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

[Deleted]

Yet another morning. Yet another night had ended. Yet another battle had comet to an end. The morning was peaceful for those just waking up. They who had just awoken would not have to bear witness to what was seen on that riverbed. The once clear blue water now ran purple, as the tainted blood of those beasts contaminated it. The corpses of those beasts were strewn across the place, some on the graveled shore and some simply in the water. Each of those masked beasts bore great injuries upon their bodies, though shared between them was a devastating blow upon their masks. The best was to kill a Hollow is to destroy the mask, is it not?

The morning would be quiet, if not for that breathing. A single man stood amongst that chaos, holding onto what some could call a sword as if his very life depended upon it. It was stuck into the ground, being used to support his weight and keep him on his feet. The mans breathing was haggard, like an exhausted animal. His single eye wide, staring down at the ground that was pierced by his bloodied blade. Purple ooze slid down the length of his sword, evidence of what it had been used for moments ago.

Garret grit his teeth, forcing one of his legs to move. Doing so caused him a sudden yelp of pain, reaching down and placing his hand over an injury beneath his cloak. His fingers brushed against something foreign poking out of his body Gripping it he growled, clenching hiss teeth together in anticipation. He then pulled it out, a wet sound following after it. Garret cried out, falling down onto his knees as he gasped for air. He looked at what had been in his body, gazing at the claw with a look of disgust. Tossing it aside he tried to stand, not surprised at the level of difficulty. His body was covered in various cuts and scrapes, many of which were bleeding.

There was no also a hole currently in his abdomen leaking out his precious life blood. The swordsman gasped, head lowered slightly as the effects of blood loss began to kick in. It had been a rough night, a very rough night actually. Perhaps one of Garrets worse. There had been far more Hollows than before, far stronger than before actually. Never had Garret encountered a Hollow dwelling in the water, though he should have expected to find one at some point.

The swordsman grit his teeth, trying to push himself forward. The problem now was lifting his great sword out of the ground. His body didn't have the strength to walk let along lift such a weight. He barely noticed it when his knees buckled, body succumbing to his injuries and exhaustion. His face slammed into the graveled ground, luckily on his right side so his only good eye wouldn't get hit. He lay there gasping for air, body growing ever weaker. "Get up...damn it"

[Nycha Dartan]

Like any normal day, Nycha awoke early to go on her run. The sun had not yet risen yet and so it allowed the coldness of the night to propel her to run faster like she loved. She stretched for a little bit and a few popping noises leaked from her joints. Nycha loved to stretch because it allowed her to be flexible and relaxed. She put in her headphones and turned on her music. One of her favorite songs popped on, "Streamline" by Newton. It was one of those upbeat songs that held little to no lyrics, but was great to run to.



She stepped out of the hotel she was staying in and started to jog out towards the river for the nearby jogging trail. Every step was to the beat of the song as as the beat changed slightly, so did her speed. At times it would be faster, others it would be slower. Her naked silver body, glimmered with a little sweat and it looked as if steam was rising off of her as the sweat evaporated. However, it was her reiatsu being constantly released from her body due to her being a Failure and even clothing couldn't withstand being "contained" by it. Soon she started sensing a form of energy further ahead of her path. She slowed her run and began to walk as she checked around for the source of the energy. There was some purple blood in the water which meant at least one Hollow was around and hurt or had just recently been destroyed.

Then she saw a bunch of bodies strung around on the ground and some partially in the water. There was only one source of energy being emitted from the body laying the jogging path. As Nycha got closer, she noticed the bodies were all Hollows and the one giving off the energy was of a man. She rushed over to him and knelt by him to assess his status and to try to figure out what who and what he was. There was many cuts and scratches, but also a nasty looking hole in his abdomen. "Don't worry. You'll be okay in a few moments," she said while placing her hand onto his head.

Suddenly a large flood of yellow reiatsu erupted from her hand and covered over him. It held a warm and comforting feeling to it and his wounds slowly started to heal. While she healed him, she looked around the what would seem like a battlefield. There was purple blood on the grass, on the path, in the water, everywhere. Then she noticed his sword, it too was covered in blood and it looked odd. She wondered what it was and she would find out once he was healed. By now, his wounds were nearly fully healed and so she asked him, "How are you feeling? Can you get up?" Once he was up, she would find out what happened and get some more information out of him.

[Deleted]

No, it was not going to end like this. Garret would not die here, not upon the gravel of some riverbed. Not after everything he had been through, not after everything that had happened. He was not yet done. Cassandra could not rest yet. Gritting his teeth he tried to move just a single arm. The limb throbbed in pain, shaking with obvious effort as Garret tried to pull it in front of him. He needed to do at least something, anything. Some sort of effort he could focus himself on, a distraction from the pain and growing weakness. But his efforts were pointless, because something seemed to hear his struggles.

Was what he heard footsteps? He could not be sure, his mind had become rather hazy in fact. But he did hear a voice, one that sounded female. He tried to move his head, to tilt it so he could see who exactly was approaching him. In his exhausted mind he could only think of one person who would come to him in this state, someone who would welcome him into death yet again. Cassandra... he relaxed, willing to let himself go if it meant seeing her again.

