Black and Blue Eyes [CLOSED]

Kei Makabe

Kei didn't know what to really do at this point. Lilith was beyond terrifying to Kei. There wasn't one reason for that either. Lilith was the perfect mother. She was the perfect warrior. She was the perfect iteration of Kei's dream self. Lilith was only more red than Kei thought. The color red was, oddly, not one of the things Kei was afraid of. It was the only thing of Lilith's that she could even relate to. The red from Lilith resonated with something within Kei. It was an internal bond that almost brought Kei to ask about...

The touch forced the thought away. Kei winced. Lilith seemed to catch this, which was appreciated. Kei listened to the red woman explain herself. It didn't sink in at first. Every word bounced off like a raindrop before settling in. As Lilith finished, Kei took a few extra seconds to process it all. Then, she nodded. "They don't tell much... I just... Well, if, um, things go, uh, bad I know I can't... well, stand up against you..." Kei shrunk up further, knowing she wasn't any match for Lilith. Kei winced again at Lilith's touch, but it wasn't as hard. It was more of a restrained reaction than before.

Kei listened again, but the speech was the same as always. Practice more. Kei practiced daily. You'll get it eventually! When is eventually? She may not need the power a century from now. Don't give up! Why...? No matter what the encouragement, Kei never seemed to improve. She'd try and try, but it was a miracle she wasn't getting worse. She sighed. "...I suppose." Kei didn't feel right with the red woman looking up to her, so she sat across from Lilith. "I've been trying to learn... trying to train... trying to get more experience..." Kei shook her head. "It just doesn't work. I'm only useful after a battle, and even then that's mediocre at best..."

Lilith welcomed the company as Kei sat across from her. This girl was a cutie. As she listened to what sounded like talk of a defeated person, Lilith raised an eyebrow at something Kei said. "After the battle? Ah, so you're a healer then?" Lilith smiled a bit wider and nodded, "But you don't want to be? I can understand that. I knew someone like you a while back, but that's... a story for another day. Why are you so down on yourself?" Lilith took that moment to listen, hoping for a better answer than 'I just suck' or some childish variation of it.

"Well, Kei, we just met, so I doubt you care about my opinion, but here it is anyway..." Lilith raised her knees and laid her arms across both of them, leaning forward slightly toward Kei, "You ain't gonna master shit in a day and any rushing of your mastery will only cause you to fail. People who rush through things have it blow up in their faces, they get hurt, or hurt other people. Everything you do, you should take it slow. Wanting to be perfect tomorrow is understandable, but it won't happen. Now, what exactly are you wanting to be better at? What are your goals? Where do you want to be in one hundred years?"

Kei Makabe

Kei was going to try to not be absolutely frightened by Lilith. It was going to be hard, but that was part of life. It was going to be hard. She was going to be placed in uncomfortable positions just like this one. Kei nodded as Lilith pegged her on the money. It was easy to read Kei when she got like this, but Lilith had the eyes of a mother. It would be a high-ranking Mystic Eye if they were Sugiura. Thankfully, neither were. She didn't want to be a healer, as that didn't allow her to do anything to actively protect someone. But even that would be hard to actually accomplish at this point. She'd never get better at the rate she was progressing (or regressing). "No matter what I try, it just doesn't... work right. I get the technique down well, at least I think I do, but it just doesn't work past the... theory? I guess that's the best way to put it." Kei sighed, thinking she wasn't making much sense. "It's not like I haven't been trying."

Lilith then decided to offer some advice. Kei went still and looked as close to Lilith's face as she could. They couldn't meet eyes—er, eye in Lilith's case. So Kei focused on one of Lilith's cheekbones. She watched this woman's sharp features move around as advice poured forth. A lot of it was the same spiel as before. Kei's mouth drew to a line as the advice ended. She'd need to answer differently. She'd probably have to tell the truth. "I don't know where I'll be in a hundred years. The world is so shaky right now... there might not even be a future that far ahead for me..." Kei's gaze went downward, focusing on the grass beneath them instead.

"But if there is going to be one... I want to... well... protect the people that I like... the ones that I actually care about. I want... I want to be someone that can do that." Kei maneuvered her legs to being in front of her chest. She was almost in a little ball at this point, trying to protect herself from the incoming storm of criticism. "That's really all I want. It's all I've really ever wanted... Nothing seems to want to work that way." Kei's gaze turned back to Lilith. There was pure shame in her eyes. Kei hated what she was limited to being. "But I can't even protect myself, so how can I possibly protect anyone else?"

