The Lion Sleeps Tonight[Amaranta, Ajora]

"Bingo. What an analytical eye you have. Pretty impressive for a wandering villager. Most arrancar do acknowledge your worth in terms of how strong you are and whether you can help them survive long-term if they can't cut it on their own."

Maintaining a lopsided grin, Amaranta noted the hint of displeasure in the woman's tone. Here they were, inevitably back at this subject again. Of course, she supposed the raven-haired woman had every right to be that way. To her, she may have appeared to be no less than a mere wanderer entertained by her curiosity - and once that came to an end, she would simply disappear off to somewhere else. Exhaling softly, a small amount of steam brushing forth from her lips, she elaborated on what brought her back here after things with Klein fell through.

"What, would you miss me if I left? Kidding. To be honest, I had no intention of coming back here at first. What I expected ended up being one hell of a letdown. My boss was kidnapped by some monstrously powerful hollow and went off the grid. I didn't see her for a week or two and figured it was time to take matters into my own hands. That's what brought me back. Once I ensured that brat was safe, that was it. I thought I was done. But the hollows and their nature made me curious."

Extending her arms to the sky, Amaranta idly pointed at each cloud as she painted a visual image of what led her here.

"Naturally, I hunted them down. One by one. At some point, I grew curious. Each of my hunts ended up leading me to small remnants of civilization. Humans who still live here despite what's happened. Most ran away. Others thought I was some savior out of some great myth. Anyway, to answer your question... In short, I don't know. There hasn't been much to attach myself to before outside of my boss and the overgrown arrancar I call my roommate. Consider it a gnawing curiosity that won't let me go."

An exasperated sigh escaped the bronze woman's lips as she crossed her legs, gazing in the direction of the villagers preparing a meal at the fireside. They had endured so much, yet they were still capable of crowding together and supporting one another. Truly, it was quite the sight to behold for someone who clawed and killed to earn her stripes in life.

"Do you know how arrancar and hollow live every day? Most of us value each other's merits by strength. The stronger you are, the more rabble you invite. If others are weak, they'll use their looks or a bargaining chip to win your favor. Some might betray you and see if they can devour you, others might just give up entirely and serve you for a long time."

Pointing in their direction, Amaranta regarded them with a curious tilt of the head.

"I don't know if humans entirely differ in that aspect, but you guys here... this tribe... I don't see any of that. Watching you all in action, you coordinate how you hunt. You share your food after you succeed. When one falls behind, you pick them up off their feet instead of leaving them behind. I genuinely want to know what drives you all. I want to know... if there's more to my perception of strength than what I once thought."

"Falling out? Perhaps. It wasn't much to lament over. He was strong, but... he never seemed to embrace his strength with as much zeal as I embrace my own. His promises were a letdown, but I rarely put much stock into my race regarding expectations. In my eyes, you either prove you belong or hit the road."

Amaranta shrugged her arms with a nonchalant smirk. As far as she was concerned, Klein was his own man. Free to make any decision he so desired. If she was no longer part of his long-term future, then so be it. There must be something more important than her he had his mind on. Or perhaps she'd simply worn out her welcome. At any rate, her mind worked like a perpetual motion machine. When one door closed, break through another one. Crying over spoiled milk was the product of weaklings. After mulling over her offer, she accepted it with zero hesitation. Short-term observations weren't going to get her any closer to her answer, so why not go along and continue observing them?

:"Sure. I don't mind that. I can finally interact and ask questions without frightening everyone. Well, I suppose that comes after explaining why I'm following you guys in the first place, but we'll cross that road when we get there."