Fragile Strength [Luca/closed] SOCIAL

[Raphael Laurent]

How long had it been since he’d seen Luca? He was pretty sure that Luca had returned to the world of the living awhile ago, but he hadn’t decided to go and talk to him. There were many reasons for that, other than the fact that he wanted to give Luca space but. But after this bit of time that he’d given him, he couldn’t help but approach his old friend and thought, that the best place to do it, would at least be at work. But he also did need to get some work done, since he’d taken that week off work to go and do some training… He’d typed up another few words into his paper. It didn’t make any difference really; no matter how often he typed up these papers…it didn’t change anything. The report was always the same. Cases on hollows, that one hell case and the awakening of his fullbring, his constant training… A few other incidents.



He’d seen him, here and there, and could tell that Luca had changed somewhat, though to what degree? Raph didn’t know. He wasn’t certain that he wanted to know, either. After all, who knew what kind of insanity the Shinigami had subjected him to and he also wasn’t looking forward to Luca’s judgement of “you betrayed me”. As a matter of fact, he still disliked the fact that he’d told them about Luca and how to find him. He didn’t think Luca would appreciate what he’d tried to do. Luca, he didn’t think would have any thoughts about what Raph had done beyond the betrayal. He rarely ever thought about his own actions, anyways.



There was an odd peace to his thoughts, as he finished typing up the last few words of the report and saved it to his computer. He’d reached a time where it was now or never and he knew that he’d have to confront Luca eventually. Satisfied with its progress, for now, he saved the report, and turned off the computer. Then he got to his feet and pushed the chair to his desk back in, before he started to walk around. He’d worked for the majority of his shift and, now that it was nearly done, he was looking forward to be able to just walk around for a while. With any luck, he’d be able to find Luca, were he around.

[Akira Hinosai]

I swear, if this thing's jammed, I'm throwing it out the window! Luca paced around the ancient printer, until he finally herd the sound of paper being pulled through. It would be the first of many, and considering their classified nature, Luca couldn't even leave them unattended. Instead, he sat down the shinai bag he'd been carrying and prepared to wait. Leaning against the wall, Luca twirled a lock of hair around his finger. This was going to take a while. It was almost comical how out of place he looked in an office setting. Luca had forsaken the usual buttonup shirt, tie and slacks look for a far simpler black croptop and black shorts. If there was one thing he learned during his time in the seireitei, it was that black looked really cool on him.

Luca had learned a lot during his journey. That was the whole reason he even showed up to the UE building. He'd typed up a huge report that would surely make Kazura reward him...unless Raph already brought him the information. Luca didn't know what he'd do if his efforts were undermined and the glory stolen by Raph. He'd already betrayed Luca once, why not again? Luca just had to trust that his account of things would be far more helpful. It helped he was there longer and actually saw the inside of the seireitei. Even so, it wasn't like Luca had seen Raph since returning. He didn't know he was ready for that kind of conversation.

Maybe "betrayed" was a strong word, but the whole thing left a bad taste in Luca's mouth. Raph had outed Luca to Kaen and Ken'ichi, and because of that, they were able to set up an ambush at the gate. Maybe Luca had left Raph first, but that was different! Luca have him the tool to escape! It wasn't his fault he went and got caught anyway! Luca wondered what Raph would think if he found out about the experimentation. Disappointed? Scared? Jealous? Raph was always blathering about the strength of humanity. Maybe he sold me out to hold me back!

Luca waited and waited for the sheets to print, though right as he was getting them in order to staple, he saw someone. Raph. Luca knew it was a risk he was taking by coming here, but he didn't actually think they'd run into eachother. This was just what Luca needed right now. Why did he have to be here of all places!

"Hi." Luca said coldly. He figured at least it was better to take initiative so he didn't look scared. "Looks like you're settled back in to your job here. Guess that's to be expected. You've had a bit more time to readjust." Luca didn't want to have this conversation. He didn't want to deal with these complicated emotions. Still, if he was going to be forced to, he would, and he'd get it over with quickly. No use exchanging pleasantries. "Me on the otherhand, I almost forgot what the modern world was like! You know, considered the time I spent in shinigami custody." Maybe it wasn't like that, but Luca wanted to hurt Raph. He wanted to see him squirm, even if he knew it wasn't fair.

