Be Honest for Once [ Social / Closed ]

[Luke Clyburn]

<sub>It was quite a quiet night. Not that Karakura wasn’t often quiet but tonight felt exceptionally silent. The sliding doors of the convenient store closed behind him as he stepped out, the cordial clerk wishing him a good night, and the night air kissed against his skin. A white plastic bag hung heavily in his left hand as he kept his right rested in the pocket of his jacket. Having gone out to buy himself some dinner, some honey chicken and fried rice, Luke had no other plans aside from heading back home. But he didn’t just immediately head back. He looked up at the sky, starless due to the lights from the city, where the only thing looking back at him was the half moon. His illuminated, amber, eyes closed gently as a breeze pressed against his face. There’s a storm coming. Luke thought to himself from the feeling of the wind.

Turning on his heels Luke began to make the same route back to his apartment that he always took. This was his preferred convenience store. Reaching into his bag he pulled out one of the other things he bought. A milk bread roll, still warm, and plopping it into his mouth. Luke normally wasn’t one to eat bread, seeing how high it was in carbs, but he found himself being incredibly hungry lately. Of course, Luke’s unsatisfiable hunger wasn’t something physical. It was purely a spiritual craving. He could suppress it for a time with physical food but eventually he would crack and have to engage in that activity he so despised. He would need to hunt.

His time of the month was coming. Once a month, ever since he first fed, he felt the hunger. If he didn’t need to heal his Dolls then he was blessed with only having to partake in a soul every now and again. He certainly wished he had longer between his needs, but he had to wonder if there were other factors involved with his hunger. Did he need more because he was so powerful? Was what he ate split between four stomachs thus not giving him the full meal? Or was it because of what he chose to comprise his diet of? If Luke chose to feed upon something healthier, livelier, not so rotten he may be able to get by with longer breaks between his needs. But he just couldn’t do that.

Chewing on the bread in his mouth, the Bount expressed a look of melancholy upon his face as he looked down at the side walk as he walked. He hadn’t been in a good mood all day. It had not been a good day at work. Sensing the disturbance within Luke, Windstärke spoke out. ”There wasn’t anything you could do, y’know? You can’t be everywhere at the same time.” Luke closed his eyes as he took a deep inhale. I know. I’m relieved I was able to stop things where I did and nobody else got hurt. But, just, I wish those that did hadn’t. Two of them are dead. Luke explained, reflecting back on what happened today.

Every now and then you wound up with a Fullbringer who would just happen to come into their powers. Unsure of how to use them or simply looking to exploit an opportunity, fledglings would end up causing chaos or getting people hurt. That was what, essentially, happened today. Luke wasn’t sure who his name was, but a Fullbringer had emerged who had the power to spiritually enhance and augment his car. With an impervious super mobile at his side, the dude ran rampant through the streets at the busiest time of rush hour. To make a long story short, this dude's thrill ride got a lot of people hurt. Two of them were dead and Luke was the one to put a stop to his rampage. But still, it didn’t sit well with Luke. He was getting tired of things turning out like this.

He was getting sick of being the janitor hero of Uzaki Enterprise. Getting tired of being the one to clean up problems after they’ve happened. Tired of their already being bodies when he got somewhere. ”You know you can’t save everyone. You’ve already have this moral dilemma before so what’s dragging it back up now?” Luke other Doll asked, sounding as though he was tired of this, though they both knew the answer. Luke was going through a mood with it being the anniversary of that certain event. They were hoping he would pass through it soon, but, it seemed as though he was only getting worse. It was bound to be a quiet trip home, at least until the silence of the night was penetrated by a signature howl.

Luke stopped in his tracks as he turned his head in the direction of the source. Expanding his mind outwards he began to feel around for the reiatsu. ”It’s just a Hollow. Why not leave it alone?” Jäger asked, knowing full well already that such a thing wasn’t gonna happen. Luke’s furrow deepend as he dropped the bag and vanishing out of sight, using one of his Step Techniques to accelerate his speed to inhuman levels. ”No my chicken!” Jäger whined.

”H-Help!” cried the spirit in panic as he lost his footing. Tripping over himself like a bad dancer he looked about to collide with a dumpster but instead would pass through it as though it didn’t exist. The spirit looked confused about that upon regaining his senses, but such confusion was quickly replaced by sheer panic once more as he watched the twelve meter tall monstrosity emerge from around the corner. ”No-no-no!” the panicked man shouted as he got to his feet again, the chain emerging from his chest clanging against the pavement, as he began to raggardly run yet again.

Entering an alleyway out of desperation, the business mans spirit ran, like a cliche, into a wall of a building. The alley was a dead end. Pressing his back up against the wall he turned, breathing and sweating heavily, at the monstrosity now entering the alley. Massive and humanoid in appearance, covered in sickly green fur and with a head covered in a horned, white, mask, the Hollow eyed down its prey hungrily. Not uttering a word and instead a inhumanly growl it began to reach towards the spirit. An easily meal. ”S-Someone help!” the spirit cried in fear.

As though he had the speed of a lightning bolt he appeared. From behind the Hollow he moved and, with a single empowered swing of his arm, the Hollow was brought to the ground. Thick streams of blood escaped from the wound that did it in. His sneakers came to rest on the ground and his arm was lowered back down to his side. Glowing amber eyes looked down on the body of the Hollow before turning his attention to the spirit. ”Are you alright?” Luke asked, before noticing the chain emerging from his chest. ”Ah.” he mumbled. The spirit was still in panic. ”W-who are you? Wh-what a-are you??” he asked, still in shock, before yelling and running past Luke to escape the alley.

Turning to watch him leave, Luke only frowned. ”Is it alright to let him go?” Windstärke asked. ”There’s nothing else we can do for him now. A Shinigami will find him.” Luke commented in return before being distracted by a groan and growl at his feet. The Hollow was still alive. It quivered in pain seeming to be returning to a state of consciousness. Luke looked down upon it. He eyed it in contemplation before deciding that this was a good opportunity. He closed his eyes with a sigh before extending his right hand and pressing it against the back of the Hollow’s head. It was weakened. Close to death unless left alone.

A thin green light outlined Luke’s form before extending to surround the Hollow as well. The bangs of his hair fluttered ever slightly as Luke concentrated on what he was doing. Small green lights began to escape from the Hollows body and relocate themselves within Luke. First there was a good amount but, moment by moment, the number of lights faded until the last one entered Luke. The green aura ceased to surround the Hollow after that. Then its body crumbled away into dust itself now that its soul had been devoured. Luke shivered, wetting his lips and looking like he was going to be sick. It was the equivalent of biting into a rotten apple. Cold, fuzzy, disgusting. He could feel all the negativity that eternally existed within that Hollow enter him. He shivered as if cold before rising back to his feet. That was done. And now Luke’s immortality, his power, and his Dolls would persist. But at the cost of a life.

”I’m home.” Luke quietly announced after opening the door to his apartment. Lifting his feet up one at a time to take his shoes off, he was greeted by the chime of a bell and a happy meow. His cat Gracie, a grey tabby, ran up to him and immediately began rubbing herself against his legs. Luke smiled as he crouched down to scratch her head and behind her ears. ”Hey girl. You been good?” he asked, getting a meow in response. ”No of course not.” Luke replied. ”Let's get you something to eat.”

Opening a can of wet food and putting it in her bowl, Luke left Gracie to eat her dinner. He was dinnerless himself now, having left the chicken he bought behind, and after investigating his fridge he could only frown. Only thing in there was some condiments and beer. No, wait, he had sardines and instant ramen. ”Go buy some groceries you depressed piece of shit holy fuck.” he heard Jäger yell in the back of his head. Luke could only grunt as he grabbed one of the two remaining cans of beer. Stepping from his kitchen and into his living room, Luke started to drink again like he had every night until he felt a breeze.

Turning his attention to his patio door he noticed that it was open. Normally he’d not have thought much of it, usually keeping it open himself on cool nights like this, but something wasn’t right. Stepping towards the door Luke frowned. I didn’t leave this open. Luke thought to himself before he suddenly panicked. Someone was in the apartment with him. Someone he didn’t even sense or realize was there. ”Who’s there?” Luke shouted, spinning, to face the person whose presence he only just now sensed. But when he saw who it was his expression changed from one of ready being ready to fight to one of surprise. ”You..”</sub>

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

This behavior was entirely unusual. It wasn't something she took pride in and it was certainly not something she felt herself doing for much longer. But, as it was, Shizuka was looking for a bit of entertainment, so that is what led her to let herself stalk her ex. The day wasn't too busy and, thankfully, she had very few calls to respond to. Leading an organization turned out to be very tiring, but the work was rewarding. She trusted her work family to be able to handle themselves and not cause too much trouble, but that didn't always make it easy. She had been out, somewhat ignoring her responsibilities, shopping for some new clothes. She wore her favorite red dress and a pair of red hoop earrings with her preferred smaller diamond studs right behind them. On her wrists were gold bangles that matched her signature golden heels. Her bright, bleached-blonde hair was down for once instead of tied up in a ponytail.

Ignoring the world around her as she glanced at her phone, Shizuka felt a pang of guilt. It had been quite some time now since she got the voicemail. Luke's words rang loud and clear throughout her mind and she questioned herself over and over again. She felt horrible. Had it been something she said? Why didn't he want to talk to her? Did she offend him? She couldn't be sure. Luke wasn't one to share his feelings so openly, and without any closure, the Fullbringer was left wondering where she went wrong. After staring at her blank screen for more than a few minutes, Shizuka finally put her phone back in her purse and kept walking.

Then her ears perked up. Shizuka's new heightened senses that she couldn't seem to get used to were reacting to something in the distance. She heard what sounded like a crazy motor roaring, but then she saw exactly what she was picking up on. Another Fullbringer! A new one! She could tell. She could feel everything. This was just so weird to her. All her life, Shizuka had never been able to sense things quite like this. It was new and dangerous and freaky. But what was worse in that moment was that another Fullbringer was running around without understanding how to use their abilities. They were being dangerous.

