Morning After, Sickness and Health

[Arcadus]

Arcadus woke up in a bed that wasn't his, but that he'd become intimately familiar with in a short amount of time. He found himself tangled up in Shizuka, who had clung to him through out the night. Smiling to himself, he shifted slightly, tucking his rod back into some briefs before carefully peeling her off of him. What fun they'd had, all sorts of it too. Gently replacing the covers on Shizuka, Arcadus stepped into the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking for his ingredients.

Shizuka had a pretty well stocked kitchen and fridge all things considered, and taking out the largest pan he could find, Arcadus started making breakfast. Bacon and sausage were first, Frying it all together in a covered pan, Arcadus set to shredding some potatos for hash browns, changing out the cooked meats to set and dry on paper towel, Arcadus mixed in his spices next to the mound of string thin potato before throwing them in a pot of boiling water to blanch. 

Eggs were next, and while he hadn't decided on which kind, he prepared some toast, brushed with olive oil and a mix of basil, parsley, salt and garlic, set to toast in another pan, soon to be flipped over to toast the other side and allow cheese to melt on the otherside. Fishing out the shreds of tater, Arcadus mixxed in his spices and threw the starchy mass on the pan to fry. Some vegetable, he needed to round out this dish. Checking the fridge, grabing the cherry tomatoes to half, salt, bake. 

Eggs eggs eggs, a ham, spinach and cheese omelette sounded good but he wasn't sure what exactly Shizuka would want, and if he was going to keep to his perfect script, he'd have ascertained it somehow.  It occured to him how weird it was he had a script for this kind of thing, and that he framed it as "Making the Appearance of being a loving partner" when ultimately, he did it because he liked seeing people happy and suprised with him. He'd used relationships in the past to get what he'd wanted out of people, but  right now, when he had the most to gain, he wasn't so interested.

Maybe it was the fact he was planning to effectively "do over" his evolution as a hollow to unlock this hidden potential he felt within himself. He was going to be faster, stronger, possessing greater spiritual senses, but he also now had ideas for the future that extended beyond his aspirations to dominate Los Noches. Part of his intent was to remove this imperfections in his soul, other personalities that clung to him and forced him to address them. Flipping the cheese toast over to fry the cheese slightly, Arcadus wondered what the hell he was doing. 

Sitting there, dick poking out of the leg of his briefs, in a strange woman's kitchen making a breakfast fit for a queen, and weirdly, he was happy. He'd understood compassion and happiness from others to be a part of those human souls he'd consumed, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe There was more to it than just "human weakness." Rolling his eyes, he figured he was over thinking it. Beating together some eggs for omelets, Arcadus took the toast and the hash off the pans to set next to the meats. Frothing the eggs keep them fluffy, he seasoned them. 

Two pans for two 3 egg omelets, in when cheese, spinach, some diced ham, seasoning. flipping them together, Arcadus kept them from getting too well cooked, keeping that soft fluffy texture. Soft, warm, fluffly. Just like Shizuka. Assembling the plates, Arcadus figured he'd have made enough noise, and enough of a mess, using all four burners of the stove to make this in short enough time. Well, even if he was no speedster, he was still incredibly fast by human standards, moving around a hundred miles per hour about the kitchen to keep things moving. 

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

As much as she'd love to say she was surprised by her behavior, truthfully this was extremely spot-on for the type of person Shizuka was. All night, she was either involved in various physical activities to the point where she was actually feeling a bit sore, or she was clinging to Arcadus in a way that embarrassed her when she was finally awake enough to realize what she was doing. Only when the Arrancar moved to get out of the bed did she come fully awake, realizing that she was still completely naked. She didn't move at first and instead pouted because of his departure. It made her assume at first that he was going to simply leave until she began hearing some noise in the kitchen.

Once she was able to move properly out of bed after several minutes, Shizuka stretched hard enough to feel her body shake, thankful for the movement. She glanced outside the windows and watched as the morning light danced around the buildings, giving them some form of life she adored witnessing every day. Before getting too far from her bed, she glanced over at the side table and spotted the black hair tie she'd used that night to keep her long hair out of the way. She didn't remember taking it back out, but at least she was smart enough to keep the tie close to her. Once she grabbed it, she balled her hair up into a messy bun, threw on some panties, and stole Arcadus' button-down shirt that he had been wearing. It was effectively a dress on her smaller body, comparatively. She only had a few buttons done so that the majority of her chest was exposed along with her abdomen and below.

The scent hit her first. Arcadus, like a sweet househusband, was making them both breakfast. This definitely wasn't how most of her sitcoms showed what the morning after a hook-up was like. As she strode into the kitchen where a set of bar stools sat next to the counter at the island, she decided to take a seat and rest her chin on her right hand while her left arm supported her weight. With a smile she watched Arcadus cook, enjoying the smell of everything that had gotten her out of her sleep. He seemed to be making the largest breakfast she'd seen in a long time and the smell was making her grow hungrier by the second. As he placed a few dishes on some plates on the counter where she was, she took it upon herself to sample a few things. She wasn't sure if she should be surprised about this or not, but he was a good chef.

"How did you learn how to cook human food?"

Hoping to engage the man in a bit of conversation and knock him out of his thoughts a bit, Shizuka spoke and shifted herself on her seat. Sore - she was still so sore. Sitting directly on things was a bit uncomfortable still. Most humans weren't like Shizuka, so years ago if she ever had a nightly adventure like this, she didn't have issues afterward. But with someone like Arcadus, it was difficult not to wince when her weight was her biggest enemy. She wished to float effortlessly just inches above the chair somehow and made do by simply moving her right leg underneath her bottom. At least this way there was something separating her from the cushion underneath.

"And do you make a habit out of spoiling your partners the morning after?"

[Arcadus]

Hearing Shizuka walk out wearing one of the bedroom, Arcadus didn't bother to cover himself. They were both more than intimate with each other, and he really couldn't help but show off. Stretching a bit for her benefit, Arcadus began plating everything together. Albeit, he'd slightly misjudged the size of the plates, and while everything fit, some things had to be stacked on others. Mostly the sausage and bacon had to sit on the toast. Handing Shizuka a full plate, he held the side of her face. 

Leaning in for a kiss, Acradus savored the moment briefly. She really was someone special. Beautiful, attractive, but as well, she was someone with lots of love in her heart. Arcadus, ultimately, didn't mind that. So much of his life was fighting to survive. For right now, he was just living. Pulling away, Arcadus shook his head, sending his messy hair roiling back. Picking a spot on the couch, Arcadus sat and ate, gesturing for Shizuka to come join him. 

