The chill of the walk-in refrigerator was lost on Amelia as she absentmindedly pulled another box from the top shelf. It was only 10 a.m. and she already felt like the day was dragging on. She didn't, however, hear the creak of the fridge door open behind her, two heads bobbing into view.

"H-hey, Amelia?"

Her shoulders tensing up a bit, Amelia turned her head as she set another box down, seeing two of her younger coworkers in the doorway, their eyes darting nervously. Looking confused, she straightened up, dusting her hands off. "Yeah, what's up, guys?" Their expressions gave her a sinking feeling, but they were also new, so it could be something minor that freaked them out. "Everything… okay?"

"U-um, well…" One of the pair, a young guy who looked to be fresh out of high school, rubbed the back of his head, glancing towards the large double doors that lead to the front. "There's a, uh, customer up at the front who's lookin' for you. He refuses to be served by anyone else."

"Yeah, and he's super scary," the other employee added, a young girl still in high school. She looked a bit pale, her fingers tracing the stitches in the hem of her uniform shirt sleeve. "Like, he's giving the other workers this really menacing look if they even try to ask him what he wants to order."

Oh, good god. Amelia sighed deeply, her arms crossing over her chest. "Yeah, I know the guy you're talking about." Walking around the boxes, she begrudgingly made her way towards her coworkers. "That'd be Grimmjow. Com'on."

They looked terrified. "Wh-what? You want us to come with you?" The girl looked ready to pass out. "B-but he's looking for-!"

"Just come with me," Amelia said gently. "He's not gonna bite. And if he does, I'll kick his ass." She paused, her body freezing. "Don't tell Miss Asano I said that." She gave them a playful grin before pushing the doors open, preparing to meet Grimmjow at the front. The other two followed behind her, their timid footsteps clicking on the tile floor.

Amelia could see two of the older employees standing between the kitchen and the ordering counter, fretting and glancing at the counter like scared little children. Shaking her head, she patted them on the back, pushing past them. "I got him, you guys. Don't worry."

"Thank god." The two workers sighed, rushing back into the kitchen. "Make sure you get him out fast."

"Yeah, yeah," Amelia called back before turning, seeing Grimmjow standing at the furthest register. He wasn't alone this time, however, as Keigo's head peered over the counter, looking right at her. As he waved her down, Amelia gave a small smile. Turning back, she made sure the younger employees were still with her before she made her way over.

Grimmjow, as per usual, growled in displeasure. "Bout fuckin' time ya got here, dumbass." He leaned against the counter, glaring at her between narrowed lids. "Ya got my order ready?"

Chuckling half-heartedly, Amelia tilted her head. "You didn't even order yet, you idiot," she snapped back. "Why don't you start there, and we can get that to you?"

"I was here yesterday and ya made it just fine! What, did yer dumbass forget how to make it already?"

"Dude, you've only been in here once. I wouldn't know what you ordered yesterday, besides my main duties aren't working at the register."

"Why, ya stupid-!"

Cutting in, Keigo laughed nervously. "Hi, Amelia, sorry to disturb you while you're at work!" His eyes were closed, but the embarrassment was written all over his face. "W-we figured we'd swing by to get something to eat before we head to my place for the day! Didn't mean to cause you any trouble!"

Rubbing her face, Amelia bit back her frustration. "I gotcha, that's not a problem." She leaned forward, her green eyes shimmering brazenly. "But what I do have a problem with is the fact that Grimmjow here is scaring our employees, especially our new ones." She tilted her head back to the fidgeting teenagers behind her. "Don't go intimidating the staff, or I will not hesitate to ban you from this restaurant, Grimmjow. Ya got it?"

"Try it, see what'll-!"

"He'll be good!" Keigo nudged the Espada in the arm playfully. "I promise!"

"Good, now apologize to these two kids," Amelia demanded. "They were just trying to do their job when our… friend here decided to be difficult."

Grimmjow snarled. "I ain't apologizin' to no kids."

"Then you're not getting a burger." Amelia crossed her arms, staring back defiantly. "Take it or leave it, Grimm."

After a moment of pained grumbling and nails dragging along the counter, Grimmjow turned away, hands turning to fists. "Fine! Sorry! Now will ya make that damn burger?!"

"Sure!" A fake, customer-friendly smile crossed Amelia's face, her eyes narrowed. "You want cheese on that?"

"NO!"

"Alright, coming right up!" She looked to Keigo, her face more relaxed now. "What'll you have, Keigo?"

"Uh, probably a number 2. Make the drink a Dr. Habanero, please."

Tapping the screen, Amelia nodded. "That'll be ¥1661.24." Without even looking up, she took the bills and change and filed them into the drawer, handing Keigo his receipt. "Awesome, we'll get that for ya in a jiffy." Turning, she handed on of the new employee's the ticket she had yanked off the end of the receipt. "Send this back to the kitchen, please."