But it wasn't to be. A hand placed upon his hand followed by a sudden warmth through his body. A sudden rush of strength and energy filled his body along with the vanishing of his pain. Once it was all done he felt the hand pull away, his own arms being pulled beneath him as he slowly began to push himself up. The pain was gone. Reaching under his cloak he felt around for the hole that had been killing him only a moment before, shocked to find that it too was gone as well.

How was this possible? What sort of force possessed such powers of healing? Garret raised his eye, looking at what sat before him. What, exactly, was he looking at? It looked to be a being of pure silver, as if the metal had been melted down and poured upon it. The being had features feminine in nature, particularly around the chest and hips. But still, what the hell was he looking at. Garret quickly got to his feet, reaching out and grabbing the hilt of his sword. It was obvious he was panicked, given the situation. The man thought he was about to die, only to be saved by some silver creature. But he didn't pull the gargantuan blade from the ground, noticing that the creature lacked the white mask and yellow eyes carried by Hollows.

The swordsman looked down at his body, running his hand over where his injury had just been. Not even a scar remained, evidence of such thorough healing. "You....healed me?" It was a question which had an obvious answer, but it was all Garrets mouth could mutter in his current state. He had answered the entities questions with actions rather than words. Raising his head he gazed at the creature, eye narrowing slightly as he took her form in yet again. "You're......unlike anything I have seen before. Are you some sort of elemental spirit? Your body appears...made of metal." Garret spoke, letting go of the hilt of his sword as he did.

[Nycha Dartan]

As Nycha was healing him, the man was moving. Slow at first and in what seemed like a bit of confusion. She couldn't help but to smile as she watched him regaining more and more consciousness. It always made her happy to help someone and just seeing them return to their normal selves was always a great experience. Although she too wished to return to her old self, she knew it was impossible and this fragile body was all that was left of her before the inevitable death that awaited everyone. Nycha hoped that this man wouldn't suffer like she did. She hated suffering and that is why she wants to heal everyone that she can, to keep them from suffering.

Once all his wounds were healed, she stopped send out her flood and allowed the man to come to his senses. Nycha watched him as he checked himself over. It seemed that the main injury to his abdomen that he received was his prime worry and now it was gone. Then he looked up at her and she saw his face. It was covered in small scars and looked a little battle worn. Just from looking at his face, she could tell he had been through many battles, probably some worse than others. The injuries not healing properly to which left the scars. If only she could have been there to do it right. Then she noticed his...eye...that was abnormal. Nycha knew that some dire must have happened to cause him to no longer have both eyes. She felt sad and sorry for him and was even more glad to be of help to him in this time need.

Suddenly he moved up to his feet and grabbed his sword that was lying on the ground next to him. He was tall and in fact a little taller than she was. She was a bit shocked at it, because he didn't look all that tall while on the ground. Nycha grabbed onto his arm as he stood to be sure he didn't fall over from standing too quickly especially since he was nearly unconscious. Then he finally spoke and stated what seemed to be the obviousness of the situation of her healing him. She simply nodded at this and smiled a little bit more. Being friendly was natural to her and she also didn't want to come off as a threat to someone who just got out of a battle. These things were important in order to stay alive.

As he asked her about what she was, she couldn't help but give out a little giggle. "No, I'm not a spirit. I'm not made of metal either. Unfortunately, what I am is quite the opposite," she started and looked down. The smile eroded from her face as she continued. "I'm a Failure of sorts. This body I have is fragile and even the smallest degrees of injury I receive will kill me. I am simply energy and the silver you see is just the color of the casing if that makes sense. I did heal you with my energy though and I am quite good at it," Nycha stated. As she spoke, it seemed he became more at ease with her and let his guard down, even a little bit.

Nycha looked towards him and put on a smile once again. "My name is Nycha Dartan. Who might you be? Also what happened here that caused you so much pain?" she asked. Introducing oneself was another good tactic to show friendliness. It too was another good way to stay alive. Plus, she wanted to gain more information to see if he was ally or enemy. He seemed like a good guy and so she didn't want to have to hurt him after just saving his life, but if it came to it, she would. Another reason for being a little chatty was so that she could get properly thanked by him. Although she didn't do it to be thanked, it was nice to hear it instead of just watching them run off without any formal thanking.

[Deleted]

Garret listened quietly as she explained herself, claiming to not be some spirit of nature rather an entity made of pure energy. The silver that coated her form was not metal, but rather something akin to skin according to her. The swordsman watched, gaze softening when she stated even the smallest of injuries could kill her. Something like that, to be so helpless, made Garrets stomach form a pit. He couldn't imagine being so weak, to die if he were to even receive a scratch. He was not that weak.

Yet, looking at her, his normal thoughts were hardly present. The swordsman was softer on women than he was to others, given it was a woman who had calmed that berserks flame inside him. Moments before she had healed him he had been sure that he had heard her voice, the sounds of which brought him peace moments before he had died once again. Was Garret really so close to death that her spirit came to greet him?

