Waking Up With a New Face [Priv.]

[ami]

A lot had transpired the previous day. Kyotei, in one small fraction of the afternoon, became an entirely new being. She transformed from a metaphorical monster into a real one. What was she? Even Kyotei herself didn't know. The fight against her inner hollow had awakened a side of her she didn't know she possessed. Emotion flared yesterday. She was angry, sad, wanted blood, wanted rest, craved control, gave in to insanity... She'd done so many things she never thought she was capable of. The blonde Shini--Vizard was unaware her countenance had the capacity for such drastic emotions and passion. It was astounding to her, really. But as soon as the rush of emotion came, it left. Of course, she hadn't been awake to know whether it was still there or not.

Upon winning her battle of self-conflict (it was the self...right?), Kyotei remained unconscious when she exited her inner world and regained possession over her body. The injuries from Kisho on top of her mental exhaustion from the battle against Ryotei was enough to leave her sleeping well into the next morning, even while Kisho carried her to his private quarters. She didn't dream anything -- or if she did, she couldn't remember it. Waking up, everything after the battle would be a short blank -- almost like a time skip. As she lay on Kisho's bed, her senses started to fill her as she awoke. First, she could hear the ringing silence in the room. Then, everything came in a rush. The sheets on top of her were light but comforting, and the bandage on her right arm was a little too tight. She felt a sting from a cut on her lip, and a resonating headache swarmed through her head like an army of bees. However, she was somewhat grateful. Kisho had been skilled enough to keep the hollow at bay while delivering non-fatal wounds to her body. Her bottom lip was swollen slightly and a tinge of purple throbbed around her left eye, and a few small scratches were resting lightly on her cheek. Otherwise, there was nothing really note-worthy other save for the cut arm.

She opened her gray-blue eyes and stared up at the white ceiling of the unfamiliar place. Whereas most girls would panic at the sight of an unknown place upon first awakening, she did not. She didn't really care, and couldn't help the sense of nonchalance that filler her entire being. Yesterday took a huge strain on her mind and emotions for some reason, and she wanted nothing more than peace. However, she still did feel lonely. But it wasn't anything new, and the emptiness in her heart was but a swelling hole she had already gotten used to. The cold, dank abyss inside her was oddly comfortable. Or so she told herself. Kyotei thought back to yesterday and remembered the man who changed her life. There was something about his presence that she couldn't quite place. It was different. But it was good, and she didn't feel quite as lonely when she stood next to him. It was as if she'd always known him, and as if she trusted every fiber in his being. She didn't. But for a moment, it felt nice pretending to have such a copious amount of faith in someone.

Kyotei sat up, suppressing a groan from the pain in her head. She'd slept too long -- that was the real problem. For some reason, Kyotei always managed to run off four hours of sleep each night and be able to function perfectly the next day. Any more sleep and it threw everything off balance for the next eighteen hours. But she pushed through the groggy haze in her vision and the dull roaring in her ears, determined to snap into reality completely. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, finding herself a bit wobbly on her legs initially. It only took a moment to regain her center of balance, and before anything else she strode towards the closed door. What would she find behind it? More rooms? A long hall? People? Forestry? The smell that surrounded her was that of drywall and paint, as if the room was somewhat new.

Stepping out the door, the first thing her steel eyes landed on was the man from yesterday. He was tall and mysterious, possibly intimidating to others. But she felt as if it were all a mask and underneath was a vulnerable individual. Perhaps she was leaping out too far on assumption ledges, but it was a gut feeling -- and Kyotei never got "gut feelings" about people outside of battle. There was a magnetic field around the Vizard before her, and she was being pulled in. Stepping forward, she walked until she was a few feet away from him. The wind blew from behind her, sifting through her blonde hair and threatening to blow her hat off (she'd always managed to keep it somehow). She stared at him, and for a moment was at a loss on what to say. But the robotic nature in her picked up on cue and did it for her.

"[white]Thank you for your assistance in progressing my state of potentiality, as well as allowing me the opportunity to confront the inner demon.[/white]"

She bowed her head slightly, a formality she picked up in Rokubantai.

[/justify]

[Bear]

[maroon]He simply stood there. The top of the Pagoda just outside his own quarters, in which Kyotei was placed to rest. A full day she had been sleeping, Kisho on the other hand had not. Standing there all night and gazing out into the sky just like he was doing now, it wasn't unusual for him. Some nights he slept and others he didn't, but the length of her sleep reminded him of the day he first transformed. It was long ago but still felt fresh in his head, the sickness he had felt and the passing out. After it was all over he had slept for hours, days even. It was one hell of a rest, so her own was to be expected. Especially since he had beaten her up a bit, not that he wanted to.

"Things are... different now."