Everyone around her started panicking and running away, but Shizuka knew better. She held on to her bags and dipped into an alley which she then used as cover. After jumping up to the roof of one of the two buildings next to her, she put her bags down in a pretty inconspicuous area and ran to the ledge. Her eyes widened as she watched the Fullbringer drive some enhanced vehicle into crowds of people, immediately injuring several of them as they jumped out of the way, and unfortunately killing two. Shizuka didn't bother activating her own powers because she didn't have to, but before she had the chance to leap to victory and save the day, she felt something else.

The blonde crouched down quickly. She knew this pulse of Reiatsu. She recognized it heavily. She glanced over the ledge and spied on the crowd as she saw a man dash through, catching up to the wild Fullbringer and forcing him to stop before anyone else could get hurt. He was stern and yet somewhat gentle, but all he wanted to do was teach this new spiritual being a lesson. Before long, Shizuka's suspicions were confirmed. She saw his face. She watched as he stopped the other man once enough people had run out of the way to not notice his abilities. Luke, yet again, was trying to do what he could to be a hero.

She kept quiet. She suppressed her presence as much as physically possible until she knew he wouldn't feel a trace of her, and it didn't appear that he did. As soon as Luke showed up, he was gone again. But Shizuka was smarter than that. Using her new abilities, she grabbed her bags and followed him out of genuine curiosity. She stayed up above him and remained on the roofs of buildings as much as possible, but ducked in and out of alleyways when necessary if taller buildings were unavailable. She wondered what he was doing and was curious about how he was, but she also was fighting back a lot of anger.

After meandering around quite a bit, eventually he bought some groceries and started making his way back home. Shizuka ducked down once again and watched him walk away, obviously having some sort of inner turmoil. Did he even care about what he did to her? Probably not. It didn't make sense for him to. He made it seem like he was never happy with or without her. Why should he care about what she does anymore? He likely didn't even know about her promotion. Not many people did, anyway. Hardly anyone had heard of Satsujun dying in the first place, so how would they know that she had ascended?

Her inner mind babble was interrupted quickly. She felt something else. As cool as it was to know when things were nearby, it was also incredibly annoying. Shizuka made a mental note to learn how to tune people out, because otherwise she knew she was going to go insane. She slowly followed Luke since he also seemed to sense what was going on and came to realize a spirit had been trying to escape something. As she glanced around, she realized the 'something' was actually a Hollow. Typical. But Luke was there, so it was entirely likely that he would jump at the chance to-- and he did. Shizuka rolled her eyes but smiled. He really didn't change much.

Luke dropped his bag of groceries and chased after the Hollow. Shizuka lost track of him for a moment but had carefully snuck over to the grocery bag and picked it up, returning to her post on the top of the buildings. The spirit was frightened and likely had recently died. Were they involved in the accident from earlier? Actually, was that really as long as it had been? Shizuka looked up. Yep, that was as long as it had been. The sky was dark now and she couldn't see any stars, though some certainly dared to poke through. Refocusing herself on the trouble at hand after she heard the tell-tale howl, the Fullbringer decided to get a better look.

By the time she reached him, however, Luke had finished with the Hollow. The spirit was obviously freaked out and ran away, but the Hollow was simply unconscious. That is, of course, until it ceased to exist. Shizuka watched in awe at Luke devouring the Hollow, no doubt trying to gain energy from it and satisfy his cravings. She knew about them. She had been doing research on Bount culture to try to get a better understanding and help him feel more at home, more normal, more human. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to show him any of what she had learned or talk to him about his heritage. He didn't want to have anything to do with her.

Soon enough, though, the Hollow was gone. Luke had already started making his way back to what she assumed was his home based on the direction he was heading, but he didn't even turn around for the bag of groceries. He had likely forgotten about them in his attempt to save the world. Shizuka held the grocery bag tightly within her hand and glanced down at it. Maybe he didn't have to starve tonight if she could help it. Once Luke was a considerable distance away, Shizuka went the long way back to where he stayed and perched herself in a tree right outside his patio door. It was closed.

She heard the other door open and her ears twitched in response. He wasn't that far behind her, it seemed. She did go the long way, but she expected him to beat her. Then again, she was all but running and he was probably walking normally, so that may have made sense. Shizuka focused her energy on the lock and manipulated the soul to unlock for her, then carefully and quietly opened the door before entering, still mindful of her masked presence. She snuck by him and into the kitchen, which wasn't too entirely difficult given he was never facing her direction. He got up and checked on the door, making the woman's heart beat harder as she worked quickly to put his groceries away. She didn't want to get caught yet.

”Who’s there?”

Shit. He knew. He knew someone was there. Shizuka closed the fridge and stopped masking herself, giving Luke a chance to pick up on just who was there with him. As he turned around, he saw her, and she immediately saw the shock in his eyes. She didn't know what to say or if she could even answer him, and this whole situation definitely looked incredibly suspicious, but she didn't know how else to handle it. So, like any sane person would do, she stepped closer to him and let him get a good look. The moon was shining through the windows, illuminating her body, giving her the appearance of what could be described as some sort of dream-like ghost. She did not smile. She did not wave.

”You..”

"Yeah. It's me." Shizuka stepped closer to him but walked by him instead of stopping. She didn't look at him in the eyes. "I was dropping off your groceries. You left the door unlocked." That was when she paused, mere steps away from the patio door. "Well, you left it unlockable. I'm not obsessed. I'm just observant."

This was a mistake. She never should have come. Shizuka was paralyzed with uncertainty but didn't dare turn around to face the man. She was feeling insecure and awkward and a whole mess of emotions she had not felt in a very long time. Even seeing him was harder than she imagined it would be. He was so close to her and yet all she felt was pain, not relief. He must have hated her. She broke into his apartment for what? To drop off groceries? Oh, yeah. That was the best excuse to see him. But was that even what she wanted? Shizuka clenched her fists and dropped her own bags next to the door.

"Do you want to explain yourself!?"

Shizuka pivoted on her heels quickly, stomped over to Luke, grabbed his neck with her left hand, and shoved him as hard as she could against the wall. He was taller than her, so even though she held him off the ground, the distance between his feet and the floor to his apartment was only a few inches. Regardless, he couldn't touch the ground. Shizuka's grip was hard enough to hurt but soft enough so as to not choke him so that he could be allowed to talk. She was pissed off and her Reiatsu was flaring wildly. She couldn't completely control all of these subtleties yet, but she didn't care in this moment. She wanted to intimidate him.

"You thought that was seriously the best fucking way to end things? You didn't think about how this would affect anyone but yourself, did you?" Shizuka normally made a conscious effort not to swear, but she wasn't holding that back this time. "All I would have wanted was an actual explanation, but no. No! Of course not! Why would you ever talk to me? Why would you ever be honest with me? Why the absolute fuck would you EVER try to open up about your feelings at all?"

By now, tears were running down Shizuka's face. She didn't even try to wipe them away, but she knew her mascara was probably running along with them. Great! Another thing to fix. She didn't let go of her hold and continued to keep Luke those several inches above the ground. Despite her physical strength not feeling as though it changed much, she still felt so much stronger. She felt so powerful. She felt like she could crush this man between her fingers within seconds if she really wanted to. But she didn't. She held him against the wall, but she didn't cause major harm. Not yet.

[Luke Clyburn]

<sub>There was no prominent emotion that Luke felt. Upon seeing the blonde beauty that was sharing the space with him there was a mixture of emotions that Luke felt. Yet like crabs in a bucket not a single one could rise to the top. Happiness, sadness, guilt, remorse, fear, anxiety, panic. Just to name a few. As those amber eyes let themselves stay locked onto Shizuka Sanamizu, Luke had to keep himself from lunging forward. He had to keep himself from wrapping his arms around the woman he had not seen for six months, the woman he still very much loved, and holding her close to his body and telling her he was sorry. To tell her that he made a mistake. That he did something he shouldn’t have.

Luke could smell her as he walked by. A sweet scent from her shampoo and whatever it was she was wearing. He watched her as she walked by him, delivering groceries that he had dropped in his haste, and looked as though she were about to leave him. Luke’s jaws tightened as he felt his body trying to move itself. To reach out to her to stop her. “Wait, stop” he wanted to say. But he held himself back. He needed her to leave. He needed her to go. He wouldn’t be able to keep himself together if she stayed or, god forbid, said his name. But he wasn’t going to be allowed to make himself miserable all by himself tonight. Shizuka was aiming to contribute to it.

Her sudden question didn’t catch Luke by surprise. Instead it only caused him to avert his flinching gaze. Like a dog that was just struck. But then she approached him. With the ferocity of a tiger. She had him by the neck and up against the wall, causing Luke to gasp a little as he looked down at Shizuka. For a second he felt panic and anger, natural responses to suddenly being attacked, but when he saw the tears streaming down her face his heart suddenly broke. He just stared at her. He didn’t fight. He only listened and watched. She was angry. Had every right to be. And she cut right to the chase. She wouldn’t put up with any of Luke’s bullshit tonight. The Bount only stared down at the Fullbringer, his eyes perfectly reflecting the agony inside him as he lifted one of his hands.

And placed it atop hers. It wasn’t forceful. It wasn’t to grab at her, or to get her to let him go, it was the same gentle touch he always gave her. He closed his eyes as he felt his words get stuck in his chest. Dry mouthed he tried to find what to say. No, fuck it. Don’t search for words. Just be honest. Just tell her. ”I love you too much to have been able to go through with it face to face.” Luke said after a few moments of silence, opening his eyes back up and locking their gaze down upon Shizuka. ”If I confronted you, met with you again, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I would have faltered. I would have backed down. Because seeing you, being with you, makes me too happy. Because I love you.” Luke knew that what he was saying probably didn’t make much sense without context. He had to say it.

