Be Nice to the Doctor R | NDE | CTP JT | OSEN ACTIVE!

[Nycha Dartan]

Nycha wasn’t surprised when Garret declined her offer to stop by her hotel room to dry off. She was a little crazy to think a random stranger who quickly became friends with her, would want to go to her hotel room to dry off his clothes and talk with her alone. In part, she was somewhat glad he didn’t as she realized her crazy request only after he declined. Her stomach gave off another growl, this one a little louder than normal, which made her grab at her stomach. She thought to herself, ‘Settle down. We’re going, we’re going.’ The stomach growl made her a little embarrassed and hoped that Garret didn’t hear it and if he did, that he would simply laugh it off instead of comment on it.

As he walked over and picked his sword up, he did so with much ease as far as she saw it. She couldn’t even attempt to fathom just how much it weighed and guessed that was partially a reason why he was so strong. As he got himself set right, he spoke of the hotel as an inn and restated that it wasn’t a good idea to go into town. Was he bipolar? First he agreed to go get something to eat and now he wanted to stay out of town. She wasn’t going to eat some fish from the river, that wasn’t that good of an idea. Then he changed his statements once again and wanted to see what the cuisine was in this age. It was obvious he had spent too much time in Soul Society and hadn’t been to the human world to enjoy the delicious food that was around.

“Are you alright? Did I hit you a little too hard with that last attack? Do you need some of my healing? You’re acting a little weird stating one thing and then changing it in a moment. If you need something from me, just ask. Yes the hotel is similar to an inn and yes it is safe for you to go into town, I’m with you remember. I’m taking you to the steakhouse next to the hotel. You’ll enjoy it better than that venison you had in your bag,” she stated, “Just follow me.” Without hesitation, she turned and began walking towards the restaurant. Nycha expected him to follow her. She could tell by his energy if he was or not and if he wasn’t she could persuade him to.

The route wasn’t too long and they made the small hike within a half an hour. The town was filled with buildings of all sizes. The streets held vehicles that zoomed by them at high speeds. People lined the sidewalks on both sides of the street. It was surely much different from Soul Society was and there was nothing but cement and asphalt instead of grass and trees. Of course, people stared at her as she walked due to her appearance. Nycha was used to it though and didn’t let the stares or random yelling comments from the people she passed by bother her.

Within a few more minutes, they had arrived at the steakhouse and Nycha opened the door for Garret. Hopefully,he had kept up with her and would simply enter into the restaurant and smell the delicious aroma that was emitted. As soon as he had entered, she would follow him in and head to the employee at the greeters counter. “Table for 2 please,” she asked the employee. At first, the employee didn’t know what to say or act as she had entered the building and asked the request. After a few moments she lead them to a table and Nycha sat first and ushered Garret to do the same.

When the waiter arrived, he asked what she wanted to drink and simply ordered water for them both. She also placed an order for 2 steak and potato platters with a medium rare cook. The waiter gave her a weird look before disappearing and placing the order. “I hope you don’t mind me ordering for you. I figured you would like whatever I ordered since you don’t know much about the cuisine here. So, tell me some more about yourself before the food arrives. Where do you live? Anything special about yourself besides your curse?” she asked him.

She wanted to get to know him better so that she could better train him. The more she knew, the more she could use what he knew to help him out as well as have the information for her. Of course, Nycha would give more about herself, but she was curious to find out as much as she could about him.

[Deleted]

Garret was quiet as he followed behind Nycha, head downcast and gaze to the side. He didn't have anything to say, and if he did what good would they do? Nycha had made herself clear and wouldn't likely take no for an answer. Garret still felt this was a bad idea, only going along with it because he was essentially powerless to deny her. Looking up at her though his eye planted on her back, narrowing as a dark idea came to his mind. He could kill her. Right now, with her guard down, Garret could simply reach behind him and grab his sword. The distance between them was adequate, all it would take was one good thrust and it was over. He felt his arm twitch slightly, his body wanting to obey that thought and carry it through. What is wrong with me...

When was it that he became so terrified to have allies? Could it have been due to the nights? So, what a stupid question. Garret knew exactly why he didn't want people around him. He didn't want to see something like that ever happen again. The thought of it made his mood even worse, though he continued to follow after Nycha. The thought of killing her never came again. The route they followed was not long, taking less than a half hour to reach the first signs of civilization.

Garret was hesitant to go any further, eyeing the first few buildings he saw with distaste. Structures of various sizes, shapes, and colors littered the sides of both streets. Buildings with clear windows, with doors made of glass, of various signs covering them. Garret scowled, finding them distasteful and appalling. The restaurant itself, a small diner sort of place, wasn't much better either. It was one of those small roadside restaurants, the sort you saw in movies where people would talk about some sort of plan or something.

