Folie à Deux [JT, NDE]

[Catty Noir ♦]

It was a bit too hot. The weather outside was only partly cloudy, but the clouds that existed were scarce despite being large. They would cover the moon, coating the world in a fleeting darkness before moving out of the way of the bright moon rays. The temperature was too high for it to be October, and especially so given that it was night time. The city was restless, overwhelmingly so, to the point that it was almost surprising that anyone could withstand such heat in order to get their usual tasks done. Granted, it really wasn't outrageously warm. Maybe mid-70s, but it was enough to make the Bount who had just arrived in Japan very uncomfortable.

The trip had not been terrible. In fact, it was probably one of the better journeys she'd been on in quite some time. The flight was simple enough since she had no reason to stay awake during it at all, so the cat nap that she allowed herself to have shortened the travel time significantly. Upon arrival, getting mixed up in customs and having to present her passport was not nearly as intimidating as she feared it would be, but it wasn't too difficult to manage in the first place. The fears and concerns primarily came from not wanting to deal with people overall and worrying the airport would be too busy. Thankfully, of course, it wasn't. Not at night. Not for Catherine Noir.

Carrying her bags, she approached an apartment building and looked down at some paperwork she had been carrying. With a smile, she found the unit number that belonged to her. Karakura Town had become her new home away from home, and despite her nervousness, she was excited. Something inside of her awakened that she couldn't explain. She felt something calling her to this area. It happened a few months ago, but she recalled how potent the feeling was. Her heart had skipped a few beats, or at least it seemed that way, as she experienced this odd phenomenon within her soul that physically pulled her out of Paris to Japan. Her parents felt it, as well. They encouraged her to go.

Now, she had gotten a job and was set to start in a week. She'd have steady income to be able to afford her bills. The building she lived in was owned by some woman whose last name was Sanamizu, which was just so very 'Japanese' that it made Catty excited. She always felt comfortable in Paris, but something about this area of the world was enticing. With a bit of adrenaline and a happy smile, she walked towards the lobby and was about to open the doors when she bumped into someone she didn't expect to see. She had to make a specific appointment to finish filling out paperwork for her unit in the middle of the night so why was anyone even awake right now?

"Ah, désolée, je n’ai pas fait attention." She looked up at the figure before her, realizing he was quite a bit taller, and studied him for a moment. It didn't take long before a few things clicked. "Oh, vous êtes un stupide Américain." She sighed and rested her suitcase in its place so it was standing on its wheels next to her. "I did not mean to bump into you like this, mon cher. I was simply trying to move myself in to this place."

Unable to fully lose her French accent, Catty hoped this man would be able to understand enough to where she wouldn't need to repeat herself. Her English was exceptional, of course, but some words still sounded very unarguably French, regardless. She couldn't help it. At any rate, since she was standing before him, she came to realize something felt familiar about this man. She observed his features as she tried to figure out why, noted the white streak in his hair and his bright amber eyes, then put two and two together as her own eyes widened in sudden realization. Even she had enough Energy Sensory to feel why he was so familiar to her.

"So it's you... You are the man I've been looking for. You are the man who called me here months ago." She took her free hand and touched the man's cheek, eyes still wide. "What is your name?"

[Luke Clyburn]

What a day. That was the only way to describe it. Three words without anything added to them that everyone would understand the meaning of. It wasn’t even a Monday. It was funny how things worked out. Despite being a super-powered vampire, everyday life had a way of reminding said vampire that he really was life's bitch. His three-year dirt nap wound up creating a few lasting problems that needed to be dealt with before he could really get on with his life again. Paperwork, problems with the bank, and so on and so on. But piece by piece, he was getting it sorted out. But the human world side of things wasn’t his only problem. No, believe it or not, there was something even worse than dealing with the IRS. It was a little thing called the never-ending hunger for souls he had been experiencing lately.

Luke was having to go out and feed on a soul multiple times a week; now it seemed like. His ravenous appetite hadn’t abated at all. It wasn’t one he normally had, just to be clear, but it was a consequence of the regenerating Dolls he had inside his soul. They were still recovering from the stress they experienced during those three years of ice-cold regeneration. But, just like people, his Dolls needed calories in order to heal. But that energy they needed was only acquired from souls or spirit energy. Luke had been prowling the streets of Karakura Town every night, searching for spirits that were very near to becoming Hollows. Because he had that specific condition when it came to his hunting, his pickings were rather slim.

He could have always gone to Shizuka Sanamizu to ask for some of her energy. But he chose to keep that option close to his chest for right now. He didn’t want to leave her drained and anemic too often. Was anemic the right word? Luke wasn’t sure. There were a few other options he had he could call up if he needed to feed on a living, mortal, soul instead of a dead one but none of them were as filling as Shizuka was. But, no, she was a last resort for right now. Things were weird between them at the moment anyhow. Not weird in a bad day. Just, things were going on.

While his spiritual appetite had been satisfied for now, his physical one hadn’t been touched. He had made a stop at the convenience store on his way back to his apartment to pick up some take-home sushi and a six-pack of kirin beer. He was planning to have a stay-inside sort of night. He more or less just wanted to relax after the day he had. He had three years of movies to catch up on, after all. Color Luke surprised that a new Top Gun movie had been made, and after he found out about the sequel, he had been dying to watch it. That was his plan tonight. Stay in, eat takeout, drink some beer, and act like an average human. Unfortunately, the French weren’t exactly normal.

Reaching his apartment complex front door and stepping into the lobby, someone bumped into him. The sudden collision knocked Luke out of his daze and back to reality. Before he could say anything the person who collided with him said something in an indecipherable but recognizable language. Amber eyes locked on to who was talking to him, causing him to blink. A rather cute woman with long black hair with lighter highlights. Bright sky-like blue eyes shone up at him as she continued to speak a language he didn’t understand. Luke blinked. Now, something needed to be said. Luke’s Japanese wasn’t great. He wasn’t the best at reading the language but was pretty decent at speaking it. The way certain characters came together in different ways to mean different things always caught him off guard. Like how the kanji for the word “loud” was just three kanji for the word “woman”. Obviously, English was his first language. His ears caught a word that sounded an awful lot like “American” coming out of the woman's mouth.

Finally, the apparent foreigner started speaking in Luke’s language, apologizing for bumping into him. ”It’s OK, you’re good. It’s late, so I’m sure I caught you by surprise.” Luke replied back in a friendly enough tone. He really wanted this interaction to be done with so he could get on with his night. Despite being what he was, he wasn’t paying much attention to the woman before him. She had a rather heavy French; at least, Luke assumed it was a French accent. But before Luke could go and have his Tom Cruise time, the woman said something very odd to him. Then, without any hesitation, she touched his cheek. ”Eh?” he grunted, confused, in reply. Man she was looking for? Man who had called her? Months ago? Eh? Luke’s jaw hung open a bit in confusion.

Oh I know what this is.

Luke looked at her like she was a beggar who just spat on the windshield of his car and started wiping it with a newspaper. ”Sorry lady, I ain’t buyin’ whatever you’re sellin’. Welcome to the buildin’ and all but I ain’t lookin’ to buy any skin lotion or home insurance or whatever.” Luke replied back, moving her hand off his cheek gently and casually strolling by her. Yup. He had it all figured out. He was such a genius.

[Catty Noir ♦]

”It’s OK, you’re good. It’s late, so I’m sure I caught you by surprise.”

He was polite, at least. She had to give him credit where it was due. But his reaction to her discovery of who he was had her taken aback, raising an eyebrow at the face he made. He looked like a constipated child still waiting to be fed with the way his mouth hung open, and Catty questioned her own judgment. Surely this wouldn't lead her down a false path. Surely this was the man she was meant to find, no matter how much of a coincidence this encounter was. There was no way in Hell that she was wrong, especially when his signature felt so similar to the massive Reiatsu burst only a short while ago.

