Mind Games (Thrane/Miraya)

From a distance away the cero could be seen. Thrane hated doing it, he hated killing other Hollows for acting as they should, but the alternative was to be eaten... And he really wasn't into that. All he really wanted to do was be left to his own devices when ever possible. 

As the ash and sand settled, Thrane stood up fully. He popped his neck and sheathed his sword. He didn't even really need it this time. The Hollows had been weak enough, and dumb enough, to launch a head long assault for the chance to feed on a being several times more powerful than all of them combined. 

Tightening his belt, he started to walk once again. He has his hair pulled back so it wouldn't flap about, and he on his mock up of Shinigami clothing... Thinking about it, perhaps that's why they attacked him... Maybe? But his mask should have shown that he wasn't one, right?

He stopped to ponder this, looking to the sky in his home of night. So much could be done here, so much could happen, but no one could ignite the kindling it seemed. This land had untold possibilities, just waiting to be tapped into. 

(Word Count: 211
Sorry its so short >.< work killed my muse)

Hollow's were such foolish things really. She knew that it was simply the way that they were but still it was ridiculous. They were ever seeking to increase their own power that they would blindly go after the strongest thing they could find and try to eat it. She knew that at some point she had probably been pretty similar to them but now she was knew better. Another one was now charging at her wanting to devour her and gain power so badly it didn't even bother to realize how weak it was. She simply continued walking forward not bother to turn and face it head on. It was coming from her left side which really made things to easy. She curled her hand into a fist causing her weapon to spring into place. She stopped a few seconds before it reached her and she turned plunging her arm through the foolish hollow's face. She pulled her arm free letting it drop to the ground as she walked away as if nothing had happened.

It wasn't as if she didn't understand Hollows at all. She was of course one of them. She felt that same drive for power that they felt. The difference was that she could control it. She could decide when not to fight or when it was better to retreat. Things that they simply didn't understand how to do. She had been trying to find a way to become stronger. She had several ideas she was working on but still she was always looking for opportunities. Fighting strong opponents was one of the best ways to get stronger since it normally forced you to improve in order to win. She only still wanted to become stronger so that no matter what faced her she could go on doing whatever she wanted. As long as there were people stronger then her they could stop her if they tried and she didn't like that. Looking for a good way to power up she saw the cero being fired. Clearly large and fairly destructive she was drawn towards it. She shifted her direction just a little to head toward the base of it.

She found him quickly enough and it wasn't hard to figure out why his cero had been so strong. A portion of his mask was missing from his face and he had that distinct human form that could only belong to an arrancar. At least this man wouldn't be boring. She wondered about his strange shinigami like cloths. Some foolish hollows might charge him believing he was one without thinking. Most of them were stupid enough. She kept her distance for a while. She wasn't sure what this guys intentions were. Was that cero earlier for defense or was he simply slaughtering helpless hollows? She could feel that he was a fair bit stronger then she was so she would have to approach him carefully. It wouldn't do to allow herself to die to him in a blind bid for power. If he was one of the overly aggresive types he would likely destroy her at first chance but if he was defending himself he might allow her to live even if she somehow lost a battle.

She needed to be cautious about her approach to this since he was stronger. Watching him she got the feeling that he wasn't aggressive since there were some hollows in the distance that he wasn't bothering with. She prepared herself coating her hands with one of her pheromones. Based an how he stared at the sky like that she thought he might be susceptible to sadness. She approached him slowly not sure what his reaction would be. Many hollows and arrancar underestimated her. She may be taller then many standing at 6'4" but she had a slender figure except for her slightly bulging shoulder blades. Her white dress and gloves made her look every bit the slender weak woman. Her mask shard was rather small and missed easily. Her lack of an obvious weapon helped a bit with that illusion as well. There had been a few that learned of their mistake just a little to late.