Swallowing a bite of his omelette, Arcadus cleared his throat as he answered Shizuka's question. "Well, normally I have my chef or I'm eating out, but I'm normally up at late hours, so I had to learn how to cook when there was no one around and I didn't want to leave the house. Breakfast was normally what I went for. That and, after a certian amount of early mornings after late nights, you learn how to cook for two. As for how I learned how to cook human food, Arrancar can still eat food and I quite enjoy it. Plus, these don't build themselves on just reishi." Arcadus flexed his pecs to accentuate his point. 

Taking a bite out of some cheese toast, Arcadus considered the second question. He did do this not infrequently, but really, was he doing it to pamper people? In this instance, yes. He was doing this because he knew someone he cared about was hungry and he wanted to do a nice thing for both them and himself. "I've had a decent amount of partners, and yes, I do make a habit of rising a bit early to make breakfast. So I guess so." Why the hell was he showing off? What did he gain by saying he's had a lot of partners? Hell if he knew. "If you're looking for a more comfortable seat, I'm sure I can accommodate" 

Patting his thigh, Arcadus made some room on the couch for shizuka, turning on the tv to check the weather. "So, do you want to do anything, or is this a "be gone before I get back home situation"? I'd love to see Xcution, but I understand if it's super secret and all that." Arcadus flicked the channel over to the news. Not that he was interested in the news itself, it was more just something that they could shift to and it was background noise. He attention was absolutely focused on Shizuka. 

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Watching Arcadus move was like watching a scene from Magic Mike. She was completely drowned in the musculature that the man carried. She noted the fact that he showed off for her a bit with his flexing, but she didn't complain even for a second. Resting her chin on her hand, she smiled and welcomed the entertainment for the morning. He was comfortable enough with her to not only walk around in only briefs - Thank you, Jesus - but also cook this entire meal for both of them. It was interesting how sweet he could be.

She quickly accepted the plate that Arcadus handed her, welcoming the gentle touch of his hand against her face. She looked at his eyes, shifting her focus between the two, before returning the kiss that he so generously bestowed upon her. While she'd been blinded entirely by how he looked, his personality didn't go unnoticed at all. She'd met several people over time who somehow managed to change her opinion about them very quickly, but Arcadus never had to do that. She'd liked him from the start. His energy matched hers. She was a bit surprised at how natural this all felt, and that was part of why she wanted to move so fast physically.

Shizuka watched him walk around to the couch, following him with her eyes before noticing that he'd beckoned for her to join. Excitedly, she all but leaped off the stool she was perched on and brought both herself and her plate over next to him. She sat first, taking a few bites of her food, then widened her eyes in surprise at how tasty everything was. It had smelled so good before that it made her mouth water, but tasting it now was such an experience. He was good at this. The only thing that had pulled her attention away from devouring her food was his explanation for how he learned how to cook, and how he needed to eat in order to build his body to be the way he was now.

"That makes sense, and you certainly do a good job," she stated, holding her plate in one hand while the other trailed across his chest.

He'd taken a bite of food before continuing to explain himself, admitting to having spent time with a good handful or so of other people. That didn't bother her one bit, and to some extent, she could have guessed. If last night was any indication, he certainly knew what he was doing. She didn't care if that was because of a fair amount of 'research' done during his long life. Shizuka shifted, taking a few more bites, then realized she was shocked at how much food she'd actually eaten so far. Arcadus had a point. It took a good bit of fuel to power their bodies.

"If you're looking for a more comfortable seat, I'm sure I can accommodate."

Almost too readily, Shizuka's face brightened up significantly as she grabbed his plate, placed both of them on the coffee table in front of the couch, and straddled herself over his lap as she faced him. With both arms around his neck, she pushed herself impossibly close to him so that she could feel every contour that his lower body had. She gave him a second to turn the TV on before kissing his neck, then followed that with kissing his lips. She didn't have any intentions of going further than this, but she ignored the weather report since her focus was on the Arrancar.

"So, do you want to do anything, or is this a "be gone before I get back home situation"? I'd love to see Xcution, but I understand if it's super secret and all that."

She laughed. "Aw, nothing is super secret with me. I mean, sometimes it is, but not that. I'd be happy to give you a tour. We may just need to, y'know, wear something a bit more business-friendly."

She didn't want to get off him just yet, so she enjoyed her moment with him. It interested her that he didn't seem to have much of an intention of just immediately leaving, and she found that she really loved that. Every second longer that she spent with Arcadus, she learned that he was genuinely a nice person. Being part of the Espada must not have killed that side of him, and she felt actually pretty lucky that she was one of the people who was able to experience this. He was a lot like her. That was incredibly refreshing.

"Oh, and I'm never going to tell you to get out of here like that. I'm not sure if you could tell after last night, but I think you're pretty great." She giggled and sat back, dropping her arms from his neck and instead resting both hands against his stomach. "You're welcome to come and go as you please."

[Arcadus]

Leaning back on the couch, Arcadus closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the peace. His souls didn't hammer against his mind, apparently sated in their cages with the nights events. The humans that is. The hollow slammed against the cracks and crevices of his mind. Clearly peaceful domesticity and enjoying the fruits and natures of living as a person didn't suit it. But Shizuka was able to put that aside as she straddled him, kissing up his neck and onto his lips. 

He eagerly returned the kiss, holding her against himself for a moment, he enjoyed their bodies pressed against each other. He could tell she actually quite liked the food, which brought small note of accomplishment to his mind. As well, she didn't seem phased by his statement about previous partners, which put that portion of his concerned mind to rest. He hadn't been around for as long as a lot of spiritual beings, having met so many centuries old individuals, but he certianly got around a lot more than them, actually bothering to go out and enjoy himself instead of sulking or brooding in his palace like the rest of them, he only did that some of the day instead of all of it. 

Arcadus smiled at her response as well. "well, I'd appreciate a tour, maybe meeting some of the faculty I'd be working with after..." Arcadus's gaze wandered a bit as he wondered how to explain his whole idea and ritual for rebirth. He didn't want to trouble her, but at the same time it was something she should know about, considering it might end up looking like he had just disappeared. Sighing, Arcadus shifted on the couch to look at her. She was so beautiful, someone he could really see himself.. The words, no word in particular, stood outside his reach. He couldn't he wasn't capable of that kind of feeling. At least that's what he told himself. 

