[Log] 13 - Like A Whet Stone to Blades
Date: 06-24-08
Characters: Anselm, Tacita, Ulquiorra
Summary: Ulquiorra observes after instigating a spar between Tacita and Anselm.
-=[White Desert - Hueco Mundo]=-------------------------------------------------
White sand pours out before you in all directions, from horizon to horizon. Here and there are clusters of brittle-branched, leafless trees and towering dunes. Far, far away, in the distance, lurks the unreal, towering white walls of Las Noches.
Only a couple hundred yards from the endless girth of Hueco Mundo, cast in a shadow so long it nearly reaches the horizon, Tacita has been carefully going over some of the nuances in technique Tousen demonstrated. It's not particularly out of the way; a seldom used entrance is well within visual distance, primarily utilized by guards or roving individuals who don't care for the primary entrances. A circle of sand has been arranged with stones. Intended for sparring most likely, something makeshift and informal but still utilized by the Numeros at the moment. Tacita's stance is awkward, back too stiff and grip improper, yet at the very least the massive black zanpakutou doesn't seem to mind. Each grunting swing has enough force to displace a burst of sand, and belies how weightless it is even by the standards of such condensed weapons. What precisely she's trying to do is difficult to tell, unless it's to learn very bad habits, but given her back is to the doorway she'd not know of anyone dropping in unless they revealed themselves of their own accord. Swing! Swing! Wobble. ...She really needs a consistent tutor.
Not exactly confined within the walls of Las Noches, the Numeros are given the freedom to go in and out of the massive fortress as they please so long as they don't try to slip away to the living world without permission from a superior.. Which is the case for this particular Numeros, Anselm. Leaving the confines of the compound which all the Arrancar, the ones who are under Aizen-sama's employ at anyrate, reside in, the rather bored Arrancar trapses acrossed the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo.
His pace was casual and his gaze out into the distance was devoid of much emotion since he was just wandering around in no particular direction of preference.. A walk around the building could take weeks.. so there was always something new to see.. well sometimes. And today was one such day as he would see in the distance a lone figure toting a rather large weapon and swinging rather awkwardly.. then wobbling.. A brow quirking on Anselm's face as he changes directions to approach whoever was out here.
The figure of Tacita growing closer now provides him with a closer look to see who it was.. not someone he was exactly familiar with as his hands are stuffed in his pockets, the bored look still on his face and not even saying anything just yet since he's still a ways away.
The sands seem to hardly stir beneath his feet as he steps out into the open sands that lie beneath the eternal night sky. There has been no real threat of disturbance out in the endless sands of Hueco Mundo, not since the last unexpected venture that he and Tousen had taken and properly dealt with a renegade Priviron and her small group of would-be revolutionaries. Between the former captain and the half-helmed Espada, they had made short work of them.
A brief glance towards those distant dunes brings with it no hint of suspicious reiatsu, and the only notable presences Ulquiorra finds within the area are the two arrancar that remain near the immense and white walls of Las Noches. He turns his green-eyed gaze in their direction, and silently begins to walk their way, his coattails fluttering lazily after each step.
Poor Tacita. Were she aware not one, but two people were lingering nearby, she'd be a lot more bashful. She picked this location knowing full well she's a raging incompetent, and had hoped nobody would wander by to see. But she's unable to detect reiatsu; at least, not unless very close and only to know relative strength, something recently learned and generally good for nothing. She'd always been like an anglerfish; her own massive spirit power drawing in food to eat... Swing. Swing. Swing. Disheartened, she rests a moment, brushing sand from her hair fastidiously and tightening the sash about her waist. Although she scans the surroundings offhandedly, the other two Arrancar are not noticed. Delusions of privacy cloud her vision! Assuming a peculiar stance, one intended for thrusting, she brings up her large weapon. It's entirely not made for this kind of attack, but what comes next is far from useless. The black weapon swirls, and two prongs shoot out with rather vicious speed, only stopping once they impale the sand a few meters away. An amorphous sealed zanpakutou, one retaining some of her release capabilities. Far from common. It retracts more lethargically, resuming the bulky girth it started with.
As the Arrancar stepped through the sands of the endless sea of dunes.. He drew closer and closer to the now visible circle the female was practicing her swordsmanship with. Her form was.. for the lack of a better word.. odd.. unpracticed.. Even his skill with a sword was better and he never really practiced. Anselm's brow quirks even further as his radar tips him off to someone far more powerful than Tacita or his self nearby.. the familiar Reiatsu that was put with only one of the Espada was near, Ulquiorra.
