Yet Another Instability | Joint Training / R |

[Kimiko Aimi]

Garret was right about the Hollows trying to enter her ice fortress. She has seen them invade countless homes, castles, and areas that were deemed sacred, so why would their new environment inhibit their actions now? She was foolish to think that her alteration to the environment would prove to be a smart gesture. If anything she just imprisoned the man within the walls of ice. Should a fight occur within the walls then there wouldn't much room for the man to move around in. His stature and weapon alone take up much of the space, despite the hall being vastly large, but should he fight recklessly then it will undoubtedly place her in harms way. Thus, putting him in harms way.

No, it was the wisest decision to make. Within the walls Kimiko had territorial advantage. Her reiatsu literally leaked off the ice itself. That very fact, along with the drop in temperature, made her Flood work more efficiently, including expanding her ability to forge ice. The atmosphere was perfectly suited for the Failure to combat any foe that came into her domain. To add on her Pesquis was active. Beings with a reiatsu bestowed upon them pinged on her Energy Sensory like a radar, and her Energy Sensory was capable of covering miles of land. Down to the smallest detail. If anything had come for them she would know in advance.

So far everything was clear, not a single trace of reiatsu alerting her senses to a possible threat. Just the two of them within the castle of ice. Even with their current predicament she found herself smiling when he came to join her. While she had been enjoying herself she didn't take too quickly to the fact that the man was having some difficulty adjusting to the drop in temperature. Once more she displayed her lacking of details. She could read thoughts and emotions due to her Energy Sensory but didn't rely much on her own eyes, her own physical ability to piece bits of information together. This was a good way to start that, as she has been doing so since she met Garret.

Early she spoke of the foreign entity that resided within the male spirit. She spoke of it out of concern for his well-being. Such a "thing" is indeed an abomination to the world. Such a thing to leech off life itself in order to sustain its own existence. The Failure didn't have the intelligence to put it all into words though, since she didn't know what it was. Furthermore, her referral to the "other" did put a dent into Garret's psyche. It felt like a wave of uncertainty and disapproval. Or perhaps discomfort if anything. His own physical reaction to her statement proved it otherwise.

He asked, if anything to acquire as to how much knowledge she had of such a thing. To be honest she didn't know much of anything concerning the "other." From their conversations and training she had only been able to piece together what this "other" was from the knowledge that Garret knew. However, some facts remained a mystery to her. Why? Simple really, Kimiko didn't wish to intrude further into the man's past. Such a despicable abuse of power would only reduce the overall individual that she was. Regardless of her current stature she couldn't break away from her teachings, and so, she refused to probe the man like some sort of experiment or test subject. It went against his human rights, and so she would respect it.

"Almost little to nothing Garret. I can only say based on the behavior of your soul. There are clearly two different 'individuals' if I had to say. Yourself, and something that is... foreign, but similar to you." That was all she could go on from. This "other" did peak her interest, in regards of wishing to cleanse it from the man, but aside from that nothing. With the light that filled her eyes beaming through the sockets, they shifted over to witness the scow labeled across the man's face. He didn't appear to be fine just by mentioning the "other." "You do not have to speak of this thing if you do not wish for it. It is your business and I have no right to ask for such things." Her desire to deescalate his mood was rushed. She didn't want the man to fall into the midst of instability, not while the night was upon them.

"At this time you should continue your training your focus. Continue to focus control over your reiatsu while reciting the incantation from earlier. Just because we are about be placed under a Hollow siege doesn't mean you will avoid your training." Better to be strict then complacent. Best suited to keep his mind off matters that would distraught him. And so, while he went about with his training, Kimiko underwent training of her own. Control control control. All she could really think about. Most of her techniques had been based on spiritual strength, which she had a lot of, however, each of them was mustered through the use of incantations. Some form of phrase or wording was needed to project them. So, why not muster it without the use of phrases. It was worth a shot.

To do so she had to focus herself. Training was indeed difficult for her when learning to expand her knowledge on what she already knew. To learn new ideology was simple. Concepts and mechanics she found interesting to piece together, just expanding on those ideas felt trivial. In other words she got bored easily. In her time, if not even now, she is a prodigy, and one of the best. She learned a high degree in politics and mathematics at an early age. Hell, she even put land re-noun scholars to shame. Being born into nobility would do that to you. She lived, slept, and breathed nobility, but in fact, she didn't like it. All for the sake of expanding the wealth of the what the family already had. She didn't like it.

Now, every little thing she did was according to her will, and not of the family. She did what she wanted and when she wanted. To be able to put her skills and knowledge to where it was needed, that was what she wanted to do with her life. Garret was the first to it in a long time. She only hoped that he wouldn't fall into the same path that most humans did. That path led to nothing but death and destruction. If anything she hoped that she could save his life. But to do that, she had to be stronger. And she intended to do so. With that newly made goal in mind her reiatsu flared. Not in the means of flexing as she had before, this time it was in attempt at control. To harness that raw force of energy and alter into a form she desired was most difficult.

Her knowledge of its mechanics were not in questioned, that was merely due to her nature as a Failure. Their race, being gifted with nearly limitless power, was born with little to no aptitude in restraint. Failures lacked nearly all possibility of control over their own power besides that of their Flood. So surely this would be a tasking job. No matter, she was not in it alone.