Whether Kei liked the answers or not, the fact that she would need to practice didn't change. Listening to her, Lilith felt both pity and annoyance. She didn't like it when people had such a hard time, but this girl sounded like she was giving up. She sounded like she was whining, asking the same questions and wanting different answers, and hoping someone would figure it out for her. Lilith sighed and rubbed the back of her head, keeping a cool demeanor as she thought a few moments to herself. "To be honest, I don't know what I can tell you. The answer to your question hasn't changed, and it won't. You want to get stronger, you work hard to do it. If one way is not working, you find another. Not everyone learns the same way, so you explore and make sure to find something that works for you.

Lilith took a look around, noting their location and then hopped to her feet. She stared off in one direction for a moment, looking rather thoughtful, but then shook her head. "If you want any sort of pointers, I can try to give you some." she said, a sad feeling of deja vu coming over her. She leaned her head to the side, stretching and cracking her neck. The sound wasn't pleasant at all, but it released a bit of unwanted pressure. With a deep breath, she motioned for Kei to follow her. "Come on. We'll see where you're at and maybe I can do something to help. If there's actually something... wrong, I might be able to figure it out. Maybe even point you in the direction of someone who could help you better than I." Lilith lead Kei through the forest, opposite the direction she had been looking before.

Lilith brought Kei to a nice sized clearing at the base of a hill. The area was nice and green, fields of yellow and white flowers scattered through the healthy grass. It was definitely a place to sit back and relax, but today wasn't for that. Lilith stopped a few feet into the clearing and turned back to Kei, "So what do you feel your strengths and weaknesses are? And don't tell me nothing; there is something you're good at... Like, controlling your energy? Kind of have to be to heal people. What else? Are you stronger or faster? Weapon or hand to hand?"

Kei Makabe

Work hard? Just work harder must have been a line she forgot to think earlier. It was just as asanine to her as any of the others. There were many different ways she could just "work harder." There were also many ways of rolling her eyes. She didn't do the latter. It was the same song and dance, different tune. Lilith did do the one thing that none of the other tutors and teachers she had met in her years did. She offered to teach Kei a different way. All of the aforementioned tutors were academy-sanctioned and worked there. They had really one way of teaching. Lilith? If the stories were true, Lilith never went to the Academy. She just waltzed in and demanded to join.

Kei thought about it for a moment, then nodded. It was a simple decision. "If it wouldn't be much trouble, that might end up helping. I'd like to hear what you'd have to say." Kei winced at the sound coming from Lilith's neck. She'd make sure that didn't happen again. That was nearly disgusting. She slowly rose to follow Lilith. Kei sent a hell butterfly back to the spot she was supposed to be at. Thankfully, Kei could still see it from here. It was beginning to fade away as they walked in the direction Lilith led them in.

Kei followed close behind Lilith, not wanting to get lost out here. She'd be able to find her way out in the end. That wasn't going to be pleasant though. The field Lilith chose was so pretty that Kei didn't stop in time and bumped into Lilith's chest. Blushing, Kei took a few steps back and sheepishly apologized. Lilith moved on quickly, and Kei had to think for a moment. "The only thing I have to say about my strengths..." It was harder than she thought. She didn't know exactly what it was that she was good at besides healing."is that I'm good with Kidou. Kaidou is probably my best strength in that, and Bakudo would be better than Hadō." As she continued on, it became easier to speak about what she might be good at. "I'm tougher than I am faster or stronger. I'm not that special when it comes to that either... I just know I can work harder and longer compared to most."

"I think Hakuda would be my worst skill. I don't have the strength nor the body to really use Hakuda to my advantage. My Zanjutsu is barely passable, but my Hohou is okay. I don't seem to do well when it comes to the more personal ways of fighting, I think." Kei nodded to herself, satisfied with this answer. It was the first time she'd ever been asked what her strengths and weaknesses were. The other instructors could look at the paperwork and see for themselves.

Lilith didn't speak up for a moment when she realized that Kei was actually going to bump into her. She raised an eyebrow and as Kei made contact with her chest, Lilith added her own sound effect, "Boooing," holding the note with some vibrato in her voice. Kei moved back and apologized, only causing Lilith to chuckle and then begin her questioning. She stayed quiet and examined Kei as she got her answers. Lilith noticed the ease in Kei's talking as time went on. Was she gaining confidence in Lilith's presence? Hopefully. Shy was a cute trait in a lot of girls, but Lilith preferred the opposite, but she was lenient upon just meeting someone.

