What Lies Beneath Still Waters (Joint Training Thread, X)

[Deleted]

-CTP Training Thread-

The Rukongai was a massive world, large enough to comfortably contain and manage millions of souls living within it. It stretched endlessly for miles, in each of the cardinal directions. Housing complex after housing complex covered the lands, cut through by roads treaded upon by spirits. The closer one was to the sprawling military city in the center of this universe, the less of nature they would see. But if one were to go further out, to go much farther out into this world, they would begin to see differences in civilization. Lands full of houses would slowly become lands full of vegetation. Yes, the further one went out, the farther away one went from the safety of the Shinigami, the closer one would get to nature.

The fifty first district of the southern Rukongai, a small village comprised of only a couple thousand souls. Looking at this village one would see a place befitting its rank, a simple farming village with not much else to go off of. It was blessed, however hard life was for the inhabitants. The village was able to farm efficiently, with rich soil that never seemed to ruin dry of nutrients. Why was this? The answer was simple, this village possessed something that many of the other districts lacked. A lake. Not just any lake though, a sprawling lake that spanned at least three miles in length. Connected to various rivers that flowed elsewhere in this remote part of the Rukongai, it was as iff this lake was the heart of all rivers in the after life.

Lakes of this size, rivers even, where a rarity in the Rukongai, especially in the districts closer to the Seireitei. Development had plowed away the land, replacing nature with construction. This village here in the fifty first district was lucky, blessed with a lake that gave them the ability to grow so much food. Even Hollows were rarely a problem, despite the fact that they were so far away. One would think that with the distance from the Seireitei such a desolated district would be favored hunting ground for Hollows. Well, it seemed that the Spirits dwelling in that village were blessed with more than just a good bounty.

There was a reason that fishing was frowned upon in this lake. There was a rumor about this lake, that more than just fish inhabited its depths. The rumor began when a single child, Mao Kaiya, was the first to bear witness to the dweller of the lake. She spoke with such excitement, telling how she saw a dragon living in the lake, that she had seen it walking along the edge of the water. The villagers didn't believe her at first, but slowly more encounters began to pile up. One man claimed to have seen the creature as he was fishing, mistaking what seemed be a head amongst fallen branches.

Though what finally convinced everyone that something did live in that lake was when those pieces began to wash ashore. Now and again the villagers would find the remains of Hollows washed up along the banks of the lake, torn to shreds. What remained of their bodies were covered in deep slashes, as if done by claws. This was what convinced them that something was living in the lake, protecting them from the Hollows. They began to view the entity as some sort of guardian, as some sort of god of the lake. Offerings began to pile up on one of the docks, given to appease the entity.

Not once was a offering taken. Live sacrifices, such as cows, were put into the water...yet those were not taken as well. Eventually it all stopped. The offerings. The villagers seemed to come to agree that while something lived in that lake, that while something did in fact kill the Hollows that came wandering by, it seemed to have nothing to do with them. They were right. What lives in that lake never once killed those Hollows to save them.

---------

Sunlight penetrated through the waters surface, illuminating the shallows off the lake well enough for any diver to see. Underwater grass dances along the floor, shaking to their own tune as they continued their existence in peace. A series of fish swam over the grass, searching for easy meals of some kind. Completely oblivious to their surroundings they continued on with their own existence. Suddenly a dark mass over took them, seeming to have simply materialized from nothing. An audible snap was heard as the mass suddenly veered away, leaving one less fish in the ground. The others remained still for a moment, eyes fluttering around as they calmed down.

It stopped its swimming, raising one of its clawed hands to the fish within its snout. Slowly moving its legs, and slight flicks from its tail, the creature remained buoyant and unmoving. Gripping the tail of the fish it sunk its teeth in further, until a clear snap was heard and the lower half of the fish was torn away. Lowering its head so its food would not simply slide out it chewed, grounding and slicing up what was in its mouth. Meat, organs, and even bones would be swallowed to satisfy its hunger. Once one mouthful was consumed the remainder of the fish would be devoured as well.

Turning its head upwards the creature began undulating its body, quickly rising to the waters surface and adjusting its position. The first thing to break the waters surface were two jagged horns, followed by what appeared to be a set of black feathers. Similarly colored scales quickly followed, along with the opening of a bright blue eye. A nostril followed suit, water vapor spraying out of its nose. It took in a breath, exhaling, then breathing in again. The creature looked around, noticing how close it was to the shore of the lake. But this wasn't the part with the pink skins, so it did not worry so much. Well, not a it but a he.

After a few minutes of breathing it took in yet another breath, blinking so that its nictitating membrane closed over its eye. The top of his head then vanishes beneath the surface, returning to the world he knew best. He descended to the bottom with slow movements with his body and tail that still propelled him rather far. Approaching the bed of lake grass he arched his back, adjusting so that he swam just above the grass. With his eyes, even in this dark world, he could see clearly. His eyes could see clearly through the water as if he was wearing a pair of diving goggles.

Startling a group of fish he simply swam, patrolling his territory actually. He had never once seen another like himself in these waters, only seeing the White Ones upon the land. He was alone in these waters. He was safe in these waters. Swimming over a sunken log he placed a clawed hand upon it, looking to the left and right trying to decide which way he wanted to go. Sunlight streamed down onto him as his instincts told him to go right. Patrolling was over now, replaced by another desire.

He spotted a spot that looked nice, his undulating ceasing causing him to sink into the grass. Digging his claws, and even himself slightly, into the mud, he closed his eyes. There was nothing in these waters, so it was time to sleep again. It was always the same. Sleep, awaken, eat, patrol, sleep, awaken, eat, patrol. It was his life, it was all he knew. Sometimes something happened, sometimes he had to protect his territory. Sometimes he had to fight, but those times were rare. Right now was not the time to fight, but rather the time to sleep. So sleep he did.