[Raphael Laurent]

When he finally did run into Luca, the young man was standing beside a really old printer and he was eternally grateful that he wasn’t working on the normal IT tickets today. That one day had been more than enough. As he walked down the hallway, watching Luca looking more and more cross, Raph shook his head; he would have to send ticket through to get it fixed. He was NOT good with printers. He gave a bit of a good-natured sigh and smiled slightly, but quickly wiped that smile away. He couldn’t be smiling when he walked up to Luca; he was sure that the man would be fairly cold with him.

The edge in Luca’s voice didn’t surprise Raph. Raphael, for his own part, stayed silent so that Luca could have his tantrum out, he felt like his friend needed to do so. It was important to get your emotions out now and then. It was necessary for a healthy life. The one thing that Raph did not like about Luca, the one thing about the young man that REALLY got under Raph’s skin, was that he was so concerned with how he looked to others. He waited as the man talked about how Raph had readjusted so well and how he’d been in shinigami custody.

After Luca had finished, Raphael waited another second or two. “Are you done?” He asked, and gave it another few seconds. “Luca, how come you never see the forest for the trees? Why is it that you’re so wrapped up in your own image that you don’t see the way that what you’re doing actually makes you look? Every time you talk it’s literally about what someone did to wrong you or how what this person did or that person did ruined your chance to look cool.” He hadn’t wanted to be this frustrated so soon into his day, but Luca was hellbent on doing so. “First off, I’m quite certain that I know the shinigami that you’re talking about and have also sat down, had a meal with them, the whole nine yards.” His eyes narrowed a bit as he watched Luca. “Kaen and Ken’ichi, am I right? Both seem decent enough sorts, though Ken’ichi freaks me out a bit.” He folded his arms, watching Luca. “I also highly doubt that you were in any kind of real “custody”. If they were that way, then I don’t think they would’ve allowed me to leave. I submitted a report on my experiences, though it overall wasn’t much and I was hoping that you’d have one ready soon so that we can compare notes so that way we’ll have the maximum amount of information available. Not to me, of course. Submitted to Kaz.”

Raphael scratched the back of his head. “For what it’s worth, which I get probably isn’t much, I’m sorry. I didn’t want you hurt and I could tell that I could trust the two of them. I didn’t think that you’d appreciate what I did, because I know that you had your own ambitions. You’re the closest thing I have to a good friend, a brother; my real brother walks away from the family at the age of eighteen, so meetin’ ya and becomin’ your friend and trainin’ with ya… Kinda nostalgic on my end. Guess I was just afraid that you’d walk away too.” Raph sighed. He didn’t wanna just bear his soul out, but he thought he might as well. Luca deserved at least that much.

[Akira Hinosai]

"Are you done?" Three words cut through Luca's bravado. Maybe he'd wanted to hurt Raph a little, but Luca didn't expect him to respond like that. Luca felt stupid, embarrassed. His heart beat like a snare drum. This wasn't a conversation. It was a war. Raph seemed intent on tearing into Luca, but it was all wrong! I don't just talk about that... While Luca may have started the conversation by starting to hurt Raph, that righteous indignation was gone. He could barely make eye contact with Raph, let alone muster a compelling counter argument while being reprimanded like some misbehaving child!

Though Raph wasn't content to call Luca out. He had to systematically dismantle the bluff. Even if Luca could poke holes in his points, he got the big picture right. Kaen and Ken'ichi were decent. He certainly was never thrown into a cell, at least not in the traditional sense. It was pointless getting bogged down arguing semantics, though. In Luca's mind, Raph's words droned on and on, each one an attempt to humiliate Luca. Up until the mention of the report, the one Raph had submitted, Luca was at a loss for words. After it, however, it took everything Luca had to not scream FUCK YOU, RAPH! Luca had feared Raph taking the credit. Surely, that's what he meant! I brought you into UE! I dealt you in on the plan! I got us passage through the rukongai! It was MY plan, MY JOURNEY, MINE!

Then, Raph's tone changed. He actually apologized and even called Luca his only good friend. He'd never told Luca about his past, but here he was talking about his brother. Luca didn't know what to make of it all. He sees me as his brother...like the kind you babysit. The dutiful babysitter, Raphael Laurent. The distorted voice of his ambiguously alive inner-hollow rang in his ears. "Save your endearing anecdotes for someone who cares!" Luca shouted, his words dripping in acid. "You're right about one thing though. I can't be mad at you for abandoning me! Hell, I should thank you! Ken'ichi, the one who freaked you out? He hooked me up with a dose of hollow essence! You wouldn't believe what I'm capable of!"

"I'm not your little brother, Raph. I'm not your sidekick, either. You have the GALL to say that to me after you admit to going to Kaz before me? YOU IMPOTENT, GLORY-HOGGING DIPSHIT! HOW DARE YOU TALK DOWN TO ME!"

