Rookie of the Thirteen (Arantima and Joshua Joint Training)

[joshua]

This was it. This was the barracks. This is where he would call home now. He had a small room, almost empty besides a bed and a closet. It was pretty much a blank slate. He was going to take this chance to do better in this life. He wasn't going to throw it all away. He is not throwing away his shot. He was lying down on his bed, about to go to sleep. He felt unusually tired and sluggish. He was not feeling normal. He hasn't felt normal in a while. He has not felt normal since he died. 

He found himself lying in bed with nothing to do. For some reason, he could not sleep. He was stuck without anything to do. He just became a Shinigami and he was clueless about almost everything. He barely learned the Flash Step technique a few days ago. He was bored and curious. That is the worst thing that could happen to him. His mind was racing but he couldn't do anything about it. 

He stood up and got out of bed. If he can't sleep through it, he might as well do something else. So, what does a bored and curious man do in the middle of the night? He would look for a library. He wants to immerse himself in the writings of this world. He has a lot of questions that needed to be answered, and there was nothing better than a book to answer them.

He started walking the long hallways in the barracks, checking a map every now and then to make sure he wasn't lost. He passed by multiple doors that he assumed were for his colleagues. He started to wonder what they did in their free time. Shinigami must do something besides killing monsters. He then realized he hadn't met any of them. He made a mental note to do that as soon as possible. 

He finally found the library. He opened the door and saw book shelves all around him. This was by far the largest library he had seen in his life and afterlife. He was smiling with a kid-like joy. He quickly ran through the aisles of books until he found something he was interested in. He was causing quite the commotion now. He expected everyone to be asleep or away from the library so he was being loud and rowdy. He was running around, grabbing books from multiple different book shelves. He placed every single one of the books he liked on the table in front of him. There were upwards of 25 books on the table, at least 500 pages per book. He sat down and read a book titled "Kido 101".

He tried his best. He thought that these books would be as easy to understand as his books before when he was alive. He had no idea what most of these things meant. He was about halfway into the Kido book and he was suffering. Without understanding most of it, he was not enjoying the book. This was probably the more basic books but he still did not understand the fundamentals. He sighed a loud sigh that echoed a little throughout the library. "I'll never understand this." He said with another sigh. He crashed his head into the book and seemingly gave up for now.

[Arantima Kawada]

(Training for CTP)

Arantima was in the library looking for books on the nature of Zanpakuto's, the history and resurgence of certain zanpakuto in history. There was not much to find on these subjects sadly as the exact nature and resurgence of Zanpakuto's were individual to each and was not studied with great interest as it was just, what occurred. There were stories of the Zero division having among it's ranks the shinigami who was the first creator of the Zanpakuto, but these legends were just that legends with no real basis, so far as he could find in the library at least.

Arantima was gathering some books to reference as he had a promising book settled down at his table. He had found a book about broken Zanpakuto and what occurs when one breaks and when one breaks in Bankai vs one breaking in Shikai. There was also a Track of thought in the book that he wanted to pursue, what happens to the spirit when it is broken in Bankai, and how can the soul of the Reaper that wields a Zanpakuto affect it's temperament. These questions were swarming in his Skull and As he read he heard a deep rumbling growl in his soul What are you thinking Arantima Hmm? Do you think i'm broken boy? Are you afraid of our power! Weak, You are weak and You will see that soon.. I am not broken boy and never have been!

Arantima held his head as he dropped a book, The headache he had was just getting worse and worse. The Relentless aching in his skull was just a side effect of prolonged release.. or so the Healers told him. He knew different though, he knew it was his Zanpakuto spirit beating at the inner world he had, Storming and raging uncontrolled within it. Arantima hadn't been able to meditate in days, he had not even sought to commune with his zanpakuto spirit.

That was when he heard the boy speak, the soft exhale of frustration. He smiled as he knew that sound well, it was the sound of the borders of defeat, the sound one made right before one either gives up or they start anew. He knew that most people however.. Were at their core, quitters. The best quality of people however was their ability to perform better while being watched, so he would watch. He found the pile of books, nearby his own book it just so happened and sat down directly across from the soul reaper in distress.

