Hold Me Like A Grudge

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It finally felt like things were coming together. Her life was back to normal. Luke had returned, Xcution was growing, and it was actually pretty odd how calm the life Shizuka had come to know became in such a short amount of time. Truthfully, this was perfect. The day was still young and the sunlight was warm as Autumn had only come out of its infancy stage. The Fullbringer was enjoying the smell of leaves as they fell to the ground and crunched beneath her feet. A deep breath in granted her a strange feeling of euphoria if only for a second before the breath out made her heart beat a bit stronger. This was all she wanted.

"No thanks, Felicia. I'm good. You've been way more present in my life lately. Are you worried about me or something?"

"One of my duties is to check on you every so often. Is that a crime?" A woman's voice could be heard on the other end of Shizuka's phone.

"I mean, no. But you're seriously in my business. Do you have a crush on me or something?"

The voice on the other end, belonging to Shizuka's assistant, Felicia, started screeching in a high-pitched mess. Shizuka laughed and reassured Felicia that she was joking, to which her assistant simply sighed with a hint of awkwardness. Having finished work for the day, the Fullbringer left her office and had only been gone for about an hour before getting this call. An eye roll accompanied her answering the phone as they spoke briefly about the events of the day. Most of the time, they gossiped like high school girls. Felicia just acted high and mighty when they were at work.

"Go home, girl. I'm fine! I'm just taking a walk so I can smell the fresh air. You know I don't need protecting."

"Okay, okay. Well, in that case, I'll see you Monday."

"Ha, yep. See you Monday."

Tapping the small red button on the front of her phone, Shizuka hung up the call and sat on a nearby bench. She recognized this exact spot from a short while ago where she'd stalked Luke for the first time in three years after he reached back out to her. Laughing to herself, she placed her hand on the wood of the bench where she sat and rolled her eyes at herself this time. She could be so insane. Why did she ever think it was smart to fall for his trick? Well, she felt that it was a trick. She knew it really wasn't, though. And, actually, she was glad to have him back.

But that didn't stop her from doing everything in her power to keep her life as typical as possible aside from her weird job. What came with that job, too, was some strange ability to attract others to her without even realizing it. Lately, she found new friendships in another Bount and even an Arrancar, along with possibly others that were only just budding. Thinking back on it, she even knew a Shinigami or two who, shockingly, she got along with famously well. Yeah, that was something she'd never be able to share with her aunt. If Momo ever found out about them, Shizuka would be in major trouble. So much so that-

A sound grabbed the blonde woman's attention, forcing her to look up rather than at her feet. "Oh, sorry. Did you need to sit? Can I help you?"

[Camila Adaronde]

It hadn't been often that Camila had the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon life of Karakura. Especially since it seemed that anything and everything had tried to grab her attention as of late. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but she felt almost popular, in a grim sort of way. Regardless, it was a nice change of pace for her to finally have some time on her own. Though, question remained; how was she going to take the time to spend it?

Her first thought immediately went to spending some money. Cash never really tended to be an issue for her, given she never took the opportunity to make it for herself. Well, not since she'd been out of Hell. There were others that she could get that from. Stretching her shoulders, and locking the door to her apartment, Camila hummed softly to herself as she made her way into Karakura's shopping districts.

Within moments, she'd immediately been enamored by the fashion the square seemed to offer. While it wasn't necessarily anything in her style - more often than not, she tended to just order online where necessary - it was an interesting thought for her. Perhaps she'd take the time at some point to liven up her wardrobe? It was hard to say, but it was an option nonetheless.

An option that she found herself impulse spending to explore.

---

Walking away from the shopping centers with quite an amount of bags in her hand, Camila made her way over toward the town's main park. She'd made quite a number of memories here, and if nothing else, it held a little bit of sentimental value for the Vizard. She'd take the opportunity to rest a bit, throwing herself down onto a bench with a 'huff'.

As she did, it seemed that she'd provoked the attention of someone sitting near her; someone that immediately prompted the girl to double-take. With a soft smile, and a wave of her hand, she responded. "Yeah," she said, trying to come off as 'cool', "just need a moment to relax. Been a busy day, aye?" Crossing a leg over the other, and throwing an arm up on the back of the bench, Camila smiled toward the woman. "You're... Not from around here, are you?" She asked, pointing to her own hair.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She should be used to this by now. Randomly meeting strangers and having normal conversations with them seemed to be a regular thing for her. With a smile, Shizuka eyed the woman's generous amounts of bags that she'd obviously picked up through shopping. So she also likes spending time on some retail therapy. Ha! She's my new friend. The Fullbringer, completely unaware that this woman sitting next to her was anything but human, turned her body only slightly so that she could face her new friend better.

"Oh yeah," she started, holding up a lock of hair with her fingers. "Well, I was born in Italy but I was basically raised here. I bleach my hair because I feel more like a blonde."

