Coda of the Fourfold Song [Abalia, Makoto]

It was an unusual situation. To be expected frankly, she was not the fourth seat that she once was with an open timetable to fill. The recent events only added to that, things had to give, things had to be given up on. Unfortunately that crunch meant she had to pick between two paths before her. She had thought long and hard about it. The selfish path and the selfless path are what she had summarised them as. She could continue for her own growth, she was well ahead of the curve with her own obsessive behaviour. Centuries of progress crunched into her short lifespan through pain, grief, and struggle. How much further could she climb?

Probably a lot, she thought. At the end of the day though she did not want to be the person that abandoned the people behind her to climb to the top. In a way, she already knew which path she wanted to walk but there were a couple of issues that left her conflicted. Could she commit to other people like that and overcome her own prejudices? It's not like she could make the decision lightly when it couldn't be undone.

They were all things which got dissected by her brain as she waited outside of the Kyoraku Estate to enter. Even to a good friend she lacked the playful attitude of barging in under the guise of an investigation being done by the Sixth. It would probably be appreciated as good humour to one woman, and earn her ire from everyone else. She wasn't like that though. Her eyes might be the same red as a boorish woman's hair but her ettiquette was as pure as her silver hair was.

How peculiar, another visitor so soon. Not that Abalia minded in the slightest to hear that this particular woman wished to see her. After all, Makoto was one of her dearest friends, and she would hardly think to deny the woman her company. In many ways, the two of them were quite similar, after all, and Abalia knew that. After the large gate of the estate had opened, Abalia stood within, a small smile on her face as she welcomed Makoto into the grounds.

"It's a pleasure to have you, Makoto. I hope you don't mind that I've already begun preparing tea, hm?"

It was just common courtesy, of course, to show a friend such hospitality.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of you, Abalia."

It wasn't entitlement to her hospitality but the fact she was keenly aware of how particular her friend and former captain could be on the finer details. Consider everything and act methodically through every step of the way until the result was accomplished.

"Have you been well?"

She asked without wasting any time to enter and wait for Abalia to lead them to her preferred spot.

"I have, yes. The children have been doing quite well, and life has been rather quiet. I can hardly ask for much else, I should think."

Leading the way through the grounds to a tea room, Abalia gestured inside, allowing Makoto to enter first. Straightforward, but refined, that was how Abalia carried herself these days, and she rather enjoyed being able to invite a friend in for something such as this. Of course, she understood that this was likely not simply a meeting for idle catching up, but that didn't mean she was unwilling to engage in that, too.

"And you? I would naturally like to hope that everything is well in your life."

She might've entered first but Makoto fell back to walk abreast with Abalia. It let her walk and actually see her friend while she walked. It was far nicer to converse this way.

Life was well for her but that didn't mean it didn't have its complications. The recent situation that would make her choose a path had lingered on her mind in one form or another. She had to think a bit on such a choice.

"It's going well but I can't say its nice at the moment. The escalated situation of the recent bombing has left me without much time to myself, or my other commitments. A few days ago the academy staff approached me about the inconsistencies that are developing in my schedule for running classes due to needing to commit to the investigation instead."

Makoto explained through pursed lips.

"They want me to resign from my position in the Shin'o Academy, if I am going to continue to experience these issues in my availability."

Sitting seiza, Abalia poured a cup of tea for Makoto, then herself, and thought about the issue presented to her. It made sense, and that was the exact decision she would have made were she in charge. But she was not here to think practically about these matters, she was here to give advice to one of her dearest friends.

"You have always been thoroughly committed to your work at the Academy, and so I can hardly say that you ought to abandon that."

Sipping her tea, Abalia thought for another moment or two before continuing. Of course, for someone like Abalia, those few moments allowed for no small amount of thought.

"If I may speak forwardly, Makoto, it strikes me that you express concern toward the position at Shino, and treat your position in the Gotei as standing in the way of that. I would not wish for you to think you should be ashamed of that, if it is the case; rather, I would wish to discuss why."

Well, if she also considered that in self-reflection she was inclined to agree with her. She did enjoy her time working as an instructor to students. It made her try to reflect on why that was the case. Her role among Realm Enforcement was something she was good at but it did make her more cynical of others. Criminals and wrongdoings were a daily occurence which she had to make her business.

For someone who thought the worst of people that would be just fine, and served her quite well in the past for it. So why was she more bothered by it now?

"If I was to take a guess I suppose it would be that I find my work in the Sixth Division now more inconvenient than fulfilling. I used to take pride in my work and it was my sole motivation but now it gets in the way of other things I want to focus on. I neglect my relationships and own improvement because of the additional workload."

She said it matter-of-factly and took a sip of tea. She wasn't bothered that she had picked up new things in life which gave it meaning instead of dedication to her work as the only thing she had to fulfill her. It was empty back then anyway, motivated by revenge more than enjoyment. It wasn't healthy for her everyone had pointed out, everyone who had became close to her and filled that hollow life she had lived for so long.

"Inconvenient? Well, I would certainly say that I understand your outlook, yes. Perhaps not for precisely the same reasons, of course, but not for wholly dissimilar ones, either."

Abalia opted not to suppress the faint smile that crossed her lips at the thought that Makoto had found something she was more inclined toward than simply working. After all, should she not be happy to hear that of her friend, particularly considering how hard she had pushed herself?

"It seems to me that you are already quite aware of what you would like to do, Makoto. You should pursue that, for your own sake and for the sake of those who rely on you."

"You are correct, though you say for the sake of those that rely on me. My current station has people rely on me. In our current situation no less, I don't want to let them down by this decision either."

Makoto explained to her. She knew she was more than capable of doing both jobs individually but if she tried to do both of them then it would be a failure. By taking the decision to give up her position as vice-captain it would cause trouble for the subordinates that did depend on her being a capable vice-captain.

"Especially when I do not see any shinigami that stand out to me as suiting Captain Shiba's criteria for what he would expect out of a vice-captain."

"It does, indeed, but having a superior officer whose heart is not in her work, or whose mind is on another matter, is detrimental. That is why you prefer to step aside, yes?"

Abalia thought about that particular matter for a moment, aware that her words might have come across as more harsh than she'd meant for them to be. She was still far from a gentle soul, after all, even if she was attempting to be so.

"Is that only within your division, or within others, as well? Either way, perhaps it is worth considering if there are other shinigami who would be suited to the position of Captain, as well. When I brought Captain Shiba on, I always believed it would likely be a short tenure. He, like yourself, has matters beyond Gotei service which compel him."

Another sip of tea, and Abalia took another moment to think as to how she should speak.

"I think a new captain, and new vice captain alongside, would not be unwelcome in these times. Even I have thought perhaps to return."