His eyes slowly opened, his body awakening him as it began to require fresh oxygen. He was slow to get moving,shaking himself free of his muddy anchoring and stretching his body. Looking upwards he began to ascend, breaking the surface with only his head and taking yet another breath, he one again descended and began his daily routine. The reptile did not sleep for long, only getting about a two hour nap before he needed to get another breath of air.

A few moments alter he finished off yet another fish, eating all of it. He swam around his lake, corkscrewing a little to get some entertainment out of it. Suddenly he heard it, the sound of something smacking the water. A consistent "pap pap pap"" followed by some sort of whiny sound. His head turned towards the sound, curiosity taking ahold of him. Yet, it was a recognized sound. One that was sure to attract him if he heard it. Slowly he began to heard towards the sound, coming from the shore of the lake.

On the other side of the surface, at the lakes edge, was a small black haired child. A smile, coupled with blushed cheeks, giggled as he smacked a stick on the surface of the water. "Naga-chan! Naga-chan! Come and play Naga-chan!" she sung, slapping the stick onto the surface of the water. This girl, this small thing here, was Mao. She was the first of the Pink Skins to see him, to see the creature swimming underneath the water. She was the one that gave him that name, the one he didn't understand. Unlike many of the other villagers she did not have any sort of fear over seeing him.

Mao had seen "Naga" more times than any other person in the village combined. So long as it was Mao, "Naga" did not mind being seen. She may not have known it, but just a few feet away from her the one she called floated, looking up at the disturbance of the surface with a gaze of curiosity. He recognized that whiny sound, the same one that called for him time and again. Drifting to the left he slowly ascended to the surface. Mao looked to her right, noticing "Nagas" head suddenly coming into view. Sure, it was only the top part but how could she forget those blue eyes?

She gasped with delight, quickly jumping to her feet and patting the dirt off of her butt. "You came! It's so nice to see you, Naga-chan! I've got so much to tell you!" Mao exclaimed with excitement. The beast was silent, simply watching her as she reached into a container behind her. She pulled out a slab of meat, of beef to be precise. "Here you go Naga-chan! It's not fish, but I know you'll like it!" She tossed it to him, it landing a few inches away from him. He gave it a look, then a look back to her. He couldn't deny free food. His mouth opened slowly, his tongue pulling the meat into his mouth and closing with a snap and a spray of water.

"So cool!" Mao exclaimed with excitement. She sat back down, directly ahead of her "friend". He watched her from where he remained, those blue eyes never leaving her form. "So much has happened since the last time we talked! You won't believe this, but I actually got to see Shinigami for the first time in ages! They were on a patrol I think and stopped by our village to see how we were doing. They looked really strong and really cool!"

Just like all the other times, he simply floated there watching her. She continued to speak, telling him about her day and recent events. He didn't exactly understand what it was she was telling him, but he came regardless. Something about her put him at ease, allowed him to relax. Perhaps it was she was so small, harmless. She fed him, that was also a plus. It was free food to simply float here and listen to it ramble. Their one sided conversation continued for many minutes, Mao tossing him a few pieces of beef for listening to her speak.

Mao smiled at him, talking about how she had helped around with chores when the sudden sound of footprints caught both of their attentions. "Mao! What are you doing??" a deeper voice shouted, followed by a deeper voice suddenly lifting her up. "Uncle Daurth! I'm just talking to Naga-chan!" she responded. The larger Pink Skin, the one whose face was covered with scars and white hair, looked at the water with fear in his eyes. "Naga" narrowed his eyes slightly, a growing irritation for this Pink Skin was appearing. "It isn't safe to be talking to that...thing. What if he hurts you!" Daurth replied, looking at his niece.

When he turned back to the water he saw that Nagas head was gone. He had sunken back below into water, descending into the depths once more. His body undulating, pushing him further down into the bed of grass below. Swimming along the grass he continued on aimlessly, simply going where instincts told him to go. This was his world. The depths were his home. He swam alone.

Back on the surface Daurth carried Moa further into the town, away from the waters edge. "Uncle Daurth, Naga hasn't ever hurt me before!" Moa cried reluctantly. "I'm not stupid, I know. I know he aint ever hurt you, but don't you think you're being too reckless? Maybe the only reason it doesn't hurt you is because you feed it, what happens when it gets completely used to that huh?" Daurth responded, placing Moa down upon a public bench.

"I lost my nephew out here in this place, I don't wanna see you get hurt either Moa. I promised I would take care of you. If you must see that Naga, thing, please do it more carefully." Daurth explained, to which Moa could only sniffle a response. Daurth seemed satisfied with that. He excused himself, stating how he had to go back to work now and that Moa should go and play with the other village kids. She sat there on the bench, looking at the ground. Kids didn't like being scolded, regardless of their age.

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

It seemed like these days Ajraka hardly knew about anything in the Rukongai anymore. As before she was so enthralled in the duties of her Captaincy she was more intimately involved with the area. Familiar with the local rumors and such, even being familiar with the inhabitants. And yet her time in Hueco mundo and on the ship she had come to pilot was now taking it's toll. The rare trip to the Rukongai was...nice if anything. The crew had come to enjoy it as well, even if the hollows were asked to stay aboard the Gilliaship, they didn't mind. And Ajraka? She enjoyed the exploration of the surroundings and relaxing for a change. She didn't have to be the Captain all the time. 

