Wellness Check [Cyrus, Sophie]

They were not particularly close, most certainly not but Cyrus valued every individual that he had brought into the Vandenreich. He was thankful of their willingness to dedicate themselves to this cause and do what they did, though he felt like he had failed them so much as their leader in recent times he did his best where he could. He had made an effort to keep vying at reclaiming his quincy powers, to build them back up and remember his roots.

He tried to do his best and he wanted to check on one of his administrators that had certainly done her best in the wake of the recent devastation as well. Really he felt like he paled a little bit, he was aware of her spiritual power and even in his current state she was worst off on the most basic of levels. Yet she had still tried to assist in the battle instead of assisting in evacuations like he and many other people that were not as powerful.

Cyrus stood at the office, knocking on the door to the administrator's domain while he tried to think about what to say. The first thing on his mind was to ensure that she was doing alright, it was shameful it had taken so long to do this really. The second thing was a little bit less clear for him.

Recovery from something as catastrophic as Sophie's injuries wasn't something you just got back up from, no matter how hard you tried to. Of course, that didn't mean Sophie was the sort to just lay down and get better. No, she'd spent whatever time she could working her body back into shape, and when that would have been too much for her to take, she did paperwork, handled whatever reports needed handling.

As long as she wasn't idling. That wasn't something she'd accept. When a knock came at her door, she simply walked over to it, gritting her teeth a bit as she opened it. Seeing the Grandmaster, however, was actually a bit surprising, and she offered a salute of greeting as he arrived. It was a bit slow, simply because of her injury, but that was natural.

"What can I do for you, Grandmaster?"

That wasn't necessary is what he thought but kept from saying at her persistence to not only greet him but stress herself to respectfully salute as well. He would've been more than happy to spare her the effort of leaving the desk but he knew that she was particularly persistent and not easily swayed.

It's one of the attributes that made her glad he'd sent her as a diplomat to the captain commander over someone else.

"Nothing at the present moment, Ms. Geisleitt. This is a wellness check, I just wanted to see you in person, offer my thanks for your efforts in the recent disaster and ensure you were doing well with your recovery."

Before Mazda this would not have happened. He felt the weight of guilt crushing harder on his shoulders as he remembered the power he once held as the leader of the Vandenreich. He was powerful enough then to make a difference in the present but now he couldn't.

All he could do now was support others from the sidelines. He was trying to improve, grasp power of his own again rather than chase borrowing power from others.

Doing well? Sophie could hardly say she was "doing well" by any real stretch of the imagination. There was a part of her that almost thought to snap back at the Grandmaster with such a response, but she bit her tongue, if only because of his rank. Even injured like this, she was diligent. Maybe moreso now than ever, really.

"Thank you, sir. I'm recovering, though not as quickly as I would like. But I should be thankful I'm here at all, after that."

It was a bit more optimistic of an outlook than Sophie genuinely felt on the matter, but she wasn't going to start complaining about the situation to the Grandmaster, of all people. That wasn't how she operated, even if her irritation toward the whole situation was still faintly clear in her expression, in her voice.

"I appreciate the visit. I'm sure you have a great deal to work on right now."

Even as she said that, though, there was still some faint bite to it that she couldn't completely avoid. How could there not be? She'd nearly died, and here was the Grandmaster himself, untouched. He hadn't so much as stepped in to help. Logically, she knew that was the smart course of action. They couldn't risk losing a leader. But as a human, it certainly made her angry, just a bit.

"Yes, there's quite a lot to arrange for the recovery of the City of Lights and repairing of the infrastructure but the wellbeing of every member of the Vandenreich is as much a priority as that."

Cyrus continued, a little put off by the bite to her voice. He could understand the irritation, not just at the situation in general but also at him as well. Truly pathetic, wasn't it? That he would be safe and sound while others fought to risk life and limb for his cause. The grandmaster did his best to convey that confidence which he wasn't feeling himself.

For someone that received serious trauma to the lungs and chest, treated for intracranial pressure and a plethora of broken bones which made him surprised that she had survived - let alone remained able to walk afterwards, and then came right back to her duties.

"What have you been working since you resumed duties?"

He felt compelled to try and insist on her resting, focusing on recovery and allowing those around her to take some slack but it felt wrong to say that to her. Maybe from someone else it was appropriate but not from him.

"Your concern is appreciated, Grandmaster. Thank you."