“Well it seems that you are having a fair bit of trouble hmm?” he chuckled and grabbed up one of the books. He looked at the title and scrunched his nose for a moment before putting the book back down but not in the pile, he placed it on a chair out of the way. He looked across at The Soul reaper before him, his soft grey eyes taking in every inch of the Soul reaper across from him. What he saw was not weakness or ineptitude.. He saw potential, He saw the bridge between weakness and a monster.

"My name is Arantima Aoire, 5th seat of Squad 10. The Shinigami With limitless determination, and limited Potential.. Who might you be?" His Smile was bright and genuine as he extended his hand over the Large pile of books between them. His eyes were smiling as well even if he was tired looking. His Body was covered in bandages, his chest was covered in a leather plate that was covering a fairly large wound. His Body was not physically imposing and his tone is not of someone who is spiritually powerful, who is this Shinigami?

[joshua]

He was utterly defeated. He had no idea what Kido was or how to manifest it. He just learned how to gather reiatsu and what it was. He had no clue as to how all these effects came from a bit of reiatsu and some words. He shook his head in defeat and sorrow. He was disappointed in himself, he used to be great at everything. Now, he is average at best, and usually worse. He was giving up. He felt the paper of the page just stuck to his forehead.

He then heard a calm and soothing voice. He turned and saw a young man who looked his age if not a bit older. This man was interesting. He had brown hair and he seemed very strong. He wondered if he could help him get stronger again. He missed his abilities in life. He never knew that he could be this weak or slow. He felt heavier and tired more often. He did not feel good.

The man asked if he was having a little trouble reading this book. Kido 101 was a basic book that most should already know. He did not know it. He blushed and his pale face turned a rosy pink at the embarassment. "Yeah. Was it that obvious?" He said with a chuckle. He was ashamed of himself. He brushed his blond hair to the side and bit his lip. He was nervous as he wanted to look good for first impressions.

The man introduced himself as Arantima Aoire, the 5th Seat of Squad 10. The Shinigami with Limitless Determination and Limited Potential. He said it with great charisma. Joshua chuckled and calmed down a bit. The rosy pink faded away into its natural pale white. He liked this man, he was fun. He wondered about the limited potential thing because as he saw it, he seemed very strong. Nevertheless, he removed his black glove and shook his hand in friendship. He saw he leaher plate and the bandages and he wondered about those but he did not want to ask questions. He had his own scars, and he respects their privacy.

"I am Joshua Froid, an unseated member of squad 7. Well, hopefully at least. I just became a Shinigami and I hope to get into it. I thought some Kido techniques would be useful but I just can't seem to understand it. Say, would you mind helping me? I was always better at hands on training anyway." He said with a smile and a genuine friendliness. He knew he needed help and Arantima seemed nice and friendly. He also seemed helpful, maybe they could train together. He thougt that would be a nice way to get to know him.

[Arantima Kawada]

Arantima Holds up a hand, A Reiatsu orb glowing golden appears in his hand. He begins to flow the orb around his hand, spreading it into five smaller orbs that rest on his finger tips. "I Can help you.. in-fact it will make a lovely distraction from my own dilemma." He Smiles and closes his hand, sprinkling out little flakes of gold that dissipate. "The Purpose of the Shino Academy is to ensure that you pass through it's walls with the Skill required to become a Shinigami. Not that you posses all the skill capable of being utilized by a shinigami." He Holds a Finger up to punctuate this point.

He leans back in his seat and draws out his Broken Zanpakuto, placing it on the pile of books before himself. The Blade is Broken, at least in appearance. Chipped and cracked at the tip with an aged and weathered exterior, however the edge is still sharp as any blade. The Blade does not look like a proper Zanpakuto, it looks broken it looks worn and ragged. "The Purpose of the Shinigami is not to become a Master of Everything. It is not to become a master, the purpose of the Shinigami is to protect those that can not do for themselves. A Shinigami is always learning, always understanding that they will never be the epitome of perfection."

He Stands and waves a hand up and around the Library, The gesture seemingly Dismissive almost? "The entire accrued knowledge of the Shinigami, Does.. Help.  If only for reference. I learned what i knew to get into and out of the Shino academy from a single scroll.. And that scroll said one thing." He pauses and turns, in his talking he had absent mindedly been pacing back and forth. He obviously felt strongly about this but also wanted to produce the words and thoughts properly. "Always.. Stand where you are. Place a wall to your back and an open field before you. This is so that you may never be pushed back but always move forward."

