[3rd/10th] Week 289: It's Lonely at the Top

[Time Lady Katie]

Katie as Adelaide Pierce and Rob as Amaterasu Nana in
It's Lonely at the Top
5001 Words
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It was... unusual, to say the least, to have Adelaide call her out like that - to some place Nana herself had the pleasure of picking. Ever since she had made it public that she wanted to take the Second District of West Rukongai, and would get it even without her support, the Matriarch of the West wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

Especially now that the Mystic was a Captain. Not that she really cared all too much for what kind of honourifics Adelaide had managed to muster in the time they had last met, but it was something to consider if things ever went awry.

She didn’t expect them to, but in the world of nobility... one could never be too sure.

She wasn’t exactly the best at picking out places to meet, but for some reason she felt like meeting near the overpass into the Third District from the Second. There was a ridiculously beautiful cliff overlooking the townsfolk below, gazing right into the Third District of West Rukongai.

The sun was setting and, as she heard footsteps behind her, Nana greeted with a simple, “Good evening, Pierce-san.”

Rather than appear in the robes of a shinigami, Adelaide manifested from the abilities of the Mystic wearing an elegant, rather slender gown matching Victorian sense of style with modern senses of sleek formal attire. She also didn’t wear her haori, which didn’t stand out as unusual given her manner of dress. The dark blues and silver accents of her outfit seemed to stand out enough and really wouldn’t benefit from a clunky inelegant white cape.

“By now,” began the Mystic, “you’re aware of the advice I have gained from my advisors. Between the crisis at Mount Fuji, my appointment to Captain of the Tenth -- which, it should be noted, was granted over your objection - and my long history of service to a particular district of West Rukongai, it is entirely likely that I could obtain land more... important to me and do so without being beholden to your house. Independant; my actions benefiting no one but myself, and no will other than my own to direct the course of House Pierce.” She was really cutting to the quick of these particular matters. She wanted to get to the point knowing full well that all the things she was saying were public knowledge, and were facts making this meeting remarkably unusual.

She continued to explain, getting to the point of this meeting; “My desires for the station haven’t changed. Hell, I want to help all of West Rukongai, but I also own a business in the Second already, and most of my resources center there. When this little arrangement started off, I lacked the clout to make such a grand move, so I focused on what I saw as obtainable. Now, I can obtain more.” She flashed a momentary frown and looked out over the third district, and the people below. “I am, however, not entirely swayed by the advisors I have in my employ. I’m far more mindful that I wouldn’t even be on this path if it weren’t for you, and that where independance grants freedom, in the game of politics it also leaves one standing alone. As having me would add to your influence, so too would I gain credibility from your support. I can proceed with the plans already underway to obtain the Second for myself on my own merits, and I am certain it is the young upstart’s most astounding triumph, but despite certain... accusations to the contrary, I do respect the events which brought me here.

“I could leverage the fact that I can probably do this with or without you for a lot, Amaterasu, but I’m not here for that. I want a certain amount of latitude, but nothing detrimental to your affairs. I’m here because I can get what I want from you and do both of us a lot more good than if I went to the Forty-six and got it from them. That’s why I asked for this meeting.”

She let the Mystic’s words trail off into the distance for a bit. Stepping closer to the overhang of the cliff, Nana sat down - making sure to not have her dress get in the way - and let her feet hang from the cliffside.

She placed her hands behind her, slightly spaced out - so as to give her some balance - and looked down below.

“Such a beautiful sight,” she said, her voice soft and warm to the touch. “To think that all of this, all the West is mine, it’s quite humbling.”

She brought her gaze upwards for a bit, letting the words of Adelaide come back to her. Yes, she could probably get a spot in the Second without her help. She wondered if the woman was aware of the implications, though. Everything she would want to do, everything she wanted to start, to begin, to tear down, to press through.

All would have to go through her, regardless of whether she was given the land by the Central Forty-Six, or not.

She was the landlord, and she would borrow it from her. If the Central Forty-Six made it so, it would be involuntarily, and would inevitably end in a sour deal for the both of them. Adelaide would try to press her luck, and Nana would press it down.

Soul Society had enough strife to deal with already, without some upstart and high noble house bashing each other for no concrete reason.

“You put me in a difficult position, Pierce-san,” she said, her eyes trailing back towards the town below. For once, the wind flowing through her hair was a nice distraction to the greater good, it made her feel... relaxed. “Why did you not come to me with this, before you decided to make it public?

“Did you feel you needed that ‘extra’ leverage? Or was it just on a whim? Because, honestly? I’ve never once told you ‘you can’t have land here’, nor have I ever told that to any of my other vassals - or even branch families.”

