Just... One of Those Days [Solo Training, R]

[Skoll Koryu]

((Training for CTP; any techniques learned via Unbridled Learning will be noted, but do not require TTP spent to learn, just the requisite number of paragraphs to earn that TTP amount.))

SPOILER: Click to show

{Unbridled Learning (For reference for learning techniques via NPC)}Technique Name: Unbridled Learning

Class: 8-1

Technique Type: Other

Usable By: Skoll only; cannot be taught.

Technique Element: Other

Technique Description and Effects:
Unbridled Learning is a unique ability that comes to Skoll almost naturally, one that he could practically say that he was born with. Though he did not gain either the powers of Hell from his Akki father nor the feral instincts of his Beast-Clan mother, Skoll instead discovered a keen attunement to the worlds of nature and sin, and in so, found knowledge of great value. Unbridled Learning is the result of this knowledge, a technique that draws upon the suffering of Hell and the instincts gained from experience.

Unbridled Learning, in its most basic description, allows Skoll to learn a vast number of non-release techniques that extends beyond those that his mix of races would normally allow. Unbridled Learning, an ongoing passive ability that is always active from the moment of Skoll's birth, allows him to take a technique from any race and, despite normal racial limitations, mimic the structure and composition of the technique to use these abilities regardless of his normal ability to do so. Though they will possess a unique Reiatsu signature, signifying that they are not the normal version of the technique—for example, a Kido would not feel like its normal element, but instead be a mix of feral and hellish Reiatsu merged into one. This makes it very easy to identify that these are copies, mimicries instead of the actual techniques.

However, this technique only allows for the learning of these techniques under certain conditions. Skoll cannot learn these techniques simply by training and studying. No, to learn a technique, Skoll must feel its effects directly, and learn through the experience of suffering from it. In short, in order to learn a technique that is not normally available to him, Skoll must be hit by it, and naturally survive, in order to learn it. When this happens, assuming that the half-breed survives, he will automatically learn the technique at a “learned” level, not even proficient. Proficiency and Mastery can be gained through the normal spending of TTP, but learning a technique at all requires him to actually feel the technique used on him, and understand its effects. This makes it an extremely risky process, as the more powerful a technique is, the harder it is to survive it.

Techniques can be learned via both NPCs and RPCs; while there is no limit on the latter as long as all the other conditions are met, NPCs are a whole other beast. While Skoll can learn techniques from an NPC in a training thread, the NPC in question must possess an offensive stat relating to the technique in question that is equal to or greater than Skoll's highest offensive stat. Additionally, such threads are treated as DE in nature, meaning that any damage done from the NPC's attack—something that is hard to mitigate given its ability to match Skoll's offensive power—will carry over and leave noticeable damage on him. Finally, a number of paragraphs equal to the amount needed to get the TTP for learning the technique is required, meaning that Skoll cannot just have one short paragraph of battle to learn techniques, but must earn them even with the damage he takes.

Finally, as one last note, just because a technique is learned does not mean that it can simply be used freely. The complimentary techniques that Skoll knows are also required in order to use abilities that he cannot use naturally: Lore of the Spirit, Lore of the Body, and Lore of the Heart. These have their own conditions and drawbacks to them.

How to use technique:
Suffer the effects of an attack, and survive, while attempting to analyze and break down the technique.

Technique Drawbacks:
Naturally, such a powerful ability does not come without its drawbacks. The first major drawback is, of course, the requirement of being hit. While this has less of an impact on learning supportive or healing techniques, as they are beneficial on use, it makes it dangerous to learn offensive techniques, as foes may prove themselves too powerful. Attempting to learn even a single technique in combat will likely leave Skoll highly weakened, as he is forced to take a direct hit that may severely injure him, reducing his capabilities for the remainder of combat. Any healing performed on wounds gained as a result of learning a technique is also half as effective, preventing him from fully healing upon willingly taking a hit.

Second, Skoll must still meet all non-racial requirements to learn the technique in question. If it has prerequisite techniques, then he needs to have learned them, and must keep them in order to keep the technique in question. Stat and Skill requirements are also in play. There are other skill limits to learning techniques as well; Skoll is required to have a 1 in the Mimicry Skill in order to learn a technique that is Class 8-6, a 2 to learn a technique that is Class 5-3, and a 3 to learn a technique of Class 2-1. Class 0 techniques can never be learned, assuming one could survive a direct hit from them in the first place. Finally, despite the normal ability of Technique Masters to learn techniques of any Class regardless of their own, this ability follows the normal restrictions; Skoll cannot learn a technique higher than one Class above him with the use of Unbridled Learning. Techniques that are normally available to him without it can be learned freely, but techniques outside of his racial ability must be no higher than one Class above him.

Finally, as one last restriction, Skoll can have no more than twenty learned techniques as a result of Unbridled Learning. The remaining slots must be filled with personal techniques or ones that he can learn as a result of his race availabilities. Reserved techniques mimicked by this technique can never be taken above Proficient, even though Skoll has the ability to master techniques he normally cannot use.