He stops, and smiles to Joshua and spread his hands out in a welcoming gesture. "Let us leave these Drab papers and books to rest with their knowledge for the moment..  Hands on training is where We all must shine, as hands on is the job description of the Shinigami." He Starts to walk out, grabbing his Zanpakuto on the way out. Its now clear to see that this man carries three swords, his Zanpkuto strapped horizontally across his backside, and two long katana's at his hips.. These swords are not regular length blades, from tip to tip they are as tall as Arantima.

As he walks he does not look behind himself, he seems to be confident that Joshua is going to follow him. He looks up and around at the library as he moves through it and As they get halfway out towards the door he Flash steps.. Not just once but the sound that follows the motion occurs several times. He Reappears at the same distance that he was From Joshua Mere moments before this time holding a pot of ink, a brush and a Scroll.

[joshua]

Joshua watched in awe as Arantima created a golden orb of light. He watched as it whirled around his fingers, leaving small wisps and traces of gold all around. The individual wisps of gold left behind turned into their own balls of gold, now making five smile orbs of golden light. He was surprised and overjoyed to hear that he would help. He even said it would distract from his own problem which was interesting. He seemed to help without actually doing anything.

He then made the orbs of golden loght dissipate before starting to give a lecture. Joshua started to focus intently on his words. The purpose of the Shinigami was not to become a master, or to be perfect. He agreed with this so far. However, he felt like it was always good to strive for unattainable perfection over not trying enough. He was taking in all the information and wisdom this man was giving him. He felt like he was a student again, under a mentor.

The purpose of a Shinigami was to protect, to defend the weak and innocent. He completely agreed with this statement. He wanted to be a shield for the defenseless and to bring justice to the criminals. Another purpose was to learn and understand constantly, understanding that there was no perfection. He understood but he still strives for it, it motivates him.

He stood up and waved his hand all over the library and started to pace back and forth. He seemed to really enjoy going through the motions of a teacher. He started to tell Joshua the one thing that he always followed in the Academy. Always stay where you are. It was a metaphor for determination. Never give up and never surrender. He agreed with this statement.

He stayed quiet and listened as he said to do hands on training. He was happy about and excited to train. Then, he stood up and followed behind Tima, his new teacher. Tima flash stepped and returned with a scroll and a bit of ink. He waited patiently for the lesson.

[Arantima Kawada]

As Arantima walked Silently through he courtyard he Took his new young trainee to a secluded spot near the entrance of the library. A Nice little area of trees that made a dark and small place to sit in private, when they arrived Arantima Took the scroll and the inkwell and began to write on it. When he was done he used his Zanpakuto and stabbed the scroll into the largest tree out front of the gathering, it read "Keep out! Private tutoring inside! Onlookers will be punished!" Arantima has a childish smirk on is face as he stepped into the darkened center of the gathering of trees.

He moved about, Cutting down brush and the like to create a small clearing, About 5 feet from side to side in as close to a circle shape as he can create. When finished he sheathes both of his blades and places them both in the corner, Running his hands down both of his arms one after another, like he is smoothing down sleeves he doesn't have. Arantima is always shirtless, always robe-less, He doesn't seem to care to cover his torso at all. He turns to Joshua and gestures around "Welcome to your Training ground.. Here I will teach you the Basics of Hakuda. If you are going to be a member of Squad 7.. Kido will be of little use to you, You will need Bakudo. But first you will need the ability to defend yourself to cast it."

He Chuckles and looks over to Joshua as he takes a Standard Hakuda stance. "The Most Basic Form of Hakuda is Self defense.. But one must always maintain a Set rhythm. Rhythm is in the soul, in the hands and in the feet. One must join these things together and become a Centralized being." He begins to move through the standard Hakuda motions that Joshua would have bee taught while in the shino academy. However after a few moments Arantima falls into a rhytm, his body moving on its own it seems.

 "As your body sets in, let it move on its own.. Your muscles know the motions so allow them to flow. But then when your opponent has learned your rhythmic pattern.. Speed it up!" He shouts right before his body moves at an alarming speed increase, Twice as fast as he was moving not but a moment ago. His motions are not even the slightest bit sloppy after this drastic increase. "this Speed looks Vast because of my own body's limitations. It will enable you to Move faster, but only a certain degree each step. Be careful that you do not allow your opponent to See that Exact step before you are ready for them to. "

He Makes the step up in speed once more, This time his speed seems to have tripled since the way he was moving at first. It is incredible and the Strain that it is putting on Arantima's body is clear but it is frightening how much faster he has been able to push himself without even using the Flash step technique. He Suddenly Stops mid motion and in a quick set of steps and blows ends his assault standing a foot to the left of Joshua his fist extended out in a blow meant to knock out an opponent.