She approached him from the side so maybe he wouldn't have noticed her but most arrancar at this level would be able to sense her though some couldn't. A surprise attack could be turned against her since she would have to commit herself to it completely. Plus if he could sense her and she made that attempt her could surprise her as well by striking back. It wasn't a risk she was willing to take. She walked forward slowly her arms crossed in front of her. Her hand was relaxed now so her blades her rested against her forearm like an armguard. She wanted to get close enough to touch him but it wouldn't be wise to go straight toward him like that. He might get suspicious of her motives. She stopped a few feet way from him a good distance for some idle conversation. She looked into into the sky briefly as he had been doing for some time. "So what are you doing all the way out here?" she would ask innocently enough.

Thrane had been lost fully in thought as she walked up on him. He didn't notice her power, or even how close she was, until she spoke. Her words rang in his head and it took a moment to recoginze that she was even real. When it all clicked, he shifted stances quickly, his right hand grabbing the hilt of his sword. The blade sat on his right side as well, showing he should be pulling it left handed.

When his eyes focused on her, seeing her nonthreatening stance, he relaxed. She was like he was, and Arrancar. "Sorry... I'm not used to people being willing to talk to me..." He said, lifting his hand off the blade's hilt.

He looked the woman over, and took her in as she stood. She was taller than he was, and didn't seem to have a weapon of normal style on her. She was pretty, he would give her that, and her posture showed she wasn't fearful of him, which told him she had power as well, and from her looks, she was a true Arrancar.

"What am I doing way out here? Simply existing and trying to continue to survive one day at time. I want to help some of these hollows, but they don't listen, don't care, or simply don't wish to be helped. What about yourself? What brings you to this part of our land of darkness?" He asked with total honesty in his voice. Despite having most of his face covered, he still showed emotion around his one visible eye, still showing some level of surprise that she was talking to him at all.

Seeing his reaction to her appearing before him, his hand going to his blade her body tensed her legs ready to move her arms ready to block or attack as needed. Maybe she had overplayed herself coming in this close. Perhaps he had sensed her and waited for her to get close enough. It was a bit of a risk but he removed his hand after a few moments so she was able to relax as well. So she had just surprised him was all. She figured that he would have been able to sense her coming up to him but if he was distracted enough he might not have. She simply nodded off his apology showing that it really wasn't that big of a deal. She was used to people actually drawing a weapon on her not just threatening to. She looked him over fully as well only analyzing the threats that he could pose to her. She cared nothing for how he looked only the strength that he wielded.

She was more then a little startled at his response to her question. She understood trying to survive another day she supposed. She went out fighting for that basically every day but his answer sounded like something a bit more passive. While she would go out and destroy those that threatened her it sounded like he simply tried to avoid the fights when possible. It was a foolish notion that. In this world fighting was surviving after all. The name of the game was literally eat or be eaten. She thought about what had brought her out her. "Well....I suppose I came out here looking for some opportunity." she would say with a smile her right arm flaring out a bit in feigned happiness. She had come out here for that reason in a way. She wanted to become stronger and she had felt his strength out here. It was just the type of opportunity she had been out seeking.

She thought a bit about what he had said. He wanted to help these hollows. Like that was ever going to actually happen. Still she could use that idea for a little bit. "Its a nice idea you know.....Helping the hollows." She took a few more steps resting her hand on his arm in a supportive gesture. She wished he wasn't wearing sleeves so she could get her pheromone on him but she would work her way toward that. She slid her arm down his in a comforting way. "Most wouldn't even think about trying something like that." They wouldn't think of it because they knew how foolish the idea was. Her hand reached the end of the fabric and would begin to run back up it her hand now on his arm. She would smile as her fingers ran up first his strange armor stuff and then finding his skin. The entire time her pheromone would rub off on him. He might feel it on her hand but it would likely feel like simple sweat. It would take a few moments for the sadness it would make him start feeling to try and set in.

