Break Me With Goodbye [Social]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

At least she was understanding. Though, being a Lance was nothing to scoff at. She at least had authority over any of the new people who come in as Swords. She also had more security clearance than them. That was worth something. But if she showed promise, maybe she could make more of herself. Shizuka had seen her abilities and believed in them. Hebika was strong. Super strong. It wouldn't be hard for her to gain Ranks within the organization. In fact, perhaps it would be sooner than the Fullbringer thought. But until then, hopefully she wouldn't be too upset with her position. Shizuka just knew she'd be best suited there for now while she got used to Xcution again.

But she also wanted to show her their headquarters. Shizuka had left the apartment and decided to walk. She didn't say much during the trip, but that was mostly because she was avoiding remembering what had happened. She just knew that the building wasn't going to be in the best shape. She was concerned about that. She hadn't been back there since that day. She just wanted to ignore all of the bad stuff and move on, but sometimes it still haunted her. The memory of her boss bloodied and on the floor was causing her to panic. Not in such a bad way, but enough to make her uneasy. Knowing Hebika, she'd notice.

Eventually, the two of them would make it to the former glory that was Xcution's Karakura Town Headquarters. Some of the windows were blown apart and blasts of smoke could be seen along the edges, obvious signs of explosions and flames. The structural integrity on the top few floors was rather shotty at best, as well. Shizuka was practically ashamed of it. She had ignored it for so long that it started getting out of control. This was ridiculous. Hebika was going to be shocked, for sure. With a sigh, she turned around to her friend and motioned towards the building in a sad but inviting manner.

"Well, welcome to Xcution."

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika tilted her head, more than capable of knowing that something was up. The way Shizuka sort of closed herself off. This was quite strange indeed. The girl always seemed to enjoy opening up, letting Hebika see it all, process it all, she liked to believe that it was because A, Shizuka trusted her, and B, she had no reason to protect Hebika. So this did concern her just a tad. But she didn't bring it up. Shizuka was a big girl, she was allowed her secrets, neon as they were. And instead she chose to try and comfort the girl. She walked close beside them, and kept an arm around them. Lightly, not pulled in too tightly, a mere reminder of presence.

And of course...she saw it. From afar. And when at last they got there she was again hit with the mystery. It wasn't until after analyzing the damage, the clear attack, the locations of the damage, and of course the SOUND of Shizuka's voice that she sortof put it together. In some strange way, Shizuka seemed to be blaming herself for this. And a few tumbler fell into place. After all, Shizuka was a gun, a pristine and powerful assassin. And indeed, she imagined that...whenever this happened, she had been...well...obviously, eithe rabsent, or unable to do anything about it. And of course even her lovely yellow flower was a human. And humans blamed themselves for such silly things.

So, as Shizuka spoke with that gentle tone of forlorn, the Mod Soul gently took her and pulled her close. She sat the girl down on a bench nearby. She paused....eyeing Shizuka thoughtfully, thinking. And then she turned her attention to the building. Hmmm, she HAD done a lot of karaoke on her vacation. And so she glanced once more at Shizuka, and put on a soft, knowing little smile on her face. She tapped her chin, and then made her way back over to Shizuka, kneeling down so that she could gently curl her finger along the underside of the girl's chin. And a huge PULSE of reiatsu shimmered out, invisible to shizuka of course due to her sensory, but the entire building was washed with her reiatsu.

"You must have been afraid. Surely petrified." The rubble around them began to rise up and shift. Little squirrels forming from the debris. Like a scene out of disney, answering the call of a princess as he gently smiled to Shizuka, with a comically seductive smile despite the song she was about to sing. "Thinking you could never live without this building-side~ The glass crackled, peeling from it's shattered spots as they began to form little shining birds, tweeting along with the beat as they flowed in. The squirrels ding little stamps of their feet to start the rhythm.

"You must have SPENT so many Nights, thinking what you coulda done. But you've grown strong! and you've learned how to get along!" There came the cresciendo! The cement and the woodwork all forming various woodland creatures, several deer made of twisted rebar running in to begin dancing at either side of the Mod Soul! "BUT NOW I'M BACK! From Outter space! And now I'm here to lift you up and wipe that sad look right off your face!" Suddenly she had Shizuka's hand, pulling them to their feet as she grinned and did a shimmying dance, trying to get Shizuka to join her.