Made By: Skoll Koryu

Reserved: Yes

Another shitty day; that's what today was. But to Skoll, that seemed to be every fucking day, especially as he found himself crouching down behind a tree, doing his best to keep silent. It wasn't an easy task, though; he had a small nervous habit that had gotten him into trouble as a cub, and even to this day still made it difficult to maintain any sort of stealth. When he was nervous, he found himself lashing his tail back and forth, normally a harmless habit for any other Beast-Clansman. But not for Skoll, no; he had his Sinner's mark there, the Hell-forged chains that had come into being with his birth, bound along the length of his tail and rattling with every motion. That made a normally unnoticeable twitch into a dead giveaway, each motion causing the chains to drag along the ground and clank against one another.

Goddamnit, that fuckin' freak is gonna find me at this rate... The half-demon thought to himself as he pressed his back against the packed dirt beneath the tree's trunk; the thick roots rose up around him, forming walls of a sort on either side of him and helping mask him visually, but if he didn't get his tail under control it was going to give him away! Skoll knew his pursuer was right behind him, practically right on his heels; the half-breed wolf was almost afraid to poke his head out to look behind him. With any luck, doing so would be yet another giveaway, and once more the chase would begin, running the two of them through the woods again. And the chase had been going on for an hour yet at this point; Skoll didn't want to keep at it!

Managing to still the twitching of his tail for at least a few moments, the Nakabakki waited, his ears perked up as he tried to catch the sound of anything moving. So far, so good. Maybe, during that last little dash through the brambles he had left his pursuit behind; as it was, Skoll still bore a few scratches along his shoulder, and his jacket was ripped. The latter could be mended, though, and the scrapes were minor, not even enough to draw blood; the damage would be a small price to pay to get rid of the person chasing after him. It wasn't just the fact that they were so persistent that made it so annoying; the tracker's personality was about ninety percent of the issue, and even Skoll's negative and jaded attitude wasn't enough to put them or at least direct conversation into familiar channels. And if he had to hear that line one more time...

“Halt, evildoer, for I have found you once more!” Skoll immediately winced, his ears pinning back as that high-pitched female voice ran out through the trees. His tail started twitching reflexively, the rattle of chains began again, and a loud crash came from a tree at the opposite side of the clearing. Risking a peek over the concealing roots, the half-demon caught sight of the woman that he had been unable to shake for the last hour. Long black hair tinged with a dye that gave it a slightly blue-green shade was tied back into a long ponytail to keep it out of the woman's eyes, while her black uniform was an alteration on the familiar Omnitsukido uniform, bearing long sleeves to hide her hands.

Unfortunately, that was about all the woman had in common with the Omnitsukido; at the moment, she was doing little to demonstrate the grace and dexterity that was ingrained in many members of the stealth squad, unless laying with one's face in the dirt and a dazed expression were part of camouflage training. Judging by the broken branch nearby, the woman had picked a poor landing and, just after her triumphant shout—and, if her facing was any indication, suggesting that she had been completely wrong in her assessment of his location—the branch had snapped underneath the woman and sent her to the ground only moments later. Not the most dignified of landings, that was for sure. And how did this woman get on the stealth squad, with all of the yelling and trouble she caused?

“Maybe the crazy broad knocked a few screws loose on the fall... probably best I get the fuck outta here now.” Yet even as Skoll said that, a hand lifted from the dirt and pointed directly at him, causing him to freeze; he hadn't thought the tracker was conscious after the fall, but then again, Shinigami tended to be pretty resilient. This was not a good trait for the prey, unfortunately, and Skoll knew that he was in for another round of crazy the moment that hand lifted towards him. The woman started to say something, but it was muffled by the fact that her face was still pressed firmly against the ground. For a moment, the half-demon thought he was going to get off easy, and started to back away... only stopped when the woman shouted again.

“Hey, villain! I said halt!” Skoll's ears flattened again, and this time his expression became somewhat more irate. He was starting to get irritated at being yelled at like he had done something seriously wrong. All he had done was nick a few apples from a vendor because he was hungry; that wasn't enough to send a stealth unit after him! Yet the woman stumbled to her feet, dusting off her clothing before resuming her pose, a hand on her hip, the other pointing a finger directly at him, and her posture indicative of someone who read far too much manga for their brain's health. “In the name of the Omnitsukido's authority as the Covert Ops of Seireitei's Gotei Thirteen, I, Konoe Kimura, demand that you halt and turn yourself over to justice immediately!”

“Oh, gimme a fuckin' break already!” Skoll snarled back at the woman; he had heard this exact same spiel three times in the last hour, and he was starting to get fed up with it. He didn't care who this woman was, and he didn't give a damn about where she was from. “I stole a few goddamn apples that looked like they were half-rotten anyway, and they send a stealth unit after me? What the fuck are your superiors thinking? And what kind of shitty stealth squad employs such a loud-mouthed brat who does everything except remain hidden and covert? I mean, fuck; you've done nothing but crash through the trees all day, yelling at me and making enough fucking noise to disturb the entire goddamn forest! Are you sure you're with the Omnitsukido?”

The woman puffed her chest out proudly, as though she had something to back her obvious lack of talent in the silent arts of stealth. “I am indeed a member of the Omnitsukido; Konoe Kimura, unseated officer, hand-picked out of the Academy to serve as the number-one Kido Arts Specialist! One day, I shall rise through the ranks in a blaze of glory, until I am the shining star that stands tall above all that is the Omnitsukido! For I am Konoe Kimura, the Blooming Flower of the Battlefield, and today I will capture you, fiend!” Once more that finger was pointed at Skoll, and he returned the gesture with another pointed glare, his lips curling back as his muzzle curled into a snarl.