[Garret]

She claimed that the information that she had gathered about the entity within him had been gathered by peering at his soul. It wasn't that she was fully aware of what was happening deep within the Rogue, only that she had the faintest clues from the behavior of his soul. Garret was quiet, staring down at his trembling fingers before covering them up with his other hand. It wasn't fear that caused them to shake; it was the side effects of the parasite within him. Garrets was different than most Bakkoto, from what he was told. He remembered the words of warning given to him by Taiho Kasumi'Oji, that use of the Armor in its uncontrolled state would wreck havoc across the mans body. He still remembered her words.

"Yours is different from the rest. It's more attached to you and thus has a far more intimate relationship with your body. It has access to you in ways that the others don't. Your nervous systems, your cells, your very reiatsu, all are open to that Bakkoto. If you're unable to control it you have more to fear than just losing your mind. The toll it takes on your body is enormous, and prolonged and extensive use of its power will begin to damage you. Your fingers will get tired from all the shaking. You'll begin to lose your senses; taste will be the first followed by shortly by smell, and then your ability to touch, and so on from there. Unless you can learn to control it, it shall completely devour you, mind...body...and soul."

Garrets frown deepened as he remembered the warnings. His power was not one he could use easily. He could not control it, and was only able to bring himself back from the parasites influence once before. A battle against an Arrancar that called herself Shinzui. Garret was unsure how he had been able to pull himself back and regain control over his body, and have full control over the power of that armor, but it was something he needed to learn how to do. Thankfully though, Kimiko surprised him by stating that he did not need to speak about the entity if he did not wish to. Garrets gaze softened as he turned to look at her for a moment, almost skeptical that she so easily wanted to change the subject. He wasn't used to such kindness.

Often people wanted to push the issue, to tear Garret apart to fully analyze him. A Mod Soul named Takara did that especially, violating his privacy to read him like a book. The very thought of her caused his temper to flare slightly, but quickly died down. But that was not here nor now. Kimiko wanted Garret to continue with his training. The task seemed simple enough, to continue with focusing his reiatsu amidst reciting the Kido incantation. He was to focus control over his reiatsu, rather than simply expel it like he had before. He took a breath, closing his eye and remained sitting. He reached with himself, feeling for that wall that held his reiatsu back. Gently pushing against it he allowed some of his power out, and his form began to glow just slightly.

Focusing the reiatsu into his hand he held onto it, not letting it fly as he had before. Sure enough, a few sparks of electricity formed, dancing between his palm and his fingers. Byakurai was a lightning element Kido, and while he wasn't projecting it this was a good start. Also a very interesting one. Garret was able to focus control over his reiatsu rather well, if Kimiko noticed, so why wasn't he able to project the Kido as it should be? The swordsman looked at the few sparks of electricity, however, with a frown. It wasn't what he wanted it to be. He knew he needed to continue. He was convinced that after resting and a brief distraction, he was back on track with learning.

Kimiko went about her own training, while Garret continued with his, until finally the inevitable time came. Outside of the ice fortress the sun slowly sank down behind the horizon, bringing an end to a day and welcoming the night. Once the sun was completely gone, something changed. Kimiko, with both her high Energy Sensory and her Pesquis, would feel a slight change in Garret. It was fast, like the flick of a light bulb, and the only thing that stood out about his reiatsu. Moments later her Pesquis would get multiple contacts from all around the fortress, heading straight for it. Garret raised his head, instinctively knowing what the time was as he got to his feet and walked over to where his sword was planted in the ground.

Garret had already reached out with his own form of sensory, Echo. While he wasn't aware of this, Echo was a technique referred to as a Vita Sollertia, a set of techniques that drew on an individuals life force rather than their reiatsu. Garret, humorously, was able to perform these techniques with little to no issue. How ironic that the Rogue couldn't use Kido, but could easily use those that risked his life. Using Echo was very similar to Pesquis, and Garret received multiple returns from the various Hollows that were converging on their position. The ping he got from Kimiko, though, was gargantuan, a clear indicator to the power she held within her.

"They're coming.." Garret said, pulling his sword out from the earth and facing towards one of the walls. Kimiko would see that training was the last thing on Garrets mind. A scowl had painted itself upon his face as he stared ahead, waiting for anything to happen. And soon it did. A red light struck one of the walls, exploding on the outside surface followed shortly by the howl of a Gillian. "Cero." Garret stated, recognizing the sound and light of the Hollow energy attack. Soon the fortress was engulfed in howls, as the sounds of the monstrosities trying to break in was heard all around them.

Screams, laughter, pleas for the scent within to venture outside and even explosions as the Hollows used their abilities to try and break in. Garret narrowed his eye as his head turned, looking around them and looking for any structural damage to the fortress. Kimiko would see the look in his eye, a mixture of concern and anger. The Rogue was uncomfortable being trapped in here. He did not doubt the strength of the walls, but he had to watch for the Hollows that would be smart enough to slip through with their abilities. Lights continued to reflect through the ice walls, casting the two individuals in different shades. Garret remained standing as the time passed on, his sword held tightly in his hand and resting on his shoulder as he waited. It would be impossible for him to focus on training during the night, with all this going on around them.

"There's a lot more than usual tonight", he began, his heard turning to look at the walls, "At least a couple dozen of base Hollows, and three Gillians." Kimiko would have a better understanding of the numbers, given she had the better sensory technique. So far so good. It had only been an hour, so the night was still young and something could change. Garret lowered his weapon, planting it back in the earth to allow his arm to rest. He may not have been able to see the Hollows, but just hearing them was enough to bubble up his resentment, his hatred for the monsters. Garret wanted to get out. He wanted to kill them all.

