Black and Blue Eyes [CLOSED]

Kei Makabe

Kei was obviously the least qualified person in this team. It wasn't that she wasn't skilled, no. She had the training—much the same as the other low-ranking members of the Gotei United. She still felt it was weird calling it the Gotei United over the Gotei Thirteen, but she'd manage. The only thing Kei did not have was the experience. She was at the backline of this operation. Kei was the healer assigned to a hollow-hunting operation outside of the Rukongai, specifically to the southeast.

It wasn't supposed to be difficult, but they had her "just in case." Kei didn't care. She wanted to be on the frontline. She wanted to be fighting. She wanted to be stronger. She sat, her Zanpakutou in her lap, furious at herself for not being able to help. She was useless back here in her mind. No, there was more to it than that. Kei always felt useless. She could heal better than most at her level, but rarely did anyone need the low levels of healing she could provide. Kei was mostly tasked with being a nurse for recovering patients, much to both of their chagrin. If there was one thing Kei lacked as a healer, it was bedside manners.

Which is why Kei wanted to go out and fight. She wanted to sink her blade into Hollow or Demon flesh, protecting who and what she cared about. And yet she never could do it. Kei sighed heavily as the evening passed on to dusk. She was nearly falling asleep out of sheer boredom when it crashed through. A Hollow with a hundred legs slithered through the forest, breaking through trees towards her. Kei was terrified and excited. She wanted to fight run. She wanted to flee kill. And so she drew her nameless sword, not knowing she couldn't fight the damn thing.

Night was on its way as the sun set over the forests of the Rukongai. The cool breeze left a tranquil atmosphere, calm and relaxing. There wasn't much going on for Lilith Antonovich. Having once again, yet unofficially, left the Gotei "United", Lilith was wondering the Rukongai. Bored, tired, and depressed, she found a spot under a large oak tree to watch nothing. There was no one around and nothing she wanted to do. She had ended her repeated search for her son today, so her daily disappointment had come and gone. Settled comfortably under the tree, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ready to take a nap or just fall out for the rest of the day. She wasn't exactly enjoying her time awake, so sleeping days away really just felt... right.

Sitting serenely beneath the tree, Lilith was almost able to fall into her slumber when a loud crash woke her up. She had sensed it coming, but hoped it would turn another way. She opened her eyes and looked in its general direction, sighing in annoyance as she pushed herself to her feet and began making her way through the trees to see what she was going to have to deal with. The thing wasn't that powerful, and obviously stupid and unskilled. Anyone who could sense her in the area wasn't exactly dumb enough to stay, let alone start a fight.

Lilith made her way into the area that the hollow was rampaging and just watched. Her expression showed nothing more than boredom as the thing came into sight. She wasn't going to move in. There was someone else here, likely someone apart of the Gotei "United." What a stupid title. Lilith didn't like change and that was a big change in her mind. In fact, it's one of the reasons she "unofficially" left. She was part of the Gotei Thirteen, not the Gotei "United."

Pretentious.

Lilith's attention fell upon the young girl in the area that had pulled her sword. She sized the girl up rather quickly and new the little thing wasn't going to be able to take the hollow. However, maybe she'd be surprised? Lilith decided to stay back and watch, but was ready to move the moment she was needed.

Kei Makabe

Kei was a healer, not a fighter. She had trouble actually causing harm. At the very least, causing lasting harm was the issue. Kei did not have much in terms of reiatsu or reiryoku, but she was letting it be known that she had some. It's only a Hollow. It's not even that strong. Even I can fight it. Even I can kill it. I can succeed. I can protect. Kei held her sword firm as she met the Hollow's charge. She yelled. Her voice held as firm as the grip on her sword.

Kei did manage to harm the Hollow. It wasn't expecting her to charge back, so its spindly body tried to avoid her... Unfortunately, it's harder to move that many individual parts than many realize. Kei's Zanpakutou bit through half a dozen of its spike-like legs before the Hollow was fully out of her way. She looked at the blood on her Zanpakutou and smiled. This was a flaw of hers, and one that would prove fatal if nothing was done to correct it.

Kei could wound it. Enough wounds would kill the Hollow. She could do this. Kei spun back towards the Hollow. She bellowed again, charging with the same straightforward fury as before. It was easy for the Hollow to counter her attack. A leg kicked her sword away, but Kei's grip was too firm. She tumbled with it. Her body smashed into the forest's ground, sticks and stones digging into her flesh. It was almost luck that she rolled away from the Hollow's first leg, escaping with only a minor cut. It was skill that let her avoid the next. Kei was now pinned underneath the Hollow, her sword inches away... As she went to reach for it, the Hollow reached for her.

Lilith had her curiosity momentarily piqued when she heard the girl's battle cry. The girl had managed to harm the hollow, but then she checked the weapon for blood over keeping her eye on the enemy. Foolish. Lilith noticed that smile as well. Idiot. Was the girl proud of drawing blood? It may seem hypocritical coming from Lilith, but Lilith enjoyed battle, not harming another being. She enjoyed challenge and dueling. Killing, however, was not something she enjoyed.

