What Lurks Beneath the Surface [Open Training]

[Ippin]

From passing through the man made ravines to that of the seemingly isolated lakes around the large Human settlement Ippin searches for a way to return to her home. Didn't know how much time passed, or how many moons have come up over the sky to really tell how long she has been in a world like this. Being stuck beneath stone ceilings for long ranges of time pretty much screws with her way of telling time, and that is if she could really tell time at all. From what she already knows that many moons have gone over head. Too many to count. What resided around her kept the Cecaelia on the move for a majority of the time as moving to a new place to eat. Sometimes she had trouble finding a good source of fish in some of the smaller fixated pools of water, which were called "lakes" by the Humans that wandered around them. Other times Ippin would come across narrow pathways with small openings to the outside world that were channeling the flow of water with high stone walls. Not really ideal places to linger in to grab some fish, which meant she had to open up her palette to other sources.

The obvious choices were that of the Humans. Plentiful and easy to snatch up so long as they close to the bodies of water that she lingered in. Often times just waiting as any other predator would be until the right opportunity came to rear its fine head from, and allow the girl to have her fill. Sometimes her meals would be simple and die after a few minutes under the water. Meals like those were usually when the target she nabs were usually alone, or isolated away from the other Humans. However, there were issues that came with attacking the Humans. Ippin's own understanding about the settlement was beyond child's level, with her not really capable of seeing which areas are more populated, or are prone to large activity or movement.

The issues that Ippin had when it came to more populated areas were due to the ruckus that her feeding causes. Humans screaming in fear as something drags another person into the water, believing that they were drowning or the obvious thought of being attacked. Ippin can't count how many times she had to let her prey go because Humans rushed into the water immediately after the individual that the Beastclan member had dragged down below. In such instances there would be one more Human rushing into the water, then shortly after another. When something like that happens Ippin will have to struggle in warding off the other Humans while maintaining a firm hold on the Human that she was currently targeting. The Humans that would dive in after their fellow would try to unbind, kicking, and biting what they can in the murky water to help release the trapped Human. Other times there would be the Humans that were carrying a weapon, like some sort of small blade, or something that shoots hot metal from a small stick. Which ever it was did hurt either way.

All in all Ippin had to be more cautious as how to approach her prey. Ippin started taking places where she would find herself struggling into account. Keeping places that have that same appearance, or same setting on where she encountered more than one Human in the water. Places that were similar to those encounters were what Ippin would come to avoid while looking for other areas where she could hunt a bit more openly. With the settlement controlling the which way the water flows to the Cecaelia will find herself lost most of the time. Wandering blindly without knowing really where she was going made hunting and remembering places a bit more difficult. For now anyway Ippin nests herself in a lake that resides within a meadow like area. From what she can recall the Humans referred to the place as a "Park." Humans come around to walk around the large pool of water often in small groups. The water being close to the paths that the Humans walk on made it easy to attack with lots of shade to keep her skin cool when out of the water, so it was a preferred place to whole herself up in for the time being.

Moving around has she had been doing makes her sense of direction go just about everywhere without really knowing which direction is which. Places such as the settlement played a lot of tricks on Ippin's navigation, throwing the girl into a clear fritz as to where to go next, or if she was even in the place before. Ippin could remember locations, but not really as to how she got there, or when was she there. Nothing that the Humans did made sense to her, and with the ever changing sights and smells it only made the Cecaelia all the more confused. That amount of thinking and confusion was the reason why she was staying put for the time being until she could rest for a bit, and eat. Luckily, the light in the sky was going to sleep, making the scene darker with only a white ball emitting a small source of light in the dark sky.

Night time was the best time for Ippin to make her own to eat. When the night fell over the settlement Ippin had an easier time of hunting for food as there were less people moving about, and keep her own actions a bit more camouflage than usual. She didn't have much of a struggle fighting lots of Humans during this time since there were usually only one or two Humans at a time. Taking on two Humans was simple so long as she knows what she was going up against before she had to. This made hunting more easier for Ippin as she would be able to keep herself fed for a good while without having to worry about another meal while she would go out to travel. But, the benefits of hunting during such a time also made it an issue since there weren't that many people passing by the area. So, Ippin had to wait.

This was the only part that sucked the most considering that she would have to wait in one location until someone came passing by to eat. While seemingly easy if Ippin didn't eat at all for a while, then it would only make her all the more agitated. Hungry, agitated leading to becoming desperate. Ippin could possibly looking at scenarios that meant she wouldn't be eating for a few days as the fish in the water wouldn't be enough to keep her full, and there weren't enough of them either. That was the issue with her only hunting during the night. Yet, thankfully this night was where the waiting paid off. Two runners, going about their business as their jogging steps cladded with the mixture of stones that made up the walk ways by the lake. With the bugs making the only noise beyond their breathing and foot steps, what came exploding out of the water beside them was what would catch them off guard.

Soon, dark tendrils shot out from the water to grasp onto one of the Human males. Cold, wet muscles coiling around the Human's torso, clinging to him as his panicked steps caused him to rock away from the lake's edge. His running partner shrieking as he bared witness to whatever monstrosity threw itself at his friend, which eclipsed his body within a shadowy figure. In shock he could only stare as the darkened mass rocked itself to the large body of water, whipping the Human incased in its fleshy mass along with it.

[Miranda Frost]

Women can scream, pierce the air even, but men can definitely break that stereotype of women having the shrillest, loudest, and easiest scream. The shinigami had heard it plenty of times during her time on the job. From her first, unsettling mission in the untamed forests outside the reaches of the rukongai to this very moment, she had become conditioned to hearing this death scream of theirs.

