Morning at Silbern, Catnipp House...
Atticus had woken up a couple minutes before Candice, which was rather odd since she was the early bird most times, so he was reading a book as she continued hanging onto his torso.
"Mnghh... *yawn*" She slowly woke up, teary-eyed due to the remnant sleep drowsiness.
"Mornin', Kitty Pie" He put the book aside to give his full attention to her. "Had a nice sleep?"
"Ugh... Way too nice maybe. My hair must be a mess..." She complained, a bit worried.
"You still look lovely, so don't sweat it" He comforted her. "Besides, you're going to that fancy Spa today, right?"
"Oh, yeah... I think the reservation's up for the afternoon, but yep, that's right" She remembered happily. "Though that doesn't mean I can arrive looking like a total mess, no way"
"*sigh* I get it. Just try to take it easy on the hair routine" He finally accepted. "By the way, did you decide who you'll be taking?"
"My first thought was Meni, to be honest, but I don't know" She seemed doubtful. "After all we did yesterday I thought... Maybe you-" She was nervously fidgeting.
"Don't even try"
"Huh?" She seemed shocked, even hurt to some degree. "W-Why? You don't wanna come with me?! I-It would be just the two of us, so I thought-"
"Fool... It's not because of that" He bonked her head softly, in a playful manner. "That kind of place is just not for me. It's all hot baths, massages and stuff... Boring and annoying as Hell"
"Oh... Didn't think about that" She recognized. "I mean, it's a real paradise for women but... It doesn't fit you at all"
"Precisely" He stated. "So don't get me wrong. I want to spend a lot of time with you, but I also want those times to feel natural and to be things we both enjoy"
"It makes more sense when you put it like that" She smiled comprehensively as she blushed. "I guess I'm really anxious to start doing more things together"
"That makes us two, but no need to rush" He rubbed her mane. "Although... We can shower together if you'd like"
"O-Oi, now where did that come from?!" She was taken by surprise.
"C'mon, buster, it's no big deal" He playfully pinched her nose. "Now I more or less know every inch of your body, so there should be no issue with us having some fun in the bath"
"I... Guess not, but, put in such a straightforward way... I don't know, it feels rather shameless"
"Hahaha... Then, would you prefer if you went first and I just joined you afterwards?"
"It doesn't work like that" She looked away. "If you tell me about it, I can't help but think I'm being naughty"
"So what if you are? Last night you were more than naughty and I totally loved it" He bit her ear.
"~Hnnn~ You're so unfair... You know that, right?"
"Unfair? Hah... What, you don't have a choice or somethin'?" He gave her a daring smirk as he copped a feel on one of her jugs.
"~Mnhhh~ It's more like... You don't give me a choice" She retorted with a flushed expression, completely entranced as she sought his lips.
Atticus gladly received her mouth to start a new day in the best way possible, making out with his beloved girlfriend.
With a delicate drool reminder left hanging off their mouths after that, Atticus placed his forehead against hers.
"Was that a yes?" Their looks weren't avert for even an instant.
"Maybe..." She smirked. "Why don't you take me there and find out?"
"Ah, so that's what you were aiming for all along" He picked her up bridal style. "Welp, I can spoil you this much I guess"
"You can spoil me all you want... Darling"
Once in the bathroom, he sat her in the large marble washbasin so he could turn on the shower.
"Hey, this thing's cold! Hurry up or my ass's gonna freeze!" She complained.
"No need to be so dramatic" He said as the water started running. "Besides, if that happened, I'd make your cheeks burn hot red with a couple slaps in no time"
"*gulp* I... Guess you would..." She settled down, a mischievous little smirk drawn on her lips as she remembered.
Atticus gave her a peck and held her chin, soon realizing some steam was coming out.
"The water's ready. Let's go" He said as he took her hand.
"Yesh..." Her eyes just stared at him, as lovey dovey as they could get.
Once inside the warm shower, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up from the ass cheeks, turning on the two as they started making out under the running water.
It was a bit harder to breathe with all the steam, so their kisses didn't last as long, but that didn't stop them from enjoying other pleasures.
Atticus had never even imagined there could be something as fun and arousing as covering Candi's tits with soap and rubbing them till the foam fell all around her body.
"This is simply... The best" He praised as he started playing rougher with her nipples.
"~Hnnn~ You... You just have to go for my jugs every time, don't cha?"
"Now it's my turn of saying you don't give me a choice" He chuckled. "Not with the softness and size of these things... Which reminds me, what cup are you?"
"You really need to know? Isn't it enough to mess with them all you want?" She acted annoyed.
"I just thought I could surprise you with some special garments from time to time" He didn't fall into the trap.
"Hm... For now, I'll choose to believe you" She smiled again. "These are G cups, although..."
"What?"
"I think... If I gained a bit of weight, I might get to I" She muttered, blushing.
"Is that so? Damn" He seemed to like the idea. "But why are you telling me that?"
"I don't know... Just something I've been thinking to try"
"You're finally cutting on your diet?"
"Mm... M-Maybe..." She got even redder.
"You're free to do so. With or without proportion enhancements... As long as you're healthy, I have no issue with you enjoying life more, haha"
"Really?"
"Sure. You exercise a lot and eat balanced meals. I don't see why increasing your portions would affect you negatively, and in the worst case..." He softly pinched her waist. "You'd just grow some little love handles I could grab as well, heheh"
"Ah! I-I don't mean to get that fat!" She replied flustered.