Her voice was calm, collected, but not without its matriarchal instinct. She lifted one of her hands, and touched the scar on her nose bridge - a memento of the First. These decisions, these discussions of power struggles... they always reminded the Blitzkrieg Captain of who she used to be.

Of what power she used to hold.

“You gave me a direction, a district. You could’ve asked for more. You could’ve told me why you deserved more, I would’ve raised an eyebrow if you did this before you became a leftenant, but I would never downright say no.

“So why then, did you not come to me? Am I really that hard to approach?”

Not that there was any question about that, but still.

“You’re probably the single most frightening person I’ve ever met, honestly.” This elicited a small chuckle but it was true, “Your.... I’ll just call her your friend, Tsubaki, is the person I see as most likely to get a whole lot of innocent people killed and start a war one day, but that’s recklessness combined with strength. It isn’t the kind of terrifying force you hold. Add to that the fact that I’m pretty sure everyone somehow works for you and the fact that the first time we met you threatened to kill me. A couple times... yeah, I’m scared of you. Your disposition toward me seems to.. wax and wane, and it makes judging where I stand something of a challenge sometimes.

“So, it was partially a calculated move to foster leverage. Partially a response to the fact that my advisors decide to get into a very public argument over the decision as well. It was going to be public no matter what, better I let the word out than someone else. And lastly, despite some... unavoidable short-term embarrassment, there is something to be said for the image of being able to coax someone who has made it clear they don’t necessarily need you to follow you.” That last point probably needed some clarifying, so she provided it. “It doesn’t say much to get a vassal who couldn’t gain the title on her own, but if you manage to convince someone that everyone knows is able to stand on their own to become your vassal instead, it can be spun in a very positive way, politically speaking.”

“Like what happened with House Frey, or House Uchiharu.” She didn’t much care to elaborate, or have her elaborate her point. Fact of the matter was, she had played this game before. “I may not be Miss-picture-perfect-noblewoman, but I do know my politics, Pierce-san.

“I did not make it to where I am at now, just by flinging my power around and about. Did I think this conversation would not bear any fruits, I would not have taken you up on it. I’m sure you know this, which makes me think you also realize that I’m not here to talk semantics with you.

“I am here to give you whatever latitude you need, within the boundaries I provide you.” Her voice had become just a bit colder as her words carried on, but it was still just as calm as when she had just opened her mouth for the first time.

“I think we both know that this would be the best for both worlds. Yes, you could get a plot of land in my cardinal direction from the Central Forty-Six, and yes you could harass me afterwards, but know that whatever harassment you can pull on me, it pales in comparison to what House Amaterasu-Frey will do in return.

“And that’s not really in either of our best interests really. I’d like to make this work, so tell me what you want, and I’ll tell you what I can give you.”

If it weren’t for the fact that she could hold out with a much less favorable solution, she wouldn’t feel as comfortable in the ensuing negotiation as she did. Like in a combat situation, Amaterasu was far stronger in the realm of politics than Adelaide was which meant that advantages, rare as they were, needed to be pressed.

“I want land in the Second District. I’ll follow through on my library plans, but since the Second is already rather affluent, they’d probably benefit less from it than elsewhere. They also have more resources to contribute to it. So, perhaps starting with a more... elegant library plan in the Second to inspire authors and philosophers to publish works through the House Pierce publishing firm, and using the proceeds to pursue similar projects in districts that need the libraries more? It’s a more ambitious plan, but it allows me to help you help more people in your cardinal direction. You would, obviously, provide significant input into where future projects took place.” The libraries were still remarkably important to Adelaide, and the problem of the increase in district wealth decreasing need was one she clearly had given thought to. She also had to give a lot more control of the larger project to Amaterasu than she was comfortable with, because even at her current standing she wasn’t going to press for enough land to make the project work independent of House Amaterasu.

There was another matter that bothered Adelaide, though. “Also... I don’t have heirs. Given our long life spans, this wouldn’t concern me much, but having now seen the biggest threats we have out there, I find myself contemplating the fact that the dead still die. I am... confronted by my mortality. I don’t know how the nobility of Soul Society solves this particular problem, as it seems the methods I’ve understood from my days being a noble in life aren’t the only way about solving things here and given my distaste for that particular resolution, help navigating this problem would be appreciated.:” Man were those words chosen carefully to avoid saying phrases she certainly had no desire to say aloud.

