After Party | R |

[Deleted]

Social following this.

He'd never felt as tired as he had right now. It was more than just physical and spiritual exhaustion, but what he could only describe as emotional exhaustion as well. His eyes stung from the salt in the air that came from the ocean. He had a touching moment with the person he had no choice but calling a friend, and in the end agreed to help her handle Luis’s body. Where Luke got the shovel didn't really matter. He'd decided to burry Luis on the beach, in the dunes, since carting the body across the city in both his and Nola”s condition just didn't seem like a good idea. After everything that happened, Luke was...quiet...as he worked. He didn't say a word to Nola as he began digging a hole in the reeds, not once complaining about how tired he was as he worked. So many things bounced around in his head that it barely felt like he was digging at all. So many questions about what happened. So much confusion. Was what he felt real or would it pass in time? Was Nola really a friend or an enemy?

Asking himself that question only generated a instant response in his gut. Nola was a friend. And yet, Luke's brain, knew how things had gone down. Luke had attacked Nola with, now that he thought on it, intent to kill. Using her powers...Luke's feelings for her were confusing. He couldn't deny how he felt about her now. He couldn't lie to himself about it. But he knew it was unnatural. Unnerving. Creepy. Terrifying. He couldn't bring himself to hurt Nola anymore. By inserting herself into his heart as she did, she'd completely protected herself from ever being hurt by Luke. She'd taken his biggest weakness and used it against him. But did he want to attack her? No. Things were confusing now, and it was part of why Luke was being so quiet as he worked. He was busy thinking.

His Dolls had been similarly affected. Jäger and Springflut had retreated to the furthest depths of Luke's conscious, in a place too dark for Luke to reach them. He could still feel them, and in a way get a read on what they'd been feeling, but it wasn't entirely clear what he got back. Jäger, from Luke understood, was just as confused as he was. He'd hidden himself much in the same way Luke threw himself at that hole, to process and work out what had happened. Springflut...Luke wasn't sure. When Luke reached out with his conscious for the second Doll he had hit a wall. It wasn't like with Jäger where Luke couldn't reach, it was a literal wall that the Bount couldn't get past. The Doll had blocked Luke off from contacting him. Luke remembered the Doll screaming at him to fight against Nola’s power, and simply...accepting it...must have enraged the Doll to an unfathomable degree. But more than that, the rage Luke could feel through that blocking wall was not entirely directed at him. Luke felt seething hatred for Nola and...something else. Something Luke felt was familiar yet he couldn't identify.

So Luke worked in complete silence, something he'd not had in a long time now, until finally he just had to stop when the hole reached four feet deep. His gasps for air had finally gotten to the point he needed to rest, leaning against one side of the shallow grave as he caught his breath. The young man's exposed skin glistened in the light from the reflecting moon. Without turning to look at Nola, he finally broke the silence. ”What happens now?” Luke suddenly questioned, though it was rather vague. He turned his head back slightly, catching Nola in his gaze for a moment. He had to look away though, unable to deny how he saw her in the moonlight. The shovel dug its way into the sand once again, though he'd talk this time while he worked.

But before long Luke suddenly hissed, grabbing onto the wound that Nola had given him when they traded swords. Being the dumbass he was he hadn't taken the time to heal it using Immortality Drink's healing capabilities. But for some reason he just didn't feel like healing it. He wondered if he was unconsciously using the pain as some kind of punishment towards himself, as stupid as that sounded. He was a little worried he might make the wound worse, but it certainly wasn't anything horrible right now. "That power of yours...it's so stupid. I keep going through all of it in my head, and I know all of its fake. So...why the hell is everything I feel about you so real?" Luke questioned, removing his hand from the injury and looking at the red stain on his palm. He sighed, shaking his head a little before he asked another question, "I'm not gonna go insane or my head's going to explode, right?" Luke asked, turning this time to look at Nola with those murky brown eyes of his.

[Nola Vilde]

Nola stared for a while at the grave, a little oblivious to her surroundings as her memories... or at least the ones she had been given, floated through her mind. And she did have to wonder. Would he have truly asked her to kill him? In her own past, when she had been in charge, she had made the memories viable. If Nola had truly been the kind of person, if Luis would have wanted. That's just how things went. She'd alwayskept viable circumstance. It was much easier than making memories of things people normally would never in a milion years do. But she wasn't sure. She wasnt' the one in charge anymore.

