In the Light of the Past (Training, Semi-Open)

[Jyuria "Elisa" Arroj]

Jyuria fell silent as Amalia began to...surprise her. She had suspicions, and hopes more than anything, that she would be able to weedle her way into Amalia's heart. Because as much as it was awkward, Jyuria was rather fond of Amalia. She was not even entirely sure why. The woman was so very....ugly-mannered. she was pretty, gorgeous even. But her behavior was atrocious. Even as Amalia went on, Jyuria's eyes fixated upon the corpse on the floor, and she felt that subtle yearning. However, those eyes drifted toward amalia, and something happened that she did not expect.

Amalia was opening up to her. She had expected something. She was of the belief that evil did not just spring out of nothing. It needed to be damaged to go so sour. But this was something entirely out of her own expectations. She had surmised that Amalia would throw her out, even injure her for her insolence. And yet the woman unraveled herself. In a metaphorical sense, Jyuria had been caught peeping on a slip of Amalia's wardrobe, and now, rather than being thrown out of the room, the woman was undressing.

And Jyuria felt it. That deep sympathy, the empathy inside of her soul. Her very power resonated with connecting with others. And so, as Amalia began to unravel, and show those deeper psychological wounds, Jyuria could all but feel them. Watching as the woman made their way to the window. Only when they turned to look back to Jyuria, they would find the soldat not standing, but Kneeling, bringing herself down and even a little below Amalia's level. Reducing her intimidating stature, and physically and emotionally trying to connect with the woman. Attempting to console them as they gave so much away.

"I did not know. But I would believe it. You have smiled at me a few times since our meeting. And at times, I do feel as though your smile is warmer than your heart. Muscles have deeper memories than minds sometimes." She mused, and chuckled to herself. Even to her own ears, it was a little nonsensical. But she brushed the thoughts off. "I can understand the vulnerability of information and emotion. And while I have no intention of sharing this information... If you like. I can share some dire secrets of my own." She noted with that gentle, warm smile of hers, looking amiably to Amalia.

"You have my word. And if, it would keep you from feeling so worried, as truly it pains me to see you so upset... I can give you leverage on myself. As further assurance that I will tell nobody. Information I believe you were rather close to stepping on when you first found me in Soul Society." She offered gently, and indeed she was certainly willing. She had a good number of dire information. And if it meant comforting Amalia, she had no reason not to divulge. Especially if it meant seeing the woman smile sincerely.

It was a little concerning, but she was feeling considerably more attached to Amalia. It was part of that motherly instinct, the very same that had given her the powers she had. Her fixation not on herself, but on everyone around her. IT was stupid. Insepid. Childish. But she wanted to fix Amalia. She wanted to see what this woman could be. She knew a complete healing was improbable. But she wanted to do everything she could for this woman. And because of her aura, Amalia would FEEL that coming off of Jyuria in waves. The sincerity and just how much Jyuria wanted to help them.

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

"I can't really blame anyone for their reactions, I suppose." Amalia lifted herself from the chair. "I give people so many reasons not to like me, but I know no other way to behave. Affection and niceties are beneath me, especially when my position as a Sternritter is at stake. Too many people would enjoy to remove me. I have done horrible things to get here." She pulled her Quincy cross from beneath her clothing and stared at it for a moment. She dangled it in front of her and was catapulted into important moments in her history. "So much death. So much sacrifice. Not all mine, of course. You understand, I am sure."

Amalia continued to gaze at her Quincy cross. "We are given such power. It is intoxicating. It has the power to corrupt our better judgment." She chuckled lightly, as if to attempt to pacify her feelings. She stared somberly at Jyuria as she spoke, finding some solace in her response. It appeared Amalia had recovered the relationship by doing what she never would: be truthful. It was beyond vulnerable. She was completely exposed. She was revealing her darkest secrets. Her weaknesses, or those that she considers a weakness. She was truly being human. She was not made of stone and, as it appeared, completely dark. 