[Raphael Laurent]

Raphael watched as Luca flew into a tantrum, once again; it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand Luca, more than he was surprised at the man’s mental gymnastics. ‘Endearing anecdotes’. Right. When he mentioned that Ken’ichi had given Luca hollow essence, he was as concerned as he was intrigued. Hollow essence was a dangerous thing and he was even more concerned with the fact that Ken’ichi had access to such a thing, but he was also disappointed that he hadn’t though to ask Ken’ichi about such things when he’d had the chance. He would have to remember this, if he ever saw Ken’ichi again; more for scientific curiosity than anything else. Luca was also correct on both accounts, though Raphael couldn’t believe his stupidity.

“Right. I hear you. And I’ll save my “endearing anecdotes”, as I know that they just annoy you because all you care about is how YOU look to others, how others percieve you. But you don’t want them to like you. You just want them to fear you, to see you as “cool”. That’s fine. You’re concerned with the glory and my impotence. You disappointe me. All this power you have and you haven’t grown up at all.” His tone slowly changed, becoming less and less calculated, less scientific and detached. “I gave a report to Kazura since that is part of my job, as it is yours, which you would realize if you had your head anywhere EXCEPT for up your own ass. You would have more information, and so I presented the preliminary part of it. We’re not in grade school anymore; one of us can submit part of a project and then the other will submit the other part. I didn’t get any “glory” that you’re talking about.”

“You’re also correct, you’re not my brother, nor are you my sidekick. All I’D been saying is that you’re like a brother to me, but you’re my friend. You’re someone whose presence I enjoyed. Don’t assume I’m talking down to you either.” Once more his tone shifted again, becoming a bit more acidic himself. “Keep in mind that I can’t choose family, but I can choose friends. That’s why I’ve always chosen to be friends with you. Now, if you’ve got a chip on your shoulder? That’s fine. I’m more than willing to go out into the mountains with you, where it’ll only be you and I that get hurt, and you’ll get a nice win under your belt. If that’s what you want? Fine. But don’t YOU have the gall to talk about how I’m talking down to you.”

[Akira Hinosai]

"See? There you go again! That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Do you even hear yourself?!? Grow up and do my job, you say? How unbelievably boring! All this power and you still think like some corporate slave!" The last door to reconciliation had closed long ago. Even if Raph didn't take credit for Luca's hard work, there was no stopping what had begun. Luca wouldn't lose. He couldn't. His pride was on the line here. Luca and Raph had their differences from the start, and now their personal ideologies were clashing. Whoever lost this was weak and stupid. Luca wasn't going to lose to Raph. . "I'm never going to be what you want me to be! If you really were my friend, you'd understand that by now!"

Luca couldn't stand this anymore. There was only one way this could end. With a big fucking fight. Luca wanted to feel the catharsis of combat and victory wash over him, to fill his world like the most powerful of narcotics. "We're well past apologies or words making this go away, but I think you already know that. So let's go to the mountains. You've made your challenge. I accept. Give me a time and give me a place. I'll be there, and this time...I won't hold back." There was a hole in Luca's heart. Beneath the righteous fury, he could still feel it. He liked Raph. He trusted Raph...and Raph just thought of him as some stupid little kid.

How many friends had me made? How many were as close as Raph. Luca thought, if nothing else, Raph was accepting and dependable. He'd go anywhere for Luca. And now, it seemed like all that was a lie. Maybe I don't need him! I sure as shit never did in the Rukongai! I don't need to rely on him any more! I'll break him in two and he'll see I was right! Luca focused on thoughts like those. They were easier to process than...whatever melancholy squirmed within his heart.

[Raphael Laurent]

Raphael sighed as Luca missed the forest for the trees, again, and went on yet another tirade. Corporate slave. That was a new one, even for Luca. Kind of a stupid one too, but Raph had to admit that he’d heard worse when he was back in Chicago. Unimaginative or not, Raphael couldn’t really believe how stupid Luca really was, when the chips were down. He was still a kid, after all, and didn’t seem to have the mental strength to be able to form new ideas, or worse, let go of the ones that he’d had. The only way to really begin to grow was to let go of what you thought of yourself. He quickly shook off the thought that he needed to do something like that as well.

“I don’t want you to be anything, personally. I don’t have the energy to care enough about making you something. I can only try and help you reach someone that you should be. But, what do I know, right? I’ve only tried helping you, as you’d been helping me.” Raphael kept watching him with an annoyed, dispassionate gaze. He was definitely still a kid; yelling, throwing a tantrum all of these were pretty much par for the course for Luca. He wondered if he’d acted like this when the shinigami had found them.

