Yet Another Instability | Joint Training / R |

[RayginX]

-Training for TTP-

His breathing was haggard. No, it was more inhumane. It was strained, stressed, and full of pain. Droplets of saliva mixed with blood dripped from his open mouth, falling to the muddle of liquid below his head, pulled down by the Earths gravity. The Rogue was barely standing, legs threatening to buckle beneath him, only able to remain standing from a combination of using his sword as support and his unbreakable will. The Rogue took a single step, one that felt as if he was trying to support a mountain, which nearly brought him down to the ground. Swearing between his breaths, the Rogue forced himself to stand, a wave of pain surging through his body from his disturbed wounds. He let out a hiss from between clenched teeth, barely able to take it.

This night had been bad. Particularly bad. Not only did he have the horde to deal with, but two Gillians had appeared as well. If that had been the only thing then he could have managed to get by with at least minor injuries, but no, his luck was never that good. Not one, not two, but three Adjucha had arrived during the late hours of the night, when Garret was beginning to reach his limits. To say that the fighting was hard would be an understatement. Adjucha were the strongest level of Hollow that Garret experienced, and fighting a single one of them was like taking on at least a hundred normal Hollows. Their intelligence was unlike any Garret had faced before, and their powers equally so.

He had suffered quite the wound from that battle, a serious slash across his back that, somehow, managed to not damage his spinal column. While he had been grateful that it had not paralyzed him, the effects of both the blood loss and the poison that seeped into him was getting to him. Garret was no stranger to losing blood, he was one of the few warriors in the world that could handle it, but he had ended up worsening the condition of his body in his desperation to win.

He didn't have choice in the matter, being forced to give into the monster inside him. The repressed darkness within him coming forth, and releasing the power inside of him. The Bakkoto in his eye springing to life and cladding Garret in darkness that ended the pain of his wounds, he became an unstoppable monster. Driven by the darkness inside of him, he became the monster that the Adjuchas would fear. One by one he had cut them down, drinking in their pain and the sight of their blood, fueling the flames inside of him and satisfying his hatred and anger. That night he had given up his humanity, the first time he had to do so in some time. He became no different than the very things he sought to kill.

Using the Bakkoto was no easy task. Fighting without the inhibition of pain meant Garret went all out, worsening the wounds on his body. The poison was halted, at least, but now continued to rampage through his systems. Garret ground his teeth together, knowing that he was going to have to fight it immediately. He prayed to whatever listened that it would react like any other ability based poison. He began the process of flowing his reiatsu through his body, in hopes of fighting against the poison ever weakening him. His form became consumed in a fiery blaze, hiding his form and distorting it for the outside world, making him resemble the rage consumed monster that he really was.

It really did take a lot of reiatsu. Once it was over a new wave of exhaustion washed over him, threatening to collapse him yet again. But he knew he couldn't stop. He had to keep going. He needed to make distance between himself and this battlefield. He needed to treat his injuries. He needed to do something. So he pushed himself forward, pulling that gargantuan blade behind him as he walked. The crunch of the leaves beneath his feet was the only other sound outside of his breathing. His vision was blurry, and he felt dizzy, everything spinning around him.

You enjoyed it. You enjoyed killing them.

Not now..

You killed them all, just so you could let out your resentment. You enjoyed giving in, letting out the Beast.

Garret grit his teeth, struggling to suppress the voices inside of him.

You stink like them. Your stench is coming ever closer to theirs. Soon you will be one of them. A Beast.

He kept walking, doing his best to not pay attention to his inner darkness. No matter how hard he tried though, the voices kept pushing through. Garret struggled to keep it down, to keep his rage and hatred down, and to keep from feeding the darkness inside of him. He ground his teeth, irritation growing at his inability to keep his sanity from crumbling away. Yet no matter how hard he tried, those voices kept piercing through. They wouldn't stop.

Black, black....a Beast of Darkness..

Wait, something was wrong. Garret was...seeing something. To his left there was movement, a shape, something that shouldn't be there. It shimmered; it morphed, like some sort of mist trying to take shape. When he tried to look at it simply pushed itself away to the edges of his vision, so Garret could not get a good look at it. But what he saw made the swordsman feel...fear. It was shaped like a hound, a beast of blackness that whispered to him. He saw its eyes, two lightning shaped holes that were filled with the masks of countless Hollows. Monsters that Garret must have slain, a creature comprised of his hatred and anger. It kept speaking to him, not giving him any rest.

You thirst for it. You long to be this. You wish to burn away the restraints of your human heart. To be consumed by the anger, to burn them with your hatred. Why do you continue to resist? What point is there to holding it in anymore? You have nothing left but the fight.

"BE QUIET!"

Garret screamed, swinging his greatsword at the apparition, cutting through it and send it away, ending the voices in his head. But the result of that outburst cost him. The wounds exploded with blood, filling his body with a seizure of pain. He clenched up, losing his footing and found himself spiraling down the hill he had been walking along side of. At some point he lost his sword in the fall, unable to stop himself, and came to an incredible hard stop upon the rocky flooring of a river bank. Pain erupted in his arm, as the bones became dislocated from his shoulder. He let out a pained roar, grasping at his dangling left arm.

He knew he couldn't leave himself like this. Grabbing his wrist, Garrets breathing became erratic and panicked. If he screwed this up, he'd be in for a world of trouble. After taking a breath, Garret pulled. The pain was astounding, but he was given a satisfying pop as the bones popped back into place. But he couldn't celebrate, as the pain brought his face meeting the gravel floor, the swordsman let out gasps on air. He wasn't actually sure when he lost consciousness, but he did know that, for a time, the pain ended.

He also wasn't sure when he came to, the sound of a running creek pulling his hearing back into focus. He let out a groan, his eye slowly opening and taking in the sight of the gravel. He felt like he couldn't move, his body in such extreme levels of pain. The fighting, the Bakkoto, and the fall did a number on him. Honestly, part of him felt like this was it. This was going to be his last day. And he was going to spend it lying here in the dirt. Gritting his teeth, Garret could not accept that. His anger beginning to grow, the thought of dying like this began to force energy though his body. No...not like this...not until they're all dead...not until I have killed them all. Not until every single Hollow is dead! He gasped, grabbing at the ground and gripping it between his fingers. Not until they're all dead. Not until this anger is gone. Not...until...I've burned them all!

[Kimiko Aimi]

The depths of forest that owned the majority of Great Japan were vast. Like the ocean itself they could have been marked with a variety of levels. Easy to find oneself lost within the endless sights of trees, dirt, and grass before coming upon a rice patty field. That wasn't where she was at. Some time went by before she even considered as to where the path she took would led her to. Those who would lose themselves within their depths often fell prey to wild animal attacks. But they were not the ones to be feared. It was those that could not be seen that carried with them the greatest of dangers. Haunted or areas that were deemed unholy swallowed those who were not weary. The damned souls of humans who possessed neither the will to live nor to pass on remained to haunt their respective graves. So it wasn't uncommon for Kimiko, a Yuki-onna, to tread into such areas. However, this time was different.

Hollows, the creatures of damned souls, went about to devour the living in order to fill the void that never ceased to exist. A yearning, a need, to fill that emptiness within is what they sought out. And so it was from the thousand years that the Failure bore witness to never once found a circumstance as to why Hollows were gathering into the depths of a forest. They were numerous. Hundreds? No, dozens. Like flies to a zapper they came in numbers to which ever was beckoning to them. Her bare feet continued to tread lightly as the air came to chilling freeze along the path she herself created.

With each step taken brought the Japanese woman ever so closer to the source. And with each step taken another presence was wiped from her energy sensory. What she found particular interesting that each of the Hollows had one specific mind set. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. More like an instinct that drove them to search for the source of what beckoned to them. What they did when meeting with the source was entirely on them. That was when she heard them. Wailing about like the mindless creatures that they were. However, the essence of her flood overtook the sorrow filled wails with its soothing whisper that flew into the wind.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Yuki-onna}

Much like the dank scenery of the forest her Flood filled the gaps with the similar cold sensation. A morning like dew fell upon the dark forest as her Flood went about as commanded to. It fell with the air to caress the depths with her presence until nearing the origin of the commotion. And that was when the deafening crash came about when a heavy mass penetrated the earth that her feet tread along. And with the clearing of earth and dust was the Rogue that sheltered himself in the blood of the fallen.

As for Garret himself, he lay in the presence of one who transcends time. Lighting of her Flood hued a soft blue essence as it came about from her presence. The tip of her silver hair glistened from the gentle light of her aura. Chilled and yet majestic that not even the average air itself mourned at the opportunity to remain close to her. From the hip her hair traced the currents of cold air that brew through the formation of the trees. Maybe the man was conscious. If so, then the pair of sky blue eyes, lighten brightly with reiatsu, peering expressionless to the downed Rogue.