"U-um, you know it's not lunchtime yet, right?" the guy said, glancing at the girl uncertainly.

"Just take it back there," Amelia said reassuringly. "They'll understand, alright?" Without another word, the two employees ducked into the kitchen, leaving Amelia alone with Grimmjow and Keigo.

"Wow, you really are settling in well." Keigo looked impressed. "You've only been here for a month, and you're already able to help new employees just like that."

Shrugging, Amelia brushed some crumbs off the counter. "Eh, it's not that hard, to be honest." She looked up, smirking. "Besides, your sister's a patient boss, I'll give her that."

"Mizuho always talks about how quickly you picked things up, though." Glancing at her arm, Keigo's eyes went a bit dark. "She was worried it'd be hard with your injury and all. Uh… how is that, by the way?"

Lifting her arm, Amelia gave him a tired look. It appeared normal, but Keigo knew better. He had been there when Urahara had taught her how to hide the damage, but it was till unnerving to see it looking so pristine. "It's fine, actually. Just… sore." Her fingers twitched, her eyes flinching a bit. "The heavy lifting around here has been a breeze."

"Well, that's good to hear!" Trying to keep it light, Keigo smiled again. "Oh, hey, not sure what time you get off work, but we're gonna be playing games till the sun goes down today. You wanna join us later?"

"Why the hell are ya inviting her?" Grimmjow glared at Amelia, his expression one of disgust.

Amelia looked surprised at the offer. Thinking, she glanced at the clock. "I get off around 3, so it'll be a bit, but I... don't see why not. What kind?"

"Uh… videogames… Tell me you know about videogames, please…" Keigo looked hesitant, hoping this wouldn't be another situation like Grimmjow learning how to play all over again.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, her lips parting. "Woah! Sweet!" Excitement lit up her normally jaded expression, her lips forming a genuine smile. "I love videogames! It's been… a long time since I've actually played any." She looked embarrassed, rubbing her upper arm. "You wouldn't happen to have a GameCube, would you? It's the last system I remember using. Used to play Soul Caliber 2 every free chance I could when I was a kid."

It was Keigo's turn to look excited, patting the counter as he leaned over. "Oh, hell yeah! Soul Caliber rules! I have a GameCube in my closet that I haven't played in years! I can dig it out, and I'm pretty sure I still have the game disk for the game somewhere!" He turned to Grimmjow, who seemed to grow increasingly irritated as the conversation went on. "Dude, you'll love this game, promise."

"That ain't the problem, kid." He looked to Amelia, scowling. "I don't want her around. She's a pain in the ass."

A predatory grin crossed Amelia's face, her demeanor changing on a dime. "Oh, and why's that, Grimm? Afraid I'll beat your ass at Soul Caliber?"

Like a trip wire being set off in his brain, Grimmjow met her gaze, his own toothy grin forming on his face. "Ain't no phony Espada gonna beat my ass at a fightin' game! I'll wipe the floor with ya, just you wait!"

"Well, we'll just have to see, won't we?" Laughing, Amelia glanced at Keigo. "Guess it's official. I'll make my way over as soon as I'm off the clock. Pretty sure I'll be there the same time as Mizuho."

The doors to the kitchen opened, one of the new employees bringing out two grease-stained paper bags, one in each hand. "Orders 12 and 13 are ready," he said, nervously sliding them across the counter and towards Keigo and Grimmjow. "Didn't remember if you asked for To-go or-."

"Thanks, man!" Keigo chirped, grabbing both. "See ya, Amelia! Come ready to battle it out, alright?!"

"Be prepared to lose, dumbass!"

Smiling still, Amelia waved. "See you two later!" Watching as the sliding doors opened and closed after they left, she turned, seeing the worried expression on the employee's face. "You okay, kid?"

Glancing over Amelia's shoulder, the employee whispered, "Y-you're not actually going to fight those guys, are you, Amelia?"

"W-what?"

"We know you're tough and all, but you're not going to meet them later for a fight, are you?" He looked around, making sure no customers were passing by, but they were still alone at the counter. "That sounds super dangerous!"

Amelia burst out laughing, finally understanding what he was saying. "Oh, god, no. We're just having a video game competition later. Not a big deal, don't look so worried." She patted him on the shoulder, heading back to the kitchen. "Let me know if you need anymore help before Miss Asano arrives, alright?"

Flushing a bit, the employee adjusted his hat. "Oh, uh, sure! Th-thank you!" But Amelia was gone before she heard his thanks, the doors swaying in her absence.

Returning to the freezer, Amelia realized just how weird her face felt. The smile was still there, stretching long-atrophied muscles. Wow, she thought. Has it really been this long since I've smiled like this? She reached up slowly, feeling her cheeks, warm under her palms. The thought made her heart sink a bit, her lips slowly returning to their normal, gentle frown. I guess… I guess this'll be good for me then, right?