After a few moments, Luke lowered his gaze from Shizuka again. ”Do you ever think about them?” he asked almost as a whisper. ”The people you’ve killed, I mean? Do you ever wonder about the people whose lives you snatched away? Their dreams, goals, pasts, all snatched away from them by you? Or… do you just not care? Are you strong enough to not care? To not see them as people?” Luke questioned her, turning the questions onto her now. While Shizuka might view this as some sort of judgement against her, it actually was not. Instead these were questions Luke was asking to lead into something much bigger. Something that was going to explain his actions. Something that had to finally, finally, be said.</sub>

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

”I love you too much to have been able to go through with it face to face.”

The Fullbringer's eyes immediately widened in response to Luke's words and his hand resting upon hers, though her brows remained furrowed. She felt as if she had never heard these words before and genuinely couldn't remember the last time he'd said them to her, yet here he was, lying. He knew she'd break him if she wanted to. Honestly, she almost wanted to right at that moment. Her grip hardened for a second. She was genuinely considering her options.

”If I confronted you, met with you again, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I would have faltered. I would have backed down. Because seeing you, being with you, makes me too happy. Because I love you.”

"Ugh! Just UGH! You are the biggest liar I have ever met, and I've met some pretty shitty people."

Her grip loosened and she dropped the man the few inches he had to go before his feet touched the ground beneath. Shizuka turned quickly and didn't look at him. She didn't want to see his eyes anymore. She didn't even expect to have gotten as emotional as she did, which she silently cursed at herself for. This was a mistake, obviously. She shouldn't have come here and she knew that, but her curiosity got the better of her. Now she had to sit here and deal with Luke more than she had planned.

”Do you ever think about them?”

Luke's words broke through Shizuka's inner monologue. ”The people you’ve killed, I mean? Do you ever wonder about the people whose lives you snatched away? Their dreams, goals, pasts, all snatched away from them by you? Or… do you just not care? Are you strong enough to not care? To not see them as people?”

He'd notice her flinch as if the words caused her actual pain. The Fullbringer lowered her head, not knowing how he should answer him. She thought for a moment, pondering her words as her eyes darted off to the side, biting her lower lip just to stop herself from saying anything stupid. No one had ever asked her that. No one ever cared to. It was an unspoken understanding that assassins just did not talk about their work. The only time she bragged on herself was if she killed a Shinigami or a criminal.

But weren't they all criminals? She was told they were always bad people. Some had vendettas against other harmless groups in town, or maybe one of her targets was a gang leader who had already committed murder on countless occasions just to prove themself. Shinigami needed an explanation. They didn't need to be considered anything more than simple insects ready to be torn apart by traps. But... what of the rest? Shizuka clutched her hands to her chest and looked up for a moment.

"No. I don't. I never do. I've been trained to dehumanize them and treat them like ants - no more than a pest I need to exterminate."

A slow few steps was all it took before Shizuka arrived at Luke's couch, sitting down and grabbing one of the pillows to hold in front of her chest as a means of comfort. She stared outside, wondering what she could possibly say to make her seem like less of a monster. Deep down, she knew she was stealing someone's chance. She knew she was robbing them of their lives and any opportunity of becoming good people. Yet there was something else that she thought of that moment that didn't come up in her mind before.

"I was told they were bad people. I would do horrible things to somewhat pay them back for what they did. An eye for an eye, so to speak, though my methods were more..." She paused, trailing off before finishing the sentence. "Anyway, what calmed me was something nagging me in the back of my mind. It was a continuous thought that I never realized was there but a part of me always knew. Luke, they don't die. Not really. Their bodies are gone, yes, but their souls are not destroyed. What I do is save these people from their terror. I save the living from themselves."

Shizuka tucked her legs up on the couch to adjust her perch, keeping the pillow close. It wasn't just a way to calm herself down, but it also acted as a shield. She didn't want to give herself the freedom to do what she had longed to do since the moment she saw Luke again. She didn't want to throw herself at him or hug him or taste his lips once again. She had to stop herself from all of those things, but what she did finally do was look at him again.

"They're given another chance. They can be reborn, perhaps in a better family, a better situation, and maybe they'll be raised differently and appreciate life more. I don't mourn the dead just as I do not fear death. Even with innocent people, I think nothing of their passing aside from the sorrow their friends and family must feel. That grief is true. And even if I can't offer them closure because they want that person back, I can offer them some sense of peace. I can offer them... hope."

Still clutching the pillow for dear life, Shizuka met Luke's gaze and held it as moonlight began shining through the window once more. There was evidence on her face of her tears, especially since she was still actively crying, though doing her best to not turn into blubbering nonsense. She was trying to take deep breaths to calm herself, but another little thought entered her mind after not too long. Her brows furrowed again, but this time out of confusion rather than anger.

"You wouldn't ask that question unless something was weighing on you. I know you better than that. You can choose not to tell me and that's fine, but I've already overstayed my welcome, so I'll get out of your hair. Before I do, though, why do you ask?"

[Luke Clyburn]

<sub>What was he to do? How could he call himself a man when he did this to her? Seeing that tear stained face only served to further cause his heart to tear. To sink the dagger even deeper into him. He wanted to grab her. He wanted to pull her into his body and shield her from the world and all her pain. He wanted to be her armor again. But he couldn’t. He had to separate himself from him. He had to bind himself in chains to keep himself from going to her. Being called a liar did not hurt him. He knew she was grieving. He knew that she wouldn’t believe his words with the actions he had performed. He took a deeper breath when her grip on him was finally released and his toes met the floor again. She had gotten stronger. He had noticed this when her reiatsu had flared up, but, none of that mattered right now.

The questions he asked her seemed to have struck a nerve. It caused Shizuka to flinch and to retreat and shelter herself a bit. She found sanctuary on his couch as she explained to him, in response to his questions, that she did not think about the people she murdered. She explained that she had been trained to dehumanize them, to not think of them as people, to think of them as something lesser. Pretend they were something they were not to wash away any killer's guilt she might have. A tactic only a trained killer would utilize. But what she said next caused Luke to blink.

She went on to explain her “eye for an eye” mentality and, in truth, it caught Luke a little by surprise. Not that she thought that way. No. It was surprising to hear a mentality that he shared coming from an assassin. Not that an assassin shouldn’t have that mentality, no. But that someone who claimed he was a hero would think that way as well. Death was not the end. Not in this world. Luke leaned back against the wall, his head down turned, as he listened to Shizuka explain her reasoning. It was like listening to himself. Luke may have worked for Uzaki Enterprise, but he was no stranger to ending lives. He would cut down someone without hesitation if it was needed. He was ruthless. His ruthlessness was well known throughout UE as well.

It was a mentality he shared with Shizuka. Remove the monsters and poison from society and let them get their second chance in Soul Society or afterwards. If you were going to live your life being a menace to others then you forfeit your rights to this life in the chain of existence. Save the living from themselves? A good way to put it. A chance at redemption once they were reborn. They were karmic justice. Let Soul Society sort them out. If their lives were especially bad then, well, Hell was what awaited them. He needed to stop being surprised that Shizuka shared this mentality with him. He knew that, deep down, if things were different he might have joined Xcution at some point. His goal was to be a hero of justice and, at times, justice was a ruthless bitch.

Noticing that she was looking at him, Luke lifted his head as well to catch the moonlight illuminating her features. But when he saw her crying, those tears coming down her face, he had to close his eyes. He couldn’t look. She finally asked him why he asked that question. Shizuka knew him enough to know he wouldn’t ask something like that for no reason. His lips parted every so slightly as if to speak but the words were suddenly caught in his throat. As if a rock had been logged in his traychia. He suddenly felt afraid. Panicked. His heartbeat was loud in his ears. He felt as though he was going to have a panic attack. The mere thought of telling her, of telling anyone, sent Luke into a panic. He took a deep breath, followed by a jittery exhale, as he reached into the pockets of his pants and pulled out his cellphone.

The touchscreen illuminated as he turned the thing on, along with the signature digital “click clacks” that came from it, and navigated for what he was looking for. He approached Shizuka and held his phone out for her to take. It was YouTube, probably causing her confusion, but the screen was still black. ”I… want you to stay.” Luke finally said down to her as he handed his phone off to her, the assassin no doubt noticing that the hand he handed his phone to her with was trembling ever so slightly. Luke stepped away before joining her on the further end of the couch, resting one hand atop the other as he waited to hear the video.

Finally, after a minute, the video would start to play. It was a news feed from one of Karakura’s tv channels. ”This is Maoko Kotani with the Karakura News Network. We’re here, live on scene, at the Yumisawa District as emergency response teams are rushing in to locate survivors.” Luke hide his gaze with the shadows of the room and his bangs. The video feed continued, showing to Shizuka what the reporter was talking about. A destroyed city. Buildings crushed to rubble or collapsed atop one another. Where once stood diners and apartments was only upturned concrete and rebar. The screen cut to another news channel, this time from a helicopter's perspective, showing that the damage was far larger than the on the ground teams had shown. The destruction was so much further out than it had first looked. It wasn’t a block. It was the entire district.

”-claim it was a freak earthquake that caused this” a males voice said from the phone as the camera panned to firefighters and other emergency teams lifting slabs of concrete to try and find people buried beneath. The screen would shift, again, to a street flooded with water. Debris and blurred bodies floated amongst its currents. Some of the buildings not submerged within the dirty water had been lit ablaze. The camera flicked again to screaming citizens, some injured, some grieving over the loss of everything they had. ”Reports estimate that thousands are dead or missing.” another voice of a reporter said as the video continued to play, showcasing more and more scenes of the destruction to the district. The Earthquake of 2017. A event that Shizuka, who lived in this city, would know about. And she would no doubt realize, quickly, why Luke was showing her this.