”Sorry lady, I ain’t buyin’ whatever you’re sellin’. Welcome to the buildin’ and all but I ain’t lookin’ to buy any skin lotion or home insurance or whatever.”

He gently removed her hand from his face and Catty stood there, staring in the opposite direction as he walked by. Her brows immediately furrowed as she turned around and gritted her teeth. He ignored her! He completely ignored her! This man was a total idiot. If it weren't for the fact that she was so positive it was him, Catty would have left him to his own devices and went on her way into the building, searching for the owner so she could introduce herself properly. But no. Not this time. Not this way. Turning her full body, she cleared her throat and chose to use the one method she automatically knew would grab his attention.

"Monsieur, though you clearly have somewhere to be, my matters are significantly more important than whatever por-" Be nice, she reminded herself mentally despite rolling her eyes. "Ehh, than whatever errand you are running at the moment."

Her parents had encouraged her journey to Japan in order to figure out how to summon her Dolls properly. The burst she felt was evidence of a particularly strong Bount in the country despite the fact that she was thousands of miles away, and she set forth in order to find them. She had no idea that she would, quite literally, run into that person as soon as she went to move in to her new apartment. For him to be walking away from her, though, made her so frustrated that she felt the need to blurt out the secret she kept from regular humans and anyone else she didn't yet trust. She was going to make him help her whether he wanted to or not.

"We are the same. You are like me, and I am like you. Why else would we both be handling business so late at night, mon cher?"

Leaving her bags for the moment, she stepped forward and caught up with him, grabbing on to the back of his shirt. This man was almost a foot taller than she was, meaning she had to look noticeably upward if she even wanted a glimpse of the back of his head. Her left hand, free compared to how her right hand was pinching his shirt's fabric, gripped on to her own black sweater just above her breasts. She was nervous, but determined. She didn't want to let him leave only to have to try to find him again. She needed to make sure her intentions were known. With a bit of unease, she redirected her gaze downwards as her shoulders rose slightly, changing her posture so that it seemed as if she were trying to hide herself in a balled-up form.

"I need help, you see. I am not strong like you. I have never been able to summon my Dolls, so I came here. Though I did not expect to meet you so suddenly, it feels as though fate has woven us together now." What could she say to really sell this? Ah, I know. "I do not want to be hunted and killed because I cannot defend myself."

[Luke Clyburn]

Excellent. Now that the roadblock was out of the way he could finally go enjoy his evening. He was genuinely excited to watch this movie and have a night to himself. So much had been going on recently that Luke hadn’t had a chance to really stop and have a normal night to himself. Sure, there was someone he wouldn’t have minded asking to come hang out with him but he felt they both deserved at least one night to themselves. Plus if she really wanted to come hang out there wasn’t any door or window that could stop her. Luke wouldn’t be opposed. Just the two of them, together, cuddled up watching movies. Sure the dinner selection probably wasn’t up to her standards but, hey, you could order food now. Plus as the night went on one thing may lead to another and as Luke started getting some dirty thoughts he was yanked back to reality.

The woman from moments ago was talking to him again. She loudly declared that what she wanted was more important than anything Luke could want. His footsteps stopped in the lobby as he felt a slight tinge of irritation start welling up. She was persistent. He was going to give her a piece of his mind about her sales approach once she was done talking. With a scowl, he looked over his shoulder at her as she grabbed the back of his shirt. But that look of sheer annoyance melted away into one of confusion as she explained the situation further. The same? Luke wondered to himself before blinking a few times before finally, at last, opening up his Energy Sensory and directing his mind toward her.

Yep. She was right. It was hard to detect, at first, because of how weak she was but after feeling out her reiatsu with his mental feelers he could, in fact, confirm that she was just like him. A Bount. Luke hadn’t noticed at first. He had been so caught up in his own business that he completely failed to notice her. Well, who could blame him? This girl was nearly no different than a regular human. She had some reiatsu that was distinctly different from a normal person, but the amount of it was so low and weak she could be completely indistinguishable from a normal human. Luke’s amber eyes didn’t leave the French woman as she practically balled herself up, tugging on his shirt like a kid, and told him what it was she wanted.

”I do not want to be hunted and killed because I cannot defend myself."

Whether Catherine knew or not her words would certainly work. Luke blinked, his expression softening further before he let out a defeated sigh. How could he just ignore someone who came pleading to him like this? Some poor girl from across the ocean who desperately needed help? What kind of monster would Luke have to be to tell her to scram after hearing that and seeing that display? Luke pursed his lips before looking off in a random direction for a moment. ”Alright come on.” Luke finally relented, his tone of voice softening to what it was before he told her off but with a hint of authority.

”We’ll talk more at my place. Less prying ears and all.”

Popping open one of the cans of beer, Luke took an incredibly long drink. Gulping down the entire can, Luke let out a satisfied grunt as he placed the empty can down. He had taken this strange woman to his apartment and, despite the seriousness of the topic, was going to at least relax a little bit. It had been a bit since he had moved in, thanks to Shizuka gifting him the living space, but he hadn’t taken the time to really decorate or furnish it. Much of the furniture was what was already here when he moved in. Luke had busted out the low table and some cushions and made himself comfortable on one side of the table. ”Alright, so, we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start introductions over.” Luke expressed, shifting in his seat a little bit.

”My name’s Luke. Tell me a little about yourself. You said I called to you?” Luke asked before, blinking with a sudden realization, pulling his tray of take-home sushi out and placing it on the table. Sliding it across towards her he simply asked, ”Sushi?”

[Catty Noir ♦]

"Alright come on. We’ll talk more at my place. Less prying ears and all."

A smile plastered itself on Catty's face as she found herself literally opening back up to the man standing before her. She pivoted with excitement and walked along with him back to the building, grabbing her bags in the process so she could be sure not to forget them. When they entered the lobby, the front desk clerk was kind enough to direct Catty to her own unit - 1313, somehow fitting. An assistant offered to take her things and put them in the room for her, and though she was hesitant to allow him to do that, she was reassured when she looked behind the clerk and saw a sign that expressed how this type of operation was normal in this building. Miss Sanamizu must love spoiling her tenants, she though to herself.

Following the man blindly up to his room may have seemed like a bad decision for literally anyone else, but Catty wasn't just like everyone else. She was a bit stronger and could hold her own if any random person tried attacking her, but she had no skill when it came to other spiritual beings. Her parents could both best her in a fight with little to no effort despite her years of training, but that all came down to the fact that she had no Dolls — a disappointing piece of information. Now, here she was, watching the person who would hopefully be able to help her fix this issue drink an entire can of beer in a single moment.

"Vous les hommes vous êtes tous les mêmes."

Her words were spoken under her breath. To absolutely no surprise, he had virtually zero decorations, minimal furniture, no desire to try to spruce the place up to look like it actually belonged to him, and this is what led Catty to say that all men are the same. She just wasn't shocked by this behavior anymore. She had been to her friends' apartments before, and for those who were also men, they all had the same deal. She rolled her eyes, though tried to keep that to herself so as to not insult the one who would eventually become her teacher.

”Alright, so, we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start introductions over.”

"Oui. That works for me."

”My name’s Luke. Tell me a little about yourself. You said I called to you?” A brief pause before continuing, though Catty could see the awkwardness on his face. ”Sushi?”

With almost feline animosity, Catty grabbed a spare set of chopsticks and used them to take one of the pieces of sushi, quickly eating it as she used her free hand to cup her cheek with delight. She loved fish. She grew up eating it more than any other form of protein and figured out how to cook it exactly to her liking, but nothing beat the delicious taste of sushi. The rawness mixed with how buttery these pieces of fish could be was enough to make her mouth water just thinking about it. She perched herself on the armrest of the couch and placed the chopsticks down on the coffee table.

