Forced into Action [SAJIN/LYZA]

The streets of the Rukongai hadn't changed much even in the millenia and more that Lyza had been alive. She still remembered these streets no matter how long it had been since she last walked them. It was a long walk to get where she was going, too, but she knew how to get there even if she hadn't been there before. All she needed to do was look at a map once and she could find her way.

Her outfit was a little too formal for the occasion, but she needed to keep her shihakusho hidden away. From what she had heard through the grapevine, the sentiment towards shinigami wasn't the greatest around here. For what reason? She could only guess. Politics, though she wouldn't know who would have set the sentiment in motion. Lyza could only guess.

One turn led to another and soon she was knocking on a door. What door it was and where it went didn't matter. She only knew who it belonged to. Perhaps it was more of a gate, perhaps it was just a door, Lyza wasn't paying attention. She felt like this person deserved to at least know what was going on.

Komamura was angry. He was disappointed, confused, but above all angry. He could not, would not, understand what could justify dismantling everything Genryusai-dono and countless other Shinigami had built over the last thousand and more years. To damn the Seireitei, the Rukongai, Soul Society, and all worlds to an unknown fate, one with countless shadowy figures vying for control instead of guarding the realms as it had always been the Gotei's duty.

The selfishness of the people who would do such a thing only proved Lyza's words. Her claims about the state of the Seireitei rang truer with every development in the wake of the invasion. He would like to speak with her again so that they may work on moving forward through these unknown waters, and as a knock rang out from the hut's entrance Sajin sensed the heart of the very woman he was thinking of.

Upon opening the ten foot-tall front door, Sajin gestured for Lyza to enter the hut that, on the inside, rather closely resembled the old Seventh Division's Captain's quarters. He had not even realized what he was building until it was finished, and now found a certain nostalgic comfort in living here.

"We have much to discuss, Lyza."

       

Word must travel fast if Sajin was already inviting her in. It made sense, though. Lyza gave a brief nod and took a few steps inside without immediately acknowledging anything but her immediate surroundings. That part was purely out of habit.

"Yes, indeed. If you're not surprised to see me, then I can only assume you were expecting me. Given the severity of the news, I can also assume you know what's going on." The pointy-eared ex-noble started out formal, but then her expression twitched briefly, and then she practically deflated as she stood. Posture melting, guard lowering, and neutral demeanor turning to that of frustration.

"Some of the important parts of the situation will resolve mostly fine at the very least. Kuchiki-sama is not stupid, just disagreeable. The balance of souls will likely still be maintained for a while and I doubt that those on Earth will just... cease their duties immediately." Lyza sighed, getting her thoughts out before tacking on a final thought. "Probably." Yes, probably was the best they had to go on. What utter garbage.

"But I'd rather not allow such a militaristic force to come purely under Central 46's rule. This will be the most control they've had of the Gotei, but that's also assuming Kuchiki-sama allows himself to purely be used as a puppet. Or worse... actually agrees with them."

Lyza shook her head. "So then what do the last of us do? Rebel?" Her eyes were unfocused as she thought, staring side-eyed at a wall while she bit her thumb in thought.

After allowing Lyza to enter the small home, Sajin stepped back and took a seat across the main room. He watched Lyza go from her typical self to what appeared to be a state of defeat, which drew understanding and sympathy from him. He understood only too well given he was also feeling a combination of these emotions, with a smattering of rage on top of it all.

As Lyza guessed at Sajin knowing about the state of affairs already, he responded with a nod in the affirmative. Word travels fast in Soul Society, at least amongst the people he spoke to; after all, while the Rukongai was often willfully ignorant of what happened with the Gotei, Sajin managed to stay somewhat up-to-date with the goings-on of the Seireitei over the years.

The mention of Byakuya Kuchiki's nomination by the Central 46 worried Sajin, after all the Nobility of Soul Society had a long and public track record of working only to advance their own objectives and not those of the Gotei or Soul Society as a whole. His time in the shadows had allowed him ample opportunity to consider more than just blind loyalty to the Gotei, and it was during this absence Sajin came to terms with how he felt about nobles. He had great respect for those he had served with, like Byakuya and others, as Shinigami. But the collective nobility was far different from any individual.

"I worry whether Byakuya Kuchiki agrees with the rest of the nobles even matters, Lyza. Should they regain the power they possessed in the past, or even more, then his own personal reservations may be irrelevant." Sajin did not claim to be any sort of expert on politics or power struggles, but the danger of nobles grasping for power in the wake of devastation was not lost on him. "I do not know what we must do next, but I will do everything in my power to find out. I have plans to meet with Erika Masamune to get more answers. What is certain is we must remain wary and cannot allow schemers to do as they please."

"Will that even help when the Gotei has been reduced to such numbers...?" Lyza wondered under her breath as she began to pace around the room. It didn't matter if she was nervous, the witch often did it when she was thinking. The fact that she was filled with anxiety over the whole situation as well was just another coincidence. Surely.

"Even if we were to regather the remaining Shinigami that are still lingering about, regathered those like Masamune-sama who were in a state of power, would we be able to simply... defy the noble houses with such pitiful forces?" The witch asked while she slowly tread back and forth, heeled boots clicking against the floor with every step, and hands folded behind her back. She could sit, but her body didn't want her to.

"It would have to be in a more political way, I think. Outright physically defying them would be a death sentence, no? Perhaps working from the inside out?" But that just sounded like traitor talk, even if the people they were betraying were Central 46. Lyza's face twisted in distress at her own poor ideas. "I can't believe I was happier being a document handler than I am right now."

Sajin sat still, listening intently to the pacing woman in front of him. He chose not to interrupt her, not to speak up until she was clearly finished getting all her anxious thoughts off her chest and into the quiet air. She brought up points, fair as they were, he would normally want to address one at a time; but he had seen this anxiety in others before, after Aizen's treachery, during the demonic incursion, and throughout both world wars of the last century. Logic wasn't always the most appropriate response, he had learned. At least not at first.