"I'm just sayin', alrite?" He gave her a reassuring caress in the cheek. "But know that I wouldn't love you any less if you did"
"That's... Good to know" She smiled a bit. "And I think the same... About you, ok?"
"Noted! I'm glad we're on the same terms" He beamed at her, and then grabbed her ass tightly. "Now, where were we?"
With that cue, it was only a matter of minutes before their lovemaking started again, now with a bit more experience, and in an interesting setting she had never thought could work so well for that purpose.
Probably the most satisfying feature was how he could ram her from behind as her breasts were stuck to the glass shower door.
After a few climaxes, things ended similarly as the night before, both embracing the other, only that Atticus had no choice but keep her in the air for space limitations.
By that point, she even felt the shower was somewhat refreshing in comparison to her and her lover's body, the last being especially hot.
"Ha... Ha... Darling... I'm cominnnggghhh!!!" She yelled in ecstasy.
"Je...sussss...!" He attempted to control his voice, but still the pleasure got the better of him.
And it was those moments, right after the final climax, that convinced them of how truly fitting they were for each other.
Cause even though their bodies were now separated, those wet kisses and embraces filled with post-sex sweat kept the flames of passion burning, and it wasn't something forced or tough, it was something they just couldn't help doing after seeing the other's face brimming with a happiness more pure than any other feeling.
"*smooch* Now it's a fact... I'm totally hooked on this" She licked her lips, still savoring the last kiss.
"*click* Oh, how I love you" Atticus bit her lip and then kissed her again as their fingers entwined against the bath's wall.
After getting out of the shower, he was drying himself with a towel while Candi was adding some hydrating oil on her hair.
"I'll be here for a while, so if you could get breakfast ready I'd really appreciate it"
"No problem! I'll get to it after I finish here" He also tried to dry his hair a bit before dressing up. "Doing it in the shower truly has its pros though. We were practically ready as soon as we finished"
"Maybe you were. I had a bit more trouble cleaning myself..." She murmured, but her thoughts were actually quite different: "But I can't deny that being filled to the brim with his stuff feels out of this world"
"But be honest, isn't that better than any fancy treatment at a Spa?" He sucked on her neck.
"~Mmnnn~ P-Probably..." She admitted. "Now stop sucking, you're gonna leave a mark!"
"Isn't that the idea? Hahaha" He couldn't help teasing her.
"Look. I... I'm really happy being your girlfriend and all, but I'm still not ready to tell the girls, and you know how annoying they can get so... If we can avoid things that will give them material, it's infinitely better"
"Ok, I get it" He retorted comprehensively. "But you better start fessing up, cause you know... Whether I reject getting a house of my own, or I accept it but you come live with me, everyone will know what's going on"
"You're right about that..." She sighed. "Guess I should start with Meni today and see her reaction. She's the best option for that"
"Will you invite her to the Spa?"
"Actually... I was thinking of bringing Bambi"
"Eh...?" Atticus seemed dumbstruck. "Weren't you two on bad terms with each other?"
"Yeah, but... She's still my best friend" She seemed a bit sad remembering that. "To be honest... What ticked me off the most lately was how she was constantly hitting on you just to see my reaction, but now that I know how you feel about me and that we're actually together... There's no reason to be all that wary anymore"
"I see. Well, I hope you can fix things up with her. I'd give you advice, but you know her way better than I, so it's pointless"
"Don't worry. I'm glad you care, that's all I need to know" She stopped brushing her hair for a moment to stand on the tip of her feet and kiss him.
Atticus blushed a bit as he stared down at her, and was about to embrace her when...
"Candi, you still asleep?" A feminine yet somewhat boy-ish voice called her name from the entrance.
"Was that...?" Atticus recognized it.
"Gigi..." She muttered, her eyes becoming sharp as she realized. "Which means..."
"Don't yell, Gigi, you might wake her up" McAllon's voice spoke now. "I heard it was a difficult mission, so she must've been tired"
"Should we wait for her here then?" Liltotto asked.
"I know! Let's get the table ready. We'll welcome her back with a delicious breakfast, what do you think, Bambi?" Meninas proposed.
"I... Guess I could help with that" The Explode was there as well.
"Shit! They're all here!" Candice snapped, whispering to him. "Er... Here, your clothes! Take them and hide in the bathroom!"
"O...kay..." He seemed a bit sad by that treatment, but still understood.
"I'll make it up to you later, ok? I promise" She put her hands in a praying position.
"Alright, but it better be something good" He whispered back.
"I'll do anything you want"
"Even dress all gothy for me?"
"Sure, whatever" She pushed him back inside. "I love you"
After the door was slammed on his face, he muttered to himself with a sad smile:
"Love you too..."
Without a second to waste, she quickly went through her clothes trying to find an attire which would look casual but fancy enough for her arrival at the spa.
By the time she was done, she was wearing a white shoulderless loose t-shirt with thin black stripes across and a short black jeans skirt that was actually covered by the t-shirt due to its length. Her long legs were entirely covered in combining black satin panties, and she wore a pair of space-dye heels.
"*sigh* Here goes nothing" she said as she went to greet her friends.
"Candi! You were awake after all!" Gigi seemed somewhat relieved about that.