"After another round maybe?" Wow, what a great save. His smile, still genuine, took on a more miscrevious bend as he snaked his hands under Shizuka's over sized shirt-dress, hands wandering up her sides. His rod had been twitching the entire time she'd sat on his lap, but he hadn't wanted to draw more attention to hit then it was to itself already. He could tell her later, it wasn't something that was going to happen this second, and he definitely wanted to try out some more acrobatic positions. 

"And," His hands on her back pulling her closer to him, "I'm grateful you like me so much Shizuka. People like me, both Arrancar and more specifically, powerful people like ourselves, don't get to have this kind of closeness and comfort around others too often. It's hard, being someone people know you as, but you don't really know yourself. Its a part of being any kind of royalty, whether its by the sword like I am or by coin like the gotei can be. Being born from a hollow makes it all the worse, but you're making it easy."

His eyes were soft, kind, but most of all, grateful. Like a kind of apology and thanks all together, he hugged her close to him, thier hair and scent's mingling. His breathing, she could hear, was uneven, like there was some kind of great stress and pain in him. And, had she the senses to read his soul, there was. So much pain, so much fighting and trying to save his own skin, and preserve what he'd won through fighting and risky guile, its seemed to build up in him despite his cool and suave exterior.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Well, I'd appreciate a tour, maybe meeting some of the faculty I'd be working with after..." A brief pause. Shizuka noted how Arcadus looked as if he was avoiding something and made a mental note to come back to that after what he said next heavily hinted at not wanting to expose himself just yet. "After another round maybe?"

She welcomed his touch as his hands slid up her torso, smirking and biting her lip at his invitation. She could feel everything from where she sat on his lap and it made heat rise within her very quickly, making her agreeable to the suggestion without much thought. It was almost crazy to her how easy this was between them, and how even a brief mention of such an activity made her mind go blank as she tried to keep herself under control. She leaned in again and closed the distance between them by touching her forehead to his, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the moment. They would be able to do whatever they wanted if they so chose.

"And... I'm grateful you like me so much Shizuka. People like me, both Arrancar and more specifically, powerful people like ourselves, don't get to have this kind of closeness and comfort around others too often. It's hard, being someone people know you as, but you don't really know yourself. Its a part of being any kind of royalty, whether its by the sword like I am or by coin like the gotei can be. Being born from a hollow makes it all the worse, but you're making it easy."

Shizuka backed away just a bit and matched his gaze, smiling at him. "You have this strange ability to make me care so much for you in a very short amount of time. I was thinking exactly the same thing not too long ago, but about you." She gave him a moment to bring her closer to him once again. "You don't have to worry about being uncomfortable with me. I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I've never known Arrancar to be as vulnerable as you've been with me between yesterday and now, so it feels like we've known each other for a lot longer than we actually have. Not to scare you or anything, obviously."

She pulled away but kept her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging them. She was originally so attracted to how he looked, but the person he truly was ended up stealing her attention even more. She couldn't believe that someone who was part of Las Noches could be this way, especially not the Segunda Espada. Shizuka wasn't totally familiar with every bit of detail about their hierarchy, but she did understand enough Spanish to realize he wasn't necessarily right at the top just yet. He was extremely close, though, and was probably one of Kouhai's go-to guys. She didn't know much about Kouhai, but from what she'd heard, he probably wouldn't love hearing about Arcadus' relations with a human.

"I can also entertain you as much as you'd like, but only after I take you on that tour."

Much to her dismay, Shizuka dismounted Arcadus and unbuttoned the shirt, handing it back to him as she left herself in nothing but panties. She got to enjoy watching him as he expertly skated around the kitchen, so he could watch her expertly walk back to the bedroom to find something a bit more appropriate to wear than virtually nothing. Planning to dress a bit more casually, she wore a pair of light blue skinny jeans that had a few distressed areas in the fabric along the thighs, knees, and lower legs. Her shirt of choice for the day was a loose-fitting light brown tank top, and only the front was vaguely tucked into the waistline of her pants. She left her hair up and finished her typical morning routine to finish getting ready. She offered the same courtesy to Arcadus if he wanted to use any of her spare items that she kept in the bathroom.

"You're welcome to wear what you did yesterday, or I can Soul Command them to look different. My kind has that perk and I like to abuse it when I get bored of my outfits."

Whichever way Arcadus decided to go, Shizuka would oblige. She stretched for a second after making sure she looked okay in the mirror, realizing she hadn't quite gotten all of the tiredness out of her legs. Once she felt ready for the day, she checked in with the Arrancar to see how he was doing and decided they could walk. She liked the exercise, and something told her that he may enjoy it, as well. She didn't think he'd have much of an issue with being physical in any type of way after everything they'd done. Even just remembering what happened made her excited, almost regretting not immediately taking him up on his offer from earlier, but she suffocated that desire and reminded herself that it was more of a 'later' thing, not a 'never' thing.

"The building isn't very far from here, of course. Wanna just do a casual stroll?"

[Arcadus]

Cursing himself, Arcadus could tell Shizuka knew he was keeping something from him, and as she sat in his lap, clearly excited by the attention and the promise of another round, he let it go. It was something they could broach together when he was more comfortable telling her. She was by far someone he was most comfortable around, and it was something he saw himself telling her at a more oppurtune time where it wouldn't ruin an otherwise picturesque moment. 

Her words of reassurance layered on the warmth in him, something that resulted in his nature as an arrancar reacting in his mind. This was wrong. He was a hollow, a force of violence. But looking at his situation, it was not the case. He was someone capable of great violence, and someone who had skill in it, but what did he seek out, what did he enjoy? He wasn't familiar with this kind of freedom, to consider what exactly he wanted. Los Noches was all about freedom and might making right, but ultimately, it was freedom to oppress, to dominate, to possess. It formed that shell of a persona around its echelons of power, that thing he told shizuka about. 

It wasn't in his nature to accept love, or to be vulnerable. His life as an Arrancar and Hollow were spent fighting, killing, plotting, to remove enemies and threats to himself. Where threats did not reveal themselves, surely they waited in hiding. And right now, his instincts told him there was an absence of threats, and thus one was masked. But Shizuka's words were true. They rang with that compassion and that feeling for another person that compelled the truth to be spoken. 

Holding her hands for a second as she undid the buttons on the borrowed shirt, Arcadus hed her shoulders in return. "Thank you Shizuka. It's hard for me to... love. Because of who I am, of the world I was born into and live in. You make it easy. I want to spend more time with you, and like you said, it feels like we've known each other for a lot longer than the time we've spent together. I want to keep learning about each other." Taking his hands away, Arcadus fiddled with his hair, clearly nervous by the idea of... love. Such a funny thing for an Arrancar to feel, and how alien it was to let himself feel it. 