Her Yukata danced smoothly within the wind as much as the veil that coiled around her snow white neck and arms. Her presence was undeniable. No matter how far she was her presence was undoubtedly beyond anything that the man came into contact with. Even without the use of energy sensory, or, even the Bakkoto could tell what she was. A being whose power was unmatched, even among the Gotei Thirteen. Undisputed as one of the most amazing beings to walk the Earth in terms of strength, but with it great instability. That same power that one day will lead to her death along with the death of many others. However, until that day came she would do her upmost to assist those in need as well as finding a way to cure her ailment.

And from her sleeve a gentle hand rose toward the man, "Are you alright?" her lightened words came forth. Garret was seen as one of those poor souls that required assistance, and it was her duty as a Shinto Priestess to aid those in need. But before she could continue to aid the fallen man more of those tormented souls would emerge from the darkness of the forest. Each one digging their talons into the dirt with fangs baring down at them. No. At the man. Not in her presence. As cold as she was Kimiko didn't favor a beaten man to be overtaken by hordes of monsters. Not by a long shot, not when her hand swiped across her plane of view to caress the pair of Hollows within the confines of her reiatsu.

Like statues they were stilled. Like statues they were lifeless. And like those to come against her will meet the same fate.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}

Prodigy Version 2 - Lvl 1 - Points

Strength - 120 - 2/3 deduction[40]

Speed - 240

Spiritual Pressure - 240

Reiatsu Strength - [X - 1050 due to Failure Class 2] - [1575]

Light Aura - 100

Dark Aura - 0

Instinct - 120 - [40]

Senses - 100

Energy sensory - 280 - [420]

Healing Expertise - 100 - [33]


Total SP: [1200] Points


1. [Fighting Style - Aikido] {3}

2. [Weapon - Bow/Arrow] {2}

3. [Acrobatics] {3}

4. [Acting] {2}

5. [Charisma] {2}

6. [Mental Incantation] {3}

[RayginX]

Everything was fading. In and out his vision went, no doubt the result of his bodies' lack of blood. The wound on his back truly was terrible, so much so Garret actually wondered if he was going to die or not. But he would not give in. No matter what he wouldn't go down without trying. Gritting his teeth he tried to push himself up on his arms. His left refused to comply; the pain from being dislocated still present, but Garret did not comply with this refusal. With a growl he struggled, before he became painfully aware of another presence. Even for him, a warrior with no Energy Sensory, could tell that something was here. It was like a weight in the air, as well as a unmistakable drop in temperature. He panicked a little, unsure of what it was he was feeling. Yet, despite that, his body actually began to...calm down? He realized that this sensation felt...familiar.

The Bakkoto in his eye certainly felt it, as he could feel that presence in the back of his mind taking notice as well. A blue mist began to spread around him, finally prompting the swordsman to look down the path at its source. He blinked, staring down at the woman who approached him. A woman with skin like snow and hair to match, blue eyes that seemed to penetrate right through him. She seemed unassuming at first glance, but Garret could feel it, he could feel that mountain of power within that body. This was the second time he had run into one of these things. Just looking at her, feeling the energy weighing down on his body, he knew exactly what she was. She was the same thing that Nycha was, a living instability.

Did Garret just end crossing paths with another one? Why now, of all times, did he have to run into one of these things. His experience with Nycha was one of the rare things he could call pleasant in his hellish life, but he had no idea if this woman was hostile or friendly. Like a cornered animal he was on the defense, watching her approach and waiting to see what would happen. But when she finally approached him, she extended a hand towards him and asked him "Are you alright." The swordsman simply looked at her, that eye of his now once again fighting to stay open. It wasn't really a question that he needed to answer verbally. If Kimiko looked at his body, she'd see the various injuries covering his form. Especially the rather gruesome one across his back, the source of most of that blood.

But then he heard them. The howls coming from the woods around him. More!? The swordsmans body was suddenly filled with an energy that could only be described as raw furry. The idea that there were more Hollows, coming for him, instantly seemed to make him forget about his bodies' condition. With a growl he pushed himself to his feet, despite his bodies painful outcries, and no doubt disturbing the wound on his back. He felt his knees almost buckle, but was able to stand...yet lacked his weapon. It wasn't beside him; it must have been somewhere under the foliage or on the hill where he fell. The sound of footsteps caught his attention, turning him towards the advancing Hollows emerging from the depths of the forest. Their giggles and growls began to further push the man into furry. Was he going to have a choice?

Give in. Break away the chains.

Gritting his teeth he struggled to keep that darker force back, but then...it all stopped. He watched as the Hollows suddenly became little more than statues. Frozen solid, their lives snuffed out so easily. He closed his agape mouth, turning to the Instability behind him. His exhaustion began to reappear, the situation with the Hollows over, and his breathing once again began harsh. "...thank you.." he managed to get out, directed to the woman, turning away from her and walking to the hill where he fell. It looked as though he was looking for something at the base, but when he couldn't find it he looked upwards, figuring it must have been caught on a tree or something.

It was odd, seeing a man desperately trying so hard to ignore an injury as bad as his. He knew it was bad, and that he was going to need to do something drastic to take care of it. He lacked the medical experience to stitch it together, so his plan was far more...brutal. Once he found his blade he was going to cauterize it, burn the wound shut. At least then he wouldn't have to worry about bleeding out...right? But regardless, he needed to find his weapon, but he didn't see how he was going to climb back up that hill. So he blurted out something without really knowing why. "That was a Flood...wasn't it?" Why was he confirming something he already knew?

Garret had run into one of these Instabilities before, the one who had taught him about reiatsu and how to control it as well as the Step Technique Shunpo. It was thanks to her that he had survived for so long, her teachings giving him the tools necessary to make it this far. And he wasn't going to stop here. Not until his goal was accomplished. Not until every single Hollow in existence was dead. Not till he avenged her. Not until this burning hatred was gone. But right now he had a injury and a lost sword to take care of.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Should post his Stats and Skills as well}
Strength - 300 Points = 450

Speed - 100 - Points

Spiritual Pressure - 350 - Points = 455

Reiatsu Strength - 50 - Points = 35

Light Aura - 20 - Points

Dark Aura - 80 - Points

Instinct - 125 - Points

Senses - 100 - Points = 75

Energy sensory - 0 - Points

Healing Expertise - 0 - Points

Total SP: 1025 Points

• [Weapons: Greatswords] {2}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {2}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
  
  
• [Damage Recovery] {2}
  
  
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
  

[Kimiko Aimi]

OOC: Adding, training for TTP.

IC:

"So, he knows."

It was quite interesting that the man knew of her power despite not saying nothing about herself. Meant one thing to her, that there was another Failure like herself. Another one who has the same affliction that she was facing. The nature and the age of the other was something that needed to be investigated, but first things first. This man, the Wanderer, was injured and didn't take any form of analysis skills to see that they were beginning to effect him. Pools of blood were coating the mist covered floor below them and exchanged the cold to forge a white fog. He needed help and moving around wasn't going to help him in any way.

"You should cease for the time being, or you'll bleed out." Kimiko was no doctor but losing the amount of fluid he was did show in his buckling movements. Many wars came and went in the eyes of the Failure, and she learned much from all of them. The experiences she attained through the centuries of wandering about the world herself weaved the boundless stories of people dying from their afflictions. Her eyes carried with them the wisdom that only those who have lived for so long could ever muster. Although blinded by light Garret could see that her eyes were trained on his fragile body. "Rest for some time or your wounds will become more severe. My experience in healing is average, but it will have to suffice."

For the time being her efforts will have to hold until his body was healed by time itself. According to their location it will take time before a properly educated professional was able to treat him. A barrier was forged around them. Particles of ice swayed along with the moisture that was accumulated in the air to bind the water molecules together as they were by her flood, Absolute Zero. Like as if they were manifesting from thin air itself, but were not. The Failure's acquired knowledge of how to apply her powers was extensive in every sense of the word, and she knew how to use it to her advantage.

Like it or not the man wasn't going anywhere for the time being. The ice wall was a means to halt his advance while forging a barrier for her to work on him, uninterrupted by the lingering beasts that made reside on the other side. From there he could choose to comply or could have been forced easily by the Failure. She could only wonder as his thoughts were easily exposed by her Energy Sensory. Anger and hate, along with a dire will to continue with the senseless slaughter of the creatures that roamed in the darkness. No. It wasn't merely that, more like he was being enticed to do so. Her light would shine bright in the darkness.