The creature gave its name, Nycha, and asked for Garrets own plus his business being here. It made sense she would be curious how he received such an injury. Closing his eye the swordsman spoke once more, "My name is Garret." as he introduced himself he turned his head away, casting a glance at the disintegrating corpses of the Hollows that littered the sides of the river. "What happened here is the same thing that happens every night." Garret said, no doubt catching Nychas attention once again.

He turned to her, looking down at her with that single eye. The light in his eye shifted, becoming something far darker than earlier "I'm not someone you want to be around for too long, silver one. I bring nothing but misery and calamity to those who stay close to me. I thank you, truly, for saving my life, but for the sake of your own life it is best you stay away from me." Garret told her, the light in his eye softening as he turned to the weapon stuck into the ground.

He reached for it, with one of those gigantic arms of his. Nycha would see the numerous scars that littered his arm. Memories of battles all with different shapes and sizes. There was no doubt his torso and the rest of his body were covered in them as well. Gripping the hilt of his sword he pulled it from the ground, pulling it behind him and against his back. To call that weapon a sword was stretching the definition. It was too large to be called a sword, too heavy and rough. It was more like a slab of raw iron than steel.

The swordsman began walking away from Nycha, heading simply towards the woods from the direction he walked. He wasn't lying to her, it wasn't safe to stay around him. Something like her, a being so easily killed, would she be able to even survive a night with him? The day was safe, for the most part, but night was when the battle truly began. The monsters that came for him were getting stronger and coming in more numbers. Such a sudden increase meant that Garret needed to get stronger as well.

It would be better, though, if he had allies. There was a being who said that to him, having given him some confidence in the idea of allies. Somewhere along the way though they had been separated during the night, finding himself all alone once again when the sun rose. He didn't know what had happened to that serpent, but believed that she may have perished. But Garret didn't know how powerful Nycha truly was, as he was ignorant in regards to the spiritual matters.

[Nycha Dartan]

As she explained herself, she watched the man become relaxed. It seemed that he was warming up to her and acknowledging her kindness and friendliness. Nycha was happy that he wasn't scared of her and felt at ease revealing some important information about her race and about herself. She knew that things could be much different and the information she just gave him could be used against her and her kind. Although she was suspicious, she could tell that he wouldn't go against her and if he did, she could handle him.

The man finally introduced himself and told her that his name was Garret. The name worked for him, like it was the perfect pick out of a batch of names. As he turned his head, Nycha followed his eye to see what it was he was looking at. The bodies of the Hollows that were slain began to disintegrate as was the blood that was spilled everywhere. What surprised her the most was the statement he said about it happening every night. Either he went out and sought these Hollows and fought or they were attracted to him for some odd reason. She'd for sure get the answer to that question and have to find a way to stop the ailment.

Then in an instant, she felt a change in his aura. When he turned and looked at her, his eye changed color and his demeanor became darker and unfriendly. It was like a split personality and it made her worry a little for his safety and for his health. As he spoke to her, she grew sad and put herself on guard. Was he going to snap and attack her or was he going to hurt himself or worse, attack someone unsuspecting. As he turned towards his sword, she grew mad and began to gather reiatsu around herself. It was for both protection and preparation for herself and anyone or anything around. If he went to take some ill willed action, she would stop him.

Suddenly he threw the sword onto his back as if it was nothing. It looked rather heavy and his muscled arms seemed to easily wield it without a problem. She knew that she wasn't the strongest being in the universe, but she knew that if it was strength versus strength, she would probably lose. However, there was more to everything than pure strength and that is where she excelled. As he started to walk away, she kept pace with him and wondered where he was heading and what his plans were. Though she didn't want to talk to someone's back, she wanted to talk with them face to face.

In a rush of speed, Nycha used Shunpo and appeared a few feet in front of Garret with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Who do you think I am? Do you truly think that I am weak and unable to fend for myself? If I wasn't able to protect and defend myself, do you think I would be here right now? My strength is far more than what you see. If you truly think I am weak, then try to hit me. If you can, then I will leave you be. If not, then you will tell me what you mean about it happening every night and what you mean by causing misery and calamity. Oh and you only get one chance to land a hit so you best make it count," she stated.

Nycha called him out and was in a way testing him. She wanted to see if he was truly strong enough to survive on his own. Sure, she might die if he landed a lucky hit, but she was confident that he wouldn't. The second reason for her calling him out was to gather information. Information was key for anyone and if she better knew how he was, the better she could help him survive. Things would get interesting and she couldn't wait to see what he could bring to the table. Nycha slowly uncrossed her arms and cracked her knuckles. "Lets see what you've got Garret," she said.

2950/3000 Total Reiatsu (-50 for Shunpo)

[Deleted]

There it was again. This would be the second time he would see this technique, recognizing it instantly. Shunpo. Garrets eye widened as Nycha appeared before him, blocking his path with arms crossed and a look of distaste. She quickly let her words fly like daggers, Garret standing there and taking it as his expression returned to normal. Had he offended her? It was only for her best interest she avoided him, since he was nothing more than a walking battlefield. But she didn't know that, given the conditions of the challenge she just flung at him.