"Hakuda the worst, huh? Well, if that's something you're wanting to advance in, I can definitely give you some pointers there. Kido isn't my thing at all." Lilith began a few stretches as she talked, as if she were getting ready for a battle of sorts. "Well, most kido blows up when I try it. And when I say blows up, I mean blows everything but me up. I... don't think it's smart for me to use it... especially around people. Haha. Um..." She stopped her stretching and looked up to the sky, thinking for a moment on how to do this. It had been a while since she trained anyone, and even then it took her a while to really get a routine. Was this girl even going to be around enough to become a student? Who knows?

"Well, if this is a one time thing..." Lilith mumbled and cleared her throat, "Alright, if I'ma give you pointers in anything, it'll be my best skill, Hakuda. The reason I am choosing this, besides it being my best skill, is because weapons take a bit more time." Lilith hopped back. That one hop ended up giving a twenty foot gap between the two of them. "Now, I want you to understand something. You want to be a protector from what you've said, so here's a quote I got from an old friend... 'On the field, if the doctor dies, everyone dies.'" Lilith let that sink in a moment, "That means, the doctor needs to learn how to defend herself and others more than regular fighters do. When a fighter is hurt on the battlefield and needs medical attention, what happens when the one giving that attention can't fight? You want to truly protect someone, combo your healing ability with your fighting ability and you will dominate. You understand that? Not only will you be essential in battle, but can save and protect in more ways than one."

Lilith kept silent for a moment, watching Kei as what she said should be mulling around in the girl's head, gauging her reactions for any sort of change. After a few moments, or Kei replying to anything Lilith said, Lilith took an offensive stance. "Your team is fighting and your leader goes down. The others continue the battle while you're meant to heal him and keep him alive, but an Arrancar slips through." Lilith set the scene, looking Kei in the eyes with an intense seriousness, "This Arrancar is going for you and your downed leader and no one can help. If you can't fight, if you can't protect him, you are both going to die. Now, your leader is behind you." Lilith motioned behind Kei, "Defend him from me."

It isn't fair one bit to have Lilith go against Kei, but there are things she was looking for in this case. For one, Kei's initial reaction to an intensely powerful enemy. Does she keep her cool, freeze, run, or panic? When she chooses to fight, if she chooses that, what kind of stance does she take? Is it stable? Is it easily overcome? In what manner does she fight? Is she heavily offensive, trying to make a blow while defending? Or is she defensive, concentrating on not being hit and becoming a wall between Lilith and the 'downed leader.' With that in mind, Lilith moved forward at a normal paced run. Her stance strong and unwavering, she threw a simple forward punch toward Kei's midsection with no intent on making contact, but instead to see the reactions and movements the girl made.

Kei Makabe

Kei was actually fine with her kidou being where it was. It encompassed her Kaidou which was undoubtedly her best skill. The only problem with it is that she didn't have enough reiryoku to power any of the higher-level Kidou. It was an issue that would remedy itself as she grew stronger. If she grew stronger. Kei shook that thought out of her head. No, there was no if she would grow stronger. Lilith was going to try to teach her. That Lilith. Kei would become more skilled, more powerful, and more... something because of her tutor. Doubt was not something she could, or would, abide by.

Kei listened with full attention to everything Lilith said. Hakuda would be the lesson of the day? Great. It was not a fully sarcastic "great," but one that muddled the line of genuine enthusiasm and dread. She'd learn from one of the best Shinigami when it came to Hakuda, so it would work out. It just happened to be that her tutor was among the more terrifying Shinigami. Kei's heart sank as Lilith proclaimed it was to be a one-time thing. Palpable disappointment loomed over her as she thought it was only going to happen once. So Kei was going to have to work twice as hard. If she only had one shot, it was going to count.

Like before, Kei stayed silent as Lilith spoke. It was a philosophy lesson first. It was good to start out that way, as Kei had never heard that particular quote before. It was mainly because most medics were well-protected. She never thought of the situation where she wouldn't have that protection. Kei never thought that if something happened to her, that her patient might die too. Maybe... she was looking at this all wrong. Maybe, just maybe, her being a doctor was a way to protect? It was a conundrum that racked her brain. She decided that was a thought best put off until later, but something was telling her to return to that thought as soon as she had time alone.