As she massaged his shoulders and eventually pulled away, taking his shirt back and making no pretenses about staring at Shizuka as she made a display to mirror his own from earlier. He smirked as he drank in this woman, this queen of humans, as she sauntered off to put something on. His smirk couldn't help but return as he watched her stride sway her from side to side. There'd be time for that after the tour, as much as his mind wanted to leap back into bed with her, and getting to make an impression at a future place of work was important. 

Speaking of a future place of work and making impressions, as much as Shizuka could afford to dress casually, Arcadus figured it was best to make a good impression. "I'll be right back, one second." Opening a Kumon, Arcadus stepped into his walk in closet back at home. Good outfits, casual wear, suits, hrm. What to wear. Something not bare bones, but something that still hit the vibe that Shizuka was going for. Casual street clothes. What did he have for something like that.

Picking up a pair of small garments, Arcadus turned in the mirror, having put on this black crop top and black shorts. Certianly an outfit, but not something to wear to work. Picking a hanger off the rack, Arcadus tried again. Dark jeans, gray undershirt with a rosebush design, and a blue flannel button up on top. In terms of what and why, it was pretty simple, but if the feeling shizuka wanted for the tour with casual, he shouldn't head in wearing a three piece tailored suit. 

Stepping back into Shizuka's apartment, Arcadus twisted around to look for her, sneakers squeaking slightly on the floor. "I'm ready to go when you are." Looking her up and down, a shudder ran through him as he thought about what fun they'd have afterwards. It really was.. "Easy" wasn't the word, not the right meaning. It was comfortable, and gods he'd never really had sex like that. Despite his time partying in Karakura for years, his various flings, no one really performed like she did, nor did he have the kind of flutter in his heart as they held each other. 

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The sweetness that came from this man was so foreign to her in so many ways since she truly never thought Arrancar were capable of such affectionate things. She adored being able to play with him, but his emotional side hit her hard and she found herself smiling so widely when he talked about how she was able to make him feel like someone truly cared for him. Honestly, she felt the same. She'd had a tough time with relationships since literally none of them stuck around, especially since her first boyfriend died, then her girlfriend went MIA, then her boyfriend after that... also left. Anyone else was casual and unemotional. Somehow Arcadus didn't feel like that type of person.

Before long, as Shizuka remembered she needed to put on a face, she went to quickly tend to that while Arcadus somehow opened an interdimensional hole that left the woman with bewildered eyes and an awkward smile to match. Her attention turned to her guest as he walked through without any issue and she peered inside out of curiosity. She always forgot that people could do this since, well, she couldn't. How useful must it be? Could he open portals to literally anywhere or was this a very specific type of thing? Thoughts and questions bounced through her head while she observed him and his clothing choices between makeup steps. She'd have to remember to ask later.

Once it appeared that Arcadus settled on an outfit, Shizuka's gaze softened and she whistled, twisting the cap back on the tube of mascara she'd just finished using. Waterproof, of course. As someone whose abilities literally revolved around liquids, she learned quickly how annoying wiping underneath her eyes could be since everything would start to run. She clearly had no intention of fighting since that was when this issue primarily came up, but because she had a history of such a thing, she made changes to her purchases. Once her focus had been redirected towards the man after he'd said he was ready, she took a second to appreciate yet again how lucky she felt that morning. And maybe once or twice tonight, too.

God, she needed to calm down. She all but attacked him at the café yesterday because she couldn't stand to control herself anymore, and thankfully he was receptive. He was definitely still that way, seeing the look in his eyes even now that admitted to her how much she was still on his mind. It was mutual, without a doubt. But right now, she lightly slapped both of her cheeks to snap herself out of it before grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. It was a crossbody, but she never actually wore it across her body. It rested on her right shoulder most of the time. With a quick few steps over to Arcadus, she reached up unusually high to tap his nose with her left index finger.

"Let's enjoy the weather today, then."

Is what she wanted, but what she got was an impossibly bright sun that was blinding her eyes even with sunglasses on. She wasn't particularly sensitive to the light or anything, but she preferred night time. Daylight could be beautiful and she loved how nice it was outside while she and Arcadus graced the sidewalk with their presence, but she still frowned at the sky. She was feeling a mix of nervousness since she was going to be showing Arcadus around Xcution's main headquarters and awkwardness because she knew what was waiting for her when she got there. She really was not looking forward to that part of it. The tour would be fine and she'd get over feeling weird about that, at least.

"I don't know exactly how personal this question is, but since we have a bit of time before we get there, I was kind of curious. I know about the whole life cycle thingy and sometimes regular people like me can become Hollows, and then those Hollows can become big scary Arrancar like you," she teased, grabbing a hold of his arm to lead him where she wanted him to go. "So were you ever a human? Do you remember that life?"

[Arcadus]

Stepping out with Shizuka out onto the city streets, Arcadus took a moment to enjoy the daytime, the slow turning of the sun, the tick tock of the world around him. Life in Los Noches was slow, painfully so. Eternal day and endless night, they were constants, the former inside the latter outside. It seemed to affect the people there too. Arrancar are such long lived creatures, and generally content to pursue their own interests when not fighting for their lives. It was something that he enjoyed about the human world. Things moved at a clip that he was more accustomed to. But maybe that was the human souls inside him giving him an infinitely faster clock and perception.

But it suited him for now. Change was the only constant of course. But right now change was good, it brought him here so far. And he liked this position that he'd found himself in. Shizuka was someone who actually emotionally connected to him, and shaking his head as he felt a breeze, he thought about his relationships. Dozens of flings with people he'd now call strangers, Corvus was a brief thing, but it all kind of seemed to lie flat against how he felt now.  Walking close to Shizuka, he cleared his throat to ask a question. 

Shizuka's question sparked his mind. "I'm composed of souls, as all arrancar are, and a lot of those are human. I still remember a lot of those human lives, so in a way I am human. But originally, I was a hollow spirit. I'm not sure when it came from. But I've distanced my sense of self and personality from that original spirit. I'm composed of other souls as well, hollow, shinigami, human, even other Arrancar. But I have a few distinct lives that I can remember in full, and they are human lives." 

Talking about this wasn't as easy as he would have liked. Some of his words, at least to him, seemed like they were being pulled out of him, even if it was a desire to explain. "I'm sorry, its not often I get asked about the nature of my existance. But I'd say that I'm not human persay, but I am definetly a person." With that answered, Arcadus figured he should change the topic to something a bit. Lunch was a little too early to talk about, and they'd likely see what cafeteria there was on site. 