She wanted him to hit her? That was it? It was a simple enough challenge, but Garret was hesitant to accept it. What she said earlier still dwelled in his thoughts. A single injury could kill her. If Garret were to hit her would she simply die? That question alone made him hesitant to throw a fist at her. He simply looked at her as she began to crack her knuckles in anticipation. He had only one shot, huh? One shot when she was able to use such blinding speed? Garret failed to see how this was fair for him. It was a no win situation, and she would get her answer regardless.

Garret sighed, closing his eye as he began to speak, "Weren't you the one who said that a single injury would be your undoing? I had thought you wouldn't be so quick to jump into a conflict if that were true." He was doing it again. Garret was unintentionally looking down on her again. He actually believed himself to be her superior, to be stronger than her. Physically, yes, but Garret was unaware exactly how powerful someones soul could be. He was equally unaware that what Nycha was made her soul exceptionally powerful. Garret was quiet for a few moments, seeing no other way around this. With another sigh he spoke again "Lower your fists, this isn't a challenge I can accomplish. If I have only one shot then I would undoubtedly fail given you can move faster than horse." Garret said, opening his eye once again. She wanted to know that badly, huh? Well, he could tell her. Garret turned to the left, facing towards the flowing river that had moments before ran purple with the blood of the Hollows.

"Every night-" Garret began, lowering his head slightly and closing his eye "those creatures called Hollows come for me. It matters not where I am, how secluded I am from the civilization of this new world, they find me like hounds upon a coon. Every single night, without rest or break, they come for me and anyone in my company. When people are around me, silver one, they are endangered, caught up in my own battles and carry the risk of forfeiting their lives." Garret explained, opening his eye once more and turning to face her.

"The Shinigami, before I departed from the Rukongai, said that there was a taint within my soul. An infection, or a contamination. A curse is what it is, something that will forever be stuck with me. I'm cursed, silver one, to battle from dusk till dawn less I be devoured and my curse be released." Garret said, turning his head away from her and reaching behind him. Gripping the hilt of his mighty sword he pulled it free from the hook on the back of his attire, holding it before him. The blade pointed towards the sky, the man gazing at the sword.

"'This sword is the only thing that has kept me alive these past months. It is the only ally I do not need to fear falling in my battles. This sword ends their lives and stops their souls, devouring them and giving me power." Garret explained, his gaze hardening as he returned the sword to his back. "That is what I meant, silver one. That is why I said it would be best if you avoided me. I do not do it out of malice or anger towards you, but rather for your own safety. This is a road only I must walk on." Garret explained. The crunching sound of the gravel signaled his feet moving as he began to walk past Nycha. Once a good few feet away he said something beneath his breath, perhaps Nycha would even hear it.

"I don't want anyone I care about getting hurt again.."

[Nycha Dartan]

After she called him out, she watched, listened and waited for some sort of response. Not many could simply ignore something like that and it was sure to stir some form of emotion or response. This was Nycha’s plan and it usually worked. Then he began to talk and restated her own words right back to her about the single hit for death. This was true, but she was able to read him more than he knew and if he thought she was so weak, he was dead wrong. After telling her that she shouldn’t be so fast to jump into a fight, he went quiet. Conflict happens in everyday life and even if she could avoid it at all costs, sometimes it was better to start it than to be on the receiving end of it. Sometimes that was the answer to solving some of the problems than letting them go on.

Moments after complimenting her speed, he started to talk about what went on every night as he turned away from her. The hollows that he had to fight sought him out as if he was their prey. The question now was, why and she would find out even if it took till the night arrived. When he turned to look back at her, he proclaimed that there was a problem with his soul and that it was claimed an infection. This perked her interest and she wondered if she could heal an infection of the soul. She had never tried and so she wasn’t sure it was within her abilities. This made her a little sad and also quite interested. Nycha felt that she could protect him and at the same time, work on fixing the infection he spoke of. Though, he also mentioned that the so-called curse lasted through the night and until he was eaten.

This made her wonder just what could cause such an oddity and it made her interested even more to research it and to help find a cure for him. Then he raised his sword into the air and spoke about it being the one thing protecting him from death. She wondered just how well he was able to wield it if he still was taking injuries that have nearly killed him. Though, another curious statement rang through her ears and that was the sword devouring the Hollow souls and giving him the power. That was rather odd since the Hollows are normally cleansed by Shinigami whom he spoke of. This made her more curious about who he was associated with since Shinigami didn’t take power from other beings such as the Hollow. Just as soon as he had raised it, he replaced the sword onto his back and again claimed he was better on his own.

Garret had an arrogance about him, although it was kind in nature it was just as ill willed. Who was he to think she couldn’t protect herself, let alone survive endless battles through the night without some sort of assistance. As he walked past her, she turned and watched his expression and felt his aura. It was a flurry of mixed emotions and to top it off, he said something that surprised her. He didn’t want to hurt someone he cared about. This was a kind gesture and one she wouldn’t forget, but she had to show him that he was wrong about her strength. It was time to give a little tough love and a little lesson in trying to act tough.