Kei's face was showing how hard the thoughts from before had affected her. Doubt and confusion were most prominent. She looked like a child who was on the verge of answering an extremely difficult math problem. Her lips were tight and slightly puffed out. Her brow was furrowed, and she gazed out at something that wasn't there. Kei was deep in thought until she decided it wasn't the time or place to re-learn her entire philosophy. Lilith moved into an offensive stance, and Kei attempted to snap out of it. Her mind was still somewhat fuzzy from that line of thought. She was given a situation and was told what her goal was. She was to be the last line of defense for her leader. Kei actually had to think about who was in charge this month. It seemed that the position of Captain-Commander was a revolving door for one reason or another.

Kei nodded. She could do this. She whispered that phrase to herself multiple times. She was going to protect him... Kei thought she understood what Lilith wanted. Kei would not use her Zanpakutou or her Kidou. She wouldn't even use Hohou. This was going to be Hakuda training. Kei took a rookie's stance. It was basic, but not unskilled. She wasn't close to falling over, but she had work that would need to be done. The stance she took was one of total defense. She couldn't defeat Lilith. She couldn't defeat that Arrancar either. Fighting like that would only endanger herself and the patient. So Kei was going to out-last the aggressor.

Kei saw the punch coming and thought of many ways to deal with that. Well, many being two. She could dodge or she could block it. Kei decided to take the blow herself. Sort-of. Kei swung her arms in an arc to attempt to deflect the blow. She knew she wouldn't have the strength in just one arm—she would need both of them. If the attempt succeeded, Kei would then ram her shoulder into Lilith's front. This would hopefully knock her back. It was a tactic to keep Lilith a certain distance away. She'd have to do it carefully though. Lilith was much, much stronger than her.

Whether Kei's movements were well executed or not, Lilith saw each movement she made as if she could read her mind. The first thing that was noted was the stance. It was basic, but as sturdy as one of Kei's level could get. Lilith watched particularly for hesitation, shaking, and lacking technique. The usage of both arms was the second thing that Lilith noted in Kei's decision making process. Against Lilith, it wasn't a bad idea, but against a normal opponent, it shut off most ways of a strong counter attack and left Kei open. Kei's shoulder struck Lilith's front side, which may have felt like a strong solid strike to Kei, but Lilith didn't budge. She instead put a hand on the girl's shoulder and stood there in thought, running each movement in her head to see where she wanted to start in order to help Kei, besides the beginning of course. She always started at the beginning.

"Your stance is decent for someone of your level. There are things that can be improved there, so that is where we'll start." Lilith said and turned the girl around with an easy twist of the wrist. She stood by Kei's side and brought herself down into a strong, more advanced stance. Unlike the more basic stances, Lilith was lowered much more, knees bent while her frontward arm was up and her other arm was centered in front of her waist. It was a stance that Lilith took up to cater to strong, sudden kicks, but easy to implement punches. Of course, Lilith didn't normally fight in stance. It was just a training exercise. "Your stance must be strong. If your stance is weak, your balance will be, the attempt at an attack will be as well, and any time you try to defend, you'll be knocked on your ass. As a protector, you need to be unwavering, immovable. Become a wall."

Lilith watched Kei for a moment to see if she could get it down. If there were any issues, Lilith would help correct her. "Also, this may sound strange, but do not be afraid to stare your opponent down." Lilith said as a little change of subject, "Your stance must be unwavering, but do you know what happens when your gaze is stronger?" Lilith turned to face Kei again to give an example. She put on a convincing fake expression of worry and fear, acting as if she would hesitate. She was looking away, as if she couldn't meet Kei's eyes. With that look on her face, even Lilith didn't look all that intimidating and wouldn't to a real opponent. "There's a difference between that, and this." Lilith's face completely hardened. Her eyes narrowed and she stared directly into Kei's eyes with a fierceness that could cripple if it were an actual attack. She held that expression for a moment and then smiled. "There's a huge difference between the two. Even if you're scared, I do recommend mastering a hard expression. It could make even those who could destroy you hesitate. And any ounce of hesitation, making them question their moves or your power... You could win merely based off of that."

Kei Makabe

Kei tried. It wasn't her worst attempt, but even she knew the best attempts only came out in life or death situations. ...Then again, this was Lilith Antonovich. This might be life or death. What if she, even for a moment, forgot her strength? Kei would be found over there, there, there, and there—if she could even be fully found. That realization changed a bit more in Kei's mind than she would have liked. Kei was going to try harder still to keep her defenses at their maximum.