"You could have chaanged that stupid lock. You couldhave made me leave my keys. But it's almost like you knew that I'd be back to bother thee! Now I won't go! Go shut the door! Dry your eyes now! Cuz I'm not leavin anymore!" she tried to give Shizuka a little spin, attepting to dispel that mood, with her own, massive, ridiculous display.
"I was the one who couldn't stand to say goodbye...." The music slowed, and she pulled Shizuka in.
"I thought I'd crumble.... " she paused, and looked Shizuka in the eyes. A pause, as that beat slowed, to a soft and gentle hum.
She smiled just a little, and then pecked the gal. "All the song I know, girly~ But if you like we can go for another verse." she winked roguishly. Hopefully this would have put a smile on that pretty face.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Hebika was practically a genius when it came to Shizuka's emotions. The Fullbringer could tell that she knew. And it truly wasn't much of a secret, anyway. It was written all over Shizuka's face just how upset she was about this situation. The building was completely destroyed and she was forced to show Hebika its shambles. That was certainly not a very fine welcome. But Hebika pulled the blonde closer and sat her down on a bench. Shizuka hunched over and sighed, obviously disappointed in what she was looking at. That, and disappointed that she could hardly do anything about it when it was happening. All she could do was watch.

But then, the Mod Soul seemed to get an idea. Shizuka looked up at her and tilted her head before Hebika returned and place her fingers beneath her chin. Unknown to her Fullbringer friend, Hebika was already enchanting the building. Her smile, enough to make Shizuka look up at her with a sad smile of her own, spread across her lips as she began singing. To Shizuka's surprise, Hebika's voice was actually really good. But that wasn't even the most surprising part. The dirt and debris around them starting shaking and coming to life as small woodland creatures like some scene from Snow White. So Hebika really did go through some refinement training!

Each creature that formed seemed to be dancing along with her. This was pretty adorable, she had to admit. Hebika was doing her best to cheer Shizuka up and she could easily see this. Shizuka tapped her foot and giggled a little bit as Hebika showed off her musical skills, but wasn't quite expecting it when the Mod Soul lifted her to her feet and started to dance. Shizuka wasn't a very good dancer. She was pretty good at fighting and used her gymnastics training to assist, but dancing was a completely different story. She wasn't used to moving herself like that and looked like a typical white girl in a club where she didn't belong. But Hebika didn't seem to care.

Even as Hebika spun Shizuka around, despite the laughing, her heart was still sinking. She was ashamed, really. This was certainly a lot of fun, but she couldn't find any words to say. Shizuka didn't know if there was anything proper to say during this moment. She had to admit that she was having fun, so that much was nice, and the dancing animals made from destroyed pieces of the building she came to love and respect was absolutely a strange but welcome thing. Yet she felt inadequate. She felt like she was just disappointing Hebika because this was proof that she wasn't good enough to help Xcution when it needed her the most.

"Oh, well, I don't really know the lyrics too much myself, either. I've heard the song before, though! But otherwise... I'm probably not the best singing partner." Shizuka took Hebika's hands within her own. "I appreciate everything you're trying to do for me. You always have been and always will be just so amazing. But what can making animals out of old rock do? Other than show me how much you've grown, of course."

Shizuka walked sheepishly closer to the building and glanced around, admiring each creature that had been created. But when she looked up at the remains of what had been somewhat of a second home to her, she didn't know how to take it. She sighed and furrowed her brows in sadness. She didn't feel like she was good enough. Even working as hard as she had been for so long, she was just a human. She was no better than a nuisance. And she feared that Hebika would come to feel the same way about her one day, as well. This was part of what motivated her so much. She needed to be better. But right now, she didn't feel like she was.

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika was glad to see the girl laughing, but she knew, of course, that it wasn't a solution. The animals began to spread out, exploring the building, absolutely not looking for stuff to eat/steal. The Mod soul took several moments to watch the girl closely as they finished up the little number. She could see that Shizuka was still feeling down. But the point was that she had somewhat broken that emotional ice with the levity. Hebika smiled lightly and guided Shizuka to the bench. She sat the girl down, and then plopped down beside her, a soft sigh escaping her as she looked around.