She would start to walk a few steps past him turning around as she did so to keep him in her sights. She had set the spark with that gesture but she would need to fan the flames. It would take a little while to get going and she could support it along the way. "While it is a nice gesture.....Its also a foolish one." she would say her tone changing at the pause to a slightly mocking one. "Do you honestly think that these Hollows want your help? They are driven by one thing alone, their hunger for strong souls. The only help they would accept is if you were willing to feed that hunger. Trying to help them is a waste of time." Many Arrancar were still like that. She might not be after just strong souls but she was driven by a need to become stronger. That would almost always be a part of her she was sure. "The only other way to help them is the same way those foolish shinigami try to. By killing them. That would spare them from an eternity of hunger." she would say still smiling though now it had turned a bit dark. "Seriously how long were you a hollow? You should understand them since you were one." She hoped that her pheromone would start taking effect. Her legs were tensed under her dress ready for whatever his reaction would be.

Thrane was leery of the taller woman. She was very confident, and as she got closer, she became very touchy-feelie. It was odd to him, and he really wasn't sure how to handle it. Her first set of words seemed to be like honey, flowing from a pot upon the path of silk. He gave credit where it was due, she was pretty.

Her trick worked rather quickly. He already started to feel the sadness taking hold. He had been sad before, but this simply added to it. When he asked her question, he simply looked at her. How long had been a Hollow? How long had been doing this with nothing to show? Why did he still try?

"I was a Hollow for a number of years yes... But I've like this for longer it feels... Always searching... Always alone... I wanted to help those who where closer to being like we are, those who are close to attaining real sense of self..." He said, lowering his eyes at her words. His eyes stayed down for several moments before he looked up at her.

"Do you see yourself in that light as well? All we are is Hollows who have grown. Do you see yourself as little more than an animal who lives off it's primal hungers? Or do you feel that we can do more? I only wish to see us, the ones who have become more, not be hunted and killed for no reason other than the fact that we exist...

"Those Hollows that are little more than feral beasts do not earn our focus... But those who have truly grown. Why is it foolish to help them?" He asked, watching her reaction to all this. They way she put it, it was all so depressing, it was far too depressing to really want to keep trying it.

"Do you have a better idea for me then? A better purpose in this place beyond simply killing the mindless in self defense and attempting to attain a hope that seems out of reach." He asked point blank, simply watching her and waiting.

Miraya was observing him trying to gauge the effect she was having on him and so far it seemed to be working beautifully. She smiled at him almost as if she was trying to comfort him but in reality it was more of an arrogant smile then anything else. Her plan so far seemed to be working out wonderfully. He was starting to drown in sorrow which should make him much easier pray when she finally decided to finish him off. But learning a bit more wouldn't hurt to much and she didn't mind indulging a few questions.

He wanted to know what she thought of herself. Did she think she was just another hollow hunting for no purpose other then to hunt and feed? What a stupid question. Did it matter why she hunted so long as it she did. That fact would not change regardless of her motivation. Still it did provide some interest to her. How could she use his questions to further her own goals? "Do you honestly think that you are anything but a hollow? I am sure you can still feel that hunger deep inside of you. All we can do is redirect that urge somewhere else. Do you think that the other races will ever view as anything else. The quincy, shinigami, humans......all they will ever be able to see in use are the hollows we used to be. All they ever think is that we are simply stronger versions of them. And do you honestly believe they are wrong?"

He wanted to know why it was foolish to want to help them. Was he truly so foolish that he couldn't see something like that. If you helped them get stronger then that simply meant they would be a bigger threat to you later. Her view of the world was a considerably bleak one. She saw the world in opportunities and threats. She weighed them against each other and decided what to do based on it. Though now that she thought about it making them stronger would make hunting them for that power more worth it. And if you gave them power then they might be loyal to you which would make destroying them later virtually effortless. She would have to think on it some more. "If one would ever actually accept your help then if might not be completely stupid to try. But I have never seen a hollow willing to listen to you long enough unless they were nearly dead in which case it probably isn't worth helping them anyway." There was always the possibility both of them walked away from a fight together and she didn't want him using this idea she had thought of.

Now that she had the idea of easily gaining more power she tried to figure out how that would all work. It would be meaningless to figure it out until she had dealt with the problem in front of her. She knew her purpose in this world. She was going to become stronger until none could stop her. She may be able to make that goal a bit easier though it would be difficult. She would have to suppress her constant desire to kill those pathetic weak hollows. "All I know for sure is my plan for myself. I will become stronger. Strong enough that nothing will stop me. If you became strong enough then you could break the rules of this world and do as you wish." She was looking at the sky a bit now though she kept him in her eyesight as well. If she could be that strong she wouldn't have to listen to anybody ever again. Nobody would be able to stop her from finding what she wanted. She had a long way to go but would never stop aiming for that goal.