Why would an Espada even bother with a Numeros unless the intent on some suicide task was in mind.. The Arrancar starting to sweat a little at the thought of it as he drew nearer to Tacita until he was about 50 yards away, hands still in his pocket and a more than a little uncomfortable at the moment.
His yellow eyes, lupine in appearance watched Tacita change stances.. that weapon rather different.. or at least from the norm of most with their katana like zanpakutou.. "Looks like your having a blast out here." he finally says, his voice sounding a little ...'harsh' in tone.
The Espada still keeps a controlled handle of his spiritual presence, even in Hueco Mundo, although not as tightly as he does when out in the realm of the living. Here, he doesn't need to hide his reiatsu, but neither does he need to flaunt it. His progress towards the two is at a leisurely pace, and even as he draws nearer to them to be in speaking distance, he makes no effort to raise a greeting. Instead, he seems content to merely watch.
He knows the two by name, but he has never truly spoken with either. His unblinking gaze shifts between them in observation, watching Tacita's uneasy handling of her weapon and the awkward stance she takes- and then to Anselm, whom Ulquiorra notes has noticed his presence, even when the female has not.
In the midst of focusing herself for another shift in her sword, the words could not have come at a more vulnerable time. She jumps to such an extent both feet leave the sanded dunes, sword nearly popping free of her grasp before being snatched and hugged to her chest. Stumbling away from the source of the voice, she finally manages to twist and levy wide eyes towards Anselm. But it's probably only shock that keeps eye contact for more then a few seconds, casting downwards and to the side in order to observe a particularly interesting particle of sand. "Y-You scared me..." is stupidly mumbled, almost too low to be clear, as if such wasn't evident. Nothing immediately further comes, one foot kicking a little rift in the sand. "Can I help you...?" is offered thereafter, just as awkward as her earlier stance.
One couldn't live in Las Noches without knowing all the Espada by name.. and perhaps even knowing a little more beyond that like habits and traits.. From what Anselm could see, Ulquiorra wasn't much of a talker which is one reason why he never approached him.. And here he was, not much further away from the two Numeros, just standing there... that level gaze piercing them.
Since Anselm was the first to reach the makeshift training area, he would eventually turn his head towards Ulquiorra. Acknowledging the Espada's presence with a faint nod of sorts.. if he wanted something he'd probably ask it when he felt like it.. right? His hands still remained in his pockets, thumbs sticking out to give him some sort of semblence of a cool look.
With that look in mind and with Tacita's sudden loss of balance, followed by a rather meek reply.. causes the Arrancar to tilt his head to one side slightly.. "I...scared you?... Well, I don't mind someone telling me that." he said with a smirk before shaking his head some. "No, not in particular. I was just out here, trying to get lost and noticed you were out here so ..." he shrugs then.
Tacita proves to be quite an unusual arrancar, at least very different in demeanor than those of her brethren. That she acts almost timidly is a strange thing to witness. To Anselm, Ulquiorra's return of acknowledgement is but the slightest cant of his head. With that, he begins to approach them again, his hands in his pockets as they usually are, almost the same sort of position that the other Numeros takes up, save the Espada's are completely swallowed by the hakama slits.
"...both of you are far from the usual grounds," he comments, and although he doesn't raise his voice to make up for the distance between them, his words are still clearly audible.
Shuffleshuffle. Tacita is obviously far from her depth, completely unsure what to do or say. An almost tangible discomfort, evident in the constant fidgets and roving gaze, seeming to take everything in but the Arrancar opposite in anything but furtive glances that shy away, piecing together a puzzle-like cobblestone of what he probably looks like in her mind. "Do... you want me to leave...?" is finally squeaked out, hugging her sword to her chest. She's hovered a few meters in the direction of the door, just barely within the ring. She completely misses the glance to Ulquiorra, so it's another surprise to find him nearby. "Oh!! Ulquiorra-sama!" She bows so deeply she would of likely committed seppuku were the point of her sword aimed at her stomach rather then the hilt. It's still quite uncomfortable. "I'm, I'm terribly sorry! I did not know this area was off limits!" Between a rock and a hard place now. Poor Tacita.
Well, to recieve even the slightest of acknowledgement from the Espada was an honor in Anselm's eyes.. and appears to be less... worried about his own personal safety.. though it's not like he isn't afraid of a fight. The sounds of Ulquiorra's footsteps are nearly inaudible on the sand as that flatlike voice is clearly heard by Anselm, his own gaze shifting to the Espada now. "Ah... Ulquiorra-sama.. I had a need for 'fresh' air so I decided to take a walk.. All that fake light is a pain." he replies, his tone filled with a bit more confidence than a usual Arrancar addressing an Espada.