"Hmmm. What indeed? That's quite the question." She paused and glanced at the girl for a moment, reaching up and lightly running her chumb along the girl's cheek, tuning them to look at her as she pondered. "What is it that we're doing, Shizuka? Sure you have your job. But what do you want out of life?" She released the girl and looked out to the destroyed building as the animals began to continue looking through the building. "At one point, you were what I wanted. But after that, I wasn't sure what to do. I never expected it to work. And I had no idea what to do next. I never imagined that a human would be anything but an annoyance to me. I was afraid of messing it up. So I did nothing, I just tried to keep it as best I could. And then I lost it. I know you talk about still loving me. But let's be honest Shizuka. At present, you only have room in your heart for one. And right now, that one isn't me. And certainly I doubt this young man would have it any other way."

She then gestured up to the building. " Now let's say ...consider Xcution. Suffice to say, becoming a top assassin is something you no doubt may have dreamed of. But right now, what do you want to do with it? It's easy to get to the top and find nothing left for you to climb. But what do you plan on doing with it? What do you want for Xcution? As it is right now, what do we do? What does it mean to be a part of this ...thing? Because all in all, this?" She gestured up to the wrecked building. "It was just a bunch of glass and cement. It was just a place. It's worth money, sure, but that doesn't make it significant. And Xcution remains, even with the destruction of this place. The only meaning it ever had, was the meaning that you tacked onto it." She then nodded as several glass snakes slithered their way back from the rubble, carrying with them a photograph of Satsujin.

Crouching down, Hebika picked it up and showed it to Shizuka. "It's just glass and paper." She then handed it over to the woman and looked back to the building. "I'm kinda floundering here. Not gonna lie. The metaphor has gotten away from me. But you get my meaning, yes? This building is just a dump. You have to move on." She glanced back at Shizuka and sighed. "Everyone has to move on." She stared down at the ground for a moment before she turned her attention back to Shizuka. "Why do you want me back? I don't mean just in your apartment. But Xcution. You said that you wanted me back. But for what?" She stood back up and put her hands in her pockets. "I'm not backing out or anything. But it would be nice to know what exactly it is that you expect." She glanced back to the woman. "I know we've never talked about it. But I've always had a feeling that you got where you are for ...personal reasons. As opposed to professional ones. I've felt that your drive has come from something ....inside. And seeing you again? It feels a little bit like that reason has started dying out. So, what are you going to do? Rekindle it? Or find something else to drive you?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka listened and lowered her head a little bit as her sad expression returned to her face. Hebika wasn't wrong, necessarily. Shizuka felt like she had lost her way a bit after the fall of her organization. She'd been rebuilding it after all this time and just wasn't sure what to do. They needed a leader, right? So she figured she could step in. It became something she soon realized she actually enjoyed. Being in control meant she could sway this thing any way she wanted, to an extent. It wasn't as if she didn't want her members to have free will, obviously, but they would be able to help her move on.

The problem was that she felt like everything left her after time time. Or died. The people she cared about the most left her or got killed somehow and she always ended up alone. What made her so sad was that she felt like any personal relationship with anybody was a waste because they would just leave her, too. But Xcution never did. She was practically raised by this organization and it was what helped her grow stronger. She developed her powers through it and was able to become something even more than she had been. Perhaps it was a sense of obligation, but she felt like she couldn't leave it.

But it seems like something else was weighing on Hebika's shoulders. Shizuka caught her comment about everyone moving on. Perhaps their discussion earlier was bothering her more than she would let the blonde know. If she was trying this hard to cheer Shizuka up, it was likely that she wasn't going to let her know about any negative feelings. Could she be blamed, though? It was a lot to take in. She comes back and everything she knew and loved from before was different. That was something that the Fullbringer could relate to in some way or another. But what followed was something Shizuka didn't expect to answer.

"Personal reasons? Hmm..." Shizuka pondered for a moment as her eyes darted, getting a good look at what was around. "No, not quite. It was partially out of a desire to improve my abilities, yes. But I ended up liking my job. As for an answer, though... I haven't told anyone."

And that much was true. Shizuka actually had pretty big plans for Xcution. She just needed to become the official leader first. She was working so hard towards that goal and felt like she could practically taste it. She stood up and took Hebika's hand in her own, thinking for a moment that it was odd how she never noticed the warmth before. It made sense. The gigai, in some aspects, was somewhat alive when the pill took it over. But Shizuka didn't really give it any extra thought until that moment. She almost expected Hebika to feel like a doll despite the fact that they had made physical contact before.