Garret looked at the booth that Nycha had gotten for them, walking over to his side and simply looking at it. How one earth was he going to fit into such a tiny gap. He narrowed his eye, scoffing as he looked around and grabbed a bar stool from the bar, pulling it over the table and sitting up it with arms crossed. He didn't look very happy, embhassased actually to be sitting on a little circle with legs. "These people can see you, and you let them look at you like that?" He suddenly asked, his eye set on the people who were looking at Nycha like she was some sort of monster.

[Nycha Dartan]

The people in the diner were obviously confused at the situation. So many things were going on at once and there was nothing to explain it all. First, a strange alien like being sat down and ordered a meal for 2 people when clearly she was the only one there. Next a bar stool magically moves over nearby her. The oddity seemed to cause a stir in people as some got up and just left while others simply stared in wonder. However, Garret could see that Nycha wasn't bothered by it at all and was simply going about everything as if it was normal. Humans were certainly weird beings and their small mindset couldn't handle the truth of the world as it is.

Then he asked her a question about the whole thing, which made her a little unhappy. He didn't even try to fit into the normal sized seat nor did he even answer any of her questions. His mind was obviously not in its normal set and she would have to fix that. "Well for me, it's normal. I failed at my last life and was given a chance at a new one. This is the form I was given and if I can't accept myself in this form, how can I expect them too? Plus, if someone were to complain about it, I'd simply knock them through a wall and then fix them both up as if nothing happened. I can say for sure that if people saw you, they'd stare too." she stated.

Then she held out her hand and put it onto his head. Once again her yellow reiatsu flowed from her hand and enveloped him. Nycha was attempting to cure his confusion and get rid of any ill willed thoughts towards her. "I can tell your nervous and feeling frustrated. Just relax and enjoy the food before we go train. Now back to my questions. Where do you live? Anything special about yourself besides your curse? Tell me anything and everything you want. The more I know, the more I can help," she told him.

After a few moments, she removed her hand and the flow of reiatsu ended. Hopefully the treatment would have made him feel better and get into a better mood as well as a better mindset. If she had to throw him through a wall to get him thinking, she would, but she would prefer not to. Nycha was doing her best to be friendly and she hoped Garret would also do the same for her. After all, the world is filled with many people and beings and the more allies you had, the better you can either fight against those who wish to harm you and protect those you care for. Even the most stubborn beast had a soft spot in its heart for those it cared about and did all it could to protect it and face the evils of the world.

[Deleted]

Garret and Nycha

Her explanation made sense, was actually very well reasoned and thought out actually. Garret simply gave a little "hmph" in response, crossing his arms as he tried to get comfortable on such a tiny stool. He had placed his sword against the empty side of the booth, since sitting on this thing with that on it would have crushed the already weak wood. Still, if someone did have a problem with her she said she would simply knock them out, but then heal them. That struck the man as odd. Why would you bother healing someone? The injuries they received would be a lasting reminder to never bother you again. It must have just been her nature as a healer, something Garret wouldn't understand.

When she reached for him to try and use that magic on him again, Nycha would watch as Garret moved his head away, pushing her arm away slightly with his arm. "I don't need your healing." He grumbled, returning his one eyed gaze to the confused citizens in the restaurant with them. The clothing they wore were so...different than what he remembered people wearing. But, back on the topic at hand Nycha once again asked the same questions. She was persistent, wanting to know such things.

Garret was quiet, his gaze drifting to outside the window at the passing automobiles. He was silent, staring ahead like that, long enough that it seemed he would not answer. He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "It'd be impossible for me to have a home. I failed to mention it earlier, but if I were to remain in one place for more than one night my curses effects grow. Hollows of greater strength and numbers would come. I suppose my home is wherever my feet take me." Garret replied, lowering his gaze and closing his eye.

When was the last time he had slept in a bed? Eaten a real meal that wasn't some dead fire cooked animal? He didn't need such things, not anymore, but the mention of a home had brought such thoughts forward. As for Nychas other questions, he didn't quite have any answers to them right now. He didn't know Nycha that well, nor was he into the idea of simply opening up to someone who might be dead in the morning. But, he had to tell her something otherwise she would get pushy. "All you need to know about me is that I am dangerous to be around due to my curse. That's all there is to me, I'm not anyone special. Just a man who was played the wrong hand by fate." Garret explained, his eye locked on Nycha as he spoke.

He would be a touch nut to crack, and no amount of beating was going to get anything else out of him. From those words though it was clear Garret was hiding something. Something about himself. A man like him obviously had a lot on his shoulders, on top of the whole curse thing. Garret blinked when the man from before returned, carrying two plates each with the same meal. A slice of cooked meat and a baked potato. He eyed the food, noting the drastic difference between how potatoes were prepared back in his day and now.