His wolf like gaze drifts back to Tacita who seems to be experiencing technical difficulties in even giving him the slightest of eye contacts. He reaches up with a hand to scratch the back of his silvair haired head.. "Huh..? No, your fine where you are....Uhm...." trying to pull her name from his brain, it takes a moment. "Tacita-san is it?" he tries before going quiet as Ulquiorra is really the center of attention here.
Thickly shadowed brows lift subtly at the woman's reaction, and for her benefit, Ulquiorra replies verbally aside from the headshake offered. "No, it isn't off limits." Perhaps he should have remained silent, as it's obvious his presence isn't helping Tacita's nerves. Certainly an interesting one that Aizen-sama has picked up.
At least Anselm proves more relaxed at his arrival, although even that can be a dangerous thing. Ulquiorra isn't here to be friends, but it is in his interests to see how those of Aizen's troops are faring. Despite being lower in rank to the Espada, they are by no means any less inclined to become restless when lacking in action and blood to be spilled.
"I had heard that Tousen was assisting you in combat techniques..." he says, redirecting his attention to Tacita. "....although from what I have seen right now, I must question its effectiveness..."
"Oh. Um." Tacita is trying now to regain her composure. It's one thing to be as meek as a mouse around her peers, but Tousen admonished her more then once in regards to doing such to the Espada. Even if standing tall with her head slightly bowed helps little for such; small steps, and all. "He, he has not had much time lately." is offered, tone still oozingly apologetic. "I've been trying to work on my swordplay, but we did not touch on that except once..." Fingers trace the savage edges of Grozav Sange, which despite the seemingly razor edge dull beneath her touch visible, only to reform into the deadly sheen once they pass. "..." Another momentary silence she does not like, and quickly fills. "Sorry..."
By no means was Anselm's tone that of an attempt to be friendly.. more of just stating the facts since it isn't wise to lie to an Espada.. especially not Ulquiorra who had a nack for being able to find things out.. It's just that, it doesn't exactly help things along if he cringes in fear at the sight of someone much stronger than him.
Anselm wasn't aware of all the doings of his siblings, so the news of Tousen going out of his way to teach Tacita how to effectively wield a blade was somewhat shocking to him. However, swordplay wasn't his focus of study really.. but one could always benifit from such lessons. With the hand slipping back down to it's rightful pocket, he watches Ulquiorra and Tacita with an observant, if not still bored look.
It was somewhat sad to see a fellow Arrancar in need, and despite his tone and appearance.. Anselm could be somewhat friendly at times.. the thought of helping Tacita work on her basics sifted into his mind for a moment.. but he kept it to himself for the time being.
Ulquiorra offers a nod in understanding. Tousen has other things to do, plenty enough to keep him occupied over providing private tutelage for a battle-inept arrancar. "Your method might need readjustments," he says, looking over the large zanpakutou. "Training with your shadow only gives you so much in regards to getting a feel for actual combat, and even that is very minor."
He looks over at Anselm, either aware of his however better masked unease, or simply due to convenience. "Anselm." He remembers his name. "An alleviation to your boredom, and an assistance to Tacita's abilities." His thoughts have gone along the same lines of the other Arrancar's in that aspect.
"I've nobody to spar with..." is began, with no air of such being a lie. Merely a genuine excuse, if one she's taken no practical measures of fixing of her own accord. The prospect of the meandering Numeros nearby fitting the bill had completely not registered in her mind, and with an incredible difficulty she wrenches up her gaze to meet his. It still seems to be difficult to keep, and eventually the effort is abandoned. Such is less nervous shyness and more a deeply seated insecurity and lack of experience in social encounters. Easily read in either direction by the common masses, but Ulquiorra can doubtlessly tell the difference. "Um... what do you mean?" is still inquired to the Espada, continuing to finger her sword restlessly and hovering on the threshold of the makeshift ring of stones.
Anselm merely watches on in silence as Ulquiorra interacts with Tacita about her training needs. He nods to himself in his head about this.. that sword is not by any means the same size as Tousen's zanpakutou so of course adjustments would need to be made in her case. As he listened further, he could tell by the way Ulquiorra was talking that he soon would be involved in it.. Which really would solve his problem with offering his services to the inept Arrancar girl.