“Hey, bitch!” Skoll responded with his usual callousness, even though among Beast-Clansmen the word had no negative connotations, “If you had a lick of fuckin' common sense, you'd realize that being the 'shining star' of the stealth unit is calling yourself a goddamn failure! Which you already are, if it wasn't obvious!” Konoe gave a huff of her own as she put her hands on her hips, her expression less than pleased, but Skoll didn't give a damn; she could be as cranky as she wanted, if she'd just leave him the hell alone! “Watch your mouth, you mean puppy, or else you'll make this beautiful flower wilt!”

P-puppy...!? Skoll almost staggered from the indignation of the woman's choice of words, but even as he did, Konoe was still speaking, doing her utmost to annoy him. And in that shrill, high voice of hers, it was that much worse! “And you're wrong! My sensei said that no one can match my prowess as the biggest and most noticeable star on the battlefield! My powerful and booming prowess can be matched and hidden away only by the greatest of explosions! I am a force to be reckoned with!” This time Skoll just pressed his palm to his forehead, a headache coming on as the woman talked. He was starting to doubt that these “compliments” her teacher was giving her were truly that, and more of a misunderstanding on the noisy Shinigami's part, but he also doubted that she'd believe it if anyone tried to correct her. Besides, she was already speaking again. “And so, I, Konoe Kimura—”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!” Skoll finally screamed, his eyes growing more bloodshot by the moment. He was already pissed off at having to run for the last hour from this annoying wench, constantly heckled by her comic-book speeches, and hearing her name spoken every other sentence. He didn't give a damn about Konoe-fucking-Kimura, she could go die for all it mattered to him! And in fact... “If you're some goddamn hero of justice or whatever the fuck you want to claim you are, then go hunt some Hollows or something... hell, go save a stupid cat from a tree for all I care! Just leave me the fuck alone so that I can get some peace and quiet! 'Cause if you don't...” Skoll cracked his knuckles, glaring at the Shinigami, “I'm going to break your fuckin' neck and throw you to the crows! You got that, you stupid broad!?”

“A-ha!” Skoll's anger momentarily evaporated at the woman's sudden exclamation of discovery, the half-demon wolf confused as to its source. Konoe lifted her hand dramatically above her, as though pointing towards the sky, before bringing it snapping down to point directly at the Nakabakki's face. He stared, waiting for her to continue, yet the Shinigami just stood there in the same unchanging posture, a look of triumph on her face. The staredown continued for about a minute before Skoll's anger came rushing back just as quickly as it had left him. “What the fuck, lady!?” He shouted, his hackles rising as he felt his blood start to boil. “If you're going to fucking say 'A-ha!' in that goddamn squeally voice of yours, at least do me the favor of following up instead of leaving it hanging! It's fuckin' annoying!”

Yet even as he spoke, the woman turned away from him, and Skoll bristled all the more. Now she was going to ignore him!? What the fuck was her problem!? She was all bluster and noise a moment ago, and now she had gone silent. Yet as she turned away, the woman was fiddling with something, her hands moving as though she were examining an object. Skoll, despite having the perfect opportunity to run away while her back was turned, approached with the intent of finding out what it was that had the woman so distracted. He was feeling slighted at this point, a petty prideful emotion after all of this, yet it was enough to make the half-demon draw close. What he saw, however, caused him to give a howl of unbridled fury.

She had a book in her hands, some manga novel with image after image of a female heroine, flipping through the pages as though she were looking for a specific one. Skoll's ire shot up, and he could feel his face heating, going red beneath the black fur. His face twitched reflexively, and it was a wonder the woman hadn't turned yet from how fast his tail was thrashing back and forth, the constant jangle of his chains filling the clearing. But somehow, Konoe was so distracted with her book that she didn't even look up as Skoll approached, looming over her shoulder and cracking his knuckles.

Suddenly, she seemed to find the page she was looking for, and even as Skoll stopped, she turned around, her arm shooting out as she spun... only to unintentionally jab her arm straight into his shoulder, her finger digging into fur and muscle and leaving a stinging pain despite having no strength in her arms. “A-ha...ha...?” Konoe jumped back, surprised, and let out a shriek as she realized that Skoll was practically over her shoulder. “Hey, you stupid jerk! You're supposed to wait until I'm ready, not sneak up on me! Didn't your parents teach you any manners? It's not polite to do that!”

“Oh sure, I learned plenty of manners from a corpse and a demon! Let me tell you, it comes with a life lesson on how much the world fucking sucks! And people like you, always so fucking annoying, just make it that much more worse! I swear to god my blood is boiling because of you, so help me I will rip out your fucking teeth one by one just for laughs before ending you, you hear me!?” Oh, to say Skoll was angry was like saying water was damp; it didn't even begin to describe the half-demon's fury as his eyes, now going blood-red, stared holes into the woman. “What the fuck are you even doing that's got you so distracted, anyway? Aren't you hunting me or something!?”