This wasn’t to say she wasn’t affected. Oh no. This one in particular was extra annoying. After a long day running around this godforsaken city, fighting, killing, and sending souls, she still couldn’t take a little time for herself and relax. She’d wince and turn over where she lay by the lake, burying her face in the lightly damp grasp. A disappointed, muffled cry and frustration and exasperation and she was on her feet, casually walking towards the source of the commotion.

She didn’t have to walk far. She only follow the edge of the lake until she came across a grouping of trees that cast its shadow onto the surface of the water. Given how hot it was that particular day. Miranda would wipe her brow, squinting at the human running from the cluster of trees towards her, his arms waving hysterically and screaming uncontrollably.

“Help, HELP! It got my friend, you’ve got to help me please!,” he’d reach for her upon approach, grasping a hold of the loosely fitting, blue summer dress she wore over her gigai. Instinctively She’d throw her forearm out with all of her weight, acting solely on instinct. The blow connected with a thud, as if the man’s head were filled with rocks and not brains and crumbled to the soft grass like a sack full of rocks, not meat.

Miranda paused and looked down at the man, realizing what she had done. “D-damn heat’s getting to me.”, she’d excuse herself huffing as she knelt down, making sure the unconscious human appeared to be napping. I mean, he was, just not in the way she’d prefer. With that complete she’d return to the task at hand, investigating the source of this man’s distress. The man referred to whatever this source was as “It”, implying that it wasn’t human.

The man just could be having a heat stroke and confused the sinking and drowning of a companion as a horrendous lake monster reaching up snatching that poor soul away. She’d shake her head and enter the shade, following the trail to the water. The steel of her eyes did catch a few noticeable bubbles popping at the surface. Her brow raised and she concentrated her gaze upon it, but as soon as she paid her attention, it had stopped. “Huh, must have been the wind."[/font]

The shinigami leaned against on of the nearby trees, enjoying its shade as she looked out over the pretty waters that reflected the suns rays so beautifully. Out of all the things that she could remember about her home district, its sparkling streams and creeks were among her favorite memories. This lake was well kept and its beauty reflected it. Unfortunately there was a lingering stench in the air while not entirely sickening and unpleasant sure was someone strange.

Frost would stroke her chin and kneel down at the waters, brushing her silvered hair back from the surface of the water. Maybe it was the strange silence that permeated the air, but she couldn’t help but feel as if she were being watched.

[Ippin]

Twist and tumble, racked and rumbled, what little struggle there was between man and beast wasn't anything short of a scuffle. On land maybe the toned man would've had a chance to survive. Seeing that the open air would do him wonders even as he struggled, kicked, and screamed. At least he would've had some air to keep up his fight until the bitter end. That was the weakness of the creatures that resided on the land. But in this case, what did him in was nothing else but his own inability to breath as she did. Ippin's body wrestled with that of the Human as she dragged him down beneath the surface of the water. Their bodies intertwining, meshing as the two rolled down along the wet dirt surface of the lake. The Human's arms flailed about attempting to peel off the tentacles that were coiling around his body, stringing him, forcing him to act as she wanted. What did the Human in wasn't Ippin's strength, but that of lack of air that his new environment denied him of.

Every action the Human committed was due to natural instinct, mixed with fear. Trying to rip away at what had come to gag him, feeling the sense of fleshy appendages slithering all across his body. Every act causing more air to vent from his gaping mouth, throwing what strength he had in him. This was a usual tactic for Ippin to utilize when in large bodies of water, especially when they were deep enough to submerge herself completely. A watery takedown was best when it came to silencing prey as no sound came out from depths of water. Bubbles would flare up, and possibly some stink along with them when the time comes for Ippin's prey to relieve themselves upon death. Water muffled a lot of the noise that her struggle with her prey would cause, which removed a lot of the stress of having to change hiding spots, or being found in general. All the more better chance to keep hunting.

This wasn't out of anger or anything. Nope. This was about survival. A fishy fish world that had no rules but survival of the fittest. Anyone who was brought up in her environment would've thought the same way. Beastclan members, like Ippin, live off the life that is around them. While members of other clans live in a symbiotic relationship, benefitting off each other, creatures like Ippin have to take from others without giving back. What the Cecealia take could be territory, shelter, food, whatever that will help her survive in the circumstances that she finds herself in. In the Human city of Kara-Kuuura, whatever, her actions are nothing but natural. This was situation that the Cecealia was in now was not an act of cruelty to the Humans, but a necessity. So, when her eyes peeled away from the lifeless sack of flesh that Ippin was tucking between some rocks to another possible lifeform on top, what else could she do but take advantage.

Ippin had to stockpile a bit more to really be able to keep herself tidied for a while. One Human was usually enough despite how thin they were compared to other animals, but her situation wasn't going to get any better. There was really no telling as to how long it would be until she was able to score a good meal again. The thought came across so clearly that there was no hesitation in her action.

The darkness of the night with the limited light from moon painted over the lakes surface. Nothing but darkness reflecting back at the eyes that looked upon it as it rippled across the horizon with the passing wind. A bit of serene imagery before coming undone by the sudden eruption of water. Blackened by the night, the shadowy appendages lash out from the gallons of water that came raining down. Three appendages whipping out through the falling water looking to latch onto the Human that drew close to the waters edge. Two whips looking for the legs whilst the third to the head. Ippin had to gain control of the Human's movements before anything else, or else there will be a fight to be had.