"I cannot resist sushi. It has such a unique flavor, non?" After situating herself again, she turned her full attention to Luke and continued. "I am Catherine Noir, but only my mother calls me by my full first name. You may call me Catty. I am from Paris, if you could not hear it in my voice, and I am a Bount like you. Both of my parents are Bounts, as well, so I've known about this world all my life. I have not yet been able to summon my Dolls, though. It led me to believe I did not have any."

She slowly slid herself onto the couch from the armrest, giving herself a chance to tuck her legs beneath her body and get comfortable once again. As she spoke, she allowed her mind to wander a bit as she investigated the rest of his apartment. He was quite high up. In fact, he was just beneath the penthouse suite. Catty was curious as to how someone like him could afford such a place when his meal of choice was takeout sushi from a convenience store, but perhaps that was just what he was feeling at the time. Who was she to judge? Except, of course, she'd judge anyway.

"Just a few short months ago, I felt something in the air. It was odd, especially since I had never felt such a powerful surge before, but it was not something my other friends could feel. After speaking to my parents, we decided it would be best to send me to Japan to find myself since that burst felt almost as if it were calling me here. So I packed my things and left Paris. I did not believe it would be so easy to find you, mon cher."

[Luke Clyburn]

She certainly seemed to be making herself at home. Luke had gone out of his way to get the short table out and set up, along with cushions, only for this woman to instead drop her ass right on his couch. Meanwhile, he was instead sitting on the floor on one of those mentioned cushions. Whatever. She was new to Japan and Luke wasn’t going to dwell on something so petty. She certainly seemed to like the sushi though. She gave off a rather dramatic display of enjoyment after accepting his offer and plopping a roll into her mouth. It made Luke smile a little. Helped alleviate a little bit of the awkwardness of meeting a new person. ”Yeah, hard to believe there are people that don’t like it. The raw part puts them off I guess.” Luke commented in response, popping open another can of beer and taking a sip from it. He’d drink this one much slower.

Catty, huh? Luke thought to himself after hearing her introductions. It was a nice name and he had to admit the nickname was appropriate and kind of cute. So she was from France after all. He thought the accent sounded familiar. Which meant the few times she started muttering gibberish he couldn’t understand was because she was speaking French. Very cool. She must have been pretty smart to be able to speak all these different languages. Like it was previously stated, Luke wasn’t amazing at Japanese. He got along just fine when speaking it but the reading and writing part of it was still tough for him sometimes. Now, thankfully, most people were polite and understanding whenever he would ask what a word meant. He didn’t have that ignorant tourist energy about him after all.

Luke blinked in surprise when she mentioned that she had known she was a Bount all her life. Alongside the fact that both of her parents were Bounts and raised her that way from the very beginning. Wonder what that might have been like. Luke wondered how things would have turned out had his parents not kept his origins a secret from him. What if he had been raised as a Bount instead of as a human? Would he be a completely different person? Would certain events have not transpired? Would he have even come to Japan? If Luke hadn’t come here would he have met the people he had? The what-ifs didn’t matter. Luke’s parents had kept the secret even after his father had died and his mother had vanished.

Luke’s mood suddenly soured for a split second when he thought about his mom. That had to have been the first time he thought about her in a long, long, time. He got off that train of thought quickly and resumed listening to Catty. She explained how a short time ago she had felt something. A something only she could feel but none of her friends could. A something that pulled her to Japan, to Karakura Town, of all the places in the world. Luke’s amber eyes furrowed slightly as made an informed guess as to what that something was. He thought back to that moment in the cavern. When his icy tomb had been cracked open by two Shinigami. The previously condensed and supercharged reiatsu within had burst out and ran wild until he reigned it in and controlled it. Luke’s reawakening had been felt all across Japan by every spiritually aware individual on the entire archipelago.

No, rather, maybe Luke’s reiatsu could have been felt even further than that. If what Catty was saying was true, and Luke’s guess was correct, then his reiatsu was felt much further than just Japan. Was it possible for someone in Paris to actually sense him? Did that mean Luke was that powerful? Shizuka Sanamizu at full power and juiced up on an open Gate was one thing, but Luke didn’t expect that he was also that kind of freak of nature. While some people might take pride in the idea of being so freakishly powerful that they could be felt cross continents, Luke actually didn’t. It made him a little worried. If Catherine Noir had felt him and came to Karakura Town to seek him out, then that potentially meant there were others. Had Luke accidentally become a beacon for other Bounts hiding around the human world? Was Catherine the first of many of a mass migration?

It was way too early to tell but Catherine seemed normal. She seemed nice as well. But this didn’t mean the other Bounts who might be coming would be. Some could be dangerous, opportunistic, and downright problematic. What’s more, who could say it was only Bounts who might be coming? What if other potential enemies did as well? Luke started to feel a little anxious when the thought of them also coming to find him crossed his mind. Luke took a few gulps from his beer as Catty finally finished her brief explanation. ”I see. It’s funny how that worked out. You literally just happened to bump into the person you came to look for.” Luke commented as he placed the can back down on the table and leaned back a little.

How did he approach this situation? Catty came looking for him to help her. What should he do? Rubbing the back of his neck Luke ran through the options in his head with the speed of a super computer. ”I guess I’m just a little surprised your parents couldn’t help you out with your Doll problem. If you’re genuinely worried about your own self defense then I’ve got no problems helping you out. There’s just something you should probably know though. This town, this city, it isn’t exactly the safest place in the world.” Luke began to explain. ”I don’t know how much you know about the world, but, there’s more than just a few Bount here in Karakura Town. There are things here that’ll jump at the chance to make a meal out of you. Like, actual monsters. You also have other people with powers that could rough you up as well. It’s rough around here.” Luke explained.

”So yes, I’ll help you out a bit to see if we can get one of your Dolls to wake up but I don’t recommend you stay here after that. You should head back to Paris after we get you good and able to protect yourself. Trust me when I say this, I’m not the only monster in this town. And a lot of them aren’t as friendly as I am. A few of them don’t like our kind either.”

[Catty Noir ♦]

”I see. It’s funny how that worked out. You literally just happened to bump into the person you came to look for.”

"Oui! It was a surprise for me, as well. It is as the saying goes, how 'like attracts like,' I suppose."

As Luke took his seat on the ground and had already opened another can of beer for himself, Catty remained on the couch, though decided to slide herself down even further until she was completely on her back. Anyone who saw her would think she looked like someone waiting to talk to their therapist about how horrible their life is, but she wouldn't be doing that, of course. First of all, her life wasn't horrible. Second of all, Luke didn't seem like he'd ever have a doctorate. At the end of the day, he was an American. Catty had to remind herself to use simple phrases.

”I guess I’m just a little surprised your parents couldn’t help you out with your Doll problem. If you’re genuinely worried about your own self defense then I’ve got no problems helping you out. There’s just something you should probably know though. This town, this city, it isn’t exactly the safest place in the world.”

His words made Catty raise an eyebrow, though she didn't look at him. Instead, she was staring at the ceiling with her hands folded over her abdomen and her legs crossed over each other. She could have resembled a mummy of some sort had she gone to sleep and was wearing bandages. It didn't surprise her to hear about how there was even a chance that this town could be unsafe in some way, especially given how this seemed to be the Mecca of spiritual beings. Even Catty, with low amounts of Energy Sensory, was able to tell that there were people out there of many different races and many different strengths.

”I don’t know how much you know about the world, but, there’s more than just a few Bount here in Karakura Town. There are things here that’ll jump at the chance to make a meal out of you. Like, actual monsters. You also have other people with powers that could rough you up as well. It’s rough around here.”