But he never asked. He never motioned for such an action. He remained steady and in control. He looked over at Kimiko, watching whatever she was doing for a moment before returning his attention to the walls. It wasn't long after though that what Garret had warned about happened. There was the sound of tearing from behind the Rogue, and when he turned towards the far end of the other side of the fortress he watched as the air seemed to literally tear itself open. Two hands ended in long clawed digits pulled the body free, a Hollow shaped rather similarly to a man in an old knights armor, save for the size of his body and the fact it had a tail growing out of its back. Accompanying the Hollow were, what looked like, four floating mouths.

"Found you. Now I'm gonna eat you!" The Adjucha drooled, beginning to stalk right towards Garret. The Failure would notice something. The Hollow seemed completely oblivious to her, its attention completely focused on Garret. "Is it cold in here?" the Hollow asked as Garret ripped his greatsword straight from the earth and vanished, utilizing a Step Technique to run the Hollow through with his greatsword. A savage look on the mans face as his sword cut right through the Hollows left arm. It screeched in pain, Garret landing and turning, getting ready to swing his weapon again before he was struck by that tail.

Nothing really happened to the Rogue, aside from his natural cutback kicking in and causing the Adjuchas tail to erupt with freshly created injuries. "Aaagh! What the hell?" the Hollow screeched, backing up as its four floating mouths began to open and close rapidly. Garret raised his sword once more, ready to re-engage with the Hollow. Seeing that monster. The feeling of fighting against it began to awaken that thing within Garret. His anger began to rise and burn within him, the fire growing and threatening to wreck havoc. He began to stalk towards the Hollow, as two more tears began to appear within Kimikos ice fortress, signaling the arrival of more Hollows. The four floating mouths opened, and red light began to form within them. Garret recognized it as a Cero, and quickly drew his sword up and hid behind it, using it as a makeshift shield for when the Ceros would be fired. That is, if the other person in the room allowed them to be fired.

[Kimiko Aimi]

Wow, there surely were a lot of pings scattered across her Pesquis. Large blobs of reiatsu emerged one after another. Each trace of reiatsu assimilating individual spots to grown into a much larger entity. First time in a long while since she had ever seen a gathering such as this. There were instances of course, in which she bore witness to the birth of a Menos Grande. The precise term/name of their forms eluded her but she didn't particularly care for the details of Hollow evolution, as to what it took to bring one down. Each time their appearance was altered the stronger they became. But in the end they all met the same fate. Just the same as those who barged in uninvited into her stronghold.

Similar to the pings outside the ice walls they began to manifest within. And not a moment too soon when Garret began to move as well. Prior to their emergence the man was pacing back and forth. Undoubtedly this was a first for him. Stuck within the confides of a place that was limited to fight, and the anxiety it must have had on his mental state was believed to be justified. In many ways he had placed his trust into the Failure to an extent. She wouldn't see that trust be misplaced, not while in her presence. Even when the Garganta gave birth to an Adjuchas the Failure rose to her feet with such a calm demeanor.

Quickly the interior experienced its first tussle with man versus beast. It wasn't a surprise to see the man's fortitude and incredible stamina when facing such an adversary. A firm grip on the handle that bore the weight of the massive lug of marble was capable of removing a single limb of the Hollow without much effort. However, much to his dismay that more began to arrive around them. The fabric of reality split open, all gaping mouths directed toward the man. Was this what Garret spoke of about his ailment? Her keen detection in Energy Sensory alarmed her to numerous piles of energy gathering into those mouths. Their respected lights removing the natural beauty of her fortress with crimson as they continued to build upon their already devastating power.

It would have been but a moment, a moment that was needed for the mist to seethe back into the room to cover the floor in a dense fog. The man's natural body heat gave what the Failure needed to create what she planned. From the ground particles of moisture were being crystalized, binding onto the other adjacent to it, then shooting upward into the air of the Hall. Suddenly, those glares of crimson pulses dissipated. From a peek peak from the cover of his blade the Rogue would witness the aftermath of what transpired to his aggressors. From the ground into the air flowed thin streams of blood. The tips of manifested spears were stained by the brain matter of those who sought to use their Ceros to do harm onto the cold's allie. They were silenced in the way that only ice was capable of ushering.

As for Garret himself he would feel the cold rush dripping over the surface of his backside as a newly formed wall sprung from the ground. Ahead of that was a large talon from an unfriendly Adjuchas that sought to use the opportunity to land a blow. However, the wall of ice was formed to prevent that. Not that it would have made a difference due to the man's Spiritual Pressure exceeding the creature's own natural power. The ice itself had penetrated through the forearm of the beast to not only halt its attack, but to immobilize it altogether. Regardless of how much it frantically wailed and clawed at the ice, it wasn't going anywhere for a time. She had his back.

As for the remaining armless Adjuchas it will find itself trembling as a layer of ice grew across its flesh. The bleeding ceased to occur but so will its advantage in speed over the man. "You can deal with this one as it is your fight." The Failure spoke up. Her bare feet treading over through the thick layer of fog that reigned over the ground toward the center of the Hall, readying herself for what was to come. But before anything else can be done, she at least had to pray for those creatures whose lives were lost. Just like the man who was chained to his home, they too were once human, and still deserved a proper sending before they met their end.