It's been a long time since Shizuka had a conversation with someone outside of the spiritual world. The last few encounters that she'd had were unique, to say the least. As much as she loved being exposed to everything that this life had to offer, there were some days when she was just so desperate to be a normal girl. She dusted off the light black blazer she wore over a white blouse that was tucked neatly into a short black pencil skirt. She wore black leather pumps with bright red undersides since her golden heels were stuffed in her purse. Coming straight from work to this location meant she didn't change her clothes.

"I like your taste in shopping! I've been to just about all of those stores, too. As my new best friend, you gotta tell me your name!"

Shizuka grabbed the woman's hands in her own and squeezed lightly. The excitement in her was building so much at the thought of being able to pretend to be a typical girl. The smile that never left her face grew even more, feeling how soft the hands she held were. Giving her bench partner a lookover, Shizuka came to see that she was, unsurprisingly, stunning. Dressed well, beautiful face, alluring voice. A mental slap was all it took to make sure the Fullbringer kept herself professional. A mental slap and a little bit of a sigh.

"Since I'm so anxious to go through introductions, I can start. I'm Shizuka. I live around here so I figured I'd just take a stroll. That's what normal people do, right?" A quizzical look and a glance up to the sky made her wonder if that was something maybe she shouldn't have said. "Ha, I'm joking. Not about my name! That's my real name. I meant about being normal. I mean, I'm definitely normal. I don't know why I'm trying to defend myself."

After quickly letting go of the woman's hands, Shizuka laughed nervously and played with the ends of her hair, calming herself with the soft feel of the strands. She really knew how to totally ruin things so quickly. So on top of exposing herself as a complete weirdo, she most likely also lost her new bestie in a matter of seconds. It was fine. She was used to this. She couldn't hold herself together when it came to pretty people. She contemplated just getting up and leaving, figuring it was probably the best way to go. She ultimately decided to give this interaction a chance, hope it went better than what her mind was cooking up, and then go home and scream in a pillow later.

[Camila Adaronde]

She found herself smiling at the woman's response. It wasn't often that she'd seen many folks in Japan that came from out of the country; normal humans, that was. There were a number of Shinigami, Hollows, and more that found themselves coming from all walks of life. Most of 'em ended up in Japan at some point, so it was a nice change of pace. "Oh, you're Italian?" She asked with a smile, "that's quite cool!"

As the topic drifted in topic, jumping like lightning, Camila chuckled. "New best friend?" She asked, "can't say I've had one of those in a while! Name's Camila, it's a pleasure to meet you." Holding out her hand in gesture to shake, Camila gave her a mostly genuine smile. If the Fullbringer had any semblance of black market knowledge, it was likely her name -and maybe even face - were to be something she'd recognize.

"Nice to meet you, Shizuka," she started, leaning back against the bench, "no need to worry about being 'normal', 'kay?" She gave the girl a toothy smile. "Being normal's no fun! Lord knows I'm the furthest fuckin' thing from that, ha!" Another chuckled followed in suit. "Seriously, though; just be yourself, girl! Embrace the wild."

She took a moment to glance toward the sky, a soft smile on her face. If nothing else, this was something she liked. Just being able to relax like this, with or without someone else. Having a 'new best friend', as the interesting woman put it, was curious if nothing else. "So," she started, looking to make a bit more conversation, "what brings you to Japan? Surely you've got some sort'a reason for being here, aye?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Camila, huh? That name sounded familiar for some reason, though Shizuka couldn't quite put a finger on why. She wasn't sure if she'd heard it in passing or if maybe Felicia mentioned a similar name before. Either way, Camila seemed nice enough and actually didn't judge Shizuka much at all, or at least not outwardly. She'd be lying if she said that wasn't relieving. People could be quick to make negative opinions these days, and that was never an issue so long as Shizuka didn't hear them out loud. The events in her life and the uncertainty that followed made it difficult for her to feel comfortable around strangers despite her friendliness.

Still, something about this woman felt so nice. She was encouraging Shizuka to be nothing but herself, which made the Fullbringer smile sweetly. A small bit of pink painted her cheeks as Camila spoke, accompanied by a sense of calm washing over her body. This was fun for her. She always liked meeting new people despite the discomfort and tried to go out of her way to get through awkward situations, but when she had someone who was so willing to do the same sitting here talking to her, it made Shizuka feel like maybe she could start to let go of some of the things that stressed her in her life. She did have quite a few, after all.

"My family lives here, too. My mom is Japanese and my dad's Italian, but we ended up moving here when I was teeny tiny. I stayed for work but I get to travel all the time so that kind of solves any wanderlust I might have."

Shizuka answered Camila's casual question with ease, noting how smooth their conversation felt. Sometimes people just mesh nicely together, and perhaps the two of them were of similar enough mind for that to happen. The way Camila spoke certainly made Shizuka laugh, especially with the casual swears. The emphasis was always evident when people spoke like that and for some reason it was just funny. Plus, Shizuka adored anything funny anyway. She wasn't about to deter any behavior that gave her a giggle. This was one of the many ways in which Shizuka was quite selfish. Another piece of evidence to this was her lack of suspicion towards most people.