Thranes eyes turned towards her, focusing on her now with a calmness to them. He still felt sad, depressed and down troddened, but not he had something to focus upon. Her questions had sparked something in his mind. Something deep within the core and beyond the reach of her abilities.

"I am more than a hollow now. I do feel the hunger for power, for strength, to grow and become more... But you are right. The others see us as little more than a beast that simply moves on hungry and rage. But we see it differently. Very differently." He said, looking at her and sighing softly.

He watched her for a long moment before stepping closer to her. He placed a hand upon the hilt of his weapon and strode closer to her. "What about you? I can tell you are strong... But not that strong... A normal hollow would fall to you all day long... You want strength, you want the power to drive others to their knees before you? Perhaps then... I can help..."

His mask parted slightly as he exhaled, the teeth unlocking for a moment to let the white mist pass between them. He watched her for a long moment, his eyes narrowing slightly behind the mask. She did want power, and she was leery of him. While his mind was hazy, screaming that something might be wrong, he still was under her ability however, though he didn't realize it.

"What if I could help you attain that power that you seek? What if I could give you what you wanted, with the cost of only helping me gain the power to break the rules of this world as well?" He asked, stepping closer to her and offering a hand out to her.

(Gah, work is killing me! Thank you for being SO PATIENT with me >< )

She noticed the change in him almost immediately. It seemed that her ability wasn't having quite the effect that she had hoped it would on him. Either he was strong enough to ignore the effects or he could tell when he was being manipulated and push it aside. It didn't really matter which one it was as long as it wasn't working. Her body tensed as he took that step toward her. She wasn't sure how much he was or was not still influenced by her. He hadn't seemed to notice what she had done to him or he just didn't care all that much to still be talking to her. She noticed his hand on his sword and wondered if he was going to strike soon. He was right that she was cautious about this whole thing. But she wasn't exactly scared of it. Truth be told she didn't even remember how to be scared.

She couldn't exactly remember how to be angry either but if she did then she would be absolutely furious right now. He had said that she wasn't strong enough which was basically the same thing as calling her weak. She knew that compared to him she probably was relatively weak. But it was one thing to know that she was weaker then he was and another thing for him to just say it like that. She didn't want to be weak. She was fighting to become stronger and he basically just said everything she had been through hadn't been enough. Had been all but pointless. She wasn't angry but she was as close to it as she had been in a very long time. Still she couldn't say that she wasn't tempted by his offer. He was offering to give her something that she wanted so she had to at least consider it. He would likely see her pause as she thought it over in her head.

She wanted power that much she couldn't deny. He knew that she wanted power and he knew that she was weaker then he was. There were always risks to obtaining the type of power she wanted and she had worked to minimize those risks. Everything was evaluated in pros and cons, risks and rewards. This man had a good amount of strength and she had thought that the potential reward of consuming him was great enough to make a risk of trying to over come him. Now her ability had failed so if she still wanted him she would have to fight for it. She wasn't sure she could win and she could quite easily lose. There was his offer to help each other get stronger. No he said he would help her get stronger and then she would help him? She thought of her idea to raise others so she could gain more when she consumed them. Was that his plan for her now? She was naturally a suspicious person since she didn't understand motives other then her own and her motives involved her own power. She might become strong enough to beat him but he could stay stronger to prevent that. Plus if she had any hope of beating him it would come from surprise and she would lose that if he learned of her abilities while helping her.