A quiet buzz from her back pocket brought her back, indicating someone had left her a message. Expecting to see a message on the large group chat from either Lisa or a disgruntled Hiyori, maybe even Hachi about dinner plans, she was surprised to see a new number in her phone. Eyes narrowing, she tapped the screen, reading the message. "Hey, it's Keigo! Sorry if it's weird to text you, Mizuho gave me your number in case of emergency. You know the address, right?"

Mizuho gave him my number, huh? She felt a bit flattered, glad to know Mizuho trusted her with Keigo that much already. The smile returning, she typed back as quickly as she could. "Yeah, I've been to your place, remember?"

Before she could place the phone back in her pocket, a message appeared. That was fast. Opening the message, it read. "Oh, right! Forgot about that, haha. See you later!" She looked up, sighing for a moment. It was a lighthearted one this time, with every muscle in her body relaxing. Then, as if remembering something, she quickly turned her phone back on again, pulling up the main group chat.

"Hey, I'll be home late tonight. No need to worry about dinner for me."

She turned the phone off, knowing that Hiyori was going to be harassing her, demanding to know where she went. But she'd worry about that later. For now, the clock was still ticking, and she had things to stock.

Five Hours Later

Later afternoon fatigue was settling into Amelia's body as she pulled her small bag from her locker. The lunch rush had been mentally taxing, no breaks between anything. The soreness in her left arm throbbed a bit, going all the way down her left side. Wincing, she changed out of her uniform, gently pulling her loose flannel over her shoulders. The dark blue and black of the fabric blurred as she tried to focus on changing, but the pain kept growing. Even unbuckling her belt buckle felt like a chore.

Damn, have I really been overdoing myself that much? Irritated, she changed out of her khakis, sliding her jeans on as quickly as she could. It hurt to sit down, it hurt even more to stand back up after pulling her shoes on. If I keep this up, I'm not sure what'll happen. She winced, sucking in a pained inhale as she tried to steady herself. Just… take it slow. Work's over now.

The door to the staff locker room swung open, with one of the new employees stepping in. She seemed surprised to see Amelia, fumbling a bit. "O-oh, you're heading out, too, Amelia?"

"Yes, ma'am." She hadn't realized her slip into English, drawling out the ma'am tiredly. Looking up, Amelia saw the confusion on the girl's face, suddenly realizing her slip. "Oh, uh, sorry. Haven't done that in a while. Yeah, I'm heading out. Looks like your shift's up, too, huh?"

Taking a few steps forward, the girl's eyes widened a bit. "Woah, I knew you were a foreigner, but I didn't know you were American!"

Wincing a bit, Amelia tried hard to maintain her smile. That's not the first time I've heard that, she thought. Do they all just assume Americans are white? I mean, I… guess they would, wouldn't they. "Yep, I'm from the U.S.," she replied, a mildly bitter tone in her voice. "Wait, where'd you think I was from?"

Freezing in place, the girl's face turned deep red. "U-u-uh, well, n-not sure, b-but that's so cool! I've always wanted to visit America!" She drew closer, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Did you live in L.A.? New York? One of the big cities, because I've always wanted to see those places! I told my mom I want to go before going to university, but I'm not sure where to visit first! What do you recommend?"

For a moment, all Amelia could do was stare, her face despondent. "Hey… what's your name again, kid?"

"Oh, my name's Yui!"

"Well, Yui, I'm from a small town in the Midwest." Amelia began to pack her bag, turned away from Yui. "The closet big city to me, and that I've visited, would be Chicago. And… well, they're all fairly different places from one another. I'm not really the best person to ask."

A little bit of the shine in Yui's eyes faded a bit, her excitement going down. "O-oh, I see. Where in the Midwest?" Her face indicated she wasn't entirely sure where the Midwest even was.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Amelia sighed. "Valley City, Illinois. Ever heard of it, Yui?" She gave her a tight, knowing smile.

"No, I… haven't." Unsure what to say next, Yui walked over to her locker, slowly opening it. "Is… it nice there?"

Amelia thought for a moment. "It's quiet, out of the way." She shrugged. "Lots of farmland, little supermarkets, cows. Not much, but it's… beautiful land." Her eyes were far away now. "My family has lived there for a long, long time."

Yui turned, pulling her uniform shirt off. "Really?"

"Yeah." Amelia nodded slightly. "A very long time."

"So, your family didn't immigrate or something?"

Green eyes turned dark, focusing now on Yui. Gone was Amelia's smile entirely, replaced by a stormy expression. "I'm sorry?"

Her face going red again, Yui took another step back. "F-forget it, it was a stupid question! I d-didn't mean to-!"

"Do you think that anyone who isn't white in America is an immigrant, Yui?" Amelia's voice was low, dangerous. "Is that all everyone knows about America now?" A harsh, single chuckle escaped Amelia's lips, her body tensed up. "My ancestors were there long before the Europeans even had an inkling that the Americas existed. We have deep roots in that land, a land that we treated with respect long before they came. And now, not only am I a stranger in my own home, but in this one as well." Anger burned on her tongue, the presence in the locker room becoming heavy with each passing syllable.