Finally, his name was uttered by the Espada and his attention snapped awake to listen intently. "Hm..?" he replies, listening... nodding. "I can do that." he says in reply. Knowing what the Espada meant by it.. or at least thinking so. Hopefully not be just a moving target. With a deep breath to shake off his boredom spell, he removes his hands from his pockets to stretch his arms slightly. Each pair of knuckles loudly cracked.. indicating that he liked to use his hands perhaps.. his poor Zanpakutou so underused..
Arching his back, he lets out an invigorated sigh. "What he means is he probably wants me to be your pin cushion for that monster of a sword." saying this with a little bit of.. was it eagerness? in his voice.. Though he didn't know anything about Tacita or her abilities beyond just her name.. and what he saw moments ago...
The 4th Espada is by no means one for social encounters himself, but he does speak when situations present themselves. He could have very well looked at them and then continued on his way, but that he has granted them his attention and patience could mean any number of things. As one of Aizen's top soldiers, it is only expected that Ulquiorra have some sort of responsibility in making sure they have no useless deadweights in their ranks.
"...a spar...." Ulquiorra clarifies. "...it will help both your skills, and will familiarize you with the other's abilities, that of which might be good to know when in an actual battle." The half-helmed Espada remains where he stands, several feet from the ring of stones that marked off a suitable space for training. It seems he's going to stay and watch after all.
"Monster?" Tacita replies, seeming to be somewhat intrigued by the fact that her apparent opponent is not going to use his sword. A stark contrast to her otherwise demure nature, that the cracking of knuckles does not send her quivering. "This is as small as I could make Grozav Sange..." She glances at her sword, which is a far cry bigger then most sealed weapons. Then again, it's rather easy to tell her reiatsu is a league above common Numeros. Regardless a couple tentative steps forward are taken, lowering her weapon and resting her other hand upon her bicep, crossed before her chest. "I'm ready..." is offered. Eager to fight as well? In her own way. She's trying to prove herself a valuable asset, and with Ulquiorra watching there's hardly a better venue! But still, she's not sure if she should start, glancing to the Espada a moment. In other words, quite an opportunity for anyone less chauvinistic. Anselm will have to tell her to attack if he doesn't want to steal the initiative for himself.
With Ulquiorra's interest in the pair of Numeros.. strikes odd to Anselm.. who wasn't one to complain when told something to do by one of the Espada.. especially Ulquiorra.. Who Anselm held respect for, moreso than most of the other Espada.
Anselm was still somewhat outside that circle of stones.. and slowly stepped into it, his adrenaline starting to pump as his bored look had now contorted into one of more.. eager looks. "That way, we both win... You get to practice against someone other than your shadow and I get to have a little fun." the Arrancar rolled his neck to one side with a crack. "I'm probably not as observant as others.. but I'll try to give you pointers as I see how you fight." eyes drifting down to his zanpakutou... He should be fine.
His gaze shifts towards Ulquiorra once more, "Anything else I.. or we should know before going at it Ulquiorra-sama... Yeah, that thing is pretty huge for a petite Arrancar like you." he asks before adding his comment about Tacita's zanpakutou. Obviously he was looking for restrictions.. rules.. death probably being frowned upon. He then lets his wolfish gaze drift back over to Tacita once he reaches a suitable starting position for the spar, going over some things in his head.
His skill at reading reiatsu wasn't able to snatch minute details about a person, but Anselm could tell that Tacita wasn't someone to take to lightly. His body shifting into a sort of stance, a practiced stance with his fists at the ready.. not quite clenched closed. "Alright... ready." he says, pausing a moment.. "Come." he says once he's truely ready.. body surging with adrenaline to move.
If either are waiting for a word from him to start, they would be waiting a very long time. Ulquiorra is not here to play referee, and he's already spoken much more than he usually cares or tends to. He considers each of the arrancar, nodding then to Anselm at the inquiry. "Perhaps just stick to physical combat over use of techniques. Focus more on movement and wielding your weapon," he says, the latter directed more towards Tacita. Again he falls silent. It would be interesting to see these two fight, and he's only heard a little about the female's abilities. Little good they would do her if she wasn't able to make full use of her weapon while sealed.
"Tacita, perhaps as you fight, you should use the size of the your zanpakutou to your advantage. You don't always have to be swinging it and carrying it completely, you'll just wear yourself out." Even if she has no problems lifting it. Green eyes flick over towards Anselm as the silver-haired arrancar enters the ring of stones and prepares himself, and Ulquiorra nods as he initiates the beginning of their spar with a word.