With a bit of a distracted motion, Catty lifted her hands up and swatted at some dust that was flying around the room just above her. It kind of resembled dog hair, maybe, but it could have belonged to anyone. Hearing about how she was practically a sitting duck didn't make her feel much better about her situation, but she was thankful to have found someone like Luke who could at least teach her how to protect herself against such monsters. The curiosity ate away at her mind, though, and she wondered if there was ever a chance that she'd get to meet such creatures or even others like her and Luke.

His next few words didn't fall on deaf ears. Actually, they made Catty highly uncomfortable. He was agreeing to help her, but essentially telling her that she would still be unsafe and should leave Japan altogether. Catty knew she was weak, especially compared to him. She knew it would take time for her to realize her true potential. What she didn't want to hear was some man telling her that she didn't stand a chance even if she were to awaken her Dolls. Grabbing the pillow that was underneath her head, she flung it with all her might at the man's face with the intention of making him spill his beer.

"I do not need a man telling me that I cannot handle myself. The woman you see now will not be the same woman after you train me." Catty rose from the couch and got uncomfortably close to the man, keeping her legs straight but leaning her torso down so that their faces were on the same level. A sly smile accompanied by half-closed eyelids were inches away from Luke's own face. She pressed her index finger firmly against his chest. "Since you already agreed to teach me, you cannot go back on your word, mon petit chaton. Even if I cannot do so now, I will make you bend to my will eventually."

Staying close to him, she reached down and grabbed another piece of sushi with a playful "Mine." Popping it right into her mouth, Catty smiled delightfully and took a seat on the couch again. Her threat to Luke was more so that she was willing to do whatever it took to prove herself to him, but she also wasn't about to take any of this crap he was vomiting up at her. She may be a damsel, but she was not in distress. She did not need him to tell her that it would be safer if she left. Her fate led her here, so Catty knew she was going to be staying for the long haul. Luke was not about to change that fate.

[Luke Clyburn]

Luke had given Catherine the best advice she had ever received in her life. It wasn’t given out of maliciousness, or any sort of desire to talk down to her, rather it was given out of a genuine concern. Luke didn’t know her. They weren’t friends. They had just met. But even so, he was intimately aware of what life could be like in this city. Hollows, the Quincy, a Shinigami having a bad day, a serial killer Fullbringer, all of these and more were constant dangers to not only the regular citizens of the city but even to people like him. That’s why Luke had suggested that once she learned how to awaken her Dolls she should leave. Go back to Paris. Live a relatively normal, peaceful, life away from the constant battling and struggling for survival that came with living in Karakura Town. It was advice given from experience. After all, what if Catty had lived in the city five years ago? What if she had been living in the very district that Luke, himself, had accidentally destroyed? She wouldn’t be here today.

But, no, instead of taking his advice to heart she decided to lob one of his couch pillows directly at his head while he was taking a drink. Luke’s beer splattered all over himself as he sat there, stunned, and looking over what just got wet. ”What the hell??” Luke expressed, wiping some splattered beer off his jaw as Catherine approached him. Suddenly having this French woman's face inches away from his and a finger jabbed sharply into his chest, he was basically told to take his advice and shove it. This fucking brat. Luke thought to himself rather frustratedly as he was told that Catherine Noir wouldn’t take the advice of a man. Luke grimaced a bit at her before letting out a rather defeated sigh as she snatched up a piece of sushi and made herself comfortable on his couch again.

Maybe he ought to give her some credit. She exuded confidence and assurance. She made such a bold declaration that Luke wasn’t sure he had it in her to tell her to fuck off. Well, he could. It was funny she mentioned bending him to her will when he actually had the ability to do that. He could just activate Verteitein and compel her to get right back on a plane to Paris and live out the rest of her life in relative peace and safety. Maybe get her to marry some handsome baker boy. But no, Luke would never do something like that. What an abuse of power that would be. ”Fine, whatever. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Luke relented, trying to wipe up the beer droplets on the floor and table with one of his socks.

”There’s a lot we need to talk about first so we’re going to start tomorrow. I know this is all exciting for you but try to get some rest tonight. I’ll come get you around eight or so.” Luke explained. He could tell Catty was the definition of a greenhorn. How much did she know? Did she know about reiatsu? Could she call it up? Was she even able to generate air-ground by gathering ambient reishi in the air to her feet? Luke was dealing with a baby. A hydrogen bomb taking a baby under his wing. The thought of training another Bount brought back memories of Aura and prompted a rather uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. ”So get out of here. I wanna enjoy a bit of my evening and my dinner. Also, make sure you go meet the landlady when you get the chance. She’ll tear me a new one if she gets the idea I was hiding you from her.” Luke expressed, eyeing his ceiling for a moment. He wondered if Shizuka was out tonight. He didn’t hear any footsteps coming from the roof and his windows were still locked up tight. Seeing Catty out of his apartment and waving, Luke shut the door and sighed. Finally, movie time. he thought to himself excitedly, before noticing that all of his sushi was gone.

The next morning…

”Oy, Catherine, open up!” he announced loudly with another repetition of knocks on her door. Looking at his watch again, after only a minute passed, he confirmed that it was definitely 8:37. Luke had gotten up early and everything, ate a good breakfast and readied himself for the day. But all of his plans came to a screeching halt as he stood outside the apartment door to his new acquaintance. He knew she was in there. He could sense her reiatsu, after all. As little there was. But, either way, Luke knew she was home. He had found her apartment easily as well thanks to that. He dressed himself a bit better than he had yesterday. Blue jeans with sneakers, a form-fitting blue t-shirt, and a thin black jacket. Once again he contemplated just turning into shadows and slipping underneath her door, but not only did he know she wouldn’t appreciate him literally breaking into her apartment he also didn’t want to deal with the sun being his enemy for the day. So, once again, Luke knocked rather frustratedly on her door.

[Catty Noir ♦]

"The landlady?" Catty asked before getting all but shoved out of the apartment, leaving the man to touch himself in private.

She supposed meeting the owner of the building would be a good enough idea, especially with how Luke kept eyeing the ceiling. A wild guess told Catty that this woman likely lived right above him in the penthouse. That made sense. If you own the building, why not live in the nicest unit? She briefly wondered what stopped Miss Sanamizu from owning a house, though, but she supposed it wasn't a big deal either way. Even Catty's family lived in an apartment above their bakery. Sometimes it was easier to do that if you owned a business. This was likely a similar situation.

With a bit of curiosity, Catty glanced around and found some stairs, opting to go for those rather than the elevator. They did go up, which was interesting enough seeing as there was only one unit on the top floor, but it didn't take long before Catty realized the door opened up into a hallway with the elevator only a few feet away. She nodded with understanding and continued, not thinking at all about whether or not she'd be home. If she was, great! If she wasn't, no big deal. The Bount could come back later and try again another time.

After knocking gently a couple of times, Catty was a bit surprised to hear someone shout a response excitedly from the inside. A female's voice, so perhaps that was her? The woman was speaking Japanese so Catty made sure to switch the language portion of her brain as much as possible. Having to go back and forth between languages depending on who she was speaking to was challenging. Seeing as Luke was American, she assumed English was likely the best way to go for him, but he clearly didn't understand a lick of French. She'd use her native tongue if there was ever a time when she wanted to insult him to his face.

"Well, aren't you a cutie!"

The sudden voice started Catty as she looked up, realizing that she hadn't been paying attention for a while. She smiled sheepishly and greeted the blonde woman, immediately taking note of her eyes. They were different. Her left eye was this strange sapphire blue and her right eye was an emerald green, entrancing Catty almost entirely. The woman's face was still so sweet and friendly with a smile that could melt hearts, but she was in incredibly casual clothing. Actually, it looked like she was wearing a sweatshirt and pajama shorts. Very short ones. Well, she certainly had the legs for them.