When Luke drew her attention she glanced at him, blinking owlishly before smiling, that look of worry fading as remembering Luke's presence put her at ease. Not a lot of people could do that to her these days. "As I said. That's up to you Luke. I understand that you've been under a lot lately. I don't remember EVERYTHING, as wellm I'm sure there's stuff you never told me. But I am here." She noted, turning her attention o their surroundings. "Whenever I DO go here, I have a place I stay at. If you ever need me you can leave a message for me there. I can't lie... I can't just run away to the human world for ages. But I can Do my best. And just as much... if you'd rather I not stick around. I can do that too." She murmured softly.

[Deleted]

Luke gave her a long look as she spoke. His eyes softly gazed at her, studying her form as if he was memorizing it. Everything he was remembering was fake. It had to be. Yet everything he felt towards her was...it was real. He couldn't remember everything between them...but there had been enough that had to warrant the strong attachment Luke felt for her. The way she spoke to him about it made it seem even more real that what he'd experienced had been for real. Jäger and Luke's confused emotions were real. The anger he felt from Springflut was very much real as well. Those murky browns stared at Nola as she spoke. At least...she would be there for him. He was preparing to return to the task of digging the grave, removing her from his sight until he heard her voice again. He remained still as he listened, staring down at the sand beneath his feet as he took in her words.

There was a place he could leave a note to let her know he wanted to see her. The young Bount felt his heart skip when he heard that. He could...see Nola whenever he wanted. Why? Why did it make him happy to hear that? Why did it make his cheeks burn red thinking that? She'd given him a way out. If Luke didn't want her around all he had to do was say it. Just one word and it would be over. Just say it. Say it and she'll be gone. Say it and the head games will end. Say it and Springflut would forgive him. "I'd...like that.." Came his answer. For a moment he felt...sick...saying that, before the sense of relief and gratitude of not losing Nola washed over him.

Getting back to work it wasn't long until the hole was finished. What took longer was putting the two parts of Luis's body into the hole and beginning the process of burying it. With Luke's physical and emotionally exhausted state, plus his injury, it made the task difficult. But he was insistent on doing it himself. Finally, around ten minutes later, the grave was finished. An unmarked grave hidden in the dunes of a beach. Luke was quiet, aside from his deep breaths through his nose, as he stood in front of his fellow Bounts grave. He stared at it silently, thinking back on the brief time he'd spent with Luis. "We're gonna have to tell Taka, you know right?" Jäger questioned, finally speaking after all this time. He sounded sad, with concern also dripping from his voice for Luke.

I know. The young man replied, his fingers tightening around the shovels shaft for a moment. "What're you...gonna tell her?" Jäger asked, wanting to make sure the Bount really knew what was going on. ....I'll tell her...tell her I found him feeding...tell her he had the same eyes as Zan. Luke replied, his inner voice weak and trembling. He felt something cold strike his head quickly. One by one more of those sensations hit him as the rain forecasted for this evening finally hit. Soon the shower came, though it was certainly no hurricane or storm.

The young Bount was thankful for the rain, honestly. Water flowing all down his body felt nice to him. Plus, in the rain, you couldn't tell if those were tears or not streaming down the sides of his face. He'd remain standing there for a few more minutes to honor Luis. To pay his respects to him. Those brown eyes looked towards his crimson skinned friend, studying her once more. A perfect stranger he knew so perfectly well. He tried to fight against his feelings for a moment, before just saying fuck it and letting it happen. His arm rose itself and placed its hand on her shoulder gently. "Come on. Let's get out of the rain before we catch colds." He said softly, hopping to lead Nola away from the beach and someplace warm and dry.

[Nola Vilde]

Nola nodded, watching as Luke finished the grave, her own anxiety a little tripped. She did want to help, but at the same time it felt.....dirty. Did she really deserve to help? She still didn't know, it was so hard to tell. What would Luis have wanted? She sighed softly, rubbing her eyes for a moment before looking toward the grave. It was done, looking out to the ocean, at the very least... she knew he would have enjoyed the view.

Due to their comparative heights, Luke was the first to know when the rain started coming, she herself jumping a little when she felt that first drop, shutting her ees and rubbing the wet drip from her face before glancing back to Luke, feeling that same security in her heart when he placed his hand on her shoulder. But comforting as it was, she had her uncertainties. Sure, her memories had apcified luke. But Luis had had far mor friends than just him. And she felt a dread in possibly having to face them.

When he suggested they get out of the rain, she nodded softly and huddled in beside the human, leaning slightly as she allowed him to take her away from the grave, but no ammount of proximity would remove the weight in her chest. A weight she wished she could say was only from Luis. There were so many people she'd had to kill as a shinigami. Thankfully most were hollows, those she knew would simply be cleansed and moved to the rukongai. But.... it wasn't always the case. She was actually starting to miss the offices at Squad One.