Raphael, still watching his friend, could only shake his head and chuckle at the absolute nonsense of what he was hearing from Luca. The man was a powerhouse, an absolute warrior, and was strong in many ways. “Oh, I know that you won’t hold back with any of your abilities, Luca. I just wonder if you will be able to keep your heart while doing so. Regardless, I’ll see you there so that you can have the joy of saying that you defeated a combatant that was weaker than you, don’t worry.” With that he sighed and walked off. He had left everything in the computer lab, so many ideas and thoughts for techniques and for creations that he could make. He wondered how badly Luca would beat him. He would probably have several third degree burns, a few gashes and maybe a broken bone or two. With that in mind, he picked up a dufflebag with a few medical supplies in it. While he couldn’t use any reiatsu to heal, he could at least perform basic, human, first aid.

Leaving the main UE building, he took the bus, as he always did, and headed for his usual spot up in the mountains. The trip was fairly long, about two hours from the city, and then another three hour hike from there. Luca would probably beat using his bringer’s light, that was if he knew where to go. Regardless, Raphael would eventually make his way there, would set up his shelter of stone, as he always did, and throw a sleeping bag and his dufflebag into it, before sitting in front of it, meditating and waiting on his friend to show up. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Not with Luca, he’d expected that, more or less, but with this entire plan. It was almost as if he was being monitored. He shook it off, for now, though. He had to stay focused.

[Akira Hinosai]

Luca wanted start the fight there and then. He wanted to clock Raph in his stupid face. He wanted to send him flying through a fucking window, but instead, Luca just balled his fists. Luca was mad, but he knew at least that starting the fight in the UE building was a bad idea. Either Kaz and Irina would break the fight apart, or they'd come in time to see Luca standing over Raph's battered and broken body. Both might end in Luca getting fired. He wasn't ready for that just yet.

When Luca heard Raph leave, he slammed his fist into the printer, smashing it completely with a single blow. That wasn't enough. Luca slammed his fist into it again. With that, the table beneath it gave way papers flew around the immediate area, as Luca took to stomping the remains of the table and printer. Again and again. Until it was completely unrecognizable. Luca didn't even realize until it was completely broken that tears were forming in his eyes. Luca collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands. Raph had won. He never landed a blow and he still won.After all this he really just saw Luca as some dumb kid who he had to babysit.

Luca had no choice BUT to beat him within an inch of his life. That was the only way they could be even. It was the nuclear option, but Luca didn't want to do it. He had thought about it, maybe. It always seemed so easy in his head. Luca always had to escalate if he didn't want Raph to get the last word and be treated as right. Now, here they were. This time, at least, Luca stood a chance. He was going to destroy Raph. Their friendship would probably end too. This was far more complicated than Luca expected. Was he even strong enough for that? Not to beat Raph, but could he bring himself to cut ties? I made my choice. I have to follow this to the end.

By the time Luca had made himself presentable, he was certain he wouldn't run into Raph on his way down. One would think Raph saying the things he said would make it easier. Instead it just muddied the waters. Luca didn't know what he really wanted besides long term goals. His inner hollow wasn't going to be piping up any time soon. Not that he was some idiot who had to rely on others to think for him...He just didn't know. Why am I like this? On the way out, Luca really tried to think his way through this. Talking to Raph, doing what needed to be done would have been easy...Except then Raph would have still thought those things, even if he didn't say them. He isn't of any further use to me. It only makes sense to cut him loose. Luca wanted to believe in that fantasy

Packing for the trip was easy enough. Luca knew he didn't need much. Beige, loose fitting, long sleeve shirt made of some breathable material, brown shorts and hiking boots. Luca knew from the internet that you needed for hiking, and procuring the specialized outfit was easy when you could safely shoplift from any store in the city. Canteen, scabbard, map of the area, cloth to make a keffiyeh and some aviator style biker goggles, and he was ready for anything. The theft spree was at least enough to take Luca's mind off the coming fight.

Luca would take his time and pace himself during the hike. He wasn't about to tire himself out. If anything, he ensured it would be a warm up. When he found Raph, he wouldn't hold back.

[Deleted]

Raph had 14 paragraphs, so that'll be a 10% bonus to TP with his next thread with Luca!

Luca had 17 paragraphs, so that'll be a 10% bonus to TP with his next thread with Raph!