"It is only during times of conflict and unsurety that we truly appreciate the peace that came before." he said in response to her reminiscing about her office job in the First Division. Sajin too had once been the same as her, having spent time ruminating on the past while in the midst of World War 3. "Remember this Lyza, the Gotei was never truly an arm of the Central 46. Even when it was under the Nobles' thumb, the majority of Shinigami were like us, having come from the Rukongai to serve a greater purpose. Just because the Nobles want their own Gotei, to place the entire Soul Society within their dominion, does not mean that is a promised fate."

The fear of noble rule was something Sajin understood. In his younger years he resented the nobility the most, as they, beyond anyone else, were the most critical and brutal toward him and his people. It was with time and serving with wonderful Shinigami nobles that he was able to overcome these feelings, but he was not blinded to the truths of their existence. "Though it is not conflict I desire Lyza, I do not believe there is a way forward that involves working beneath the nobles. Principled though Byakuya Kuchiki may be, many of the Central 46 are callous and hateful. So long as there are people like us who see a different path forward, they cannot do as they please."

Lyza ceased her pacing and let out a deep, exhausted sigh. This was all above her pay grade, and yet she still felt an obligation to take up some kind of duty in response to recent events. Perhaps there was still a part of her that cared after all, perhaps she was getting bored of office work and just wanted an alternative. Regardless...

"I think things will pan out better than we expect, but it's better that we prepare for the worst anyways. Even if it ends up being excessive, it's better to be safe than sorry." Was what she eventually came to after a brief moment of silent contemplation. "The only question is: is how are we to do that?"

Her eyes turned to Sajin with the slightest of questioning looks. As unexpressive as she typically was, things were complicated enough to pull a little emotion of of her stony heart, even if it was mostly just confused speculation. Too many details, too little time. And given how fast all of these events had happened, things could 100% worsen spontaneously. They needed a solution now whether they liked it or not.

Sajin didn't have the answers Lyza was looking for. Try as he might, he could not miraculously conjure enough funding, housing, food and water, and security for everyone needing it in the Seireitei and beyond. As he searched for ideas, ruminating silently upon Lyza's difficult and fundamental question, Sajin thought back to anyone he might have known in his previous life as a Captain who could help in the ways they need.

After a short time Sajin broke the silence with what could be confused for thinking out loud "Like any other group, not all nobles are greedy enough to so desperately grasp for power. Some must be trustworthy..." As he finished speaking, Sajin's eyes turned toward the ground as he got lost in thought. Who could they rely on? Who could they even ask to be relied upon?

Returning his gaze to Lyza, Komamura spoke once more, this time more directly. "I believe the Koizumi may be convinced to offer their support. When I seek out Erika Masamune, I will speak to the head of their house and request aid. The Shiba are also different from other nobles, at the least anyone whom the rest of the nobles spurn must be worthy of consideration and the Shiba fit that criteria. We do not need pledge ourselves to them, but if it means securing aid for those who need it I will even prostrate myself."

"You won't have to prostrate yourself when it comes to the Shiba." Lyza said with a dismissing shake of her head. "If anything they'd think less of you for it. That's just how the Shiba are. They're the least noble-like of the nobles. I wouldn't worry about it."

But that still left them with figuring out the next step. Securing aid came first, but then what? Perhaps she was just thinking too far ahead, but Lyza couldn't help but worry about said next step. It was likely to be eventful, for better or for worse, and could very well be when things became outright hellish. This right now...?

"I've been through worse." The witch said, turning to look towards any windows that might be in the room, if only to gaze upon the Rukongai outside. "But I still think we need to prepare for what comes after all this talk. Central 46 won't let their precious Gotei go now that it's as close to 'theirs' as it's ever been..." Said the grandma with a bit of disdain in her voice. The nobles truly were crossing a line this time.

"I think I'll end up training soon." The declaration was as sudden as it was blunt. "I haven't done that since the last quincy culling, so... a few centuries at least. I just... can't help but shake this feeling in the pit of my stomach, is all." That's all it took for her to think such a terribly drastic action was necessary. Finally getting off her ass and doing something, that is.

Sajin noted Lyza's advice regarding the Shiba with an affirming nod. He would do everything he could to secure their support, but if it meant annoying or disrespecting their sensibilities then he was smart enough to avoid it. They could be a key player in how this all shakes out, after all.

With how long Lyza had been in the Gotei, Sajin fully believed her when she said she had been through worse. Or had done worse. He knew the Gotei had done things in the past no Shinigami could be proud of, things Genryusai-dono did not talk about in his later years. But that was all in the past, their focus was on the here and now where danger could be lurking behind any corner.

"If, when we secure aid, to truly offer an alternative to the Nobles someone will have to be at the fore, prepared to take the brunt of criticism and perils of leadership. Perhaps one of the more reliable Captains will be willing to make such a sacrifice. I knew a couple of them in my former life." There were Rukia and Rose, one he knew decently well in the past while the other was somewhat of a stranger as he was still new to the Gotei when the soon-to-be-Hollowfied Rose became a Captain. As for the others, Sajin did not know them well.

Lyza's declaration to train was one born from anxiety or fear, Sajin thought. Good. If even someone like her, a person who confessed to want to remain in her station without change and appeared to lack motivation of any kind, was willing to prepare for conflict, then Sajin knew he would have to stand tall and not shy away from it either. "Training would be a worthy endeavor, Lyza. The times we find ourselves in are tumultuous, and it is best if we are all prepared for the worst. Though I have been gone a long time, I have not neglected my own training. If you desire a partner, I gladly offer my assistance."