"Are you from here? Not that it matters, I guess, but you just don't look Japanese so I was curious. I know I take after my dad, so maybe you don't see it in me much either, but since tons of people move here from all over the world, you really never know!"

She started thinking about other potential questions as she eyed the woman's bags. She couldn't see anything inside of them very well, of course, so all she could do in the meantime was simply imagine the types of clothing that Camila would buy. Judging by her overall aesthetic, maybe more punk clothes would suit her. Or something reminiscent of a biker chick. Maybe Shizuka was getting a little crazy about that as she let her mind wander a bit. Still, it wasn't but a second before Shizuka's attention was back on Camila and she shifted herself on the bench. Bringing her right ankle up under her left thigh, she hoped this would be more natural-looking than sitting so stiffly.

[Camila Adaronde]

A surprised look spread across the Vizard's face. "No shit?" She asked, "if you don't mind my asking, what do you do for a living?" In truth, she hadn't heard of anything making quite enough money out here to allow for constant travel. Even she was just barely making enough to cover her apartment and utilities!

If nothing else, it seemed this woman was almost full of surprises. It was curious to learn about someone that hadn't been around the area constantly, especially when that individual was as charming as Shizuka was. She gave a soft smile. As the conversation continued on, Camila nodded. "You're certainly correct there," she said, "very much not from around here; originally, at least. I'm French-Canadian. Born n' raised in Quebec!"

Taking a quick moment to put together a story, Camila continued. "After I graduated from Uni, I decided to come here. Took the opportunity to really learn what I could about the place before coming here, though. It's definitely a culture shock that I'm not quite over yet." She laughed. If nothing else, Japan was certainly something that intrigued her.

"So," she started, a soft smirk on her face, "I can't say I'm too familiar with the folks around here, as I've kept to myself for a good little while, but if you don't mind my asking, how're folks around here? Anyone interesting, anyone you're talking to by chance?" She was interested in seeing a response from the woman, at the very least.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"No shit? If you don't mind my asking, what do you do for a living?"

Shizuka's body stiffened. "That's the sixty-seven-dollar question! I, um..." Kill people for a living? No. Run a company that kills people for a living? Also no. Dip my toes in the blood of my enemies after I watch them suffer out of enjoyment? "I work in waste management. I guess it's just kind of awkward to say."

After some time and asking about where Camila was from, the answer she got was a bit surprising. Quebec? Really? With an eyebrow raised and a quizzical look on her face, Shizuka thought back to the possibility of knowing anyone from there and quickly realized she did not. Actually, she didn't know many Canadians at all. She had some weird sensation that Col could be Canadian but wasn't super sure why that thought even crossed her mind. As far as she was aware, he wasn't from that area. Actually, come to think of it, was Col ever human? Did he die and that's how he became who he was or was he born an Arrancar? Follow up mental question - was that possible?

"You went to school? Aw, what did you study? My degree was in Mechanical Engineering because my parents told me that would be safe. Which, like, yeah, I guess. I don't do anything with that degree now, but I think that's kinda how it goes."

"So, I can't say I'm too familiar with the folks around here, as I've kept to myself for a good little while, but if you don't mind my asking, how're folks around here? Anyone interesting, anyone you're talking to by chance?"

Talking to? Arcadus. Leon. Luke. All three men passed through her mind simultaneously, along with brief memories of nights she'd spent with two of them in particular. Surely that's not what this girl meant, but it started making Shizuka very nervous. Normally, she didn't really care about how people viewed her sex life. It was entirely her own. Yet, for some reason, at least right now, she found herself not wanting to tell this woman those details out of... Is this shame? What an interesting feeling. Very foreign. When was the last time she truly felt shameful of something?

"I have a few friends! I've gotten lucky, I suppose. They're all wonderful people." Even if they're also not regular humans or even human at all. "I think, in their own ways, they're all very interesting. It's never really a dull moment in this town. If you find yourself here for a long time, then you might just end up sucked into its mystery just like the rest of us."

Shizuka relaxed and pressed her back against the bench they were both sitting on, enjoying the breeze as it passed through her hair and over her skin. What a serene feeling this was. She couldn't remember a time when she felt this calm. She'd had good moments and was thankful to be in a place in her life now where those good moments happened significantly more frequently, but she was fully able to let her guard down and not worry about anything other than herself and her new friend. Camila being so accepting and so sweet was also very welcome, especially after Shizuka had her own couple of blunders during their conversation, so her kindness was not ignored.

[Camila Adaronde]

As Shizuka mentioned waste management, Camila found herself chuckling once more. "That can't be too bad," she nodded, "especially if it's making you that much, aye? Living lavishly like that's gotta be well-worth any effort that you might need to put in!"