“I uh...” Konoe put her fingers together, looking a little sheepish. “I kinda forgot the line I was going to use...” There was a moment of silence, the Shinigami just standing there with her gaze downcast, as though she were being scolded. Skoll found himself at a loss of immediate words, unsure if he wanted to just scream out a string of obscenities at this stupidity, practically staggered by what he had just witnessed, the Nakabakki almost just turned around and walked away, regardless of what resulted afterward. He wasn't even sure if a full venting of every single expletive in his vocabulary would be enough to express his feelings on the matter.

Fortunately, words weren't necessary; at this point, actions were going to speak much louder, and much more painfully. Clenching his hand into a fist, Skoll simply stepped forward and slugged Konoe, his punch connecting with her chest and knocking the woman onto her back, the air knocked out of her briefly. “What the flipping fuck, woman?” Skoll demanded as he stood over her, his stance aggressive and his hackles raised. Teeth bared, he waited for her to push herself up, fully intending to shove her right back down until she capitulated and finally gave up on chasing him. A little bullying was well-deserved at this point, given how she had been harrying him all day. When she didn't, though, Skoll reached down to grab at the front of her shirt, fully intending to catch a handful of cloth and pull her up into a more face-to-face confrontation to give his threat.

What he didn't expect, however, was the shrill screech that rang out as he reached for Konoe. “AHH! YOU PERVERT!” Well that wasn't a new statement for Skoll, as he often came across that way when trying to drive women off. Nothing worked better than coming onto a human woman as a hellish animal-man, and it was the best way to keep any one of them at arm's length. But the difference was that he wasn't even trying this time; he had only grabbed at her shirt... well, admittedly he could have been seen as reaching for her chest, but c'mon! He had no fucking interest in this little girl...

He didn't expect the Sho, either.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Konoe's Stats}Strength – [100 x 0.33] (33) Points

Speed - [100] (100) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [100] (100) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [150 x 1.5] (225) Points

Light Aura - [100] Points

Dark Aura - [0] Points

Instinct – [100 x 0.33] (33) Points

Senses – [50] (50) Points

Energy sensory – [25 x 0.33] (8) Points

Healing Expertise – [50 x 1.5] (75) Points


Total SP: [675] points

Suddenly, a burst of pure force slammed into Skoll's stomach, knocking the wind out of him completely. Worse yet, the woman hit a lot harder than he did, given that she was using a Kido as opposed to her bare fists. While she didn't look like she was much of a physical fighter, Konoe apparently had quite a powerful spirit. Hitting four and a half times harder than Skoll had, her Kido slammed into the half-demon's middle and threw him back a good distance. In this case, that “back” was more of an “up”, since he was leaning over her; the Nakabakki found himself launched skywards, his ribs creaking and his middle a mass of pain from that close-range burst of force. Sho wasn't a particularly lethal technique, to his credit, but so close and with no bracing, the impact was not one that Skoll was going to be walking off quickly.

Worse yet was the landing; the impact had knocked him nearly thirty feet into the air, easily above some of the trees that had surrounded them, and unfortunately the half-demon wasn't so lucky on his descent as he had been in his ascent; rising, he had avoided any tree limbs that would have just magnified the impact and done a number on his back. Falling, however, he landed chest-first on a thick branch that was easily as wide around on his waist after at least a ten-foot fall. What little air he had drawn back in was gone a moment later as he practically fell limp, hanging over the sides of the branch. He felt nauseous now, the impact making his stomach heave as he gasped for air, trying to recover. Even for the most basic of Kido, Sho was an impressive force if used by one who had the strength to back it up, and it seemed that Konoe had just that.

((OOC: Hado #1: Sho has been learned at this point.))

Groaning, Skoll stood up from the branch, finding some strength in his shaking arms to push himself back onto his feet. He still felt a little dazed from the sudden blast, and his head was spinning from his landing, but it could have been worse; if nothing else, even as he had been hit his mind and body were instinctively breaking down the technique, analyzing it, and learning every aspect of it. With a little time to prepare himself, Skoll would be able to make use of it himself, but he needed to catch his breath first. That, and he needed to figure out what to do with his pursuer; even if she was over her initial reaction at his looming, Konoe was still trying to capture him or... something. He hadn't really established what it was that she wanted, but Skoll really didn't like being chased down. He was the predator, not the prey!

Fortunately, Konoe hadn't pursued him; instead she was just standing up, brushing off her clothing as if nothing had happened. Skoll wasn't sure if he was thankful or annoyed; he just couldn't predict his feelings with this wench! Growling to himself, the half-demon lowered himself from the tree with some discomfort; his stomach and chest hurt, but in particular his right side let out an alarming jolt of pain as he did so. While he didn't think anything was broken, Skoll was pretty sure that a rib or two was bruised and possibly cracked, and he wasn't eager to deal with another Sho from his pursuer. Konoe had at least proven herself capable, if annoying; she could defend herself if push came to shove! Deciding that retreat was the better part of valor in this case, Skoll quickly moved around the tree, hoping that he would be unseen long enough to make at least an effort at running away again. Yet even as he did so...

“Where do you think you're going, evildoer!?” Skoll felt a chill go up his spine again, his fur standing on end as he heard that voice once more. He glanced over his shoulder to find Konoe standing not far off, having run around to pursue the moment he had attempted to hobble away. The woman once more had her usual “heroine” pose, a hand on her hip while the other was pointed dramatically towards him. This time, Skoll was a bit more wary of that pointed finger; another Sho or, worse, a higher-level Kido, could be released from it. The motion no longer felt just like posturing, but instead like a loaded gun pointed towards him; certainly an awkward position for the half-demon! Insulting the Omnitsukido member was not in his best interests, but at the same time, Skoll was no good at positive conversation; all he knew was how to piss people off.

