In the Nick of Time [Mizu, Arianda]

Frankly speaking, Arianda wasn't doing anything in particular, well.. she WAS; she was still searching for shadowfall sects that remained on Earth despite the fact that Shadow Fall at large did fall back for the most part. However, during her search, she stumbled across what appeared to be a Shinigami performing her duty. The demon decided to watch with honest interest, taking a seat on a platform of hardened energy, kicking her legs gently as she watched the Shinigami, whose gender she couldn't tell from here, artfully fell two Hollow; but became injured in the process and had to retreat from the larger of the three. Indeed, it was an interesting sight. However, Arianda, for the moment, thought it was best to leave this to the Shinigami. Even if they may be injured, and on the run... then again, it was perhaps best if Ari kept a closer eye on the situation.

The demon slipped off her platform of energy, catching herself with a pair of wings that she sprouted from her back. Using those wings, and a tail which also grow in swift succession, to propel herself closer to the fight. She caught a closer look of the Shinigami. This was clearly a woman, one who had a good deal of blood spattered across her Shihakusho, her own, and who was running from a hollow. In some interest, Ari couldn't help but watch, flapping her wings in a small rhythm to keep herself aloft. However, as the demon watched, everything seemed to fall apart. Mizu was clearly tired, and was getting overcome by a superior foe. It all happened in a moment, the Hollow had grabbed Mizu and thrown her to the ground, likely breaking something in the process. Clearly injured, Arianda had to give Mizu the props to stand again; against a foe who was bound to kill her without intervention. The demon stepped on a hardened platform of energy, let her wings and tail fade away, and then she launched herself at the hollow, throwing her trusty scissors ahead of herself.

What Mizu would see, as the hollow was reaching out to grab her again, it's arm had suddenly been separated by a red and black metallic object that flew by; and a cursory look to a puff of grass and dirt, she would see a pair of gigantic scissors. But, what would happen next would be even more perplexing. Like the crack of a bullet, Mizu's ears would likely briefly sting from the intensity of Ari's speed as the demon delivered a fierce flying kick to the hollow's head; sending it flying. In the moments after that, Arianda did a roll to recover her footing after landing from such immense speeds, and then zipped over to Mizu; quietly grabbing the shaky woman and making her sit down for now. As Mizu sat, she would feel like the most intense parts of her pain had suddenly faded away; but the remainder still remained. It was almost as if Ari had simply shaved off the top of her pain just by touching her. The demon's touch was warm, and her smile equally so as she had Mizu sit.

"Wait here for me, okay? I need you to purify this stupid thing. Rest, okay? I think you may have a few broken ribs... Just rest."

Her voice was so sweet and kind, Ari's that is, and after a gentle pat on the head, Arianda yanked her scissors out of the ground, and jumped after the hollow; once more launching into a fury of kicks and blows that were meant to disorient the hollow. After a brief period where the Hollow stood there, dumbfounded and honestly confused, the demon changed the shape of her scissors, yes indeed changed the shape, and changed them into what appeared to be a pair of Kusarigama; two kamas attached to weighted ends. With a quick movement, Ari shoved the blades of the Kama into the hollow, using the substantial length of chain to put the hollow into a full body bind so it couldn't do anything except roar... but even that would be hard. After a brief reprieve, Arianda carried the hollow, with one arm, back to where Mizu was sitting; but a safe distance away just in case. Enough to give Ari time to react. But, she doubted the hollow would get free.

"How are your legs now? You need to finish off this hollow so its soul can rest; because I can't do it. Afterwards, I can attend to your wounds. I'm not a great healer, but, it's better than dealing with broken bones and open wounds while waiting for normal recovery."

Arianda did feel a little bad interrupting the Shinigami when she was about to use her Shikai; which Arianda had the vague idea it was likely a beautiful thing. However, the demon was quite happy with the results of their little encounter, one hollow purified, and one Shinigami thankfully alive. Arianda let out a slightly relieved sigh, picking up the Kusarigama and, with a gentle flick of the handles, caused the chains to wrap perfectly around her arms. Simply speaking, it would be easier just to hold the weapon like so until Arianda had the proper moment to turn them back into a pair of scissors. However, as Arianda drew close to Mizu, the Shinigami, she had to freeze in her tracks as the woman was increasingly suspicious of Arianda. Well, she couldn't blame her, considering the literal sudden appearance of Ari. Albeit, all signs pointed to Ari being friendly. Then again... She had no idea that Mizu was thinking the hollow was only a distraction so Ari could attack Mizu when her guard was down. Honestly, the things that some people made up.