So when she found the small body of water that was quite well known around these parts as being inhabited by Naga, she saw just... water. A precious, lovely substance that was unseen in Hueco Mundo. And without a worry or a care, she dove into the water immediately. And it was instant gratification. The feel of cool, soothing water surrounding her was like home to her oily fur, sand spilling from her as the water just washed it all away, her body seamlessly slipping through the surface, making not a single ripple as she began zipping through the water, excitedly snapping at passing fish, not even bothering to catch any as she simply enjoyed herself. 

It wasn't until she was well within the depths of the lake that she noticed that she was not quite alone, and not just as a result of the rather abundant fish that surrounded her. No she could actually taste them in the water to a certain degree. Someone lived here. And sure, she might have become frightened, or worried, or have any number of psychological reactions to this unknown thing. But no, this was Ajraka. So all she did, was smile. Smile to herself, and smile at everything around her, as she actively began to dart through the water, speeding about as she began to actively hunt for whatever it was that lived around here, keen and intent upon introducing herself  to it. 

Of course, long ago, this might have been a more devious endeavor. Back when she stole things, shiny things. Back when she broke down doors and chomped down food. Back when she rolled onto her back and let people pet her. But she'd.....grown up some since she'd been away from home for so long. As the days had led on, she had simply...lost interest. In shiny things that she saw quite constantly, as in Hueco Mundo the shiny quartz just sprouted up from the ground. Ad really, her crew would be terrified of the very idea of attempting to pet her. So it had just.... left her mind so to say. No, she just felt like being....social. 

[Deleted]

The lake was cool yet not truly cold. Sure, the deeper one went then the lower the temperature went, but for him the temperature never seemed to bother him. He had spent so many years in this lake that he knew where the temperature fluctuated, even knowing where he could look at thermoclines if he wanted to. This lake was his home, his entire world. He knew where everything was. Where the best fish were, where the best places to nap were, where the warmest spots were. He knew it all. So he swam, fluctuating between ascent and descent. It was about that time for him to find a place to nap, seeing as he had gotten more than enough exercise and food.

He continued on, gliding through the water searching for some spot to anchor himself down into. He spotted a decent enough looking soon-to-be nest down along some lake grass and a log, descending toward it. As he reached the log he stopped suddenly, placing a clawed foot upon the log and rooting himself into the wood with his claws. Something with wrong. He raised his eye, looking to the right and left. His instincts were acting up, something akin to someone walking on another's grave. He felt...unsure. Uncomfortable. Narrowing his eyes he looking in a specific direction, the one that gave him the most discomfort.

Lips curled back into a snarl, bubbles escaping between the sharp fangs in his mouth. What was he to do? Approach or wait? Knowing this creature though the answer was obvious. The nap could wait. He pushed off from the log with such force it snapped, part of it falling into the grass as he sped off in that particular direction. He kept himself low to the grass, moving just above it. Grass was soon replaced with simple mud, dark in color and perfect for him to hide in if he needed to attack from below.

When was the last time he needed to fight? It was hard to remember, as each fight seemed the same really. It was always at night, the time that he always came closest to the shore. Pink Skins never liked to see him, except the whiny one, so he only emerged from the water at night. It felt relieving to exit the water at times, to be able to abandon the weightlessness and walk upon the earth. To feel the mud between his toes, the wind against his scales. It always happened at night.

He would find them stalking amongst the trees, or trying to enter the water. Whatever they were they seemed to have been hunting for him. Creatures of various sizes and shapes, though they were never too large for him, always came looking for him. Their faces were white, with black and yellow colored eyes. It always ended the same. They were intruders, nothing more than trash trespassing on his territory. This lack was his home, his territory. He would defend it to the death. His claws, his teeth, they would sink into their skin. Their meat and blood was horrid, so much so that he wanted to simply let them go. He wouldn't though, as his primal instincts demanded their eradication.

He would bring them into the water, dragging them out to a place where neither could no longer stand. Once he had returned to the water he would pull them under, forcing them down deeper and deeper into the darkness. Drowning was the best way to kill things that lived on land, as there was nothing that could survive as long as he could without air. Or so he thought. Did this disturbance in the water mean that one of those White Skins learned how to swim? He growled as he sped towards where his instincts guided him.

He then saw it, as clear as day for him in the water. He stopped his momentum, hanging there in the water with those blue eyes of his locked onto...whatever it was he was looking at. It was different than the Pink Skins and White Skins. Looking at it, he noticed a few things. It's body streamlined in shape and seemed to have no trouble moving through the water, much like him actually. Brown fur covered its body, as it was obviously not scales. Almond shaped golden brown eyes looked back at him, his own blue ones remained locked on it. A pink scar on her abdomen, a cross in shape, caught his attention, an obvious battle wound.

How did he respond to coming across this creature? He did what he always did. The feathers on the back of his head suddenly stood up, lip curled upwards exposing a mouthful of dagger like teeth. He then growled, a deep and echoed growl that traveled through the water, originating deep within his chest. It was loud, incredibly loud in fact and served as a warning. It was what he did for every intruder that entered his territory, he always gave them a warning first before attacking. The White Skins though never retreated, which meant that he had begun to give up on warning them and simply attacking. This one was new though, he knew not what it was capable of. Even if it was not dangerous he wanted it gone, wanting to return to his solitude in the lake.

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

IT was interesting, to see the male approach and begin observing her, that incessant grin on her lips, displaying that array of pointed teeth made for shredding her food. She didn't rush things, lazily floating about, giggling to herself as she watched those feathers flare up quite impressively, as if it were some sort of display just for her, she was a little flattered as really he was quite the display indeed. OF course the fact that it was a violent display was something that occurred to her, but she simply ignored that, those Amber eyes fixing upon him before she simply, wasn't there, blurring with speed as she simply seemed to slip past the male, darting past him with that tremendous speed of hers, speed that put even captains to shame as she bolted around and around. 