That was another difference between them, her purity. Officially she wasn't by any means a dark or a mischievous woman. An act, that was all it was in the open. If anything she learned by roaming along side the history of the world she had to forge a mask of her own. A persona to insure that her true nature wouldn't be exposed, then manipulated. Her cover was the cold nature that she created to mimic the nature of her powers. Cold as the ice itself. She digressed, since that itself was a different story. For now, the man had to be treated. "Rest here and I shall treat you." she said tapping the patch of grass that remained untouched from foreign contamination.

Those silk fabrics folded neatly and tucked into their respected folds as she sat herself in the traditional Japanese way. Parts of her Shinto attire remained despite the alterations that were made revealed her past teachings, if not then her physical features would explain her place of origin. Silver hair glistened in the dimmed lighting that penetrated through the thick ice ceiling above. By no means did she emanate an aggressive aura or threat to him. If anything it was quite soothing as she peeled away pieces of her fabricated mask that was her acting.

"You can forget about fighting for the time being sir. At least until your body is able to properly heal. But, if you continue to plan on forging ahead, then I shall teach you a means to fight without resorting to physical force." her voice echoed as though it was being emitted from every direction. A nice offer, but more being considerate since his spirit appeared to be rebellious. However, there was still more to him than what she was able to see. It was only by communicating with him that was going to expel more information.

"My name is Kimiko Aimi." she introduced.

[RayginX]

That tired eye of his looked at the woman, the light being emitted from her making it difficult to make her out completely. He did notice that blue eyes watching every move he made, studying and watching him. She suggested that he rest, that she would heal him despite her average healing talents. It was better than nothing, the Rogue supposed, but would it be enough to handle his wound? He could feel his legs growing heavier as the effects of all that blood loss were finally getting to him, even he with a above average tolerance for blood loss couldn't last forever. But, in all honesty, he was going to reject her proposal. He didn't have the time to let someone else nurse him back to health.

He was about to voice his concerns when a wall of ice suddenly appeared in front of him, halting his progress of searching for his sword and not allowing him the opportunity to leave. The Rogue stepped back, away from the frozen dome that contained both him and the woman. His instincts warned him not to touch the ice, having seen what it had done to those Hollows merely a moment ago. Breathing through his mouth, lightly, at this point, Garret turned again towards Kimiko and was about to demand that she lower the barrier, when he noticed her patting a patch of grass close to her. "Rest here and I shall treat you."

Garret frowned, that eye of his narrowing slightly as he looked between her and where she patted. He didn't trust her, naturally, having had too many people attack him in recent times to take the chance. But...Garret felt different about her. Perhaps it was because of his memories of Nycha, that these living Instabilities were so powerful that they wouldn't need to resort to a sneak attack to kill him. Maybe she, like the one before her, only wanted to help. Her intense level of light aura also helped with pulling him in, and her lack of any aggression towards him. He made his way over, slowly sitting down where the Failure had beckoned, and peeled off what remained of his dark red shirt.

His fresh back exposed to the woman, the grievous injury pointed right at her, she would see his skin. His body was one formed by constant battle, ripped and massive from the muscles beneath his skin. A touch would reveal that his muscles felt like rocks, hardened from their constant exertion. But his skin was what drew in the most eyes. His skin was like the cutting board of a house wife, covered in various scars and past injuries that never quite healed correctly. Slashed, scratches, impalements, what looked to be teeth marks of a very large creature, and even what seemed to be a burn scar, all of this on his back. The rest of his body was covered as well.

His soul, however, was in a condition far worse than his body. Kimiko had extraordinary levels of Energy Sensory, so peering into his soul wouldn't have been hard for her. But what she would see was something...abnormal. His soul was unnatural. It was sickly, as if it were being eaten alive by a cancer, deformed and mutated. It reeked of an evil that was not his, a supernatural force that clung to him, a very part of his soul. Something that he could never lose. His was a soul of a Struggler, one of the damned, forced to carry the burden of an Osen. But there was more to that. Such heat was released from his soul, as if it were a mighty fire.

Anger, fear, hatred, grief, all emotions that ravaged within him like a hurricane. This was a man who did not know peace. But digging in deeper would reveal something else, something that Kimiko would instantly notice. There was another presence within Garret. Something darker. Something hungry. Something that would notice her peering within its host. A black thing that began to stir within him. The swordsman grit his teeth, the whispers in the back of his head did not help the situation.

"You can forget about fighting for the time being sir. At least until your body is able to properly heal.

"It doesn't have time to heal properly.." Garret commented, knowing that it didn't matter how hurt he was one the sun went down. What she said next, however, caught his attention. He blinked, turning his head slightly to show that she had his attention. But it wasn't excitement he was feeling, it was more...confused. He blinked, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Why would you go to the trouble? You don't know me. For all you know I could be a dangerous criminal that.." Garrets rebellious words came to a halt as he let out a groan, his body slumping forward.

He was at his limits. His body needed to recover, to have this injury healed. God damn it. "I need more power. And if you're willing to share it...with me then I'm open to learning.." Garret conceded, which should have been harder had it not been for two things. The Hollows were getting stronger. Nights were getting harder. And, secondly, he needed to not rely on the power inside of him. His body was already experiencing the first of the side effects of using the armor in its uncontrolled state, his shaking fingers being the first symptom.

"My name's Garret."

[Kimiko Aimi]

Introductions were kept sweet and short to refrain from forming a relationship with the other. By no means they were friends, just mere acquaintances. From how the Rogue was seated only the essence of a green hue poking around from the rear. The Failure's healing expertise was next to nil, but it wouldn't matter for what was needed. The amount of time, along with her raw power, sufficed for healing the wounds. Not completely as both her powers were unfocused and lacked the proper healing techniques to help the man recover completely. If anything the wounds would convert to that of deep scars. It will have to suffice for the time being, but still allow the man to move on his own.

What was said next didn't surprise her much. Suspicion was the name of the game when conversing with a stranger. So she didn't find any offense in what was said. So she allowed him to continue on with what he desired to rid himself of until she found it appropriate to respond. It was after the subtle amounts of pent of pain that enabled the woman to speak her fair share. "I was a Priestess, Garret. It is my duty to aid those in need of help, regardless of whom they may be. So long as it does not go against my practice." she explained to the man as her arms were withdrawn to her sides once more. This would give the man to stretch properly to adjust himself back into his average comfort level.

The air was chilled but its presence was obviously different from when she parted some ways from his being. It was warmer. "And you are no criminal Garret. Your soul speaks. Twisted, but not of your own accord. So I know who and what you are." The man's soul was open. A poor soul that was indeed twisted, nearly to the likes of a Hollow. She knew more than that according to what else that resided within him. A parasite that was leeching on him, fueling him, twisting him. "You poor soul." She pitied him.

"What you posses inside of you is... 'inhuman' to say the least. Something that shouldn't not exist in this world." she voiced her opinion. "Which is why I will teach you how to manifest your spirit's strength, and forge it into a means to fight. Your strength. Not that 'thing' you have attached to you." She didn't know what it was nor the manner of form that it took. Kimiko knew next to nothing about what that parasite was, but she couldn't allow it to reign unopposed either. "Kido, a form of spell casting which the Shinigami use, is one method of manifesting your spirit's strength."

The partial exposed surface between her cleavage was covered by the snow white hand to caress it, "That strength resides from within Garret. A focused mind and will allows it to be controlled while your spirit acts as the fuel for it." The nameless Shinigami that taught her the ways of Kido described it as such. It was the individual's mind and strength of will that reigned over her spirit's power. With such means she had been able to gain a firm control of her Flood, and wield an unyielding power that was her spirit.

Before the training could proceed further, Garret had to find his own strength rather than relying on the creature that he was in tuned with. Once mastered the man could find other methods of using it. First things first however. "Reiatsu is what we call this form of spirit strength. It is according to this 'reiatsu,' your reiatsu, is what enforces our techniques, such as Kido. To offer an example of a particular form of reiatsu.. her Flood came to her side. Though thin like a silk veil the mist crawled up the form of the Japanese woman. The entire veil of mist was pure reiatsu in nature. It carried with it the entirety of her strength. But it was calm, gentle, and small compared to what she was truly capable of.

"This is my reiatsu in its simplest form Garret. It may seem small, but do not believe that it is the extent of my strength. Looks can be deceiving Garret." From that end an immense pressure was released. Not the weight of her spiritual pressure, no. This was the extent of her reiatsu strength. A full force of what only could be felt by 1500 reiatsu strength was displayed. No one without the proper Sensory capabilities would be able to tell base on her appearance. It was only when she removed the reins when her power could truly be felt. No other individual that Garret would have ran into in the past would ever come close to this amount of power. To Kimiko, they were flickers of fire up against the Sun itself.

"This is another means of using Reiatsu Strength Garret, when it is forged properly. So, we can begin with forging your own spirit and have it pour out from your body. Try and have your reiatsu form around you, as if you were using one of your own techniques." This was the first step that had to be taken before moving on to Kido. Now, it was up to the Rogue to follow through.