Once again, she used Shunpo to get in front of him, except this time it was a little bit further than the first time. “You still underestimate me my friend and if you don’t think I’ll be able to handle myself, I guess I will have to show you,” Nycha said. Then she held her hand out in front of her and called out, “Hado number 58! Tenran!” Suddenly, from in front of her a large gust of wind picked up and turned into a tornado as it rushed at Garret. Undoubtedly, he would recognize the Hado being of shinigami background, but would he be able to withstand the attack. If he did get injured though, she was there to help him out. That was something that was good about fighting a medical being. “I hope you can understand my point a little better Garret. If you still think you can just brush me aside you are mistaken,” she stated.

Although he didn't truly want to get into a fight, she knew that his personality would most likely be more receptive to a fight more than debate. He was a fighter and the last thing a fighter did was give up. They were similar, Nycha could tell. They were both fighters and survivors and they both had something abnormal about their lives in a way. Was she just thinking they were similar and making matching things because she wanted to connect with everyone and make everyone happy, yes. Was she trying to hurt someone who cared for her with no thought of consequences, no. Everything she did was to make someone's life better in a messed up crazy world. Garret was someone with a hard life already and if she could even make one night better by helping him, she was willing to sacrifice herself for it if it came down to it.


2750/3000 Total Reiatsu (-50 for Shunpo, -150 for Tenran)

[Deleted]

Once again she stood before him. Once again she ignored his requests to be alone. Why was she so persistent in this? Garrets eye narrowed as she spoke once more. The way she spoke made it seem that she intended to follow him, to stay with him for at least one night. Garret didn't want that. Why wouldn't she just accept that? He noticed as she pointed her hand towards him, looking at it with a slight confusion in his face. What was she doing? Wait, Hado number fift-what? Suddenly, from nowhere, a cyclone of air flew towards Garret. The swordsmans eye widened, reaching behind him and freeing his sword. He pulled it in front of him, just in time as the wind collided with his sword.

Garret grit his teeth as the force of the Kido pushed him back. Though he dug his feet into the ground there was enough force, even if held back, in the attack it did not matter. The wind vanished quickly though, Garret lowering his sword and looking across to Nycha. He listened to her speak, lowering his gaze as she spoke. She wanted him to see her point, to see that she was not some weakling, that she was not something he could simply brush aside. She made her point, that much was obvious. She, just like that little serpent, was also blessed.

Like the serpent Garret met some time ago, Nycha was also gifted with powers. Not only did she have such speed, but magic was under her command as well. Garrets brown furrowed. How come everyone but him had these power? How come him, the one who needed these powers the most, was unable to have them. He was the one who truly needed them. Even that thing in his eye, who that Shinigami said he would need, had never once helped him. It was no doubt some game that woman had been playing when she allowed him to depart from the Rukongai.

Nycha would notice as Garret looked up, eyeing where the sun was in the sky. It was still early morning, meaning that their was still plenty of time in the day. His head lowered, eye resting on Nycha. What was he going to do? He could fight, but what could would it serve? The fire inside him did not burn, no matter what she said. Garret understood why she attacked him, yet no while he had some irritation growing it was not that all consuming hellfire. She had saved Garrets life, so how could he point his sword towards her.

Garret was an experienced fighter, having spent his entire life as a human riding between battlefields, pitting his life against others in the name of coin and fame. He knew fights he could win and lose. This wasn't something he felt he could win. His heart just wasn't in it. The man looked down onto his blade, noticing how heavy it had seemed to have gotten. Had this weight appeared because his heart was not in this? The swordsman closed his eye, raising his head again and looking to Nycha.

"You saved my life...but ask me to point my sword to you..." Garret began, the wind picking up the tails of his robe slightly. The swordsman was quiet for a few moments, contemplating his choices. He didn't want to do this, he wished he couldn't. 'There is no convincing you otherwise...is there?" Garret asked, the light in his eye changing. His lips curled upward slightly as he made a "tch" sound before raising his sword again and clipping it behind him. "I'm not going to fight you."

Such an announcement might anger Nycha, but Garret was not done talking. "I'm not saying that because I view you as weak, silver one, rather on the contrary. I can't...fight against you. You not only saved my life...but from just that spell you casted it's obvious you have access to powers I do not." Garret explained, lowering his gaze once again. He didn't want to do this. He was able to swallow his pride, to accept defeat if he could not win, but it was what he knew was coming he didn't like.

"You wont leave me alone until you see it, will you? The battlefield that follows me?"

[Nycha Dartan]

After firing off her kido, she watched him use his sword to defend. It was an interesting decision to block the attack rather than try to avoid it or even use one of his own to counter. Though it was possible that he didn’t have anything else and his only means of defense was his sword. This made Nycha wonder how fast he was and if he had anything besides his sword to use. If not, she would have to teach him. It would be something he would be able to do to help him survive the nights and she definitely would feel better knowing he was able to do more than use just his sword. As the wind dissipated, she saw that he had been pushed back a bit, which was a little unusual, but was also good since she had reduced the kido’s strength to not overwhelm him since it was just a demonstration.

Then Garret looked up at something in the air, which in turn made her wonder what he was looking at. She turned herself, but only saw the sky, which made it obvious to her that he was thinking about something. Maybe it was something of his past or just something that he was going to do next. Nycha wasn’t sure, but she was ready to find out. Her eyes locked onto his eye as he returned to looking in her direction. There was an eerie silence and as he went and looked at his sword, she rubbed her stomach. She hadn’t eaten yet and she felt her stomach calling out to her for food. They would definitely have to get something to eat before any training was to go on.