The Bount had grown quiet. He kept his gaze averted from the woman as he stared down at the floor. Finally, when the video went silent, he spoke. ”I made that to remind myself. To remind myself of why I do the things I do.” he explained quietly. ”It… it wasn’t an earthquake.” he went further, his voice catching itself as he had to take a deep breath to continue talking. ”It’s easier to not think about the people you kill when you know that, with their deaths, it’ll be better for society. That you’re giving bad people the chance to be reborn as something better. But what if the people you killed weren’t bad? What if they were just innocent, do nothing, civilians who hadn’t ever done anything wrong? Who were just sleeping? Who were just minding their own business?” Luke’s grip on his hand tightened as he clenched his jaws together.

”Three years ago I was attacked by a monster stronger than anything I’ve ever seen. So powerful that I was nothing but a chew toy to her. Entertainment. I was desperate. I was going to die. And so I… I… I did that. I did all of that. There was no earthquake that night. That was me. My power. All of it. I destroyed the entirety of the Yumisawa District to try and kill her.” Luke explained, his fingers turning white from how hard he was gripping himself. ”I killed them all. I ended so many lives just so I could live. And you know… it didn’t do anything. It didn’t stop that monster. It didn’t even slow her down. It did nothing. They all died for nothing. For nothing.” Plip plop. Two tears hit his carpeted floor.

”They weren’t killers. Rapists. Criminals. They were people. Just people. Just innocent people. Yes they get a second chance but that doesn’t matter. They didn’t deserve to have their lives taken from them. For what? So I could live? So I could win a battle? They didn’t deserve it. I don’t deserve anything. I don’t deserve to be happy. I chose to walk this heroes path to try, to try, to make amends for what I did. I thought to myself that if I just saved enough lives, stopped enough evil people, that I could make things right. But no matter what I do it won’t go away. This guilt that’s eating away at me just won’t stop. It won’t stop taking bites. But then I met you. But when I was with you… it would go away. You made me forget about it. You made me so happy. You made me forget all about my troubles. Being with you brought some normalcy to my life. But I can’t. I couldn't let myself forget.”

“So I thought if I pushed you away I could finally kill my heart. I could just become a cold machine that only acted and didn’t feel. That this guilt would go away. But no… no I only went and made things worse. Because I’m too human. I made it that much worse. Because now I went and hurt you. I hurt you. I hurt the woman I love because I’m such a stupid fucking idiot.” Now it was Luke’s turn to cry. He didn’t even realize it. Droplets of tears were dripping from the tip of his nose as he stared down at the floor. ”How many of those souls have I eaten? How many were preyed on Hollows that I ended up eating? I don’t know. I can’t get that thought out of my head. It never gets out of my head that there are people who, if I were faster, could have saved. People who died because I wasn’t there. All I am is an attack dog. All I do is get sent to clean up a mess after people are already dead. Nothing I do can get this blood off my hands. I can’t stop seeing their faces. I can’t stop seeing their bodies in the water. I thought choosing to live my life like this would make things right but it hasn’t. It’s only made me feel worse. And then I went and threw away the one happiness I had in my life… why am I so fucking stupid?” Luke had wound up devolving into agonizing rambles. His lips peeled back into a sneer as he cried into his lifted hands, all of his stress and grief finally coming out when it was too late. Things he should have told her about before. Problems he should have trusted to tell Shizuka about.</sub>

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Something was stopping Luke from speaking as easily. Noticing his minor behaviors wasn't too difficult, especially given that she was pretty good at picking up on those movements and tells. Before Shizuka had the chance to say anything about it or get up to leave on her own, the man reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and proceeded to queue up a video. She responded by silently raising a brow both at him and his request for her to stay, but her curiosity was dominating any other feeling she had at the moment. She was good about giving chances, generously and to a fault, so Luke's case was no different.

Shizuka took the phone from his trembling hand and watched as a familiar news cast started playing. She wasn't certain why the Yumisawa District was ringing a bell until she saw the destruction. Three years ago, a so-called earthquake had hit and caused massive damage to the entire district. At the time, she shrugged it off as yet another supernatural occurrence. These things were common, but she did recall the fact that, even back then, she was highly suspicious of the cause. It's not that it's impossible for floods to happen after an earthquake, but without lakes or dams or anything in the area that could really impose such a thing, that was what led Shizuka to believe someone had made this mess.

She bit her lip. Everything was making sense now. Her original hunch was right but she didn't know who had done all of this. Luke would never show her this video without reason, but as it played on, Shizuka's eyes went wide with the sudden realization that he was the cause. This man unleashed something he didn't have complete control over and it costed thousands of people their lives in the process. Shizuka was speechless as the video stopped playing. She finally understood what was going on in Luke's mind, and his follow-up explanations cleared the air even more. He must have hated himself.

The Fullbringer let the man speak. He had a lot to share and get off his chest, so she wanted him to be able to do so without any interruptions. She temporarily put aside her anger and rage, curious as to whether or not those feelings will erupt within her again. She was hurt, yes. But she wasn't broken. The things she had assumed about him were wrong, and that was enough to make her feel so guilty. Luke was no monster, but he viewed himself as one. None of this was directly his fault, exactly, but he couldn't forgive himself and move on. He wasn't able to learn from his experiences because he thought of himself as a murderer.

She didn't dare touch him. Not yet. He needed space to talk and get all of his emotions out. This was hard for him and Shizuka knew that. Even she hated admitting what she had to do for her job sometimes, but her training came in handy with that. The carefree attitude and willingness to please Satsujun just to make him proud of his Number One Gun was enough for her, but Luke didn't have that. He never wanted this life and just accepted it as it came to him, but that didn't make it okay. That didn't mean he loved himself. He didn't have any confidence in who he was or what he could do because he was so engulfed by pain and sorrow.

But honestly, what made her upset with him now was just the fact that he assumed pushing her away was the easiest solution to his problems. He needed to figure out a way to close off his heart, force himself to become an unfeeling machine, and do what with it? Not care anymore? Shizuka's brows furrowed together in frustration as she looked down towards the ground and thought for a moment. He truly was being an idiot. Apathy was never a proper fix for things like this. Therapy, coping mechanisms, time, and allowing himself to move through the grieving process was what he needed. Shizuka felt her mothering instincts start to kick in as they usually did when her friends complained.

Her heart softened as she placed a hand gently on his back and started rubbing it, occasionally using her nails to lightly scratch against his clothing and leaving him to finish beating himself up. If he needed to do that to cope, so be it. He was wrong, and he was only doing what he needed to as a Bount to live, but she understood why he said what he said. He believed it. He thought he was just as much of a monster as the woman he was fighting that forced him to flood the district. She activated his fight or flight reflexes and he chose to fight, though for it to be in vain must be devastating.

So as Luke sat next to her and cried, Shizuka removed her hand from his back, breathed in and back out slowly, and stood up. "Yeah, you're pretty dumb. I mean, most people I meet don't think twice about the lives of others. You must really be the absolute worst if you ripped the lives away from thousands of innocent people."

Shizuka spoke as bland and cold as possible, then turned around to truly face the man. Her features changed from an active bitch face to something more kind and caring. She even smiled for the first time since she entered the apartment. Reaching her hand out, she placed her fingers below Luke's chin and used the leverage to raise his face to meet her own. Now she got to do something she was good at. She was able to exercise her talents and task herself with what she knew was going to be complicated, but she hoped he would do what he could to listen. Shizuka was going to comfort him.

"You know I don't think you're any of those things. You're not a monster, you're not stupid, you're not some evil person. What you are," Shizuka started as she moved her hand from his chin to run her fingers through his hair, "is a Bount. You are a spiritual marvel. You worry so much about how others think of you, how they might view you, and show an excessive amount of concern over these thoughts. But the thing is, you're more than I think you'll ever realize."

She pushed her hands against Luke's shoulders so that his back was touching the couch and hovered over him, still leaning against his body. She didn't want him to have the opportunity to run and hide from her just as she was about to not so long ago. He needed to hear her. She was going to say some tough things, but he had to listen. He was defining himself as something entirely incorrect, but she knew how he must feel. He wanted to be a good person but couldn't believe it because of the things he had done in the past.

"You've grown to become an extraordinary man, but you're lost right now. I don't think you know what you want anymore. You're stuck between wanting to let go of your humanity and not being sure of your Bount nature, but you have to understand that you are both a Bount and a human. Being human is more than simply a racial identifier. It is who you are, how you act, how you hold yourself, and the way you treat others. For as long as you are who you are and you don't lose sight of your goals, you're just as human as you ever were a Bount."

She picked herself up for a moment and paced in front of him. "I wanted to help you realize these things earlier but but I didn't know how. I picked up on your hesitations and uncertainties but I didn't question it. How could I? Look at who I am and what I've done. You'd hate me for all of it, but I choose not to dwell on the past and I never let that define me. I sever Earthly ties people have in this world, yes. But I care about innocents. I love animals fiercely. I want to lead people, not with an iron fist, but with an open heart."

Finally, she stopped pacing and paused. Her voice had grown in volume, though she wasn't yelling. She quieted herself down again and calmed her passion. "So does what I do make me a bad person? I wouldn't say so. Ask yourself what matters most to you and let go of everything else causing you pain. You are good. You care. You are so much more than the person you even want to be. You were never just a hero, Luke."

Shizuka stood in front of him, opening herself up emotionally to try to get him to do the same. She smiled with confidence, her feet about shoulder-width apart and her hands at her sides. Her gaze matched his and he would be able to feel that she wasn't lying. She wasn't speaking empty phrases just to make him feel better. She wanted to offer him more than just what she was saying. As she had with so many recruits, she wanted to promise that she would erase what ailed him. Shizuka wanted to flex her abilities and annihilate whoever it was that did this to him, but instead, she spoke five simple words.

"You could be a King."