"Bonjour! I'm assuming you're Miss Sanamizu?" Catty felt her face getting warm. This was a strange reaction for her to have.

"Heck yeah! But you can call me Shizuka. My mom is 'Miss Sanamizu,' and only sometimes. Judging by the hair, the eyes, the clothes, and your new-tenant smell, I'm guessing you're Catherine?"

The what? "Oh, oui. You can call me Catty."

Her face stopped being warm and instead changed to very, very hot. She must've been blushing. Shizuka was very friendly and distractingly beautiful, which Catty didn't expect. In her mind, she imagined an older woman who was a bit overweight and quite mean, but she never once thought she'd see someone like this open the door. Catty's heart was beating quickly as the warmth of Shizuka's smile threatened to burn her alive, but she found the ability to somehow calm it as much as possible. Taking a few deep breaths, Catty tried reminding herself that Shizuka was just being nice, even if it was too nice.

"Catty, then! And I'm just kidding around. I know everybody who lives in this building and you're the only person who looked unfamiliar, so I made an assumption."

That made sense. "Monsieur Luke recommended that I introduce myself to you and said you would be upset with him if I did not. I hope I am not interrupting something."

Shizuka's warm smile transformed into a smirk as she glanced off to the side, avoiding Catty's gaze. "Oh, he did, did he? Heh. I'll be sure to let him know that you've been welcomed properly."

Well, at least she was nice. Actually, she was... interesting. Catty didn't know what to think of her. After a few more pleasantries, the Bount dismissed herself and thanked Shizuka for taking the time to speak with her. The blonde reassured her that it wasn't a problem at all and invited her to come back any time, to which Catty genuinely considered taking her up on it. After pivoting on her heel and awkwardly walking back towards the elevator, Catty entered through the sliding doors, turned around, and watched as Shizuka waved her off before ultimately shutting her door. With a sigh, she decided she was tired and quickly made it back to her own unit, happy to see her bags once she entered. There were too many people awake at this hour.

---

”Oy, Catherine, open up!”

No. It was too early. Catty was in bed, ignoring Luke's attempts to get her to wake up. She rolled over a few times before hearing his knocking again and forcing herself out of bed, still in her pajamas. She wore lavender shorts made out of sherpa accompanied by a rather tight black tank top that exposed her midriff. The exposure would show Luke that she was actually quite toned with a fair amount of lean muscle definition all over her body, but especially on her core. She had a feminine build, but flexing any part of her body would show him that she'd spent years training her strength. At the moment, though, she was relaxed, so the only thing he would be able to see was her stomach.

"Il est tôt, stupide Américain."

Catty practically growled at him with irritation as her hair remained disheveled and dark circles became her most prominent eye decoration. God, if looks could kill. Staring up at the man with an intense dissatisfaction with how early he was here, she rolled her eyes and motioned for him to come inside her apartment. Leaving him to his own devices for the time being, she went back to her room and shut the door before picking out the outfit she wanted to wear. Well, the first thing she did was get ready for the morning, which meant brushing her teeth and hair, then washing her face. Once that was done, she dressed herself in a black t-shirt and black workout leggings, still exposing the middle of her tummy. Catty grabbed a pair of white socks and came out of her bedroom.

"You overestimate my ability to recover from jet lag, mon petit chaton. I really hate waking up."

Catty's apartment was still somewhat empty, unfortunately. She had yet to decorate it much, but Shizuka had been sweet enough to allow it to come furnished so the Bount had some of the basics. Actually, her place didn't look much different from Luke's. The main thing she came to appreciate was the King-sized bed, still shocked at how much space she had. Within time, she'd add a few things here and there to make it fit her personality more. Perhaps she'd buy some oak furniture to match the granite counters and dark brown cabinets, but that was a future project. For now, she was busy putting her sneakers on.

"So, how does this training work?"

[Luke Clyburn]

Blinking with surprise at her response and exposed midriff, Luke took a moment to readdress the situation. His eyes settled on her tired, grumpy-looking face before lowering themselves further down her figure and settling on her rather toned midriff. She looked fit. She must have worked out a lot. That was good, actually. Luke lifted his eyes from her tummy and directly into her eyes with a frown as she scolded him for waking her up too early. Why was she suffering from jet lag? Wasn’t she completely recovered from sleeping for a few hours? Suddenly it hit him. The Bount's ability to recover from any debilitating condition by sleeping might not have awakened in her yet. Luke had assumed it had, or at least, partially had since she was raised as a Bount for who knows how many years. He thought it was just something innate to their kind. Maybe not.

”I told you I’d be here around eight.” Luke replied with annoyance, following the woman into her apartment. Looking around he noticed that her apartment didn’t look all that different from his own. Some of the furniture was arranged differently than his but it didn’t look all that different from his own. Shizuka must have outfitted every apartment with the basic necessities for her tenants. That was nice of her. Placing the plastic bag containing the cans of soda he had been carrying on the counter, Luke took a seat nearby and waited for Catherine to finish what she needed to do to get ready in the morning. She was already on his annoyed side having made him wait outside her door half an hour, but he was willing to let bygones be bygones if she took what he had to teach her seriously.

When Catty returned a short time later dressed up in a t-shirt and leggings. Luke, leaning his cheek into his hand, looked at her. She was rather fit after all. She must have spent a long time working out to get the shape she had. ”Finally ready?” he asked her as he lifted his cheek off his hand and got to his feet. ”So, first things first then. There are a few basics we need to go over before we even start talking about summoning Dolls.” Luke explained, walking past Catty and to the plastic bag that he had brought in with him. Reaching into and pulling out two cans of soda pop, he placed them on the edge of her counter by the sink.

Not doing anything with them at this particular moment, the man then turned back to the French woman. ”Do you know what reiatsu is?” Luke asked, waiting for her answer, before deciding to go on with his explanation and exposition. ”I’m about to word vomit up a lot of stuff so pay attention. Reiatsu is a kind of energy that is produced by the soul. Most everyone has a little bit of reiatsu in them, but if you have enough of it you’re able to see spirits. Ghosts. Technically speaking, I think the correct term for how much spiritual energy someone has is reiryoku. Whereas reiatsu is the force of ones reiryoku. But people tend to just use reiatsu as a word for both. Reiatsu, as an energy, starts in the stomach and is tied to one's emotions. Strong emotions like fear, anger, grief, determination, courage, love, hate, etcetera, can call up your reiatsu. But it takes willpower to call it up and control it consciously. Think of it like this. It’s an energy that is produced in the gut, ignited by the heart, but controlled by the mind. But it does more than just let you see the supernatural.” Luke explained, standing back a few feet and lifting his hands up at the cans.

After a moment of silence and focusing, both cans suddenly had two different things happen to them. For the can on the left, the side facing Luke suddenly caved in as if someone stepped on it. It was blasted back into the sink, spraying cola in the air, as it flew back. The second can suddenly caught on fire for a second, leaving the side facing Luke singed black and knocked into the sink as well. Lowering his hands and approaching the sink, Luke pulled them out and placed them back on the corner of the counter. ”So, can you tell me what the difference between what I did to these cans is?” Luke asked her, giving her the opportunity to respond before deciding to continue. ”This one-” Luke pointed at the can that received the massive dent in it ”-was me just blasting it with my raw reiatsu. Whereas this one-” Luke pointed at the burned one ”-was me channeling my reiatsu through a technique.”