As the conversation continued, Camila thought about what she'd been told. It was a curious thought, if nothing else. Hell, she'd technically been in that position herself, what with her frequenting the black market. If nothing else, petty hits paid the bills, and it was enough for her to keep the apartment she lived in. It wasn't the cushiest of lives, but it was comfortable living for her. How could she complain?

Her eyes widened as Shizuka asked her question, a bit of concern quickly danced across the girl's face, before a distinct clearing of her throat. "Oh! Uh, I studied Econ. Unfortunately the degree isn't really doing me much either, but if nothing else it's a good background to have, y'know?" She scratched the back of her head. In truth, she'd been a lie like that out of her ass.

Regardless, she was more interested in Shizuka. Last thing she wanted to do was share too much about herself or anything, as to not give on more information than she needed to. Especially while meeting a new friend. As such, she did what she could to try to steer the conversation, looking to dive a little deeper into the girl's personal life. She had a good bit of interest in the woman, so why not?

Crossing her legs while leaning in, the girl smiled. "Ohoho, a mystery~?" She asked, "I'm curious; what kinds of mysteries happen here in Karakura? I can't say I'm the most familiar with-" She cut herself off shortly thereafter, as a rather strange turn of events prompted the girl into getting a bit angry.

It seemed that someone couldn't quite see her. As a human man sought to sit down in her spot, the Vizard's brow furrowed. "Well, hello-" he started to say, before the girl promptly shoved him off of her. As he fell forward, quickly looking back to the seat, a look of concern rose to his face. "Wh- What the hell!?" He said, crawling backward, before getting up, and briskly walking away. With that, Camila sighed. "Nothing drives me up a wall more than these damned humans. Frustrating when you just wanna rest, aye?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It was impossible not to notice how easy this conversation felt. The smile Shizuka had plastered on her face showed no signs of fading any time soon. It had been so long since she was able to make a new girl friend, and she always enjoyed the ever-growing opportunities she seemed to be getting. This interaction was nothing short of super fun, of course, and that made her feel so much less nervous. Though she'd grown quite a bit over the years, talking to new people was still somewhat difficult for her. It had started to get simpler, and she wanted to give herself some credit for the amount of development she's had, but that never fully erased the nerves.

Still, Camila showed an obvious interest in what the Fullbringer had to say and that made her very happy. Her heart felt warm, which was a feeling she wasn't used to anymore. She'd felt positive emotions before and even some very recently, so that wasn't the problem here. Actually, there wasn't even a problem. Shizuka just felt very included and very understood. For someone like Camila to come over and sit down just to start up a conversation made the blonde feel important. Had she been feeling not important lately? Was that what really stemmed this entire thing? It was true that she was forced to stay cooped up in her office most of the time. Perhaps that was why.

"Ohoho, a mystery~? I'm curious; what kinds of mysteries happen here in Karakura? I can't say I'm the most familiar with-"

Shizuka's face went from happy and calm to very confused and shocked in a matter of seconds as a complete ass of a man decided to not only sit down next to her, but ON TOP of her conversation partner! The concerned reaction when he first started to sit manifested itself as Shizuka began stuttering, trying to say anything to prevent him from reaching the bench. Her efforts fell on deaf ears, though, as he sat anyway and greeted her. Wide eyes darted from his face back to Camila's as Shizuka started to put two and two together, cursing herself for not having any ability to sense people the way others seemed to be able to. The general spiritual blindness haunted her.

"Wh- What the hell!?" The man panicked as Camila shoved him back off and onto the ground.

"Nothing drives me up a wall more than these damned humans. Frustrating when you just wanna rest, aye?"

Shizuka's heartbeat quickened along with her breath. There was no smile on her face anymore as the man stumbled to his feet and left as quickly as he was able. Her gaze didn't break from Camila's even for a second, but her shoulders noticeably rose and fell along with her sudden panic. She gripped the bench hard enough to crack the wood, going through the motions of trying to calm her heart down while fighting off the rising anger. She knew there were multiple kinds of spiritual beings who could not be seen by humans. She understood this. But in this instance, with how Camila looked, there were basically only two options. Arrancar or Shinigami.

"... I'm a human." Shizuka's grip loosened considerably, but she left her hands where they were on the edge of the bench between her legs, turning herself away from the woman next to her so as to not draw attention to the fact that she was effectively speaking to no one. "What are you?"

[Camila Adaronde]

"... I'm a human."

Those words prompted a raised eyebrow from Camila. This woman was human? She couldn't feel anything from her that would've said otherwise; granted, Camila hadn't been able to sense energy as it was, but that was beside the point! It wasn't a concern of hers right now. She wanted to address the situation at hand, before starting to tackle much of anything else.

So, Shizuka was a human. It wasn't really a far-fetched idea; at least she wasn't a Shinigami or anything. She shivered at the thought. She would've killed her on the spot! Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Regardless, she went ahead and listened to the question that was asked of her. Taking a look around her, Camila gave the girl a smirk. A wicked one, baring teeth and all.