When she noticed him look back up at her, she moved her hand from her stomach. Nycha didn’t want him to think there was a problem with her like most men would if they saw a woman grab at their stomach. No, she wasn’t pregnant, she was hungry. However, not many could get that thought across before they would ask her about it, to which she would have to explain it all. Luckily though, Garret’s eye was closed when he looked up and so he wouldn’t have even known about the small movement she had done. Finally, he began to speak, it had been a few minutes since either of them had spoken and she was a little worried he felt the attack was ill placed.

He began to state that he wouldn’t fight her because she saved his life. Well that’s a little insulting since if anything did happen, she could heal him. Though he was probably referring to her being injured, but from her viewpoint, he probably couldn’t even do it. After he put his sword back onto his back, he proclaimed he wasn’t going to fight her because he knew she would beat him. That too only made her a little more angry. Who was he to think that just because the fight is a losing one, you don’t try anyways. That is how you got stronger, not by stealing powers. How rude was he! After he finished speaking, Nycha immediately responded.

“No, I’m not just going to leave you here on your own. Hell, you don’t even have enough guts to hit a girl, let alone one that could kick your ass. That’s how you get stronger these days. By fighting the unwinnable fights and gaining the experience to know how to handle it for the next situation. If you can’t even make a single attack against me, then how do you suspect you will beat the next Hollow who is stronger than you. Are you going to run away like a baby, crying and hoping it doesn’t eat you?” she stated. A little insulting, but it was filled with truth. Nycha needed to show him that you have to go against the odds and fight for your right to survive. That’s how she did it every day.

“Now, stop being a little baby and attack me. After that we can get a bite to eat and then I’ll train you with something that you can use to survive the nights. When we’re done, I’ll stay with you and help you fight the Hollows that stalk you. If you won’t even take that offer, I’ll kill you where you stand and end your misery,” she stated. If Garret saw her, he could see that she was serious. “What’ll it be? Attack and live another day or die right here, right now?” Nycha asked him. The cards were all laid out, now he just had to choose. Of course she gave him a choice that was one sided, but it was one that would lead to his survival if he chose it. The question was, what would he choose?

[Deleted]

Garrets face formed a scowl as Nycha began talking once more. Her words were filled with venom, thrown like daggers at the swordsman in an attempt to anger him. Well, it was working. Garrets irritation was growing steadily, quickly evolving into anger. He grit his teeth together as her insults came flying. She claimed he was unable to hit a girl, though a specific bronze skinned Shinigami would disagree with her there. Why didn't she get it? Garret didn't want her company, he didn't want her help, he wanted to be alone. He would get stronger much faster by simply fighting during the nights, not simply swinging his sword at Nycha.

It was then that the choices were presented. Garret could either attack her, or she would simply kill him, claiming it would put him out of his misery. Had she not listened to what he had said before? It brought back a memory that was told to him, by that blonde haired woman, that there had been a debate whether or not to simply execute Garret because of his Curse. The decision had been denied, as the possibility existed of the Curse escaping Garrets body and spreading across whatever world it inhabited, slowly transforming it into a new world for the Hollows.

The swordsman took that possible outcome as a fact, living with that information and using it as a reason to struggle on. Had Nycha not heard him, or understood him, when he said that his curse could be released? Garrets lips parted in a snarl, his eye glaring at her now. She was threatening him and could no doubt carry through with that threat if she wanted. All Garret had to do was attack her and it was over. If he hit her then she would leave him alone. That's what he wanted, after all. He didn't want an ally, he wanted solitude, he wanted to walk down that blood soaked road with only his sword.

All he had to do was hit her, huh? "Be quiet!" Garret suddenly roared, the muscles in his body suddenly expanding beneath the skin. The force of such expansion pushed the wind and loose gravel away from him, the veins in his arms pushed against the skin. Garret reached behind him, grasping the hilt of his sword yet again. All he had to do was hit her. He was angry, incredibly angry. He told her over and over again he wanted to be alone. He didn't want to fight her, he didn't want to be around her. She didn't listen.

Garret roared as he pushed off the ground, where his foot had been exploded into a shower of stone and dirt. Garret wasn't necessarily fast, but he was strong. He quickly covered the distance between the two, gripping his sword behind him with both hands. Garret swung over head, planning to bring that sword down atop her. Whether or not it hit, the sword would strike the ground with such force it was like an explosion. Stones and dirt were pushed away from the impact zone, but that was nothing to say what came after the swing.

An invisible force ripped apart the ground in front of the sword, digging its way through the ground like a moving geyser. The force would collide with the river, causing the water to shoot high up into the air, creating an empty vacuum in the river. Garret took a breath, looking at the damage to the terrain. When were his shockwaves that strong. The swordsman took a breath, calming down slightly, as debris rained down on top of him.