"Yeah, I was probably in the shower when you entered, so I didn't notice"
"Welcome back! You must've had a tough time in Hueco Mundo" Meninas sweetly greeted her.
"It wasn't a nightmare, but it was tricky, no denying that"
"Still, we thought you'd enjoy a surprise like this" Liltotto added, pointing to the kitchen. "So I even asked a friend to make a cake for the occasion"
A somewhat large chocolate cake was being brought by none other than Bambietta, who actually seemed rather docile in contrast to the last time they had been together.
"Con...gratulations" Bambietta shyly told her as she presented the cake.
"Bambi, I didn't expect you to come" Candice faked surprise as she already knew, but it was credible enough.
"Well... In part it's my way of saying sorry, I guess. But most importantly, I'm glad to know you returned safely and did well on your mission" Basterbine placed the cake and offered her a hug. "Can you forgive me?"
"As long as you understand what was pissing me off back then and swear not to do it again..." Catnipp conditioned. "Yes. I can"
The green haired embraced Bambi in a reconciling way, Bambietta even letting a few teardrops out, but quickly drying them.
"I didn't mean to cry... But I felt really bad after things ended up like that last time"
"It's ok. I'm really glad we can be the best of friends once again" Candi was more than glad that they were on good terms once again.
"And having witnessed such a heartwarming scene... I think we're ready to Slice the Cake!" The blonde petite claimed with a long knife in hand.
"Like always, Lili's just worried about her stomach" Giselle giggled.
"Tell me something I don't know" Candice also laughed, the rest following in chuckles.
"What kind of cake is that?" Meninas inquired afterwards.
"It's called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, also known as Black Forest Cake" Lili pronounced in perfect German, only to drool her mouth afterwards. "The combination of chocolate and cherries is supreme, and when you think it couldn't get any better, the sour apricot jam inside gives it a sharp contrast that very rarely tastes so marvelously well"
"With a description like that even I'm starting to feel hungry" Candice admitted.
"By the way, Candi, where is Arctopus-san?" Meni wondered.
"Oh, he..." She thought of some quick excuse. "He's out buying groceries. We noticed we were a bit short on a couple things"
"Should we wait for him to start, or...?" Bambietta was running her fingers through a chair's back.
"No need. He... Tends to take quite a while. Let's just save him some cake, that's all"
"Got it. Now let's dig in!" Liltotto had the knife in hand, ready to start slicing the massive cake.
"I have hot water and warm milk here in these kettles. The coffee and tea are on the center" Giselle informed them.
"Great. I'll have some milk with the cake, thanks" Candice passed her cup to the Trap.
"Right away"
With the cup filled, she tried the Kirschtorte, being immediately stricken by the unique flavor of such delicacy:
"Wow... It's like... The perfect birthday cake I never had"
"Wright? I thoft fe hame fwen I thried id fe firscht thim!" Liltotto said with her mouth full already.
"Geez, at least finish what you have in your mouth first" Bambietta reprimanded her, and then tried it herself. "Oh... Now I see why you couldn't help it"
"It tastes wonderful, Lili!" Meninas seemed really happy eating it as well.
"Probably the most delicious sweet I've ever had!" Giselle added merrily.
"It certainly is God-like. Who did you get it from, Lili?" Candi asked, genuinely interested in the master baker who crafted such a work of culinary art.
"*GULP* Yum... It's a secret!" The blonde stuck her tongue out in a childish manner.
"You did say it was a friend, and you don't really have many aside from us, do you?" Bambietta remembered. "Which means, we'll meet such a person eventually, if we haven't met already"
"No comment" Lili concluded the quick interrogation and continued eating.
"You little..." Candice grinned a bit annoyed. "I bet this is the same 'friend' you compare me with whenever you try something I baked"
"*munch* Maybe... *swallow* Maybe not. Does it really matter?" She shrugged.
"I guess not" The green-haired gave up. "But whoever it is, make sure to give my regards"
"Can do" Lili accepted.
They continued eating and chatting for a while, catching up with some things and just discussing others for the sake of it. Candice was tremendously happy with their visit and it showed, so much that she even forgot about a little detail.
Meninas, being the one closest to her in the glass table had already noticed an odd mark in the Thunderbolt's neck, and couldn't help to bring it up:
"Hey, Candi... What's that on your neck?"
"What...?" At first she didn't really get it, but a couple seconds after her natural smile became a nervous grin as her hand covered it quickly. "Oh... That! Heheh"
"Wait... Could that be...?" Bambietta was the first one to think about it.
"It's just a little burn mark from the expedition! You know, we fought an Espada and all, like, Quilge even got killed, you know?" Catnipp came with a rapid response.
"Really? What kind of attack does that?" Gigi made a thoughtful expression.
"I'm not sure, I don't remember it all that well" Now she faked ignorance. "Could've been a Cero, or a... What was it called? Bala! Yeah, that must be it"
"And you didn't heal that overnight like other wounds? Was it that bad?" Even Liltotto was curious.
"It happened from pretty close range, so it was a lot bigger yesterday. I know, I'm a bit careless..."
"It's because you get way too amused when you fight. You need to concentrate more, Candi" Meninas gave her advice. "It could've been dangerous if it was a stronger enemy"
"Yeah, I'll try to focus a bit more next time" She simply replied, dodging the bullet.