"Mmm... can't argue that..." is responded towards Anselm, scratching at the back of her head and similarly turning an ear towards Ulquiorra. "I don't really have many techniques..." Tacita mulls to herself. Mere Sonido is more or less above her still, although she can do a nasty Cero and Bala if the opponent is foolish enough to allow her. She waves her weapon through the air in smooth arcs, indeed seeming to be having nothing in her hand. There's no flex of muscle or tension in the body that would hint towards shifting around something even as light as paper. It's obviously got some unique properties that make her more then a little formidable sealed. "...? And I've never been tired before..." Not contrary! Just supplied information. But such mild and halfhearted commentary no longer has a place, for it is FIGHT TIME. Regripping the weapon, she shifts closer, sliding one foot through the sand before swinging in an overhead arc. One might think she has a lot of power to contrast the somewhat slow movement, completely foreshadowed. They'd be wrong. She may be able to heft the weapon around like nothing, but she can't swing it any harder then she can swing anything else, and she's got no hidden might within her. In other words, were Anselm to be hit, he would probably be immediately fired by Ulquiorra. Out of a cannon. Into a sun.
Physical combat?... Anselm sure as hell can do that.. it's what he's good at afterall. His body was built to move quickly and strike powerfully. Though with his lean physique.. lies the somewhat obvious problem of not having much in the name of a buffer for when he is struck. Not really casting a glance to Ulquiorra as he tells them the 'rules'.. "Hai..." he replies to the Espada as his attention.. his eyes, were focused on Tacita.. staring intently at her.. and hopefully that didn't pose much of a problem for her.
The smirk he wore on his face broadened as the spar was now in play.. allowing Tacita the first move if she wished.. watching her movements and the ease at which she swung her blade.. effortless. He was keen enough to notice that much as Tacita swung her sword in that overhead arc that was comming right for him.
To him, it seemed a bit sluggish in movement as he pressed forward, his feet sinking into the sand somewhat as his fist rose up, clenching at the last second to swat away the attack to get it out of his way and probably throw Tacita's balance off if she wasn't ready for it.. his other fist darting forward as he closed the distance.. hand clenching moments before impact and twisting to add that much more force behind it. He couldn't be to nice.. he had to fight for real... just not kill her to bad.
And so they begin. Ulquiorra has nothing more to impart at the moment, and so he falls into his customary silence as he does what he does best: observe. He watches as Tacita brings the massive blade up and then moves to swing. He can tell from a glance that Anselm is more than ready, and he awaits how things will progress between these two.
Well, Anselm probably overcompensated for the sword. It's rather easily swatted, with a dull sound nothing like metal. It drives into the ground with a big puff of sand, Tacita yeeping and trying to keep a tight hold. But that was a very good warning, for the grazing touch would of burned like acid even with only a graze; remaining behind on the other Arrancar's hand, small specks of black seeming to be the culprit with just the mildest hint of numbness. And it would not go away in time, only intensify. In other words, all signs point to flesh touching sword = bad. Regardless of such, it won't save her from the sudden rush. She manages to hunker slightly and shift her forearm to catch the punch. Her hierro would feel like slugging steel, however. She's sent sliding backwards before crashing on her back, but that seems to be the extent of the damage. Anything less then full force will be a love tap, that's for sure! "Ah..." She gathers herself and readies the weapon, but completely forfeited any further attack. What the lupine opponent does now, however, is unknown!
When Anselm's hand comes into contact with the obsidian blade, he feels that the blade isn't like normal blades.. the sound produced when struck dull.. like hitting a tree.. or someone's face? After that was out of the way, noting how easily it was swatted aside.. Anselm gathers that Tacita is lacking in the area of physical strength.. barely able to keep a grip on her sword it seems.. And when his other hand comes into contact with Tacita's forearm, that famous hierro saves her from serious harm..
After the blow, he watches the girl skid backwards and topple over onto her back.. an odd feeling in his hand that deflected the sword.. looking and seeing the black specks.. "Hm.. what's this...?" he things to himself, shaking his hand for a moment as he feels the numbness sinking in.. The sword.. was a problem.. and was to be avoided at all costs.
So far so good, save for the odd substance on his hand.. Anselm watches Tacita ready herself again before his body vanishes with that telltale static noise of the sonido movement... When the Arrancar was visible again, he'd be seen attempting a sharp right hook to the girl's face..