[Nycha Dartan]

Nycha watched Garret as he began to get more and more angry. Maybe he had finally listened to her about facing the unwinnable odds to gain the strength he needed to get stronger. In fact, she could feel it from him, as he looked more serious and began to treat her as an equal. It was a for sure deal that he was about to do something and she was ready for him. Then he yelled out to her to be quiet as his muscles tensed up. The force of the tension was enough to push some gravel away from him. He was building strength and preparing to strike as he grabbed his sword on his back.

This made Nycha smile as she knew she had gotten to him. Garret would learn that he did indeed need her and this single attack would prove it. A single attack of rage was all that stood between them now and all she had to do was avoid it. The question to her was how she would avoid it when it came. It was obvious that all he could use was his sword and so all she had to worry about was where the attack was going to come from. She watched as he rushed at her with all his speed. The force of his launch was enough to cause the dirt to explode out and leave a small impression.

He was quite fast, but without any stepping techniques, he couldn’t even compare to her. As he began his swing, she used Shunpo and moved behind him a few feet within a split second. Nycha watched as the sword struck the ground, created a nice sized explosion, and even spread forward into the river. Rocks, dirt and water flew everywhere from his attack and she smirked as she aimed her palm at him. “Nice try, but you’ve got a lot to learn. Hado Number 1. Sho!” she said. A full powered force of reiatsu shot out from her and hit him in the back, sending him flying into the river.

His attempt was admirable, but it was not enough to land the hit. It had been a long time since Nycha was involved in any sort of combat and this got her excited for the road ahead. She had gotten stronger through training and helping others and now it was her chance to help someone become stronger. However, she had to contain herself and not show as much pleasure as she wanted since this was simply a challenge to a friend and not a defeat of an enemy. Until now, she had never really done much combative fights, so this was key experience.

She would give Garret her gratitude for taking the challenge, as he deserved it. Nycha walked over to the river where she sent him flying and held out her hand towards where he was. “Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up and have a bite to eat. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” she stated with a smile on her face. Although she had insulted him, she knew she could make it up to him. After all, it was the least she could do to help him out after kicking his ass. She wondered where he would want to eat as she could eat anything he threw at her, that’s how hungry she was.

2675/3000 Total Reiatsu (-50 for Shunpo, -25 for Sho)

[Deleted]

Garret hadn't noticed that Nycha had vanished again, only noticing when his sword wasn't crushing her body into the ground. Hearing her voice behind him he tried to turn, only to have something slam into his back. Whatever it was it sent him flying, bouncing across the gravel like a rag doll before coming to a stop by crashing into the river. The cold water quickly caused Garret to become alert again, grasping for something as he tried to swim. He wasn't the best swimmer, having only very rarely needing to do it. Grabbing ahold of the bank he pulled himself above the surface, gulping in some air and panting. What did she hit him with that sent him flying like that? Was it more magic?

"God...damn it..." Garret growled, pressing his forehead into the gravel. He pointlessly glared at the ground as if it had been the cause of that defeat. It was both an embarrassment and enraging to have been rag dolled so easily. Hearing footsteps he looked up, a snarl painted on his face as he glared up towards her. His look softened though as he noticed her extended hand offering to help him out. The swordsman looked away, not wanting to deal with the embarrassment. She wanted to clean him up and get something to eat? Well, Garret was fine with the second option.

Reaching up he took her hand, grabbing ahold of it as he pulled himself from the river. He noted how soft, and warm, it was in comparison to his own. Garrets hand was rough, and wet, in comparison to hers. Pulling himself from the water the swordsman scowled, pulling on his robe and noting how heavy it was now. Its color had darkened from all the water and was dripping something fierce. He was at a lose for words right now, not sure of what to say or do right now besides simply drip.

Nycha had defeated him, and so she was allowed to do whatever it was she wanted. She made it obvious she planned on staying with Garret, though for how long the swordsman did not know, despite the danger to herself. She would figure it out soon enough and leave him shortly after, Garret had no doubt about that. Though, back to the matters at hand, Nycha said something earlier about getting food. This was one field that there was a world of difference in between the two. Garret had never eaten modern age food. Rice dishes and a few eastern cuisines yes, when he was in the Rukongai, but nothing truly modern age.

He looked at Nycha as he wrung out his cloak, pausing that action as he asked the question. "You mentioned getting food, by that what did you mean? I have some venison and snake in my bag.." Garret reached to his hip, touching the traveling bag. He blinked he realized how wet it was. A wet bag meant wet food. Wet food meant bad food. Wet meat meant bad meat. Garret grumbled, opening his bag up and checking over the small amount of supplies he had. Yup. Everything was soaked. Well, the water skin he had wasn't damaged so that was good..

"I...take it you have an idea about food?" Garret asked, pulling out a soaked piece of meat. He looked at it with distaste before tossing it aside and turning his attention to the silver woman. He eyed her, wondering how it was she had gotten so powerful if she wasn't being hunted by Hollows like he was. It couldn't have simply been training, could it? Power was only obtained through pitting your life against someone else's, like Garret did every night. But if that was the correct way of getting stronger, why did he feel like he wasn't making much progress besides his physical strength?

What was it that Nycha could even teach him? Garret doubted someone like him could use magic at all, given that he was nothing more a human ghost. She also had a limited time to educate him, though if she was mad enough to remain with him even after the night then there might be more time. Garret stopped looking at her, removing his cloak and beginning to wring it out once more. His clothes could dry on their own, but the cloak was a little more pressing. He was quiet as he awaited Nychas response.