Terrified, Yui leaned into the lockers, unable to speak. Her eyes were wide with fear, clutching to the Rob's Burger polo shirt in her hands for dear life. Amelia eventually saw this terror, her eyes widening a bit before closing tightly. The pain in her body had numbed out for a moment, feeling the spiritual pressure leaking out from her body. "I'm… sorry, Yui. I, uh, didn't mean to get all…" She shook her head, bowing quickly. "Sorry."

"N-n-no, I'm sorry, too!" Yui waved her hands, stuttering over her words. "It was wrong of me to assume, I'm so sorry! Please, I meant no harm by it! I just… guess I don't know too much about America, huh?"

Not meeting her eyes, Amelia cleared her throat. "You have a good rest of your day. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" And with that, she rounded the pushed open the door, rushing out of the room as fast as she could. Her face burned, her knuckles wrapped tightly around the strap of her bag as she walked quickly towards the front.

"Hey, Amelia, not so fast! Wait!"

Her head snapping up, Amelia recognized Mizuho's voice carrying over the hubbub of the customers and the sizzling of the stoves. She turned, seeing Mizuho hurrying after her, wearing her normal street wear. "Did you forget we were headed to the same place?" She gave Amelia a playful grin, nudging her gently. It was then she saw the expression on Amelia's face, pausing for a moment. "Are… are you alright, Amelia?"

Trying her best to seem cheerful, Amelia tried to return a playful grin. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine! Just a bit tired is all!" She laughed, walking side by side with Mizuho. "Guess I almost zombie-walked out of here without you, huh? Sorry."

Mizuho laughed as well, her hair swaying as the late afternoon breeze washed over them both. It was late winter still, the deep chill in the air settling into Amelia's searing skin. The unearthed anger from before began to cool, her blood settling. Taking in a deep breath, Amelia was grateful to be outside again.

"I hear you guys are going to be playing games tonight." Mizuho gave her a small smirk. "From what Keigo told me, it seems Grimmjow's trying his best to learn Soul Caliber 2 before you get there."

There it was again, that feeling in her gut. It was warm, her body filling with excitement. Her smile eased into a real one, her shoulders relaxing. Puffs of white pushed out into the cold sky as Amelia spoke. "Well, he's gonna be in for a rough time. I spent a lot of time as a kid playing that game." She shot Mizuho a glance. "He hasn't got a chance against me, that's for sure."

"Oh, I'm sure!" They both laughed, their voices carrying. "You must've played a lot with other kids your age, then."

"No, not really."

This seemed to shock Mizuho, glancing at Amelia for a moment. "So… you played them… by yourself?"

Amelia shrugged nonchalantly, a smile still on her face. "Yeah. Didn't really have a lot of friends, 'specially not my age." She dug her hands into her pockets, looking up at the gray sky. "So, whenever the weather was bad, or I didn't wanna go outside, I was huddled inside playing games most of the time."

For a moment, all Mizuho could do was look away, lost in thought. The murmurs of people passing by and cars slowly crawling over icy roads were all that could be heard.

"I don't know why that surprises you so much," Amelia said at last, running her hand through her very short hair. "Is… it weird for me to say that?"

"Hmmm… well, it just shocks me, because you seem so…" Mizuho tried her best to find the right words. "I don't know, but you seem like someone who'd have little trouble finding friends. You're not afraid to interact with others. I mean, you do a very good job of it at work."

It was Amelia's turn to look shocked, her lips parting, that stormy look appearing in her eyes. But there was no anger this time, touch of sadness. "It wasn't because I didn't want to talk to people, necessarily," she said. "It was more like people didn't really want much to do with me in the first place."

Mizuho's face scrunched up in confusion. "Why would that be?"

Sighing deeply, Amelia's shoulders sagged a bit, her eyes closing. "Oh, boy. Um, well…" She paused for a moment, stopping at the crosswalk as they waited for the light to signal a safe crossing. "I grew up on the edge of a small town. I'm talkin' very small, only pushing a little over 100 people as our population. Basically, the middle of nowhere. And middle-of-nowhere America can be… unforgiving, depending on what you look like."

"What you look like?" Mizuho's confusion compounded, causing her to miss the light change. "What're you-?"

Gently grabbing Mizuho's elbow, Amelia led her along. "If you're not white, then you're more likely to face discrimination. It's a… sad reality. But its even worse is you're a native. And my family lives on land that we've held onto for centuries." The sadness in her eyes deepened a bit. "So, what do you get when you're a small family of indigenous people surrounded by a white population of people who are highly religious and have very little knowledge of those who lived on the land before them? Hm?"

"Uh…" Mizuho looked despondent, unsure. "I can't say I know, but it sounds like it would be… suffocating."