From that point on, the conversation went in another direction and it remained like that for the half hour that the girls stayed, until they all started leaving cause they had their own duties to attend that day.
"I had a lovely time. This was a great idea!" Meninas said as she stood from her chair.
"Yes, we should do it more often. Maybe once a month?" Giselled agreed.
"It would be tasty..." Lili was already thinking about the next delicacy she'd bring. "I mean, wonderful!"
"Absolutely. I'm sure we can arrange something like this every month" Candice liked the idea.
"Perfect. I'll try baking something for that day then" Meninas said as she walked to the door.
The voluptuous Femritter was leaving along with the Trap and the Petite, the last noticing a missing piece.
"You coming, Bambi?" Lili tilted her head as she asked.
"Oh, don't worry about me. I wanted to talk to Candi about something... So, go ahead"
"Kay..." She didn't mind any further.
The rest acted in the same way and left the two alone.
"I didn't think you'd have something more to talk with me about" Candi admitted. "But it's perfect timing actually, cause I also had something to tell you"
"Oh, really? Then you go first" Bambi didn't expect that either.
"No, you. I'm sure it's more important"
"Um... I wouldn't say important but... It's something I've been thinking for a while" Bambietta stood from her seat and went to her friend's room.
"Er... Do you need anything from my room? Cause I'm pretty sure I haven't borrowed anything from you lately" Candice nervously played with her fingers on her leg as she quickly followed Bambi.
"Not really. It's just..." She quickly searched the room, until she found something of interest. "Oh, would you look at that"
"What?"
Bambietta picked up a book from the nightstand, her hand hiding the title from Candice as she inspected it quickly.
"Did you start reading again? It's been a while since the last time"
"Ah, yeah! I... I guess it's been a while since I found a book that picked my interest" She muttered.
"And I can perfectly see why. I've only flipped through the first pages and it already seems to be an interesting novel. I might ask you for it when you finish, cause it seems really good"
"Well, you know me, haha..." She just wanted her to toss the book aside already, as she already seemed to be suspicious.
"Yes, I know you really well. After all, through and through... I still think you are my best friend, Candi" She beamed at her.
"Really? I'm... Very happy to hear that" Candice was both relieved and moved. "Like, we've always had our differences, but at the end of the day... We've always been there for each other, right?"
"And we'll always be" She hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear: "Which is why... You can perfectly tell me what's going on here. Really"
"Huh?" She froze in place.
"Oh, Candi..." Bambietta broke the hug and waved the book a bit. "I know you so well... Which is why I know you'd never be able to read even a paragraph of this thing"
"What?! Why do you-"
"For starters, this is not a novel. It's a long, dry, boring-ass philosophical text" She showed her the cover, slowly read 'Kritik der reinen Vernunft' . "You know I can't read anything this small without my glasses, just like you, but merely the title told me this book wasn't yours in the first place, so... Since when?"
"Since when what...?" She knew it was the end of the line, but still attempted the futile.
"*sigh* Fine, if you don't wanna tell me..." She walked to the bathroom door in the room and slowly opened it as she slyly grinned. "Maybe your sweetheart can"
"Wait! Don't-"
However, Bambietta's smirk disappeared, as she was surprised to see no one inside.
"Eh?" Her face showed both confusion and disappointment in a single gesture.
Yet somehow, the most shocked one was Catnipp, who didn't only expect to find Atticus inside, but definitely was not prepared to feel a familiar hand on her shoulder.
"I'm back! Sorry for the delay, Candi. Oh, Bambietta, didn't expect to see you!" Arctopus acted his part according to what he had heard them say during breakfast.
"A...tticus" Basterbine blinked twice.
"Ah, I see my book picked your interest! It's actually a bit difficult to understand at first, but it's a great read if you want to expand your mind a bit, you know?" He tried to make up a plausible scenario for his girlfriend to have that with her. "Yesterday we arrived pretty exhausted from the mission so I guess we swapped books without noticing, heh... I think I left Candi's novel somewhere in the living room"
"Y-Yeah! That must have happened!" Candice played along. "I didn't realize until Bambi picked it up and told me, how silly..."
"Why are you so shocked about the bathroom though? Did Candi leave a mess?" He teasingly asked Bambietta.
"Hey!" His girlfriend protested.
"I... I just... I thought..." Basterbine babbled, reluctant to say the truth yet unable to find an excuse, feeling ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry, I... I think I should go"
Candice thought she'd be relieved that somehow Bambietta failed to discover the truth, but for some reason, she actually felt a tad bad about it. After all, was there really a reason to lie to her at this point?
"Um... I don't know what's wrong with you today, but-" Atticus started but Candice stopped him with a look he instantly understood.
Basterbine had just turned around, ready to disappear when Catnipp grabbed her by the forearm.
"Bambi..." She decided to tell her the truth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you..."
"Huh?"
"You... You're right about us" She walked towards Atticus and wrapped her arms around his waist, much to the End's surprise. "We... Are dating"
"So then..."
"Yeah. That book is his. I haven't read a novel in years, heh... But whatever, the thing is, I didn't want to tell you all right away cause... I didn't know how you'd react, and since you always tease me a lot, I thought-"
"Pffft... It was about time" Bambietta smirked.
"What?" Candi seemed puzzled by her reaction.