"So, Shizuka, do you like working there? I've not met many humans who are excited to work, though in your more exciting industry I'm sure there's differences." He was legitimately curious, most of the people who had told him about working in the human world were people he was out drinking and partying with, strangers whom he'd inserted himself into their group and stayed on his money and charisma. Maybe he wasn't getting the whole picture, considering that he was only getting a view into their lives by the drunk ramblings of salary folk. 

Looking over her again, Arcadus couldn't help himself but let his mind wander. He wanted to take her out for another few rounds, but there were things to do and people to see. Ultimately, he knew that he should get it in while he could, since he'd be going away for quite some time. Well, he wanted to actually do something fun outside of the bedroom as well. Shizuka was a very good conversationalist and certainly interesting, living a life half in and half out of the spiritual world. 

"Say, for dinner, do you want to head over to Den for something? Unless you have a suggestion in mind."

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

So was this normal for Arrancar to be made up of a million parts? And, more importantly, did all of the parts like her? Asking the real questions here. Shizuka remained clutched to Arcadus' arm, only tightening her grip, though he likely would barely be able to tell. For someone who wasn't really either alive or dead, she certainly felt the warmth of life radiating from his body the closer she held herself against him. He somehow made her feel so safe, and as much as she'd love to blame that on his sheer size, the truth was more like he was so honest with her already that it made her want to be nothing but the same for him.

"Aww.. Arcadus, I've always thought of you as a person. Having a bunch of souls in there-" She touched her hand to the center of his chest. "-doesn't make you any less of one."

The fun she was having was unexpected but very welcome. It was interesting how quickly they developed over the last day, and maybe she was moving him along rather fast in general, but the fact that he wasn't bucking against her and actually encouraged it made Shizuka's cheeks red. He was refreshing in ways she didn't realize she actually needed and appreciated his company. She genuinely hoped he took her offer seriously and would join. Actually, she already had a few thoughts on a position that would suit him, too. Perhaps they could talk about that a bit more seriously later on before things got physical again. Definitely again.

"So, Shizuka, do you like working there? I've not met many humans who are excited to work, though in your more exciting industry I'm sure there's differences."

"Of course I do! I enjoy my work! Er, actually, I enjoyed my work. I still like it, but running a company means I can jump around and play much anymore. My assistant makes sure of that."

Yes. Felicia. The woman Shizuka hired solely based on the fact that her abilities severely countered the Fullbringer's own. Arcadus would meet her soon enough, especially since Shizuka was only minutes away from getting an earful of criticism on being late from her. Despite basically acting like Shizuka's work mom, though, Felicia and the blonde were actually quite close. She listened to a lot of the venting that was done over the years after Shizuka had felt abandoned. She was also there to hear about difficult missions, help check the paperwork, and, ultimately, just be a good motivator. In terms of assistants, Felicia was unrivaled.

"Say, for dinner, do you want to head over to Den for something? Unless you have a suggestion in mind."

Like a date? "I don't have any other plans! That actually sounds amazing! I, um... I like that you're still wanting to hang out with me. You're a lot of fun to be with."

Fortunately, approaching Xcution's familiar front steps distracted Shizuka out of the awkwardness she felt when she admitted to this man that she liked his company. She had no idea why that was so hard, though. She didn't have issues before telling people that she liked having them around, but she soon realized it'd been a very long time since she ever said something like that to anybody. Maybe she was protecting herself or whatever, but she felt like it was okay to be a bit vulnerable this time. If she regretted that later, so be it. Right now, though, she felt like it was a fair risk to take.

"Anyway! Uh, so this is Xcution!" Shizuka waved her arm in a welcoming gesture towards the tall building before them as she released her hold of his arm and allowed him to follow her into the lobby. "It's no secret that we're here, so it's fine if you know. My staff isn't super large, and we do have quite a few normal humans working for us doing typical company things. We actually do run a business! It's not just an underground assassination group."

Leading him through the lobby and to the elevators, Shizuka invited him to step inside one before pressing the button that led to the very top floor. The elevator doors opened slowly once its ascent was complete, revealing a brightly-lit hallway with crystal figures of various plants and animals lining the shelves along the walls. A small console table pressed against the wall in the center of the hallway carried a lovely bouquet of roses that Felicia absolutely had placed there herself, and Felicia was patiently waiting outside the large main doors to Shizuka's office. Her foot was tapping quickly in irritation.

"Madam, if you are going to insist on being twenty minutes late for work, I must ask you to respectfully let me know."

"Aww, Felicia, but I did! See? Let me show-" The blonde unlocked her phone and opened up the Messages app only to reveal that she had not, in fact, sent the message she typed out. "Hm. Well, the intent was still there."

With a girlish laugh, she grabbed Arcadus' hand and dragged him into the office with her, asking Felicia to leave the doors open. The assistant raised an eyebrow at her boss, but the latter waved the former off in dismissal. There was nothing to talk about with her yet regarding this man. Arcadus would find that the office was entirely too large, much like Shizuka's bedroom. It was furnished quite professionally with a full couch against one of the walls and a coffee table in front of it. Two chairs were placed on the other side of the coffee table, and the entire set was on top of a lovely, massive area rug with several shades of nudes and pinks. Shizuka's desk was in the center of the back wall on the opposite end of the main door. It was dark, ornate, and decorated with several photos of her precious little pup that Kaen had gifted her. Two chairs also sat in front of the desk, and Shizuka took a seat in her own that was pancaked between the desk and the wall.

"You're welcome to make yourself comfortable or explore the room all you want. The wall to the right has tons of books related to other races and things that had been passed down to my company or stolen from libraries. Most people know we have these anyway, so, again, it's fine if you know about it." There were things she'd not be able to tell him until the timing was better, but for now, she felt that she could at least share this much. "Then of course we have my giant bay window on the other wall, but I use that if I want to avoid Felicia getting mad if I'm late. She still figures me out, though. I haven't been able to sneak by her yet."

[Arcadus]

Arcadus smiled at at Shizuka's affirmation. She shifted by the revelation of how Arrancar formed, but it didn't manifest as anything. "well, I'm glad you at least look forward to your work. Maybe its the specific people I work with or talk to, but everyone treats their responsibilities like either a cruel burden to be performed to the point of exhaustion, or something they are ultimately forced to do." Arcadus kept walking with her, enjoying the moment. 