After a few seconds of course she would come to an abrupt stop, and simply dart in, aiming to pounce the male and promptly latch onto his shoulders like a leech and start hugging the everliving hell out of him, giggling as she did so, for the first time in months acting like her old crazy self as she would aim to try and use that impressive strength of hers to see if she could start dragging him around, not in the slightest concerned about his claws or his teeth, if he were to bite her she would simply bite him back. IT wasn't even a question of danger, it was all a game to her, a game she had not played in many weeks, and one she most certainly had missed. 

In the back of her mind a number of things occurred to her of course. First that her father would likely have a thing or two to say about her behavior, no less the Kuchiki Elders goodness forbid. But well, the elders could shove it and well.... her father wasn't here now was he? Reasonably she was hardly conforming to the kuchiki code of standard, but naturally, she figured that with all the responsibility she'd taken on? Learning leadership skills, discipline, and caring for ex-slaves in an effort to find a place for them to finally live without having to remain on the ship r fear shinigami? To find out where the ship itself had come from? She had earned herself some silly time. 

Of course then there was the fact that likely if her crew saw her they might have some interesting thoughts as well, though they she was even LESS concerned about. They were mostly slaves and reformed thugs. If anything she would have found herself ENCOURAGING them to enjoy themselves, lay back, to know something ASIDE from just pain, suffering, and discipline. Perhaps she would find a beach or a larger lake for them to mess around in. A little break from typical ship duties, a treat. Of course she would have to make them earn it. If she simply let them lolly gag about for no reason they might come to expect such things. Relax? Sure. But playing around was something earned. Yes, as she fucked around with this scaly guardian of the lake, she also began concocting a means of possibly rewarding her crew, of course she could worry about the details later, for now she had a possibly angry hunk to mess with.

[Deleted]

He blinked, hearing a series of sounds that didn't sound quite right. It was sounds that he had heard before, from the small one on the surface. That same series of sounds that little Pink Skin made when she seemed happy with him for simply sitting there and listening to her make noise. The sound itself wasn't aggressive, nor was this foreign creature displaying any sort of aggressive response to his own warnings. The feathers remained up, but his raised lips began to lower slightly, body relaxing on a small amount, but his eyes never left the other one. He wouldn't be taken by surprise, or would he? Even though he had his eyes on her, even though he had not blinked and was watching her, for a split second he had lost track of her.

For a single moment he lost sight of her, before she reappeared to his side and darted past him with a display of speed that put the reptile to shame. He turned with a snarl, trying to pick up on her once again. He kicked his legs, moving him to the right a little as he caught sight of her again, still darting away from him. What had happened? The reptile had never seen such speed before, he was the fastest thing in this lake. No fish, even the deep dwelling paddle-fish and catfish, were either faster or larger than he was. He was the alpha in this lake. So why was it that he was stunned by this things speed. He grit his teeth, watching the other creature, but there was a question in his mind. Why did it not attack him?

Then it happened. It turned and headed right for him. He barely had time to raise his arms when he felt it collide with him, wrapping its arms around his body and holding onto him tightly. That noise she was making earlier was back, but the reptile was too stunned and now angry to care. He didn't quite like being touched like this. He hissed, pushing and pulling and struggling against her grip, trying to worm his way out. He didn't know that to her this was just a game, but to him it was a fight. He thrashed his tail about, trying to get her off of him or to escape her grip, not realizing it was futile.

Then she started to drag him. No matter how much of a fight he put up it didn't seem to matter, his flailing did little more than slowly burn out his remaining oxygen and stamina. He hissed loudly as he was dragged around, clearly not enjoying this like she was if his thrashing had not clued her in yet. So, the reptile decided to make his point very clear. His mouth clamped down onto her shoulder with all his strength, twisting and turning his head to try and dig his teeth into her. For him this was not a game but an attack, one that he would come out on top of. He tried kicking his feet, to get his claws into something to anchor himself to so he would stop being dragged like a fish.

The dragging itself was infuriating him. He had never before felt so powerless against another. The realization that he was too weak to get out of her grip caused panic in him. He felt like a fish trapped in his own mouth. He growled into the bite, feathers still stuck straight up. He wrapped his own arms around her now, trying to dig his clawed digits into her skin. He was trying to hurt her, while she was only trying to play. He didn't know this, how could he know this? This reptile had spent so many years in solitude, swimming every inch of this lake all by himself. How could he have ever known the difference between play and battle? His own ignorance, his own arrogance of having never lost a fight, would no doubt get him hurt. He wasn't fully aware just how strong a creature he was biting into.

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

It was....interesting. How quickly thigns transitioned. When he put hs mouth on her she actually was a little flattered at the adorable gesture, even as his teeth sank into her fur and flesh, and began to draw blood as his claws sought to take hold of her. She took all of an instant to look him in the eyes, and make him watch as that smile suddenly faded, and she gave him a cold, hard glare as she took hold of his jaw and then tapped her claw on his cheek once. A warning. A command to unlatch, not for her benefit, but for his. 

Suddenly, her muscles bunched, coiling as she tightened her grip on his body and promptly wrenched herself away from his mouth, not in the slightest concerned with ripping every one of his teeth out of his mouth, or just some of them as she herself would suffer some shredding of her flesh. She didn't care. She would live, and even more so her ship's doctor would handle any wounds she accrued as a result of the fight. But regardless of how she removed herself, it would not change the fact that one way or anther, that strength of hers was going to separate his mouth from her shoulder. 