"What I said. You two took your sweet time, but I'm glad you're finally together" She spoke honestly. "I think I took things a bit far before... But the main reason I bothered you so much these past months was cause I know the kind of girl you are, so I had to push you so that you could be honest with yourself"
"No way... But when you flirted with him, you-"
"I didn't want to put it so bluntly but... I know I can be a real slut if I put my heart to it" She admitted, blushing. "And I needed to confirm that Atticus wasn't the kind that would cheat on my best friend"
"You devil woman...!" Atticus was surprised to hear her true intentions.
"By the way, I was glad that you rejected my advances that time, but I gotta say that I never expected you to be so callous" She complained. "Words can hurt too, you know?"
"Sorry... I was trying to make things even since you were being such a pain to Candi"
"I know you were, and that made me think it was somewhat worth it" Basterbine concluded. "By the way, I was sure you were in there, how did you appear here?"
"Oh, I just used Accutrone's 'the Near' with Candi as my objective, so I could teleport to her side, haha" He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.
"Gosh... Bambi... I... I really don't know what to say" Now Candice was about to cry.
"Just answer me this... Did my actions help you at least a bit to get together?" Bambi requested.
Candice remembered how she slowly got more intimate with Atticus right after her fight with Bambi that morning.
"Yes! Totally!" The Thunderbolt let go of her boyfriend to hug her friend instead. "Thank you so much..."
"It's what friends are for" She also cried a bit due to the strong emotions, but didn't stop smiling. "Besides, since he's officially yours, you won't mind sharing him from time to time, right? I mean, besties do that sorta thing all the time"
"Oi, don't go making stuff up so you can run wild with your kinky shit!!!" Candi passed from hugging her to shoving her nonstop.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh! It's a joke! A joke! I swear!" Bambi yelled back.
"Hmph, it better be..." The green-haired let go of her, not before something quite odd came to mind. "Though maybe... If she was truly in love with him in the way I am... No, no, wha- What am I thinking?"
"*sigh* So... To sum things up, you two are BFFs again?" Atticus was dizzy with the whole thing.
"YES!!!" The two Femritters replied with beams on their pretty faces.
"And that reminds me" Candice remembered what she had to tell the Explode. "His Majesty got me a full paid stay for the weekend at the luxurious 'Kaiser' Spa and I could bring one person so... Would you like to go with me?"
"Do you really need to ask? That's phenomenal!" Bambietta couldn't believe her luck. "I need a massage so bad..."
"Me too. I slept in the floor for like 3 days" Candi referred to the tent. "But anyways, be sure to be ready after lunch. We'll be checking in during the late afternoon"
"Noted! Oh, now I can't wait. What better way to catch up than in an aromatic hot tub and a glass of champagne?"
"I know, right? This weekend's gonna be one to remember"
"Certainly. I'll go get everything ready then. See you later!"
"Bye!" Candice waved her hand as she left the room. "Phew... I'm so glad things turned out great"
"I'd say even better than great all things considered... Who would've thought she was actually shipping us? Ahahaha"
"Yeah, that was certainly a shock. But it's great to know she wasn't trying to take you away from me" She embraced him tightly.
"Not that she ever had a chance. I could never stop loving you" He caressed her mane as he rested her head on his chest, getting her to pur. "And that reminds me... I still have some explaining to do"
"About what?"
"What happened back then... In Blackwater Park" He ground his teeth a bit. "I was pretty embarrassed that you saw me like that..."
"Aw, Darling. There's nothing wrong with crying. It doesn't make you any less of a man, and trust me, I know that" She gave him a lascivious leer as she passed her hand from her chest to his crotch teasingly. "No, but, for real... Know that I'm always there for you. If you ever feel sad, weak or useless, I'll always be here to show you otherwise"
"Thanks, Kitten. It is very assuring to hear that" He softly kissed her to show his gratitude. "But I still want you to know about that"
"Sure. I'm all ears" She pushed him into the bed and laid on top of him and started cuddling with him.
"Heheh... Well, basically, back when I read that scripture... A flash of images came flashing into my memory"
"Memories...? You mean you had amnesia or something?"
"They weren't exactly mine. More like, they belonged to my past self. The original entity that fragmented itself and as a result, I was born"
"Oh... I'm not sure I understand how that's possible, but you're being so serious I can't think you're lying or pulling a joke on me" She could hear in the tone of his voice this was of utmost importance to him. "So... What did you see?"
"I didn't really get all of it, cause it was way too fast. But the feelings that came along with those memories were mostly negative" He remembered painfully. "There was so much sadness, misery, agony... I can't really start to describe what it felt like, but it was awful" He concluded as he embraced her even more tightly.
"D-Did you... At least understand what happened to some extent?" She asked, distracted by his behavior. "He's hugging me like a kid with his teddy bear. This must've been really tough for him"
"From what I understood... He didn't have anything other than strength, but then he found something, or someone he cherished above all else... However, that didn't last long and it was taken from him. He tried to recover it, yet something happened... I'm not sure what. I swear I had this all clear in my mind when it first popped up, but now it's all hazy"
"Hm... Welp, it might be better that way" She smiled warmly at him. "Even if it was your past self, that is not you, Atticus. There's no need for you to experience all that suffering, alright?"