[RayginX]

A priestess? Garrets expression remained stoic as the instability did her work on his back, the swordsman sitting in silence as he listened to her word. A priestess was something like a pastor or a nun, wasn't it? Garret didn't grow up in an area that had such people like Kimiko claimed herself to be, instead he had the pastors and the nuns, spreading the word of their god across the lands. To try and unite the human race under a falsehood of faith. Garret wondered for a moment how those people ended up reacting to the Rukongai, or that their beliefs were wrong completely.

The pain in his back was subsiding as the priestess worked her power into the wound. His eye softened a bit, his body being able to relax finally. He didn't get the feeling the wound would be perfectly healed, most likely being turned into a serious and deep scar. But, honestly, that didn't bother the Rogue so much. Just being able to move again was a blessing. When her hands pulled away he stretched, reaching his arms up over his head and moving his torso around, making sure he had complete movement again. "Thank you." He said, reaching down and pulling his shirt back over his torn body.

"And you are no criminal Garret. Your soul speaks. Twisted, but not of your own accord. So I know who and what you are."

Garret grew both still and quiet. Yet another with the capability to peer into his soul was before him. What she said was right, he really couldn't argue with her. Sure, he didn't like the fact that she was inside of his head but he didn't exactly have the right to voice his displeasure, after she had basically just saved his life. She spoke about the parasite within him, about how is soul was twisted in such an unnatural way, giving him her sympathy.

Garret was quiet. He didn't like it when people pointed out the condition of his own soul to him. He knew it was unnatural, he knew it was cursed. The swordsman turned his head towards Kimiko as she explained her goal to him, to teach him the Shinigami's way of magic. A way for him to rely more on himself than the Bakkoto within him. The man turned his body so he was facing more towards Kimiko, albeit still in a sitting position. A look of interest in his eye as he listened.

Despite his attitude Garret was actually rather interested in learning the Shinigami's magic. He had seen it in action many times before, and truly believed that with it he could have a better chance of surviving the nights, and even relying less on the parasite within him. The lesson began with an explanation of reiatsu, something that Garret was actually a little confused about. He already knew what reiatsu was and how it was used to fuel techniques or...anything really. Nycha had already given him his reiatsu education, but he figured that this was how Kimiko had been taught.

He watched as her form was shrouded in a thin mist, the swordsman watching both it and her as she explained that this was her reiatsu in its simplest form. He nodded, showing he understood. His mind began to wander a bit as he pondered whether or not he was capable of using a Flood like these women...or was it something that was exclusive to them. If Garret was able to produce his own, he wondered what his would be. But such thoughts were interrupted when Kimiko decided to step her game up.

She claimed that even though her reiatsu may have looked small, what it truly was was something much more. And all of a sudden he felt it. Being trapped in this inclosed space with the Failure, Garret was forced to endure the overall strength of her reiatsu. It was like the oxygen had been removed from the bubble of ice they were in. Kimiko would see it, that the instant she had activated her true strength the Rogue had put his guard completely up. He bore his teeth a bit, but mostly in just shock at how much power she possessed. In all honesty, Garret was taken back by her power. Maybe he was remembering it wrong, but he was certain that this woman possessed more power than Nycha did.

Her power died down as she tasked him with his first step, bringing forth his own reiatsu. The swordsman lowered his gaze and closed his eye, deciding to focus on this task before asking the couple of questions that he had. He reached within him, searching for the well of power that laid within him. He felt the wall that kept his power from flowing forth uncontrolled, the heat against its surface was a reminder to him of what his power was born from. Frowning a bit, Garret pushed against the wall until just a small portion of it gave away. Just a small portion.

But even a small crack let those flames flow free. Garrets form was suddenly consumed within his reiatsu, his form vanishing near entirely and being replaced with a black silhouette of the swordsman. Unlike Kimikos, whose was calm and controlled, Garrets was wild and uncontrolled. It looked like flames, crimson in color and raging wildly around him. Within those flames Kimiko would feel the source of their strength. Anger, grief, fear, hate and despair. His power was fueled by these negative emotions, events that shaped his life to be what it was now.

But there was something else in those flames. But before it could appear Garret ended the flow, the light and heat dying down as he exhaled a breath. Reiatsu control was not easy for him. Garret was a man of strength, one who had forsaken the reiatsu arts in reliance to his physical capabilities. He took a moment to catch his breath, the act of simply willing his reiatsu out taking an actual toll on him. It was a weird feeling. The man could hike for miles, climb a mountain, and swim a great lake without barely a heavy breath, but simply calling forth his reiatsu took quite the toll on him. It was a sign that his ability to control his reiatsu was poor, and that display just a moment ago was even more evidence of that.

"Priestess...there's something I want to know." Garret asked. It had been in his head ever since he had met Nycha, and now her. "All this power you possess...it's unnatural isn't it?" He asked it rather bluntly, but if the Failure searched his emotions she would find no ill will in them. He just wasn't the best at wording things properly. "You're different in a way to the last one I met, her form being pure silver...but you still possess skin and hair. So, I'm curious, what...exactly are you?"

[Kimiko Aimi]

He knew what he was doing. Peculiar. His body language and breathing pattern were not erratic to when she was undergoing reiatsu training. Perhaps it was the man's capability to be able to piece together the information and act upon it. Perhaps he had prior knowledge or training from another individual. Her analysis skills were not present, thus she relied on her own experiences to anticipate what many of her foe's would try and attempt. Even as she tread lightly around the Rogue she felt him opening up to new the possibilities that he was capable of.

The flare of dormant reiatsu sprung to life before her very eyes. Reiatsu is difficult to see to the naked eye, but there were few exceptions. One means of seeing such energy was if a technique was about to be used. It all depended on the nature of the technique that allowed for anyone to see it. The secondary means was a high level in Energy Sensory. More like a sixth or seventh sense that enabled the Failure to take in what nature that the man wielded. And much like him it was wild and to an extent frightening. This wasn't because of his nature, but the "other" that lurked within him.

Aside from the nature of his aura the Priestess could take in the rupture of emotions that were tangled with it. In her eyes the man seemed to be waging a war within himself. The anger and hate, the sadness and despair, each one striving to do him harm. She could have probably deem him more unstable than she was, on an emotional level. This was to be expected to say the least for those whose life endured a life time of war. In his case it was with the creatures that pursued him and his own internal turmoil. She knew better than anyone that emotions could be used as support to fuel reiatsu strength, Garret's inner turmoil was the same but at the same time... destructive to himself.

Her bare feet gave her pacing about a sudden halt when Garret began to question her. To be more precise he was referring to her nature. Her power, and the comparison to another who may have been a Failure. This did surprise her to an extent. To her knowledge there had been only one other Failure, such as her, who she met in the past. That time was brief before she saw before her very eyes their long awaited doom. A single moment was all that was needed for their lives to come to an end, and with it many others. Twas to be expected, just only took some time to open themselves to the other before asking. So she answered.

"It is unnatural Garret. Ever since my birth I had been blessed with unique gifts that I believed that could help the people." The unfaltering mist that swarmed her surroundings was proof of it. It never ceased nor faded from her presence. Like a shadow it followed and obeyed her direction without fail. "Of the thousand years I have lived I have not seen my gifts benefit anyone, instead, I only ponder of when I will meet my bitter end." Garret would not know of the reason nor to what she would mean, unless the other Failure that he mentioned a bit ago had already filled him in. To actually hear of another Failure was quite the interesting note.

Cloaked in silver. She didn't know if that silver was only momentary or ever lasting, so her reply to that subject was a bit suspicious. "So, there is another similar to me. I do apologize if I seem a bit skeptical of your identification. The last being I have seen that was similar to me was about twenty years ago, and as you can see we are not together." The Failure was careful not to insult his knowledge, but she had to remain realistic. That experience twenty years ago took a great toll on the Priestess' mind. It made her weary as to what awaited her if she was to be vague and careless. She couldn't afford it. But there was the thing that Garret noted about the other and to how he said it, and what he thought was right. They were all different.

"If what you say is true, then those like myself are different. Obviously we are not similar to each other, but, as to what you are asking of.... I do not know." She really didn't have an answer as to what she was, but she still remembers when her drastic change occurred. Her hand instinctively caressed the surface of exposed snow white flesh beneath her breast line. That pearl white surface carried the mark that passed Kimiko over into the realm of instability. Her stab wound initiated by her elder brother remained and scarred her once pure clean skin. So, if anything, "If I had to refer to myself as something, then I will be known as a Failure, a human with an extraordinary gift and couldn't pass on when death came."