[Garret]

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC} Gaaaaah I can't focus today.

Garret blinked. A chill had crept across his body but not one caused by fear or doubt; instead it was a physical cold that he felt. Lowering his weapon and emerging from behind it to catch a glimpse at what Kimiko was truly capable of. The hovering mouths of the arm lacking Adjucha had been impaled with lances of ice, ending their attempts at casting a Cero. Turning his head he looked at the frozen arm reaching for his backside, the creature encased in the ice as it tried to pull its arm free. The one before him was suffering a similar fate, it to being frozen over. Kimiko stated that this one was Garrets, as he had been fighting against it moments prior.

The swordsman frowned as his sword lunged forward, imbedding itself into the Hollows head, slicing clean through it before being pulled back out. The Hollow fell to the ground, no longer trembling in a mixture of fear and cold. Walking around to the other side of the newly formed wall, Garret dispatched the other Adjucha as well in a similar manor. As he did so, however, he could not shake the odd feeling in his gut. Seeing these Hollows dead at his feet was satisfying, but he didn't feel as fulfilled as he normally did. Maybe it was because he wasn't the one to kill them.

Looking over at Kimiko he watched as she prepared herself, whilst he rested his blade against his shoulder. Giving her a lingering gaze, Garret pushed the thoughts he was having out of his head. He could stew on them once the night had ended. For now Garret needed to remain focused on what was important; survival. He could have no distractions, as mere moments worth of not paying attention could cost him his life. At least, that's how it normally was. But having someone with him, someone that was far more powerful than he was dealing with the issues he had to deal with all alone each night caused some odd feelings to begin to grow inside of him.

As the night dragged on, however, Garret pushed those emotions aside. Even if the numbers of Hollows that managed to get inside of the fortress was nothing compared to the numbers he often dealt with, he still took each Hollow that entered as seriously as the last. Even if Kimiko got most of them, Garret did not sit idly by. He dispatched his own few Hollow intruders, not content with sitting by and allowing the Priestess to deal with every one that got inside. And so the hours pushed forward, the number of Hollows that they had to deal with were actually pretty small. While those outside continued to grow in number, merging together into Menos Grandes, only a small number of Adjucha actually managed to get inside.

And finally, it all became quiet. Aside from a few chilled breaths, the sounds of howling and screaming had come to an end. Rays of sunlight penetrated through the ice constructed walls of Kimiko's fortress. The great weapon the swordsman carried tip rested against the ground as he sighed, "its morning". He only had minor injuries, literally nothing more than a few scratches that barely even drew blood. Walking between the rows of newly created statues, once Hollows that had intruded the fortress, Garret located Kimiko amongst the clutter. "You alright?" He asked, approaching the Failure but keeping a slight distance between the two.

It felt so weird. He didn't feel satisfied. For so long Garret had fought alone that he had forgotten what it had been like to have someone else watching his back. Sure, the anger had been there, but he couldn't fight all out like he normally did. Confined in a room like this, with someone he was beginning to, No. He pushed such thoughts out of his head. This was a one time thing. Kimiko would only be helping him until he could use Kido on his own. Then they would go their separate ways. Garret would not have her experience this life anymore than was needed.

[Kimiko Aimi]

So much blood shed. Much similar to that of a war torn field. Bodies scattered along the landscape and their blood leaking across the land, feeding it with the life force of spirits. After all the years spent wandering about the Earth, this was a sight she never got use to. It sickened her to an extent until she realized her intolerance to human beings. This sight only strengthened that I'll mannered sensation within her. But this time was different, this was something that was beyond their control.

Garrets curse tickled the senses of the Hollows, it lured them to him. Not out of a sense that allowed them to recognize theor behavior, but more as to wep up their bestial instincts. In her eyes she could only see the blank stares that filled those empty sockets were their eyes should be. They were drawn to him with the need to satisfy theor cravings. Garret didn't want this for himself, so how was he to blame. And so, with each night he carved a blood stained evening with each day that passed, bringing an end to hundreds of lost souls that may have been abled to be saved. As a Priestess, she had failed.

Nothing stung more to a Priestess when knowing you've failed carrying out your duty. So even if they were not stuck down by her hand she knee she had to give them a means to be saved, a single hope she had. That was the purpose of her prayer. A single chant for those who will have, and have already fallen to their hands. A hope in which those lost souls would find peace after their destruction. That was her wish. May they have been reincarnated or enter into a eternal sleep, at least some good she prayed will have come from it. As a Priestess, it is all she could hope for.

The sounds of angry and dying cries filled the air around her as the Rogue continued to slay his agressors. Each one of those that made their way into her fort quickly found a heavy slab of metal thrust into them. The same can be said for Kimiko. For those that trespassed into her lair found themselves falling into a eternal sleep when the ice froze their heads whole. Not a single blood vessel would have made its way to the brain, an instant and silent kill. To some extent, her mask had fallen. That sour expression engulfed her steeled face as the Hollows fell one by one.

Three more Adjuchas ventured beyond their strong hold of Hueco Mundo into her palace of ice. Their appearances taking on the forms of Dingo dogs. Slender in form but quick on the feet. Hardly difficult to deal with when considering that much of the floor had been frozen over the course of time. Their small paws could never have found a firm grasp in the ice, so much to their dismay that they were foolishly sliding across the floor.