"This...white stuff and greens atop the potato........what is it?"

Garret actually asked that, lifting his fork up and poking it slightly. He had never seen such a thing before. It wasn't butter, though he could sure smell it. The meat looked good, the man gulping slightly as he felt his stomach grumble. Was he really this hungry? Or did the food just look that good? Garret grumbled, lifting his knife and slowly cutting into the steak. He cast a glance to Nycha and spoke again.

"Thank you...for the meal."

[Nycha Dartan]

As Garret pushed her hand away, she was a bit shocked. Did he think that his attitude was one that was acceptable towards her or was it that he was a stubborn old goat that didn’t know how to be courteous for a woman? She wasn’t sure, but she would make him pay for it when they went off to training. Nycha had a few training regimens that would put him to hard work and make him wish he wasn’t so mean before. Although she was one of more kind beings, she was tough and to survive you have to be willing to get down and dirty with them all.

For a while, he was quiet. Maybe thinking how he would speak to her or maybe he just wanted to get some food and get out to training. In fact, she was getting quite hungry as well and wondered when their food would show up. It had been like a good solid 15 minutes since she ordered and the food usually didn’t take that long to arrive. Nycha wondered what was going on in that back room since the diner wasn’t that full and all their meal was was two steaks and two baked potatoes. The he started to talk about having no home and that his curse becomes a greater effect, the longer he stayed there.

It seemed like his curse acted like some sort of hollow bait, which was odd for a soul to have such a thing. Did someone experiment on him and if so, why? This sort of thing confused Nycha and only brought up more questions than answers. As he continued, he still felt that she shouldn’t be around him and that he was dangerous. Well he was only going to dangerous to himself if he didn’t let her help him. Garret needed her more than he thought and the sooner he got that into his head, the easier it would be to work with him.

She was a little sad that he still thought that she couldn’t handle herself or protect them both when the opposite was true. Then he brought up fate and it was a touchy subject for her. She knew that fate was a fickle mistress and that when tempted to do bad, it will. By doing good things, good things will happen to you. When doing bad and lucking out without issues, only leads to a bigger issue to come along later. That was how Nycha truly ended up like this. Her good fortune for the longest time went well, but there was a balance that needed to be paid and this was the result.

Nycha let out a small chuckle as she thought about all that fate had done. Luckily, she didn’t get a chance to comment when the server finally brought the food over. The steak looked a nice crisp brown with a little garlic on top. The baked potato was steaming with sour cream and chives. It was a great meal to smell indeed. When Garret asked what the potato had on it, Nycha looked at him with a bit of confusion. Had he never seen sour cream and chives on a baked potato? She would have to show him that there was a lot more than meat on a stick while he stayed in the city.

They both cut into their meat around the same time and the color inside was a beautiful pink with a slight red center. It was cooked to perfection, which was probably why it took so long for the meal to come out. Garret expressed his thanks and Nycha responded with, “You’re welcome. Also, the stuff on top is sour cream and chives. It adds to the taste of the potato, you’ll enjoy it immensely.” Without a moment longer, she cut more of the steak up and began eating at a rather quick pace. It was as if a lion hadn’t had a meal in a few days and he may not have one for a few more.

The sight was a little odd, but as she started to feel fuller, the pace slowed. Then she picked at the potato and nearly gouged out the entire thing before mixing the sour cream and chives. It was a small mess on the plate, but soon it disappeared. While they ate, Nycha didn’t say a word. She wanted Garret to enjoy the food while it was in front of him. The other reason was that her mouth was never empty for a second. Even when she finished what was in her mouth, another bite was taken to fill it. After a few minutes, she was licking her plate and setting the utensils down on top of it.

Whether or not Garret was matching her speed or was well behind, when she was done she watched him eat. Of course, not the entire time, but most of the time until he was finished. She was thinking of what they would do for his training and what she would teach him. Most likely some of the simpler things that he could pick up without any issue. Then the real test would come at night when the Hollows came. She wondered how that fight would go and she wanted to see his true abilities come out. That was where you can tell when someone has been lying about their abilities and what their capable of. Nycha wanted to know and she was bound to find out.

When he was finished, she took out some money from her bag on her hip and placed it on the table. It included the amount for both meals plus a decent tip for the waiter. Nycha got up and walked out of the diner and expected Garret to follow her. The city was as loud as ever with the hustle and bustle of the everyday work force. Cars and people passed by with a furious pace, trying to get to wherever they needed to go. Nycha headed towards the place where she had met Garret, knowing that was a good spot to train at.