“Lastly,” she was a bit less hesitant now, on to topic that felt significantly less awkward for her, “for as much as I’ve done to you, I’ve never not thought of the politics of House Amaterasu when calculating my actions. I haven’t been at this as long as you, but I read a lot. I think I’ve demonstrated a decent grasp of the political game. I’m interested in more of the facets particular to Soul Society, though. There are some... gaps in my understanding of the way things are done here that are undermining my efforts. I would think, once those gaps are filled in, I will be a worthwhile asset in that arena.”

She had to chuckle at Adelaide’s mention of not having an heir. Oh, how she felt the same way - in a sense. It was almost pitifully funny, other than the fact that it... well, wasn’t. As for the rest of her ‘demands’, they were rather light, really.

“Honestly, Pierce-san?” Her voice carried the full weight of her responsibilities behind it now, but she made no attempts to get back up from the spot she was sat at. “As far as the Second is concerned, go nuts. I will provide whatever finances you cannot muster yourself, but this publishing firm?

“It’ll be your baby, not mine. I have enough to deal with, without having to give you input into things you’re very well capable of yourself. The things is, once I give you your land, it’s yours to work with.

“It’s only when you would receive it from the Central Forty-Six, that I would exert my influences. You will be my vassal, but that doesn’t mean you need to follow my every whim, and let everything go through me in order to get it approved.

“All I ask is that you let me in on your plans, so I know what to expect. Wealth isn’t an issue, because House Amaterasu is in charge of the West Cardinal Direction. Everything that happens, everything that gets sold, or is bought, or is constructed, brings me a profit or a loss.

“That is why I said, it would be more beneficial for you to get this land from me, instead of getting it from the Central Forty-Six, since I’d be able to give you much more leeway that way.

“As for heirs,” she said, her eyes flickering softly as the moon’s light shone upon them. “Is this a case of... ‘I can’t get pregnant,’ or, ‘I just don’t have an heir planned anytime soon’?”

“The only assistance I would request in the arena of my library and publishing projects is in the form of contacts at your disposal. I’d just ask for assistance arranging meetings with certain people whose particular skills would be useful but who I cannot meet with myself. I don’t know who they are yet, but I’m certain there will be people who I’ll need to get in touch with where dropping your name might be beneficial.” The leeway that she was able to get from working directly with Nana was appreciated, both because she was passionate about books and because she did not relish the idea of yet another increase in paperwork volume.

As for heirs... man, the things she didn’t want to say were things that Nana didn’t play around with. Just saying words like ‘pregnant’ and not batting an eye. Truly, this woman was stoic. “Eh, about... the heirs. It’s a little of both? I don’t have a family. I’m not even married to Brooke yet. I have no parents, no siblings, nothing. On top of all that, I get in enough trouble with my dear Doctor limited to just the gender I enjoy the company of, being forced to do something as distasteful as pursuing certain... approaches to obtaining heirs that you clearly aren’t as skittish about mentioning would certainly leave me in a really horrible place in my relationship. So, a different method would be quite useful.”

She was laughing internally, even if her face remained just as stoic as Adelaide made her out to be. “Last time I checked, I was in the same position as you are. Only, I don’t even have a girlfriend yet. The thing is, though, with the crazy stuff the Ninth Division does on a daily basis, and has done for the past few decades, I wouldn’t worry about it too much if I were you.

“Even then, though, the only heirs I worry about, are the heirs to House Amaterasu - namely, my heirs. If you adopt a child, as so often happens in Soul Society, and he or she carries your name with pride... then by all means, let them be your heir.

“I personally...” Her words trailed off for a second, and if Adelaide had sat right next to her and looked at her that very moment, she could’ve possibly caught a glimpse of a semi-blushing Nana - but, she didn’t. “I want to start a family, and have my own, biological child one day. Call me old fashioned, because I am. I have lived a long, prosperous life, but this is one thing I’ve never had...

“And crave for more than anything else in the world, more so than my bid for immortality.”

That did sound nice. And the Mystic could’ve kicked herself for not considering the option of just going to the Ninth Division and asking someone to make things just work that way through their weird Ninth Division magic. Settling down, as much as a Captain of the Gotei could settle down, and having a child... a wife and a proper family. It all seemed so nice. She was tempted for a moment to sit down beside Nana, but elected not to for the moment. She was thinking on the desire Nana had expressed and how much they had in common in this respect. It was a beautiful notion, and one she wanted to realize more than immortality as well.

Wait, what?

Immortality?

Where the hell did that come from? Nana was rich and powerful, but a bid for immortality?

Holy hell. Sweet Sappho. Stars and stones. Any other odd or off-beat phrase of shock and surprise that someone might, in the course of shock and surprise, utter.