"Oh, I love this question!" She exclaimed, holding her hand in front of her face. As she did, reiryoku poured into her hand, deep black and blue in color, before solidifying into a chitinous white substance. Within a few incredibly short moments, the reishi had taken up the shape of a mask, not unlike that of a raven's skull. If Shizuka possessed any semblance of sensory capabilities, Camila's own aura had been flaring at this point, but not in such a way that posed a threat; it'd be obvious that there was no intent for her to attack at this point.

Though, the interesting thing to note, was that her particular signature swirled with an overpowering amount of hollow reiatsu, with a small twinge of Shinigami in there as well. As she placed her index and middle finger through the eyeholes of the mask, she moved it out of the way, keeping it on her head and revealing her now black-and-golden eyes. "Tell me, Shizuka, are you familiar with that of the Vizard? Shinigami, fallen from grace, outcasted by Soul Society?"

Crossing one leg over the other, while keeping the mask on her face, the girl continued to smile. "I think it's safe to say that I'm much more of a hollow than Shinigami; would you not agree?" She chuckled. After everything she's been through? That much as almost certain. "Hopefully you don't have a problem with someone a bit more... exotic~?" She cooed.

SPOILER: Click to show

{永続仮面 - Eizoku Kamen (lit. 'Permanent Mask')}
Technique Name: 永続仮面 - Eizoku Kamen (lit. 'Permanent Mask')

Technique Class: 2 - 90 TTP.

Technique Type: Vizard - Cinematic.

Usable By: Vizards, Hollow Wraiths.

Technique Element: N/A.

Technique Cost: 0 Reiatsu, but requires at least 1 mask post remaining.

Description: A technique that allows a Vizard to maintain their mask for an extended period of time. So long as they are able to activate their mask under normal circumstances, and have at least one post of their Hollow or Vizard mask remaining for that thread (or section of the thread, in longer-styled ones), they are capable of donning that mask. Naturally, this functions cinematically, and does not come with the benefits for activating their Hollow or Vizard mask. If this technique is active and they decide to gain the mechanical benefits of their Hollow or Vizard mask, then they do, but if that mask breaks, this technique cannot be used until they gain those posts of use back.

How to Use: Put on the mask.

Drawbacks: Requires the user defeats their Inner Hollow. Not learnable by Hollow Wraiths immediately, but can be learned by Hollow Wraiths once they attain Resurrección. This mask provides no defensive capabilities, and has no Class, despite the technique being Class 2. Requires 4 total Mask Posts at minimum. While active, this does not meet any prerequisites for wearing a mask, whether for the Kurayami techniques or otherwise.

Made By: Camila Adaronde.

Reserved?: No.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Oh, I love this question!"

She must get this question a lot, then. That wasn't surprising. In this world, there were many races. Each of them was unique from the others and somehow they were all similar in some way. Even Shizuka hadn't met a member of every single one, though she had the opportunity to do so, it turned out. The mask that had been hidden away slowly materialized on Camila's face, causing the Fullbringer to force herself to hide her shock. There was also this crushing weight on Shizuka's shoulders due to the Reiatsu Camila had allowed to seep into the world around her, flaring it intentionally to allow even someone with no Energy Sensory to feel what she was.

The mask had finished its formation and the blonde was busy trying to figure out exactly what this stew of sensations was when it came to the different flavors of race she had within her. Camila could have been described as a traditional holiday soup with a mixture of vegetables and beef, though the beef would be the Hollow that Shizuka felt. Camila politely moved the mask out of the way of her face so that she could be seen more easily, and Shizuka was quick to note that the woman didn't seem very threatening. Intimidating, sure, but not threatening. It was as if this was intentional.

"Tell me, Shizuka, are you familiar with that of the Vizard? Shinigami, fallen from grace, outcasted by Soul Society?"

Shizuka's gaze matched Camila's. Her own heterochromatic eyes peered into the depths of the Vizard's black and gold ones. "I've met one of you before, albeit briefly. I don't remember exactly how we ended up getting away from each other, but the encounter didn't last for very long at all."

"I think it's safe to say that I'm much more of a hollow than Shinigami; would you not agree? Hopefully you don't have a problem with someone a bit more... exotic~?"

It was odd. During this conversation, Shizuka found herself calming down more and more as Camila spoke. She wasn't saying anything that could be interpreted as dangerous in the slightest. In fact, she was behaving more than Shizuka really thought possible. If Camila was anything like Zeich, then it would be interesting to see exactly how that'd work out, but it was certainly safe to say Shizuka wasn't going to be killed. After feeling the amount of strength this woman had, she knew she'd be a sitting duck if she ever had to face her in a fight.

Actually...

"Exotic? Not at all. You did surprise me a good bit, though! I don't think I would have guessed." Paying more attention to Camila now and ignoring the watchful eye of anyone around them, Shizuka leaned closer to the woman to display her genuine interest. "People like you always come with a story. Mine's short and boring. Normal childhood, popped out some powers, blah blah blah. It's not something I tell at parties." She laughed, changing her body language to be more open and inviting. She may not know Camila's preferences, but she had charisma. Sometimes that's all it took to get information.