"They called us witches, pagans, among other fun little things." Amelia shook her head, laughing bitterly. "And none of the kids could talk to me; their parents told them so. As you can imagine, things were pretty lonely and sometimes a bit dangerous."

"I'm so… so sorry."

"Don't be. There's no need." Giving Mizuho a gentle hand to the shoulder, Amelia's mouth was covered by a plume of white. "I have other things to worry about nowadays, ya know?"

Rubbing her hands together, Mizuho pulled her fingers closer to her lips, breathing warm air on them. "You know, I can't believe it's taken me this long to ask you about your family." She looked at Amelia, seeing her in a new light. "I mean, I know your sister Ash, but besides that, who is your family?"

"Oh, it's a pretty small one," Amelia replied. "When I was little, I lived with my grandmother and my uncle. They took care of me all my life, although it was mostly my grandmother who took care of me. My uncle was always off for work."

"Did Ash not live with you?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't meet Ash 'til I was… 13? Almost 14? It was after my…" Amelia stopped, her face blanching for a moment, gasping. Her left arm began shaking, her hand curling up as she struggled to calm the spasm rising through her limbs. "Shit!"

Realization washed over Mizuho's face, rushing over to help her. "Oh god, is your arm flaring up again? Do we need to see Urahara?"

Fighting back the pain, Amelia stopped for a moment, leaning against a brick wall. "Nah, I'm… I'm okay." She breathed in sharply between gritted teeth, the cool air slicing into her throat. "This happens every now and again. I just… need… a second, okay?"

"O-okay, take all the time you need. We're not too far from my place, anyways."

Amelia's eyes went blurry again, blues and grays melting together in a haze of pain. It felt like every cell is breaking apart. The nerves in her arms screamed, the hardened skin sensitive to the touch. I thought these were getting better since they didn't happen so often, but they just get more painful each and every time. The moments felt like hours, but, eventually, the pain subsided, leaving her breathless. "Okay… okay, I think we're good now." She pushed off the wall, clenching a fist one last time with her left hand before turning down the sidewalk. "Sorry about that, Mizuho."

"There's no reason to be sorry." Adjusting her bag, Mizuho looked serious. "You're still not fully healed yet. You've said so yourself."

"You're right." Touching each finger to her thumb, Amelia could feel the spasms decreasing with each passing second. "Anyway, w-what were we talking about?"

"We were talking about your family," Mizuho replied. "You said you met Ash when you were 13."

Discomfort overtook Amelia, her eyes narrowing a bit. "Yeah, I… met her after my uncle died. We're only half siblings, after all."

"Jesus, you have a crazy family history, by the sound of it." Mizuho gave her a look of disbelief. "What about your parents?"

This time, Amelia went silent, her lips forming a hard frown as she stared at the icy sidewalk. An uncomfortable feeling settled into Mizuho's stomach, telling her it was probably best to ask any more questions. "Ah, I see. You don't need to tell me anything you don't want to, it's not really any of my business anyway."

"I think… you're really the first person to ask me all these kinds of questions." Amelia sounded hoarse, her voice low. "Sorry, I just haven't thought about this stuff in a while and it's… not pleasant, ya know?"

"Oh, trust me." Mizuho gave her a sad smile. "I'm no stranger to family baggage myself. When Keigo was seven, our parents got divorced, leaving my mom to be our main caretaker."

"Really?"

She paused. "Yeah. And, when Keigo turned nine, she went to work abroad. I've… been taking care of Keigo for the longest time." Amelia could see her eyes start to glisten a bit, her hands gripping the hem of her coat. "We hear from her less and less, it would seem. The last phone call I'd had with her was… oh gosh, I think four months ago. And now if we ever need to talk to her, it always goes to voicemail. Things are still being taken care of, we just don't ever hear from or see her anymore."

Amelia had stopped moving again, staring at Mizuho as she watched the sadness overtake her body. "I… I'm so… so sorry. That's…" Her eyes darted, trying her best not to let her own tears fall down her face. "Um, wow, I-."

"Looks like were a bunch of chatterboxes today, huh?" Mizuho laughed nervously, wiping her eyes quickly. "Hey, it's okay. I just need you to know…" She sighed, ruffling Amelia's short hair beneath her hand. The smile on her face nearly broke Amelia's heart, the cold seeping into her skin vanishing for a moment. "That you're not alone. Or at least, not anymore. None of us are."

Speechless again, Amelia could feel her tears running down her cheeks. She hadn't meant to cry; she didn't want to. This wasn't her pain to feel, and yet it felt so familiar. And then, as if possessed, the words tumbled from her mouth. "My parents disappeared when I was three days old." They were bitter words, ripping her apart at the seams, and yet she couldn't hold them back. Not after all of this. "Or at least that's what my uncle told me. I think he just wanted me to think they didn't just flat out abandon me. But that's… all I know." She couldn't look Mizuho in the eyes. As those words tumbled out, a strange feeling washed over Amelia, her body starting to go limp, the world spinning a bit. Oh god, what's happening to me?