"But... Before coming here... I was nothing. I'm Archétype, a mere piece of what other person once was, but Atticus Arctopus doesn't really exist. I'm a blank page, with no merits or history of my own... I am... Just a ghost"
Candice stopped her cuddles instantly.
"*sigh* I'll let it slide this time. But I'm gonna be really fucking pissed if you ever say something like that again" She retorted, comprehensive but dead serious.
"Wha-"
"Atticus Arctopus. How in the world can it even occur in that little head of yours to say you don't exist or that there's no history to you?" Her tone indicated she was rather hurt. "Do I mean nothing to you? Does the time we've spent hold no value? No meaning?"
"N-No... I didn't mean it like that"
"Well it sounded like that, and that's why I forbid you to repeat it" Her lime green eyes stared directly into his purple ones. "I know it might be hard to believe after such a short time together, but you're everything to me, Atticus. At least in this moment, I can't imagine life without you.
Telling me you're not real is the same as saying this happiness does not exist. That this love... Does not exist. Do you understand how cruel that is to me now?"
"Yes... I do" He seriously replied. "I'm sorry"
"I can tell you are" She smiled again. "But to prevent having this conversation ever again, I'll let you in on something"
"Yeah? What would that be?"
"Just cause you don't have a past growing up doesn't mean you don't have a history. Every action you took since you appeared here has changed the world around you.
Like, think about this, the sole fact that you decided to taste the apple pie I had baked that day changed my life forever. How crazy is that?" She giggled and hugged him tightly. "Your decisions have all been your own, Atticus. They belong to you and no one else, and they're proof that you've long left that fragment bullshit behind.
You're your own individual self, with all your strengths and weaknesses, and I fell in love with you just like that"
"Wow... I... Never thought about how much I needed to hear that" He chuckled with teary eyes. "Thank you, Candi. From the bottom of my heart"
She held his hand tightly and kissed him passionately.
"It's nothing, Darling. I just hope this was enough to prove that you can always count on me"
"You don't need to prove anything, buster. I know better than anyone the Hell of a woman you are, and I couldn't be any happier relying on you"
"Hmhmhm... Just what I wanted to hear" She said as they started making out again.
"Oh, and you look hot as fuck in that attire" He knew how to get some extra points.
"Ok, ok, no need to stretch it... I'll bake you a pie before I take my leave" She chuckled as she chose to reward him, knowing he said that on purpose.
"I really meant it though" He placed his hand on her waist under the shirt. "But you know what would be even hotter?"
"Hm?"
"If you didn't wear anything below" He referred to her skirt and lingerie.
"You pervert..." She shook her head. "But I'll think about it"
"I love you, Kitten"
"I love you too, Darling"
~~~~X~~~~
The Human World, Dusk.
Tatsuki was going back from school. It had been a tough day of exams as well as cram studying along with Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru.
She was doing well so far, but still, her mind couldn't find calm.
Chad had left the Japanese test in a hurry and didn't return for the rest of the day, and on the other side of weird was Ishida, who had taken some special exams before the rest because of a programmed long-term absence.
In addition to all that, there was the strange encounter with that mysterious woman who could go through walls and such.
The situation as a whole was way too abnormal to pretend things were alright, and no one was giving her a straight answer about it.
It was just like those days when Ichigo just disappeared without telling anyone about his whereabouts, let alone that he was saving the world.
She was fed up with heroes.
Why were they out saving the world, sacrificing themselves for the sake of strangers who don't even know they're being saved?
Why did she have to remain on the sidelines without a clue of what was going on?
She could feel a crisis was coming, and sadly, couldn't do anything to fight it... Not with her 'useless' Spiritual Awareness at least.
Her troubled thoughts were interrupted by an unwanted reminder.
"WAAAAHHH!!!" A kid yelled loudly.
"No way...!" Tatsuki quickly ran towards the source of the cry.
In a dark alley, a large Hollow had taken a boy in its claws, ready to devour it as the helpless kid cried his lungs out, not understanding anything yet irrevocably fearing for his life.
"Chad! I'll call him and tell him to..." She tried calling but his phone was off line. "Fuck. Ishida... Unanswered. C'mon... Someone, anyone... I... I can't just stand here and watch this!"
Arisawa ran towards the creature with a piece of wood that was laying there, hoping to at least distract it.
"TAKE THIS!" She yelled as she attempted a clean swing, like she had learned with Kendo, but with the bad luck that...
*CRACK*
The wood got broken in two as soon as she smashed it into the Hollow's leg, barely annoying it.
"No...!" She widened her eyes as she lost all hope, witnessing how a defenseless child was eaten alive due to her own powerlessness, tears falling from her eyes as a single phrase resonated inside her mind: "I can't do anything"
Tatsuki had already closed her eyes, expecting the worse, when right in the last moment came the unexpected.
*SLASH*
"Huh?" She opened her eyes at the sound of a sword swiftly cutting through something.
"Holy shit that was close..." The savior spoke with her bratty voice, catching the kid in her arms. "Are you... Oh, he passed out. Well, that'll make things easier"
Of course, it couldn't be anyone but the chibi Vizard in her sporty red clothes, only with the addition of a cap with the word UNAGI written on it.
"You... Saved him" Arisawa gasped as she fell to her knees. "Thank you! Thank you so much, I... I couldn't, I... Tried my best but... It was worthless..."
"Hm? So you saw that thing?" Hiyori was surprised. "You're a medium or something?"