”Reiatsu is a lot like electricity. Electricity is difficult to use on its own. So you use electricity to power electronics, giving us a variety of uses for it. This is what I intend to teach you, how to summon and control your reiatsu. That’s the first step to anything. The basics of the basics. You won’t be able to summon a Doll without reiatsu. Now, luckily because you’re a Bount you were born with more innate, starting, reiatsu than a normal human. Getting the hang of using reiatsu should come easier to you than it should for a normal human as well. Once you get the hang of it then we can move on to the next step.

[Catty Noir ♦]

Not only did this creature offend her with the fact that he gave her a quick lookover while she was in her pajamas, but he evidently had the audacity to actually follow Catty into her apartment. He was a man, indeed. If his eyes were going to wander like that, then maybe she would make this experience just as difficult as he was making it for her. Even though she knew she needed a teacher and he was the best option she had, there was a part of her who groaned at the notion of training under him. Er, with him. She didn't want to get under him in any type of way for as long as she lived, and if what her parents had said years ago was true, that was going to be for a very long time.

"I told you I’d be here around eight."

"And I told you that it was early. I am not a morning person. The sun hurts my eyes."

Catty disappeared to finish getting ready, leaving Luke to his own devices. It was true that Shizuka gave each tenant the basics in furniture and it seemed that the majority of them just left it alone without buying new pieces. That made it very apparent that they appreciated her generosity, but how could she not be generous? A month's rent for any normal tenant would cover most of their necessities when it came to decorating. Catty could appreciate that. Shizuka must be a nice woman to have done this for everyone who moved in here, and she even continues to do this seeing as Catty was the newest tenant out of all of them. Glancing around at some of what was used to occupy the space, she couldn't help but smirk at how similar her apartment was to Luke's. He must be new, too.

Before long, after she'd returned, she saw the man sitting at her kitchen island counter resting on top of it. His face had a bored expression molded into it that made Catty pause for a moment. It was interesting how picturesque someone could be. The sun was shining through the window for a moment since it was still too early for it to have risen very high up in the sky, and she'd neglected to close the curtains of her living room that shared a space with her kitchen. The rays gently glossed over Luke's face and Catty noticed how the light was reflected in the man's amber eyes. She had to admit it to herself. He was incredibly handsome, and she could have done a lot worse.

"Finally ready?"

That moment was ruined. "Are you?" Catty retorted. "How rude is it to keep a lady waiting. I thought we'd never begin."

Catty knew that she was protecting herself with sarcastic remarks because just a moment ago, she'd felt herself get distracted by Luke. That was unfair and very disappointing. She didn't think she would ever have to deal with someone like him getting the best of her mind like that by doing nothing other than simply existing, and she came to the conclusion that she was going to need to figure out some way to block both him and her hormones out of her brain. She wasn't here to allow herself to be swept away by anyone anyway. She was here to learn, and he was being kind - Sort of - enough to tell her about everything he knows. She didn't want to waste that opportunity.

Thankfully, he ignored her. Fidgeting a bit out of nervousness, Catty watched as Luke walked by her again and grabbed the plastic bag he'd brought over. The slight motion moved the air between them and the woman sniffed, noticing that Luke smelled particularly nice. And she would keep that to herself forever. As he grabbed the two soda cans and placed them on the sink, Catty's eyelids half-lowered as her face suddenly lost interest. Was he seriously about to offer her soda? Was that all that was going on? Crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow, she judgmentally watched and listened as he asked his first question, catching her a bit off-guard.

"Do you know what reiatsu is?"

"Of course I do," she started saying, then suddenly lost her confidence. "But just so that I know that you know what it is, go ahead and explain everything to me again now that I'm listening."

Luke told Catty to pay attention, so she did. She had to admit that some of these facts seemed a bit surprising, but only because her parents never went into much detail about this stuff called 'Reiatsu' before. In fact, they only told her she was spiritually aware, different from other humans, stronger, and able to summon a Doll. Each of them had their own, so when Catty found that she was unable to summon a Doll, herself, she became depressed and disappointed in her abilities. Was she a lesser Bount simply because she couldn't summon anything yet? Well, clearly she hoped that wasn't the case, but it was difficult to tell. She needed to work harder. She needed to follow Luke's example, even when he raised his hand at the cans and did what Catty believed was impossible.

"So, can you tell me what the difference between what I did to these cans is?"

She stared for a moment with a quizzical look on her face, then answered. "You made a mess with one and almost burned down my apartment with the second one."

He ignored her. Again! Grabbing some papertowels, Catty turned the sink on for a moment to dampen one of them before wiping up the soda with a sigh, realizing she had to wipe the ceiling, too. After looking up and groaning, she allowed Luke to continue explaining the differences of Reiatsu-charged techniques. She had to admit that it was useful information, but she wasn't sure how it would help her. Catty frowned, but not because of the mess she had to clean up. She frowned because, in that moment, she realized just how strong Luke was compared to her. Even a small display of power such as this was enough to tell her everything she needed to know. There was a large gap between them.

A large gap, and a lot of knowledge lost. While the lost knowledge was due to her parents and how they raised her, Catty couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. They didn't teach her about these things. She didn't know if it was out of protection or for some other reason, but she had half a mind to fly back to Paris and have a very serious conversation with the two of them. Maybe not right this second, but soon. Or perhaps she'd just call, but this felt like an in-person talk if she had to put a label on it. Catty's shoulders slumped as she looked at Luke, defeat already showing in her eyes. She didn't realize she'd be making herself look like a fool in front of him.

"I do not believe I can do this, Luke. My body does not work the same way yours does." Catty glanced down at her core, pressing her hands against the muscles that flexed there. "I do not remember a time when my Reiatsu was particularly potent. If I cannot control it the way you say I can, then I will never be able to summon a Doll. Maybe I just wasn't meant to."

After finishing wiping up the soda and grabbing a very long mop to get what was sprayed on the ceiling, Catty sat down at the island counter and cradled her chin between her hands. She was still so tired and couldn't understand why waking up was this challenging for her. She didn't have any way to utilize this Reiatsu that Luke claimed she also had. It was all such a mess and Catty had no way to clean it up. She supposed it was easy to get beaten up about something like this when she was so new, but she just didn't feel particularly spiritually strong. Luke was able to crush cans just by thinking about it. How could she ever figure that out?

"I suppose beating myself up isn't going to help, though. How do you suggest I try such a thing?" Catty asked, referencing the can trick he'd performed.

[Luke Clyburn]

”Incredible. You perform one simple party trick and she’s already giving up. How pathetic. You should throw her to the wolves and be done with this trash.”

Hey now be nice. She’s a baby.

Still though, Luke did blink with surprise at Catty’s rather surprising response to him displaying his use of reiatsu. Not the part about her bitching about him making a mess. No, rather, to her suddenly declaring that she couldn’t do it and that there just wasn’t any hope at all. That was the part that made Luke blink. Furrowing his brow as he watched her shrivel up into herself, Luke partially aligned with Springflut’s opinion. It was rather pathetic. But he was nothing if not patient. Luke watched as she sat down and cradled her chin in her hands before stating that beating herself up for not even being at the starting line yet wasn’t going to get anywhere and asking him how he had performed that trick.

Instead, Catty would watch as Luke threw his butt right up on the island counter and sat next to her. He took a moment to mull over his words and think about what he wanted to say to her. There was a part of him that wanted to call her out for this quitter attitude she had already, but Luke wasn’t in the business of crushing someone's spirit like that. She asked for his help after all. ”Who are you kidding? You’re only helping because you think she’s hot.” Shut up. ”Listen Cath… er… Catty, the reason I can do that and you can’t is because I have seven years of experience ahead of you.” Luke explained, looking down at the French woman from his seat before continuing.