Well, it seemed being himself was going to be the death of the half-demon, but he just couldn't be anything else. “What the fuck do you want now?” Skoll's question came in a low growl, but his tone was more passive than it had been before despite that; he felt nervous with the finger pointed at him, and that curbed some of his impertinence. Some of it. Fortunately, th\at didn't seem to trigger an attack from Konoe; instead, she smiled, a confident look that said that the Shinigami knew she had Skoll under her control. At least, that was what it seemed to look like, and given how odd and erratic her personality had been, the half-demon wasn't quite sure.

Konoe cleared her throat, and Skoll realized, with a brief bristle of anger, that she had remembered “her line,” intending to speak like this was some kind of television show. But he wasn't going to stop her, annoying or not; the last thing he wanted was another Kido fired at him. “I, Konoe Kimura, the Blooming Beauty of the Battlefield—” Wasn't it the Blooming “Flower” of the Battlefield? So much for remembering her lines! “—have come to stop you, evildoer! I will right the wrong you have committed by stealing from that helpless merchant, and I will bring you to justice!”

Skoll wasn't sure how to respond to that, but he spoke almost instinctively, his mind grasping at a faint positive in those words. “...Wait, this is only about the apples, right?” For once, not a single curse or word in anger; if anything, the half-demon seemed almost... hopeful? Certainly odd for anyone that knew Skoll, given that he was a bundle of frustration over his heritage and the way he was treated, as well as his general dislike of everything that moved. Yet Konoe seemed almost confused about the question, as if there were something more to it. “Y-yes? Unless there's something else you've done wrong...” She seemed to pause, thoughtful, and her face went red. “A-ah... you were having dirty thoughts about me earlier, weren't you! You really were grabbing for my chest, weren't you! You pervert! You really are evil!”

“No! No! You've got it fuckin' wrong; if I wanted a grab at you, let me tell you, I would have done it by now. But I'm only interested in real women, so you're off the hook.” Not the best of comebacks, especially given the lie in the statement and the minimal swearing, but the last thing Skoll wanted to do was piss Konoe off more and get another Kido released his way. This at least seemed to satisfy the woman, her glare softening, but some suspicion showing in her eyes. Calmly, carefully, Skoll probed out with his next question. “I mean uh... you don't sense anything odd or anything? Like demonic energy, right? I'm just a bad guy—or a bad-ass guy, as I like to call myself—because I stole the stupid apples, yeah?”

“Demonic energy? Hm...” Konoe seemed to concentrate for a moment, looking thoughtful, and Skoll felt his fur bristle once more as a shiver flowed through him; had he just accidentally signed his death warrant? Fortunately, the woman spoke up quickly enough. “Nope! But my sensei said that I wasn't the best at sensing energy either... why? Do you sense a demon nearby? Maybe a Hollow?” Konoe finally lowered her finger, her hand instead going to her Zanpaktou as if to draw it; that much was sensible, as a Shinigami's Zanpaktou was one of the only tools that could defeat a Hollow without destroying all the souls that made it up.

But more importantly, Konoe hadn't noticed Skoll's Reiatsu signature; he was still learning to mask his demonic aura, trying to make himself seem like a normal Beast-Clansman, but he hadn't yet figured out all of the intricacies of it yet. Most Shinigami with even an average ability to sense Reiatsu could detect the aura of Hell that was mixed into his spiritual energy, and as a result, many Shinigami tended to come after Skoll, thinking him to be a malevolent demon. Konoe clearly wasn't here for that, but was instead here to just deal with him for stealing. Okay, that made things a little better; it was obvious that she wouldn't use lethal force by intent, if she expected to just capture and arrest him. It made things easier for Skoll, too.

Grinning and cracking his knuckles now that the threat of death was lessened, Skoll got right back into form. “Heh, it's nothing, you stupid broad.” Though his side twinged as he lifted his arm, the Nakabakki raised one hand towards Konoe, beckoning her forward. “Well, while you've got it in your hands anyway, why don't you draw that little sword of yours? It's so fucking small, any man would be embarrassed to have it, but I suppose you're only a woman. Show me a proper two-handed grip; it'll be good practice for when you find a real fucking man like me.” The last was said with a bit of a lewd grin and a wink, leaving nothing to the imagination as to what he was referring to.

Konoe's face reddened, but she took the bait. “You pervert!” With that, the woman drew her Zanpaktou from its sheath and charged forward. Skoll, not conversant with the various styles of swordsmanship and proper combat stances, nonetheless knew that her charge was reckless, done in anger and without any sort of proper art to it. This was to his advantage; many who specialized in Kido were unskilled in physical combat. Skoll himself was no expert, either, but he did know how to take advantage of a situation. That was why, as she approached with her weapon held high for a downwards slash, he simply stepped aside and, with a grin, stuck out his foot, tripping Konoe at the ankle.