"Do you want to share what you went through to become like this? Or, y'know, whatever you feel comfortable telling me. I thought you were like me and you're clearly not. How did you earn this mask?"

[Camila Adaronde]

"Oh, don't say that," she started with a wave of her hand, "everyone's lives are interesting in some way or another, aye? Doesn't need to be this fuckin'... extravagant shitshow or something." She laughed. If nothing else, hearing Shizuka's story was one that she'd be interested in. Perhaps she'd be willing to share that?

"It's... a long story," she started, "one full of hardship for sure. About seventy or so years back, I found myself dead n' slain after some Quincy couldn't finish the fuckin' job. Ended up in Soul Society, n' lived in the Rukon districts for a few years before eventually joining with Soul Society. N', lemme tell you, biggest fuckin' mistake of my life." She laughed.

"After that, I joined up with one of the Squads, n' started my duties. Made some 'friends', n' dealt with the whole 'purifying souls' thing for a while. Had my first near-death experience within a month or so of my joining the Thirteenth Division; dealt with someone that called 'emself the Tercera Espada at the time. Wiped out my entire squad in a matter've moments, and toyed with me for a while before help arrived. Unlocked my Zanpakutō's powers during that fight though, so it was a step in the right direction."

"Let's see... After that, I kept up with the rest of the Squad while my Captain at the time went on leave for a while. Some huge mission he had to take care of, n' left our Vice Captain at the time in charge. N', lemme tell you, he was the absolute fucking worst. Damn near ran that Squad into the ground while I was there. Eventually I'd get over it, but like... for someone to just come in and destroy all that work? It's fuckin' absurd. Ended up fighting another Espada at some point after that, n' realized that I've got a hollow of my own livin' in my soul, named Albin."

"Worse quickly turned to worst, n' I was ousted from Soul Society for having that asshole in me. Turned my entire Squad against me, n' even someone I thought I cared about. Fastforward a couple years, n' I'm living here in Karakura on my own, when not only my old Captain, but that green-haired cunt of a Shinigami decides to come to kill me as well." She crossed her arms. For a moment, Camila found herself silent, staring down toward the bench. Her eyes began to water a bit, before getting back to her story.

"As you can see however, she wasn't able to do the job. Soon after that, I decided to ally myself with Las Noches, lookin' to take up a position with folks that I felt I'd be able to understand better, n' vice versa. Was told by the big man in charge that I wasn't getting in until I controlled that inner hollow of mine, so in a fit of rage, I challenged his right-hand man."

"I got my shit kicked in, n' died."

Pausing for dramatic effect, Camila followed thereafter with laughter. "No, but for real; I ended up dying. I was dragged down into Hell then and there, where I spent about five years in the worst agony imaginable. Absolutely fuckin' awful. My flesh was warped, body turned into a fuckin'... charred mess. I can't even describe it properly; it was the worst fuckin' feeling I've ever been through. If one thing is for certain though, it helped tremendously with buildin' a pain tolerance."

"Fastforward another little while, and this hellion manages to bring me back to life. Reverts my form n' all. Stil not sure how the fuck he did it, but hey, I'm here now yeah? Went through n' finally took the time to tame that inner beast of mine, subjugating that fuck n' getting the mask you see today. Joined up officially with Las Noches, n' met a few new folks. Number of Espada that I enjoyed being around, n' a rather... Interesting individual that Kouhai decided to take on. Odd fascination with children, that one."

"Regardless, I eventually stepped away from them. Wasn't crazy about some of the efforts that the Primera Espada was making at the time to turn hollows into 'people', so I figured it probably wasn't the place for me. Nowadays? Been spending most of my time taking up contracts from those that're lookin' for a hired blade. Nothing spectacular, but helps get the frustration out, aye?" She chuckled once more.

Well, that was that. Thinking to herself, she tried to remember a time that she dumped all that information on someone before. There... really wasn't a time she'd done so, was there? At least, not in that much detail. It felt... good. Like she'd been through a lot, and like her life had a bit of meaning to it. It prompted her to smile. "Well, that's that! I've a few more tricks up my sleeve with this whole 'mask' thing, but I'm not quite ready to show that to anyone yet."

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Camila politely began her story and Shizuka almost choked when she mentioned seventy years. Spirits were creepy things that seriously lived forever, weren't they? What was it going to take for her to get in on some of this immortality nonsense? And, actually, was it even possible for humans to live forever? Of course, Fullbringers would be an exception so that's what she meant by 'humans,' but even so, it made her curious. She always knew she looked younger than she actually was but she didn't think that had anything to do with her longevity. She did buy the Fountain of Youth off Kitai, though... Maybe this was worth looking into.