Immediately after she would swim, or rather shoot through the water as she would promptly plow him as hard as she could straight into the shore of the lake, slamming him up and onto the surface before she would attempt to leap ontop of him, sitting on his lower abdomen as opposed to his lap, having learned her lesson fighting Qaleta as she would aim to try and pin both of his shoulders to the ground and wrap about a foot's worth of that long, powerful tail around his neck, that smile slowly returning as she crooned down at him. She didn't bother trying to reason with him. No, she was going to try and just keep squeezing until he passed out. If all went as she planned, the last thing he'd hear before he went under would be a soft, coy "Oops."

Of course assuming that succeeded, it would only take a while for him to regain his consciousness, and she would, of course, still be there, doing her best to keep him pinned, and tail still around his neck. She would wait and see if his attitude changed. Of course, if it didn't she could just choke him out again. Over and over, it wouldn't matter if he was itnelligent or not. Even a wild animal would give up eventually. All it took..... was time.

[Deleted]

Was it working? Umaroth could taste blood floated past his tongue, her flesh being pressed up against it. Was his attack working? He would look over at her, wondering if she was giving some sort of expression of pain, but what he saw was nothing like that. What he was getting in return was not a look of amusement, but a intense glare. He felt something grab his jaw, tapping it lightly. Her grasp on him suddenly tightened, which instilled a slight wave of panic in the reptile. Escape. His instincts told him to escape. He released her shoulder and struggled once more, trying to get away. Her grip was hurting him, he growled and hissed. Suddenly, she let go. The reptile noticed her grip was gone, and confirmed she was gone when he looked down. This was his opportunity. If he could kick up a cloud of mud, if he could get himself under it, he would be able to escape from her.

But it seems his new playmate had other plans for him. What air remained in him was suddenly knocked out as she came back, slamming her body into him. He was sent flying through the water, breaking the surface and rolling onto the shore. He took in a gasp of air, yet found it difficult to breath. He began hacking, his chest hurting something fierce as he slowly began to sit up. He would find her. He would rip her apart, tear her to pieces. But she was not done, for she was quickly on top of him and pinning him to the ground. He howled, snapping his jaw at her trying to get a mouthful of her face. His feathers stuck straight up in his rage at being held her.

Her tail found its way around his throat, constricting tightly and making it harder to breath. He thrashed beneath her, not giving up for a single second. Why was she so strong? What was happening? He was the strongest, he had never lost, there was no way he could lose. The way she just smiled at him, like this was all some sort of a game. He hated it! It made him so angry! The reptile roared out in defiance, the lack of oxygen making his world dizzy. In a few moments his own thrashing about caused him to weaken, for his head to topple backwards, horns stuck in the dirt. The reptile had knocked himself out cold, with help from the other ones tail wrapped tightly around his throat.

After passing out he began to breath again, a deep breathing as he could once again be allowed oxygen. The female was smart to keep her tail wrapped around his throat, as how he would act when he reawaken was anyways game. The world, the tree branches above him slowly came into view as he opened his blue eyes once again. He blinked once, his mind catching up as he realized he was still being sat on. He looked at Ajraka, and instantly began thrashing again. Those feathers came right back up, along with the growls and hisses. This time he even smacked her in the head a few times with his tail, though it didn't seem to even do anything to the otter.

He could feel her tail tightening around his throat again, and not wanting to pass out again he stopped his thrashing. His breathing was rough, hoarse, and the female would no doubt feel the growl coming from his throat with her tail. The feathers never went down as he simply glared up at her, claws digging into the mud of the shore and tail slapping the ground. It didn't take a genius to tell he was unhappy, incredibly unhappy in fact. His lips would dance up and down slightly as he just looked at her, growling up in some act of defiance. What now?

What was she going to do to him? He had lost, for the first time since he had come to this lake he had lost. He wouldn't accept this, but what could he do? Compared to her he was weak. His mouth opened and closed a few times, each time letting out a audible snap as he tried to remember something he hadn't done in a long time. Ajraka could feel his body tensing beneath her, completely obvious that he was still planning on being defiant. All those hours of listening to that little one would finally pay off.

"Get...off..."

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

She didn't mind the blows to her head. How often had the slavedrivers struck her? How many lashes had she taken? IT was so long ago, she hardly remembered now. The sting was distant, like someone shouting from far away. But he passed out, as she had expected him to. And when he awoke, fresh and struggling, she smiled. He reminded her of a fish. One trying to desperately survive against what it did not understand: Air. He didn't know what she was, so he fought. Or something along the lines of such. But at the very least, as he felt her tail begin to tighten around his throat he stopped struggling. And she smiled. 

It was a pleasant thing, even if he continued to glare up at her, he was having progress, he was attempting to learn, and most importantly, he spoke. Which came as a surprise to her. She tilted her head curiously to the side, looking down at him as she slowly lowered her head, her tail keeping him secure from the neck up as she leaned in close, curious as she searched his eyes for intelligence. And... surprisingly.... she found it. That slight shifting of the eyes, searching for something, anything that might help him. Her smile widened, showing those teeth of her own, leaning in so he could get a very good look at them, her shoulder still trickling blood as her tail tightened, her hands pressing on his shoulders as she would lunge, and bite down on his shoulder. Not terribly hard, after all the muscles of the jaw were the strongest in the body, and the most capable of exerting force. She probably could have bit clean through his skull if she wished to. 

But rather, she simply bit as deep as he had gotten into her. Not very. Before pulling back, smiling as she then showed him her wound, where he had bitten her. To show they were even. A simple way of ding things nonverbally, as even if he could talk, she didn't know how much he could understand. But with the important part done, she could see just how much he knew. "IF you want up. Be nice." she said softly, smiling down at him as she simply settled in her new seat. She didn't have anywhere to go. Her Crew would be scavenging for the next day or so. She had all the time in the world for him to act up. "Not that it will matter... I guess.... if you fight.... I win."