That wasn't the correct answer, and she knew it. She just didn't have an answer for the man because she didn't know. She didn't want to remember what she had lost, so she continued on with her training. She had to clear her throat first from her teary emotions before proceeding forth with the man's lessons. "At this point you are capable of manifesting your reiatsu, so now we will work on channeling it. And the best means to do so is through spells." That was the next step for the man, and the best way to show the Rogue was through example.

Her hand rose from the Kimono's layers toward the tree line. Palm openly exposed to the elements of the cold that her mist brought about as she recited the incantation of her spell, "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners! Hado #4: Byakurai!" Sparks of lighting emerged snapped from the reiatsu that swelled within her palm as it compressed into a sphere of pure energy. Once it had taken form it simply shot out into a stream of destructive impulse. However, due to the amount of reiatsu strength the Failure possessed that thin stream became more similar to a raging Cero. The strength that this Failure possessed was unwittingly unmatched by those she had encountered in her past. After a thousand years of surviving her ailment it was to be expected.

The odor of burning bark and scorched earth reigned supreme in her nostrils. That crash of thunder rang in the depths of her ears. Even with her eyes filled with light could be seen trained on the familiar sight of utter destruction that a simple spell could do, at least with her level of strength. Just a wasteland was all that remained of the small patch of land that use to be a forest. This was where Garret would start.

"This is the next step for you Garret, so please do focus on the incantation, visualize what you saw, and conjure it with your knowledge of reiatsu. First, conjure that energy into the palm of your hand. That is what we will be focusing on."

[RayginX]

Garret sat, silent, as Kimiko, one by one, answered the questions that he laid out before her. Resting his arm against a raised knee, Garret leaned back on one of his arms to make himself a bit more comfortable as he listened. But while his body became comfortable, neither his mind nor heart could say the same. He didn't realize what sort of book he was opening when he had asked, and for a brief few moments he saw what lay beneath the cold figure. She answered his questions, in her own way, just enough to satisfy his curiosity. He now knew that what she was, what Nycha was, was something unnatural.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

In a way, Garret wished he hadn't asked. He noticed her discomfort when referring to herself as a Failure, her fingers tracing over a scar that ruined her perfect white skin, something that was not truly mortal. Clearing her throat, Kimiko decided it best to continue with his training now instead of dwelling anymore on his questions. It was better that way. He had learned what he needed to know. Whatever Kimiko and Nycha where, Failures as the former referred to them as, it was obvious that their unique powers could not be taught. He pushed himself to his feet, having the feeling he was going to need to stand for the next part.

Standing taller than her, he kept a short distance as explained that the next part would be about channeling his reiatsu. He got the feeling she meant in more ways than simple Step Techniques, which was only channeling the reiatsu into those limbs. His suspicion was confirmed when she said they would be practicing spells. Pointing her palm out to the tree line, Garret looked on with an ever increasing level of sleepiness. He was becoming painfully aware of his lack of sleep, having been unable to get the rest he needed from the night before.

Speaking some gibberish that Garret realized was an incantation, a beam of light erupted from the palm from Kimiko's hand. Intense was barely accurate in adequately describing that Kido attack. Garret did not just see its power, but he also felt how powerful it was, he with no talent for sensing energy, causing him to take a step back. His eye bore witness to the destruction laid forth before him, an area that was once a forest having become a smoldering wasteland. He blinked, an open mouth slowly turned into a smirk of disbelief. "huh.." He muttered, unsure of what to think after seeing that.

He had seen Kido before, has had it used against him before, but never had he seen a display of power like that. Was that something he could forward to if he developed his reiatsu? Could he ascend to Kimiko's level of power with enough practice? No. He threw away such thoughts when he realized what he was thinking. Kimiko's power, her strength, was unnatural. He could never hope for such levels of power in his reiatsu. He knew that his strength was within his arms, not his soul. He could feel it, even now, how pitiful the strength of his reiatsu was. But there was no harm in learning Kido, after all, since there was a chance he could acquire something from this. Something that could help him pull away from the Beast.

"This is the next step for you Garret, so please do focus on the incantation, visualize what you saw, and conjure it with your knowledge of reiatsu. First, conjure that energy into the palm of your hand. That is what we will be focusing on."

He blinked, raising his hand up and looking down at his palm. So he was going to try and recreate that? No, that would be foolish, Kimiko in no way would have expected him to recreate her own levels of power. Regardless of how it turned out he needed to at least recreate, in his own way, the attack she had used. So...focusing the reiatsu into his hand was the first step...right? He began to focus, letting the reiatsu flow into his hand which, in turn, caused the energy to become visible. It was like his hand was being consumed in dark crimson flames.

Taking a breath, Garret worked on compressing the reiatsu further, as in its current state it was uncontrolled, wild. He needed to calm it down. He focused further, and began to see results. The wild flow began to subside, and be replaced with a steady glow from his hand. Alright, progress was nice to see. Pointing his palm at the tree line, Garret suddenly realized how stupid this looked. On top of that, he remembered he was going to have to recite an incantation as well. He internally groaned, doing his best to remember the words Kimiko gave to him.

"Arise...god of thunder! Awake mother of...storms! Unleash the lightning on the sinners! Hado #4: Byakurai!" Garret mostly mumbled it, but he did the incantation while he focused with his reiatsu. Sure enough, something happened. But...it wasn't what either of them wanted. Blue reiatsu spluttered out of his palm, vanishing before it could hit the ground. The Kido, while appearing, failed completely. Garret grunted a little, frowning as he looked at his palm. Did he do it wrong? Regardless, it was obvious that Garret was going to require a lot of work.

--------

He was dedicated, that was for sure. He had been straight at it with no breaks for at least two hours at this point. Credit where credit was due, Garret most certainly had a large amount of reiatsu to continue with his attempts. During these two hours he had made progress, but perhaps it wasn't enough. He was able now to actually cause the Byakurai to appear in his palm, but right before it self-destructed and sputtered to the earth below. It was definitely a improvement from when he had just started, but it wasn't enough. This wasn't a high level Kido either; it was one of the lowest level Hados.

The swordsman lowered his arm with a sigh, looking up at the sky to see the position of the sun. It was directly over head, meaning that it was now midday at the least. What was he not getting? He was saying the incantation, visualizing it in his head, flowing the reiatsu, so why was it he could not get the damn Kido to cast correctly? He was beginning to grow frustrated, grinding his teeth together as he tried to keep his anger contained.

"Why the hell can I not get this to work.." Garret grumbled to himself, raising his hand yet again and spouting the incantation again. Like before, a light began to appear in his palm before it spluttered out. He took a breath, the exhaustion of going this long without sleeping from the prior night finally getting to him. Rubbing his eye with his thumb and index fingers, Garret turned towards the on looking Failure before saying, "This isn't working. I suppose it's because I haven't had any rest since yesterday. Are you fine with me sitting down for a bit?" Garret asked.

[Kimiko Aimi]

Garret did manage to spring up some memories from the past. While not as successful as she was when taking in new forms of knowledge, but Apprenticing was still the same despite the changes in time. His lack of natural ability was deemed absent, which only meant through hard work and effort would he be capable of the results that he sought out. Now to expect him to reach the level of spiritual prowess that was capable of mustering was impossible. To this day there hasn't been a single individual that had been able to contend with her level of strength. Not that she desired to meet such a person, and mostly likely would avoid them at all cost. Kimiko was already in bind. She didn't need the extra stress.

Despite her most popular belief she took on a task that led into a temporary position as an Educator. The Failure had never been one to take on an Apprentice, not one in her years of wandering about. So why didn't she refuse to help the man search for greater strength? Why did she take it upon herself to teach a disturbed soul? Maybe she wanted to leave something behind. Perhaps to leave a piece of herself behind should anything happen to her should the worst come to pass. A thousand years of wandering about did allow sufficient time to think over her options of what to do with her life, yet, nothing had come to mind. So why not begin somewhere.

Just as any other student, who thought they could become Master within a shorten time span, Garret quickly became discouraged with his training. If basing the time that had been used for his session then Kimiko would have believed that a few hours had past. Within that allotted time span the man managed to conjure a few sparks before having his technique passed wind. Didn't take a genius to guess that magic wasn't his strong suit. Taking in his size and strength of focus she could only assume that he spent much of his time honing his physiological traits rather than his psychological abilities. Such training will take time for him to grow accustom to, and Kimiko really had no where to go. She had all the time in the world.

Obviously that sign of frustration would be acknowledged with a slight nod, approving of his time to rest. What did surprise her was the fact that he lacked the sufficient amount of rest that was required to muster up one's own spiritual prowess. Such ignorance did play a role in hindering his training. An exhausted spirit was no good in times of strain, especially when it will begin to tear his focus away from his objective. She had to do something, "It is fine. Do rest yourself and we shall pick up where we left off soon." she commented. Surely the time to rest was deemed fine, especially when considering the sun was at its highest point.