She decided on a course of action. She wasn't one to brood over such things after all. It helped nobody to waste a lot of time. She would try to claim the best of both options before her now. "You think that I am not strong enough? What makes you think you are so much stronger then me?" She said perhaps a bit stronger then what she had intended. That could work to her advantage here though. "How do I know you can do what you say?" she would say holding her right arm out from her. He would see it begin to glow. Even through her cloths he would see her arm begin to be covered in that eerie black light as her right hand clenched into a fist. Her left hand was still open so her weapon was still in the form of an arm guard. "Show me your strength then. Prove to me you can do as you say. Only then can I agree to this." A test. She could fight him and if she won she could consume him as she wanted. If she lost he should spare her so they could help each other. Maximizing reward with minimizing risks.

She wouldn't wait long to move. She leaned forward towards him her right arm held behind her body. She need surprise and if he was strong he would be able to handle a quick strike from her. She felt her reiatsu flowing in her right arm. It was strengthening her muscles making her skin tougher. He hierro would be stronger then ever in that arm. She bent her knees and launched herself foward at him. The distance wasn't very large and was closed quickly. She had her left arm in front of her body in case he tried to cut her with his sword. Her right arm carried the moment of her body as it swung forward toward his chest. It had begun.

Thrane wasn't expecting her almost violent reaction when she started to speak to him. While he wasn't the best in terms of social skills, he didn't think he had done so poorly. She was angered at him, and it was indeed all of his fault. He couldn't stop that any more. Perhaps he had just worded something rather poorly and it was just a big mistake?

Then came her words of real action. She was gearing up for a fight and when she held her arm out before her, her black energy warping around it. She hadn't released yet, and she was ready for battle. Under the mask, a smile started to form upon his lips. She wasn't like the others at all. She wanted to test him. She wanted to see if she could put stock in his words, because words really didn't matter in the long run of things anyways. She would figure this out with actions. Yes, she would make a fine apprentice if nothing else. All he had to do was beat her.

From what he could sense, she was indeed weaker than he was. At least at this state. He drew his sword as soon as she started to rush him, keeping it in a low guard. He had only his self training with this, his body moving on reflexes he never knew existed. This was one of them. He held the sword in his right hand, despite being better with his left, something always made him do it, and never understood it.

She was quick, he would really give her that much. She knew how to focus her energy as well. Her reiatsu seemed to flow like a river into her arm, at least to his eyes. When she reached him, and her fist connected with ease. He didn't even try to dodge her... And it was like punching a brick wall as a normal human. He didn't growl or make any noise from the impact, and if it caused any damage, it was more than likely already healing.

His left armored fist of all things came out first, aiming a hard jab at her shoulder. His body would move with it, sliding his left leg forward to add power into it. His right arm raised up with the blade, having that now level with his body, in a simple, basic stance to thrust the blade forward and towards her if she didn't move out of the way.

She wasn't exactly sure what to expect from him.  He was as unknown to her as she was to him.  The last thing that she ever expected him to do was to simply take the hit without even trying to dodge or deflect or reduce the impact of it.  She hit him easier then she thought but did basically nothing to him.  She would have expected him to at least flinch or grimace or something.  He just stood there and took it like her attack was nothing despite her arm being even stronger because of her reiatsu.  Who the hell was this guy that he could simply take her hit like that?

She knew that staying in close was going to be asking for trouble so she was already making a move to jump backwards when his fist come out and smashed into her shoulder.  She could feel the strength of his attack though the impact would be reduced since she was already moving back from him.  She watched closely to make sure there wasn't another attack coming at her and she noticed his blade coming toward her.  She moved her left arm to deflect it until she was at a safe distance.  Going all out straight at him clearly wasn't going to work with this guy.

She needed a plan and fast.  The fight had started and she wouldn't be given the time to think about it very much.  Luckily she could think fast and improvise.  Fast was exactly what she was going to need here.  She wouldn't be able to beat him in pure strength but sometimes speed could win where pure power could not.  She knew that her powered up arm would be all but useless in this fight and she needed a way to strike quickly.  She decided quickly on a plan to try and distract him.  She launched her quick volley of 10 bala at him and immediately used her sonido to appear behind him.  She briefly wondered if he had noticed her weapon before now as she clenched her left hand into a fist causing her arm guard to flip out her blades forming over her fist.  She drove these weapons toward his back hoping that her bala attack would have him disoriented long enough to allow her to land this strike.