Suddenly she was glad she didn’t sit down beside the speedster.

“Um,” she paused, having no idea what to say to someone who just let it slip that she wanted to be freaking IMMORTAL. What could someone possibly say to that? So, awkwardly, she didn’t say anything about it at all. Nope. She was just going to pretend that everything was still nice and comfortable and sane in Amaterasuland. Where could her ‘um’ go instead? Why, to the only place it made sense for Adelaide to go.

“You seem to have a special relationship with Tsubaki. I mean, I think she’s a dangerous lunatic, but you seem to see something in her I don’t, and if anyone could be healthy for her, you could.”

Until Nana suggested the Templar become immortal with her. That would probably be bad.

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” she said in return, quite aware of Adelaide’s attempt at diverting the conversation away from her little slip up. She was well past pretending to not be interested in the notion of immortality, though.

“Immortality for the both of us, riding off into the sunset, the world at our very feet.” She breathed out a sigh of envy as the thought crossed her mind. Though she was being a bit of a tease to Adelaide right now, the thought did interest her - if ever so slightly. “Yes, that would be nice, but...”

That went exactly where I didn’t want it to go! the redhead screamed internally.

“I don’t think that’ll work out as well I’d want it to.”

Getting back up her feet, she turned around and walked slowly towards Adelaide. “Look, I’ve lived a long life, but this is but one of those lives. You might not want to believe me, but if there’s one thing Raifuku and I have - or had - in common, is the fact that I am well aware of my life cycle.

“I am tired, Pierce-san. But, I don’t want out. I want to stay in, for eternity. To give my soul the peace of mind she deserves.”

Oh, Sappho. They were really going to talk about this, weren’t they?

Adelaide’s internal screaming intensified.

She approached the topic with the hesitancy that made it abundantly clear that she was far more comfortable with talking about setting up Nana and Tsubaki and not making Tsubaki immortal. Or not mentioning the word immortal. Or really even thinking of the word.

“I think we can all, you know, relate to that. On at least some level. Not, obviously... like, I don’t know who I was before 1812, or anything, but... I mean, I think we can all relate to wanting to just find a kind of peace in this endless cycle of chaos. That’s why a lot of religions have decided reincarnation isn’t really in vogue, and instead promise the life after death would be life everlasting. The Cycle of Souls isn’t really what I’d call a popular concept in the world anymore, so yeah. You know. I get it. And having experienced dying once, I can certainly say I don’t look forward to it again. You and Fukushin, having the knowledge of dozens, maybe hundreds of deaths... I would want it to stop too, I suppose.”

She kept screaming internally.

“Um, I don’t think, though, that that idea will, err, be particularly popular here. The cycle must be preserved, that’s like, the ultimate law of Soul Society. I don’t even know if that could be changed. So... wouldn’t you be in, like, heaps of trouble if the wrong people knew what you were... what we’re talking about? It’s a really dangerous thing to pursue, even for you... that is to say... I don’t even think the Forty-Six could change things to allow for...”

Oh, this conversation was just getting so much worse by the second.

“And you’d already have your hands full with them, keeping Tsubaki out of trouble!”

Laughing not so internally right now, she placed a single hand on the woman’s shoulder and shook her hand. “I am not pursuing anything right now, Pierce-san, least of all immortality. It was just a metaphor, to illustrate how I feel about having a family.

“You need not think too awkwardly on it, because there’s nothing to feel awkward about. Tsubaki and I, we are not an item. I don’t think we could even ever fall in love, even if she did like the ladies.

“We’re too similar, she and I. In the way we approach things, that is. It just wouldn’t work out. Besides, I’m a hopeless romantic behind this thick layer. Let’s be honest here...” As the moon shone down on Nana, she was made clearly visible to Adelaide.

She was not wearing her haori, the one thing that often so defined her status in this land of mortal souls, nor was she even wearing her usual shinigami dress. Then again, it was black, so maybe Adelaide hadn’t even noticed the difference.

Her long hair hung loosely from the side of her face, following the trail of the wind every time it whipped up. She had a single braid on the left side of her hair, but other than that... there was nothing fancy about her hair at all.

In every way of the word she was Amaterasu Nana, Matriarch of House Amaterasu. She had not come here as a shinigami, but as a noble.

“I am not a very likeable shinigami. I am prideful, I am egoistic beyond measurement. I am revel in the power I command, and the status I hold, but above all... balance is definitive. Death does not concern me, thus the lives of my subordinates or those of other divisions do not concern me either.