[joshua]

Joshua followed Arantima outside to a sort of makeshift training grounds. There was enough shade and the breeze was nice and calming. He watched as his teacher started writing on the paper with the ink and made a sign that he stabbed into the tree. No onlookers allowed. It made sense to him to keep the training private. Anyone could see and learn from him and this training should be kept hidden. 

He watched as his teacher cut down the grass to make a decent training grounds for them to practice on. He then went on to explaining that Squad 7 members need Bakudo more than any other type of Kido. However, the most important was the Hakuda so he can defend himself when he casts his Bakudo. Joshua nodded his head. "I'm ready and willing to learn, Sensei! Let's do this!" He said enthusiastically. He stood in front of him, prepared to mirror his movements. 

He watched as Arantima started moving in a rhythmic beat. It felt more like a dance than a fighting stance. Arantima started to explain the technique, still moving in the same rhythm. He was having a bit of trouble understanding the rhythm of his own body and his teacher's body. He started to bob to the beat in a slightly awkward manner. He never learned formal martial arts, only fencing. He was good at swordplay and he felt naked without it. However, he tried his best.

He watched as his teacher explained that he can build up the speed pretty quickly. He watched as he moved at twice his starting speed. He said that his speed is based on his own physical prowess and ability. Joshua tried to emulate it, moving a bit faster and pushing himself further. He felt the rhythm of his body a little bit better now and he let his muscle memory take control.

He felt a rhythm inside him, his heart beat felt like drums, and his soul was dancing in delight. Once that happened, he felt faster and quicker and he started to feel like his body was dancing in response. He felt an unnatural joy and peace from this, his body and his soul were in harmony. That was a great experience for him.

His teacher told him to speed it up as he sped up himself, he moved nearly thrice as fast as he did when he started. Joshua was surprised and he pushed himself even further. He felt his heart beating like a set of drums, ringing in his ears, echoing in his soul. His body moved faster and faster, much faster than he normally can. He was happy and peaceful in this melody of the body and soul. He then watched as Arantima struck the air next to him with intense speed and power and he was instantly reminded of the true purpose of this technique. This was meant to be an offensive attack. The melody went silent as he felt a fear come over him. He was in awe and delighted at this. 

"That was awesome! Let's do it again! Teach me how to do it in an actual fight, although please hold back." He said with a slight enthusiasm. He was excited to try it out offensively. He wondered if this could be applied in conjunction with the otehr techniques he would teach him. For now, he focused on his techer again. 

OoC: Can I learn this? How much do I need for that skill point in Hakuda?

[Arantima Kawada]

Arantima Stopped suddenly as Joshua smiled and Asked him if they could try that in a real fight. He Chuckled and Nodded once "I can oblige this, but I will not have to hold back much at all. The only way I would have to do that.. I am afraid i would be unable to hold back far enough to Fight you evenly. As I am now, You and I are physically on the same level." He Went down into a Standard Hakuda Stance. His Body, is settled down from his immense movement from before, his body is ready for fighting at least on this level.

He Waits For Joshua to do the same, knowing that joshua wont be able to keep up in terms of skill, but can move in terms of speed and strength with himself.  He Moves Slowly At first, Ensuring that joshua can follow up with himself. He moves to jab and tap at Joshua, not looking to actually strike him for the moment, He is going to show him the basics of a Strike using Hakuda. His assault is very simple to start, Letting joshua get used to blocking and counter-attacking.

He keeps this going for as long as it takes to get Joshua comfortable with moving this way and warmed up for a fight. He Then breaks off and nods, tapping his foot on the ground to the Rhythm of his own beat before jumping back into the Fray With Joshua. Their Rhythm's should sync up given their almost matched speeds, fluxing and increasing in tempo as they match tempo. The timing was being kept perfect by Tima's increased skill with Hakuda so they didn't loose timing with each other.