But she didn't have long to worry about that before Mizuho's arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. It was warm there, a type of warmth she missed. Amelia could feel her tears seep into her coat, a floodgate opening up. She didn't remember or care for the world around her, not bothered by who saw her in that moment. All she could do was cry into Mizuho's shoulder, and Mizuho into hers.

It felt like forever before they pulled away, Mizuho wiping her face furiously. "Oh… oh my god… I think my makeup's ruined for the day." She laughed a bit, sputtering between breaths. Pulling her hands away, dark smears of mascara hung beneath her eyes. "H-how do I look?"

Amelia couldn't help but laugh this time, her face red and soaked with tears. The salty liquid froze on her sleeves, threatening to frost over her face, but somehow, she looked… better. "You look a little like a raccoon, but other than that, you should be fine." She took a deep, shaky breath, squaring her shoulders. "Thanks, Mizuho."

"I think I need to thank you as well." Looking into a compact mirror, Mizuho furiously tried wipe the mascara away. "Who knew we both needed a good cry today, you know?" Snapping the mirror closed, she wrapped her arm around Amelia's shoulder. "We better get going, or they're gonna wonder why it's taking us forever to get there."

"Yeah." Amelia smiled, leaning into Mizuho a bit as they walked quickly down the street, feeling the odd euphoria of a fresh cry overtake her body. "Let's go."

"OH COM'ON!"

Keigo lay back into the couch, laughing as Grimmjow screamed at the screen. "YA FUCKIN' BASTARD! HOW'D YA DO THAT?!" On screen, a smug Talim twirled her elbow blades, smiling down. "I must fight, it's not over yet!"

"I told you, man, there's a ton of combo moves to remember!" Wiping his eyes, Keigo sat forward again. "Besides, you chose to use Astaroth! He's like the slowest character you could pick!"

"So what?! He's one of the biggest and most powerful characters! He should be able to the wipe the floor with that little bitch! She's so damn jumpy!" Grimmjow tossed his controller to the side, grumbling to himself. "If I had to fight her myself, I snatch her outta mid air and break her back. Let's see how high she'd jump then!"

The front door opened, with both Amelia and Mizuho talking in low voices as they yanked off coats and shoes in the entry way. Sitting up excitedly, Keigo let the game go to the character selection screen, leaping over the couch. "There you are! You're both later than I thought you'd be."

"Sorry, Keigo." Mizuho stepped into the living room, stretching. "We got a bit sidetracked, but we bring food!" She peered over the couch, giving Grimmjow a small wave. "Hey, Grimm! Good to see you!"

Grimmjow mumbled an unintelligible reply, still pouting over his loss.

"Hey, Amelia." Keigo gave Amelia a confident smirk, arms crossed as he watched her approach. "You feelin' lucky today?"

The tiredness in her eyes faded for a moment, green eyes glistening as she smiled. "I don't need luck, my guy," Amelia said. "I'm more than ready to crush both of you tonight." Glancing over, she saw a pouting Grimmjow, her grin widening. "How's the training going, Grimm? You win any rounds?"

Pout turning to sneer, Grimmjow stood up. "The only thing ya should be worried about is if yer gonna win any damn rounds, dumbass." Blue hair fell over into his face, his gnarled hands reaching for his controller. "Bring it on!"

"Before you guys play, does anyone need anything to eat?" Mizuho called from the kitchen. "We brought some food from Rob's, but we did stop by the market on the corner and grab some snack food."

"I'm good," Keigo called back, taking his place on the couch. "Thank you, though!" Watching Amelia take her seat, he handed her a controller. "I'll let you fight against Grimm first, since he's been beside himself, just waiting to fight you."

"Thanks!" Amelia's face lit up, taking the gray controller in hand. "Oh man, it really has been a while! Look at the graphics on these guys!" She scrolled for a moment, trying her best to pick.

"Who do you usually pick? Who's you're favorite?" Keigo watched carefully, hands behind his head. Regardless of who would win, he knew this was going to be a sight to see.

As Amelia pressed A, the announcer shouted, "TAKI!" emphatically, wearing her default outfit. "I'm split between Taki and Kilik," she said, scrolling. "Although, if I feel like switching it up, I'll use Talim." She gave him a brief glance, a knowing smile on her face. "And, if I'm feeling daring, I use Ivy from time to time."

"Oh, thank god you're not one of those people who uses Maxi."

Amelia shook her head emphatically. "Hell no. I'm convinced people who pick Maxi are assholes at their very core!"

Player two announced their pick at top volume. "MAXI!"

Staring at Grimmjow, Amelia and Keigo looked shocked. "G-Grimm, you haven't used Maxi before. Are you sure you-?"

