If It Hadn't Been for Love [Reida, Open]

"Inhuman monsters? See, girl, that's whatcha don't get."

The ground under Reida's foot cracked, glowing briefly as her Bringer Light activated. She didn't simply manipulate the earth underfoot; it was as though she had simply destroyed it with the technique. Her step brought her far closer to Hana, a looming presence now that could have easily grabbed her by the collar if she so wished.

"If they were monsters, it'd be easy to put 'em down. Easy as breathin'. But then I couldn't hold 'em to account, either. Ya know what makes humans different from animals?"

Leaning in all the closer, Reida's eye seemed to burn with further intensity, even as she made no move to genuinely accost Hana. She simply spoke, hate still all too apparent in her every word.

"Humans can think. Humans can sin. It ain't about what they do in their time off, ain't about how they treat their own. Ya think it's so impressive to be nice to your friends? They're supportin' an organization that's cost innocent people their lives. Doin' it of their own free will. If they were monsters, I couldn't hold nothin' against 'em. But they're people, and that means they can choose. Ya think a choice like that's all okay because they've got friends?"

Hana gasped, her eyes wide with fear from how close Reida got to her. She brought her arms up to her chest, fingers gripping her shirt tight, as if placed there as a shield to protect her, like that would do anything to stop this woman.

“Right… I do not understand,” Hana whispered, her voice trembling with fear. “You have the power to reason, and this is the path you have chosen? Vengeance, hatred, murder… I am deeply sorry. I wish I could offer you comfort, but I fear that may be beyond my reach. The one who took their lives should bear the blame, yet, unable to direct your pain at them, you cast it upon all who are connected to them. Now, those who are as blameless as they were are dying, suffering… And not all are Shinigami; many are innocents, no different than your own family.”

There was a strong implication Hana was throwing at Reida. Without using the words, she was trying to send the message that she was now no different than those who took her family. Reida was just as careless, just as selfish, just as evil.

That accusation quite transparently did not evoke a kind response from Reida. Her expression, previously detached, grew much harder, as if the full weight of her gaze was now squarely on the girl in front of her. Her hand shot outward to grab the girl's collar, though she made no further motion just yet.

"There is no one person. There is no big evil to blame. It's the Gotei. The way it is, the way it operates. The way it's always been. They ain't gonna learn by talkin' anything over. They ain't gonna change because someone asked 'em nice. If I've gotta bloody my hands, put myself back in hell, then I will. Whatever it takes."

Pulling Hana closer, until the two were mere inches apart, Reida glared deeply into Hana's eyes, her one yellow eye trembling as a line of tears fell from it. But her voice never changed. The resolve of a woman who had lost everything was not so easily broken.

"This ain't how the world oughta be. This ain't the conversation a mama and a girl your age should be havin'. But the Gotei's wiped out the Quincy twice now. They wiped out whole cities not five years ago. Only way the lesson is gonna get through to 'em now is to see it with their own two eyes. I don't have to do anything else. I don't wanna do anything else. Vengeance? That's just empty. Even if every last shinigami in existence died, it wouldn't bring back what I lost. But the people who lose what I did? They'll learn. They'll know what that kinda hurt feels like. And maybe, just maybe, they won't be so quick to do it again."

Hana had no chance to move when Reida reached out and grabbed onto her collar. She only pulled back against the grasp once, and then stopped resisting as Reida defended her resolve. Hana could not resist as Reida so easily pulled her closer, her eyes wide and trembling. It was that tear that helped Hana calm enough to speak, even if her voice remained nervous. “If you chose this path, what certainty is there that those who suffer in this battle choose differently? They will not these Arrancar as people. There is no lesson here. They will see monsters here to conquer and kill, no differently than the Demons that we were at war with five years ago.”

Hana brought her hand up to Reida's, a firm grip trying to push her hand off so she could regain some semblance of her own footing. "Please, let me go."

Reida's eye twitched to the side as she heard the rumblings of further destruction, saw the light of countless cero making the sunset bright as midday. She certainly didn't let go of the girl in front of her, and if anything, her grip only tightened. It really was just like back then.

"Go figure. I shouldn't have expected much else from 'em. I guess bein' around good people long enough just made me think maybe the folks up here could use their heads. What a shame."

Finally releasing Hana, Reida's expression had shifted, from hate to something more akin to mere disgust.

"Well. I've got enough blood on my hands. But if the people here ain't gonna change their ways, then I hope this whole place burns to the ground. So get runnin', little girl. Try not to die."

She wasn't really interested in doing any more killing. But these people didn't mean anything to her. Besides, in spite of her personal motivations for being here, it wasn't as if she planned to stay with these Arrancar forever. She'd already directed that girl toward the Vandenreich, and she knew Jones would've been unconvinced when there was no body. Reida had no interest in saving anyone up here when it would hardly do anything for her.

This woman’s motives made sense, but nothing out of her mouth did. What ‘good people’ did she come with? Those invading were Arrancar, inherently bad creatures with only the desire for destruction dictating their decisions. Hana could not wrap her head around whatever this woman was thinking. Once she was released, she stumbled backwards and took a breath, a fraction of relief coming to her.

“Fine… I will go,” Hana said, turning away and preparing to run off, but then she paused. A spark of envy inspiring her to add one last, heartfelt comment. “Your children were lucky to have a mother like you. Not all of us are so blessed.” With a gentle smile, Hana used shunpo and vanished, hoping to find a way to truly make a difference, since her initial attempt had been a complete failure…