Despite their situation they continued in their pursuit after the Rogue. As though she were one of them Kimiko found the scene very much intolerable, thus forcing the woman to cup theor paws in ice. They merely watched them struggle in their attempts to break free. She just watched them. For reasons she didn't know why, but perhaps it was to witness their overall behavior to Garrets curse. Pitiful. Pitiful and yet sad. The Hollows before her were not in total control over themselves. They too were victims. They were trapped in a cycle of pain and agony in which only they could ever understand. Both Kimiko and Garret were very similar to them, was what she thought of at least.

Her eyes drifted toward the rowdy crowd gathered oit along the edges of her fortress. The swarms of Hollows and Menos' piling up against one another, few of the lesser beings merging unto a newly born Gillian. Such a spectacle to witness, but sad none the same. They too were victims. And so, the maiden gave them a single prayer before their passing. To help them with their passing, the Failure conjured two of the most powerful of techniques she knew of. One of them Garret would be most familiar with. It's blue light devouring the rest of the colors from the world as pure raw reiatsu gathered into the palm of her hand. That spiral flow of reiatsu compressed itself until it no longer could be restrained.

A Cero. A single burst stream of reiatsu shot forth from the snow white palm of the Failure, and out into the crowd of Hollows outside. Just looking into it was harmful as its light shined brightly into the night. That same light that filled the surrounding area with blue also silenced half of the horde of Hollows. Gillians and some of the lesser breeds were devoured by the Cero's light before erupting into a mushroom cloud into the distance. The Shockwave that came back reflected the amount of force that it explosion amounted too, and well, with 1200 reiatsu stength, how one could not be awed by it. Equivalent to that of an Atomic Bomb.

The remaining horde met the dame fate, but with an alterior technique. This one a bit more familiar to the Shinigami as it was one of their more higher class spells. The Raikoho, or Thunder Cannon. A monstrous stream of lighting that roared from start to finish. More like conjuring a storm from the palm of her hand, the ice walls gave into the raw power of the lighting element and were disintegrated with the Hollows that clawed at them. Much like the lighting bolt that it was the stream crashed heavily, with its impact emanating a powerful earthquake within the land. Like her Cero, the spell was matched with 1200 of the Failures reiatsu strength.

Morning was upon them, so there was no reason to keep the ice fortress. Garrets voice was a good change in a land of death and destruction. A good reprive from what she had to do to help the man. This included dealing with the trio of Dingos that remained struggling in the ice. As the man came to inform her of the change in day he could clearly hear her words, "I'm sorry." to the beasts. There was no other way to say it really. "You have gone through so much, but now, you may rest." the woman finished before swallowing the Hollows in a layer of ice, having it dislove into mist of shining particles.

For a Priestess taking life was not easily in any sense. Instead, she felt ad thought she failed them, that she couldn't do more. That sour expression returned, even for but a moment. Once the moment ended for the woman she turned to fave Garret. "Now I understand what you meant by being forced to fight, the need to be stronger." Nothing more needed to be said, not when dawn had come, and the sun rising to meet them with a new day.

[Garret]

Another dawn. Another evening. Another reprieve. Another battle. Garret was quiet as he awaited Kimiko's answer, though he was honestly sure that she was fine. At least physically. She had suffered no injury, not a single scratch, her powers giving her dominance over this nights battle. Instead, Garret had asked if she was fine for another reason. He had seen her asking for the forgiveness for the Hollows. No, more likely than not she had been apologizing to what the Hollows once were, to the people that had been erased from existence by both magic and steel. It was the first time Garret had fought through the night with another person, so he was unsure of how they would have taken it. For him it had been the usual, but for her it was something different.

"Now I understand what you meant by being forced to fight, the need to be stronger."

Garret blinked, looking at the Priestess with a look of slight surprise. That wasn't what he had been expecting to hear. The Rogue looked at her, studying her face as he noticed the new expression she had adopted. "And it's just like this every night." Garret commented, before strolling past her and towards the nearest hole that had been created by her incredible power. Stepping out of the ice fortress he was greeted with fresh air, and getting to see the carnage done by the Hollows trapped outside. The outer walls had not been breached, but all across them were signs of attempted forced entries. Scratches, burns, and even splatters of blood painted the walls, displays of what Kimiko had been keeping out.

He walked along the path of scorched earth left by her first technique, one Garret had recognized near immediately. He wanted to inquire about it, but for now his mind was focused on other things. He looked down the path left behind by the technique, having witnessed its blast and the resulting explosion that had followed. How could ones body contain such power? Garret knew that Kimiko was powerful, stronger than anything he had ever met before, and now he saw just how powerful she was. Garret was sure there was more, but both of those spells showed him how terrifying these Failures could be.

His sword planted itself into the earth, followed by the Rogue sitting down against it. He took a breath, looking up at the sky for a few moments to ponder what had happened that night. He was nowhere near as tired as he always had been, he barely had any injuries, non being serious, and he had fought alongside someone else. Fighting with Kimiko had been a bundle of mixed emotions. On one hand he could not say it was bad that he had someone looking out for him, that someone so powerful was keeping her eyes on his back. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Garret enjoyed fighting alongside an ally again, old sparks of his days as a Raiding Captain returning to him. Hell, he even caught himself watching Kimiko, keeping his own eye on her during the fighting.