"I'm trying to gather people. I need at least one person from every race. But it's not just about numbers or diversity. It's about being exceptional. And you, Hebika, are one of the most exceptional people I have ever met in my entire life."

Shizuka smiled. Genuinely smiled. It wasn't fake, it wasn't pushed, and it wasn't a shadow of an emotion. She truly felt at ease. Hebika brought out that inner peace within the human's heart that she so longed for. It was no question. But she also knew Hebika needed to feel fulfilled. Didn't everyone? Wasn't it a part of life to feel like you contribute in some way to the world? That could have been why she was questioning it so much. But she had a purpose. It was up to her to follow along, and Shizuka certainly wasn't going to force her, but Hebika was a kind and caring soul. Maybe she would want to help.

"I have ideas, you see. And I can't accomplish these without your help. But I don't just want that. I want you to be a part of my life again. I understand if it hurts... Believe me, I do. I just want you to feel as safe as you make me feel."

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika sighed as she noticed Shizuka's eyes dart around like a rat caught in a trap. She allowed the girl to continue speaking, making her explanations that really weren't explanations. She made conditions. That was it. She said that she wanted to keep it all to herself until everything was all set and ready. And Hebika couldn't help but feel all the more detached. She allowed her to finish, even if she could have guessed those last parts. She let her hand rest on her hip for a moment and then closed her eyes, trying to find the right words to figure this out.

"If I really wanted to. I could just read your memories. Of course I never would, but I would really like for you to be straight with me Shizuka. As much fun as being gay with you is." she sat down and folded her legs, resting her cheek in her palm as she turned her attention back to the blonde. "You've said plenty. But you haven't explained much of anything. You say you want me in your life, but you have this boy. You say you want me to feel safe, but you don't let me know everything that's going on." she closed her eyes and rubbed gently at her eyelids, taking a moment to sigh softly and roll her shoulders.

"We both know that I don't need protecting. So all that is left is that you simply don't trust me. Do you not trust me Shizuka?" It was a bit of a tough question to put on Shizuka. Under normal circumstances, or even if they were still together, which....even if Shizuka hadn't said it. It was pretty clear that they weren't together anymore. She thought back to her own words. She had invited this hadn't she? And perhaps she began to realize a little something. Perhaps the reason that humans so got into that exclusiveness was not that they wanted to keep something to themselves. Or at least, not JUST that. But they felt secure in someone else being possessive of them.

Her brows knit together and she felt a mild revulsion. She hated humans so very very much... But in any case, she turned her attentions back to Shizuka. "I already told you that I'm in. Regardless of how things turned out, I still love you, no matter what plans you have, nothing is going to change that. Even if I weren't joining Xcution I would still want to help you. But in order to help you I need to know what's going on." She explained and sat up straight, brushing her hair back for a momen t and standing up t her feet. she made her way over to Shizuka and reached for their chin, to make sure that they were looking her in the face. Gently, but still insistingly.

"Well?" She asked softly.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka knew that Hebika was smarter than this. It didn't take a mind reader to understand that. The suspicion was completely warranted, but the Fullbringer was also not technically lying. Everything she said was true. She just kept it at a half truth. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Hebika off, but she also didn't want to leave the Mod Soul there thinking that someone she cared about so deeply was keeping anything from her. That much was fair enough. Shizuka knew she owed her an explanation. She deserved that much. She was that important and it meant something to the blonde to share what she felt.

"If I really wanted to. I could just read your memories. Of course I never would, but I would really like for you to be straight with me Shizuka. As much fun as being gay with you is."

"Oh my gosh," Shizuka quickly said under her breath. She started blushing.

The more Hebika spoke, though, the worse Shizuka felt. It was like something grabbed on to her heart and started tearing it out. Her brain was going to dark places, thinking that her own best friend, this Mod Soul, truly believed that Shizuka didn't trust her. How could she not trust her? She had done everything in her power throughout the time they'd known each other to keep Shizuka out of trouble. She was extremely capable and talented. That was something the blonde was always jealous of. She wanted to become stronger out of a desire to match up with who Hebika was as a person and a fighter.

Shizuka sighed. "I do trust you, but you're right. I have some explaining to do."