Kimiko had not one been for the heat. If anything it made her feel ill. All the more reason she was reluctant to hear Garret wish for a time of leisure before continuing onward. This presented the Failure a perfect opportunity to shield herself from the sun's harmful rays. Not that there was anything wrong with being in the sun for her, just that it felt as though she were melting. Ice and heat never really panned out well. All the better she did retreat to her previous spot where she healed the injured warrior, properly sitting on top of her knees.

Her kimono was folded orderly to prevent any creases from forming. The Failure's figure kept its straightened posture, more so when leaning against the bark of wood from the tree behind her. The soft patch of grass cushioning her position even more than the dirt would have done. She literally hid herself beneath the high brush line of the trees above her to avoid direct sunlight, furthermore, even going as far as to crystalize the particles of water in the air to forge a small canopy over her head. The wonders of her Flood ability to be able to freeze anything that came into contact with it and manipulate it according to her will, so it was a wonderful sensation to be shielded by her reiatsu made ice.

More than likely, aside from her comfort, that Garret may have been fretting over his progress. This could not be allowed to continue, "Do take your time Garret. It is best that you proceed at your own pace rather than forcing it. Should you go on to do so, then it may cause more harm than good." she warned the man. "While you may not possess the talent for Kido, I do believe learning such things will benefit you when the time comes for you to wield based on your own fighting style." she hinted to his heavy blade. Its true that learning spells and other forms of magic proved beneficial, regardless if the spell was learned or not. But the knowledge of such things will enable Garret to forge his own spells, for the Rogue to create something that will directly aid him in the times to come.

As for now, she would wait for the man to rest. While he did so it will be up to the Failure to gain a bit more knowledge on her Apprentice, "Garret, if you do not mind me asking you, why is it do you wish to become strong?" She already told him that she would teach him without worry, so how ever he decided to answer her wouldn't have altered her decision. This was more of getting an insight of who the man was. Her talents in Energy Sensory were superb, but as a matter of fact it was much wiser to have the man himself tell her. Communication between two individuals is indeed important. Communication allows two individuals to gain a better understanding; from motives to ideals, to personality and mind set, Kimiko would gain much by understanding the man referring himself as "Garret."

"Based on your appearance and the activity of your soul I already know that your life has not been a joyous one. To say so would be inconsistent and wishful thinking. So please, do enlighten me of the tale of Garret." The air around her may have been heavy from the amount of power that the Failure wielded, but for now, it couldn't have been any lighter. Even with the strong blue aura that enveloped her eyes, her gaze did not feel hostile in the least. Instead, just a priestess, a young woman that was asking him as she remained seated across from him.

[RayginX]

Garret was relieved to see that Kimiko would allow him to rest. The swordsman found himself a patch of grass to sit on, albeit after shoving that weapon he called a sword into the earth to act as a support for his back. Though he called it a sword, was it truly one? It was too big to be called a sword, too rough, too large, and it looked to be too heavy. It looked more like a slab of raw iron. But Garret insisted it was a sword. He had retrieved it at some point during his practices, needing the excuse to clear his head of the growing frustration at his failure to execute a basic Hado spell. Resting himself against the blade, in the shade to escape the suns heat on his bare skin, Garret found himself growing comfortable.

Reaching into his travel bag he retrieved his canteen, taking a drink as he relaxed himself. Thankful for the quiet and the peace, he let his single eye slowly close as the exhaustion he was currently experiencing began to affect him. He didn't need a full eight hours, or even six. Garrets body could work fine after only four hours of sleep, his spiritual body combined with his ridiculous recovery rate causing this, though his mind wouldn't be straight. But he wouldn't let himself fall asleep. His eye opened itself back up to the sound of Kimiko freezing the air above her, creating a shelter for herself to keep herself out of the sun. "Hmm.."

His eye shut itself again as his mind went back to the Kido practice, trying to piece together the issues he was having with this exercise. What was he not getting? He had the incantation down pat, he believed he was using his reiatsu correctly. So what could it have been? Could his reiatsu talents truly be that terrible? Ever since he was a boy Garret had always used swords that required high levels of Strength. At the age of seven he was able to use a longsword fitted for an adult. Over the years the size of his weapon continued to get bigger and bigger. He was the captain of the Red Dragons raiding party; he had to inspire terror and intimidation into his enemies.

Memories of those times began to seep into his thoughts as sleep began to creep up upon him. Memories of his party, his friends, his uncle, the family that he had when he was still alive. It might have been possible for the Rogue to fall asleep and have comforting dreams for once, had Kimiko not shattered the cloak of sleep with her voice once more. "Do take your time Garret. It is best that you proceed at your own pace rather than forcing it. Should you go on to do so, then it may cause more harm than good." The Rogues eye almost stung to be opened once more. But he smirked, and a small chuckle escaped his throat. Time? Time was not a luxury he was afforded.

She continued to comfort him with words, trying to reassure him that he would find his own style. She saw his ineptitude with Kido, knowing that he would probably never become a natural with the spells. But he would find some way of using her teachings to assist himself. His gray eye looked at her, studying her for a moment before lowering again. What if I can't though? This trouble I'm having is different than when I first learned about reiatsu. Sure, that took some time but I showed actual progress...hell I learned how to perform Shunpo in only a few hours. But this? This is.. Garrets eye narrowed as he began to feel concerned over whether or not this was worth his time. But he needed something. He needed more power. Power that wouldn't cost him more than he was already sacrificing.

"Garret, if you do not mind me asking you, why is it do you wish to become strong?"

"What?"

The question was asked out of the blue, causing the swordsman to raise his head again and look at her. His eye narrowed a bit as he pondered her question for a moment, contemplating whether or not to answer her. But what she said next caused a change in his decision, "Based on your appearance and the activity of your soul I already know that your life has not been a joyous one. To say so would be inconsistent and wishful thinking. So please, do enlighten me of the tale of Garret." The Failure would see his expression soften, almost into one of pain as he lowered his gaze away from hers.

She would realize she had struck something in him. Garret did not like talking about his life. He closed his eye, and for a few minutes he was silent, as if he were refusing to answer her. But, she had shared with him so...he owed it to her to return the favor. Plus she was helping him, and he had to pay back the ever growing debt. "Why do I want to become strong?" Garret asked in an almost mumble, but loud enough for her to hear. He raised his head once more, and Kimiko would notice a flame in his eye. "I have to become stronger, simply for the sake of surviving. You said it yourself before, Priestess, so let me throw your words back at you. My soul is inhuman. It is not something that should exist in this, or any world.

I'm cursed. My soul is afflicted with a corruption that has destroyed my life. Do you know what it's like? To have no control over your life, to know that each time the sun rises that day could be your last?" In all fairness, Garret did not understand the Failures condition. "I am cursed, the only time my life has any control is when the sun is still in the sky. Once it sets and the dark of the night rises, it activates. The curse in my soul becomes active, and I become their bait. It doesn't matter where I am, they always find me. Hollows, in numbers I can no longer keep track of rush to me, in hopes of devouring me. Hollows of various shapes and sizes, of various forms and powers, come after me from dusk until dawn."

Garret was, noticeably, getting worked up. Though it hadn't manifested outwardly, his reiatsu was flaring up. His emotions were beginning to run wild. Hatred and anger were bubbling forth. "So I have to become stronger, just to survive. Gillians, Adjuchas, it doesn't matter. This curse continues to grow stronger and I am barely keeping up with it! Every night more and more of those abominations come for me, stronger than those that came before them!" Garret hadn't even realized he was shouting at this point. "And I can't even accept death! If I were to die then my curse would escape, spreading unchecked across this world!" He exclaimed.

Garret had been fed this hypothesis by the Shinigami that had spirited him from the Rukongai. The same that had given him his Bakkoto. It had only been a theory at the time, but it had stuck with the Rogue to the point that he believed it. But there was no proof it was true, but nobody knew otherwise. "If that wasn't bad enough I had become used to only having to fight at night. But now the damned Shinigami are after me as well. They claim I am a threat to the balance, but do not explain what that even means! Imagine for a minute what it's like, Kimiko, to know that you are thrust into a life or death battle each and every night, now only to learn that this same thing can happen during the time that you are supposed to be safe! Everywhere I turn there seems to be something else trying to kill me! For what?!

I haven't done anything wrong! I never did anything to deserve any of this!" Garret roared, suddenly on his feet. His teeth was ground together has his anger forced everything out. Kimiko would feel his anger, his hatred. But there was more to it. Something he wasn't talking about. Just raw survival wouldn't cause this much anger, this much hatred. There was something else, another factor that Garret wasn't bringing up. Plus, as if in response to his anger, something else had come to the surface. A darkness that Kimiko would "feel", a presence that seemed to be wrapped around the Rogue"So why do I want to become stronger, Kimiko? Because I have no choice! My only choices are to fight a never ending war or die and risk causing the deaths of countless others!" Garret shouted, and now it seemed that his outcry had ended. He took a few breaths, as he stepped back.