However, that merely cemented Garrets reasoning for wanting to fight alone. He was looking out for someone else, and not keeping his full attention on the Hollows around him. Yes, Kimiko had greatly reduced the numbers. Yes, Kimiko could have watched out for herself. But the fact remained that Garret had distracted himself with her well being. It was a weakness that he couldn't allow to develop. Secondly, there was the fact that he felt almost wronged. Garret had fought alone for so long, fought tooth and nail against these monsters with everything he had, that to have someone so powerful come along and simple freeze them solid had left the swordsman feeling unsatisfied.

It was his goal to eradicate them all. It was his quest for revenge that kept him going. For so long Garret had fought using his anger. Having someone else there to help lift that burden off of his shoulders had left Garret confused. He hadn't been able to summon the anger as fully as he normally could. Sure, it was there, but it was nothing compared to the inferno he always felt. He was left feeling unsatisfied. He was left feeling...thirsty. Whenever you bathe in blood your thirst grows, and with it the unending hunger of the Beast. The more you kill the more you thirst. The more you thirst the more you kill. Your bloodbath will never end, you will only keep on killing. You will keep on thirsting. All alone. And then the Beast will devour you, and it will take your place. It will feel nothing but hate and the monster will take your shape.

He ground his teeth together a bit, remembering the words of the Beast. Whether Garret wanted to admit it or not, he was slowly being consumed by the parasite. His growing bloodlust was a sign of it. But, right now, Garret wanted a distraction. He raised his head up back towards Kimiko, deciding now would be a good time to ask her his question. "That technique you used earlier was a Cero, wasn't it? How are you able to perform a Hollows technique?" It was a basic question, and maybe figuring out how she was able to use a Hollows technique could help him figure out why he couldn't get his issues with Kido sorted out.

[Kimiko Aimi]

The morning came as it always has. It rippled with new life, birds sang, and the insects froliced about as thought nothing happened. Nothing did happen despite the numerous remains of the Hollows that came the previous night. Life continued on as though it never happened, as it always has. However, she knew better. The dead of that night will carry over in some way. Their deaths would ripple through the life stream that was continuously ran across the worlds. Even not it wouldn't cease to the fact that so many perished.

Life would continue as it always has, untouched and uncaring. Would it have been the same should they perish too? Would time have forgotten them as the world continued onward? More than likely the answer was yes. To her it was unfathomable, but concrete. The painful truth was that their existences will fade over the course of time. So then, what was permanent then? What made an existence so secured that it will forever remain in the world? She turned to Garret who waltz out of the broken fortress to the dewy morning ahead.

The answer was time. How funny was that? The people that flow along side time carried it on. Markings and their existence will fade over time, like wounds they will heal and thus br forgotten. But with humans, they continue. Those people who were effected by those whom they encounter carry with them that knowledge, that experience and pass it on to the next. And so on and so on throughout time. Perhaps she was getting a little too deep, but all of it was relevant. That boy she took in all those years ago lives on. Though it may have been in memory, he still lived on, because she, Kimiko, remembers him.

This night, this experience with Garret, made her question a great many things. Those things and ideas that she hadn't pondered about in ages. Those thoughts brought forth the knowledge that she acquired over the course of those thousand years, each one unique on their own. That was when the man asked his quwstion about her uniqueness. No other being was capable of mustering so many different techniques that were only limited to certain races. But for her, a Gailure, her soul was open, free from restraints, thus enabling her to use what others could not.

"It was a Cero." she said to him. More than anything he would be wondering how it was possible for her, a suppose human spirit, to be able to use such a technique. So, she had to wxplain, "Unlike the beings that you may have encountered already, you can already deduce that I am different." That was obvious. "It is actually due to what I am, Garret. A Failure. A being that is.. unstable." Prior she gave him a small amount of detail as to what she was, but never a complete answer. So, she found it necessary to tell him everything.

So it began, "What I mean by 'unstable' is more referred to the unnatural amount of accumulated reiatsu that you notice within me." She nudges more to the Flood. A manifestation of her power and that it continuously flowed without her consent. This was actually done even as she explained to the man, with her mist emanating off her body. Unlike other Releases this ability never ceased, it didn't stop despite of the amount of time being beside him. "So much reiatsu is released from my body that I can not control it. The flow continues on regardless of my will, and so, it takes on the form of what is called a 'Flood. In other words Garret, the form I have now is unable to withstand that amount of energy.... And .. well... If anything happens to me, then.. well.. she took a single glance around their surroundings, but more keen to the wasteland that was produced by her power. "..well.. then.. I don't believe I have to tell you what happened when a weak shell attempts to hold in enormous pressure do I?"

That was their fate. Too cruel and yet funny how it would all end in a single moment. All life around her will be caught within the awe that was her gift, her power. What was to be a blessing became a curse of itself, similar to what Garret had to carry. Much like his Osen, her fate, and those around her were drawn together and suspended by a thin thread. "What you bore witness to last night would fall in comparison as to what would happen should I even bump into something, or even poked by a small needle. And it doesn't end there, for the longer we continue to live, the stronger we become. And with that strength.... the result.. the result would... be ...