The Fullbringer got up and started pacing as she thought of a way to tell this story. This was something that she and only one other person on this Earth knew about. Douma. He had tortured her with painful memories before, resulting in some unconscious signs of trauma that only appeared during life and death situations. If she became weak, it was as if her brain turned on her. Slowly, but surely, these negative thoughts would make their way to the surface when she wasn't actively trying to push them down. On any normal day, she was fine. She didn't think about it. She didn't remember. But when she was exhausted and reaching the end, they made themselves known. She wasn't strong enough to resist.

"When I was younger, high school-age, maybe sixteen-ish, I met a boy. And I already know what you're thinking! My history isn't super great. Yeah, I know. But I met a boy. His name was Kento Sasaki. He knew my aunt because of their involvement with Xcution and was told about my abilities. I wasn't super great at using them at the time and I hadn't even released my Fullbring once. But he and I had a super brief fight that brought it out of me." She stopped pacing and faced Hebika.

"We became partners. I was recruited into the Seven Guns and started as a pretty low number, maybe Number Five or something like that, but I made my way to the top. Soon enough, he and I were both Rifles. We had feelings for each other and dated, but we were young and immature. It didn't last very long and he and I went our separate ways. He got involved in a lot of drug deals and things of that nature, but I stayed in school and became more educated in a lot of ways." She shifted on her feet a little bit as she went back and forth between the choice of sitting or remaining standing. She chose to stand.

"Eventually, I stopped seeing or hearing about him. I hated what I did hear and tried to block it out, but that all stopped one day. It wasn't until I went to Satsujun and did some snooping that I learned about what happened." This time, she looked at Hebika with such intensity. Her eyes read just how serious she was. "I don't hate Shinigami blindly, you know. My aunt talking to me about it when I was a kid is only half of the story. There was a Shinigami named Taiho. She is my target. Well, her family. The Kasumi'Oji. She beheaded Kento and left him to die."

Despite the difficult topic, she stayed steady. "Taiho is dead now, to my knowledge. Douma made sure to tell me that. I was shown images a while back related to his death. It wasn't... It wasn't exactly fun for me to experience. I agreed to help Douma on the condition that he would assist me in taking out anyone in Soul Society who stood in my way. I'm not asking for an all-out race war. I'm asking for retribution." Shizuka's eyes locked with Hebika's as she spoke. She showed no emotion aside from anger and determination. She had pushed aside the happy little blondie who smiled and loved everyone when these words left her mouth. She was not joking.

"And, you know, it's possible for people to love more than one person. I'm just monogamous by nature. Well, choice, rather. But if it were impossible to do that, we would never be able to date multiple people over time and find the one we click with the most. Anyway, that's my truth." She calmly sat down. "I need to become a proper leader. And for that to happen, those in Xcution need to view me as one."

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika lifted her brows a little. She waited calmly as Shizuka went through her explanation. She could tell that the girl was still not telling her what her purpose was as a leader after she became it. And in a way, she wasn't sure if Shizuka was just distracted by the story, or if she was intentionally omitting the information. But that aside, she did seem to understand a little about Shizuka's distaste for shinigami. Or rather this specific family. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, especially since it still seemed to be a pivotal point for the woman's intentions.

But that wasn't entirely important. When the blonde girl finished talking, Hebika moved in and gently wrapped her arms around Shizuka and closed her eyes, holding them close and nodding lightly. She didn't say anything. No explanation. She simply knew that revealing something that deep down was often painful for humans. And no doubt, even if Shizuka was not distraught, that the contact would not be unwelcome. She held that hug for a while, before finally pulling back and reaching up, gently stroking her thumb along the woman's cheek and took a moment to think.

"I'm glad that you let me know. I had my suspicions, but it's certainly not exactly what I had my money on." She paused, thinking back to her imagined scenario that her dad had turned out to be a shinigami and then killed her mom or something. But then again that was silly, what were the chances of Shizuka being related to a shinigami? She brushed it off and then turned her attention back to the girl. "Welp, I'm sold. At the very least, you have a solid goal, and a good reason for it. And as for one of every race...I actually DID pick up a stray Arrancar. I wasn't sure what to do with her really, she was kicked out of Las Noches. If you like, I can send her your way to see if she could be of use to us. Or I could be there and have you two meet with us both there. She...." She rubbed her chin.