[Luke Clyburn]

<sub>It was like he was on fire. A man alone in his own personal freezing blizzard. Alone in the dark. Submerged in the snow. Chained down and kept him escaping the frozen hell he made for himself. It was what he deserved. He deserved to be punished. But as he allowed himself to be tortured, something warm touched his back. A source of warmth that pulled him away from the suffering he indulged. A warmth that made him pause. That made him left his head to look at what was touching him. A warmth that he didn’t want to leave. A warmth he wanted to hold onto forever. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to suffer anymore. He wanted that sun like warmth. He wanted her.

Back in the outside world Luke felt his eyes open between his hands. His foggy, tear stained, vision looked down between his fingers as he listened to the words Shizuka said to him. It was true. He really was the worst. Despite him wanting her to criticize him, hearing that still hurt. He didn’t know what he wanted. Did he want Shizuka to tell him he wasn’t a monster? That it wasn’t his fault? Or did he want her to scold him? To scorn him? He was such an emotional mess that he didn’t know. He closed his eyes tightly again as another surge of tears escaped between his lids. He couldn’t stop them. He wasn’t supposed to cry. Men weren’t supposed to cry. But he couldn’t stop it. He thought telling Shizuka the truth would make him feel better. But it didn’t. It didn’t fix anything.

But suddenly he felt something beneath his chin. A soft finger that snaked its way beneath his chin and worked to lift his head up. He didn’t resist. He let his head be pulled upward so he could look at the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Why… why are you smiling? he wondered as he looked upon her. Why was she smiling? Why was she smiling at someone like him? The broken man stared up at her. The tears continued to find their way down the sides of his face. She started to speak again. She told him he was not the very things that he thought he was. He was no monster. He wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t evil. Then she took her finger and let her hand slide its way through his hair. Luke’s eyes twitched before they closed ever slightly, and he moved his head just a little bit into her grip.

She explained to him that he cared too much about what others thought about him. That despite being the marvel that he was he put too value in how others viewed him. She wasn’t wrong. He was afraid of being seen as something he wasn’t. He thought back to the times when people used the fact he was a Bount against him. When Aevus, the man who taught him to fight, pressed his sword against his throat. When Taka showed Luke the man she kept at the bottom of her club. He thought back to his first days in Uzaki Enterprise, when they distrusted him over whether or not he fed on the souls of the living. He thought to Yoko, who during a training exercise, struck every single psychological nerve Luke had. She who called him a monster.

Luke was stuck between two worlds. The life of a human or a Bount. He thought to the Bounts who criticized him for being a human. And the humans who did the same because he was a Bount. A world where he was alone. But according to Shizuka, Luke was more than even he realized. He was something greater than he knew. The Bount blinked, his eyes suddenly widening a little when Shizuka pressed her hands against his shoulder and forced his back against his couch. He felt his cheeks grow a little warm in response. ”Shizu...ka?” he said her name in a whisper, confused. But his words stopped when she suddenly claimed he was an extraordinary man. The Bount looked up at her. He was lost. Just as she said. He was lost on his own path. He didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

She then explained something to him that should have been so stupidly obvious. Though he was a Bount he was still a human. Being a human wasn’t a racial characteristic. It was a aspect of who you were as a person. It was a way of acting. A state of being. And that despite being born as a Bount he was still very much a human. And there was nothing wrong with that. Shizuka separated herself from him, walking a few steps away and confessing that she had been wanting to help him with these issues for some time. She just hadn’t known how or when. Of course it came when Luke had pushed her away. While he looked at her at first, that thought caused him to look away in pain again.

But when Shizuka claimed he would have hated her he had no choice but to object. ”No. No I wouldn’t. I couldn’t hate you.” he quickly said, not allowing even a second for that thought to exist. As she continued though she explained how she wouldn’t let her past define her. She chose to move forward despite it. She didn’t let it weigh her down. Luke looked upon her, watching her as she moved and talked.

Ask myself what matters most… and let go of everything causing me pain. Luke repeated in his head. He lowered his gaze from Shizuka, looking down at his own hands as he thought about her words. What was it he wanted? How could he just let go of the past? How could he just move on? He owed those people he killed. He owed them for stealing their lives from them. What choice did he have but to live a life of self sacrifice? He stole the happiness and futures from others, so what choice did he have but to do the same for himself? Luke didn’t see any other choice for him but to become nothing more than a machine. A machine that fought and sacrificed for other people. He didn’t deserve any sort of happiness or rest after what he did.

Or… did he? What was it he wanted? He knew he didn’t want this life. He knew he didn’t want a life that only hurt him. That only brought him agony. But he wanted to do good too. Did he owe his life to Karakura Town? Or could he let it go? Suddenly seeing Shizuka’s feet in front of him caused him to raise his head again to see her standing in front of him, beaming with confidence as she looked down at him. Nothing she said was empty words. Everything she said had meaning. To her he was never just a hero. He could be something more. He could be a King. He blinked. ”A… King?” Luke asked confused and, for a second, Shizuka would see something in the back of Luke’s eyes. Despite those amber hues reflecting sadness, she would see an ambitious spark light itself for just a second.

But while he was curious about what she meant, his thoughts went back to something she said earlier. What mattered most to him? As that question passed through his thoughts again he realized he was looking at one of those answers. This woman. This woman meant so much to him that, in this moment, she was what he wanted. He bit his lower lip, a weak part of him wanting to hold him back, before Luke lunged to his feet and wrapped both his arms around Shizuka’s frame. He pulled her close and tight against his body, resting one hand against the back of her head, and just silently held her. ”You… you’re what matters most to me right now… in this moment all I can think about is how much I want you. I want you to help me. I want you to help me move on. I want my life back. I want you back.” Luke found himself saying through sobs.

He pressed his face into her hair, her scent assaulting his nose, as he held her tight against him. He didn’t want to separate from her. He wanted this moment to last forever. He realized that with Shizuka’s help he could reclaim his life. He could let the guilt go. He could move on and not let it define him. He could become something greater than he realized. But he needed Shizuka by his side to do it. He needed her support. He was good. He was a good person. He wasn’t a monster. He was tired of feeling like one. He was sick of this guilt and agony he subjected himself to. He wanted to become better.</sub>

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

For a moment, she saw it. There was a spark inside of Luke that jumped with life within his amber eyes. Confidence filled Shizuka's heart the second she caught a glimpse of something inside of him igniting with a new passion. This was her strategy, though. She had done this countless times with others, typically recruits, and would simply chat with them until they gave her that little nugget of wisdom that she needed in order to present them with an offer they could not refuse. She was ready to give Luke that offer.

”You… you’re what matters most to me right now… in this moment all I can think about is how much I want you. I want you to help me. I want you to help me move on. I want my life back. I want you back.”

Luke spoke as he stood up and embraced the woman. Shizuka couldn't help but notice that he was taking in her scent and doing what he could to enjoy her presence. A selfish part of her enjoyed the attention. It appreciated how he was acting, almost feeling as if this was her gift to herself for a job well-done for bringing this man out of the hole he was digging for himself, but no. She refused to let herself give in to that selfishness. She still had a job to do and wasn't entirely done with him, no matter how much she longed to tell him what he wanted to hear.

"Luke," she started, not returning the hug just yet, "I can't give you the happiness you're looking for. I can only contribute to it. You have to wake up every morning and choose to be happy. You have to choose to make good decisions the same way you choose to eat breakfast. Until you can learn to love yourself, you can't love other people."

At this point, Shizuka very slowly slid her arms upward to embrace him rather than wrap them around his neck. As she did so, she pressed into the muscles to either side of his spine and massaged him - a soothing motion she learned typically helped people calm down. Her chin rested on top of his shoulder and her eyes closed as she, too, enjoyed his closeness and scent. He always cleaned himself up so nicely. Even after they were done working out or sparring or whatever in the past, she liked the way he smelled.

"I do want to help you, though. I can't erase your past, but I can try to help ease your pain. Let me share your burden."

The Fullbringer slipped her hands down below Luke's waist but kept them above his clothes. For a moment, they explored the insides of his back pockets before escaping and grabbing on to his belt loops on either side of his pants. With a gentle tug, Shizuka pulled him in closer to herself and pressed her torso hard against his. He'd be able to both feel and hear her heart beating a bit faster now. The way she leaned exposed her neck for him, remembering fondly of when he bit her not too entirely long ago. With a cheeky smirk and a whispering voice, Shizuka moved her lips close to his ear.

"You mentioned that the person you were defending against was a 'her.' So tell me who she is."

She tugged again and trailed her hands along the top edge of Luke's pants until she reached the front where the button and zipper were. She pulled at the fabric but didn't dare undo anything yet. Different tactics worked for different people, and she knew Luke. She knew he was vulnerable but she also understood that he was going to be able to pull out of this funk he suffered from. Just knowing a name would be enough. Shizuka would finally be able to put together a plan to close in on whoever it was who truly caused all of that damage and destruction.

"Tell me," Shizuka ordered, still hushed as she kissed Luke's neck.

His shirt was loose enough to where getting underneath wasn't very difficult. She stopped giving his pants attention and instead migrated to his abdomen and chest. She felt every dip and rise with each muscle as her hands slid over them, exposing her cold fingers to warmer skin. Admittedly, she was the one making them cold by commanding the soul of the air. With everything she was doing, she actually felt incredibly warm. It was challenging to not let herself give in to her own teasing, but this kind of thing was also fun for her.

She wondered briefly how far she could go, and then the thought turned from a could to a should. It was true that she was taking advantage of Luke, but as she felt his body and pushed herself against him, she found that she missed it more than she remembered. Shizuka had been so busy pushing the thought of him out of her mind that she had forgotten how attractive he was to her. She felt that familiar ache, the same one that plagued her whenever anyone knew which buttons to press to arouse her and did her best to ignore it. But she couldn't help herself with one thing.

Shizuka's right hand quickly slipped back down to Luke's pants, scratching his stomach with her nails along the way. It wasn't enough to genuinely harm him, but he would feel them. When she got back to the button, she brushed her thumb over the top of it to command it to undo itself. Then, she took hold of the zipper and pulled it down. The blonde pressed herself against the man again and pushed down against the top of his pants so that they would slide a few inches down, but he was not exposed. She pulled herself away enough to be able to look at his eyes directly, their faces only a few inches apart.