What was this feeling? Something in the depths of her soul swelled. It brewed deep within and slithered its way up into her chest. That very sensation caused much weight to he formed on her heart, causing the Failure to bubble. Before she knew it tears came about. Nothing of the sort came to fruition in centuries. All life that she of would be gone. What made it worse was the fact of those who were close to her would die, should she ever remain with them. Each and every day the Priestess carried with her the lives of those arounder her. Such as the life of a Failure to live in fear.

She quickly composed herself after a minute a few min ties of expressing herself before she spoke again. "It is perhaps my soul is so unstable that I am capable of passing my limits. The restraints, the boundaries, that have been originally set on us humans may have been broken when my human life came to an end. But to be precise Garret, I really don't have an answer besides that." Was all she knew since there were no other Failures that she could reside on. No others that managed to survive as long as she had. More embarrassingly she wept in front of a man whom she recently had met. "Forgive me, I was out of line bearing this onto you. You have enough to worry about." she gestures wiping away her tears with the kimono's sleeve.

She couldn't help but try and recompile herself as quickly as possible. It was embarrassing. More importantly, she may have made a discovery about herself. Maybe a selfish one nation that, but .. "I apologize Garret, but maybe I just wanted to leave something behind... Something that may prove useful to someone. Perhaps... that was the true reason why.... I wanted to train you. I'm sorry." Her Flood continued to flow forth from the Failures body. Its hazy appearacne whisking around the woman before retreating behind her, as to not plague the man with fuether instances of the cold. He pretty much had to have his fill of it by now.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if you wish to continue training now or perhaps later. I will understand if you do not wish to continue." She honestly didn't know what he would do. To respect the man she forbade herself from searching his emotions or thoughts, so it did fill the woman with much anxiety. So far it was all based on Garrets decision now.

[Garret]

Garret was quiet. What else could he have been? What could he have said? It was, honestly, a funny little parallel. Just yesterday he had put Kimiko into a similar state of silence when he explained his affliction to her. And now he was experiencing that silence for himself as Kimiko spilled her soul to him. She began to explain to him what it meant to truly be a Failure. That with all that power came a equally as powerful compensation. All of her power made her unstable. All of her power caused that body to become a ticking time bomb. Garret was quiet as she explained to him what it meant to be a Failure.

He drank in the words, that single eye of his trained steadily on her. He watched and he listened. She explained the nature of her Flood, how it was her uncontrolled reiatsu literally pouring out from her body. That's when Kimiko told him the inevitable fate of all Failures. Should she be injured, should she be hit too hard, then everything around her would be erased. Garret didn't need it explained to him; the dialogue she used to foreshadow what would happen was more than sufficient. Eventually...Kimiko would explode. With all the power contained inside of her the resulting explosion would had have to be massive. The thought of it caused a slight shiver in the man.

Explaining this to him, spilling her grief onto him, caused genuine tears to begin to fall across her features. Garret blinked, remaining unmoving as Kimiko tried to regain her composure. Garret watched her, thinking on the words she had spoken and the explanations he had been given. Within a minute, though, she was speaking to him yet again. "No need to apologize. You listened to me when I grieved over my curse." Garret replied to her apology, breaking his silence for a moment when he had the opportunity. He watched as she used her sleeve to wipe away the tears.

When she explained the reasoning behind wanting to train him, Garret was a little surprised. Out of everybody in the worlds she could have chosen, she chose the man with the large sword and the lack of talent when it came to magic? The idea of that caused the man to smile a little, finding the humor in it refreshing. But, he wasn't going to laugh at her. Kimiko had, essentially, been writing a will when she was training him. She wanted Garret to carry on with what she had learned. That was when she asked him the question. The question that would determine whether or not they parted ways here and now.

Garret looked at Kimiko as she asked it. As she asked whether or not he wanted to continue his training with her. Garret studied her. He kept his one eye trained on her before looking away and closing it, showing the Failure he was thinking. Garret already knew the answer he wanted to say. He nearly blurted it out as well, "No", but something had stopped him. Garret knew that saying no was the only thing he could do. Saying no was the only way he would survive, that Kimiko would get to live just a little bit longer.

Garret had already realized that fighting with her had caused him moments of distraction. He already knew that fighting just didn't feel the same when he had another person around. So why didn't he say no? What was it that had Garret so hung up on the answer that he wanted to say? "Stop apologizing so much." Garret grumbled, pushing himself up from leaning against his blade. What was he doing? He turned his head back towards Kimiko, watching her and trying his best to piece together the words he wanted to say.

"I want to continue our training. As you saw I need to get stronger, and I believe that it's something you want to do as well. You want to leave something behind in me? Fine. I'll accept that responsibility." Garret stated, getting to his feet and stretching. Putting his hand on his sword, though, Garret was not done. "But, the decision is ultimately yours. You've seen it now, what my life is like. You're in danger around me. There are no nights of decent rest. You'll be thrust in a life of battle. Is that something you want?" Garret asked. Actually, he wasn't really even sure what he was asking.

He had figured that Kimiko knew that training him could take awhile, as his lack of Kido affinity had become painfully apparent. But, what was it he was asking her? Why did Garret ask her such a question? Maybe at some point he had realized that the two had the possibility of being together for awhile. The two of them. A cursed individual and a walking instabilities. Dangers to other people by their very natures, not their actions. Perhaps it was best that they stayed together, away from everyone else. Perhaps Garret was tired of being alone. Or perhaps it was because Garret wanted to deny the other its satisfaction.