[Deleted]

As she began to lower her head towards him, he turned his own to the side to try and move his own away from hers. Right now he did not want her anywhere near him, especially not his face. Slight growls continued to emerge from his throat as she searched his eyes, his own looking right at her. She seemed to be looking for something and smiled when she found it. She suddenly lunged, sinking her teeth through his scales on his shoulder. He roared, thrashing about once again before being forced to calm down. A series of hisses followed as he watched her pull away, simply smiling at him. The rage in him was reaching the bubbling point, he was on the verge of another rampage. One that would only cause him to be knocked out again.

He blinked, though, when he saw her show him her own wound. The one that he caused her back when they were underwater. It clicked in his head that her own bite was payback for when he bit her. It was uncomfortable, but he had suffered worse in the past. She then spoke again, though the last time he had her he was in the middle of a thrashing session and losing consciousness. His breathing was heavy, trying to remain calm as she spoke. Her voice was soft, not rough like his was. She still smiled at him. He wished she would stop doing that, it made this whole situation even worse. It was like she was looking down on him, like he was nothing more than a child.

But was that really wrong? She had so easily overpowered him, knocked him clear out of the water and was now holding him here. He was powerless against her, and instead of simply killing him she talked down to him. The fact that this was what she was doing was an insult to his pride. He could barely take it. She said that if he wanted to get up he would need to be nice. Nice? What was nice? He didn't completely recognize that one. He lay there, staring up at her with such intense eyes, those bright blue eyes never blinking as he watched her.

Then she said it. He didn't understand everything, but a few things he did. If he fought she would win? It didn't matter? No! He roared, one of his hands reaching up and grabbing her forearms as he began to struggle again. That combination of words she used had once again set him off. The feathers on his head, the ones not pinned against the ground, had once again rose up. He arced his back, trying to sit himself up, all the while losing the precious oxygen he needed. "Not...you! I... win...!" he managed to force out. A combination of growls and snarls as he tried to get his teeth into her tail, right before collapsing again, his head falling to the side.

A few minutes later his eyes opened again, glancing over at her. He snarled once, before his lips lowered. He looked away from her, down at the mud really that made up the shore of the lake. He was defeated. The creature could no doubt feel that all his fight was gone, as there seemed to be no tension in his body now. A few twitches from his lips, yes, but no tensing of his muscles. What could he do anyway? He was silent for a few moments before his mouth opened again. "What...want...you...me..." He managed out a very broken sentence, still not quite used to using words he had heard from Mao.

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

Ajraka tilted her head as he glared up at her, confused at her attempt at an explanation. He didn't know the word nice? Well this was going to complicate things, especially considering the fact that, of all things, he really didn't seem to have any sense of sophistication. A bit like her all that time ago when she'd been adopted into the Kuchiki family. She considered for a moment, of course when he started to get out of control again, those teeth bared and his limbs a-flailing once more, she was forced to, once more, choke him out. 

This last time, as he awoke, it seemed she had finally broken him. The anger was ....there, but simmering. His flailing stopped, and most of his tension was gone. He didn't seem intent on attacking her anymore, and he seemed, if anything, calm. And best of all, he asked her what she wanted, showing a firmer grasp of the english language than she had at that stage, she was quite frankly impressed, but then again she had had...... an aversion to learning. She'd never bothered cuz she didn't care. Perhaps the humans around here ahd made him care? Who knew. But in any case, at his question she thought for a moment before she simply .... got off of him. He probably would be confused, with how hard he'd fought, that the moment he stopped fighting she would let him go. Would it occur to him that she'd just been trying to calm him down? 

She didn't care, it would be nice sure, but if he went right back to attacking her she could always smash his skull into a rock and then eat him. And that'd be the end of that. Or simply just hold him down again till he got the message. In any case she yawned, rubbing gingerly at her shoulder as she settled next to him. Of course it was entirely possible he'd attack her, in which case she'd just sorta let him, not caring if he tried pinning her down. So long as he didnt try biting or scratching her she would let him think he was in control, and if he started to look like he was about ot injure her again, she'd whip him across the face with her tail and knock him the fuck out. It didn't matter to her, it was all up to him. In any case, assumign he didn't earn himself an immediate knockout, she would speak up. 

"I haven't been around water in a while. Or other beasts. I figured I'd say hi, really all I wanted was to have a little fun, splash around before I had to go." She explained, yawning before she took a moment to just look at him. Her ees shifting from the feathers that decorated his skull to his dark scales, a smile playing across her lips as she shamelessly checked him out before going back to her discussion. " My Elder always said, a scowl makes you ugly s you age. One that faces danger with a calm face and a smile shall attain not only victory, but youth as well. Dunno what the fuck he was saying, but I smile all the time so the hell do I care?" she giggled and shrugged her shoulders.

[Deleted]

What was she going to do with him? Would she simply straddle him, giving him that smile or would she just kill him? Both choices were unpleasant, but he saw no other way out of this. The reptile closed his eyes, just waiting for it to happen, when the pressure on him was suddenly lifted. No longer was there a constricting force wrapped around his neck, no more pressure on his lower torso and shoulders. Opening his eyes back up he saw she was gone, just like that. He quickly sat up, coughing slightly as he raised a clawed hand to his throat and rubbed it. Se just let him go? Just like that?

