A Tribute of Gratitude[Giselle, Solomon]

Solomon didn't particularly view himself as a man who reflected on the past much, not for extended periods at least. That wasn't to say he ignored past reflection to a negligible degree, but few memories alone rarely ever held weight enough in his mind to bother him beyond the scope of a few days to a week. There was one, though, that remained a permanent fixture within his mind. The day he nearly lost his life along with those who chose to defend the City of Lights. One name bothers him to no end. A pinnacle of strength that wholly displayed the will of a man hellbent on achieving a single goal at all costs.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

Nothing would truly ever let him forget, nor would it let him turn a blind eye to the people who had rescued him from danger at the cost of their own lives. Amid the aftermath, time had gotten so far away from him that he ended up neglecting to thank one of the people whom he ensured he was still alive and breathing. A playful, almost impish woman by nature - Giselle Gewelle, Gigi for short.

Honestly, that proved a more potent regret than his inability to defeat Ichigo. From what he was able to glean information-wise, the entire ordeal left her unable to utilize her abilities anymore. Admittedly, that welcomed another pang of guilt. He wondered if he had been stronger... more adept, more advanced... would it have changed the outcome? Would she still be amongst their forces today? He couldn't say for certain, but that was neither here nor there, a distracting guilt-ridden thought. No more, no less.

Under the unfortunate circumstance of the conflict in Africa, an opportunity presented itself to amend his oversight regarding the woman. She was visiting someone in the City of Lights who'd participated on the battlefield. He didn't know who it was, specifically, but at the very least, it afforded him an ideal measure of time to take advantage of his fortune.

Working through the proper channels, he learned of her temporary hotel arrangement. An opportunity passed by twice would truly bother him to no end. Therefore, he did his due diligence, asked the proper individuals regarding her specific hotel, and found himself traveling the wide halls of the hotel to reach her little place. There was a bag of mementos and gifts, a collection of items Solomon, through asking her former peers and those who knew her better than he ever did, compiled to drive home his appreciation. He would have likely taken her out on the town to get some fresh air, too, but that was reserved only for her level of comfort. It was stressful to visit someone in a hospital, after all. His main intention was to genuinely thank her for her contributions. Above all, that ought to be acknowledged.

And so, with fist pressed forward, he raps against the door hoping the woman of the hour is present.

"You could say something like that. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Solomon hope he hadn't been intruding on her personal time, certainly, but this meeting held a great deal of importance to him. She was the reason he could be facing her right now, after all. Solomon offered a gentlemanly bow before the woman, presenting the assortment of gifts he had prepared in an ornate basket. He wasn't particularly fond of such grand displays of appreciation, since he felt words achieved what actions and items could not, but he maintained a warm smile nevertheless.

"I wanted to show my appreciation for everything you did for the Vandenreich, and more importantly... what you did for me. Time got away from me, and before I could act on anything to show my appreciation... you were gone. As sappy as this might sound, words never will fully express my gratitude for saving my life. So..."

Solomon took a deep breath, clearing his throat to pose another question.

"Before you go back home, what would you say to going out for a walk and catching up on lost times?"

"Take as much time as you need."

He had intended to meet her no matter how many efforts it took until he succeeded, but he wasn't nearly so bold as to encroach upon someone else's time. He gave her all the time she needed to prepare while he simply stood outside with basket in hand. For a moment, he chuckled to himself, reflecting momentarily on her words just now. Rookie was still an exceedingly apt term. His improvement was certainly significant compared to the last time she had seen him, but it was by no means anywhere close to his desired peak.

When Giselle returned, relief painted his expression as the woman accepted his offer. He certainly understood the notion that she was none the wiser to what the Vandenreich was up to nowadays. Much had happened since she left. The event in Africa being the topmost example. He had no qualms whatsoever about sharing any information as far as he was allowed. Offering another bow, he motioned for the woman to walk alongside him with a bright smile.

"Don't worry. I'll fill you in on anything you wish to know. It goes without saying, but a lot has happened since your departure. For me and the Vandenreich. In return, I'd love to know if you've fared well in your time away as well... if that isn't too much to ask, of course."

"To be fair, I'm not exactly in a rush to recount everything regarding Africa, much less anything regarding our recent defeat."

Solomon held no particular desire toward hurriedly recounting his tales in Africa. It was, by all accounts, a hellscape filled to the brim with monstrous hollows of nature so alien that it defied common thought. Giselle was offering him mercy by sparing him the opportunity to provide his firsthand account of the scene. As they began their walk, he decided to speak on the positives first. It wasn't as if there were a multitude of those to provide, either, but they sufficed well enough.

"Considering where my mind was in the immediate aftermath, I'd say I've handled things fairly well. I'm still training to the best of my ability, working past the regret of things that were out of on my control. As far as Lukas, he was expectedly irritated. So much so that we came to blow during a spar and beat each other senseless. As far as being dark and gloomy, not much has changed on that front. That man is always on edge, but I must admit... It's that same edge that has allowed him to improve his technique considerably. Alas, I suppose that simply means I have to follow suit."

Solomon didn't particularly hold any negative emotion toward Lukas now compared to when it all began. He was not easy to socialize with by any degree, but his determination deserved its fair share of praise. He could respect that even if he found that silver-haired bastard annoying.

"And what about you? How have things fared since your departure? Has life treated you well?"

"Oh no. Allow me to correct myself, then. I meant following his lead in terms of getting stronger. Trust me. The last thing I'd want to do is act like him. Sheesh. Could you imagine how insufferable I'd be?"

Solomon took Giselle's words in stride. He probably should have clarified what he meant, no doubt, but there was no particular semblance of interest in copying Lukas to any degree. Following in his footsteps was the last thing he wanted to do. Moving past that subject as they walked outside, Solomon allowed Giselle a moment to answer as his gaze wandered around the surrounding glow of kaleidoscopic colors. This city always looked quite brilliant at night. Giselle's explanation gave him pause. He had always been aware of her zombification ability, naturally, but given his rank and file position in the Vandenreich, he couldn't immediately recall if they had informed him of what happened to her in the aftermath. Outside of the base knowledge, he hadn't been informed on much else.

"I cannot speak for anyone else, but I wasn't informed of much. I'm a rank-and-file member of the Sternritter. I'd imagine that information was passed along to the coordinators and administrators. I imagine that sort of transition must be difficult. To go from being inhuman to human, accounting for what the human body naturally requires on a day-to-day basis. That said, I am happy you seem to be taking everything in stride given your new circumstance."

Solomon took a moment to ponder another question, reflecting on those words she expressed afterward. A fair share of worries? He wondered... what did she mean by that? Was there a lingering aftereffect? Something that bothered her mentally? It was worth posing a question.

"Like what exactly?"