He mumbled to himself and stuck both hands in his pockets, staring out at the city below. Hidenseido had been built and created and while they had very little numbers, it was flourishing. He had a Fuku-taicho and a companion, yes there was that word again. One he used often. But it was true, wasn't it? She would be with him from this point on, and so that's what she was. A companion. Closing his eyes he allowed the gentle breeze to flow around him, robes swaying lightly. He hadn't even heard the doors behind him opening nor did he know that Kyotei was behind him, until she spoke. She was mere feet from him but he did not once open his eyes, instead her words made his lips form a smile, of course it was hidden by the mask he wore.

"Think nothing of it, Kyotei. I'm just glad you came out alive. However we aren't done yet, you must learn how to control that power. But first..."

He removed his hands from his pockets and stepped to the side, allowing her clear view of the city below.

"Welcome to Hidenseido. Your new home."

Any questions would be answered later, right now it was time to explain the power she held. Yes she would know the basics of being a Vizard, having a Hollow in you and so forth but there was more to it. Much more.

"Now on to business. What you went through yesterday was not a gain in strength, it is more than that. From this point on you will always be fighting that Hollow, if you slip up then it will be there to gain control. I know this first hand."

Taking a few steps he stayed silent for a moment, finding the best way to describe this.

"They are demons who make their homes within your very own soul, but they have their benefits. You now have the ability to call on their power with the flick of a wrist, a Hollow mask will form on your face and for a short time you will be able to perform superhuman tasks."

Super human? Far from it. It was more like a monster on a rampage.

"You'll hold it for seven seconds at most, if you're lucky. But I'm going to change that, I will help you with mastering the Hollow side so you can hold that mask permanently. After that, I'll teach you a few things."

Turning, he faced her. Underneath the mask he had gained a serious expression, not that she could see.

"If you think you can handle it, I want you to raise your hand to face and draw on the power. Once you do that, attack me at full strength."

It would be a test, the first attack would not aid in her ability to hold the mask but instead show Kisho just what benefits she gained. Some gained more strength over speed, and others vice versa. While both would increase, one trait would always be slightly more dominant. He wanted to see what that was, and then he would begin the real lesson.

[/justify][/maroon]

[ami]

Kisho had highlighted briefly the post-inner hollow fight details, but she still was very unclear as to how exactly things would be processed. What did she have to do specifically? What were the repercussions of failure? She tried to settle these inquiries in the back of her head, knowing the answers would come soon enough. She only had to be patient -- a skill she had mastered since birth. He introduced Hidenseido to her, and she only glanced briefly at it. In all honesty, she cared not about her surroundings unless she needed to. She'd been in horrid places, knowing that any other environment would be better. She knew right off the bat that this place was.

Kyotei thought about the irony in his statement, "you will be able to perform superhuman tasks." She already could, couldn't she? Hell, any Shinigami could. But she wasn't the type to nitpick, and continued listening intently. She didn't want to mishear and end up losing control because of it. The blonde Vizard was slightly confused as to what he meant by draw her power. How was she supposed to manifest it? Was it something that would be innate and that she could do without having to program herself to?

She did as told, however, and raised her right hand so her fingers and palm were spread. She stared at Kisho through the spaces of her fingers, but at the same time stared right through him, concentrating. She could feel it deep inside her -- that power. It was dark and empty, she thought with an internal grimace, and she couldn't decide if she liked it or not. It didn't feel like hers. It felt like another power that had been poisoned with her own. But she tugged on and, and pulled it into the real world. The white pieces formed slowly and somewhat wobbly at first, but then hardened into a mask in front of her face.

That poisoned power that wasn't hers was now coursing through her entire system and she felt like she was on a slight power trip -- like when you have adrenaline pumping through your veins and feel like you could take on the world. She steadied her eyes on Kisho through the mask on her face and didn't think twice about the morality of attacking a friend. She felt wild and careless -- she felt good. Using a quick burst of Shunpo, she pulled back her right arm and aimed a tightly clenched fist at Kisho's face.

[ooc| small post, sorry!]

[Bear]

[maroon]He stood there with nothing but patience as he watched Kyotei raise her hand and attempt to call on the power, he had no explained how to draw it out on purpose. Most were unable to do so without some form of help even if it was apart of them, but if she could reach into her own soul and tug it out then it would show him his first assumptions were correct. That her potential held no bounds. He gathered all this simply from a mere day with her? And the ability to draw on her power solely on instinct? Yep. He was anti-social for a very long time, but even still he was good at reading people. Seeing what they truly were.

And then it happened.

