Sights for Sore Eyes [Mizu, Bauher]

It was nice to enjoy things while you could.
Certainly those words escaped his mouth often enough, both in the past and now with taking care of Arlette. OF course he kept otherwise to himself. It was a sortof ....tangential job. He cared for her, made sure she didn't overexert herself.

But when it came to .... planning. Moving things forward. Action. That was left to the young ones. Arlette and that young red-haired fellow. Alastair, if he recalled. It seemed they had set the tune to the little situation he'd found himself in. He didn't really feel all that ... involved. It felt an awful lot like Karakura. He just did as he was asked and kept things from getting out of hand when it came to the day to day.

Some part of him wondered if he shouldn't do .... more. Maybe speak to Arlette about all this. But another part of him was just a bit too .... tired. He was fine waiting for her to bring things to his attention. IF she wanted his opinion, he was sure she'd ask for it. That aside, he still made sure to leave the estate to move around the city. He wasn't a man to allow the looming threat of danger get in the way of him living his life. After all... if he stayed cooped up in that mansion, he might start thinking too much.

And so he decided to go out. Enjoy some of those matches at the Arena. And otherwise occupy himself with the sights and sounds of the City. He found himself walking down the sidewalk, and he realized that he didn't have any particular destination in mind. Why not just see where the day took him? He'd taken to sampling the local shops and eateries. Hm, maybe he'd grab lunch before he headed back for the night. He'd see how things went.

MORIKAWA MIZU

Between her matches in the Seaside Fight Night arena, Morikawa Mizu had spent some time exploring the well and truly massive City of Light. But even with weeks or months free from duties in Soul Society, she wasn't sure she could see everything the city has to offer. The heaven-touching buildings were so gargantuan and intimidating Mizu felt like an ant in a redwood forest. Except with loud car horns, bright lights, and thousands of people walking into and out of the trees. Compared to the Seireitei, which was basically frozen in time, this futuristic metropolis was alien beyond Mizu's imagination.

Clad in her Shinigami uniform, Mizu was on the receiving end of an occasional stare here and there. This didn't really surprise her given the City of Light is home to the Vandenreich, an organization populated by people who had repeatedly been defeated and stepped on by Soul Society. Mizu was well-read enough to understand the history between these two groups, and though she felt sympathy for the Quincy people she knew having not been around for the difficult decisions and wars she couldn't make too many judgments of anyone. After all, she thought, Quincies are humans too, and protecting humans is the duty of Shinigami.

Between thinking about the history of her people and the people around her, and staring in awe at the dazzling buildings and landmarks, Mizu was distracted when she suddenly felt like she'd run into a wall. "Ahh!" Startled, she immediately fell to the ground and landed on her rear. Mizu looked up and realized she'd run into someone. She quickly stood and bowed at the waist in front of the tall, white-haired gentleman "I must apologize! I did not mean to run into you!"

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST

There was that certain presumption when you were walking. That slight adjustment the crowd always did. A certain degree of automatic shift whenever two people came into close proximity. You move a bit, and they will probably do the rest. but well, that wasn't always perfect. Honestly he didn't even see Mizu closing in until she ran right into him, a blink of surprise before he turned and spotted the woman on the ground. A shinigami?

"Oh, sorry there. Didn't see you." He blurted out before he reached down to offer his hand to the young woman so that he could help her up. A good number of individuals in the City of lights no doubt had slowly ...acclimated to the presence of Shinigami. But Bauher had been used to such individuals for ages now. Having previously lived in Karakura. All the same he put on a sheepish smile. "No need to apologize. It's easy to get a little distracted around here." He pointed out, pausing for a moment as he glanced to the other side of the city, and then back again. Hm, ths one seemed..... familiar.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be a Miss Morikawa would you?" He ventured, a calm curiosity in his voice. Having taken the time to watch some of the matches, he was almost sure that he'd seen this little lady duking it out in the Arena.

MORIKAWA MIZU

Given this wasn't the first time she had nearly run someone over, Mizu was glad neither person had gotten angry when she did. This snow-haired man was good-natured enough to be understanding of what happened. Even with his affable attitude about it, Mizu's cheeks remained rosy from embarrassment. This dazzling and dizzying city was beginning to feel like too much for her.

Mizu's ears perked up at being questioned about her name. She blinked repeatedly, frozen out of confusion as to how some random guy in a gigantic city could possibly know her identity. After a moment of awkward silence Mizu collected herself and answered him "Y-yes, I am Morikawa Mizu. May I ask how you know my name..?" It didn't even occur to her that fighting repeatedly in the Arena of Lights might have garnered her a modicum of fame or notoriety amongst the city's people, particularly those likeliest to watch the matches.

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST

He couldn't help but smile just a bit wider as he noticed the look of surprise and bewilderment written across the young woman's face. Or well, what seemed to be a young woman. For all he knew, this little missy could be three times his age, given she'd been a shinigami, or well introduced as one. "You were a fighter at the arena weren't you? I was lucky enough to catch one of your fights. Quite the spellslinger from what I remember seeing as well. " He noted with an mirthful smile, clearly a little amused. After all, seeing the fights had been something of a welcome distraction from the other things going on in his life. Well.... in some ways.