Arcadus smiled a bit wide as Shizuka accepted his offer for dinner. "Well Shizu, you're plenty of fun too, I quite like hanging around with you. Besides, if we're going to work together, it's worth at least getting to know you better, even if I didn't like you enough to go a dozen rounds with you." Arcadus flushed slightly at this statement, patting Shizuka's head as they walked together. THey headed to the base of Xcution, Arcadus followed Shizuka through Xcution. 

Looking around, Arcadus took note of the decor, the fixtures, the general  normalcy of it, at least until Shizuka showed him down the halway of the top floor. Crystaline statues lined the hall up to what Arcadus assumed was Shizuka's office. Roses lined the vases, and Arcadus couldn't help but think it was quite the good taste. Certianly the type of aesthetics he enjoyed. Though, admittedly he would have rathered showed up in his suit and ties. 

Felicia was certianly, someone. Not really exciting but Arcadus could see why she worked here, even if she was dry. As Shizuka dragged him into her office, Arcadus took in the decor. Similarly furnished and ornamented, Arcadus sat down in one of the chairs. It honestly reminded him of one of his old palaces rooms, and he settled in for a bit as he sat at the coffee table. "So Shizuka, this is your office. I think, I'd like to take a tour, specifically where you had figured I'd be working when I start here."

"For right now though, I think I can sit for a second and take in the view." Arcadus picked up whatever book was on the coffee table and looked at the summary before looking over to Shizuka. "So Felicia, she seems like she's here to keep you on task. Why do you think that is? It seems like you'd be more comfortable within an operative role in Xcution. Why not stick someone more suited to administration into this kind of deal, or make the leader of Xcution an operative if you wanted to retain this position?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The warmth that this man continuously showed Shizuka surprised her and made her feel as if she'd known him for years despite it being literally a couple of days. The way he reinforced the same attraction she had towards him but for her instead caused her heart to feel as if it were going to burst. Shizuka's original assumption about the Arrancar race was based on what she'd experienced from Col with a mix of rumors here and there. This assumption was more that they were somewhat nasty and dominating, though in a bad way, and they didn't tend to have a lot of forgiveness for anyone outside of themselves. Col wasn't entirely this way, though it was possible that an argument or two could be made depending on the situation.

But instead of any of that being true, Arcadus had been a gentleman, patted Shizuka's head, and acted so familiar with her that she couldn't help but throw all of those original thoughts out entirely. He changed her perception very easily. She only hoped he meant what he was saying and she could be the same type of person for him. In this moment, on the other hand, as the woman was busy waving off Felicia and inviting Arcadus to relax for a moment, she found herself distracted by other random thoughts. Would he be happy here? Would it entertain him enough and grant him the freedom he was looking for? What if he was fooling her and she let herself be played? That last one was doubtful based on what she'd seen so far, but the insecurity was still there. She couldn't blame him if that were the case. Maybe she needed to be more reserved in the future.

"So Felicia, she seems like she's here to keep you on task. Why do you think that is? It seems like you'd be more comfortable within an operative role in Xcution. Why not stick someone more suited to administration into this kind of deal, or make the leader of Xcution an operative if you wanted to retain this position?"

Shizuka's attention snapped back to the man occupying her office with her as soon as he started speaking. As he finished, she found herself allowing her mind to wander again as she thought about his questions, her gaze drifting to other areas of the room as if she were inspecting it. He had a point. She'd wanted this for so long and was genuinely happy to be in the position, but there did feel like there was something missing. Something more fun than this. Felicia was the exact counter that Shizuka needed with her intense strength and speed, so her hiring process was planned entirely for the purpose of making sure the Fullbringer did the duties she was supposed to. That and catch her if she tried to escape them. After some time, the train of thoughts came back to the original station and she found an answer.

"Power."

One simple word. Completely undeniable. People like her found themselves trapped in this world and they'd have to figure out how to make new goals and aspirations since it would be typically impossible to continue on a traditional route. The amount of random encounters that Shizuka had with other spiritual people couldn't be counted even if she tried, and that's including the Arrancar. As soon as someone realized they had any amount of spiritual energy, they were thrown into this unknown whether they wanted it or not. Shizuka accepted her fate gracefully. She imagined not everyone shared the same kind of excitement for it.

"It's an easy answer, I know. But it's true. I've been doing this for so long that it felt right to take it when the previous leader passed on. Maybe it sounds selfish, but I'm constantly thinking about ways to strengthen myself even further because I feel like there's this thing inside me that wants to come out and can't for whatever reason. Potential, maybe? I thought I was fine living like this and that this would be the furthest I'd go but sometimes I wonder if there's more to it than that."

Shizuka stood up from her seat and walked around her desk to approach Arcadus. It was possible that he would understand where she was coming from, especially given what he'd told her about how he came to be. She wasn't worried about the judgment or anything because he wasn't that kind of person. He hadn't judged her thus far and he absolutely knew what she did for a living, so there was no anxiety in the woman's heart at all. What she really wondered was what would happen after she died. She knew about the soul cycle, obviously, so death didn't frighten her. The only thing that bothered her at all was the possibility of never existing again.

"On a less serious note, let me bring you to our research facility. It's where you'd spend most of your time, I'd imagine, unless you particularly mind me coming and pestering you now and then!"

She gently took the book Arcadus had picked up from his hands and placed it back down on the coffee table, then led him out the office door and back into the elevator. Within what didn't feel like much time at all compared to the walk they took to get to the building, Shizuka brought him down through the lobby again and into a staircase that led to the basement. Before going completely down, she stopped at the second subfloor and walked through that door instead. The basement was only three floors below that, but it was typically used for sparring amongst her spiritual employees. Once they were in the hall, Arcadus would see what somewhat resembled a hospital, though instead of medical equipment there were beakers and flasks and pieces of ore that Shizuka didn't even know the names of.

Wide windows lined the hallway with six rooms branching off from it. One of the six rooms was also an office, and above the office was a plaque that read 'Chief of Research' in bold writing. The plaque was gold in color and the text was black against the bright background. It was somewhat dusty, though. With a little motion of her hand, Shizuka commanded the dust to simply get the hell off, and it followed. Arcadus would be welcome to explore the other rooms, but they each contained a myriad of scientific devices suitable for someone who desired to run experiments, create whatever they desired, and test the limits of nature. Whatever it didn't contain that he could possibly need, Shizuka resolved to sign off on those requisitions promptly.