There's a tension that shows that Tacita had saw him shoot forward, but she's unable to muster any defense this time. Struck right across the face, the haplessly lithe girl spirals twice before crashing upon the sand once more. Although it's still by no means as crippling as might of been desired for so full a blow. "Ouch..." She doesn't hesitate to pick herself up, a line of blood slithering down the side of her cheek and quickly wiped away. That was pretty bad, Tacita... although getting beaten up is her strong point, luckily. Much to Tousen's admonishment. She seems to loosen up this time, narrowing her eyes towards Anselm. Watching for movement this time, preparing to retaliate instead of pressing a useless defense... what might be different is questionable at best, however.
Anselm was in an observational sort of mode.. testing Tacita to see what she was capable of.. her speed lacking if she was unable to muster a defense in time.. but her general ability to shrug off his hits was something else. His hits, though not full out punches.. were barely causing any effect here.. which was surprising when he looked at Tacity and her slender frame.
After the punch connects and sends the girl spiraling into the ground.. he doesn't wait around for her to gather herself again and vanishes yet again, leaving behind that static sound with his burst of speed.. comming into view mere inches away from her, his face right close too as his arms seem to be at his sides, bent at the elbow with his knee the one to come thrusting up to try and knee her right in the gut with the intentions of sending her into the air onces more. Air Time to date: 1 second.
This time, although he still manages the fiercesome blow that folds her up like cheap luggage, there's no sign of surprise. Even as the air violently leaves her lungs, the crimson scintillating blade surges to life. A thin prong flashes out, trying to impale Anselm within the shoulder. Were it to sink within, it would then break off and leave a large segment in the wound. The effects of such will be bad, were it to work. Of course, this attempt to trade an eye for an eye doesn't change the fact her own just got gouged; thudding upon her knees a couple meters away, this time slow in her languid rise, Grozav Sange dragging a furrow through the sand as her free hand cups her stomach. Hack!
"......" Interesting. It is always more interesting to see things happen for oneself than hear of it second-hand. Ulquiorra masterfully maintains a stoic appearance as he continues to observe, but he might very well make mention to Aizen about such promising soldiers.
It wasn't a surprise to him that his knee connected so easily.. Tacita's speed was relatively slow compared to his own.. but her lack of defending was striking to him as he figured she'd try to lure him in close for something.. which he'd have to eventually being a melee fighter and all. As his knee connects to Tacita's mid section, his eyes dart off to the side as he sees the blade make a move.. a tendril that lashes out to try and stab his shoulder. The Arrancar doesn't seem to surprised since he had a suspicion that it was going to try something like that. But he sure as hell didn't want to be touched by it after he experienced simply touching it. His body flickered from sight again, appearing at the opposite side of the sparring ring... "Your sword packs a wicked bite..." he comments, giving a thumbs up with his hand that isn't numbing.. clenching and unclenching the fingers to make sure he can still use them.. the numbness not as bad as he would have thought. The idea of back attacks comming to him.. the only probably safe way to attack her without getting a nasty surprise.
"Sorry... This is how I always fought as a Hollow... it is hard to adapt." Tacita comments, picking herself back up. After a few deep breathes, she seems to have mostly endured such little the worse for wear. Yet he's managing to hurt her just slugging her; that's more then she is used to. "I'll try to be a better match..." She raises the sword back towards Anselm, narrowing her eyes again while tensing in concentration. And then there's a crack like a rifle, and a shard about the size of an arrowhead of black blood screams across the intervening distance, trying to sink into the feral Arrancar. Multiple other shots go off thereafter, aiming the tip of her weapon and trying to catch him as best she can in this ambush. But her rapport with her blood is weak in this form, slowed down to molasses compared to her release. She has to get in a full hit and then ride him out! That is how she intends to win. If Tousen was here, he'd slap her for this train of thought. How self destructive.
A smirk crosses Anselm's face as Tacita isn't as shy or meek as she first was when both he and Ulquiorra arrived. Though you don't become one of Aizen's Arrancar just because your cute.. there has to be some sort of potential there, and Tacita has much. The fist using Arrancar wary to go within range of that sword.. "Not a problem.. that's why I'm sparring you, to help you adapt.. You should try not to let yourself take so many hits." he suggest as he raises his right hand, the one that had the black specks.. and clenches tight.. bones cracking.
When Tacita says she'll try harder, he watches the sword raise up and aim towards him.. the thought of projectiles soon to come flashes through his mind as a warning. If those arrowhead like projectiles sunk into him, he was as good as done and quickly gets the hell out of the way by leaping high into the air. He contemplates how he can combat her and help her, but with that sword.. he couldn't stay within melee range for long.. or in one place for long either.