Naturally, given her lack of grace up until this point, the woman found herself face-first in the dirt again. Skoll didn't even bother to run this time; instead, he brought his foot down on the woman's back, stomping across her shoulders to hopefully ensure that she stayed down. Konoe was more resilient than he gave her credit for, however, and rolled out of the way after the second blow, her sword coming around and forcing Skoll to leap back. The woman brought herself to her feet, her hand swinging up as a finger was pointed outwards. The half-demon, even with his average ability to sense spiritual energy, could feel Reiatsu charging briefly. It was fast, however, just a focused blast of energy as another Sho shot forward, and Skoll was barely able to step aside, the force of its passing nearly knocking him down. Konoe wasn't kidding anymore!

The Shinigami ran forward again, and Skoll sidestepped once more as a lunge had her blade thrust forward, a blow that would definitely be crippling if it hit. A skewering wound could even be fatal if it hit anything vital, but by virtue of his height, the demon wolf would have only been stabbed through the stomach. Such a wound was non-lethal in the short term, with time for him to be taken in for medical care, but certainly a painful way to suffer until then. Fortunately he was able to avoid the blow and go for another trip, but Konoe was expecting it this time; if nothing else, Skoll could credit her for not falling for the same trick again. Of course, there was nothing saying she wouldn't fall in her own way; the small hop she made over his foot caused her to lose her balance on landing, and she nearly fell over in the process, stumbling to maintain her footing.

By now, the two of them were about twenty feet apart, staring down one another. Skoll knew that he couldn't just keep dancing back and forth like this; he'd tire out before too long, and one mistake could be serious for him with Konoe's sword involved. He had to act decisively. “Well, I didn't want to do this, girl, but I guess that I don't have a fucking choice.” Taking a breath, Skoll started to draw upon one of his unique abilities; the ability to shift the nature of his spirit, enabling him to alter his spiritual energies in a way that would allow the use of techniques normally not available to him. Lore of the Spirit focused specifically on the ability to influence the soul, enabling the use of techniques such as Kido or Cero, as opposed to some of his other techniques, like the one that allowed him to influence the composition of his body. But in this case, it was just what he needed, drawing upon the very attack that had hit him point-blank only a few moments before.

“Hado #1: Sho!” Unlike Shinigami, who could cast spells mentally with only minor training, Skoll had to speak the technique that he had only just picked up. There was something about the vocal aspect that worked with the mind to channel spiritual energy properly... some theory that Skoll had only heard in passing, but nonetheless he was forced to speak as opposed to simply casting the technique. A giveaway, but given the force and suddenness of his attack, it wasn't enough for Konoe to get away easily. A Shunpo did carry her out of the way, but the distance was short due to the uneven and obstacle-laden terrain, allowing Skoll to quickly reorient and fire out another Sho. “Hado #1: Sho!”

However, as he did so, Skoll suppressed a wince as a small stinging sensation seemed to bite at his neck and shoulders; another condition of his unstable, unusual spirit, the pain came whenever he made use of any spiritual abilities. He wasn't sure if the pain would grow worse as he used more powerful abilities or if it would remain pinpricks forever, but for now all he had was weaker techniques, so it wouldn't matter until it came now. While it was annoying, the pain was very minor, and didn't bother him much; he could tolerate it, and it was a minor price to pay for the abilities that he could learn from others.

The second Sho missed, just like the first, another Shunpo carrying Konoe up onto a tree branch. Skoll took a moment too long to reorient, and a retaliating shot to match the half-demon's forced him to scramble away, taking cover behind a rock to avoid another blast. Unfortunately, this also gave Konoe a moment to catch her breath, and she was more than happy to use it to speak out again, causing Skoll's ears to flatten back again; he hated how much she talked! “Hey now! How did you do that? I was taught in the Academy that Beast-Clansmen can't use Kido, something about possessing a weak spiritual power among their members, so how'd you do it?”

“Hmph, because I'm the Big Bad Fuckin' Wolf, that's why!” Skoll shot his response back, hoping that it wouldn't draw any further response. Already he was looking around the rock, bringing his hand up as he prepared to take another shot; all he had to do was get one solid shot, either directly or at the branch beneath Konoe, and the Shinigami would be unable to do anything for a few moments, giving him a chance to run away again. This was getting drawn-out, and he was starting to get sick of listening to the woman talk.

“A-ha!” Oh no... that was never a good sign. “I love it! 'The Blooming Flower of the Battlefield versus the Big Bad Wolf; A Clash of Fur and Fangs!' Totally writing that down, hold on. Great choice of name, puppy.” Again with the puppy comment? And what was that about writing down the name... oh god. No. Just no. Skoll couldn't help but respond to that, his ire rising as he tried to stop the inevitable. “Now hold on a fucking second, I didn't agree to become a part of your goddamn comic obsession! I'm not one of your fucking villains! So don't get any fucking ideas!”

“Aw, but it sounds so awesome! I'm writing it down anyway. It'll make a great piece for my readers to enjoy in the next weekly reading!” Oh great, there were more of these parasites, too. Just his luck. Skoll decided that it was best to take the chance to get away now, while Konoe was busy gushing; he'd have to deal with being the “Big Bad Wolf” in her books, but at least she looked like she'd be too distracted to stop him. Quickly he started running again, breaking from his cover in the hopes that it wouldn't draw a shot, but the yell that followed only a moment later was just as bad as a Sho to the back.