The hollow tried to disarm the girl, but apparently her grip was almost too strong. The girl tumbled with the hit and ended up on her ass. Impressive, but another limit the girl was going to have to learn. Sometimes letting go of your blade can save your life. In this case, it would have saved Lilith the trouble of stepping in. The girl's grip was strong, but not strong enough to keep the blade in hand, but only to put herself on the ground from the hit. Now, Lilith had to step in.

Lilith charged and ended up above the hollow within a mere fraction of a moment. Fist clenched and arm pulled back, Lilith slammed her knuckled down into the bone of the hollows mask. The mask easily cracked beneath the masterful strength behind the attack. Upon impact, Lilith's energy practically caused the hollow's body to explode. It was weak in comparison to her and its body could not hold up to the power behind her strike. Lilith landed as the hollow vanished and dusted her hands off by rubbing them on her pants.

"Mm." Lilith looked back to the girl on the ground and stared at her. Lilith's initial gaze was hard, but there wasn't any judgement behind it. She looked the girl up and down, then back to the girl's eyes. "You should be more careful." was all she said before turning away to walk off toward the direction she had come.

Kei Makabe

Kei was sure she was going to die. Death was something she hadn't prepared for, but she had thought of. The studies told her she'd be put back into the Soul Cycle unless the Hollow ate her. And this thing seemed hungry. She wouldn't live on as someone else—someone who could protect. No, she'd end up as a evening meal. It was going to be a death must unworthy of someone like her. She clammered for her sword—hoping to kill the Hollow as it killed her.

Kei had not expected or even sensed the red woman's presence. When she finally realized what she was looking for... Kei finally felt it all. It was not only impressive, it was sickening. She felt that tightness and overwhelming dread that came with her reiatsu. Any reiatsu at significant pressures would create that same feeling, but this was far more dense. It was like a mother smothering her child with affection—only this affection was staring down hard at a misbehaving child. It was awesome in the old sense of the word. Kei was terrified of this woman.

But she wanted to be protected by her too. "Amazing..."

Kei watched in almost-horror as the Hollow exploded into tiny fragments. Kei's hair rushed away from the impact. The shockwave was stronger than she imagined. And the way she landed was just as awesome. This woman was strong. She was... the embodiment of everything Kei wanted to be. This... this perfect woman in front of her was Kei's ideal form. It showed in her eyes, but the woman did not seem to catch it. Still awestruck, Kei only nodded to her almost-harsh words. As the woman walked away, Kei wanted to call out to her. She wanted to speak and learn from this woman. This woman was above her in all stations. Kei wouldn't be able to learn anything by asking...

So Kei followed the red woman, hiding behind trees when she felt like the woman was going to turn around...

The encounter with the weak little lady quickly turned into a new game. Lilith knew the girl was following her and let it happen. She figured the girl would give up and talk to her or decide just to go home. It's not like the girl could fight her, unless it was suicide by red-head. The first few minutes, Lilith turned back toward the girl casually, acting as if she didn't know the girl was there. She'd shrug it off and continue on walking. She even made sure to keep in the trees to allow the child to have her hiding spots. She could have exited the forest, but this was much more entertaining than leaving would have been.

After a bit longer, Lilith turned around a tree and shunpo'd. Since Lilith wasn't one to hide herself, there'd be a rush of energy and then she reappeared behind the girl. "Yo." she said in her mature, calm voice. Once the girl turned around, Lilith would be half-bent over, leaning down to be at eye level with the frightened little mouse. "Is there a reason you're following me around, child? Shouldn't you be getting back to your squad? Or were you out here all alone?" Lilith doubted the girl was out all alone, but who knows? She didn't seem like the type to be out on her own, but Lilith has been wrong before...

Kei Makabe

Kei was sure she'd be spotted. She wasn't good at sneaking. She wasn't good at fighting. The only thing she was good at was... healing. That didn't do any good when it came to protecting someone. At best... she could help them recover if they came back. Kei wanted to make sure they did come back. She wanted to be up there as a wall of fire and fury. She wanted to be the woman she was stalking.

Kei was hiding behind a tree again when the red-headed woman disappeared. She looked around the side, not seeing her. It was odd. It wasn't... The feeling of mounting dread returned, mere inches away from Kei. She lurched forward, sweat beading down her face. It was all she could do to keep her lunch from meeting the air again. Kei shook in pure fear. The woman was right behind her. She was going to die, wasn't she?

Kei hesitated to turn around for a few seconds. She winced as the red woman greeted her with the same nonchalance as before. There wasn't hostility... so... maybe? No, the woman didn't need to show that. To her, Kei was just an insignificant bug, begging to be crushed under a boot. Kei did the stupidest thing and slowly turned around. She fell backwards as the woman's face was eye-level with her own. Fear sprung up further as Kei stared at the woman from below.