"No, I just have this Spiritual Awareness thing, but it didn't help at all!"
"Well... I guess not, but all that matters is that the brat's safe. I can't even imagine the Boss's face if I told her that poor little Kaoru was eaten by a Hollow"
"Wait... If you defeated that thing so easily... That means you're a Shinigami, right?"
"Yeah, kinda. Not in that business anymore" Hiyori dismissed. "But anyways, don't tell anyone about this. I'll go leave this boy at home, see ya!"
"Wait!" Tatsuki felt like she needed to talk to her more for some reason, but she was already gone. "*sigh* If only Ichigo was here..."
With a sensation of defeat that simply did not wear off, she decided to go home.
After witnessing such an event, she didn't anticipate anything else breaking the routine, but someone had decided to take action.
"My, we meet once again, Arisawa-san" A soft formal voice called her.
"That tone...!" She instantly recognized it. "Michibane-san"
"You can use my name, no need to be so formal" Aura told her, although it was quite ironic given it was her who treated Tatsuki with such formality first.
"If you say so" She also thought it was odd. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing much. Just, seeing if I can find possible candidates for our organization" She retorted with her usual empty smile. "What about you? Getting back from school?"
"Yeah... Pretty much" She still seemed rather uptight after that hideous encounter a couple minutes ago.
"Something seems to be worrying you though. Is everything okay?"
"Nothing important... I guess" She didn't sound convinced.
"Are you sure? You could tell me about it. Sometimes it's easier to talk with a stranger" She tried to gain her trust. "We can go for an ice cream if you want"
"Eh? No... I-I'm good" Tatsuki was taken off-guard by such an offer. "Ironically, I was thinking I could invite you to something like that if we met again, heh"
"Really? How nice of you to think about me right after we met"
"I don't know... I felt like we could get to know each other better"
"I think so too. But if you don't want to have anything, would you be okay just chatting somewhere nice?"
"Sure. I think there's a great spot nearby" Tatsuki lead the way.
They sat by the border of the river on the grass, just enjoying the view of the sunset.
"What a wonderful place to sit and chat. Do you come here often?" Aura inquired.
"Ah, no... Not lately at least. I thought you'd know about that though"
"Oh, please, don't get me wrong. I'm not a stalker or anything, I was simply handed some information on you and other friends of Kurosaki Ichigo" Michibane giggled.
"So that's how it is..."
"But anyways, you wanted to talk about something else, right?"
"It's nothing serious, just... It's just disappointing to see all sorts of problems around you yet not being able to do anything to face them"
"As in... You lack power?"
"You could say that" Tatsuki accepted. "I never really cared all that much about it... But it did piss me off. The way in which Ichigo, Hime and Chad just sacrificed themselves for the rest of us..."
"So you believe you'd be better off being the one to make that sacrifice?"
"I... Guess I would" She muttered, realizing the irony in that.
"Hm... A troubling dilemma indeed" Aura concluded as she stared at the calm water. "Then... Would you like to give it a try?"
"Huh...?" Arisawa snapped. "What?"
"Let's just say I can give you the chance to be the hero" Aura made clearer. "Would you take it?"
"You can't be serious... That's not... I'm not..."
"I have what you need right here" Michibane showed her the Shinigami Substitute Badge Kagerouza had developed.
"That thing... I've seen it before! That's...!"
"What Kurosaki Ichigo used to change into a Soul Reaper" Aura completed. "Would you like to use it?"
"I... I don't think I'd be up for the task"
"You'll never know if you don't try" The Fullbringer said in a convincing way. "Don't you think it'd be better to see for yourself?"
Tatsuki thought for a moment about the dubious offer. Would it work? Was it a scam? Was Aura really trying to help her? Or was there something more?
She did have a point though. Between trying and not trying... It was pretty much an obvious choice given how she felt about the whole issue.
"You won't be asking for any weird favors in return?" She wanted to be sure it wasn't going to be some fishy business.
"Of course not. I just believe that someone with your skill has the whole right to develop her powers to their full extent" Michibane retorted with her empty smile, making it difficult to read whether there actually were dark intentions behind such an offer. "It's the gift you've been given, right?"
"Fine. I'll do it" Tatsuki finally accepted. "I doubt I'll get even close to the others in terms of power but... I'd rather try than be a burden to them"
"That's the spirit!" Aura encouraged her, passing the badge. "I might not be a Soul Reaper myself, but I'll do my best to teach you about Spiritual Energy and how to use your powers"
"Really? That'd help a lot..." The Human retorted with a shy smile.
"No need to thank me. As a servant of the God of Death, it is my pleasure to work with you, Arisawa-san" She stood up and extended her hand to her. "I'll make sure to awaken your true strength so that you can protect what's dearest to you"
"Yes..." Arisawa took her hand. "I... I'll become powerful... So that I can protect everyone!"
Aura kept grinning as she thought to herself:
"With this, one of the exes of your plan is complete, Tokinada-sama. Now it's only a matter of time to see an unlimited Chaos topple it all. This world... The Seireitei... Hueco Mundo... Not even Heaven and Hell will escape the shadows we're about to cast, fufufufufu..."
~~~~X~~~~
"I apologize in place of my son, Inoue-san" Ishida Ryuuken spoke as he sat on his desk.