Remaining in the air for a few moments, his body vanishes once more.. that static sound left in his wake before he appears behind Tacita.. both hands raised and clenched together as the come crashing down to try and axehandle the girl from behind, this time actually putting some oomph in his attack.
"Mmm. I'm at my strongest when I'm wounded, sadly." Tacita offers mysteriously. What that might entail will doubtfully be realized this time, as she's not going to release for anything beyond a life or death struggle, which this surely isn't. This time, the sudden woosh isn't completely ignored. As he drives down both of his hands, the hilt of her sword flashes out behind, trying to catch him in the solar plexus even as his fists slam down into her shoulder; she maneuvered to catch it somewhere less vulnerable, but she immediately crashes to her knees and doubles over, mound of sand kicked up in a two meter veil as she lets out a pained gasp. But immediately thereafter she whirls and slashes with her sword, blindly but with much more speed then shown; forcing through the pain with practiced ease. The furious thrashing of a cornered beast, but in this case instinct is a potent and useful weapon!
Tacita's remark about being strongest when wounded mulls around in the Arrancar's head.. more or less understanding what that means.. but how she'd pull it off exactly.. is left to be figured out.. For now, Anselm' is more concerned about watching for surprise attacks from that sword of hers..
As his hands collide with the girl's body, he feels her resilliance and sees the sword hilt flash out to catch him in the gut.. whudding against his steel like abdomen.. Tacita wasn't the only one with a tough hide.. but for what it's worth.. he can't take heavy duty hits without worrying. So as it strikes, he immediately pushes himself back and away as the sand explodes up around Tacita from the blow.
As his body flings itself backwards, the immediate repraisal from Tacita wasn't expected.. the sword whooshing through the axehandle's force and right for him, his eyes going wide as the sword closes in.. his hands quick to respond as they clamp down at the flat of the blades.. but sadly for him.. his thumb gets bitten into by the blade and his blood drips to the sand... "Heh..." he mutters before he rears and slams his already black specked hand down onto the flat of the blade with extreme prejudice!! >(
This time there's a bigger black sliver stuck within said thumb; if Anselm is wise he'll yank it out and throw it away right quick, as it would dissolve in a few seconds otherwise. She lets out a sharp exhale, having rattled herself more then her opponent smacking into him. Trading physical blows is a lose-lose proposition, which is starkly unsurprising. But then he makes a potentially fatal mistake!! Were this to be a real fight. The incoming punch is not surprising, and just the slightest of smiles creases her face. Anselm punches the sword dead on, but... his fist goes partially through, as if he just tried to smack a big piece of taffy, absorbing the kinetic force completely. Before lacerating barbs erupt out, trying to catch him firmly and sink deep within, to slither up his forearm and burrow under his skin like frisky tentacles. "Gotcha?" is offered, with just a bit too much tease for someone who's supposed to be shy, redoubling her grip on her weapon in anticipation of a tug o' war.
The full extent of Tacita's weapon was still largely unknown to Anselm and who woul d have guessed that his hand would sink right into the weapon like punching something maleable like 'taffy'.. This of course surprised the Arrancar, his eyes widening as he finds it hard to pull it out.. and he also has a shard in his other hand ...snapping the wrist to dislodge shard with a sudden forceful movement..
As his mind raced for possible solutions to his predicament, he sees the girl's smile.. as if the fight was over.. Straining with his hand, he manages to open the fingers to expose his palm just as the tendrils erupt out to try and octopus his arm.. "Maybe..." he says as that arm suddenly surges as Cero energy starts to accumulate in his palm.. a wide grin on his face just then as he starts to yank his arm back at the tug of war to aim the Cero blast.. out of the way just in case it broke through the weapon's other side.. If it was enough he could pull his arm free before the tentacles could do any good.. if not.. well.. that's to see...
Ulquiorra's eyes widen slightly. Well, that's different. Tacita's weapon certainly has displayed intriguing properties. From the female arrancar, the half-helmed Espada looks to Anselm to see how he will deal with this new predicament. He can feel the power gathering for the blast even before the Cero is released, and even then, Ulquiorra has not yet shifted from his spot.