She smiled rather sweetly at Jyuria. "You'd be willing to share something with me to assuage my fears? How sweet. I can't say I have met many like you. Too often are members of the Vandenreich like me, though I can be worse, I am afraid." She looked down for a moment, as if to experience shame by acknowledging her own actions. This was truly a rare sight. Amalia was never this receptive to others. "What are you willing to share?" Amalia was subtlety eager, and for the first time, not because she planned to use this as leverage. She was interested to have a genuine conversation with someone. And, surprisingly, was not thinking of rank and position. It was merely a connection she was interested in shaping. 

[Jyuria "Elisa" Arroj]

Jyuria smiled softly as Amalia promptly seemed to relax. And almost seemed to dive in. Jyuria was pleased to see Amalia so relaxed like this, and making her way over to the woman, she could not help but smirk, taking a page from Amalia's book and reaching up in much the same way Amalia had greeted her not too long ago, fingers lightly touching upon the woman's cheek as she spoke, just a hint of depth to that voice that made her voice carry all the more smoothly.

"Well, I wouldn't mind sharing why it is that you sensed hollows right before you found me. Though that's a considerably more intimate secret than something as simple as you having feelings. Though if you were to take me out to dinner sometime I might consider it." She noted with a bit of playfulness in her voice. She was well aware that Amalai was straight. Or at least the rumors around her suggested as much. That didn't mean that Jyuria couldn't amuse herself at the woman's expense. Especially now that they were more familiar with one another.

True, it may not have been the BEST of people she could have chosen to make friends with. but then again, hardly the worst. There was always Buttmonkey Baal.

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

Amalia stared quizzically at Jyuria. "You believe my secret involves mere emotions?" She shook her head in disagreement. "It is much more complex than that. Perhaps, over time, you'll learn precisely what it means for me to be this exposed. You know more of me than any other member of the Vandenreich." She grabbed Jyuria's hand and held it for a moment, allowing her to feel the warmth of her skin. She walked away and leaned against the windowsill. "I yearn for the day when I no longer have to worry about such things. About power. It'll likely never be the case." She sighed before turning her attention back to Jyuria.

Amalia gestured for Jyuria to join her by the window. "The Silbern can be a dreary place. It'd be nice to have someone to make the days brighter. To be honest, it gets lonely. I am lonely at times. I thought I met someone, his name was Zack. I even converted him, but he's been rather absent these past several months." She sighed. "Men can be so flaky, can't they?" She chuckled and smiled at Jyuria. "So, why not grab a beverage and tell me more about you. I can get you whatever you want. I can order it to be delivered." 

[Jyuria "Elisa" Arroj]

Jyuria lifted a brow slightly as clearly Amalia didn't get that Jyuria was teasing her, and it occurred to her that given how often people lived after joking with Amalia....perhaps the woman simply did not understand. "I'm aware. I was hoping to make light of the situation. Help you relax a little by making a joke. I assure you I don't take psychological trauma.......lightly." She noted, her attention shifting toward the window as that warmth from her outright died. No happiness, no comfort. All at once there was nothing from Jyuria as the woman stared off into the distance, her mind on other things now.

She could hear, and she knew what Amalia was saying to her. The woman changing the subject, talking about Sebastian. Or she assumed as much. Unless there were others that the woman had converted and brought to the vandereich. It wasn't as if she would know. She was... after all....just a soldat. Making her way to the window, Jyuria couldn't help but feel a bit....lost. And on the subject of men.... that lack of happiness turned to actual sadness.

The only man she'd ever had in her life was His Majesty. And he had gone and died on her. Flaky wasn't the word she would describe him as, but she did have her doubts. Her mind going back to the moment before she'd died. When that snake had informed her that she had already been dying. That without the emperor, her powers had been slowly killing her. It was not a pleasant thought, and with a brief glance at the table, she realized she wasn't hungry anymore.

