Cake or death? [solo]

Beowulf's massive form loomed over Mirja as she had Iko in her lap, combing the girl's hair. It was a calming thing, and since Iko couldn't really do it herself, it was down to Mirja, or it would become a scraggly mess that made her look even more of a homeless pet than she already did.
"You need more strength, Mirja. You can not continue down this path without bringing more potent power to bare. You need to work towards the full, culmination of me, your Zanpaktou" He told Mirja, his deep, rumbling voice filled with concern for what had happened recently.

Mirja, however, did not seem very pleased to be reminded that she was weak in comparison to the world out there. Strong as she was, there was no chance she could stand up to a lot of things, even some random demon guy with a sword managed to take her out. And it sucked.

"Really? And here I tohught I had to perfect my recipe of fairy cakes. Then I might be able to slay all my foes when they are distracted by my superior culnery art" She retorted, finishing Iko's hair and looking up to Beowulf. "I know. I am cripplingly aware of my weakness in this face. I work, and I develop techniques, and I get stronger, but it's not enough" She let out a vexated sigh, and then Iko got off her lap, which was strange. She usually really enjoyed lounging there.

"Iko love Mirja" She announced, kissing Mirja's lips softly, before Flash Stepping on top of Beowulf. "Iko love Beowulf" The wolf girl then kissed the top of his furry head, before jumping down and hitting the ground, rolling as she did so. "Iko love Home!" she then kissed the ground, and turned to the two with a big grin. "Iko love everything. Iko help, grow stronger" she finished, spinning around with her arms extended, glorifying the whole deal they had going right now. Which was really twenty foot of the lights being on, and then endless darkness. The Abyss, of which Mirja could swear there was something in, when she looked hard, or long enough, but Beowulf was surprisingly tight lipped on that topic, and she had never really managed to get the courage together to brave going out there to begin with. So she just had to remain curious as to what, if anything, existed out there in the darkness. One day, Mirja thought to herself, she'd go out there and see what she could find, and try not to get eaten at the same time.

Watching her, Mirja couldn't help but smile. The Wolf Girl had come a long way since the start of her life, but there was still quite a way to go, and Mirja was going to be there every step of the way to help her out however she could.
"I, Iko. When you are referring to yourself, you use I" Mirja tutored. A blank look greeted her for a few seconds, but then it broke into a broad grin.
"I love Mirja!" Iko exclaimed, elated that she had learned this amazing new technique for speaking. Mirja nodded and Iko then tackled her with a big hug, squeezing tightly. The girl still had no understanding of restraint, but that was a lesson for a much later time. For now, Mirja would just let Iko enjoy her hugs and the victory that came from this new speaking. She mumbled phrases starting with 'I' a lot, but Mirja just found that cute. It was like raising a baby, only you didn't have to bother with the screaming, puking, young part of them, physically. You just got a physically mature girl with a stunted mentality, and that was that. If babies worked like that, Mirja would have a hell of a linage.

While dealing with the Wolf girl's hugs, Mirja looked to Beowulf.
"I know, I need to work a lot harder than I have been so far on my Bankai. But, with Iko around, and with everything that has been happening, I just haven't been free to do anything. Plus, to be honest I am not even sure what I am doing when it comes to getting the Bankai. I need someone who knows from experience, but all the Captains are either dead or busy. Or dead busy. Getting an actual Captain to sit down for five minutes and actually talk to me is going to be a trick all to itself. I feel, awkward being in the Seretei as well. What with Arianda and all" Iko growled at the mention of her, but Mirja petted her down into a soft cooing noise before continuing. "And I am not exactly the most healthy, mentally. To be honest I am totally screwed in the brain department. A swirling vortex of negetivity, that I am incredibly surprised I have not totally snapped and go on a killing spread or something" She sighed, and brushed a hand through Iko's hair some more, before smiling.
"I'll work something out. But for now, I best get out there. I got something on" And with that, she faded from the Inner World, and came to in the Living World, were she had a fight lined up.

She wasn't entirely sure what it was with her and underground fight clubs, but this one was the third in so many weeks, and she was slated for another fight with some guy. The guy as she came in warned her that the fighters were cybernetically enhanced and that 'a cute girl like you could really get messed up'. It was quant, really. She liked the concern he had for her, even if it was just his job or something similar. Just because he got paid for it didn't make the feeling any less.