"This is a nice place to train at. Plus I liked sending you into the water. Make sure you leave anything you don't want to get wet as well as your sword on the side over there," she said as she pointed towards a random spot on the ground. Nycha was amped to get started with this. "However, before we get started. Is there anything you want to know about me? Or do you want to just get started? Also is there anything specifically you want to learn? I know a few things that could help you and I'm willing to teach some simple and basic things to help you survive." she stated. She crossed her arms and waited for Garret to get settled and to ask anything he wanted to ask.

[Deleted]

So, sour cream and chives was it? Garret had to admit it was...delicious. If Nycha was watching him eat she would see something. With each bite, with each piece of his meal entering his mouth, Garrets expression was softening. The food was warm. It tasted good. But most importantly, to him, it was bringing back memories. Times when life wasn't so rough, when every day was not a battle. It brought back memories of a time when the smell of wood roasted in the fire, the sounds of men laughing and cheering. Garret remembered when he was a boy, sitting in one of the many taverns that Daurth would bring him too.

He remembered that one in particular, the one with the pudgy working ladies. The one with the missing tooth and the mole. Garret remembered sitting at a table with some of the other mercenaries in his group, simply laughing and talking. There was one of the doves, looking back on it she was rather cute, with long brown hair and shared eyes. Garret was old enough to share a bed with a woman, but he had denied her while his Uncle happily took her. Such times were fond memories, of times when he just didn't have to fight.

He was quiet as he ate, putting piece after piece of the food in his mouth. Now and again he would cast a glance to Nycha, noticing that once she was done she simply seemed content to stare at him. Why was she staring? Did he have something, besides his intricate eyepatch, on his face? It was bothering him, but he chose not to say anything anyways. Once the food was gone from his plate he sat back, wiping his mouth along his arm as he cast a look at her. He had to admit it, the food was good. Better, in fact, than anything he had in a long time.

"Thank you.."

He mumbled out, showing at least a little gratitude for the meal he had been given. Maybe being with Nycha wasn't so bad, even if she was incredibly pushing. Soon they left the restaurant, returning to the river bank where they had met. The silver being suggested that Garret place aside whatever it was he did not want getting wet, including his beloved sword. She even decided to make some smart ass joke about finding some childish amusement with sending him into the lake. Entertaining was it? She'd she how fun it was when it was her turn to swim.

But she was now offering to teach him something. Anything he wanted. What was it that he wanted anyways? The choice was his, so what was it that he wanted to learn. Magic was powerful, yet Garret felt...disconnected with magic. The swordsman crossed his arms, standing a few feet from his temporary instructor. He pondered the answer, briefly remembering his time at the stone formation. He recalled the bronze skinned Shinigami he fought, the incredibly rude woman with the white hair. It wasn't his domination of her that he remembered; rather it was what she had used during the fight. Nycha had done the same thing as well, during her moment of incredible rage at his desire to be alone. After what seemed to be many minutes of silence, Garret turned his gaze to Nycha and finally opened his mouth.

"During my travels I came across a Shinigami. Rude thing she was, pointed her sword at me and was surprised when I fought back. But, she did something during it....I lost track of her for a second. She used something called...the Shunpo, some sort of power that grants incredible speed. Few hours ago, you performed the same feat. If that ability is something things like use can possess...I want it. If you can teach it, then that's what I want to learn."

[Nycha Dartan]

Garret had stood in silence for a few moments, as he seemed to think about what he wanted. She wondered what he would ask of her and wondered more what she would respond with. Would he ask her about her life or her powers? What if he wanted to learn something she couldn’t teach. That would be embarrassing. What if he still decided to be rude and not accept her help and try to run away after the meal. Well, she wouldn’t let him since that would be rude of him, but there was always that wonder. Different things flew through her head in the moments that he was deciding.

Then he finally began to talk about something he had encountered in his past. It was a weird way to start things off, but she wanted to see where it would lead. He had spoken about a Shinigami he had fought and that Nycha had used a similar technique to that one. It was the Shunpo. A stepping technique that allowed one to move at an incredible speed with the use of minimal power and stamina. Nycha felt this was a bit of a joke as it was something that was more natural than anything. Simply running at a high pace, but with less steps involved.

She gave a small chuckle when he finished asking and put her hand to her mouth to hush herself. She gave a quick nod and said, “Yes I can teach you that. First off, you can’t complain about my methods or how I teach. Second, if you have any questions, ask now before we continue. Third, if you attempt to escape, I’ll kill you before you can even reach your sword.” She let that all sink in for a bit and began gathering rocks from the riverside. They each were the size of her hand and were grey in color. Nycha set the rocks up in a line with a rather good 10 yards apart from each other. In total, she spanned 40 yards from the first to last rock. Then she drew a line 10 yards from the first rock in the sand to mark the starting point.