"Sanity has it's downfalls. Being a hollow taught me that much. It was agony. Suffering. But that aside, there wasn't much thought process involved until I had reached a certain point. For most of it, it was almost like being asleep. And now here I am. I'm just as strong as I used to be. But I can hardly say my Career is going anywhere." She murmured, eyes drifting toward Amalia. A pureblood. Someone who had no glass ceiling restricting them. Who was already in a position beyond what Jyuria, no matter how strong she became, would EVER reach.

"What did you do before the Vandereich?"

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

"Oh, yes, levity." She chuckled uncomfortably. "Sorry, I'm not very well versed in serious conversations. I never really have them, so the social dynamic is unfamiliar to me. I've crafted my sociability to help me manipulate and finesse situations for the purpose getting what I want." Amalia looked out the window longingly as she listened to Jyuria. She raised an eyebrow. Her eyes widened and brows raised as she shook her head in agreement. "I imagine life as a Hollow was an unforgiving one. After all, they are beasts with but one goal in mind: satiating their endless hunger. Truly terrible things, quite hones..." Amalia stumbled over her last word as she paused midway through. "Eh...uhm." She went silent for a second. "I imagine, anyways."

She shook her head disagreeably, appearing to find embarrassment and frustration in her own reaction to Jyuria. "I can't pretend to not detest Hollows for you, Jyuria. Just know that I don't detest you. My beliefs are what they are, and they are not easily altered. There isn't much of me that wants to think differently about certain matters." She stated plainly. "I hope my words don't sting when I disparage the likes of Hollows, but..." She paused and just ended her sentence there. "I understand what you're saying." Amalia was reading between the lines. Jyuria was a convert, meaning she did not possess the pure blood required to be of superior rank among the Vandenreich. And yet, Amalia still respected her. 

Amalia was the type of person who judged others based on appearance and power. It was a superficial manner of judgement, but this was how she did things. She would carefully pick them apart, determining whether they were worthy to serve in the Vandenreich. She had acknowledged Jyuria's power, but was aware of her lineage, or lack thereof. Amalia's blood awarded her privilege the likes of which Jyuria would never have. "What did you do before the Vandenreich?" Amalia's dreamy state was disrupted by Jyuria's question. She leaned her chin on her hand as she peered into the distance. She let out an audible reaction. "Hm." It was clear she was both amused and intrigued by the question. "No one has ever really asked me of that. Although, no one would dare approach me and strike up a conversation. I make it too difficult, as you already know." 

She looked over at Jyuria, observing what she perceived as a curious expression. She wondered if she had asked the question out of some social obligation in which Amalia was unaware or whether she was genuinely interested in the information. She returned to staring out the window as she began to speak softly. "Well, I grew up in place called Cochem. It was in the western region of Germany. It was so beautiful there. Sprawling fields of flowers and trees that seemed to reach so effortlessly into the sky. I had a noble upbringing. A member of the Vollbrecht family. A pure-blood Quincy family with a noble title who gently ruled over the land of Cochem. The village was prosperous and nestled beside Moselle river." She smiled fondly as she casually reached into the recesses of her mind.

Images began flickering within her mind's eye as she recalled her past. "My home was destroyed by Shinigami, and my family killed. I was lost, but saved by my master, the woman who taught me how to use my powers. Adalina." She uttered fondly as her eyes became teary. "I had nothing to live for and did nothing but train and nourish my hatred for Shinigami. I became resentful and harbored so much pain. Then his Majesty reached out for my hand and embraced me despite my pain and hatred. He taught me ways to channel it for a useful purpose. He found and saved me. So, I can't say I had much of a life after Cochem. I do remember my life before its demise. It was truly a wondrous place. You would have felt similarly if you had known it then. It was simply a magical place to live." She wiped a tear from beneath her eye. "I apologize. I am blathering on. There is still much I don't know about you."

Cochem Visual

[Jyuria "Elisa" Arroj]

Jyuria actually chuckled softly in response to Amalia's defense. "Really? I'd think that humor would be a pretty important tool when manipulating others." She noted, and took the time to watch the woman as they spoke. And of all things, Jyuria was surprised to see Amalia actually backpedal, seeing her retracting her statement (or at least pausing it) for her benefit, something that brought the warmth back to her features as she stepped just a bit closer to the woman and gave a gentle nod. She listened as Amalia described not only her hometown, but also how she came to be a member of the vandereich.