He lowered his gaze as he breathed, not realizing how serious the outburst was till just now. He closed his mouth and frowned, before speaking again, "I'm....sorry about that. Nobody has...asked before." Garret spoke, his voice low as he sat back down. It was obvious he didn't want to talk anymore, he just wanted to rest now. Thinking on his words, he realized that to bring up the memory was still too painful. To tell someone the reason for his fighting, the reason for all his anger and hatred was still too much. Garret did not fight just for survival. It was a quest for revenge. To avenge that which was taken from him. To ease the pain in his heart. To finally have revenge for his wife.

[Kimiko Aimi]

"I'm sorry." Pretty much all that could have been said. No, it wasn't all that could have been said. If she had to replicate the life that the man must have endured then it most likely would have resembled her own or those plagued by her condition. Much like the other Failure that Garret had mentioned, if that other realized what awaited them at the end.. Those like them lived a life of instability and every moment of their life became struggle between life and death. Just peering at the chard pathway that her Kido produced made the Failure reminisce of that day when the only other Failure she met vanished in a vast light. That same light that engulfed an entire city, a city referred to as Nagasaki.

In every way Kimiko had a right to state her own opinion based on the facts of her life, but she didn't, she wouldn't. Even with the emotional outburst the Failure refused to give into human habits that were once there a several lives ago. Perhaps a hundred years ago she would have, yet, even then the time spent in isolation only paved way to her apathetic look on life. Too many lives she had seen wither away within the pages of time. Families and friends turned to bone then to dust. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, such was the way how all physical beings ended. For those who pass on into the spiritual planes she had no knowledge of. She had not been one to be selected for such a peace, not yet.

To the faith of the Failure it may have been her duty to remain in the world to save those who needed help. That thought was only what came to mind after the allotted time spent wandering the world. So much thought she contemplated, even now she did so. She questioned the reasoning for her existence to remain in the world despite of all the good she thought she had done. Perhaps there was more to be done, and only she could achieve it. All ponder of course, nothing factual as of yet. Although, with the wanderer across from her spilling his soul to her it may have hinted toward her purpose, her reason for remaining in the world. She needed more time.

She didn't anything else besides from her apology, at least to allow the man to contemplate what he had to, and to allow him to rest in peace. She had much to review herself, but the more she did the more she realized that the sun was beginning to set. Darkness would befall them in a matter of hours. "Night?"

Hollows of various shapes and sizes, of various forms and powers, come after me from dusk until dawn."

"Every night more and more of those abominations come for me, stronger than those that came before them!

Night will come soon, and if what Garret spoke of was true then they will be arriving soon. The man appeared to have fallen asleep, thus opening himself further for her Energy Sensory. She wouldn't have peered much, only to clarify his words, reviewing them, insuring what he spoke of was true. And they were. More importantly his reason for why he sought out the beasts in the white masks as much as they did for him. She could only look down on him with what little sympathy she had for him, I'm sorry for your loss." she found herself saying once more. Nothing can be done to replace nor fill in the void that had been made, especially if it came from the precious moments of a loved one. Kimiko knew this all to be true. Garret with his wife, and Kimiko with her precious friend.

Garret had to live on for her sake. The man has a purpose as to the Priestess, nothing. Thus far the only reason she continued onward was to find a means to stabilize herself, and hopefully help those in need, to save them. But, how long could she continue to do so until she gave up hope. Each day that went by her desire to aid those lost in despair became ever so fleeting. A thousand years she spent doing so, and only little to nothing had been achieved. So why continue on? Garret was someone that did give her some dim light of hope. He was fighting on, despite his circumstances.

A hopeless circumstance that bore a terrible weight on his shoulders. Someone who at first seemed to be doing so in order fulfill his own selfish desire, but, on the other hand taking it upon himself to secure a mortal danger from the world around him. Garret was still fighting, a being so young compared to herself. He was still fighting, he was holding onto a responsibility he thought he should be taking on that really wasn't. And so, Kimiko should be doing so as well. That is why...

Particles of water began to harden as the mist caressed the trees around them. Using each droplet of moisture in the air as building blocks to connect the thick segments of ice to one another. Around the pair, like skin growing around them, became a hardened shell, a fortress of ice. Walls that stood fifteen feet high with sharpened stakes rigging out from their solid flat surfaces. The Failure had made sure that three other walls were stacked against the outer layer to reinforce the structure. This had not been the first time she established a small fort, for humans would find these all across the world in the areas she lay to rest. A means to protect herself from the outside world.

The Failure worked diligently with those hours passing by, to establish her fortress against those would sought to intrude. All the while the position that the two took remained as the center of the holding, which was molded into a grand wall. This left the small grassy meadow beneath them their force of warmth and untouched for the sake of her human guest. But more importantly it served as a base of operations until the new day began. To at least allow the man know a single night's worth of rest. This was her ice fortress paved by the absolute, unrivaled strength of her reiatsu. And those that trespassed would be met with deadly force.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ice Fortress}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Grand Hall}

[RayginX]

What sort of dreams did Garret have? What sort of dreams did anyone have? Dreams were an interesting topic, one that has been studied over countless decades by human scientists. Dreams were images, ideas, emotions, memories, a movie that played within someones mind when they slept. They often represented some deep desire, or some deep fear. So what sort of dreams did Garret have? His often danced between two forms of memories. Ones that either brought him comfort, or those that drove him deeper into madness.

But this time it was different. Garret was not dreaming. At least, he hoped he wasn't dreaming of this place again. Garret was somewhere else, somewhere he could not normally access, an out of body experience that professional Shinigami had been trained to access themselves. The Inner World. Garret could not typically access his inner world, something that was created inside of his soul when he accepted the other into his body. A world that Garret did not enjoy spending time in. A world that was far too fitting for Garret.

It was dark. The only source of light was the great flame that resided in what Garret assumed to be the center. A flame so high and thick that it could have dwarfed many recent era building. Within the center of this great bonfire was a weapon so intimately familiar to the Rogue, his Greatsword. The swordsman stood at the edges of the flame, staring into it as if in a daze. All around him was activity, but none he paid attention to. Shadowy figures moved around him, each engaged in what looked to be combat with another. Weapons of shadow held in their arms as they fought on in their imaginary war, none of them falling, an endless battle around him. He could hear the yelling, the clanging, but it sounded so far away. As if it was miles away from him.

Why was he here now? His eye narrowed slightly, already guessing at the reason. He turned his head away from the flames, gazing out into the darkness around him, looking out at the shadowy figures fighting on in their battles. "You didn't tell her the truth." And there it was. Garret spun his head back around, his eye settling on that thing in the flames. His sword was no longer alone in that fire, a new shape occupying the same space. Lip curling into a frown, Garret glared at the evenly tall hound that strode from the flames.

A beast in black, a hound that represented the hatred and anger within him. A entity spawned by the Bakkoto, a representation of the Bakkoto. Essentially...Garret was face to face with the parasite itself. It took on the form of a black hound, with two lightning bolt shaped eyes. Those eyes, like always, glowed red hot with the anger that burned within it. The sounds of dragging chains were heard as the creature emerged from the flames, large spikes appeared, impaled into the creature's body. Each stake had a chain attached to it, a visual representation of Garrets suppression of the beast.

"Fighting for that woman? We both know that's not the reason. Fighting to keep your curse from spreading? We both know that's not the reason."

The hounds voice echoed throughout this plane, the swordsmans eye narrowing as he watched the Beast fully emerge from the flames, and sit down before him. Its lips peeled back into a grin, displaying that mouthful of blood stained teeth. Stained with his own blood. This creature fed upon him, body, mind and soul.

"I said it once before, didn't I? You don't have the right to say you fight for your lost love. Whatever love your heart once possessed? Gone. Burnt away by our anger. You use her as an excuse only, an open wound that you can jab your finger into to feel that pain, to justify your slaughter."

"..."

"There's no denying that this is what you want to become. To throw away your pain, to throwaway whatever it is holding you back. Nothing but the hatred, the anger, the joy of killing hundreds upon thousands of Hollows. I told you once before, did I not, that the more you killed the more you would thirst. That the more you thirst the more you would kill. Your bloodbath will never end, you will only keep on killing. You will keep on thirsting. All alone. And then I will devour you, and I will take your place.