“Now, strip to your underwear. We need to build up your speed before we can start adding weight. It’ll be easier than struggling with everything to start. Hurry it up as well. We only have a few more hours. You are going to start at this line and you will run to the first rock you see. Touch it and return to the line and repeat to the second rock. Continue to each rock and back. That is one Suicide. You need to complete 3 as fast as you can run. The faster you do it the better. You’ll be timed. Whenever you are ready,” she stated.

Nycha watched Garret begin his running. She laughed at how slow he started to move and how tired he got as he ran back and forth. Suicides were a tough conditioning tool for runners to build up their stamina and speed. It was the best place to start for him and she was going to make it much harder from here. On his second set of suicides, she decided to throw in a little fun for the mix. As he started towards the first rock, she ran and passed by him. It was to show that she wasn’t just fast from the technique, but she had some bit of speed on her own. “Try to keep up. It’s important you stay moving. Don’t slow down for even a moment,” she stated. Nycha continued moving through the suicide, finishing it just as Garret went to head for the third rock.

Little did Garret know that, that was only the first of things Nycha would torment him with during his training. She was going to make the training work him over so much so, that fighting hollows would be a breeze. There was also something she didn’t want to tell him yet concerning an idea she had thought up. It concerned with a defensive kido she knew and could protect them from the Hollows and maybe even prevent them from even coming after him during the night. It was a long shot, but she wanted to tire him out so that it would become an option and if it did fail, she could protect him still. Only time and training would tell.

[Deleted]

This woman, no, this thing and it's damned obsession with threatening to kill him was getting on his nerves. Garret remained standing there, arms crossed as he eyed Nycha as she spoke. He watched in silence as she began collecting rocks from the bed, placing them set distances between each other. He was curious, but wasn't exactly showing it. His seemingly permanent scowl was the only thing on his face as he watched. It was then that Nychas next command came, the one that ordered him to strip. The swordsmans scowl was replaced with surprise, quickly followed by a look of skepticism.

"What?"

She began explaining the exercise, one of developing his speed. He would need to run from one rock to another as fast as he could? Was she serious? Was that Shunpo thing not a spell that he could just cast instantly? Garret grumbled, shaking his head and turning himself away from Nycha. He began to undo the robe he wore, placing it on the ground. With his back to the Failure, she would see them. Garrets body was covered in scars. Every inch of him was covered, like some sort of painting created by a battle crazed artist.

But the ones on his back stood out. Along the length of his back, in seemingly no pattern at all, where multiple puncture wounds of various shapes and size, some of them directly ontop of his spine as well. No doubt she might wonder what it was that caused those wounds, since they did not seem to be caused by Hollows. If she had asked, Garret would not respond. He removed the clothing he wore from his arms, tossing them onto the ground atop his cloak. His arms were like his body, thick and scarred. Was there even a single inch of him that had not been wounded before?

His body, though, was something of note. The best words to describe his body were thick and heavy. His arms themselves were gigantic, like the branches of the great red wood pine trees. Broad shoulders, a thick chest, one could grind meat on his stomach. Garrets body was something any body builder would covet. He almost looked like a god from Greek mythology.

Garret removed his pants as well, since Nycha asked. Just like everywhere else, his legs were torn apart with numerous white scars. Garret wore some underwear, thankfully, but couldn't help but feel a little silly. After all, once he turned around Nycha would see that. Well, she would see the clear bulge of his mass in his last set of clothes. Sometimes being big sucked. Ah well, he could suck it up. Garret grumbled, turning around and walking towards the first stone.

So, he started running. He didn't see the point in this at first, but as he began to work through the sets he began to feel a burn in his legs. He wasn't tiring out as fast as Nycha might have thought he would. Garret had amazing stamina. Every night, every single one, he was forced to fight till the sun rose. That sort of daily exercise would give someone near god like levels of endurance. Something Garret had, more or less. He didn't comment when Nycha passed him, just performed the exercise in silence.

The man did have some trouble, but only from the size of his body rather than the running itself. His body was not designed for suicides, having to bend down so low and touch something wasn't the easiest thing for his body to do. Regardless, he did it. Garrets feet came to a stop after his final set. The man simply looked down at his legs, noting the slight burn in them. He wasn't even breathing hard, but could feel the accelerated beat of his heart. His face felt a little heated, but other than that the exercise was nothing compared to what he did every night.

"What's next?"