Kei's eyes darted from side to side to see if anyone would come to her rescue. No one would. Well, no one that could save her. "I... Um..." Kei swallowed and decided on yet another stupid action. Kei lied through her teeth. It was obvious as day that she was hiding what her real intentions were. "You... well... saved me... and... that might have been the Hollow... that, uh, my team was sent to eradicate... I need to... know your name so I can put it in my report..." Kei turned her head down in almost shame at the end. "And so I can... properly thank you for saving me..." That was the only true thing Kei spoke, but it still wasn't the whole truth. She had much more to tell this woman...

Amazing. Lilith watched this girl fear her by the weight of her spiritual pressure alone. She had to hold back what would have been a bellowing laugh as the child fell. Since she succeeded at that, she just stared the girl down as she got this half-assed excuse of a lie from her. "Mm... Liar." Lilith called her out and then grabbed the girl by the back of her shirt, lifting her like a cat by the scruff, and then setting her on her feet. "At least on the report bullshit. If you want to thank someone, just thank 'em. You always this shy? Or is the big red devil monster that scary?" Lilith raised an eyebrow as she let the girl go, showing a small smile.

"Look, child. Calm down." Lilith motioned back toward the way they came, "The moment I saw you weren't gonna kill the thing, I had to step in. I am not the type to sit back and watch someone die. Oh... And when it comes to my name, keep it out of your report. I don't need the Gotei United trying to bother me. Can you do that?" Lilith gave Kei a moment to answer. Once the girl agreed, she nodded. "Okay then. My name's Lilith." she left it at that, assuming the bright red hair, eye-patch, and name would pretty much give it away to who she is.

Kei Makabe

Kei did not like the woman picking on her. The lie was obvious, but there was no need to pick on her in such a way. She sort-of dangled there for a moment before being set on her feet. Kei attempted to be stealthy as she used the tree for support. If she didn't, she'd fall over again. Getting picked up like that a second time would be more than humiliating. Everything the red woman said was true. The report lie was bullshit and she was always this shy. But more than that, the red woman scared the piss out of Kei. Kei just looked abashed as Lilith sprung out her reasons. It was just more of an excuse for Kei not to speak.

The woman told Kei to calm down, which was impossible at the moment. Kei was standing next to someone whose simple punch literally exploded a Hollow. To anyone as low as her, that would be absolutely terrifying. Kei winced as the red woman confirmed that she was incapable of killing the Hollow from before. Yeah, she knew that already. There wasn't a reason for it to be rubbed in her face. Defeated and partly deflated from the adrenaline, Kei sighed at the request. "I... wasn't going to, well, even put you in the—my report... so you don't have to worry..."

"My name's Lilith."

Kei's blood ran cold. Of all people, her? Well, it was no surprise... that Lilith was a monster. Kei swallowed hard and gripped the tree harder. She wanted to run now, not bother with learning. Why the hell would anyone want to learn from Lilith Antonovich? Because she's strong. And she protected you. Kei's inner voice spoke in an annoyed tone. It was right too—Lilith was almost perfect for what Kei wanted. But why did it have to be her of all people? Kei swallowed, not knowing much of what to do next. "I... I see.... Uh, well... I am, um... Kei Makabe of the Four—no, now it's the Second Division isn't it? Y-yeah, it is." Still vocally shaking, Kei decided to do what she should have done in the first place: "Th-th-th-thank you for s-saving me. I... I know I couldn't take that beast... it was foolish of me to even try..."

That was a change that Lilith did not like. The moment the girl learned her name, there was a shift that hardened Lilith's expression. She stared down at the girl, watching her fumble, shake, and barely be able to speak. Lilith said nothing for a moment, her demeanor as strong as before, but something was happening. Lilith closed her eyes and took a deep breath and did her best, literally her best, to pull in the extra reiatsu she was releasing to calm the girl down. It may have lightened the load on Kei only a little, but it was all Lilith could do. Her eye-patch only held back so much, so sometimes Lilith had to do it herself.

"You're welcome, Kei." Lilith put one hand on her hip and the other on Kei's shoulder. When she realized what touching the girl could do, she quickly pulled her hand away, remembering that contact could cause problems. "A little fear and nervousness I can understand, but that terror you were feeling isn't needed. I know the pressure of being around my reiatsu can be a frightening, but there isn't much I can do about it. I'm not going to hurt you, you know? What kind of stories are they telling about me back there? I'm not a monster..." Lilith glanced off and rubbed the back of her head, trying to imagine what people said about her. It probably wasn't the best, especially since she did kind of abandon the Gotei without warning. Guess she's a deserter too? She chuckled and looked back to Kei. She poked the girl's forehead and smiled a calm, motherly smile.

"Don't go sayin' that about yourself. It wasn't foolish, it was brave. The only way to get stronger is to keep trying..." Lilith sat down next to a tree and looked up to the girl that she normally towered over, "Look... I wasn't tryin' to insult you. It may have come out wrong. I watched for a bit and you did get a nice hit off. It's just that a mistake was made, you dropped your sword, and I wasn't going to let you die. You've got a lot of potential and just need more training and experience. Next time, you'll defeat the hollow that comes at you easily. Just continue learning and definitely learn not to drop your weapon, silly girl."