And with that, Garrets dream ended. He bolted up, a sharp breath as he sat forward and quickly placed a hand over his aching right eye socket. He frowned, calming himself down before he slowly became aware that things were...different. It was, at first, the sudden and unexpected chill around him. Garret blinked, raising his head and seeing the structure around him that had not been there when he had closed his eye. The swordsman suddenly sprung to his feet, turning in a circle as he looked around him at the fortress that had been constructed as he slept. How long had he been asleep?

"What...in the world is this?" Garret asked out loud, taking a step back as he noticed that the floor beneath him was still the ground he had been resting upon. The swordsman turned to Kimiko before asking the obvious question, "Did you do all of this? H-how...why would...." Garret began to ask, before the answer hit him like something heavy against his head. She wasn't. She wasn't planning on fortifying him against the hordes that were coming tonight...was she?

Garret looked at the Priestess before he asked it, "Is this for the Hollows?" He would listen to what she had to say first before coming to a conclusion.

[Kimiko Aimi]

The final door had been sealed shut, isolating the two from the outside world. Finally, the two were held within the fort in which was designed to keep others out. Enter into such a Keep will only be met with aggressive force or frozen solid until the end of time. The air lay thick with the reiatsu of the Failure, emanating with the fog of reiatsu that protruded from the thick ice walls. Each construct made from her Flood was strengthened by her reiatsu, surely a task to bypass when venturing from the outside world and into her own.

Just the sight of the pure white crystal formation that surrounded the two spirits help calm her nerves of what was to come. In all honesty she didn't know what to expect of the coming night seeing the little brief images of the Rogues past. If anything she was.. concerned. Thus the reason the Failure took on the precautions that she had been using for the evening. "From dusk to dawn." She noted to herself once more. More than likely she was psyching herself up to the unknown that was on its way to them. The man spoke, forcing her back into her reality with his awe inspired face.

Of course it would have been rude to not reply to his pondery so a simple nod would suffice until his next question came up. "Yes, I did. I believe it is best to prepare for what is to come, and I am not taking chances. This will help keep the Hollows at bay while we continue with our training. Perhaps with a bit of change in scenery will help you with your focus." This was hinted more to the drop in temperature to help assist with his focus. To remove foreign distractions from the mind does help improve mental fortitude. Perhaps even help with his little "issue" within himself.

"Don't think with our current circumstance would prevent your training to cease, if not, then think of this as pressure." She chuckled. She chuckled? Difficult to imagine from what was about to occur in the area would be a laughing matter. She found a way to do so, at least for herself anyhow. Even with that she tucked herself, herself kneeling down toward the center of the room in the classical Japanese position. As far as she viewed it Garret was the guest, and in such perspective he was invited to seat himself next to her. "Do not worry yourself about our visitors, I shall take care of them while you continuing your training here." she pats the grassy surface next to her.

Maybe it was out of habit or just from her Flood alone, but the condensation from the heated ice, both from the environment and lowered sun, softened the moisture in the grass to form snow. The mist that belonged to the Failure softened the beads of water into traces of snow beneath the Priestess before motioning back to the walls that held the room together. This will allow the man to come near her without the fear of freezing let alone frostbite. "Come, she said softly ..let us continue with your focus. It will be an issue should that other interfere with your train of thought."

She didn't know what a Bakkoto was, nor did she want to. From what she was able to observe, from what she could see, that "thing" was plaguing him. At times it seemed to strengthen his resolve, while at other times it will weaken him. Overall, it was doing more harm than good to him. This training was more than just Kido training, this was also meant to toughen his own strength of will. A person's inner demons could transpire much turmoil if allowed to roam free within. So much pain and misery that continues to cycle through the soul can cause instability. Nonetheless, this would be Garret's battle, so if he desired to take the time to do so, then she'll provide the time necessary.

The night was near, and while Garret went about with his training Kimiko would undergo with her own. Concentration was a Failure's worst enemy. Their overall power uncontrollable, difficult to focus into a single point. That is where the woman would put her training into. Her aura of light poured from her being just as her mist did. Her presence calm, her mind cleared as Pesquis rang forth from her being into the outside world. So far so good, not a single sign of intruders nor Hollows. So far so good, but for how long will it last.

[RayginX]

Even though Garret lived in the age of knights and kings, he had never actually once stepped into one of the grand castles of the rulers who hired his band of mercenaries. Such honor was not befit of a merc, who merely battled for profit and could have winded up dead the very next day. Standing within the cathedral created by Kimiko caused him to remember such times briefly, as he inspected the architecture and structure. She had the power to do all this? Just how much power did the woman who shared the same space with him possess? Garret felt a little awed, but his other emotions got in the way of admiring her power. The air was heavy and chilled, rich with her reiatsu, making it slightly difficult for Garret to catch his breath normally.

In fact, he was more confused and slightly panicked than anything else. He didn't ask for Kimiko to erect this structure, and was somewhat bothered that she had. She was making herself involved in what was to come, and that was what Garret had an issue with. Walls did not make a difference for his Curse. Garret had been in the Seireitei for three days in the very beginning of his affliction, stuck within the military city as they tried to stabilize his condition after being attacked by Hollows. During those three days, however, Hollows had begun to get inside of the Seireiteis walls, following Garret's Osen like a lure.

It was why he was booted out of the Seireitei, as well as the Rukongai, for the safety of the Gotei Thirteen and the citizens of the Rukongai. Only reason he wasn't executed was because Azumi Kasumi'Oji had discovered that upon his death his curse would escape and spread out into whatever world he currently inhabited. Seems Soul Society preferred that the World of the Living be ruined instead of their own. So being in this fortress of ice, no matter how powerful its walls, did not fill the Rogue with comfort.

He frowned, about to voice his opinion before he simply sighed. Thinking on it, he was sure Kimiko knew what she was doing. Creating a fortress like this, with her power, surely meant that its walls were near impervious. And after displaying her destructive power to him, Garret was sure that any Hollow that did worm its way inside would be met with the same fate as that portion of the forest. But was he really going to trust another person that much? Someone he had known only for a few hours? Well, why didn't he? Sure, it would have been stupid to trust a stranger right off the bat.

But Kimiko was proving herself different. Since they had met a few hours ago, she had been nothing but helpful to him. She never displayed some sort of ulterior motive. She stated, with absoluteness, that it was her duty as a Priestess to help those in need, and she saw Garret as one of those people. She hadn't asked him to join some sort of group of hers; she simply wanted to help him. She was even teaching him the magic of the Shinigami, and had even healed his back. And now she had erected a castle to keep him safe for the night. In all honesty, Garret was a little overwhelmed. His debt to the women would not stop climbing, and he wasn't entirely sure how he could pay her back.

"They'll still get in. Maybe not the brainless base Hollows, but the ones that have evolved, that possess some form of intelligence, will be able to get in. They'll follow my Curse, I've seen it happen before. Walls don't matter. So don't think for a second I will simply sit idly by and let you alone deal with the ones that get inside. This is still my fight." Garret stated with his own absoluteness. He would let Kimiko help him, as he saw no way of being able to turn her down. How would Garret even begin to escape this fortress if he crossed her and she turned on him? If the walls were made of her own power, Garret had no idea how he would even break out.

But even when he said that, if the Priestess searched his emotions, there was no hostility towards her. The anger in his voice was coming from the thought of facing Hollows, not towards her own actions. Garret understood her intentions. She simply wanted to help. She wanted to continue with his training, claiming that the change in scenery would assist him in focusing. Maybe if he didn't see the sun he wouldn't worry so much about what time he had left before dusk. Hearing her chuckle was a first, but Garret didn't register it as he looked at the snow by the spot she was patting for him to sit on.

Leaving his sword where it was, the swordsman made the few brief steps to where Kimiko requested he sit. The swordsman sat himself beside her, but not too close, and wondered how she wanted him to learn how to better focus. He wondered if that was actually the issue with his training, and thinking about it he could see it begin to make sense. All Garret was ever concerned about was survival. Anger, hatred, fear and despair all mixed together inside of him to create an unstable vortex. He was always concerned over the next night, the side effects of his power, and the tormenting of the thing inside of him. Maybe it was his focus that was the issue.

But, what Kimiko said next caused him to freeze, "It will be an issue should that other interfere with your train of thought" Garret became quiet. Very quiet. She knew? She was able to detect that thing inside of him? Garret stared down at the snow, his bangs covering his eye slightly as it narrowed. "...how much do you know?" He asked his voice rather low. How was she able to know? Thinking on it the only people who were ever able to detect that thing were people who were able to read his minds. Was Kimiko one of those types as well? Why did he ask? He knew she was. She had displayed that talent a few hours prior, when she was able to see the condition of his Soul. He never liked bringing up the source of his powers, as doing so reminded him of the side effects of using it. Even knew he could feel the tremors in his fingers, the shaking having started up again in his digits.