"She....is a bit....strange. And has apparently established me as her alpha or something. It may go smoother if I'm there. But I can tell her to behave if you'd rather interact with her independently." She offered, already imagining Shizuka having to stomp Lagos into the ground. But then again Lagos was actually incredibly dangerous with some of her abilities. She really did need to teach the girl to fight properly . And once that happened...well. "But yea. We have that. And of course, now you have me. And so far as the -gamy-ing. I understand. I told you how I felt about that sort of thing ages ago, and I recall you letting me know how you felt about it. .... a bit Ironic in retrospect. But as I said before, Shizuka. I have no intention of ceasing my love for you. All I care is that you are happy."

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The exposure to Hebika was welcome. The blonde didn't realize how emotional she had gotten until she blinked and a tear fell from her left eye. She wiped it away before wrapping her own arms around the Mod Soul as a return to the original embrace. Shizuka didn't mind if people saw her cry, but she didn't like talking about those things. They were really personal and events that even she cared not to remember. It was difficult for her to mention anything because she knew that the moment they were said out loud, they would become even more real. And they did. And it hurt. Hebika offering a hug was something Shizuka was so thankful for.

But it ended entirely too soon. Hebika pulled back and rested her thumb along Shizuka's cheek for a moment. Shizuka smiled in response. These gestures, though small, were so supportive. They gave the Fullbringer an opportunity to understand that Hebika was just trying to make her feel better. Shizuka knew this, and she knew her friend was extremely exceptional at reading straight through her, but Shizuka shared every truth she hid within her soul. Full disclosure was better this way. Actually, she felt bad for holding it in for as long as she had. She didn't like it very much, but her thoughts on it were that it would just be easier. Why bother other people with problems that didn't pertain to them?

"A stray Arrancar?"

Shizuka responded as her attention was pulled back to Hebika when she spoke. She thought for a moment. She had Santa, and there was a possibility that Santa was going to break her mask and become an Arrancar. But what if she didn't? Then that meant Shizuka would still need one. It wouldn't be a bad thing, and Hebika had a good judge of character for the most part. But whoever this girl was apparently couldn't handle her own abilities. Hebika would be good at helping with that. She was probably the best person for that kind of a job, actually. She'd be able to restrain any Arrancar with uncontrolled powers. Her affinity for creating entities was also probably very beneficial for training. Shizuka pondered for a moment. Actually, that may not be bad.

The Fullbringer acknowledged Hebika's other comments with a soft smile. In truth, she was actually very happy to hear that. Hebika was more than just some person in Shizuka's life. Way more. But this was just a silly human thing that didn't always make sense. They would pine after someone else who would probably end up hurting them and pine after them some more because "but I love him!" Even Shizuka thought that was lame. But, sadly, she did not act any different from these others. Maybe it was how she was raised, or perhaps it was just a part of being who she was. Either way, she snapped herself back into the other detail of the conversation and waved the rest of this off for the moment. It could be something they talked about at a later date if they chose to do so.

"Alright. Both of us meeting up with her would be best, then. What's her name?"

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika simply nodded, and was, honestly, glad that Shizuka moved on from the secondary subject. As lovely as the avenue was for...those times. That was over now. And as hopeful as she might be, there probably wasn't going to be any 'after'. They loved eachother still. In some small way. But that really wasn't enough to change things. In that respect, shizuka was gone. At the mention of them meeting Lagos together she simply nodded her head and slipped her hands into her pockets, as the last vestiges of the animated bits of building crumpled back into their destroyed components, now of course broken into even finer pieces. She looked off in the distance at a glass snake as it slowly cracked and crumbled into shiny sand-like dust.

She looked at the dust for quite a long time, so much that it was even noticeable, before she nodded her head. "Sounds like a plan. I'll arrange the meeting. In any case, I need to get going. I should probably find someplace to stay while we sort all this out. For now I'm still a....Lance? Or something. I'll need to probably get my tattoo again and figure out what my duties will be." She noted softly, rising to her feet and brushing herself off. "The Arrancar's name is Lagos Oscuras. She's real....weird. Kinda old-fashioned. As I said, I'm still not sure what to do with her. But in any case, you know my number, just text me with a time and place and we'll meet up." She honestly probably should give Lagos a bit of a debriefing on manners before the meeting. But she'd worry about that later.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka's heart sank a bit as she watched everything that had danced to life moments before crumble away into nothing. One day this place would be okay. One day. But for now, all it did was bring back memories she realized she had been trying to repress. The Fullbringer mentally shrugged off what could have been an even worse mood-changer. Her attention returned to Hebika as she spoke, and Shizuka did everything in her power to actively listen rather than allowing her mind to drift off into other thoughts like before. She needed to learn how to be more attentive. She wasn't bad at it, but she could be rather ignorant.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll arrange the meeting. In any case, I need to get going. I should probably find someplace to stay while we sort all this out. For now I'm still a....Lance? Or something. I'll need to probably get my tattoo again and figure out what my duties will be."

