Walking Lines [Ashai, Tento]

Tento stood in front of Ashai as he waited to see what she would try to say. She was so perked up and blessed with herself. Just what was her reason for to be here and even more seek him out. The sheepish smile along with a shake of her head. His careful eyes watching her, “nooooo. Just the fact that a random bunny chick pulled me after sneaking up”, Tento said in response to her statement and raising up her bicep. Yeah he has a suspension that she was an Arrancar, he didn't feel like making it easy for her. He wanted to himself have a bit of fun himself given her amused character so far.

Tento remained calm on the outside but ready to fight on the inside. He would rather things not come to that. After all, they were surrounded by other people in the Rukongai. If Tento chose to fight her here for one reason or another, he would be putting these people in danger. The release of spiritual pressure alone would be trouble. Not getting Arrancars walking up to him was an understatement l… Just a few years ago he would have felt nervous. But now he was so much stronger and even more so dealt with so much more. The arrancars he saw, and faced in battle. They tested him in resolve as much as strength. He felt a cautious pull whenever he saw one but…fear was becoming less and less. He had no time to.

What good was an Arrancar's promise though?

It did…sound like she and her group did what he had been doing though. It was, something that made him raise an eyebrow. There wasn't a lot hollows needed, but when they became Arrancars they became more human. Thus desire for mundane items made sense. That what he got from meeting Amaranta and Kanako at least. What did she and her group want money for though??

Tento listened intently to Ashai, his initial suspicion easing as he absorbed her story. He understood the challenges and dangers she and her group faced, and her earnestness and the scar she revealed added weight to her words. She had been dealt with a bit of stuff. The concern within though was…who? Who had the means to try something like that? They had to have power and influence. “I suppose people need things and have to make their means. Its better than them stealing from each other or killing”, Tento said, his tone thoughtful and calm. "As long as you're group isn't causing trouble…”, he added in a bit of firmness.

“I heard that Officer Zefa has been through a lot. I think it's important to make sure he doesn't face the same dangers you have”. Tento took a deep breath, “I will pass the message to him”, his eyes meeting Ashai's earnestly. “Now…what is in it for you?”.

Tento's comment may have sounded naive to her but to him. The majority of people in the Rukongai did not have any or enough spiritual pressure to require a need to eat. The ones that did needed and fought for resources. Others fought or desired luxurious goods because they wanted to. The nice allude of comfort was there regardless if you needed to eat or drink or not. When it came to such things in existence, their number and quality was scarce. Gaining more and more of a state the further in the districts you went. The most criminal, insane, and cruel lived there. But it was a cesspool for sin and betrayal.

In Tento eyes, the lack of eyes on them as well as resources made it a perfect place for people to harm each other; just because they wanted to and because they wanted something. So, in the end, doing business with this arrancar was better than them killing and stealing all day. By all means there was a lot more that played into it but that was just a start to his thought. He did wonder how easy they paid for stuff though.

As Ashai raised an eyebrow it was easy to guess she had some thoughts about what he said. Tento ended up raising an eyebrow of his own as she erupted into laughter. Turning to elbow a random person passing by. He dropped it and just blinked though as she watched her escalating cartoonist reaction. Wait…d…did she just wiggle her eyebrows???

Her response was more than enough to shock him to say the least. Tento’s eyebrows furrowed together, one slightly higher than the other, as his eyes darted back and forth between her eyes ans lips as if he was searching for them to reveal a type of clarity. His mouth parted slightly, as if he were about to ask a question but couldn't find the words. There was a slight tilt to his head, the kind that showed he was trying to make sense of something utterly perplexing. He blinked rapidly again, almost as if hoping that clearer vision might also bring clearer understanding. The corners of his mouth twitched, caught between a bemused smirk and a frown, making his expression a blend of bewilderment and unease amusement as a soft cough scoff came. “A hollow like yall eh...?”.

Such a declaration made Tento want to burst out in words but he held his tongue. He was a hybrid, yes, but it was not the same. He was a Shinigami, who's soul and being became corrupted by a hollow. An arrancar, was a being, a hollow that had wetn far into the life and evolution of a hollow. Eventually meeting A crosswords path where they could continue on that empty hungry path trying to seek or find something more, or were lucky enough to be blessed by the itch of humanity clinging through their mask before surfacing once again in the act of their mask being broken. For the Arrancars that were peaceful or interacting I'm the human world not causing issues, Tento sid feel a far weak kingship. Perhaps from his desire to have realistic peace with someone who had a consciousness and did HAVE to eat souls anymore. Perhaps it was from one of many other reasons.

She made it sound oh so easy. It was easy for an inner hollow to not be seen asa curse if it wasn't so out to taking over his body. Even in the progress he had made taiming Acosador, Tento was far from befriending the pain in the butt let alone understanding it. It seemed to loved fighting and refused to die. If Tento keot the bloodlust down then it was an easy task of using his power so they didn't die in battle. Ascosador hated enough being defeated or mocked against another Hollow.

He wanted to shake his head side to side in an exasperation but her last words made him stop. He had been so focused on working and doing good that he didn't out the reality of that possibility in his mind. How many knew he could open gargantas now? If the people of the Rukongai could whisper this information to a random Arrancar, why couldn't a noble do so too? And if a bad one wanted him, he needed to be prepaded to handle snakes slithering.

“Fair enough. Just a preventive measure then for your own survival”, Tento responded simply. The sandwings huh? “I work for the balance of the cycle, peace, justice, and wellness of all souls. As long that is the case I care little for the name. The biggest difference is what matters”, Tento responded in a flat short response. Finding a job was something he probably should do. There was only so much time he could get by By taking payment for delivering goods. Slaying hollows eating souls and helping in reconstruction was good stuff by all rights, but he wasn't getting paid for that. people's good will could only go so far. He appreciated the heads up about the competition and the potential threats from nobles or kingpins. It's a harsh reality, but one that needed to be faced.

To try to deflect her words and kill tension given this WAS an Arrancar that snuck up behind him in the middle of a semi populated area. Tento tried his trade mark goofy flirt not flirting. “Hmmm. I dont know. Being around a ptetty lady is in my cup of tea. But i dont think working with a person i dont know and that is so happy to sneak up my back is good for my health”.

He understood her perspective and the weight of her experiences, especially regarding the hybrids and Arrancar. Whether he could trust her or not was one thing. And he would rather not due to the events that's been happening as of late. But it had merit to concern. Tento's gaze softened, his voice growing quieter but firm. "I'll keep your advice in mind. If that is all. I dont have much to speak about”.