“The world will eventually balance itself out. What happens, happens, and if I had to care for every single thing that happened on my watch, I would be a mental wreck.

“But,” she said, truly locking eyes with Adelaide for the first time since their conversation had started, “I am also a Matriarch. I am, behind that thick layer, still human. Not many people may have seen it, or indeed ever see it, but I care deeply for the ones I hold dear.”

Slowly, a single teardrop fell from the side of her left eye as an awkward smile formed on her face. It was one of bittersweet feelings.

“It’s not as easy as some might make it out to be, you know?”

The immortality was a metaphor. Okay. She’d believe that. The same way ‘the sun never sets on the British Empire’ was a metaphor for ‘we own the planet’. Yeah. It was a metaphor. It was so poetic and colorful. And Adelaide was still certain Nana, Matriarch of House Amaterasu, wanted to never again meet death in far more than the idle way most people didn’t want to die. And she was pretty sure the speed demon was probably, eventually, going to do something about it.

A metaphor.

She wasn’t going to not buy into it, because the entire idea made her internal screaming change pitch far too often.

Instead she focused on the insight she got into Nana, the person beneath the piles of titles. This she couldn’t relate to as easily. After some particularly traumatic events Adelaide had found her temperament had changed dramatically, and she had tried to mask that change as best she could with varying results, but she hadn’t done it for a long time, and the barrier around her emotional wounds was not nearly so thick as Nana’s cocoon of steel. Still, she had let Adelaide see a lot of who she was, all because of Adelaide’s concern about heirs.

It had always been easy for Adelaide, finding women she was at least remotely compatible with. What was hard for her was getting to a level of trust and commitment with them. Brooke had been different, and even with her commitment had been a challenge. But thankfully for Nana, Adelaide had the part that the matriarch was missing pretty solidly figured out. Despite the rather attractive and dangerous and altogether horrifying tableau of Nana and Tsubaki together not working out, the Mystic was convinced she could find someone.

“So, if I make it look easy, maybe I can use those skills to your benefit? I know a lot of people, you know, and some of them are bound to make it past your shell. I’m certain, absolutely certain, I can find you someone.” Hopefully someone who deserved to be immortal. STOP THINKING ABOUT IT, ADELAIDE! “Whaddya say?”

“I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, Adelaide, but...” It was very sweet of the redhead, for sure, but... well, whatever. “Well... whatever, I guess. I think we deviated a bit from our... original conversation, wouldn’t you say?”

Though her smile was genuine, her feelings were acting up a bit and she wasn’t sure she much liked it.

There was no way this quest Adelaide set herself on was as quixotic as it seemed, right? It was probably at least twice as insane. Maybe three times.

“Yeah, we kind of did,” remarked the redhead as she put a hand awkwardly to the back of her head, rubbing it in mild embarrassment, “I have the original document you gave me to sign, but I imagine you’ll have something different sent my way now?” The agreement was somewhat one-size-fits-all, but there were some specifics that might need changing reflecting the new district Adelaide would represent. Seeing the sides of Nana she had seen today, though, replenished some of the trust in the matriarch that had been in decline lately. She felt like she understood the Blitz Captain better now, and felt that the sides of her demonstrated this evening weren’t things she would’ve shown someone she didn’t trust.

And that actually made Adelaide somewhat overcome with guilt. It wasn’t a political slight she had given Nana in approaching members of the Forty-six, it was a personal one. That was probably what she had seemed so hurt and confused earlier. Well, shit, who knew? Nana Amaterasu was really just a human after all, desires for deification aside.

“For what it’s worth,” added the Mystic Captain, “I’m sorry for not coming to you sooner. And for calling you scary.”

“Scary? That’s no big deal, don’t be sorry for that.” She chuckled mildly as she picked her bearings. œThe rest, I appreciate it, and... yeah, I’ll send you a new document your way, Pierce-san.

“It’s been... refreshing, thank you.”

The redhead offered a nod, “Any time you need to talk, personal stuff, I’m there for you. Sounded like you’ve kept a lot of this bottled up for a while. I’m going to start ordering materials for construction of an estate, so fairly soon you’ll know where to find me if you need to talk,” the smile on her face practically glowed. The paperwork would be done quickly, and returned to Nana with equal haste.

This time she was doing it right, and she just might’ve found a new hopeless quest to sink her energy into in the process. All in all, it was a rather extraordinary night. A long-standing question in Adelaide’s life was resolved. Actually two of them were. Now she just needed to marry that doctor and build her estate.

Freaking immortality, though. That was going to haunt her.