Arantima keeps the fight going until they are both sweating, Letting Joshua keep the tempo where he feels Comfortable with it for the time being. He moves through the Sparring body in a way that keeps their footing perfectly placed for Arantima's Next move. He is waiting for a moment when Joshua will be far enough away from the tree behind himself that his next Technique wont hurt him badly. This next Strike Sequence is a three Strike Combination that in reality would end with a different Technique.

Arantima watches for a Straight blow coming from Joshua, the blow would come to a straight stop, like Joshua had just come into contact with a solid wall but it was in-fact Tima's Palm. His palm then twisted and thrust his wrist upward into the bottom of Joshua's wrist, sending his arm flying upward. Tima let out a Soft breath, and right hand pressed the tips of his fingers to Joshua's chest, before curling in and tapping his chest but even that small impact forced Joshua's body back, sliding along on the flats of his feet until he comes to a gentle stop against a tree.

"Do, Mushi, Denden!" He Flows his arms around and comes back into a gentle reposed stance with a praying hand resting in a cupped hand below his waist. He looks to Joshua and nods "These are All Hakuda, These Are all things that require a physical body, but also a skill. The skill of Defending those around you requires determination.. Strength and a Willpower." Arantima stands ready, Waiting for Joshua it seems.

[joshua]

Joshua was shocked and surprised when Tima suddenly stopped his movements. He tried to stop as well, causing him to stumble a bit. His face turned a bit pinkish in embarassment but he quickly shook it off with a chuckle. He listened as Tima said that he was about equal physically, and he was very confused. He did not think anyone could be an experienced shinigami with his level of skill. He also thought it was weird that he wasn't holding back yet he could be stronger. 

He was about to ask the question when Tima went into a fighting stance. Joshua followed, using the stance that Tima just taught him. Tima moved in a slow and loud beat, easily readable and easy to follow. Joshua started bobbing back and forth to the tempo and the beat as well. He quickly managed to get on the same tempo as Tima. Joshua was excited. His face showed a bright and competitive smile. He was having a lot of fun. 

Tima moved in with an assault of quick punches, quick for Joshua of course. Joshua did not block the first few ones but he managed to evade a few of the later ones. He started to block and evade the strikes as they were using the same beat and tempo. It started to feel like a dance instead of a fight again. Joshua decided to do something about that. He altered his tempo slightly, allowing him to move after Tima. After every strike, he would release his own jab. Every action has its equal opposite reaction, and their jabs were nearly the same. 

Tima stepped back and tapped his foot to the beat of the fight. Joshua stepped back and did the same, resyncing the rhythms of the two. It was an interesting sight to behold for sure. Two Shinigami, circling each other with the same beat per movement, fighting yet performing a dance between warriors under the white light of the moon. The fight was interesting, they were trading blows back and forth. Joshua matched Tima's rhythm every step if the way, and he tried to alter his tempo to shake things up but Tima caught back up quickly. 

Joshua decided to try and end this already. The dance of the dueling duo had gone on long enough. He watched as Tima stepped back once more. He stepped back as well. He had to end it with a powerful straight to the jaw. They were both sweating and Joshua was pretty exhausted by now. He was going to win, he knew it. He did not know what Tima was planning. He came in with a huge right punch, straight for the jaw. He put all his speed and power left into it. He thought that it was all it took to put him down. 

Tima proved him wrong. He felt his punch hit a solid surface, one almost like a wall. He was shocked and stunned, his tempo stopping completely. Tima twisted his open palm and bashed his wrist against Joshua's. Joshua's arm went flying upwards. Tima then put two fingers on his chest and curled it before pushing them into him. He was sent flying backwards, hitting the ground and ending the fight completely. He was utterly defeated. 

He was sitting on the dirt, laying on a tree, and he looked up at Tima. Tima said three words, the technique name probably. Do, Mushi, Denden, the technique that caused him to lose. Tima then went back into lecture mode, inspiring and commanding. He said that these were all Hakuda. Physical ability with a skill, determination, strength, and willpower that a Shinigami should have. Joshua was inspired by his words, as if a fire was set inside him. "Yes, Sensei! I will not give up, to protect those in need, and to defend the weak and defenseless, as is our duty." He said with a newfound determination. He smiled brightly at his teacher, and his friend.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

49 Paragraphs in total

Arantima - 240 CTP earned.

Joshua - 15 TTP banked. You can't learn "Rhythm Beat." Seeing that Joshua is still class 8. 225 CTP earned.