Anyway, as Camila told her story, it was shocking how much the woman had gone through already. Shizuka's entire life paled in comparison in a big way. She appreciated the sentiment that not everyone had to experience such extreme hardships that Camila had expressed earlier, but Shizuka really did have a very normal life. Outside of the whole magical girl thing, there wasn't much about her that was different from anybody else. She was just a person. She was young for a CEO, but other than that, she was just Shizuka. She didn't have a crazy past. She was fine with that, but sometimes it made her feel guilty for ever complaining about her problems.

She continued, blissfully unaware that Shizuka was utterly invested. There were so many details that made her question how many people they might both know, like when she mentioned the Espada, Shizuka's brain immediately went to highly inappropriate thoughts about Arcadus. Shoving those out of the way, when the Vizard talked about having a Hollow living inside of her, it made the blonde's ears perk up with interest. She wondered what it was like to have what was basically an entire other person living within your soul like that and if it was ever taxing on her. She didn't think it was possible for humans to have something like that, but it was intriguing.

Unfortunately, it clearly caused trouble because Soul Society, ever the terrible group Shizuka knew them to be, kicked her out for being different. Their rules were ancient and stupid, and Shizuka realized that the irritation was slowly showing itself in her facial features. Calming herself down, she continued to listen without saying much at all. Camila found her home in Karakura, and Shizuka nodded along since she felt very similarly. She also felt that this place was her home. She was comfortable here, and it exposed her to people like this Vizard who were oddly friendly. The zero desire to kill first and ask questions later was welcomed.

"Fast-forward a couple years, n' I'm living here in Karakura on my own, when not only my old Captain, but that green-haired cunt of a Shinigami decides to come to kill me as well."

Shizuka's eyes practically bulged with surprise. Wait, I know that green-haired cu- uh, girl! Judging by the way Camila described her, Shizuka ultimately decided it was probably best that she keep that thought to herself. The woman was already saddened by something, so Shizuka didn't want to make it worse by mentioning a detail like being friends with someone who tried to kill her. That was probably going to be the best way to completely derail this conversation and put her in either a metaphorical or very literal chokehold. Shizuka wanted neither. She could feel Camila's strength and knew she'd be in trouble.

Despite that, this was wild. How many times did this lady die? Were these the times that she knew about? That she claimed? Were there actually more and she was just forgetting because they were traumatizing or was this actually it? God, this world was a disaster. Just when Shizuka felt like she was understanding everything, she learned something new that turned everything else upside down. Then she mentions allying herself with Las Noches. So maybe she actually did know Arcadus... Shizuka was about to ask, but then Camila started talking again and when she paused, the Fullbringer wondered if she should say anything until she heard laughter ring out from the woman sitting beside her.

Throughout the rest of her story, Shizuka went from shocked to surprised to confused to almost any other emotion she could think of. She was sure her facial expressions cycled through them accurately enough. By the time Camila finished, Shizuka couldn't believe everything that had happened in all of her lives and she found herself oddly thankful that the woman was here, completely okay, not having to deal with that mess anymore. Honestly, it was impressive. Shizuka didn't really know how she'd ever react to such a life happening to herself. She wouldn't have kept it together nearly as long and may have gone insane, though. Especially after dying so many times. That was insane.

The story came to its conclusion, and even though Camila had mentioned that she wasn't ready to show anyone some of the other mask powers she had, Shizuka found herself not caring if anybody was walking by and couldn't see the Vizard. She scooted closer to the woman, held her arms up, and tightly wrapped them around Camila. With a squeeze, she closed the distance between the two of them as much as physically possible and tried her best to ignore the possibility that she could be killed any second. The gesture was meant to be a kind one, after all.

"Thank you," Shizuka started to say, smiling through her words. "I can't believe you went through all of this and survived it. I think that makes you pretty amazing."

Shizuka pushed back against Camila and gave her a look over once again, noting the differences between her previous appearance and the one she had now with her mask. She was interesting, powerful, confident, and very much someone Shizuka wanted to try to be friends with for not only the sake of just being friends, but because she was clearly out of Shizuka's league and that was enough for her to feel like it'd be worth it to build a positive relationship with her. Plus, she found herself genuinely interested in the woman. She wasn't sure what all that meant yet, exactly, but it was a nice feeling.

"I hope you didn't mind the hug. I guess I should have asked but I just felt like it was kind of the right thing to do. You're really cool, Cami! Hopefully you don't think I'm totally lame."

[Camila Adaronde]

As her story eventually drew to its conclusion, prompting the few comments she gave toward the end, Camila felt almost at peace, for the first time in what, ten years now? It was like a weight had just been taken off of her chest. She couldn't quite explain it, but it left her with a fantastic feeling that she couldn't quite comprehend. That whole thing was difficult for the girl, after all. Regardless, it wasn't something she was going to ignore for the time being.

Speaking of things she couldn't really ignore, she was almost immediately taken aback from Shizuka's approach. Her shoulders immediately tensed; more so than they usually were. It wouldn't've been out of place for her hair to have been sticking up at this point. "Um..." She trailed off, unaware of how to fully process the situation. It was strange, being on the receiving end of something like a hug. Not to mention, distinctly difficult for her to determine whether or not it was something she'd appreciated.