The thud of her body against Lilith's was actually unexpected. Kei didn't think she'd throw her tutor thirty feet away, but she expected more. It was useless. Anyone of strength would just plow right through her. But wasn't that why she was getting stronger? But what if she couldn't get stronger? No, such thoughts were banned. She could not let herself fall into doubt. At least not in front of Lilith. Lilith was her best chance at anything of note. To show that she didn't believe in herself enough was an insult to her tutor. Kei nodded to Lilith as she explained what was going to be taught.

Kei rubbed the impact shoulder once Lilith let go. She did her best to not let it show, but it was going to bruise soon. Kei had performed that strike with her full strength. Lilith's abs were, quite literally, rock solid. Whenever Lilith turned towards her, she would stop rubbing it immediately. She wasn't going to show weakness. Not now.

The stance Lilith made was a rather solid one. It wasn't of a skill level that Lilith fought on, but it was above Kei's own level. She tried to mimick it about six times before she got it down to an acceptable level. Each time, something else was wrong. The stance was uncomfortable to remain in for too long. She, thankfully, wouldn't be aching tomorrow. If there was one thing Kei actually liked about her powers, it was the only thing she could do with her Zanpakutou currently. She could provide a gentle heat by focusing on her blade. It was great stress and ache relief.

Kei was still in her seventh attempt at the stance when Lilith brought up a new subject. It was one that Kei didn't like. Kei was not one who liked to stare someone down—opponent or not. She also didn't like the mockery of herself that Lilith tried. It may not have meant to be her, but it's how Kei saw it. The moment Lilith's gaze shifted though, Kei locked up. She couldn't move. She tried to move any part of her body, but nothing would happen. She wasn't even shaking in terror. Thankfully it wasn't a look that was held for long. "I-I see. I think... I think I get it." Kei did her best to keep her rapidly-beating heart from being noticed. It didn't work that well.

Kei thought about how she'd do such a face. It was a decent thought. A lot of what she thought of doing was copying Lilith's earlier face. It might just work... for someone else. When Kei finally figured out how she was going to make that face, she exhaled. And then, it came out. The face was, without a doubt, almost as unthreatening as the hesitation Lilith exaggerated on. It looked more like a kid trying to be scary at Halloween than anything that'd startle an opponent. It was the beginning of something though. And, well, she'd have to start somewhere.

It was understandable why Kei reacted the way she did to Lilith's expression. Lilith had mastered that type of intimidation, and there were times it helped her win fights. Knocking your opponent off balance or tricking them into thinking they're less of a match for you than they are can get you out ahead in a lot of different instances. It's why she did her best to keep on a softer appearance when she wasn't teaching or actually fighting. And when Kei decided to try a look for herself, Lilith locked her jaw and clenched her teeth to not chuckle at it. She wasn't one to laugh crazily at someone, but a chuckle could have even disheartened this sweetheart of a woman. Lilith did give a soft smile though.

"I don't think your intimidation technique will be the same as mine, sweetheart." Lilith spoke in a warm motherly tone, as if she were proud of seeing her child attempt something like their Mom, "Let me explain. To intimidate someone, it's merely a mind game. You're meaning to make them think they aren't on your level. You're wanting to show a confidence, knowledge, or strength that they don't think you should have. I use my strength, energy, and this evil look I can get. It helps that my eyes are demon-red." Lilith chuckled at her own little joke, "However, the old friend of mine I mentioned before... She... Well, she smiles. There is a smile she can get that has even thrown me off. There are some who punch the ground to make it crack, move so fast that you can't see, or spout so much random knowledge at you that your mind is too jumbled to truly focus. You have to find your own tactic. Mine may not work for you, and that's fine."

"You also have to note that it won't always work... Sometimes it'll excite your opponent, especially if they like a challenge." Lilith's mind went back to an old fight and a dull look of annoyance came on her face before she shook the memory from her head, "So always be ready to back it up, and always be ready to know when fighting is going to get you killed no matter what, so backing off or fleeing might be the best option." Lilith took a deep breath and waited to see if Kei understood and was ready for more. One Kei was, Lilith moved back into her stance next to Kei, "Alright, let's go through a few drills to get your technique up. Over time, you'll learn what strikes will be best for you. Your body may ended up being stronger, faster, or a good mixture of both. Remember... your body will tell you what is best. Trust it and move with it, alright?" Lilith smiled at Kei and nodded, "Now let's go." And so the strenuous training of little Kei began.