[Nycha Dartan]

After Garret had finished his run, he wasn’t panting or out of breathe for even a moment. Sure his breathing was a little rougher and deeper, but it wasn’t much more than a slight difference. Though it was a warm up after all and if anyone was in decent shape they would be able to handle it. For someone like Garret who is a survivor, he easily went through it. His scarred and muscled body was glistening with small beads of sweat. Nycha wished he didn’t have all the scars and knew that each held a part of his story of survival. She felt bad for him and understood his struggle to survive much like she had.

Garret had asked her what was next and she had a few ideas to keep him busy. But first, she had to get him started with using his reiatsu to move around faster. “Okay, now that you’re all warmed up. Let’s get you moving faster. Now the question is, do you know what your inner energy is? Your inner energy is called your reiatsu and in order to use Shunpo, you have to gather your energy into your legs and use it to step faster. When you focus on this gathering aspect, you should feel a slight warm and tingling feeling in the area you wish the reiatsu to go to. Soon it’ll be second nature to you to gather it where you want it. Go ahead and try it,” Nycha said.

She held up her hand and it began to glow yellow as she gathered reiatsu to it. Then she held up her other hand and it too glowed yellow. “You can gather reiatsu to any part of your body that you want and even to any object you like to use. For now however, just focus on your feet. Once you get the feeling, try to run to the farthest rock as fast as you can with as little steps as possible. I’ll be watching you close to be sure you’re doing it correctly. Oh also, don’t worry about any sort of color your reiatsu might have. Everyone’s is different,” Nycha stated.

She hoped that her explanation was understandable and in easy to work with. Trying to explain inner energy and gathering of that energy was a tough concept. It was even harder if it was to be explained to some regular person sitting on the street. You would be laughed at and made out to be crazy even when you are completely sane. However, she knew that she wouldn’t have that problem with Garret. After all, he could see her and hollows so he had some clue as to what she was talking about and he even was here now. Now all he had to do was apply what she tried to explain.

[Deleted]

Garret was silent as Nycha explained the second part of the exercise. He gave her a one eyd, skeptical look as she began to explain, in her own way, what the inner energy called reiatsu was. Her explanation didn't make much sense, much less on how Garret was even supposed to focus his energy to begin with. Regardless, he needed to at least try right? Since he had seen her reiatsu both in the past and now, Garret could not simply deny the existence of the energy. However, he did have a few questions. Some that he simply didn't bother to ask. He needed to focus on the task at hand right now. A task that was going to show Nycha just what, exactly, she was dealing with.

Garret remained quiet, his gaze shifting from Nycha and towards nothing in particular. He closed his eye, remaining as still as a statue as he focused. He tried to visualize some sort of colored energy around his legs, to simulate what he had seen Nycha do only moments ago. Yet he felt nothing besides the light burn of exercise from moments before. He continued at it though, silently attempting to complete the task that Nycha had given him. How long was it going to take him to simply gather and focus reiatsu? This was something that any Shinigami was taught on the first day in the Academy, or something that came naturally to a lot of creatures.

So why was it not natural for the swordsman? If Nycha was timing it, Garret had remained like that for about ten minutes since she had put him too the task. It was obvious he was growing discontent, given the balled fists and twitching eyebrow. He was making no progress. No glow, no warmth, no tingly feeling. No nothing. He didn't say anything though, remaining in that pose for at least another five minutes before he opened his eye. Gritting his teeth he looked at his feet, trying to see if maybe he had caused some sort of glow.

"It doesn't matter what color it is if it won't even come out." Garret growled, mostly towards himself rather than directly at Nycha. He took a few breaths, closing his eye again and once again growing quiet. Maybe he should try a different approach this time. Rather than simply visualizing some sort of colored aura, maybe he should try to imagine the color itself flowing into his legs; like water flows down a hill. He was quiet, focusing on his task with the will to get it done.

It was an odd contrast. Garret was no stranger to fighting or battles, his body alone was evidence enough of this. But he was as experienced as a newborn trying to walk when it came to matters of a spiritual nature. His struggling to even get his reiatsu focused on a body part was evidence of this. So he remained standing there for another long period of time, long enough for that light to begin to shift. He had been at the second attempt longer than the last one because during his time focusing he could have sworn he had felt something a few times.

But, finally he couldn't take it no more. "This is bullshit!" Garret suddenly roared, swinging his arm wildly in the direction of the lake. His swinging arm had accidentally released one of his shockwaves, causing an explosion in the air that kicked up a cloud of dirt. It was obvious that the man was pissed. Gritting his teeth he turned towards Nycha and already began yelling. "Tell me, how do I even know if I have this energy you mentioned? I've stood here for God knows how long, wasting my time on something I don't even know if I have!" The swordsman began to approach her.