It was, genuinely, even if she didn't necessarily feel pleased with the situation. She knew that not everyone would even have gotten a visit from the Grandmaster such as this, and she had no doubt his concern for her was genuine. But Sophie could still feel a bit of temper rising in the back of her mind, and she kept it in mind as she respondedto Cyrus' query.

"Paperwork, mostly. New assignments, requisitions. Things I can attend to from here. I've been training to return to typical shape, as well."

She knew he wouldn't like that answer, but she wouldn't lie about it, either. Perhaps there was even a faint pride to it, a sense that she was reminding him she was working through all this. She shouldn't have been angry at him, she knew that, but she couldn't wholly contain it, and it still seemed as if there was more she wished to say but was holding back.

He couldn't help but frown as she said that she'd been pushing her body. There was a fine line between rehabilitation and recklessness or maybe he was overly concerned for her wellbeing but that was his responsibility. So he mustered the confidence to say as much.

"With medical approval, I trust?"

It wasn't the most stern he could've been. In fact it was almost inviting it by wording it as a question rather than an order or a statement. He could certainly deserve to hear the disappointment and frustrations of his subordinates, it was the least he could do and what he should do.

A leader that can't keep the burden off their shoulders, extra weight on top of all the responsibilities they already had. It was becoming so tiring to remain in this loop, a repeating sequence that he couldn't escape from.

"Yes, sir."

Sophie may not have been willing to sit around idly, but she also wasn't going to just push herself to injury. That was the last thing she needed, and besides that, she was fairly sure she'd probably cause more permanent damage if she pushed herself past what had been signed off on by the doctors.

In a way, she felt like she could probably just end the conversation here. Professionally, she maybe should have. But there was a difference between professionalism and effectiveness. Sophie might have let things slide before, when everything was operating smoothly. But it wasn't now.

"How is your own work going, sir? If I may ask."

It was something of a pointed question, and her tone gave that much away. After all, if he was standing uninjured after everything that had happened, she wanted to know that he was doing something.

How was his own work going? It was a good question for her to ask him and she was a trusted member of the Albedochiffren. He felt more comfortable in the presence of Sophie than say Ninsianna right now, which isn't exactly a situation he'd have ever pictured in his head once upon a time. Yet it was now and he had created it for himself.

Thinking about his work and his efforts could not go without his hand coming up to grab the bridge of his nose and the white gloves contrasting against the dark rings under his eyes. He was ragged.

"Tiring to say the least, Ms Geisleitt. Even with all the efforts to delegate it is still difficult to condition my body in its current state by training to become strong enough to be the leader I once was while trying to fulfil those duties for the Vandenreich's members."

Truly he wished that he could've fought in that battle against Ichigo, perhaps even to die in it wouldn't be that bad. He could truly do nothing nowadays except for try to encourage and raise the spirits of those around him but he did not command the charisma that he once did nor did he have the power of someone like Ahura Mazda or the captain commander.

God had fallen and in his place a lone quincy remained. He was no different than her and yet she had gone into what was certainly suicide. A literal miracle is what it had taken for her to survive. What divided them, what drove her to throw herself against Ichigo Kurosaki and why couldn't he do that?

Was he a craven? Was he just too pragmatic? Was he unwilling to condemn them all to losing their leader as well in that disaster? Yet she was still an administrator. She had people that worked under her, relied on her. How did she go to such lengths for the Vandenreich's cause?

"If I may Ms. Geisleitt, why is it that you fight?"

Sophie couldn't entirely help but feel a bit angry at his answer, even if it made sense. Everyone in the Vandenreich had seen the sudden change in the Grandmaster's being, how he'd toppled from immense power to barely even being able to walk alone. It had been a point of great discussion, but ultimately, nobody knew the reasons. But that didn't give him an excuse. If he wasn't getting enough done, shouldn't he just try harder?

But his followup question was what made her visibly irritated, if only just. What sort of question was that?

"The same reason as most people in the Vandenreich. To protect people. To make a safer world. You saved my life during the war, and I want to do that for others. I was under the impression that was the reason you took leadership, too."

Maybe she shouldn't have been so accusatory about it, but she didn't especially care for seeing the Grandmaster act like this. She didn't really know what had happened to him, but if she was being entirely honest, she didn't care all that much, either. Not out of some impersonal coldness, but because there were more important things to consider.

"But maybe I'm wrong. Why do you lead the Vandenreich, sir?"