God Yet Lives

John<One of our members can change the earth itself, so I had her hollow out this space for me, because my powers aren't nearly that impressive. She did a nice job. I'm told there's even a chamber of lava somewhere in these tunnels. Of course, the more difficult the chamber, the less the light that accompanies it.>
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*She jumps up & back to avoid the flames & subsequent strike.*

<So far I've learned that you're a stubborn fool with a thinly veiled deep fear of me, is that what you wanted me to get out of this?>
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*Taiyo bumps into Chesed on her way out. The latter looks the former up & down.*

Chesed<You must be Taiyo. Captain Urahara said I'd recognize you by your...distinctive manner of dress. He also wants you to take part in an experiment.>

Karasu flicked close his cellphone.

"Not bad, not bad at all" Kujaku comments.

Astarte opened her eyes before closing them again.
"Go away. You do not order me around."

"Silence!" Enkidu boomed. "You are a fool! Flames pour through the streets and you just mock me? Can you not fight this?"
As he said 'this', he lifted his axe and took another lunge for the lieutenant. This time his did not strike with his axe but instead fired a very large stream of fire towards her while moving closer.

Yue laughed then bit her ear much like a dog would, "Get. Up." He was firm.

Astarte's eyes shot open again and she pressed her forearm against his chest, pushing him away firmly but without using too much force.
"Get off me. I am not threatened by you and I do not consider you my superior- I will not obey you... I will only do as you please if you ask properly."

"Well I did ask... oh... Mortal probably didn't tell you" he facepalmed. "Sorry, I told her to ask you to meet me out here for some more training."

"That doesn't matter. The point is, you very rudely woke me up and ordered me to stand," Astarte sighed. "But this exchange is highly irrelevant, now."
She rose to her feet and wiped sand from the dress.
"Please do not do that again."

"I will try not to" Yue bowed. "I think the first order of business is restoring your confidence." Yue lifted his shirt and pointed at a forming pattern of welts on his left side.

"That's where you made clean contact with me earlier. It probably felt like you hit another mirage created by the g.sonido but only because I reacted quick enough to avoid another hit." He then pointed to some minor burning on his right shoulder.

"That's where you grazed me with a bolt of lightning."

Finally he held his left arm up and let the sleeve fall back a bit revealing a nice bruise. "And I'm not sure how you got me here but it hurt like hell till I numbed it with some salve I bought from a store in the Rukongai before I left Soul Society. Also you got me with whatever that damn eye trick of yours was. I think I must have been dizzy for a good twenty minutes trying to get my bearings back. So good job you did actually hit me a few times. However you have a serious problem trying to stay calm and not letting your opponent get in your head. I'm going to help you fix that."

An expression that must have looked like a mixture of satisfaction and condescension danced across Astarte's face before disappearing.
"If you think you can, you're welcome to try," Astarte shrugged slightly, her voice sounding doubtful.

Yue breathed deeply then spoke, "Your fighting posture is sloppy, you leave holes wide open in your defense, you become enraged at the slightest miscalculation, you let your opponents shake you, and worst of all you suck. at. fighting. Fortunately I can teach you. But. Only if you want to learn. So its not a matter of me being able to its a matter of you wanting to change."

"The rage and clumsiness is not something I can easily control. It's a part of myself I try not to see, anymore," Astarte explained. "And my primary reaction to a large fight is almost always to get away from it and come back to see the aftermath. I could change, if I wanted to... I have the willpower to change my reaction."
There was no untruth behind her words. She meant every word she spoke, and was sure of the validity of her statements.

"Then I'll help you control it. We all have parts of ourselves we like to forget. Some of us have parts we couldn't remember. My own memories of what could be my past life have started to surface. That said it'l be suicidal to start trying to control it from a released state so I'll begin teaching you some focusing techniques now to keep your head clear."

A hint of a smile spreading, Astarte pointed to her eyes with one finger.
"You really don't believe that I am focused right now? My head is as clear as it will be, for now."

"Right now yes, but when you fight, not so much" Yue says flatly. "Unless you intend to fight from now on without releasing then this is a hurdle you will need to overcome."

"Indeed it is, but how do you suggest we try and control my released form without releasing it? Have you thought this through at all?"

"Aren't you still you when you release? Our are you totally mindless?" it was a rhetorical question.

"A silly question. I am still me, but I lose most of the control I have over myself when I am released. I know exactly how to suppress that side of myself in this form- it is in the other form that I can not."

"Considering I've never heard of an arrancar who had the issue you had I'm inclined to believe its a lack of focus that bars your way to control. In order to control your other form you must curb your anger. That said you also need to hone your actual fighting skills so we'll start there."

Astarte let out a small sigh, watching Yue expectantly.

"What do you feel more comfortable with, hand to hand or swordplay? I'll help you with which ever one you'd like to use" he smiled.

'Hand-to-hand, perhaps," Astarte suggested before punching at his smiling face faster than a regular soul could have traced.

*She jumps again, then pushes off of the air to lunge at him.*

<Big words for someone who fights using cowardly tricks!>
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John<It would be easier to make suggestions if I knew what you could do.>

"Hmmm~"

"Unless ya arm yourself I ain't fightin' ya John. I don't attack unarmed opponents."

"I have no problem showing you my ability though~ Come forth my Lost Children~" Karasu seemingly dials some numbers on his phone and red strings shoot from the cellphone charm into the ground before pulling up. The strings are now attached to what appear to be an army of skeletal samurai.

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Yue blocks her fist nonchalantly with equal speed causing a dust cloud. "You punch like a drunkard."

Mortal nodded, resigned that it would be smarter to let Yue and Astarte sort themselves out without too much interference. Something told her she was going to be the one doing a lot of the fighting, so it'd be best with as few distractions as possible. Turning to Senthose she replied, "Yea, the damn thing caved in with lava after I retrieved a necklace."

--

"Up to speed on what?" Noct asked, a bit distracted.

--

Atae quietly continued to listen, and monitor Captain Bitchninja's vital signs. She did just wake up from a year long coma after all.

"A feeble attempt at provoking me," Astarte withdrew her fist and waited in a battle-ready stance.