"Do you think this is some sort of game? That I am just some sort of plaything for your amusement or something?" This was a problem with the swordsman, something Nycha would probably note. Garret had a short temper. Trying to get his reiatsu to work was like slamming his head against a brick wall. He believed that he was making no progress. Blinded by his own rage, he hadn't even noticed it. "Huh?!" Garret shouted. Nycha would see it, but Garret didn't. It seems that simply focusing wasn't the way to get it working. It had needed another, more human trigger. Garret had yet to notice the thin, white, aura that emitted from his skin. It was small, nothing compared to Nychas display some time ago. But he hadn't noticed it due to his rage and wanting to take his stress out on something.

[Nycha Dartan]

As she explained what she wanted him to do, he gave her a weird look. It was one of slight confusion and acknowledgement. She knew that she could inspire people and even get them to be interested in the topic at hand, but she wasn’t all that good at explaining inner workings of things. It was something she needed to work on for the future. Nycha noticed that Garret closed his eye after a few moments after she had finished explaining what she wanted him to do. She hoped that he fully understood what she wanted and could grasp the concept without much trouble. She remained silent and watched him as he focused on his task at hand.

Things were quiet for a long while. Time was ticking by, minute by minute while they both stood there. The task wasn’t an impossible one, but the longer they stood there, Nycha wondered if Garret could gather his reiatsu at all. She knew he had it; she sensed it and felt it upon first seeing him and even some of his attacks towards her. The problem seemed to be calling it at will instead of by luck. As she watched him, it was obvious he was growing impatient. His body was tense and his hands had become fists as he worked hard at the task. For her, her reiatsu was always available and at her fingertips and the same went for most beings. Though it seemed that for Garret it was a little harder to access.

After some more time had passed, he opened his eye and looked at his feet. She sensed some of his energy stirring, but nothing to where she knew it needed to be. He proclaimed something about it not mattering if there was a color if it wouldn’t even come out. It seemed he missed something in her explanation about it not mattering, but the point was to just pull it out. Oh well, not that major of an issue. Nycha knew he was getting closer; he just had to continue with the task. Seeing him close his eye and go quiet again made her happy that he wouldn’t give up. He was tenacious and it’s something she knew has kept him alive and would help him for any and all future events.

They both had stood there for a long time, long enough that the light in the sky began to dim. It was starting to get late, but Nycha knew that they still had plenty of time to get this learned. She vowed to herself that by the time that night hit, Garret would have learned the skill so that he could be able to use it during the night. Though at least tonight, he wouldn’t need to use it as she would shield them both from the Hollows. Everything however was on him and how fast he could pick up the skill. She began sensing a surge of energy coming from him and she knew that he was on the verge of getting it.

Then suddenly he burst out saying it was all bullshit. A smile crept over her face as he yelled out and threw his arms around. For some reason he seemed upset, but it was obvious he didn’t realize all that was going on. He approached her and asked her how would he even know if he had the energy and all the wasted time and energy spent on trying to retrieve it. Her smile slowly turned into a chuckle as he continued on with it being some sort of game and that he was some sort of amusement for her. She saw it and was happy to see that he pulled it out, however he apparently didn’t see it.

“Now now, my friend. Take a moment and breathe. You have the energy everyone does. Take a look for yourself. Although it’s not as prominent as my own, you have accessed it at your own will. You worried too much about trying to get it, that you didn’t let it come to you. If you want to play games, we can go that route, but that would be wasting time and if you look around, we don’t have much of that left for tonight,” Nycha stated, “Now, do you feel your energy all around you and inside of you. Focus it to your feet. Don’t force it, just imagine your legs with that burn from your running exercise earlier, but with your energy instead. It should be a similar feeling, however there is no pain and only relaxation.”

Nycha used Shunpo to move on the other side of the river. It took only a moment for her to get to the other side. She called over to him, “Now I want you to imagine using your energy and run over to me directly without taking that many steps. The less steps you take, the better. There’s no running around to find a way across the river either. Run over it. Just imagine yourself taking a few steps to be in front of me and don’t worry about if you accidently run me over. I’ll catch you.” A smirk crept over her face as she said this. Her plan wasn’t to simply let him run her over, she wanted him to think he could run her over and instead run into a wall that she would put up at the last moment.

She gathered up her reiatsu, but didn’t release it yet. Nycha wanted to wait until he began his Shunpo before she released the Bakudo, Danku. It was a wall of hardened reiatsu that could easily stop Garret from hitting her. A surprise for sure and purely unexpected for him. “Hurry up now, we don’t have time to waste. Get over here,” she called out. Now it was all up to him, to use a technique that he had only seen be used.