"You can decorate your office however you see fit, and you do have a budget for renovations. It's pretty generous, so you can make it look like whatever makes you most comfortable. My original intention was not to have this position stay in the dungeon - that's what I call it down here - but I reconsidered after I realized a lot of the scientists who work here tend to like blowing things up. There's a containment room for that around the corner." Turning towards Arcadus with a proud look, she asked, "So what do you think?"

[Arcadus]

Arcadus thumbed a few pages as he waited for Shizuka's answer. He knew that they were in a good space to ask those kinds of questions, and admittedly, they'd progressed fast as friends and... Arcadus didn't really know what to make of their relationship beyond that, but he felt for her and she evidently for him. It was important to gauge her goals and intentions if he was going to be committing his time here. A mistake he'd made with the Espada. Making the most of it would mean actually learning what was expected of him, besides being Shizuka's boytoy now and again. 

Shizuka's answer turned his more mild expression into a grinning smile, his fingers unconsciously threading together as he listened to the rest of it, passively picking her thoughts as he did. What a wonderful answer. Power for power's sake, as a never ending mountain to climb, was a good goal for someone like her to have. She was going to live for a very very long time, and the idea of safety through one's own strength and one's own influence was really the only thing that mattered on that kind of time scale. 

Rising out of his chair as Shizuka began showing him out, Arcadus responded. "I don't think its selfish to better one's self and to continue to order one's affairs. Ultimately, Shizuka, spiritual beings like us exist because of that kind of drive, and that potential, it never ends. For people like us who are going to live effectively forever, a never ending goal is good to have. I've seen what happens to people who think they've reached the top. They don't last long, mentally."

On that note, Arcadus let himself be led throughout the building, eventually coming to the "dungeon". It wasn't uncomfortable for him, given that his forge was under multiple miles of floors of Los Noches. Walking around the rooms, Arcadus inspected the equipment. "Lets take a look here." Arcadus inspected the eqipment, looking over glassware, machines, different storage units, and generally familiarizing himself with the enviroment. 

Standing up from looking it over, Arcadus looked back to Shizuka. "I'm likely going to need a different site for my larger experiments and my own equipment, since some of it isn't going to fit here or isn't fit for humans to be around, but this is a fantastic place to run more chemical and biological engineering, and some  cells would work well for some of the pet projects I have in mind. Besides different weapons and armor, I'm looking to enact some important projects to deal with the Vandenreich that the containment rooms will be useful." 

Arcadus set down the glassware he'd been looking at as he considered what Shizuka had said about potential. It mirrored what he planned to do. Whether he should tell her or whether they should keep that all under wraps. Keep this whole thing together and disappear for a couple months, and instead lie. But he hated lying. And especially to someone he'd grown so close to in such a short amount of time, and every sign of everything growing beyond this, into something he'd never really been apart of before. 

"Shizuka, there's something I should tell you." Arcadus slouched forward, something he almost never did, his hair rolling forward a bit to obscure his face. "You mentioned the idea that you always feel the desire to realize your potential. That's something I'm going to be doing relatively soon in a big way. If you remember how I mentioned Arrancar are formed out of Hollows who break off their own mask, and are comprised of hundreds or thousands of souls. Sometimes, imperfections happen in that process. Certian personalities or souls remain despite a dominant one rising to the top."

Arcadus took Shizuka's hand, his face tender and vulnerable. "That is something that has happened to me, and ultimately, I'm not going to remain me forever if I don't remove those impurities. They're always in my mind, and its difficult to focus or even see at times when they try and act. But, this means I'm going to have to become a hollow again and rise back up to being a Vasto Lorde. Something like this is dangerous, but I know I can do it, and that I need to do it."

"Its not going to change me, since the process is meant to keep me in control. I'm not leaving for good, think of it as me going away to train. It shouldn't be more than a month or two with the preparations I've made, and I'll be back. I'll need some time in Los Noches to gather my things and uproot my apartment, but for now I'll spend the time I can with you, and as soon as I'm able to I'll make my way back to you. I promise." It hurt him to say the words "i love you" but Arcadus meant it with what he said. 

He didn't know why this hurt so much to admit. "I shouldn't act like this. We've only known each other for a day and a half, and it feels like forever, but I shouldn't be like this. Its not like me, but I can't object to what's changing." Arcadus looked away for a moment. "You're a wonderful person Shizuka, and I would love to spend all the time I can with you, even if meeting you was by chance. And as long as you're fine with this pace, I'm fine with it too." 

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"I don't think its selfish to better one's self and to continue to order one's affairs. Ultimately, Shizuka, spiritual beings like us exist because of that kind of drive, and that potential, it never ends. For people like us who are going to live effectively forever, a never ending goal is good to have. I've seen what happens to people who think they've reached the top. They don't last long, mentally."

Grinning at his approval, Shizuka looked up to his face and appreciated the positive response until something caught her attention. "Aww, thank you! It might be kind of a vanilla answer to give but when someone strong like you thinks that- wait. What?"

Live forever? Was that even possible? Did that mean that Shizuka had a longer lifespan than that of a normal human? She never even thought about that. Why would she? She didn't consider it even a remote possibility. She thought she just had some great powers that helped her get ahead in life, and who wouldn't love that, but now she might live forever? Or at least close to it, since he happened to throw the word 'effectively' in there as if there were some sort of hidden caveat. Unfortunately, she didn't really get the chance to respond too much and question him further since they'd made it to the dungeon.

After the tour and some brief explanations, she let Arcadus take a moment to explore. She hoped it would be to his liking, and that seemed to be the case for the most part. He did express a need for a larger facility for a few of his experiments, to which Shizuka knew she could oblige. There was still some unused space after the downsizing that Xcution underwent years ago that would be perfect for what he needed, so she made a mental note to show him that area, too. Well, that and ask him what experiments he was working on so that she could properly size it for him, unless he wished to take over managing the renovations. She didn't care either way.

"Shizuka, there's something I should tell you."

The sudden sound of Arcadus speaking caught Shizuka off-guard a bit as she turned to face him, noticing how he was slouching his body. For a man who normally stood as tall as his entire seven-foot height would let him, she found herself surprised by the change and realized her stomach started to sink. Just by his posture and general tone of his voice, she knew this wasn't going to be a fantastic conversation. She couldn't even see his face very well because of how his hair was covering it, so she very gently reached up and stroked some of it out of the way, noticing his dampened expression. This apparently wasn't something he wanted to talk about, making the feeling in her stomach even worse.