[Nycha Dartan]

Garret was obviously upset as she helped pull him out of the water. His face showed it and his aura gave off the defeated feeling. It was understandable how he was feeling and Nycha knew that she would have to not only cheer him up, but teach him some good skills. As he began to ring out his cloak, Nycha looked at just how dirty it was. She thought about offering him to drop by the hotel to dry off his clothes before they set out to eat. His clothes were undoubtedly dirty from the dirt, mud and water and they could even talk more while they dried and got to know more about each other. That would be a good way to start things off.

Then Garret spoke up about the food and mentioned that he had venison and snake in his bag. Both didn’t really appeal to her even though she was very hungry. However, steak and potatoes came to mind when he was mentioning the meat and her stomach gave a small growl in agreement. While she was thinking of the best place to go get steak and potatoes, she noticed Garret grab at a bag on his hip and she realized everything was wet. Now she felt worse and the idea to go back to her place to let things dry, seemed like the best option to start.

Before Nycha could answer, she saw him pull out a piece of wet meat. Although wet meat wasn’t too bad, it was wet from the river and who knows what else altered it from inside his bag. It definitely wouldn’t be good and both of their faces were of disgust as he tossed the meat away. “I’m so sorry to have ruined your... food, but when you mentioned meat, I thought of Steak and Potatoes. There’s a good place near the hotel I’m staying in, if you are interested. Though, do you first want to stop at my room and dry off your clothes and anything else in your bag. It won’t be too long of a wait nor a problem. Certainly up to you. We can also talk about what were both capable of doing while we wait or we can do it at the restaurant. Either way,” she said.

She walked over and went to grab his sword that was still in the ground where he had attacked. There were two reasons to why. Firstly, she wanted to help him out by retrieving the object that protected him and return it to him as a sign of friendship and understanding. Secondly, she did it to see how heavy it was and try to get a sense of what it was capable of. As she went to pull it out of the ground, it was quite heavy. In fact, it was heavier than she expected and she was unable to lift it entirely. No kido, movement or even her flood could assist her here and this was one of her downsides. She was weak in terms of strength, but in terms of reiatsu, she was one of the stronger ones.

Nycha looked over at Garret and gave a look of obvious struggle to pick up his weapon. “I thought I would pick this up and give it back to you, but umm…I can’t seem to even move it from its spot. I’m not really the strongest being there is in terms of physical strength. Sorry to make you do it even though it is your weapon and all. I just wanted to help a bit,” she stated. She put her hand on the back of her head and gave a little chuckle. Showing him and verbally stating a weakness in an area that he was good in, helped form a better partnership. There were things he was able to do and there were things she was able to do. By being able to pick up the others weakness, 2 people could be a better working pair.

[Deleted]

"It's not a problem, my clothes and supplies can dry in the sun. Food can be reacquired." Garret explained, shaking his robe once more before noticing she had walked away from him. He eyed her as she went to his sword, hopping to lift it from the ground and return it too him. It was no surprise that she was unable to lift it, despite her best efforts, given that the sword had been created for Garrets hands alone. Not many people wielded great swords, many considering them too showy or impractical in combat. But it was the only weapon that matched Garrets fighting style, plus he needed something to match what he was killing.

Garret shook his head, walking to his sword and grasping its hilt. Even to him the sword was a great weight, limiting the amount of people who could even hold it. Placing it on the hook on the back of his attire, Garret wrapped himself in his damp cloak. "It's fine..." He commented, still sour about how badly he had just lost. What was he doing? Was he really going to go through with this? Letting Nycha travel with him, why did it feel like such a bad idea? Irregardless, Garret had this to deal with now. Nycha said she would teach him something, some sort of trick to getting stronger. Maybe, for now, it was worth sticking around with her.

"I'm not sure what this hotel is, but for some reason it makes me think of an inn. If that is what it is I'm not sure taking me into a town is a good idea. It's not very safe for me to be around people..." Garret replied, fiddling with his robe to get it fitting around him. His eye returned to her, looking at her as he once again tried to find something to say yet couldn't put anything together. He resumed fiddling with his robe, to make it look like he was preoccupied with something. "Hell with it. Show me what this age has to offer in cuisine." Garret suddenly said, scratching at the back of his head.

Was this the best idea? Going into a town, with people? It wasn't that Garret was worried he could be seen, it was more of the fact that he might not be far away enough when night came. But he had a feeling that Nycha would not have taken no for an answer on this. He certainly didn't want to go swimming again, not with that sword on his back. He could have asked her to go into town herself, get the food and came back, but Garret didn't trust himself. It was entirely possible that when Nycha returned she would find that the swordsman was gone. No doubt it would anger her, but Garret knew it would be for the best.

"Alright, show me where we are going. Just...remember we can't take too long, okay." Garret said, looking up to the sky and trying to find the sun. Still early morning, alright that was good. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if a town was caught up in his curse. Just this once he would go into town with Nycha to get some food. Just this once. It wouldn't be that big of a mistake would it?