"I admit I'm a little surprised to see a Shinigami out and about in the city. Though I don't blame you, I've been in this place a good few months now and I honestly can't make heads or tails of where I'm going. I'm actually trying to find a Cafe at the moment." He murmured and paused, taking a moment and looking around their immediate surroundings. Certainly the cafes were a little ...... different than they were back at Karakura.

MORIKAWA MIZU

With a record of two and two in the Arena of Light, Mizu realized she probably had fought in it more times than most. Being a prolific participant probably brought her a level of notoriety even if she was not remotely close to being the strongest or biggest name in the Arena, which gave Mizu some pause. She certainly had not entered the official tournament and exhibition matches for fame, and yet strangers had apparently learned her name and recognize her on the street. Weird...

Mizu blushed a little at the compliment. Growing up, she was rarely the subject of praise, particularly when it comes to her abilities. Even she could not deny she had displayed some feats during her matches even just a year ago would seem impossible for her, though. "Thank you for the kind words, umm...what did you say your name is?"

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST

Honestly he'd likely not be the last person to recognize her. Wether or not she'd decisively won her matches, it was still a matter of her ....unique mannerisms in the context of combat. Certainly she had a uniqueness about her that caught people's attention. Determination and a rather interesting penchant for complex spells was one good way to garner yourself something of a reputation. All the same, that rather humble response brought a lopsided smile to the old man's face.

"Who me?" He flashed a bit of a grin and chuckled lightly. "I guess my Daughter is probably a bit more well known than I am these days. It's Bauher, Bauher Kleinmund." He introduced himself, no doubt perhaps causing a bit of surprise for the Shinigami. Even looks aside, personality wise he and his daughter were pretty far apart depending on what days you caught them on. Ehefra certainly had gotten a lot of her traits from her mother.

MORIKAWA MIZU

Bauher...Kleinmund? Could he be her father...?" Bauher's prediction would prove correct as Mizu was surprised by his identity's reveal. Of all the people to run into in this huge metropolis, the parent of one of her Seaside Arena opponents was not one she expected to meet. But he had no reason to lie, at least none that she was aware of, so Mizu took him at his word and accepted his introduction.

With her eyes widened from shock, Mizu acknowledged the implied meaning In Bauher's words "Wow! So that mean's you're Ehefra-san's father? You must be so proud, she is really amazing! In our match I got the sense I didn't get to fight her at her best either." A quizzical look crossed Mizu's face as she continued on, eyebrow raised "The odds of us meeting here, or at all, must be astronomical. I would enjoy hearing more about Kleinmund-san if you have the time. Maybe there is a cafe somewhere nearby? I may have walked by one, but this city is so full of distractions I...don't remember."

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST

Bauher smiled just a little, certainly a little entertained by the young woman's reaction to the news. That was certainly more of an earnest and reverent response than he'd expected. But he supposed it made sense that Ehefra would leave such an impression on the woman. No, now that he thought about it, this certainly lined up with the convictions the girl had displayed in the fight. She definitely seemed like the kind of person to respect a strong opponent. "I certainly am. I admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled when I first found out about this whole Quincy thing. But she's certainly come a long way." He sighed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck before quirking a brow. Oh? She wanted to know more about Ehefra?

"Hmmm, that interested huh? She must have left quite the impression on you." He reached up and lightly rubbed at his jaw for a moment as he considered her curiosity. Certainly there were a lot of people he'd expected to ask about Ehefra. Her coworkers certainly. Perhaps some of her closer friends. But he didn't expect her opponent at the arena to be one of them. All the same, he had already been walking as they talked, the pair making their way through the street. After all, he HAD told her he had been looking for a spot. And so when she brought up accompanying him, he couldn't help but chuckle just a little. He gave a little nod to their right, a Cafe that he'd been making his way toward while they were talking.

"Well, I suppose we could grab a bite to eat and talk a little. Been a while since I've gotten to hold someone hostage and talk about my kid. But you're the first volunteer in quite a while." He pointed out, flashing an amused smile as he thought about it. He still remembered barely registering the suffering in his coworker's expressions back when Ehefra had first been born. Some of them had been all about it, but oh boy he could tell some of them HATED it. And for the ones he himself wasn't too fond of. Ahhh, what a perfect weapon to punish slackers by dragging them into a little rant about Ehefra starting to walk and talk.

MORIKAWA MIZU | 2nd Division Vice Captain

Oh? Could that mean Ehefra is a Quincy but her father isn't? Mizu considered how strange it would be to be so different from her parents, and the difficulties that would entail. It also made her wonder when Ehefra's powers may have sprouted. Was she an adult already? Or was it when she was just a child? I should probably be asking these questions out loud instead of just thinking them... she thought awkwardly to herself.

"All of my Arena opponents left an impression on me. I try to learn as much as possible from everyone I face, your enemies are often your best teachers. Sorry...I don't mean to bother you with such things." Mizu did her best to keep up with Bauher as they walked through the City of Lights, not wanting to get lost in the shuffling crowds crisscrossing the various streets. With her short stature a handicap of sorts, Mizu had to dexterously dodge to and fro to avoid losing her newly-made acquaintance.

Luckily for the diminutive Shinigami Bauher spotted a cafe and the duo was able to make their way to and into it. "I would enjoy hearing about Kleinmund-san, and yourself. And maybe next time I see her I can embarrass her with all types of stories from her childhood!" said Mizu with a happily sincere smile spread from ear to ear.

TAKING IT SERIOUS | END POST