“Halt, evildoer!” That cry again? Skoll was starting to get pissed off at being called evil over and over again, despite being half-demon. Half of him wanted to just escape and block this encounter from his memory, while the other half of him wanted to rip the woman's arms off and beat her upside the head with them until she regretted ever once putting him into her comic-book fantasies. But there was no escaping Konoe, it seemed; the woman had already hopped down on top of the rock whose cover he had just ran from, and was pointing her finger at him once more. Again, Skoll felt the sensation of staring back at a loaded gun. “You may think you're going to escape, but think again! Let me show you my greatest ability!”

“Ah, fuck...” Was all that Skoll could muster up even as Reiatsu charged again, narrowing down to a fine point; this wasn't Sho, which was just a blast, but something more concentrated. That wasn't good! And that thought was confirmed as a moment later, a blast of pure energy, a narrow but concentrated bolt of lightning, shot across the battlefield directly at him. It was only sheer chance that avoided a crippling shot through the torso, Tomoe's arm shaking slightly and causing the shot to instead graze his shoulder. The Kido still dug deep into the fur and flesh, leaving a minor wound like a bullet shot cleanly through the top of his shoulder, skimming along and leaving a deep furrow. Though the wound looked shallow, it still bled profusely, red starting to soak through the ebony fur that coated Skoll's body, causing the half-demon to let out a cry of pain and fall to the ground.

Even as he fell, Skoll felt his mind and body working at their usual fast rate, breaking down the technique that had hit him and instinctively teaching him how to make use of it with the proper alterations of his spirit. Another Shinigami Kido was his to cast, but at what cost? The demonic wolf let out a grunt as he grabbed at his arm, feeling blood flowing between his fingers; it hurt like fire, the edges of the wound burnt from the lightning striking against it, and the blood flowing from him was making him feel nauseous and dizzy. This really was turning out to be a shitty day!

((OOC: Hado #4: Byakurai has been learned at this point.))

“Oh my god!” The cry was barely registered as Skoll tried to adjust to the pain; though he was able to tolerate it to an extent, he hadn't been prepared for the shock of it, having received wounds of similar quality only infrequently. With a few moments he'd manage to recover, but for now it fucking hurt! Yet even as he tried to adapt, to calm his panting and push himself to his feet, Konoe was next to him, reaching for his arm. “I'm so, so, so sorry! I messed up! I was trying to hold back some of the power so I didn't hurt you too badly, maybe a bit of a shock strong enough to knock you out, and that was it! I swear! I didn't mean to actually... I'm so sorry!”

Konoe reached for Skoll's arm, but as she did, he snarled and slid back as best as he could, kicking out with his feet to push himself along the ground; the last the he wanted was for her to get close! “Back the fuck off, bitch! Haven't you fucking hurt me enough as it is? Goddamnit it hurts!” Red was staining Skoll's fingers now as he clutched at the wound; though it was small, instinct told him that pain was a bad thing, and between his anger, his frustration, and his self-loathing, something uncommon was rising: fear. Not exactly fear of the woman before him, but an undirected, vague fear that stemmed from the pain and the source of it. A flight-or-fight instinct had awoken inside of him, and his body was screaming for flight, for him to get away. The half-demon wasn't sure why he was so panicked suddenly, why this woman's closeness was now an object of worry instead of annoyance, yet as she tried to approach again, he once more retreated. “I said get the fuck away from me! Don't come any closer!”

“Don't be an idiot!” The words surprised Skoll, especially with how harsh the tone was, and even as he tried to squirm away from another approach, Konoe's hand came up. A flash of light formed into a rope that tied itself around Skoll's arms, paralyzing them and holding them in place. In fact, his whole body was still for a few moments, as though the energy binding him was freezing every part of him. “If you keep rolling around in the dirt like that, you're going to get your wound infected! Heck, I'll be surprised if you haven't done it already! Hold still for a moment, and I'll treat it.”

Skoll stared, somewhat surprised, but there wasn't much he could do as Konoe reached into a small pouch at her side, pulling out a small bottle of liquid and a roll of bandages. He almost wondered if the Shinigami carried medical supplies around because of a habit of hurting others, but there was no time to ask as his jacket was suddenly pulled off. Stunned, another string of obscenities on his lips, Skoll started to respond to this sudden disrobing, but it was too late; the bottle in Konoe's hand was tilted, and a clear liquid was dripped onto the half-demon's shoulder. He hissed in pain, trying to pull away from the burning sensation. The antiseptic was just as bad as the lightning that had struck him a moment ago! Yet Odin had used similar items that he had procured from trading with the Shinigami in the past, and Skoll had been told that the burning sensation meant that the wound was being properly cleaned of infection.

((OOC: Bakudo #9: Horin has been learned at this point.))

“Hold still, you big baby! I know it hurts, but the last thing you want is to get sick. Let me just get this set...” The bandages were unrolled in long strips, wrapped under his arm and up around his shoulder, covering up the wound in three quick passes and tied off almost expertly; though doing so wasn't exactly rocket science, Konoe had a sort of natural talent for it. It was actually kind of surprising, given her loud and explosive nature; who would have thought that the Shinigami was skilled in medicine at all? It just went to show that you never knew a person. Skoll went quiet, not sure how to respond; he rarely, if ever, received positive treatment from anyone, and while that was as much his fault as anyone else's, he still didn't know how to handle this kind of interaction.