"Tell me who she is and let me give you something I know you've wanted since the moment you saw me."

[Luke Clyburn]

<sub>He had to wonder if this was something she had before or if she was just speaking from her heart. As Luke embraced the woman that he still loved, pleading to her what it was his heart was screaming, she once again spoke ever so softly to him. What she said though made him open his eyes though. She couldn’t give him the happiness he was looking for. All she could do was be a contributing factor to it. It was all on him. Shizuka could not be his motivation in life. She couldn’t be the source of his happiness. Because what if, like now, he didn’t have her anymore? What if he never saw her again? What would become of him? Luke knew what Shizuka said was right. He was in an emotionally weak state right now. What she said made sense. Until Luke could love himself he couldn’t love other people.

Finally, though, she returned the embrace he gave her. Despite his misery there was an ounce of happiness that appeared when he felt her embrace. He felt her hands knead themselves into the muscles of his back, getting a small grunt of comfort to escape from his throat as he closed his eyes a little. He didn’t want this moment to ever end. He just wanted to remain locked together with her like this forever. He missed her. He missed her so, so, much. Then finally she started to talk again after what felt like ages. She wanted to help him. She wanted to ease his burden. But just as she said the past couldn’t be erased.

Luke had to find a way to be able to move on. He needed to find a way to break himself free of guilt and take back his life. He couldn’t let the past define him anymore. It was destroying him. But suddenly Luke opened his eyes once again when he noticed that Shizuka’s hands were doing more than just massaging his back. They were navigating and exploring his body, particularly his lower regions. He blinked with surprise when he felt hands on his rear before being pulled even closer to Shizuka. With their torsos now touching he could feel her heartbeat. Just like hers, his own was beating much faster than it normally would.

Was she doing what he thought he was doing? Luke looked down at her, surprised, as he took in the sight of her. Parts of him that had been sleeping for months were now starting to wake up. He felt his cheeks grow flushed. An excitement bubbling inside him. ”Shizuka?” Luke asked, quietly, as he allowed his own hands to pay more attention to her body. The shape of the muscles on her back. The curve of her waist. Luke, at first hesitantly, let his hands start to find themselves at different positions on her body. He could practically hear his own excited heartbeat in his ears. Shizuka leaned closer, bringing those pink lips to his ears, and whispering something to him. Something that made Luke’s eyes twitch.

She asked who it was that Luke had been fighting that night. The very night that he had just confessed everything to her about. So that’s what she wanted. Her prior words made sense now. Ease his pain? Lighten his burden? She wanted to involve herself in this fight. This fight? Why did such a phrase make Luke sound so unsure. A exhale escaped from his mouth as Shizuka kissed at his neck, prompting the distracted Bount to close his eyes again. His own left hand had found itself going lower than her waistline. Gliding itself from back, to waist, and below. She pulled at his pants, causing the front of his face and ears to grow hot.

As her fingers climbed his body with her chill, Luke’s breathing became heavier. His conscious thoughts only became filled with satisfying his reawakening lust. He wanted to pounce on her. He was about to take her and give her everything he wanted to do with her. But there was a thought holding him back. Shizuka wanted to know about that Quincy. Despite his growing lust the thought of Shizuka chasing down that Quincy was distracting him. ”Shizuka..” Luke muttered to himself as he opened his eyes back up to look at her. If he told her who it was she would hunt them down. Shizuka would take care of the problem. Or she would at least help. That was fine, right? It was fine to let someone else carry that burden, right? All he had to do was tell her who it was and he would have her back, right? He would get to do what his body so desperately wanted to do with her. This was what he wanted.

”Yo. Horny brain.” Luke suddenly heard. That familiar voice that always popped up at the wrong times. But something was different. Something that caught Luke off guard just as Shizuka had begun to work at unbuttoning his pants. The voice hadn’t come from inside his head. ”I said yo.” he heard Jäger say again. The voice wasn’t coming from inside his head. It was coming from behind Shizuka. Luke, in confusion, lifted his gaze. His eyes would widen with surprise. Because emerging from the shadows of his apartment was his Doll, Jäger, staring through Shizuka and directly at Luke. ”Hate to interrupt you busting a nut but we need to have a little family sit down.” Jäger explained with a tilt of his mouthless head, before suddenly lunging his arm forward. ”What are-” Luke had started to ask just before he witnessed Jäger shove his arm straight through Shizuka.

And into him. But something wasn’t right. Shizuka wasn’t damaged. And Luke? Luke suddenly felt… different. He watched the back of his own body grow further and further away from him. His entire apartment, Shizuka, it all grew ever distant away as Luke fell, shouting, through a void of darkness. Then suddenly, like someone turned the lights on, the scene had shifted. And Luke hit the ground. ”Guaagh!” he shouted out from the impact, wincing. He had landed on something hard. Something that, from the feel of the hand he used to push himself upright, felt like pavement or concrete. In fact, when Luke looked down, that’s exactly what it was. The pavement of a street. Wait. Pavement? Luke had carpet not fucking pavement.

His confusion only worsened as he looked around and realized that, no, he was indeed not in his apartment anymore. The heavy downpour of rain made things a little hard to see but, well, there was a familiarity to everything Luke was looking at. He was in a city. No. The ruins of one. Walls of piled concrete and rebar surrounded him. Lights from buildings were still illuminated. The sign for a bathhouse was one such that Luke noticed. The Bount had landed in the center of a street in these ruins. The only light given to him was by a street lamp and a stop sign, who constantly flickered between red and green. Getting to his feet Luke threw his head left and right, trying to get a gauge of where he was. Where WAS he?

Then he noticed something. As if they had only appeared just now. In front of him, behind him, all around him. They were everywhere. Planted into the road, into the ruins of buildings, even into the few cars that sat still, lifeless, occupying the street with him. Swords. Hundreds and hundreds of swords. As Luke looked at a few of them he noticed that they were all different. No two were the same. They might have been similar but there was something, no matter how small, that made them unique between each other. Western and eastern. It didn’t matter. Swords of all types surrounded him. He also noticed that, despite the rain, he wasn’t getting wet. He could feel the water. He could feel the ice chill of the rain that came down upon him. But he wasn’t getting wet at all. As if it was an illusion. Just… what was this place?

”It’s grim, isn’t it?” the Bount suddenly heard alongside the sound of flapping wings. He turned just in time to see it land atop the traffic light, perching itself above Luke and looking down at him. His Doll. The avian of ice, Windstärke. Its glowing, pupilless, eyes stared down at Luke with a hunter's focus. ”This place I mean.” the Doll commented further, its beak unmoving, as it turned its head to look upon the ruins it was referring to. ”Windstärke? Where am… what’s going on?” Luke asked. Something like this had never happened before. The street light suddenly went out. Turning to look at it, Luke watched as the shadows that converged upon the ground the light abandoned started to rise. Sure enough, Jäger as well appeared. ”This is your first time coming here, huh? Never even in your dreams? Weird.” the Doll commented.

Luke’s confusion didn’t stop growing. ”This place, Luke, is the domain within your soul. Your inner world. A space created for us by you.” Windstärke explained as he looked out at the crumbled hellscape. Luke blinked, looking around himself. The interior of his soul? Was that what the Doll had said? If this was meant to be within him then… why did it look like this? Why was it to so bleak and in ruins? Wait, was it like this because-”No, actually. It is not a recreation of that district.” Jäger said, literally cutting of Luke’s train of thoughts. ”It’s just been crumbling away. Buildings that once stretched endlessly into the horizon? They’ve collapsed onto themselves.” the Doll explained more.

”A world that represented endless potential. Where the very sky itself was the limit. Now nothing but endless ruins of crushed dreams and ideals… and graves marked only by swords.” Windstärke added with disappointment in his voice. The Doll then turned his head back towards Luke. ”But a tour of your inner workings is not why I asked Jäger to bring you here. We have to have a discussion without Shizuka Sanamizu’s interference.” the Doll explained, causing Luke to blink. ”Without her… interference?” Luke repeated in confusion. ”Do you even know what you were about to do? Or were you to busy thinking with your dick to notice?” Jäger asked, sliding over to Luke and leaning forward. It was a little weird seeing the body-builder bodied shadow lean forward and tilt its head but, well, Luke was used to it.

”What are you talking about?” Luke asked. Jäger shook his head with a sigh. ”You were about willing to let yourself lean entirely on Shizuka. That’s not something we can let you do.” the shadow formed Doll explained, backing away from Luke. ”Though it’s clear she does want to help you, there is a substantial difference accepting others help and letting them handle it all themselves. In your state you were willing to lay your burdens entirely on her. You were willing to no longer stand on your own.” the Doll beat down onto him. ”That’s not what I was wanting. I was just… unsure of myself.” Luke tried to rationalize.

”And there’s the problem, isn’t it?” Jäger asked. ”You’re supposed to be our King. And yet here we are, your Horses, having to pick you back up. You’re so broken now that you can’t even stand on your own feet anymore. That’s why you want Shizuka back so badly. Sure you say it’s out of love but no. It’s because you’re desperately relying on her.” Jäger, despite usually being the idiot, explained rationally. Luke blinked. That wasn’t his goal at all. It wasn’t. ”We don’t think it’s something you’re purposefully doing. We know you do, truly, love her. There’s nothing wrong with you pursuing companionship. But ask yourself two questions. Are you still the same man she once loved? And is she really the only thing you want?” the avian asked from its perch.

Luke looked up at his Doll from where he stood before lowering his gaze. Was he the same man? Why did he even need to ask that question? He knew he wasn’t. At some point he had become broken. A hallowed shell whose ideals had been shattered. Guilt had strangled the very life out of him. ”You can’t live like this anymore. We’ve been telling you this but it was like arguing with a brick wall. You’re destroying yourself. Shizuka is right. You have to be able to let the past go. You can’t let guilt consume you.” Jäger, being a little more sympathetic, tried to explain. ”They will never come back.” Windstärke suddenly interjected.