The mask was pulled on to her face, slowly at first but it took form moments later. An interesting design, as if blood was running down the mask. How fitting for her Hollow. Nodding slightly he could feel the increase of power from the girl, that was good. All that was needed now was to train her so that the mask would not shatter so damn easily. Which he would demonstrate, the moment she pushed off the ground and aimed for him he simply blinked. Reaching out with one hand he would grab her wrist and stop Kyo in her tracks, the other hand raising to the center of her mask.

Flick.

His finger would make contact with the center and because of her control and time limit, it would shatter. That's how easy it was.

"Did you feel it? The tug on your power as the mask shattered? The control over your Hollow powers is little to nothing."

Releasing her wrist he would push her back slightly, so that there was a distance between the two.

"This time I want you to come at me full force, Hollow mask, Zanpakuto, Kidou. Anything you've got, throw it at me. The moment you feel the power tugging away you have to draw on it once more, do not let your mask shatter. The more energy you exert the better, and we'll do this until you have no more will to move."

He had to push her, it was the only way she would get stronger. Of course he would make sure it would not be dangerous to her but any energy she had, would be used. Until she was able to hold the mask for a longer period of time, then the strategy would change up a bit.

[/justify][/maroon]

[ami]

Kyotei felt Kisho grab her wrist, and it was an odd sensation. Somehow she felt that everything was a little more clear to her, and just the same, a little more blurry. She thought about less, but could sense more. His grip, the sight of him, the sounds of his quick motion -- none of it went unnoticed and she felt as if everything was enhanced except for her analyzing skills. It was harder to focus somehow, and she couldn't concentrate on what she was doing. Kisho reached up and lightly flicked her mask, and it shattered to pieces before dissipating completely.

"[white]...[/white]"

Her eyes were wide and she didn't understand why it left her so easily. She wanted that feeling back -- it was good. She liked it. She felt a little more completely for that brief four seconds. Kisho pushed her back and told her to come at him even harder. She knew it would still do no damage -- he was beyond her level by far. She could never even dream of scratching him at this point in her power. Still, she knew it was necessary if he was telling her to do it. She stared at him evenly before raising her hand up and drawing forth the mask once more.

"[white]Hado 31. Shakkahō.[/white]"

She aimed her palm at him, knowing the Kido would be only at half power because she failed to use a incantation. She knew her time was limited and therefore wasted no time. Kyotei followed behind her kido, withdrawing her sword and striking downward at Kisho. But as she did, her mask cracked and she yelled out in pain as it then fell from her face. She stopped in front of him and held the side of her face where the mask had abruptly broke. She thought she would've had a little more time before she would have to do as he said and call on it again. Taking a few steps back, she manifested her mask again and then darted toward Kisho again, swinging her zanpakuto with all of her might.

Parrying each sword strike with ease, she became frustrated (which was unusual for her) but said nothing. She felt the power began to lapse, but she pulled on it again so it would stay. It wavered slightly but stuck. She jumped back, her mask having now been on for a total of eight seconds. But as soon as she raised her hand to fire another Shakkaho, the mask shattered. She furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion. She'd pulled on it again like he told her to, and she felt the mask come back to its fullest, but why did it break only a second or two after? She looked up to Kisho in askance.

"[white]I did what you said, but there seems to be a glitch in the maneuver.[/white]"

[/justify]

[Bear]

[maroon]Once more he watched as the mask took form on the girls face and she raised her palm, and he simply stood there. Relaxed as could be, not to mock or intimidate her but just because he had no worries. He was the target dummy for a reason, he could not be hurt so easily and so she could strengthen herself. And the Kidou came, slamming into his body in a cloud of smoke. Looking through the cloud he saw Kyo rushing him, but the mask shattered and she stopped dead in her tracks. A shame, really. But she had heart, and mere seconds later she was backing up and going again.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Metal on metal as her sword met his steel, its not like he needed his Zanpakuto to parry her attacks. No that's not why he was doing it, he was using the sword because it would give her a sense of worthiness. If he had not drawn his sword and used it then it was as if he was saying she was not worth the effort to draw the blade, and she was. Kyotei was his student, his pupil, and his companion. He would not have personally taken her under his wing if she did not hold the potential. The steel parted and she was back several feet, readying another attack. But the mask broke. Letting his Zanpakuto hang loosely at his side, he only nodded at her words.

"This is not going to be easy, there is a reason that I said exerting more energy was best. The more you use the more you have to control, and in the end it will affect the ability to control your Hollow mask as well. There will be times where you may hold it for a full minute, and other times where it will shatter the moment you draw on it."

Heh, he remembered that process. It was a pain in the ass.[/maroon]

"Keep going, use anything you've got. Shikai included. Over time it will become easier to repair the mask, and to hold it for longer. You have to use as much reiatsu as possible, though. It'll be tiring and hard on your body, but its necessary."

[/justify]