"No, don't worry. For this matter you're just as great, Ishida-san!" The Arrancar lady retorted, although the Gigai she was using made it seem as though nothing had changed. "Do you know where he is though?"
"If you want me to be frank... I don't" Ryuuken replied, much to her dismay. "However, if we have to speculate, I can give you an answer I'm almost certain about"
"*gulp* That sounds a bit creepy... Even mysterious"
"I warned him about this but he didn't listen. In any case, I believe he's safe, for now at least..." He dryly added. "So, what brings you here?"
"You see..." Orihime started, proceeding to tell him all the details about the foes Lilynette and Satya faced in Hueco Mundo, wanting to confirm their suspicions as well as obtain new information regarding these Quincies.
"I understand. So you believe there might be a group of Quincies with shady intentions going around?" Ryuuken confirmed.
"Yes. I assume you don't know them personally"
"No, I don't" He agreed on that matter. "However, you're wrong about a major detail"
"Huh?"
"It isn't just 'a group' you're dealing with" He explained. "That uniform description, the lances... Everything points your comrades had an encounter with the Jagdarmee"
"Yag-what?" She mispronounced.
"Jagdarmee. A high caliber squad of only the most elite Quincy soldiers" Ryuuken clarified. "Just like I thought, Yhwach has started to move"
"Yhwach? Who's that? Is he the one who sent this Yagudarume squad?"
"That's the name of the Father of all Quincies, and in a way, yes. While I'm not sure of what his intentions in Hueco Mundo were, I am certain he's up to no good"
"Wait... So is Ishida-kun...?"
"That's my guess. He's been in contact with the Quincies in the Wandenreich for a while now. It would be no surprise that he was summoned just now"
"Banden-what?" Orihime said embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm not really good with foreign languages"
"*sigh* Looks like I have a lot of explaining to do" The Ishida head adjusted his glasses. "Is it possible for me to speak to Ichigo directly?"
"Considering the urgency of the matter I believe that's the best way to proceed" Orihime nodded, opening a Garganta right before the man. "You don't mind coming right away, do you?"
"Of course not. I hope to that the information I have may be of use to him" He said as he entered the dark passage. "I'm sure that not only Uryuu is in this mess, but also Yuzu must've gotten dragged along with him"
"Yuzu-chan! I understand... Whatever's going on... We will do all we can to make sure they return safely from that place"
"Considering the scale of Yhwach's movements, that might as well be the least of our problems though" Ishida dryly muttered to himself.
Welp, so things finally start to move in the other realms as well. It's been a rather slow start, I know, but this time there were many more factors I had to attend to device this story.
For the moment, I just hope that you're all enjoying the story so far!
See you next chapter! Evhron out.
"And just like the other times, here we go again!" Atticus welcomes everyone with a guitar solo. "The Sternritter ABC!"
"Although we must do a little disclaimer this time: Accutrone's Schrift has been taken as 'the Near' by the author based on what could be seen in the Manga, so even if it was never described or referred to canonically it was decided that it would be called like that, as well as give the user the ability to teleport to a living target's location as long as it is in its range of detection" Candice explains. "In this way, Atticus could teleport to my side without seeing me, but sensing my energy"
"Exactly, my dear Kitten. Before my help it could only work on targets that were on Accutrone's line of vision, but now it's a way more convenient skill"
"Maybe way too convenient..."
"We won't be discussing the writer's decisions any further however!" He stops her right in time (LOL). "So let's start this with him right away!"
N - The Near: "Another Step" by Andromeda.
"Basically alluding the fact that with each step this man takes he appears right behind the enemy. Scary, huh?"
"You gave me the shivers back then, so yeah, I have to agree" Candice remembered the feeling perfectly.
"Moving on...!"
M - The Miracle: "Luck As A Constant"
"By far the most fearsome quality of such an overpowered Schrift is the probability manipulation thing" He explains.
"Luck can indeed be a skill when you put it like that, huh?"
"Exactly, but as powerful and scary as that may seem, it doesn't give me the creeps the guy with the next skill gives me, urgh..."
L - The Love: "Mind Control" by Burning The Masses.
"Oh no, I totally get it" She facepalms.
"More like brainwashing than actual love, wouldn't you agree?" He asks her as he plays the complex riff.
"Totally. To this day, I still don't know what was his Majesty thinking when he gave a disgusting pig like PePe such a dangerous skill" She trembles only imagining he could use it on her or her friends. "I swear to God, if he ever tries to cast that shit on me I'll kill him slowly and painfully"
"Trust me, I'd do the exact same if such was the case" Atticus agrees in a somber manner. "Now, let's go onto the last one to quickly forget that idea"
K - the...?
"Wait, what's BG9's Schrift?" Candi asks intrigued.
"Woops! Looks like we're gonna have to use another plot dev- I mean, rational solution for this problem" Atticus chuckles nervously. "We'll do the proper explanations when the time comes, but for now it'll be our secret..."
K - The Knowledge: "Perpetual Growth Machine" by Rivers Of Nihil.
"This one describes both the character of this beep boop fella, as well as how he can endlessly obtain information on his targets with his Schrift"
"You handled that better than I expected" She admits.
"It comes naturally when the author's on your side, heh"
"O-Oi..."
"It's a joke! I swear! See you all next time!" He quickly bids farewell to avoid further trouble.