”You will never be able to wash their blood off of your hands. These swords, these graves, will never leave you.” Windstärke added, turning its cold gaze to one such sword as he spoke. ”But they don’t have to be wounds any longer. They can serve as motivation. Those people will never come back. You owe it to them to honor them, Luke. All these people who died so you could live? How do you think you’re honoring them by being like this?” the Doll asked with a piercing tone. ”It is not your fault they are dead. It’s hers. Instead of beating yourself up… remember who it was that did this. The woman you’ve been too afraid to look for.” and with perfect accuracy, as was to be expected from beings born from his soul, the Doll hit the mark.

”If you want happiness, your own life back, then you need to rise to your feet again and claim it. You cannot rely on anyone else or their ideologies to save you. Only you can help yourself. Others may support you, yes. But they cannot be the crutch you stand on. Do you really think, for example, Shizuka would want a man like that? No. There was a spark of ambition and motivation inside you. Seize it again.” the Doll commented further, before he sighed a little. ”There is another thing though. One that I sympathize with you with. This weakness you now possess is...not entirely your fault. It has been a growing issue for some time that has only been accelerated further by your diet.” Luke blinked as he looked at his Doll. ”What do you mean?” Luke asked. Jäger sighed. ”Look down.” was all he said. Confused, Luke blinked. But he did just that. And what he saw caused him to scream.

A third of his entire body was just… black. Black and, ever slowly, breaking apart into falling particles. How had he not noticed this? How hadn’t he noticed that over one third of his body was rotten and falling apart? ”What is this??” Luke asked in panic. ”The consequence of you not being Whole.” Windstärke explained, adjusting his position on his perch. ”We are you. And you are we. We are parts you. But there has been a tear. You are fractured. And the missing piece has become a festering wound. A rotten sore that is the cause of your weakness. Without that piece of you, you are crumbling away.” the Doll explained, lowering his gaze and closing his eyes.

Luke’s own amber eyes widened as he understood what Windstärke meant. He understood the meaning behind those words. If the Dolls were fragments of him that made him who he was then that meant should one not be a part of the structure he would not be able to function. A bead of sweat found itself coursing down the side of his head to the tip of his chin. ”Springflut.” Luke commented in a hushed tone, earning a silent nod from his Dolls. ”He has descended deep. Deeper into your soul than even we can reach. He’s become a malignant tumor of hate and wrath. If you want to become whole, if you want to take back your life and free yourself from this guilt, then you must reconcile with him.” the Doll explained.

”That doesn’t make any sense. What does he have to do with any of this? What good would that do?” Luke questioned, waving his one, non rotting, arm through the air. Windstärke blinked. Jäger sighed. ”Because who was it you blamed for what happened? It wasn’t the Quincy. It was him. You blamed him for what happened and that is how all of this began.” Luke looked at Jäger as he explained this. ”We’re aspects of you. Without Springflut you do not possess the strength to move on. You don’t have the strength to live the life you want.” Luke paused in his protests, letting his eyes turn downcast.

”Your diet doesn’t help either. What do you think Hollows are made of? They’re living embodiments of negative emotions. You made yourself worse by only sucking down raw black evil.” the shadow decided to point out, nonchalantly. ”So what?” Luke started to ask. ”I make things right with Springflut and...what? I suddenly get all better?” Luke asked, almost scoffing at the idea that it could be that easy. ”No idiot. Of course not. Nothing is that easy. What it is is a step forward. That’s the only thing we can tell you to do. Everything else you’ll have to figure out on your own.” Windstärke replied, adjusting his wings a little bit. ”Grab your balls and be a man again. Then you can think about getting back together with Shizuka.” Jäger decided to comment as well.

A blink. That’s all it was. What felt like minutes was nothing more than an instant. In a single blink Luke was back. His face was hot. There was an unmistakable tightness in his pants. Shizuka was pressed against him, her breath warm against his face, the intensity of her heartbeat ever present. Though Luke’s body was still horny as hell, there was a clarity in his mind that was not shared. Did all that really happen in only a instant? he wondered to himself before returning his attention to Shizuka. Her face only mere inches from his own.

”Tell me who she is and let me give you something I know you've wanted since the moment you saw me."

She offered. Luke’s lips parted ways for a second as if he was about to speak, but then they closed. Despite the state of his body there was a determination in his eyes that Shizuka’s seduction wasn’t going to break. The Fullbringer would feel both his hands place themselves on both of her cheeks and, a moment later, he pressed his lips against hers. Wordlessly he reunited them, closing his eyes, feeling joy at getting to once again have a taste of her. But there wasn’t lust behind that kiss. There was something else. Like he was thanking her with his body rather than words. His kiss only lasted a few more moments before he opened his eyes and separated himself from her, offering a small smile as he removed one of his hands from her face.

”I can’t. Not yet. I can’t have you solving my problems for me.” Luke’s tone had changed. While he still looked sad there was a returned strength to his voice. ”You can’t give me happiness, you can only contribute to it. You can’t solve my problems, only lend a hand. I can’t rely on you. I have to be able to stand on my own.” he explained, brushing her cheek gently with his thumb. He pressed his forehead against hers as he thought about what else to say. He was never the best at talking or finding the right words for a situation. Guess he was just going to say what his heart told him to say.

”There’s something I have to do. Something that’ll be the first step of me getting my life back together. I can’t ask for your help with this. This is something I have to do, alone. After that, though, I’ll welcome your support.” Luke explained in a hushed tone before sorta smiling. He wasn’t really sure why he was doing. ”Truth be told, what I want the most right now is to be me. I want my life back. I want to live my life under my own rules and not by others expectations of me. I want my freedom back.” Luke’s eyes narrowed a little as he spoke. ”I also want you beside me now and forever. A king needs a queen, right?” he joked a little before, finally, separating himself from Shizuka.

Nonchalantly fixing his pants he stepped away from her. ”But I’m no king right now. Right now, all I would do is rely on you. You would be my motivation to get up in the morning. There’s nothing okay with that. I need to rebuild myself. Become whole again.” Luke explained, turning himself away from Shizuka so he could look outside his patio door to the city. The moonlight peered in to illuminate him better than any city light could. ”I can’t ask you to wait for me. Forget about me, stay with me, stalk me, you’re free to do whatever you want. It won’t affect what I do going forward. Because this is about me now and refiguring out who I am and who I want to be. Not a hero. Not a king. But me. Whatever that ends up being. And then we can go from there.” Luke explained as he scratched at the back of his head. ”Yeah I know I’m not making sense. I don’t word so good.” the fact that he even made a joke should have been seen as a sign.</sub>

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She wasn't working on him anymore. Was it because of a lack of attraction? Shizuka thought for a brief moment on this and then mentally shook herself. Nah. She was stunning. She could convince almost anyone to be interested in her just by winking at them and she knew it. But this was different. Luke wasn't responding to her advances anymore and acted as if he wanted to say something, but just paused. Within the next few moments, a confused Shizuka was about to try to break away from Luke until he cupped her face within his hands and kissed her. His lips were soft, warm, and familiar. He tasted good. The Fullbringer sighed as her eyes closed in response to him, wishing he'd still go for more, and was mildly irked when he instead pulled away.

”I can’t. Not yet. I can’t have you solving my problems for me. You can’t give me happiness, you can only contribute to it. You can’t solve my problems, only lend a hand. I can’t rely on you. I have to be able to stand on my own.”

The woman sensed a confidence within him that wasn't quite there before. She interrupted for a moment as he pressed his forehead against her own. "I hear you, and I'm proud of you. I just... wanted to help you."

”There’s something I have to do. Something that’ll be the first step of me getting my life back together. I can’t ask for your help with this. This is something I have to do, alone. After that, though, I’ll welcome your support.”

He only wanted to be himself and grow into the person he knew he could become. The woman took a deep break in and held it for a moment before breathing out, tangling her fingers within his belt loops once again. She didn't pull him close so she could convince him of anything this time. She laid her head against his chest and listened to his heart. She heard every beat. He was telling the truth and feeling sure of himself, and she felt her own heart skip a beat when he mentioned her being his queen. It was probably one of the sweetest things she'd heard in a long time, and she knew he meant it. She loved that.

But once they were separated once more and Luke continued to explain, Shizuka felt sad. Well, maybe not sad. Disappointed, perhaps? And it wasn't even directed at him. She felt this way about herself. The Fullbringer looked down at the floor, examining her feet for a brief second before looking back up at the handsome man standing in front of her. She smiled, feeling very motivated by the burst of assurance Luke had. When he stopped speaking, she walked over to him slowly and curled her fingers just a bit, pointing her nails down as she pressed against his back and rubbed. She didn't know a single person who didn't like this.

"I understand. You have something you need to take care of, and I definitely get that. If you want time to develop, you have it. If you need space to figure things out, okay. If these were your reasons for breaking up with me, I wish you'd told me sooner." A classic eyeroll was added to that last statement, though she smirked and was sure to say it in a somewhat joking manner. "But it's not going to be easy. You have more to be concerned about than just Bount dealings."

Shizuka stepped forward and stood to the left of him, turning his head to face her own with a gentle pull from her hand. She also affectionately rubbed his right cheek with her thumb, looking into his calm eyes as she spoke. She wanted to continue to reassure him, but there were some things he needed to be aware of. It wasn't going to be as easy for people to get away with things like this anymore. In the past, perhaps organizations could be formed based on a mutual interest pretty easily. These days, in this environment, it wasn't that simple. Typically it would mean they'd go up against each other at some point.

"You see, part of why I was so insistent on helping you," The blonde began, positioning herself in front of Luke so that her butt was against his groin and her hands were intertwined with his, "is because I have unlimited resources. I'm not a Gun for Xcution anymore. That 'X' tattoo is no longer on my tongue."