"You mentioned the idea that you always feel the desire to realize your potential. That's something I'm going to be doing relatively soon in a big way. If you remember how I mentioned Arrancar are formed out of Hollows who break off their own mask, and are comprised of hundreds or thousands of souls. Sometimes, imperfections happen in that process. Certian personalities or souls remain despite a dominant one rising to the top."

As he took her hand and fully exposed himself to her, Shizuka's normal happy features contorted to something a bit more somber and disappointed. She was interested in what he was saying, because it was part of what she was seeking for herself, but she never knew any of it was possible. Yet he's standing here before her claiming that it could be done? Yet, despite all of that, he was sad. The sadness continued to rub off on the Fullbringer, as well, causing her to already make assumptions about what could follow this. The atmosphere changed so much in a matter of moments that it felt like a break up. Could they even do that? She supposed not, so why did it feel like one?

"That is something that has happened to me, and ultimately, I'm not going to remain me forever if I don't remove those impurities. They're always in my mind, and its difficult to focus or even see at times when they try and act. But, this means I'm going to have to become a hollow again and rise back up to being a Vasto Lorde. Something like this is dangerous, but I know I can do it, and that I need to do it."

"So you're leaving me." It wasn't spoken like a question. She knew already. She was mostly just surprised at how personally she was taking this and tried to push back on those thoughts.

"It's not going to change me, since the process is meant to keep me in control. I'm not leaving for good, think of it as me going away to train. It shouldn't be more than a month or two with the preparations I've made, and I'll be back. I'll need some time in Los Noches to gather my things and uproot my apartment, but for now I'll spend the time I can with you, and as soon as I'm able to I'll make my way back to you. I promise."

A couple of months. She could wait a couple of months. It wouldn't be too difficult so long as she knew he was safe, and she couldn't help but be curious about how all of this worked. Was there really a way to unlock that hidden potential? He figured it out, right? He said he was going to do it, so what did that mean? If he could make himself a Hollow again and somehow get back to the Arrancar she knew, without it changing him, did that mean... Is this something I can do, too? She felt something welling up inside of her, like a sudden sense of resolution despite the situation she was in. He had spoken of some strange method to gain even more power - something she desperately craved, too. But instead of allowing herself to get lost on that, she instead turned her focus back to him. He was experiencing a lot of unease.

His words were shared by some of her own thoughts, because she, too, had no idea why she felt so strongly for him after such a short amount of time. Perhaps it was due to the genuine nature they both shared, being entirely too willing to jump into something purely based on chemistry. Perhaps it was something else entirely, like some string of fate was connecting the two of them just like the Japanese legend she'd become so fond of since she was a child. But his inability to come to terms with his feelings, the back and forth of his thoughts, finding it difficult to understand why he felt this way about her mirrored how she had felt about people in the past, and even how she felt about him now.

She cupped his left cheek with her right hand, standing on Air Ground to move her face closer to his so she could press her forehead against his own. "Arcadus, it's okay. I hope you take it as a compliment when I say this, but maybe you're just more human than you think. These feelings are so normal that it's almost laughable... and I feel them, too. I'm fine with any pace that you want to take." Separating herself from him for a moment, she removed her right hand and slid it down his left arm, finding his hand and locking her pinky with his. "But you promised you'd come back to me. I'll be fine so long as you're fine, but just make sure you do come back. And maybe tell me if there's anything I can do to help?"

She smiled, paused for a moment, then took on a more serious, but still gentle, tone. "You also owe me two answers, my sweet man." She closed her eyes and touched her nose to his. "What do you mean by living 'effectively forever,' and also, is this method of yours something I can do?"

[Arcadus]

Arcadus could feel the sadness within him well, like water in a ditch after it rained. He didn't feel bad about having said this as he felt bad for having to disappoint Shizuka. It was silly, theat he'd make such a pointed manuever towards upsetting someone without first padding his landing, but he felt she deserved the truth about the situation without being buttered up to recieve it. They were a friend, and right now, maybe the best friend he had, given Cami's willingness to put his life on the line for Kouhai. 

It was only a couple months, and as Shizuka cupped his hand, he felt her head tap against his, and for a moment it was alright. He really didn't need to worry about it. She felt the same way about his as he did, and that drained away his worry over the matter. His eyes refocused and he returned to the real world for the moment. He could tell she was standing on Air Ground to be level with him, and he couldn't help but giggle to himself at that. 

"I promise I'll be back Shizuka, it's something I've laid down the ground work for for a couple years now. Its just a matter of actually undergoing the risky portion now. But, I promise after I've torn off the mask I'll be back and we can be together again. Unfortunately, you've already done everything you need to help me. You're giving me a reason beyond myself to come back." Arcadus's msile return, flipping his hair back and returning it to its natural position. 

"Well, for your two answers its important that you understand something. One, that in all technicality, the personality of a soul isn't dictated by its "race". Race is a weird word for how different forms of the same soul can manifest and its all very much steeped in organizational ties and what have you. Yes, you could use a similar method to achieve what I'm looking to achieve, assuming that you intend to be an Arrancar. If you want to return from being a hollow to being a human, there would be some changes that would have to be made."

Arcadus posture also shifted, and beginning to lead Shizuka to somewhere they could sit, Arcadus looked over the woman he had grown in such a small amount of time, to care about. He couldn't help but trace his eyes over her, the bounce of her hair, the mismatched eyes, the centerpiece of a gorgeous rounded face. Sitting down and resting his ankle on his opposite knee, Arcadus took a deep breath before explaining what was both simple and complicated. He'd seated them in the lab he'd just explored, and while it wasn't the most comfortable, he'd make do. 

"Well, for your second answer, it's important to understand that you are an exceptionally rare human specimen, heterochromia and other recessive genes not withstanding. I'm refering to spiritually, you have a kind of power and density to your soul that is practically unique. Whether you were born strong or if you cultivated this kind of spiritual power isn't something I can percieve, but regardless, its a kind of power that lends itself a wide array of powers and abilities. I'm sure you are aware of the most obvious ones, but one such thing is that you are likely reaching the point where you will cease to age if you haven't already. Now, biological immortality isn't unheard of in fullbringers, even those less powerful, but I'd say you don't have much more of aging before your spiritual power ensures you don't get any older."

"Well, while you've got me here, let me ask you a couple of questions. What exactly is going to be expected of me in Xcution, and who would I be working with? I'd like to have some idea of my co workers since I'm not exactly used to working on a tighter knit team, given my prior experience. I know it's a little dull, but I'm also wondering what exactly I'm going to be coming back to after I sort things out in Los Noches so none of the Espada try and come snooping around here."