[Deleted]

He paused, his rantings ended as his face turned from rage to confusion. She was telling him to look at himself? The man blinked, raising one of his arms up and turning his gaze towards it. He blinked, looking closely at his arm before he blinked in surprise. It was faint, barely noticeable, but he could see something. It looked as if white steam was rising off his body, like he had just emerged from a heated bath. Garret stared at it with a look of shock. This meant he had it. This meant that he has reiatsu. It wasn't anything like Nychas, but that didn't matter. He was new to this so there should have been no reason for him to have reiatsu like the amount she produced.

The Failure used another Shunpo spell to travel across the river, shouting back that she wanted Garret to do the same thing. She did her best to describe how it was supposed to be done, but Garret still had his apprehension. It took him this long to even call up a sliver of his power so how on earth was he going to manage this? He looked at the Failure, his eye narrowing as he turned himself towards her. Just remember the feeling he had earlier, right? Just let the energy flow as he remembered it was all he had to do right?

Garret grumbled before taking off towards the water. He kicked off the dirt, doing what he could to follow her instructions but instead of vanishing...he stumbled. There was a splash as he collided with the water's surface, spraying it in the air as he submerged beneath the surface. Pulling himself out he growled, punching the ground once in frustration and embarrassment. "Damn it!" he growled, dragging himself out of the water and returning to his original position. He turned back towards her and tried again.

Many splashes, damn its, and attempts later the light had taken a drastic turn. Garret had made no progress within the two hours he had been practicing this...and it was showing. The sound of a shattering rock was heard as Garret slammed one of his giant fists into it, his inhuman strength being used to take out his frustration. He was panting, having worked himself into a deep breathing situation due to the amount of times he had tried this and his own anger. "It isn't working! I can get the damn energy to show up but I can't get this Shunpo thing down!" he murmured to himself as he ran a hand through his wet hair.

He was right. At some point during the practice he had managed to master the art of calling up reiatsu. It wasn't perfect, but he could at least make it surface. The flowing part was done with...it was just getting it to work that Garret was struggling with. There was also another factor at play here. Something Nycha would have noticed. It was that Garrets attitude had turned for the worse when it had reached evening. He kept looking at the sky, and his efforts had increased greatly. It seemed he had become desperate to even make a sliver of progress, but he was failing horribly.

"Nycha.." Garret suddenly spoke up, actually using her name for the first time today. "...what am I doing wrong? Send the energy to my legs...imagine the burn from the running earlier...but it doesn't work! Garret roared, slamming his fist into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dirt around him. "Damn it! Gods damn it!" He cursed. He wasn't shouting at her. Rather, he was shouting at himself. Why wasn't he getting this? Why was this proving to be so difficult? It wasn't like swinging his sword. It wasn't like firing a shockwave from his body. So why was this proving to be so difficult?

But...it didn't matter now. "Regardless...it doesn't matter now..." he suddenly said, slowly getting to his feet and making his way over to his pile of things. He quickly got dressed, sliding his pants and shoes on, along with the cloak that Nycha had first met him in. It should be obvious to her why he was getting his clothes on. He took ahold of his sword, welcoming the familiar and comforting grip of his weapon and lifting it onto his shoulder. He was quiet, staring down at the ground before turning his head towards Nycha. He was giving her a look. Different than the ones he had given her all day. It was a look of...trust? "You won't leave me...will you?" He suddenly asked as evening turned to night.

Nycha would feel it for a split instant. Like someone switching a light on and off really quickly. Something changed in Garret as soon as that sun went down. Just a slight flicker. It was quiet, the night that was, as Garret remain unmoved. He was waiting. He knew what to wait for. The sound of the breeze rustling the leaves in the branches above interrupted the silence. Even if Nycha spoke, Garret was quiet. He was deathly silent. He suddenly gripped his sword with both of his hands and held it out before him. "They're coming.." was all he said before silence was replaced with a chorus of howls around them. They were distant, but clearly getting closer. Garret winced, the stamina he had lost from his training was still affecting him.

OOC: So, what's going you might be asking? Well, Garrets Struggler Type Osen has just activated. As of now, any Hollow and Arrancars that are Class 6 and under are allowed to, without permission, invade this thread until sunrise has come. This means that for the next 12 Garret posts (or until we can say a good time for sunrise comes) Hollows and Arrancar Class 6 and under can invade this thread. Update: As Garret is in the same area his Osen activated once before, Hollows and Arrancar Class 5 and under can invade the thread!

[Katekarin Mekatoku]

+830 TP to both Participants

[Nycha Dartan]

OOC: Hey Clock, I don't know if Ray requested this be graded, but I believe we haven't finished this yet. I do plan on making a post, things just have been busy for me.