Arianda simply raised an eyebrow at Mizu, her silver eyes peering at Mizu with obvious curiosity; and a tiny bit of incredulity. However, Arianda simply shook her head, looking at the woman's injuries and still suspecting she had broken something when she was thrown to the ground. Even Arianda wouldn't have escaped wholly unscathed from such an event. However, Mizu was clearly much more stubborn than Arianda was bound to believe. So, Arianda gave the woman a warm smile before she moved with blinding speed. Instead of explaining herself, and letting Mizu bleed out externally and internally, she was upon the woman. She seized the woman's Zanpakuto, and replaced the weapon into its sheath much faster than Mizu likely fully understood. And then, Mizu was on her back, on the ground; Arianda mounted above her, and a pair of kama holding the woman's wrists down by being firmly impaled into the ground below. Frankly speaking, the display might be terrifying; but Arianda had left Mizu's legs relatively unbound. Well, except for the weight of Ari's lower body holding down her waist and hip. However, nothing about the demon did was malicious, frankly speaking her eyes seemed to be filled with honest concern.

"Sheesh, stop making so much of a fuss before you hurt yourself more. If you don't get some treatment right now, your ribs could very well get worse. I'm not the most amazing healer, so this may sting a bit..."

The way Arianda approached this was probably not the best, especially considering it may scare Mizu a bit, but the demon started mumbling something under her breath, an incantation of sorts. She placed her hands on either side of Mizu's chest; gracing any broken bones likely on accident. Next came the strangest sensations of crawling skin, itching, and likely a bit of pain from bones snapping back into place and mending. After what likely felt like too long, Arianda gave Mizu a very careful check, making very certain to not touch any areas of her body she wouldn't want touched; afterwards, Arianda seemed to be relieved. Shit, even the injury Mizu had that was bleeding had also been sealed up. It all seemed rather, well, unprofessionally done; but there was no doubt that Mizu was now healed. However, Mizu could believe all she wanted of the demon. After a brief moment of hesitation, Arianda slowly reached up and pulled the Kama off Mizu's wrists and out of the ground; and then Arianda slowly got off of the girl, taking a few steps back. During those steps, Arianda morphed the Kama back into a pair of scissors; which she put in a pocket and then slowly raised her hands in a gesture of mock surrender. Essentially, trying to help tell the woman she was no threat.

"Tell me if you have any more injuries, okay? And I'm sorry I had to make you take the healing. But, I didn't want you to succumb to your wounds in the time it took me to explain. So, now I will answer any questions you have. Sound good? I promise you have nothing to fear from me."

Arianda smiled gently, the well meaning in her expression was easy to see; even if it was also easy to deny. However, the demon simply let Mizu have the distance between them, her hands still raised some so that she was not close to her scissors.

"I'm Arianda Vael, young Shinigami. It's nice to meet you~"

Frankly speaking, Arianda was only so good at staying on top of Mizu because of her own strength, and obvious balance. And yes indeed, Arianda was a very light person. Frankly speaking, Mizu could pick the demon up with one arm if Arianda let her. However, this was a situation where she had not. And, of course, even if Arianda was careful not to touch anything that proved erogenous, she couldn't help but leave the impression to what it was. Arianda simply just let Mizu do as she wished while restrained, and then the demon was glad to see that, after a brief silence, Mizu seemed quite alright. Shaken, but alright.

Slowly, the demon lowered her hands, and gave Mizu a different bow in kind; but certainly a respectful one. Frankly speaking, Arianda quite liked the sound of her name. And she was also very glad to have helped Mizu out. A pretty young woman like her didn't deserve to die so young, nor from such a horrible beast. Not to mention, the demon didn't like seeing people who could live to become strong die too early. It was a depressing waste of life. However, Mizu was alive, healed, and relatively alright if not shaken.

"Well, again, it's nice to meet you, Mizu. And it was my pleasure helping you out. Tis too early for such a young bloom as yourself to wither and die; better to live and blossom into something beautiful, no?"

Arianda was, honestly speaking, probably acting a bit odd; even for how odd she obviously already seemed. Not to mention, it could also be mistaken for flirtatious advances. However, Ari was simply just being... Ari. And she was also stating a bit of the truth. For what Ari saw was not a random Shinigami woman, but a Shinigami who had the capacity to become something amazing if she was allowed the time to grow. But, the demon soon rubbed the back of her head, slightly messing up her black hair, the red highlights standing out a bit as she messed it up on accident.

"I should also be apologizing a bit more. I feel kinda bad for interrupting your Shikai, and I thought I was more careful with my hand placement when I was checking for more wounds; so I must profusely apologize for both. But, I'm still glad I was able to help you out before you received even worse wounds. And if you know not what to say, how about we walk and talk for a bit? May as well make sure the area is safe from more hollows. Then after, I'll get ya a bite to eat and a bed to rest in before you need to return home. How's that sound, Mizu?"

Perhaps Mizu would still find Ari a bit too nice, but Arianda wasn't even trying to be nice. She was simply being herself, helping someone out who needed a bit of assistance was something that she always had liked to do; and it also helped the demon feel better about herself in the end. And, well... Mizu seemed like a nice girl, it would be good to have another Shinigami friend. Not because of being a Shinigami, but Arianda felt like she could always use more friends in this world; crazy as it was.