Maybe it was because he knew that with someone else around he would be hard pressed to rely on the Bakkoto. He had experienced it first hand this very passing night. Fighting alongside Kimiko had suppressed his rage, how the fortress she had created had kept the majority of the horde out. Fighting with someone else helped to relieve Garret of the stress, the fear, the anger. And without those emotions to feed off of, the Bakkoto lay dormant. Garret didn't want to abandon his own dream, but he wasn't ready or willing to sacrifice his humanity for it.

Garret would not ask Kimiko to join with him. He could never do that. He could never ask someone else to experience the hell that was his life. It would have to be her own decision, her own consent. Garret respected personal choices, and if Kimiko wanted to do this then she would have to state it. And if this was what she wanted, then Garret had no reason to deny her.

[Kimiko Aimi]

She felt a wave of embarrassment brush over her. For her to seek comfort in a man whom she recently met was terrible. Not to mention that she had him shoulder much more than he should have been bearing this time around. She knew Garret had other priorities that he must accomplish. The Failure had no right to set her own dilemmas onto him as she did. She felt embarrassed, but more than that, she felt ashamed and flustered about it all.

The duty of a Mike is to bring harmony and peace to those around them. To fully embrace the fate that the world had bestow upon them without discrimination. And yet, she was blubbering it all onto him. These were her issues not his. He had no obligation to carry with her, but he did so anyways. If she was forced to say anything noble about the man it was his conviction and kindness heart. Yes, it wasn't often that part of him was displayed. Despite the continuous acts of aggression and hate Garret proved himself to be someone who can be counted on. Kimiko really did admire that about him.

Beyond that, his compassion for others did shine brightly. Being so apologetic did send a quick rush of blood into her snow white cheeks. Well of course she was required to shape up instead of subcoming to despair and powerlessness. But, what made her more happier was the invitation he offered to her. His words weren't as clear as she believed it to be, however, the message still got through.

She deciphered the obvious message, and responded to what the man offered. It did take a bit of time before answering, remembering that it was her idea to continue his training. But, "My life was already a battle the moment I became this. So, it changed nothing in all honesty Garret. Besides, your potential in using spells, still, do require more work." Her first shot at humor setting aside the grieving and whimpering that she displayed here earlier. May have not been a good one either.

Of the many things she noticed from his behavior wa the softness that came with his tone of voice. Before the Rogue had been agressor and sometimes thoughtless, as though running on auto-pilot, but nevertheless a small glimmer of light poked it's head from that clutter of darkness that roamed within his heart. That light shined brightly from among the darkest that surprisingly remains.

That was the subtle change that her Sensory picked up on from the man. More over than not, what ever that "other" was seemed to have been hindered by the amount of control that Garret displayed. It was a good sign of change that they needed..more importantly, what he needed, even for his training. "Well, shall we remain here or continuing to venture forth until we find a more suitable training ground?" The Failure was up for either one, because in all honesty she was going to train in regardless of which decision he made.

"How about reciting the incantation for the spell that I taught you, before the night came. You can focus in forming the technique within the palm of your hand. For at least a hundred times. This time however, I want you to use those emotions you had been using during the battles last night. Perhaps that is the key." Emotions give power to a formed foundation. If Garret had a chance using a Kido spell, now would be the time. "We can talk and walk at the same time Garret. I believe taking your time will help you muster the force required to deal some damage." The Rogue had her answer to his question.

And so, she left the decision onto the Rogue to decide whether or not to travel and train, or remain at a single location to rest then train. Whether way, from this point on she'll be following the Rogue to which ever ends he decides.

[Garret]

What sort of emotions did Garret feel when Kimiko agreed? He felt all sort of things. He felt disappointment, sad that she agreed to share in this hell with him. At the same time, he felt an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time; joy. It wasn't joy like he was jumping up in down in happiness, or even smiling really, just a quick flicker of happiness that she was coming with him. She would be useful, in more ways than either of them knew. Yet, Garret was sad she said yes. It meant that she was endangering herself, and in a way so was she to him. Someone with a curse that brought ruin and destruction each night and someone who, in an instant, could vaporize everything if she so much as tripped.

There really was nowhere else they belonged, was there? Outcasts. A duo who could not find normal lives with other people. Ah well. Garret felt a soft smile on his face as he turned, walking over to his earth planted sword before returning it onto the strap on his back. "It's best if we move. If we remain in this area when the next night falls, the effects will be stronger...which means more and stronger Hollows than what came for us this last night." Garret explained, turning back towards his new partner. His new partner...that was something he was going to have to get used to.

She suggested that they could walk and talk, further discuss his training as they travelled to...wherever it was their legs would take them. Kimiko gave him the tip to use the emotions he felt while fighting against the Hollows, to use the intensity of his feelings against those monsters to better give him success with his training. It sounded like a solid plan, and something he was going to definitely do while they walked.

Things were going to be different now. Things were, in no way, going to be the same now. Garret had someone now. He was no longer alone. How would things turn out now? Would accepted someone to travel with him, to share in his battles, going to be a blessing or a boon? Only time would tell. But Garret did know something. That with someone else around, the other that dwelled inside of him would remain quiet. Garret wouldn't allow it to consume him. Garret would be the one to consume it.

Threads concluded. Results: Garret and Kimiko are now travelling together.

[Amagai Kuchiki]

219 Paragraphs (Christ)
1095 TTP for both of you.