She moved Luke's hands so that they were lightly pressed against her hips, her hands still on top of his as she controlled the movements. She pressed her body against his again, now primarily just for fun, but also as a way to show that she was in control. Shizuka liked power and she wasn't shy about it. She wanted him to not only hear what she was saying, but feel how serious she was when she said it. She slowly trailed his hands down to her thighs and let them rest there as she unlocked her fingers from his own, giving her hands the freedom to slide up his arms and feel them. She loved being able to appreciate his body, but if he was going to come clean about his plans for self-improvement, she'd come clean about something of her own.

"I'm Xcution's new CEO."

[Luke Clyburn]

<sub>He felt good. That surprised him a little. After everything he had said he couldn’t help but feel pretty good about himself again. He had a goal now. Something he needed to achieve. A means to finally break free of the shackles restraining him. All in all he felt good. Better than he had in awhile. Though there was still some sadness hiding within him. But it wasn’t anything that was going to hold him back. Though he regretted that he may not have had Shizuka by his side anymore after all of this was done, he still felt good about revealing to her the reason for everything he had done. Things were finally off his chest.

He exhaled a little with pleasure when he felt her nails make their way down his back. Just as she assumed, he did like that. It felt good. He turned his attention to her upon her approach, smiling down at the shorter woman as she joined him at his side. He listened silently as she spoke to him again, but he flinched a little when she mentioned their break up. A breakup he didn’t want to do and wanted to undo. Something he had done just to punish himself. ”Problem is I don’t want us to be broken up. I just wanted to hurt myself.” he said with a sigh, lowering his gaze for a moment before he felt a thumb beneath his chin guiding his head.

He let his eyes drift to the hand affectionately rubbing his cheek, smiling a little at her touch. She’d see the comfort that formed in his eyes, the reflection of pure bliss in his smile, as he leaned his head a little into her hand. Luke had always been an affectionate man. He was never the flirty type unless he was interested in the woman. But once he and Shizuka had started dating the Fullbringer learned how dedicated and loving of a man he was. He was always willing to make time for her. Always making the most out of the time they were able to see one another. While he wasn’t the type to be affectionate and touchy in public, in private it was always all hands on. He was a man who had mountains of love to give, and Shizuka had wound up being the lucky woman to receive it. The love of an immortal, powerful, man.

"You see, part of why I was so insistent on helping you," Luke blinked, his amber eyes shooting to her as she began talking again. She turned so her back was to him. She took hold of his hands and grinded her rear against his crotch. Luke blinked, feeling his face starting to grow red again. She started to talk again about her access to resources, that she was no longer an Xcution Gun, and that the tattoo that symbolizes it was gone. She hadn’t just been a Gun. She had been the number one. The top of the top. Xcution’s finest soldier. But while Luke listened, his mind and body were also focused on other things.

”Why? What happened?”

Luke asked as he looked down at the skin of her exposed neck. His breathing became just a little heavier as he felt his heartbeat begin to accelerate again. As she guided his hands down her body and across her dress he could feel every curve she possessed. The muscles that made up her soft but toned body. Down her stomach, to her waist, and finally coming to a rest on her thighs. Luke felt it coming back. The arousal he had managed to suppress so well before was coming back up. Shizuka just didn’t seem to give a damn. She was in complete control over him at this moment and she’d feel it. With her rear pressed against that certain part of his body she’d feel his bodies response to her playing. Luke’s mouth may be able to say no but his body was more than honest.

This is fine, right? Luke asked himself, his eyelids closing a little. Even after he had tried to push Shizuka back, revealing to her his regained strength, she came right back to him. Thinking about it for a few seconds he came to the conclusion that this was her answer to him. He had left the door open to their relationship and the Fullbringer came waltzing right in no fucks given. It made him happy. Of course there was still that nagging feeling in the back of his head. Was it okay? Was it fine right now for him to indulge his body's desires? Shizuka wanted him. He wanted her. So it should have been fine. He wasn’t relying on her. He would instead find comfort with her.

”Go for it. Dick her down until your cocks blue.”

”You know what you have to do now. Have some fun tonight. But, remember, you have to tell her-”

-that this could be the last time she sees me. Because I could die.

Luke would tell her. But right now it was Shizuka time. He found his hands already in motion. His right found itself crawling back up the side of her body. From her thigh to her midriff and even further up, his hand found itself on the right side of her chest. His fingers extended before retracting inwards and pulling forwards a little before he let his hand slide across to the left side, embracing her in his arm as he began to repeat the same motion. As he extended and retracted his fingers he made sure to let his fingers drag themselves across a specific point, even digging in a little. Whatever she was wearing was in the way but for right now it was fine.

While he let his right hand navigate its way across her torso, his left hand found its way only a few inches higher than her thigh. He rested it against the front of her pelvis, pressing two of his fingers in between her legs and applying just a little, moving, pressure. But even as he began to let himself give in to lust he still heard the announcement he made. He blinked. It took him a second to fully realize what she had just said. Xcution’s CEO. Not a Gun. But the CEO itself. Shizuka was no longer an employee for the organization she was in charge of it. The leader of one of Karakura Town’s conflicting factions was here, in his hands.

”Is that right?” Luke asked, almost as a whisper, as he held Shizuka to him tighter. He suddenly felt weird. A feeling he normally didn’t have swelled up inside him. It took him a moment to recognize it as pride. Not for himself but for her. He was proud of her. He couldn’t help but smile. ”I’m not surprised. You’re so amazing that it was only a matter of time until you took charge. You’re where you always should have been.” he stated as he lowered his head a little and planted a kiss on her neck. He knew that this was a sweet spot for her. ”So what you mean to say when you said that I have more to be concerned about… was you, right? That I can’t just ignore you?” Luke asked, looking at the side of her head.

”Don’t be stupid. I have no intention of ignoring my girlfriend again. After all you deserve a reward after everything you've done.” the Bount whispered into her ear before he let his teeth sink with just the right amount of pressure into her neck. Not like in their spar though. He didn’t break the skin. He wasn’t looking to turn her into a blood covered mess or leave another scar on her. Well, he didn’t oppose the thought of leaving her some kind of mess.</sub>

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Luke's touch was welcomed profusely and Shizuka's reactions showed it. She sighed happily, letting her body respond to his as she pushed herself against him even more. The way his hands felt against her body along with the positive words he gave her were things she missed such an intense amount, but she felt cautious. She was used to people leaving her frequently. That always seemed to be how it went, and Luke wasn't any different. He had done the same and it took her hunting him down for them to talk any of this out. Honestly, she had every intention of making it so he'd never walk again.

But now, she reconsidered. He felt so warm and familiar, and she loved every second of it. Shizuka had grown accustomed to being by herself, perhaps finding some fun in random people as her days went by, but she always yearned for that sense of stability. Maybe a person to come home to after a long day. A partner. Yet when she thought of that partner, the people who came to mind surprised her. She was surrounded by powerful, capable beings. And, for the most part, she felt like they wanted what was best for her. So did she want what was best for them?

Luke's kiss on Shizuka's neck and his words snapped her out of her inner dealings. She felt like she could have just melted and her entire body started heating up. He knew exactly where to press her buttons and it was exciting that he could even do that much to her. The time they'd spent together obviously taught him a few things, and he was apparently good enough at picking up on signals because he remembered even the smallest thing that would get Shizuka going the most. Well, aside from acting defiant. Even she liked to be in control sometimes.

”Don’t be stupid. I have no intention of ignoring my girlfriend again. After all you deserve a reward after everything you've done.”

"...Stupid?" Shizuka was smiling and her words were barely a whisper.

Before she could say anything else, Luke bit down on her neck enough to cause a small amount of pain, but not as hard as he had before when they were fighting. The skin wasn't broken, but she almost wished it were. A loud moan escaped her lips and she felt her cheeks become hotter, knowing she was blushing because of embarrassment. It was impossible for her to hide when she enjoyed something, and Luke knew that this was one of her triggers. He was taking advantage of it and she was almost proud of him for doing so, but she loathed how well he knew her weaknesses.

"You are not allowed to call me such a thing."

Within a moment, Shizuka spun around and her eyes met Luke's, a playful look meeting what she could only assume would be a curious one. Her right palm pressed against the center of Luke's chest as she pushed him backward, leading him to the couch. She forced him to topple over the armrest and gently mounted him, both hands pushing against either shoulder to hold him in place. The best thing about her wearing a dress was the fact that nothing could really be hidden underneath it. So even if he questioned whether or not she wanted this despite how she was acting, Shizuka made sure to grab his hand and lead it to a specific area of her panties. He wouldn't be second-guessing anything when he felt what she was trying to show him.

"I know that your Dolls have conversations with you in your head, so you might want to be sure you cut off the live feed. I don't think they're going to want front row seats to what I'm going to do to you."

It only took a brief second of concentration for Luke's pants to be further down, uncovering what the Fullbringer was after. What a thrill it could be to be able to control the souls of objects, especially when she was absolute garbage at undoing a man's pants on her own! Shizuka left Luke's hand to do as he pleased with it but felt the hardness she so desperately wanted from over the fabric of his underwear that blocked her. She held a firm grip but was careful not to be too rough. Not yet, at least. She just wanted to rub against him and get him excited enough to not be able to resist her anymore like he had been so insistent on doing up until now.

Luke was unsurprisingly warm as Shizuka's hand touched him. She felt pulses every now and then and it only made her more impatient, but she wasn't trying to rush it just yet. She had followed him with the intention of throwing him against the wall, destroying his apartment, doing something probably way too insane even for her standards, but that was how she felt. And she honestly still felt like that, though she didn't want to physically hurt him. She wanted to push his limits in other ways. Shizuka wanted Luke to be so unable to say no to her that he was practically begging her for more. She wasn't going to let him dominate her so easily this time.