“There, is that better? It's going to sting for a bit and take a little bit to close up, but if you're careful it shouldn't scar. Which is good; I'd hate to see your pretty black fur marred by a missing patch from a scar.” Standing and rolling up the remaining bandages, Konoe tucked them back into her pouch and then knelt down to help Skoll into a sitting position. She didn't dispel the Bakudo that bound Skoll, and the fact that he was automatically analyzing and learning the technique didn't help him think of any way to break free of it either; he was stuck in place, unable to do much but sit and wait for Konoe to do what she would.

“So what now, then? You're too fucking weak to drag me back to town, and if you remove this spell, I'll just try and run again. Nothing you can do about it. Why don't you just give up, already?” Skoll's tone was rather mild; though he was suspicious and distrustful, at the same time he found himself curious; what was it that Konoe planned to do with him? As stated, she couldn't just take him back to town without his consent, so how was she planning to get anything done? Yet the woman didn't seem bothered by his question, packing up her supplies and then leaning in close, kneeling down to look into his eyes. The directness of her gaze made Skoll feel nervous, somehow.

“I'm gonna let you go, silly.” What? Skoll's shock must have shown in his expression, as Konoe giggled a moment later. “Well, in a moment anyway. I just want one thing from you, and you're free to go. It's really, really easy too, okay?” Skoll was doubtful, but he gave a hesitant nod; there was nothing he could do anyway, paralyzed as he was. Smiling, Konoe extended one finger, and the half-demon automatically flinched, but the woman just lightly tapped him on the nose. “I want you to say that you're sorry for stealing, and that you won't do it again. And it has to be sincere. If you're sorry, I'll let you go. If not, we'll sit here until you are. Okay?”

“...You're fucking kidding me.” Skoll couldn't help but sigh as he sat there, unable to move. “You've been tracking me down for nearly an hour, got yourself bruised and battered, and did a number on me, all just so I'd say sorry for stealing a few moldy apples? Lemme tell you, girl, you've got some weird priorities.” The limited cursing was an indication of his confusion. “But even if I say it, what's to stop me from doing it again? A guy gets hungry, and not everyone has money. Plus, why waste it on shriveled fruit? I did the guy a favor, clearing away the bad stock.”

“Hm, true. I suppose if you do it again, then I'll just chase you down again.” Skoll shivered; he didn't want to repeat this little encounter again! Konoe just giggled again as she watched his expression, and something about it grated on the Nakabakki's nerves; it didn't feel condescending or mocking, but it was certainly annoying. “How's that for incentive? But, if you're hungry again, just stop by the Omnitsukido barracks and ask for me. I'll be happy to treat you out somewhere... once in a while, anyway. An unseated officer doesn't get paid much.”

Skoll had to admit that their conversation was getting a little more pleasant, at least; when not acting out the part of some comic-book hero, Konoe was at least tolerable, if a little strange. And the fact that she was being nice despite the brief beating he had given her on top of all of his other insults... well, that was just weird. How in the world did he react to someone that was just so sincerely nice? “Free food doesn't sound bad, but what's the catch? Surely you're not going to feed some stray mongrel just to be nice. And I certainly don't want any fucking pity.”

“Your name.” A moment of silence followed, and Konoe just smiled again, poking at his nose once more. “That'll be the catch. I want to know your name, so that when you announce yourself at the barracks for a free dinner, I'll know it's you.” Skoll glared at the poke, his expression flat and unamused, but he didn't say anything at first. He supposed sharing names was a necessary formality among acquaintances, but he still wasn't sure he wanted to be acquainted with this strange Shinigami. Yet at the same time, what would it hurt? “My name's Skoll. And now that you know it, no more calling me 'puppy' or 'evildoer' anymore, okay?”

“Oh, like the Norse legend, the creature that swallows up the sun on the day of Ragnarok, scion of Fenrir?” Skoll bristled, and his glare became much more intense at the mention of the name that his pack had chosen for the demon who had sired him. Konoe quickly backed off, her expression puzzled for a moment, and she quickly changed topics. “Skoll it is! And I'm Konoe Kimura, as I mentioned. So now that we know each other's names, we can be friends now, simple as that. Or at least get along better.” The woman made a teasing expression, and tried to mimic Skoll's deeper voice. “'And now that you know it, no more calling me 'girl' or 'broad' anymore, okay?'” She couldn't keep up the expression, however, and broke into giggles.

“Alright, Skoll, I'm gonna let you go with a warning, this time. In the future, try not to do bad things, okay? You don't want me to call you an evildoer anymore, so don't act like it.” With that, the spell was dispelled, and Skoll's body was freed from its paralysis. The half-demon stood up, stretching his limbs and back as he straightened. He didn't say anything, still bemused at Konoe's positive personality, but it seemed he didn't need to say anything. With one last smile, the Shinigami turned and walked away, leaving him behind. Skoll just stared after her, his side and shoulder still sore even after treatment; what else was he to do? Before long, Konoe had disappeared among the trees, heading back to Seireitei, and Skoll was left to head off as well. Almost tiredly, he shook his head and started towards the Volsung pack's territory; he needed somewhere safe to rest for a few days and heal, not to mention time to sort out his thoughts.

“What the fuck just happened...”

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

+290 CTP, 3 techniques learned.