He growled slightly when she sat beside him, not to happy that she still insisted on being so close to him. But it wasn't a loud growl, more of a short lived small growl simply to voice his displeasure. His blue eyes looked at her, his hand rubbing his neck for a few minutes more before returning to the mud between his legs. His eyes never left her, watching her closely incase she tried to do something again. He wanted to attack her. He wanted to end her. He wanted nothing more than to rip her apart right now for what she did. He was insulted so deeply he could barely stand it. But, what could he do? He was weak.

She began making sounds again, some of which he recognized but many he didn't. What he did know made him blink, but then she started making even more noises. These ones he couldn't understand what so ever, like it was just a gargled mess of sounds with meaning. The reptile was quiet, watching her with those blue eyes of his before looking out at the water. She...wanted fun? She wasn't trying to actually trying to attack him? She just wanted to say hi. Well, this certainly made the reptile feel a bit guilty. He was the one who was aggressive, not the other way around.

"Water...mine..."

It was a simple two words that conveyed a bigger message. He was trying to tell her that the lake was his territory, that this was his home. He didn't know many words, already at the limit of his vocabulary. He knew a couple more, at least, but he only knew so many. The reptile stared at the water, thinking things through. Reflecting back on it, her behavior had certainly been strange. She never once did any sort of aggressive behavior in the water until he himself began to attack her. His gaze drifted to the bite on her shoulder, the cause of all of this nonsense. He felt even worse than his pride being damaged. He had wronged her.

"So...rry...for hurt..."

He mumbled it out, turning away from her as he did it. He understood that word, hearing Moa say it many times to that white haired pink skin. It was a word when one wanted to apologize for doing something bad, but the reptile just didn't have it in him to say it perfectly or straight to her face. He didn't even know if she heard him. His gaze drifted back to the water, wanting nothing more than to leave this thing and escape back into the depths. But he doubted she would just let him escape. But, there was also something else gnawing at his mind. He turned to look at the otter, giving her a look like he was struggling with something. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. He was trying to say something, but didn't quite know how to put it together.

"Win...how?"

There was no doubt that she had defeated him, though defeated wasn't quite the right word. To her he was nothing more than a fish, the same kind that he hunted on a daily basis. She had so effortlessly thrown him, dominated him, made him into nothing but a toy for her amusement. How had she done it? How had she become so strong? He wanted to be stronger, to never have to face such disgrace again. She might not have understood his meaning, maybe even taking it as him asking "how did you win" but it was the best he could do with his limited vocabulary.

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

 
Ajraka grinned as he seemed to relax, and at least tolerate her presence as she proceeded to absolutely relax into the situation, leaning on him as she was glad that the whole debacle was over. Even if she was stronger than him it still wasn't all too pleasant being bitten into and clawed at. The pain in her shoulder was easily managed and ignored and already she was begining to feel better. But the fact of the matter was that it still hurt like the dickens at first. But she'd gotten him back for it, so she was far more pleased as to the situation. 

Though as he went on to speak she was itnrigued, fascinated at his limited vocabulary, beginning to realize just how beneficial being around such well-spoken folk as the Kuchiki had been for her. She certainly could stand to teach him to speak better. The idea floated around and she smiled pleasantly at teaching him to call her Sunbae. Ahhhh, the life of an instructor and her precious student. This was only further strengthened as he continued to speak in his broken halting manner, more than getting her point across as she figured th gist of his words. 

In response to his apology she actually smirked, amused as she leaned in and lightly bumped her snout lightly into his. Of course, to a human or a shinigami it might have looked intimate, though for the clansmen it was a far more casual gesture, the proximity of the teeth and the lack of their use, a gesture of positive reaction and body language signaling that things were ok, even giving him a wet lick on the shoulder where he'd been bitten. She had no idea how well his own body recovered from injury, and she may very well have to make a mental note to have Yuki take a look at him. She kept it in mind. 

At long last his final question came through and she was... surprised. It occurred to her that unlike her, he was not exactly.... fighter-esque. Sure he defended his territory, but he fought based on the assumption that he was the strongest, which he likely usually was. He had no reason to vie for greater power until now most likely, and she actually smiled as the prospect of helping him came to mind. she certainly had enough room on her ship. And well... he certainly would be nice to have around and look at. Why not? With a cryptic smirk Ajraka got to her feet, so amusingly not making much of a difference given their difference in height, which she actually didn't mind. She liked being the small one. Reaching up, she put her hand on her chest, pounding solidly on her titless torso as she stood like a warrior with that brief salute so common amongst some of the more militaristic clans, hopefully common enough that he'd recognize it as the beginning of a vow. 

"Come with me. and I'll show you."

[Deleted]

She was getting touchy again, leaning against him all relaxed like. It wasn't that he minded it, given that if he did she would just pummel him again or something. It was that it was different. For so long the reptile had lived alone, swam that lake hundreds of times with nobody to share it with. He had always preferred it that way, given how untrusting he was of strangers. His first few months since his apparent birth in the Rukongai had been rough, with various pink skins trying to hunt him down for the way he looked. Ever since then he had hidden himself away in the lake, only exposing himself every now and then, though it was mostly on accident. There were exceptions, like the little one named Moa.

It wasn't that he was some poor tortured individual, just that his apprehension towards others was sort of justified. He blinked in surprise when he felt something wet bump his snout, turning his head towards her and looking at her. She even gave his shoulder a wet lick, a gesture that everything was alright. Everything was forgiven. The reptile looked at her, his gaze softening as he relaxed even more than he had been. The snarls were gone, the feathers on his head were laid down showing that he was relaxed. Those things were sensitive to his emotions, bouncing straight up if became excited or infuriated.