"Ya told me Astaroth was slow as shit, right?" Grimmjow glared at Amelia, a predatory grin. "So I guess I better switch up my game if I wanna win, right?"

Keigo went to protest, but Amelia stopped him. "Ah, let him hold onto some sort of hope, Keigo. This'll be an interesting round regardless."

The faceoff screen appeared, with both players hunched over their controllers, ready to square off. Grimmjow grumbled under his breath, his eyes focused, the light of the screen reflecting off blue irises.

"Round 1, fight!"

It was immediate carnage. The furious clicking of buttons and the rough push of joy cons mingled with the sounds of grunts and cries of pain. Neither of them said a word, with Keigo sitting forward, watching with bated breath. The health bars were drastically different, changing by the second until, at last, Taki wrapped her leg around Maxi's neck, slicing through his throat gracefully. "Taki wins!"

"YEAH!" Amelia put her hands in the air, grinning from ear to ear. "Holy crap, that's such a rush!"

"The game ain't over yet, Locklear!" Grimmjow didn't look at her, ready for the next round. "Don't get too cocky now!"

She laughed. "You think you have a chance next round?"

"That was just a fluke! I was getting' my bearings is all!"

"Round 2, fight!"

This round remained much the same as the first, with the added flair of Taki sending Maxi flying and kicking him straight back down into the ground. "Taki wins!"

"That was a lot of fun, oh man!" Amelia leaned into the couch, staring at the screen contentedly. "Good game, Grimmjow. You'll get better, just keep practicing."

"ANOTHER ROUND!" Grimmjow hissed, glaring at her. "I ain't lettin' ya off that easy! Face me again!"

"Ah, but Grimmjow, loser has to hand over the controller," Keigo said. "If she beats me, then you get another chance to try and beat her. Sound good?"

Reluctantly, the Espada handed the controller over to Keigo, still glaring at Amelia. "I'm gonna beat ya, just ya wait. Don't go gettin' a big head over this, Locklear."

"I look forward to it," she countered, laughing. "Let's go, Keigo!"

The sun had long set by the time anyone realized they were hungry. Dim lights shone through the dark, reflecting off the patches of snow that littered the ground and rested on rooftops. Keigo stretched, yawning a bit. "Ah, man, food sounds good right about now. How long've we been playing for?"

"Not… sure." Amelia yawned as well, crawling over the side of the couch. Her body succumbed to another round of exhaustion, noticing her own empty stomach. "But I think it's safe to say a long while." She looked back, seeing Grimmjow come around the couch, sauntering towards the kitchen. "Brought your favorite order for you, Grimm." She reached towards the two cold paper bags, pulling out wrapped burgers. "Actually, I think I brought you two." She set the two wrapped burgers on the counter, digging for her own. "Enjoy."

"Oh, so ya remembered this time, didya?" He peeled away the wrapper, eating the now-cold burger. "Good. It ain't gonna make me go any easier on ya in the game, though."

"First of all, are you just gonna eat those cold?" Amelia gave him an incredulous look. "Just give them a quick minute in the microwave and they'll taste better."

Grimmjow just took another bite, his expression sour.

Shaking her head, she opened a bag of chips. "And second of all, that's rich coming from a guy who's not won a single game!" She gave him a playful laugh, followed by a pronounced crunch.

"I won that one round, remember?!"

"Yeah, one round out of three!"

Growling into his food, Grimmjow hoisted himself onto the counter, sitting cross-legged. "Whatever, I'll beat ya. I'll catch up soon enough, just you wait."

"Ah man, you definitely gave me a run for my money, Amelia." Keigo was busy stuffing his face, grinning broadly. "I'm not sure why, but I'd never peg you as someone who'd like video games! Not sure why, just you didn't seem the type."

"Well, I'm glad you asked me to join you guys." Amelia popped another chip in her mouth, glowing despite her exhaustion. "I've never really had people invite me over to play games before, so this was extra special. Besides, it's been… hoooooo boy, a stressful week. It was much needed."

Stopping midchew, Keigo stared at her. "Really? You've never played with other people before? Not even online?"

Amelia shook her head. "Nope. Didn't have great connection to the internet back home, and, uh… didn't really have friends then, either." She laughed. "But this was a lot of fun! I'm down to do it again sometime!" She tilted her head towards Grimmjow, grinning. "It'll give him plenty of chances to finally beat me."

"Oh, hell yeah!" Keigo nodded excitedly. "You're definitely invited! And when Mizuiro moves into the apartment with us, he can join in. We'll have enough people to play Super Smash Bros."

"That will be a bloodbath, especially if Grimmjow's involved."

"Are ya makin' fun of me, dumbass?"

The sky was clear as Grimmjow and Amelia stepped out of Keigo's apartment, their breaths exploding into brilliant, translucent clouds.

"Thank you, guys, for coming over tonight!" Mizuho called, peering around the corner. "Have a good night! I'll see you tomorrow, Amelia!"

