Sunny Recollections [Saiko/Mizu]

Well, Saiko was finding herself around the 2nd division a lot lately. This is because she had regular appointments to make sure her body was recovering and adapting to having her demonic blood removed from her to checking up on Yuuto as he recovered from the battles that came with being a captain and putting your life on the line. It was all busy work, but it made her think of someone: Mizu.

As she finished a cup of hot green tea and looked up at the afternoon sun, Saiko closed her eyes and sensed the vice captain's presence nearby. And, because of that, she figured it was time to see her. Mizu had progressed much since they last talked to each other, so she was curious to know how the woman was doing.

Thus, when ready, Saiko would shunpo toward the direction she sensed Mizu until she appeared a few feet away. Hopefully, her presence wouldn't surprise her as it wouldn't be hard not to feel Saiko coming her way. So, she would wave and smile:

"Yo, long time no see, Vice Captain Mizu~."

With everything happen in the Living Realm with the gaping hole in Africa vomiting out Hollows and the recent horrific explosion in one of her own squad's hospitals, Morikawa Mizu was kept busier than she ever had been. Paperwork abound, sure, but she had been busied with more fieldwork than she could remember as well, having applied Kaidō, or healing magic, to victims of both disasters numbering in the hundreds. Despite this all, she didn't regret accepting the Vice Captain position one iota; Mizu was eternally grateful to her new Captain not just for the opportunity of a promotion, but for the chance to save so many lives as well.

On this particular day Mizu again found herself swamped in work, but she was able to come up for air by taking a short break for lunch. She had finished her meal and was reading reports from the explosion's aftermath on a bench in the Second Squad's barracks, when suddenly a figure with a familiar energy appeared in front of her.

"Saiko-san! It's so good to see you! How are you? Are you doing well??" Mizu practically leapt to her feet as she spoke a mile a minute to her friend "I'm sorry I haven't reached out to you since the promotion, I'm sure you've heard about that horrible explosion in Hospital B. It's really kept me busy!"

Yeah, there was a lot that was going on. It's all the more reason Saiko herself felt antsy for her powers to fully come back so she could be of use. With a wave and nod, she addressed Mizu after the woman mentioned the explosion in Hospital B.

"No hard feelings; I was busy trying to recover myself after an incident with my own health. I'm doing well now and in the process of recovering, but I heard all about what happened there, and it seems like everyone has their hands full these days."

Now taking a seat, she looked up at Mizu as she was surprised she leaped to her feet so soon.

" Besides that, I figure being a Vice Captain is busy. How are things going in that regard? I can't imagine you've had a moment to rest since that explosion."

The news Saiko had been dealing with health issues was troubling to Mizu, but she was glad to learn the raven-haired woman was doing better now. At the very least she appeared to be in good health, though she knew that wasn't always the best indicator.

"I am glad you're okay now, Saiko-san." said Mizu, her golden eyes showing the sincerity of her words. When Saiko sat down near her Mizu returned to her seat as well, recovered from the initial excitement of seeing the woman again she credited with helping her unlock Bankai. With her returning to normal, Saiko's question about her experience as a Vice Captain caused her eyes to drop as images of disfigured and bloodied bodies filled her mind.

"To tell the truth, it's not what I thought it would be...but I was naive. This horrible situation...it's just so senseless. I can understand getting injured in the Living Realm, fighting Hollows or whatever, but this was in Soul Society. In the Seireitei." Mizu sighed deeply before finishing her thought "I am grateful for the opportunity Captain Kuchiki-sama gave me with this promotion. If she hadn't, I may not have been able to help so many victims and survivors. That's a silver lining at least, right?

"Aw, I appreciate that~."

There was a slight giggle and nod of her head when Mizu stated that she was grateful Saiko had recovered. It was always lovely to receive well wishes. Though, Saiko's eye seemed to linger on the following words about the gravity of her current life circumstances.

Reality was often more bitter than one's fantasy. It's one thing to yearn for power, grow in notoriety, and be beneficial to society. Yet, when you are in the thick of it, the reality of these things dawns on you, and it's something that can wear on a soul. Saiko didn't doubt her heart was in the right place, but it seemed like that fact of reality was raining down on Mizu.

"It's an adjustment period when you are on the frontlines of horrors like that. I've seen a lot of that type of senseless carnage in my time, and it never stops being so dismal, but you do learn how to cope and adjust better."

After patting her shoulder, she continued.

"So you are right: you must focus on why you got that power and position. You want to help people, so you have to commit yourself to it, and I believe you are still the right person for that job if you are still thinking about that. Otherwise, I don't think your zanpukto spirit would have gone as far as to give you this new strength. It shows drastic improvement, and that's something that you can hold your head up high and be proud of, Mizu."

Ever since the hospital explosion Mizu had been a bit down in the dumps. As she told Saiko, it wasn't the start to her new position she expected, though she knew it came with the territory of being a Vice Captain. Plus, her personal plans, like her date with Kyo, had been delayed indefinitely as well. She hadn't been able to fight on the front lines in the Living World either, which Mizu couldn't help but feel regret about as she wondered how many people she could have saved and how many enemies she could have defeated had she been able to go. Mizu sighed again thinking about all this.

Mizu certainly hoped there was truth in Saiko's words. She trusted the woman knew what she was talking about, and accepted what she said as true. Between Saiko's words and her hand on Mizu's shoulder, the latter felt comforted for the first time in weeks.

When Saiko finished speaking, Mizu raised her head and met her eyes with her own. "I am fully committed to it, Saiko-san. Every day I do my utmost within my position and abilities to help others, and I swear that will never change. I will keep working toward my goal of becoming a Captain, and someday I want to be able to prevent as much harm and destruction as anyone. Someday I'll have that ability. For now, I just have to keep working towards it!" As she spoke more and more confidence warmed Mizu's words, until she was practically buzzing with it by the time she finished.

[Saiko's eyes glazed over with warmth as their oceanic gaze lingered on Mizu. What reflected in the shinigami's perception was a woman well on her way to realizing her potential. And it went beyond worlds; that sense of promise reached the root of Mizu's soul, and Saiko could feel it with how her spirit radiated desire, life, and will.

So, after a moment of silence, Saiko's smile grew as her words dripped with happiness.

"Then are in a better headspace than most people. If your soul knows how to move forward, your heart sincerely believes in its direction, and you have a serious plan to get there, the rest will take care of itself. It sounds like woo-woo mystical crap, but I feel it is true as we live and die by the mystical daily, given how our powers work."

A lighthearted chuckle escaped Saiko's lips before she tapped her chin, and then a thought came to mind.

"And since you seem tense, why don't I treat you to lunch or something? You look like you could use a break."