cannot stomach the idea that we should be content to be sheep under you shinigami as a shepherd and that we are not able to approach the growing dangers of our own home - whatever that may manifest as. Vastime, the Vandenreich or the Holy Roman Empire."

She felt it necessary to stress that this was her speaking, not as a voice for the Vandenreich. If a war in the living world was to happen that wasn't a force from another realm invading such as hollows and demons then the Gotei could clean up the aftermath but the idea of their affairs being policed and interferred with by the invisible hand of the Gotei didn't sit right with her at all.

"I'm not trying to make the people of Earth into sheep. I don't want to be some overbearing police force keeping everyone under our control, that's not the way I think anyone should run things."

Murasaki didn't mind the fact that this had become a more personal conversation, but at the same time, she knew that she'd still have to stay professional, or at least as professional as she always was.

"The realms are never going to go back to the way they were, and that's a sad reality. I have to operate knowing that. That threats to Earth will become threats to Soul Society, and that things that happen on Earth are going to impact more than just the people there. The Gotei is here to think in the big picture. If you and Vastime go to war, if people die and your people kill them, then what am I supposed to do? Accept all those souls suddenly coming up here, or getting removed from the cycle? That's a change to the balance I can't ignore, and it's a change that'll impact the people on Earth too. Maybe not today, but down the line."

That was one of the few things Murasaki knew was easier for her to understand than most people on Earth, just because she was old enough to have it happen. She'd known a lot of people, met generations of families. It was a sad reality that a lot of people never saw the full consequences of their actions, and she didn't want to see that happen.

"I'm in a position to protect people, to keep things from getting out of line. I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and wait until things are way out of hand when I can help by stepping in early. That'd be callous. It'd be wrong."