Leaning in, Amelia waved. "See ya tomorrow, Mizuho!" Straightening now, she shuddered as the cold night air settled in. "Take care, Keigo. See ya soon."

"Y-yeah!" Keigo shivered, rubbing his arms. "D-don't freeze on the way home! Holy c-crap, it's cold out here!"

"Ah, com'on kid, it ain't that bad." Grimmjow huffed, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"Look, I'm not immune to cold like you are!" He gave Grimmjow a once-over. "Hell, you're not even wearing a coat! Jesus."

"You should get back inside," Amelia said. "Have a good night, man!"

"Night!"

Keigo's front door closed gently, leaving the two alone in the cold night. Sighing, Amelia let her shoulders relax, feeling the cold seep in. "Alright, let's get goin', shall we?"

Grumbling again, Grimmjow was close behind, descending the steps and strolling out onto the sidewalk, making the long trek back to the warehouse. "I guess I gotta train when ya don't come over," he said under his breath, eyes narrowing to slits. "Embarrasin'."

"You do that." Pulling her hat onto her head, Amelia shivered a little. "You just need to find that one fighter you feel comfortable with. That's all."

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm not! I just love playing video games is all. Not everything's a competition, ya know."

Stopping in his tracks, Grimmjow gave her a dangerous look. "Yeah, it is, dumbass. I ain't ever gonna lose to ya. Not ever."

A bit startled, Amelia stopped as well. "What's your deal? This is just supposed to be fun, Grimmjow. I… I thought we were having a fun time tonight. It's not something to lose your shit over."

"Ya still got that mark on yer damn hand?"

Her eyes went glassy, her heart sinking to her chest. Oh… that's right. The smile on her face faded away, leaving her with a sad little frown. "Grimmjow, I-."

"As long as ya have that, there's no way I'm lettin' ya off the hook." His voice turned to a deep growl. "Yer always gonna be my competition until that mark disappears. There's only one Sexta Espada."

"We've had this conversation, you idiot." Her words were harsh, quiet. "I am not an Espada anymore. This doesn't mean-."

"It does." Grimmjow's finger poked her collarbone, his face inches away. She could feel his rage radiating from his body. "That mark is what makes an Espada. It defines 'em, make's em powerful, demands a certain respect. And ya haven't earned that. It was mine first, and I'll be damned if ya get a big head 'cause ya think yer my equal."

"Hey, you-!"

"It's mine. It's all I have." His voice didn't raise, but the emphasis was there. Cold shivers went down her spine. "Ya can't take that from me, you can't take-!" He pointed at the apartments, indicating Keigo –"him from me! Yer not gonna take what I've built for myself and keep it for yerself! So get that through yer thick-!"

The air changed, suddenly weighing heavy against his shoulders. Looking into Amelia's eyes, he could see a green spark, something dangerous shifting in the dark. "I don't want your world, Grimmjow. I have my own. It's small, but it's mine. I don't need yours. So, for the last fucking time…" She poked a finger at his chest, pushing him back. "Calm the hell down." Her jaw set, she pushed past him, walking into the night with a purposeful stride.

She heard him catch up to her, his eyes boring into her flesh. All she could feel was the exhaustion. The exhaustion from work, from worry, from pain, from these pointless little games that she hated playing over and over again. That cry from earlier before had been wonderful, but the cold reality of what lay ahead chilled her. The unknown.

"Look, if you can beat me at one game, I'll give you free burgers for life."

Amelia could almost predict the look on Grimmjow's face, a tiny, thin grin forming on her face. It was priceless. "We got a deal, Grimm?"

A few moments of silence passed before he answered. "Ya got it, dumbass." His voice was low, but he had the spirit.

She turned back, giving him a mischievous glance. "Then ya better train hard. I'm not gonna go easy on you." Then a thought occurred to her, her expression going from mischievous to evil. "Hold on, wait a minute."

"What now?"

"So, a moment ago, you said I can't take Keigo from you."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Does that… make him your friend?" Her grin widened. "Your best friend even?"

Choking on protests, Grimmjow's eyes bulged from his face. His back bending forward, he did his best to keep calm. "Sh-shut up, you fuckin' bitch! Just shut up and leave me alone already, dammit!" And with that, he stalked off, marching as fast as he could ahead of her, leaving her laugh in his wake.

That explains a lot. Her smile went from evil to soft, her hands curling in her pockets. I guess, in a way, we're too much alike. Too busy fighting for our own little bit of this world. She looked up, seeing the stars shimmering back at her, dancing their eternal dance.

Guess he isn't that bad. Just scared.

A/N: I know, I know. This isn't an update for the main fic, but I needed to focus on a few things. This little one shot is supposed to explain a few relevant things that have happened and what is to come. It's an OC-centric chapter, so sorry to any one who hates that, but needed to do some background for Amelia. I hope y'all enjoy, and that you're taking care of yourselves. Next post will be a main fic chapter, don't worry!