Frankly speaking, Arianda was extremely happy with the outcome of this encounter. After all, one living, and relatively adorable, Shinigami was certainly one way to make a encounter far better than normal. Not to mention, after Mizu started to realize more that Arianda wasn't her enemy, it was much easier for them to talk to each other; even if Mizu still seemed to be a bit overwhelmed. Not to mention, the young Shinigami also appeared quite tired. Arianda had an idea that was due to the nature of the magic Ari had used, only because the healing needed to be so intense; then again, it could more likely be that the adrenaline had worn off and Mizu was now feeling the after effects. She simply gave the woman a warm smile.

"Well I thank you for understanding, Mizu~ I'd rather we not get off on the wrong foot to begin with... even if we kinda did already~"

Arianda let out a slight chuckle before she led the way, taking things at a slow pace so that Mizu could keep up without straining herself. As they walked, Arianda pulled out that pair of scissors she had shrunk and put away earlier and began to spin it around one of her fingers; humming pleasantly as she calmly scanned the area with her eyes, ears, nose, and her more supernatural senses. Overall, Arianda couldn't find more reason to worry about the village. Hell, Arianda didn't even sense any demons in the area; which was an honest let down. She had been hoping to locate a nearby sect, but she may have just missed them. Either way, Mizu's question pulled the demon away from her searching slightly.

Frankly speaking, both questions were good questions; and Arianda couldn't fault her for asking them. It wasn't like Ari stuck out like a sore thumb or anything, no of course not! Regardless, it was a perfectly understandable question, but one Ari only briefly hesitated to answer. Eventually, after a few more paces during their slow walk to check the area, Arianda finally answered Mizu's burning questions.

"I'm out here looking for leftover sects of Shadow Fall. I'm sure you've heard of them. The demon organization that used to terrorize Earth. Unfortunately, there's still some of those who refused to return to Demon World Peacefully. To put things lightly, I've been sending them back the hard way... And I'm not a fugitive as far as I know. Just a woman trying to find her place and redemption in the world~"

After Arianda gave Mizu a bit of time to let her words sink in, and to ask any more questions she may have, which Arianda would gladly answer during their trip to a place to eat. After some time had passed, and Arianda had taken the time to try and find any remaining hollows with Mizu, the demon eventually stopped in her tracks, tilting her head briefly before she nodded calmly. Ari then turned towards Mizu, a small smile gracing her lips.

"You should be proud, by the way. You handled yourself extremely well in such danger and adversity. But, as it is in the past, I would like to treat you to a bite to eat; and find you a place to rest before your return to the Soul Society. I used to live around here, once upon a time, and I think a few good places are still around. What do ya say, shall we~?"

Ari's offer was innocent in nature, all she wanted to do was simply get Mizu a bite to eat, and a chance to recuperate before returning to her duties in the Soul Society; and her overall duties as a Shinigami. After all, as far as Ari was concerned, talent or no, working yourself too hard was a sure way to find an early death. She had to learn this lesson herself when she went a little too hard on a certain outing to try and start proving herself. Either way, the demon still couldn't help but shake the feeling she was looking at a talented young woman; even if Mizu didn't feel the same about herself. After all, the most beautiful of blossoms take the longest to bloom.

At Mizu’s questioning eyebrow look towards Ari’s statement, giving Ari an idea that Mizu knew what Ari was. The demon simply shrugged, offering the woman a warm smile. It was nothing but the truth. After all, demons had long fought for territory, and it was part of why they invaded Earth. Too many demons simply enjoyed fighting far too much.

“Demons fight each other more often than you think. I’m just trying to make Earth a better place how I can… I try to spare and send back those who are willing. But, most that stayed are loyalists to a more barbaric way that I hope can change some day. Not all demons are bad after all…”

Arianda looked clearly saddened by the prospect of how demons were treated. However, the demon knew it was a well deserved reputation. Perhaps, one day, the reputation of some demons wouldn’t be so horrible. After all, not every demon was so bad. Sadly, too many demons gave in to their desires far too easily and took to violence far too well. However, Mizu’s acceptance to her proposal caused Arianda’s face to break into a bright grin; clearly pleased by the notion.

“I promise you’ll have a nice time. And please, call me Arianda. You needn’t be so formal and use my last name and honorifics unless you really wish to.”

After the demon took a cursory look around, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the horizon; eventually looking towards the general direction of France, and then shifting her view to a few more popular cities. Afterwards, the demon started to walk forward.

“Got any food you like in particular? Japanese food here wouldn’t hold a candle to what’s in Japan, but it’s not bad. Either way, the choice is yours. And, when you’re ready, I think it’s best if I carry you there. I don’t want to leave you behind on accident. But we can simply just get there at your pace if you wish. Sound okay?”

After Mizu was ready, the demon would offer to carry the woman piggy back, or like a Princess, and then she would take them to their desired destination swiftly; at a pace Mizu could handle. After all, she didn’t want to make the woman sick. However, if Mizu refused to be carried, she would gladly lead the way at a pace Mizu could handle. After all, her comfort was paramount.