Zatoichi-ryu [Erika, Murasaki]

"Like looking in a mirror."

It didn't exactly answer the question directly, but then again, Sokobie was hardly the sort who wanted to answer any of Murasaki's questions in a direct way. It was much more her style to simply toss out as general an answer as possible, be just unhelpful enough that it would be a hindrance without being so obviously difficult that it would cut her fun short.

"Thankfully she and I don't feel all the same things. Then again, maybe it'd be better if we did, she might be a little nicer. We sure have plenty of the same memories, though."

And she'd be all too happy to remind Erika of them for eternity, frankly.

This was about the best she could really hope for here she thought, Sokobie was just being troublesome by being so intentionally vague and while she could pressure the spirit for more answers there was every chance that she'd just start being lied to if she hadn't been already. It seemed like a good spot to call it and pass on this information to Erika for her considerations.

"Well, that's all very helpful. Thanks for talkin' with me, Sokobie."

She could've said that she didn't have to but Murasaki couldn't force a conversation and she also wanted to keep the card up her sleeve if she had to ever call upon the spirit again in the future to chat. If she said that now haphazardly then she might've killed any chance to reach her again.

For now she felt that she had enough to work with to give Erika a few thoughts.

Erika's expression as Murasaki left the conversation was the exact same one she'd been wearing when it started. Cynical, bitter, all the usual Erika traits rolled into one irritable-looking face. Despite that, it seemed like there was at least some abstract sense that she was trying to look a little grateful. Maybe.

"So? How'd that go?"

She could have asked a bit more rudely, and in a way, that would have been more natural to her, to just say 'Well?' and leave it at that. But whether out of natural courtesy as Murasaki's vice captain, or out of some earnest effort to be a bit more respectful as her friend, she at least asked in a way that didn't immediately make it clear she had no particular expectations.

How did that go? Good question, Erika. Murasaki looked at her friend thoughtfully as her lips pouted to the side. Eyes moved away to the side while letting the conversation replay in her head a couple of times. What to pass on and how to convey that? Finally she leaned back in her seat and met Erika's hard golden eyes directly.

"She claims to be a product of ya instant sword creation, apparently she's a reflection. So I guess it's all a bit finnicky with ya both. I think you should weigh up options but be open-minded, I don't wanna jump to a conclusion just yet but she said that she could maybe imprint on asauchi. Kinda hostile though so might take some time for ya both to patch things up."

Felt like she was inviting a bit of a glare with those last words by calling her prickly and suggesting that she try to compromise with the spirit, work together. Murasaki wasn't sure if it'd work but there evidence that sometimes zanpakuto could be created with spirits that were not formed in traditional methods. Any manifestation in a person's soul had the potential.

It was to soon to jump to executing Sokobie and seeing where that went, not to mention the whole I'm you spiel made her wonder what that meant conceptually if she were to try and go through with it. Such things were always a last resort to her.

Erika's expression only soured as Murasaki explained what she'd learned, though it shouldn't have surprised her in the slightest. After all, why would it be surprising? That sounded about right. The idea of "patching things up," though...

"It's not going to happen. She's-"

Mm. Erika didn't necessarily like opening up about herself, not even in a place as secure as this, and not even to a friend. Her gaze moved away from Murasaki, not out of any particular avoidance, but simply so she could think about the situation. About the day Sokobie had come forth.

"I'd be reconciling with the old me. I think you'd agree I'd just be taking a step backward if I did that."

"I don't. I'd only agree with you if ya became that person again."

Murasaki didn't agree with that assessment at all, if anything she thought it was a bit of avoidance on Erika's part. An excuse that if she made-up with the spirit then she'd be screwed as a result. Relationships went two ways, didn't they? She'd talked with Keifu about it, she was tired of running away from things and she was fickle but if she accepted that she'd always be that person then she wouldn't be where she was right now.

She wouldn't be the Captain Commander she wanted to be, she wouldn't have Alastor and she'd have probably run away with all that looming pressure of her commitment. Confronting the past could be hard and all but Erika came to her for advice and so she wouldn't take shortcuts or beat around the bushes with her. Sometimes you had to look back and accept the person you were before ya could take your next steps foward.

"You're lookin' at it like it's inevitable that's the way it's gonna be. I think it's important you accept that's the person ya were but if you're going to try and get better then you're gonna need to show Sokobie that you're different from her."

A little tough? Yeah, she thought she was being a little harsh but frankly if she didn't be honest then she didn't think it'd sink in.

"If she's really a reflection of you then she's a bit outdated. You're not her reflection, you're you Erika and unless ya willin' to show her it rather than just say it then you'll never reconcile with that fact. A zanpakuto's a partnership after all."

Underneath that sour attitude she knew there was a nice girl under there. She was hurtin' and all but she would point out the hypocrisy coming out of Erika's mouth. She'd promised Erika that her Gotei would surpass Yamamoto's, she promised that she'd surpass Yamamoto too. Murasaki had every intention of making good on it but that meant looking forward and Erika looked at Sokobie as nothing but a chronic illness.

She was the one stuck in the past between them.

Instinctively, Erika felt compelled to tell Murasaki that she was wrong. That it wasn't that simple, and that her and Sokobie's relationship was far more difficult than that. But she didn't have it in her, because she knew, ultimately, that Murasaki was correct. If she wanted to face the future, step past the life she'd been anchored down by, she didn't have any other choice but to actually face Sokobie directly.

"...Yeah. I'll work on it."

Agreeing to that wasn't easy for Erika, admittedly. In fact, part of her felt like it was outright disgraceful. But she'd run from that reflection of herself for a long while now. Facing it hadn't been necessary before, at least not in the life she'd grown comfortable and complacent in.

But complacency wasn't what Erika was striving for now. That wasn't good enough for her. Irritating as it was, she wasn't going to be making much progress without looking inward, without facing the facts of her life. It wasn't something she looked forward to, frankly, but it was the only correct path for her. And for all her disdain toward the idea, Erika was not a coward. She wouldn't run from it.

"...Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She tried to cheer her up with a bit of energy, shifting back to her girly self that felt a lot more natural to her than the old wise captain because that felt really weird every now and again. She felt so old when she got all wise and talked serious to people but sometimes you just had to do it. Anyway, Murasaki felt it was right to end on a positive note. Erika seemed pretty willing to try and grow from here and finally face the direction that she was walking.

"Anyway, I think it's 'bout time for a break. Whatcha think? I'm pretty hungry right now and I wouldn't be a good captain if I was starving myself because I was too focused on work hee~heen. There's this nice new cafe a few streets down from the barracks."

Murasaki got up from the desk to reclaim her vantage point up so high. The captain's haori sitting properly on her as she got ready to leave. Hopefully her friend would come along, meals were always better when you were sharing it with someone else.

Generally speaking, Erika didn't socialize, and she would have usually just said no to this and gone back to her office. But she was finished with work for the day. She had nothing that needed doing. This, by contrast, was one step forward. Small, sure. But it was something.

"Sure. As long as there are dango."

She didn't like opening herself to others. She doubted she ever would, at least not anywhere near the degree that Murasaki seemed to so naturally befriend everyone she spoke to. But even something like this, getting something to eat with a friend in a public place, was already far more than Erika was typically used to.

This was a good start.