”When I first came to this city I was a lot like you. No, actually, I was worse off. I didn’t know I was a Bount, didn’t know what that even was, and didn’t know anything at all about anything to do with the spiritual world or powers. I figured most everything out piece by piece on my own. I pretty much had to ‘cus I was being attacked all the time.” Luke explained, his eyes drifting from Catty as he took a short stroll down memory lane and thought back to many of the encounters he had in the city. From the Shinigami he had met, to the insane Quincies that attacked him, to the living explosion that helped him. The friends he made. The enemies he encountered. The trials and problems that came with all of it. Luke’s eyelids closed ever so slightly as he thought about it all.

”Like I said though-” Luke started saying as he came back to reality ”-because you’re a Bount this is going to come easier to you than it would others. You were already born with reiatsu. We just need to wake it up. Think of it like exercise. We’re going to work on getting your soul as toned as your body is.” he explained. ”So don’t get discouraged just because you’re experiencing something you’ve never encountered before. Everyone starts somewhere. Besides, you should count your blessings. You were lucky enough to ask the strongest Bount in the city for help and he agreed to do it.” Luke told her with a smirk, leaning his head to the side a little as he looked at her playfully. His eyes reflected his cockiness and smugness at her before he hopped off the counter.

”C’mon, we’re going for a walk. I’ll show you the area on the way since you’re new here and everything.” Luke explained, beckoning for her to follow as he headed to her door. Work out was a generous word for what he was planning. Catty needed to figure out how to use her reiatsu and Luke knew just the method to get her started. It would be something similar to what he had gone through, but, in a more controlled way. ”There’s plenty of places to buy groceries, restaurants, laundromats, and even a public bath if you ever need one. There’s a gym near here too I go to.” Luke explained as he walked Catty out of her apartment and headed out. He’d at least be nice and show her around before making her hate him with what he had planned.

[Catty Noir ♦]

An eyebrow raised immediately as Catty watched her guest make himself comfortable on her counter. She eyed his bottom with harsh judgment, then glanced upward at his face. He certainly had no issue feeling at home, and Catty wasn't sure if she was thankful for that or not. The frustration she felt with him came from the fact that it had only been a few minutes since he invited himself inside her place and she was very much still tired. She really hoped it wouldn't take long for her to adjust properly to the time change and had spent some time on Reddit last night trying to figure out what that process was like. People encouraged her to actually stay awake as long as she could and go to bed at a normal time, but making sure it was Japan's normal time instead of Paris'. Fair enough, right?

”Listen Cath… er… Catty, the reason I can do that and you can’t is because I have seven years of experience ahead of you.”

With a head tilt and a slight smirk, Catty noticed that he actually called her by her nickname rather than her proper name. She didn't respond to it vocally, but she knew that this must mean he was at least getting comfortable with her. That much was evident already given that he stuck around despite her remarks. She wasn't doing it on purpose to test him, though. This was just something that she did pretty much all her life. She could keep it under control decently enough, but Catty never missed an opportunity to make a joke. She enjoyed humor entirely too much to let any chance slip away like that and, of course, he was lining her up for a bunch of good ones.

But then he explained himself further and admitted that he was weaker, as well. So she wasn't alone in this and he was proof that she could grow and develop just as much. That was all she needed to hear, honestly. Something about just knowing that someone else succeeded made her reconsider her downfalls. He didn't beat her up the way she had to herself only moments before, so maybe he really was trying to be supportive and prove to her that it can be done. The fact that he didn't know he was a Bount was surprising, but she figured it was easy to mistake it for being a normal human since they were so closely related. Catty obviously didn't understand the difference since she always knew, but it made her curious.

Luke kept up his encouragement and unknowingly lifted Catty's spirits a bit, or at least enough for her to feel better about it. She knew it didn't take much to cheer her up but apparently she was a sucker for positive reinforcement. If he was right and she could manipulate her Reiatsu the same way he could, then she knew it would only be a matter of time before she could summon her Doll. However impatient she was for that, there was a part of her who was also excited about the training that Luke would be doing with her. The demonstration was cool enough, but she wanted to be able to do this 'toning' that he mentioned, just right up until he made another comment that caught her off-guard.

As he hopped off the counter and invited her on a walk, Catty obediently followed like a little kitten. She was happy to hear about the stores and the gym but turned her nose up at the news of the public bath. She wasn't one to share a bath like that unless it were a more intimate type of deal, and even then something like that rarely happened to her. Catty wondered briefly if he was the type to enjoy public baths. His arms were pretty massive and she could see his body through his shirt so she already knew he was ripped. He was probably the kind of guy who liked showing himself off to all the ladies. Definitely a womanizer. Did he even have a girlfriend? Did she know about this?

"Perhaps I, too, will use that gym." The first thing Catty said since Luke began telling her everything would be fine. "Since you noticed. I appreciate the acknowledgement though, and the compliment."

It wasn't his fault. She was wearing an outfit that invited that sort of thing. Still, she spoke and didn't even look at him as they walked, shuffling her fingers through her hair a little bit to fluff it back up. She had her light teasing moment and didn't want to go further than that, but she was serious about one thing. It was nice when people recognized the hard work she put in to maintaining herself the way she did. She knew he didn't mean anything negative by it and was just trying to relate to her to make her learning process easier. So because of that, she smiled a little shyly and tried to hide the pink on her cheeks.

"Anyway," she started saying, quickly trying to get off the topic. "What is it you are going to show me?"

[Luke Clyburn]

”Around.” was all Luke decided to respond with. Giving Catty a sly smirk he led the woman out of her apartment and, after a few minutes, out of the complex entirely. Just like he said he was going to do, Luke was going to show her around the neighborhood. On top of being a nice day, given the time of the morning, Karakura Town wasn’t all that busy with foot traffic. Luke opted to leave his bike in the garage. He was just as used to walking around as he was driving to get to places. Taking the time to actually travel by foot though was going to be best for Catty. Luke wasn’t ignorant to what Catty was going to experience very soon. Coming from Paris to Karakura Town was going to be a massive culture change for her. Everything was going to be different for her. It would be completely and totally different than when she lived in Paris. She would most certainly need time, and lots of it, to fully acclimate to life in Japan. Hell even after all these years people still recognized Luke as a foreigner Yankee.

Luke would spend the morning hours showing Catty around. From where to get groceries, to the local pharmacy, from where he would get fresh fish. Luke would show her the entrance to the subway tunnels, to his favorite beef bowl restaurant, to a clothing store she might like. What Luke really tried to drive home was how much more cramped things were here. He wasn’t sure what alleys were like in Paris, but Luke made sure to show Catty that even the alleyways of Karakura had businesses. Luke pointed out a store that was run by a firearms enthusiast that sold realistic airsoft guns that was hidden away in a back alley. A narrow street that led to a dead end was actually the entrance to a public bathhouse.

The streets were absolutely packed with crowds of people. Businessmen, high schoolers, moms walking with their kids, all normal people going about their lives. The tour would stop at one point when a few women stopped Catty to ask her a few questions, enamored with how she looked and asking her questions about what beauty products she used. As the tour went on Luke would continue showing her the various stores and facilities she might want. He even made sure to show her a good conveyor belt sushi restaurant and promised he would take her at some point. Luke even showed her a Starbucks that had been built nearby and would get her a drink if she wanted one.

As they walked, Luke took notice of things that Catty wouldn’t have thought of. More than a few times Luke noticed police cruisers drive by them and out of sight. All heading in the same direction. The Bount brought no attention to it though, only making a mental note of it. ”I’ll show you where the mall is.” Luke offered, figuring she might be the kind of gal who really enjoyed shopping. It only took a few minutes to get there even with all of the hustle and bustle. But as the mall came into sight, Luke would no doubt spot it first. A number of police cars and ambulances outside the mall and a growing crowd. With his vision, he would notice a number of EMTs wheeling gurneys with people out and loading them onto the ambulances.