Certainly... a much happier story than hers. Jyuria looked off to the side thoughtfully, her mind racing for just a moment. "I'm afraid my story is much more depressing. But... I have to say... your comments toward hollows are, perhaps surprisingly, incorrect. The hunger isn't all consuming. It is a suffering... yes. But it's not always clear what it is. It's not an aching stomache like you might expect. It's more..... as if there is something deeply, devastatingly missing within you. At first, a hollow generally is just in so much pain that it just lashes out at everything. Eating is not a satisfaction, but it does give some pleasure, a distraction from the emptiness." She murmured, looking down for a moment thoughtfully.

"It was worse after I became stronger. When I could think. Because it wasn't all at once. At first the hunger twisted my mind. I hunted and killed... and especially, I looked for quincy. With his Majesty gone, there was no paradise that Caesar promised. So I.... accmplished my version of saving them. Turning them into things like myself. But the worst thing was when I regained enough of my mind to realize what I had been doing." She paused, her eyes drifting toward Amalia, and that somber tone fell silent, and in it's place a soft, slow, mischievous smile crept across her lips. "But... you were not entirely wrong~"

Jyuria stepped in toward Amalia, grinning as she looked down at the woman, towering over them as she gently reached out, lightly placing her hands on the woman's hips. "Hollows are VERY deviant. Terrible even~" She cooed before so very suddenly Amalia was lited off the floor and smothered by Jyuria's chest as those big arms pulled the woman clean off her feet and into a hug, now dangling from Jyuria's arms as the big viridianette smiled brightly, bleeding that warmth as she laughed aloud. "And we are unpreeeeedictable!" She declared before promptly she used Hirenkyaku, tripling her speed as she instantly began spinning rapidly, swinging Amalia's legs around like a centrifuge as she laughed delightedly, abolishing the dreary mood with her antics.

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

"His majesty is never gone. Even if his corporeal body is cold, his spirit burns brightly. It is impossible for his enemies to truly extinguish his soul for he is a god. As long as we believe in his power, he will exist. And will remain present even if there is no body for him to occupy." Amalia's faith in his majesty was infallible. It would be clear to Jyuria that Amalia felt protected by his Majesty. She was truly a child of the light and would do as he wished despite the cost. Or would she? Regardless, she had enjoyed the relationship she was beginning to form with Jyuria. This was indeed the first time she had ever felt close to anyone in the Vandenreich, aside from his Majesty. 

"Hollows are very deviant. Terrible even." Amalia glanced over at her from her periphery. "You won't  hear any disagreement from me." She wasn't sharing this, though it might be obvious, but Amalia despised hollows. They were disgusting creatures. A plague upon this world. They were made even worse because they figured out how to evolve into arrancar. She could barely contain her disdain for them. Though, it did not compare to that of Shinigami, who she truly loathed. Amalia was abruptly swept up by Jyuria and spun around joyously. It appeared Jyuria was feeling similarly comfortable around Amalia and decided to express it physically. Amalia was affectionate, but seldom did it without a motive. Amalia did something she had rarely done. She laugh and smiled and it was neither directed at anyone's pain or suffering. It was genuinely about her own person. It appears Jyuria can cracked the shell Amalia had constructed. Would it last? How would Amalia continue to foster this relationship.

[Jyuria "Elisa" Arroj]

Jyuria:
76 Para for CTP ->> 380 CTP
50 para for TTP ->> (250 TTP -160 for Fleeting Heaven=) 90 TTP gained
87 para for CTP ->> 430 CTP
Total 213 Paragraphs, +810 CTP and 90 TTP + Learned Fleeting Heaven

Amalia:
213 Para for TTP ->> 1060 TTP
Total 213 Paragraphs, +1060 TTP

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