It had been what, well over 8 decades since she'd received some sort of gesture like that? Sure, there had been the time that she spent with Marik, but that was hardly something like this. Before she had the opportunity to think any further, Shizuka's own words hit the girl like a truck. Immediately throwing her arms around Shizuka in turn, Camila held the woman with her full strength. Which, even with the mask on, was about on par with where Shizuka's had been. Not quite burying her head in the woman's shoulder, the Vizard felt like she needed a moment.

Giving a genuine smile, Camila responded to Shizuka's comments. "Y-You're fine. It's not a gesture I don't appreciate." Another soft chuckle followed in suit. Truthfully, she'd still been unable to get over the fact that this had just happened. Her head was practically swimming in rampant, confusing thought. Enough to choke her up a bit, that was certain. Before she could realize what had happened, the chitinous skull atop her head began to crack and crumble, turning to nothing more than dust within a few short moments.

By the time the two separated, Camila placed her arms in her lap her confidence quickly having left the park. Even despite this though, a dumb smile rest across her face. A genuine smile. "You... You really think I'm cool?" She asked, still bewildered from the fact that those words had been spoken. It was strange. Unheard of for something like that to have been said to her.

"I can promise that I won't think you're lame," she started, "no doubt you've had an interesting life yourself, aye? Doesn't need to be anything spectacular, extravagant, bloody, or anything like that! Interest rests in the eye of the beholder, or something like that!" Another chuckle. "Either way, I'm glad to listen, if you're willing to share."

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Even just from the small amounts of touch Shizuka gently bestowed upon Camila told the Fullbringer that the Vizard sitting next to her wasn't very familiar with this kind of kindness. It made Shizuka feel a bit unsure, like maybe she'd done something wrong, as she pulled back and settled herself once again to look at the woman she'd just consoled. The only thing that made her feel much better about the situation was the smile she saw appear on Camila's face since it looked so serene and intentional. That made Shizuka smile again in return like a school girl awkwardly making eye contact with her crush. Meeting new people, while not particularly difficult, could still somehow be a weakness for the Fullbringer. Her extroverted nature found ways to reverse itself sometimes.

With a nod to confirm that she does believe Camila is very cool and Camila's offer to listen to Shizuka's story, she wondered for a moment how much she'd be willing to share. How long had it been since she had to deal with the demons that lived inside her mind? She didn't have nearly as many as her bench partner, but she certainly had a few. Actually, she couldn't stop the feeling that her problems were so much less significant from boiling up as guilt raided her mind and heart, making both feel constricted by whatever serpent the emotion had become. With it came flashes of memories from her fight with Douma, being shown the brutal death that Kento endured as he blamed Shizuka for not being there. She couldn't even tell which parts were truth and which parts came from the desire to right what she had wronged.

"I lost someone I loved many years ago. We were still both young, so he didn't have a chance to live a long life like I'll hopefully get to. He lost his head to someone named Taiho, and I've been unable to find this person ever since. Actually, I don't think they're around anymore." Without making eye contact, Shizuka continued as she looked to the ground, watching ants slowly walk around to investigate. "Death in this universe is such a strange thing. Like, I know there's life after death. There's the whole soul cycle. It can repeat a bunch. Some lose their memories, others don't, but you never stop existing. That's part of why I don't fear death anymore. That's also part of why I still question it despite knowing how the cycle works. As far as I can tell, his soul doesn't even exist. It's not supposed to be that way."

She knew there were exceptions, sort of, when it came to killing Hollows and the like. Maybe even Shinigami, though she refused to think about it much. Part of her training forced her to make sure she didn't even consider them living things with thoughts and feelings, because if she did, she'd never be able to do what needed to be done for her job. Contrary to what most people probably thought about her, Shizuka valued life - only if the lives belong to herself and her friends, though. She tried her best to be approachable, but she typically only gave people one chance. If they failed, that was it.

"That's my main thing. I wasn't there to help him and someone ended up showing me images of his death later on. I don't know where that Rogue is, either. I just keep going. Since then, I've learned that I'm probably cursed or something because no one really stays in my life for very long. I know, that's a dumb thing to complain about, but I understand now that I'm the common denominator. I've been trying to fix that."

She found it hard to go into detail about the Mod Soul she still thought about or the Bount who went off to kill himself or the Shinigami who spent one night with her or the Arrancar she still... Shizuka's mouth twitched a bit as a smile at the thought of Arcadus threatened to show itself. Even Leon, though she feared he'd never forgive her after what she did to him, even if it was accidental. She was a mess. Was she actually capable of being alone or did she have some serial need to be with someone? Maybe there was some psychological explanation for all of it, but she lacked the energy to self-analyze at the moment.

"Short and sweet, right? But the images still haunt me, is all. I'm way better now! Really! I mean, it's been so many years since then. I've tried to redirect my energy."