Luke stopped approaching. He and Catty were still a good distance away from the mall. ”Hmm. Maybe we can come back later. Looks like something happened.” he commented. He wouldn’t draw attention to it. It would be dealt with later. But Luke could feel it. His amber eyes stopped looking at the crowd of people surrounding the ambulance and looked at the building itself. He could feel something. But now wasn’t the time. Not in broad daylight. ”We’ll come back later. Let me show you the gym.” he said, scratching the back of his head. Sure enough, Luke led Catty to the gym near their apartment.

It was a rather big building. “We Are Fit” was the name on the building, in big bright red letters. Walking inside, Catty would see that it was just as big on the inside as it was on the outside. But because of the time of day, there weren’t that many people around. Most people were at work after all. Explaining that Catty was his guest for the day, Luke cleared it with the employees to let the gal stay. ”Alright!” Luke exclaimed with a clap of his hands. ”You wanted to know what we were doing? Exercising. You have a workout routine, right? I want you to do what you normally do… but then double it. I then want you to do ten miles on the treadmill in two hours. Do you think you can do that?” Luke stated, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked down at the woman expectantly.

[Catty Noir ♦]

Despite the rude awakening that morning, the day was nice enough to warrant a walk with Luke. He was being very generous with his route since he took some time to introduce her to a few stores and other places that would benefit her since she moved to Karakura. Catty found that she had to give this man credit where it was due. He did seem to genuinely care about her wellbeing in some way since he was being so kind, and she knew she made a few remarks towards him that truly didn't warrant such niceties. Either he was very naïve or simply a good person, and the Bount found herself hoping he was the latter. She worried about her ability to make friends here.

Some of the areas that Luke showed her managed to grab her interest, especially the fish place and the sushi restaurant. And Starbucks. And the sushi restaurant. Catty's mouth salivated slightly when she saw the freshly caught fish being fileted and she wondered if they'd let her try a piece but somehow managed to keep that thought to herself. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Luke any more than she needed to. Drawing attention, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She didn't ever think for a moment that anyone would notice her too much when she was walking next to a guy like Luke, but somehow a couple of women did anyway and started talking to her about her makeup. They seemed nice, but Catty answered their questions a bit awkwardly and rushed back to make sure she didn't lose her tour guide.

"I'll show you where the mall is."

"You have an entire shopping mall here?"

Evidently the answer was yes, and she was surprised to see how big it was. Karakura Town wasn't exactly super huge, but it had managed to grow over the years compared to some of the photos she'd seen of it. The internet didn't do this place justice, so it was no wonder this ended up being a spiritual hub. Catty grinned a bit and and made a note to see if Luke wanted to go with her to pick out some clothes in an effort to make him a bit flustered just for fun. He seemed like the kind of guy who really didn't know what to do with a woman and she wanted to see if he'd get embarrassed around her if she asked him his opinion on clothes.

"Hmm. Maybe we can come back later. Looks like something happened."

"Hm?" Luke caught Catty's attention and she surveyed the area. "Oh, dear. Perhaps we should investi-"

"We’ll come back later. Let me show you the gym."

She reluctantly followed but made sure to noticeably pout at him. Why didn't he want to see what was going on at the mall? There was clearly an emergency and the two of them could have offered to help. Then again, if this ended up being a normal human problem, then the two of them really had no business being there and would have only caused trouble. With a sigh, Catty decided to avoid bringing it up again until he was ready to go back. She wanted to ask why he was so insistent on the two of them leaving at that moment. It seemed a bit suspicious, if she were being honest. That kind of behavior only made her more curious as to what was going on.

Once they made it to the gym, the Bount looked around and her mood was suddenly uplifted a decent bit. The equipment all looked to be in great shape, and the person behind the desk had no issues with her being there for the day. She let Luke do most of the communicating since her Japanese was still not completely perfect, and sometimes these people spoke too quickly for her to understand. She didn't have any idea how she lucked out so well with meeting an American to help her figure all of this stuff out since English was easier than Japanese for her. Still, she was practicing, so it wasn't as if she couldn't communicate. She just wasn't flawless with it.

"Alright!" Luke's sudden exclamation made Catty jump. "You wanted to know what we were doing? Exercising. You have a workout routine, right? I want you to do what you normally do… but then double it. I then want you to do ten miles on the treadmill in two hours. Do you think you can do that?"

With a raised brow, the woman looked around at the gym and counted exactly four other people who were there. Two of them were an older man and woman, maybe in their sixties or seventies. They were both on treadmills next to each other walking a fairly agreeable pace. One other person was taking gym selfies to send to what Catty could only assume was her boyfriend, and the fourth was another guy who shared Luke's build and was bench pressing. Everyone was completely absorbed by their own daily lives. Catty nodded and turned her attention back towards Luke, resting her hands on her hips as she spoke to him.

"Fine. But you must put your body to work, as well. You have to keep up with me, mon petit chaton."

Catty made her way over to the bench press next to where the other muscular man had racked his weights and sat on his bench to cool down. He looked at her for a moment and she knew why. Catty was naturally very thin and didn't have much body fat. She maintained enough to keep her body functioning the way it should, but that meant her daily food intake was quite high. Actually, she was constantly starving and always had to eat to settle the hunger pains her stomach felt. For an average person looking at her, they would probably think she was the type to participate in professional bikini competitions but without the dehydration those women go through before they get on stage. So when the man took a minute to stare, she recognized it was out of admiration.

She went to grab a few fifty-pound weights to slide onto the bar in order to bring it up to three hundred pounds total. With each one that she picked up, the man watched with astonishment as she didn't even ask for help. Catty was careful to at least appear like the weights were heavy, but one thing she couldn't fake was how awkward carrying them could be. They were large and a bit thicker, so getting a decent grip was tough. It was a bit like carrying a huge box. Not difficult to lift, but awkward. As she put the fourth weight on the bar so both sides were equal, she noticed the man next to her get up and try to get her attention.

"Do you think that's too heavy? You know that's two hundred pounds, right?"

Though his voice only sounded concerned, Catty gave him a once-over look and smirked, simply reaching for two more weights and adding them to either side of the bar. "And now it is three hundred."

She straddled the bench and laid her back down against it. The man got behind the bar and stood over her as if wanting to spot, so she let him stay there for now. She didn't need a spotter for this amount of weight. Maybe for five or six hundred, but not three. He didn't know what she was, though, so it was only natural for him to look at a lean woman and assume she was completely out of her mind, which was exactly what his face was telling her. So she lifted up, freed the bar from its rack, and began lifting without much effort. The man's mouth hung open and Catty chuckled a bit to herself. Humans were so easily entertained.

Since she could normally do about ten reps with something like this, she decided to do twenty and actually started to struggle a bit as she reached the last three. The man who was spotting her helped grip the bar when she was done and attempted to place it back on its rack, but he was having some difficulties since it exceeded his comfortable weight. Catty supposed he was just trying to show off to her. Unfortunately for him, she was stronger than that. He wouldn't be able to show off so long as he lacked the same kind of spiritual backing that she had. Once she was done, she sat up, took a deep breath, let it out in an audible sigh, and moved on from equipment to equipment. It wasn't until she finally reached the leg press that she paid much attention to Luke.

"This is the last one before you are going to make me run. Have you actually been able to keep up with me?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Catty's Stats}

Strength - [240] = 300 Points

Speed - [300] = 210 Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] = 300 Points

Reiatsu Strength - 100 Points

Light Aura - 50 Points

Dark Aura - 50 Points

Instinct - [160] = 120 Points

Senses - 100 Points

Energy Sensory - 50 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1150 Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Catty's Skills}

[Pain Tolerance] {1}

[Martial Arts: MMA] {1}

[Analyzing] {1}

[Strength of Will] {1}

[Acrobatics] {1}