UNTIL KINGDOM COME [FEAT. REISHA]

There hadn't been many moments in her life where she felt lost. Shimizu-taichou was gone, branded a traitor. And in one fell swoop, it seemed like the weight of the world bore down on her shoulders. It was crushing and deafening, threatening to make her enter that dark area of her mind she quarantined for so long.

She sought respite at the only place that could give it to her. The Fathomless Sea -- it seemed so befitting to her at this very moment. And as she approached the cliff that overlooked the blue ocean, her eyes warily landed on a red-haired male. She instantly recognized him, and her eyes closed in thought.

Turning back now would be cowardly. Besides, there was no reason they couldn't remain amicable. After all, they would have to continue to work together as Fukutaichos of the Gotei 13. Approaching him, Reisha smiled politely and held her wrist behind her back. "If you stay like that long enough, you might get stuck," she teased coyly, though she turned her eyes to remain on the waves below.

"Yes, of course. I remember you being so hard to get," she replied with light sarcasm. Pictures of their earlier selves floated into her head. They were happy. They knew each other. She had even fooled herself into thinking that he was the one -- the one she would be with until she died. And yet -- like that -- it was over. A few cordial nods and averted glances was all they shared now, passing each other like they were the common stranger.

"I came to see what jerk was using my favorite spot." A quick quip was her usual reply in their everlasting banters. Still, the hidden truthfulness behind her words lay mangled in the air past her lips. She did think him to be a jerk. Not the one everyone else thought he was -- no, she knew that wasn't him. But she knew that he was, in all senses, a jerk. One who had caused her heart quite a bit of suffering.

Still holding her hands behind her back and maintaining an easy and pleasant face, she came to stand beside him. The height difference of half a foot drilled more memories into her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. "How long have you been here?"

"Implying you're actually bothered by my invasion of personal space." She smirked slightly and proceeded to lower herself to the ground. She sat with her legs dangling over the cliff, her fingers curling around the underside of the rock. His subtle introduction of flattery had done its job and made her feel warm inside, though she wouldn't allow him to notice.

As he spit out his question in layers of snark, Reisha instantly waved off any sense of cynicism he tried to inject into it. The fact he still cared at all made her feel good, as if the healing process was beginning already. But the fact he saw past her composed countenance and knew anything was wrong in the first place unsettled her. "It is stressful, but that doesn't bother me. In a clinic that systematically takes care of the wounded like a conveyor belt, I'm used to that." She twisted her fingers into the end of her hair and pulled lightly. "It's Shimizu-taichou I'm worried about. Everyone is calling her a traitor, but I know she isn't like that." Reisha wasn't often a naive woman, but when she put her trust into someone, she was seized by it. Oblivious to any imperfections, she remained loyal until words of breaking away actually left a person's mouth.

Kawa hadn't been the first person to warrant such naivety from Reisha. "But I don't expect your consolations, Ash. Simply being here calms my nerves."

Reisha let out a light laughter in response to his oh-so-flamboyant nature. She brought her index knuckle to her lips as she chortled, closing her eyes in the process. Glancing away from the male, she kept her eyes on the sea below. This was the first time in the past two days that she had felt weightless. One of Ashton's most redeeming qualities was that he could make her happy without even trying.

Reisha's smile faded when he told her exactly what she would be doing. That sense of subtle control he exuded wound its way into her blood. "And yet I already did." A low blow, perhaps. But she felt like she hadn't given him nearly the amount of spite he deserved. And she never would. But when he decided to make asshat statements like those, she couldn't help herself. "But you're right. I'd never leave my division," she corrected.

Reisha swung her feet back and forth slowly as they dangled over the cliff. She rested her hands in her lap and finally turned her eyes toward Ashton to look at him fully. Unblinking, she stared. "And you? You would have no problem walking away?"

Reisha rolled her eyes playfully at his mock-display of sincerity toward her. There were so many overwhelmingly charming qualities that possessed this red-haired man, and yet she was the only one to see his traits in a positive light. Everything about him was up to interpretation, and she had been the only one who chose to interpret all of those qualities as endearing. "A piece? More like the whole animal."

And that was another thing that constantly drew her to him. She was tame and reserved -- the good girl. He was aloof and wild -- the bad boy. He was a jerk, and asshole, a douchebag; his general dickery had graced the eyes and ears of all Shinigami in the Seireitei. But it was that lingering, sole thought that she was his soft spot. "And what about you? Why are you out here?" She tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes knowingly. "And I want a real answer. No dancing around the question with jokes." She raised a finger in the air and turned her eyes back tot he sea. "If I don't like your answer, I swear on my heart I won't talk to you." A childish threat, but one she knew would draw out some type of reaction, be it him telling her his real reasons or displaying a true emotion for once.

The snaking of his fingers in between her own did not go unnoticed. Her eyes only quickly averted down for a cursory glance at their conjoined digits. She allowed it to stay, as the feeling of comfort that swelled in her far overpowered the feeling of unease. She knew she was in danger of falling back into his vortex, and for whatever reason, she was turning a blind eye to the fast-approaching cliff.

He agreed to her wish, and she couldn't help but to smile slightly in reply. Reisha admired Ashton's strength and ability to maintain composure, but she also admired his ability to let his guard down around her. As his fingers tightened around her's, she pulled her lips into her mouth and sucked on them with an absent mind, keeping her eyes swept to the side, fearing that if he saw them, they would betray every thought she held. "Ah, I know. I try to stay away from the politics of Soul Society, but... Even I can tell that soon, things won't be the same." With two Captains having left already and a few Vice Captains missing, as well as all the Quincy turmoil in the human world... It seemed like chaos was brewing. Her meeting with Nathaniel only confirmed her suspicions.

"Little ole me? The one you let get away~?" she cooed softly and turned to look at him once more, now rid of her flusters. "God, how long were we together? Thirty three years? Thirty four?" she asked as the fleeting thought entered her brain. "But..." She thought of how to phrase her words. Unlike Ashton, she was pretty good at articulation. "I don't ever want you letting me or any of your other stresses being a distraction. If something happens and Soul Society turns to anarchy or is overrun with Quincy -- something of that nature -- I want you to have a clear mind." Reisha sucked in a breath and closed her eyes for a second before staring at him again. "So I forgive you. For anything and everything you did, I forgive you."