She stood up, a look on her face that made him curious. Her pose was received with a stoic glance, the reptile just looking at her place her fist upon her smooth chest. She was right to assume he recognized it. Something inside him recognized it at least. The reptile slowly got to his feet, standing tall before he. He was a big one, standing a decent amount of inches over her. He looked down on her, only because he physically had to. Was he really going to go with her? Was he going to leave his own world behind on the hunch that she could make him stronger? That defeat he had suffered still burnt strongly inside of him, something that he never wanted to experience again.

But he looked behind her, at that massive lake that sprawled out into the distance. That was his home, his entire world. He had spent so many years swimming in that great body of water, knowing where everything was. The best fish, all the fallen logs, the best places to nap. That lake was his home, was he ready to give it up? There was a slight grumble in his throat, mournful in nature before he returned his gaze to Ajraka. His throat moved once more, trying to figure out the words to say.

"You...make...I...strong...I...chase....you...l-lead"

Maybe Ajraka had not noticed before, but his voice was deep. A voice befitting one like him. Standing up like this, in front of her, she would get a better look at him. She would see the body of a warrior standing in front of her, one that wanted to become stronger. If it meant getting stronger then, for now, he would go with her. Even if it meant he had to leave hhis home behind. He would return to it, he had no doubt about that. Maybe he was over exaggerating, maybe she wasn't even going to take him far away. But for some reason he doubted it. He knew when he came back he would be different.

[Ajraka Kuchiki]

She smiled as he seemed to be warming up to her, her ears flicking excitedly as he seemed to begin taking her words much better, understanding her gestures and even beginning to understand what she was offering him. Of course as he stood up she wavered a little, her ears perking a bit as that smile grew just a bit wider. He was a big boy wasn't he? She laughed a little at that despite herself, and simply watched as he spoke his mind, seeing just how he was stuck in the muck of his own lack of experience. That weighted, inky muck she knew so well, the darkness of the unknown one tried so desperately to climb out of, grabbing onto any iota of what one did know in hopes of making something out of it.

And he did so succeed. As when he had said his peace, she gave but a simple nod in reply, a clear smile on her face as she stepped forward and transferred that fist from her own chest to his, giving a light pound before a soft and girlish giggle as she gave a little skip-dance on the spot. She finally had one of her own kind in tow! Of course it wasn't as f she were jealous of Otto and Jack, naturally. They had their own issues, but the idea of a student was quite pleasant. Of course... he'd need to adjust to her... transition. When she was on the ship she would act very different as to when they were alone, but well... he'd get used to that. In any case she took it to heart to put her trust in him. He was an adult after all.

In any case she took hold of his hand, smiling as she placed it on her shoulder, giving it a pat as she proceeded to lead him, after a few paces releasing his hand as she would begin to lead him away from his old home and toward the telltale spires that were the spines of her submerged ship off in the distance. She suddenly realized that between then and there, she was going to need to find a way to....brace him for the sheer sight of her ship. Not an easy task, not to mention getting him to leave her crew be. They knew better than to fuck with her things, which she supposed he was now one of. At least for all intents and purposes. She slowed down a little, thinking over how best to handle him...

[Deleted]

The action of placing her own fist upon his was one that he understood. It was a promise from her to him, a pact between the two. The reptilian would follow her, allow her to lead him so that he may both learn and become stronger. Regardless though she seemed very happy at the idea of him following her, since she was bouncing up and down and giggling again. She placed his hand on top of her shoulder and began leading him away, away from the lake that was his world. The reptile was quiet, turning his head slightly to get a last look at his home.

Where was she going to take him? Such a question he didn't know the words to ask, so he followed behind her in silence. Being exposed like this made him quite anxious, his eyes glancing right and left now and then to make sure they weren't being watched or followed. How long had it been since he had actually walked on two legs? More often than not when he did emerge from the water to snag a rabbit or something he was always down on all fours, ever bothering with bipedal walking. It made him much easier to see and what not.

He blinked when he noticed the creature he followed slowed down, tilting his head to the side in slight confusion. Was something wrong? Did she smell something he didn't. The feathers lowest on the back of his neck twitched slightly as the thought of enemies caused a twinge of excitement in him. He looked around, not noticing anything out of the ordinary and returned his gaze to the back of her head. He only now noticed the height difference between the two. He was a good couple inches taller than her, and no doubt much heavier than she was. So, how was it then that something so small could have over powered him like that? How had she gotten so strong?

The reptile was prideful, arrogant even from all of his victories over intrusive Hollows, so being defeated so easily was insulting to him. But then he realized something. He blinked once as he looked at the back of her head, the realization dawning on him that made his eyes widen. She had only been playing. It had been he that was aggressive, attacking with her all his might, when all she had done was play around with him. If she had been serious, if she had been actually trying to kill him, there would have been nothing he could have done. He then remembered back underwater, when the two were intertwined with each other, there bodies held together, when he was sinking his teeth into her neck and looked over at her.

He remembered that look she gave him. That glare that sent a wave of fear into him. The reptile had felt real fear for the first time in his time in that lake. He had always been safe in the water, drowning whatever foe came for him in those murky depths. He had been overpowered in his own element and so easily. Just how powerful was the female he was following. He felt nervous after realizing it, rather relieved actually that they were on good terms now. They were.... right?

He noticed something in the distance, in the same direction they seemed to be heading. They looked to be rising pillars over the tops of the trees, pillars that he did not recognize. It seemed that when they came into sight was when his acquaintance had slowed down, causing the reptile to lower his gaze and look at her. He began searching for the right word to use, trying to remember through all of the things that the whiny little one would tell him. So many words, but so many meaningless. The female would problem hear his jaws snapping and a couple of grunts coming out of his throat as he tried to get the word out.

"Problem?"