"Hmm..." Shizuka's disappointment was obvious enough, but she wasn't going to force Hebika to stay if the woman didn't want to. "Well, as for your title, yes. You'd come back as a Lance. Xcution had a bit of restructuring since you're absence, though it was relatively minor. And in regards to your tattoo, that will automatically appear on your person as soon as we bring you back. You'll get your business cards that are linked to your Reiatsu signature and everything, too."

"The Arrancar's name is Lagos Oscuras. She's real....weird. Kinda old-fashioned. As I said, I'm still not sure what to do with her. But in any case, you know my number, just text me with a time and place and we'll meet up."

Shizuka choked. "Lagos!?"

Her surprise was extremely evident. Truth be told, Shizuka had already encountered Lagos once before. It was an interesting battle, though they were never able to finish it and declare a true victor. They just sort of parted ways to avoid imminent destruction. At the time, Shizuka was significantly stronger than the Arrancar. It would be interesting to see how she grew, but she had to admit to not having very fond memories of the encounter. Shizuka rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. She didn't want to get into any major story at the moment and Hebika was inevitably going to see how awkward their meeting would be anyway.

"Alright. Take me to her."



OOC: We can choose to end the social and start up a new thread with Hebika, Shizuka, and Lagos. We can talk to Dan and see if he's interested!

[Hebika Nara]

It was all too clear to see the disappointment on Shizuka's face. "Just in case, dear. I indend on staying with you for the time being, however we've yet to see how your man will take to the idea. I just want to make sure that there's a fall-back incase there's an issue with it. Someplace to stay until any such matter could be resolved." She clarified calmly Making her way over to the bench and then brushing her hair back, a soft, slow sigh escaping her before she glanced over her shoulder to survey Shizuka. She was a little surprised to see that Shizuka not only knew Lagos, but by the sudden tension of combat-specific muscles throughout the woman's body, particularly offensive as opposed to defensive, she could only imagine the meeting had been violent? That or just really unpleasant.

Habika cleared her throat and produced a pack of what looked lice cigarettes from her breast pocket, lightly patting the container before pulling one free and slipping it into her mouth... and munching on it. Candy cigarettes. "Given Lagos's ....disposition. I imagine you probably are not all that familiar with her in a positive way. She is....weird and flirty and odd to deal with. I've no doubt about that. But while she didn't actually land any hits, she did pressure me quite a bit with her powers. With proper tutelage I feel she might even be my equal someday. Or even greater than that given enough time. She's blessed with exceptional powers, she just needs to know how to wield them. And after.....subjugating them." Shizuka would recognize the look that crossed over Hebika's eyes. The same kind of look whenever she was taking thing s seriously in a spar. That look where she pushed aside things like empathy or morality. It would give an idea that the 'subjugation' had been a violent process.

"Not only that, but I do believe we have a lot to offer her. I don't know all the details, but the short and sweet of it is that the girl apparently did something that displeased her Espada. Some sort of treason. Who knows, maybe she didn't like the shinigami in charge of the Espada or something. But no less, she was evidently banished from Las Noches. And where the Espada stand to lose, we stand to gain, don't you think?" She mused, eyeing her superior before nodding as Shizuka asked to be seen to the woman. Hebika smiled to herself, pleased to see that sense of purpose and business replacing the despair from before. "Yes Ms.Sanamizu. She's holed up in a bit of a raggedy apartment at the moment. Actually I had intended it to be my place to crash. But given Lagos's.....unique personality. I feel sharing it would not be conductive in terms of a fall-back, before you bring that up." She murmured.

She had already identified a couple....unusual traits in the woman. And certainly she had no intention of shacking up with the arrancar if she had to bounce from shizuka's pad for a bit. Lagos had a very subservient personality, in much need of guidance and correction. But in any case, she would make her way to the complex in question with Shizuka in tow. Hopefully things didn't get too crazy.