Oh, my. Tricksy, isn't he? But Tacita is quite happy to break the tug o' war pre-emptively. After the tendrils slither out, her weapon parts like the red sea, and she dives aside as the blast of cero erupts into air. Her zanpakutou reforms slowly thereafter, but more bothersome to Anselm is the fact that her budded offspring decided to stay; there are many shards upon him, peppering like leeches and trying to sink into his bloodstream, burning like acid all the while in a manner that is not unlike jury-rigging one's central nervous system to a car battery. They would melt like icecubes in the sun, as she tries to get as much of her vile poison into his system as possible. "You shouldn't touch my weapon..." is offered helpfully, likely too late to do much. It seems that even if she sucks at swordplay, she's nowhere near harmless.
Well, at least his arm is free.. the parting of the obsidian sword like it does exposes the Cero blast to the open air and fires harmlessly out into the horizon.. probably blowing up some unsuspecting Hollow wandering around.. With Anselm free of the sword of tentacle rape, he leaps back to a safe distance to asess the damage. His arm is dotted with the tentacles babies as they try to worm their way into his arm and into his blood.. And without knowing their properties, he's not sure how to get rid of them properly.. short of trying to brush them off.. The burning sensation starting to grow rather annoying as he then tries to shake them off.. "Damnit!" he curses as he looks over to Tacita as she makes that poisonous comment. "Haha... I know.. but I learn by trial and error it seems..." he retorts. He wasn't sure just how long he had before he'd feel the affects of that much poisonous material in his system..
Brushing? Nope. Shaking? Nope. The precious seconds of opportunity vanish, and there's only odd black blemishes upon the skin, the same as the specks now on his thumb and the back of his hand. But unlike the other two, this time the effect on his system is cumulative and devastating. It would be like the world is beginning to go into a slow motion, all feeling beginning to get lost in a haze of increasing pain. Lesser beings and even lesser hollows might succumb to that almost hallucinogenic experience and collapse into seizures. She has to admire his strength. "This is how I fight... sadly, this is not exactly a poison... it will not stop increasing in potency until you are paralyzed... The more in your blood, the faster the effect." She levels Grozav Sange once more, seeming to have some confidence in her victory. He's on a timer now. "Do you wish you drew your sword now?"
Anselm's attempts to rid himself of those freaky ass shards in in vain as they worm their way into his system and vanish, leaving those black spots on his arm.. It wasn't long until the cumulative effects would take hold of his system and render him unable fight. With each beat of his heart.. wherever it was.. it pumped the mystery fluid deeper into his body and well, things weren't looking good for him.. But at least he knows now to steer clear of that sword at all costs.. until he can resist it's penetrative ability..
The Arrancar's breathing started to become heavier as he didn't look so good.. but he wouldn't quit while his limbs were still under his control.. Those yellow eyes of him showing his unbreakable will to fight.. and to overcome.. which probably is what kept him standing at this point.. "Not.. exactly.. You probably wouldn't be standing if I did.." he replies, raising his right arm that was the most afflicted.. then the left.. it seemed more lively and he clenched his fist. "But I'm not finished yet..." his speech labored.
Within the blink of an eye, the Arrancar male vanishes with another burst of speed.. the static sound resounding where he was before appearing right in front of Tacita with his hand firmly wrapped around her throat.. for about as long as he could move.. With his quickly draining strength, he squeezed... until his legs gave out and he collapsed into a kneeling position, panting.. >.O;;
"...well you certainly know how to fight freestyle," the Espada spoke up, breaking his long-held silence. And for the moment, they both insisted on continuing. Not for very much longer, Ulquiorra anticipates, given Anselm's ragged appearance what with the effects of Tacita's blood affecting him. "Enough, both of you," he says, crossing the rock-marked perimeter.
"Mmm." Tacita muses, not particularly pitiful of the plight that Anselm is suffering. And much as she is want to do, as he surges forward she does not move to evade, but instead leans back and shifts the sword. He grasps her by the neck, grimacing even as the tip shoots out towards his stomach, trying to sink within as she finds air to be sorely wanting. Of course, were her already lingering poison to not suffice, that would likely do the trick. She's still calm despite such, his weakened body unable to snap her neck even if he were inclined... it's uncomfortable, but that is her entire life... her gimmicks seem to have won her this fight, even if he won't be nearly as careless about her sword in any further conflicts... "Hrrgh...!!" Of course, at Ulquiorra's word, she would immediately cease her attack. --And actually, all the pain and lethargy would vanish as she ceases the grip of her invasive blood, leaving behind a muddled numbness but no more pain or incapacitation...
Before he even hit his knees to the sand, Anselm was more or less out of it.. Not even able to move out of the way of the incomming blade. Lucky for him, the spar had ended... and Tacita ceased her attack. It wasn't long though that the effects of the sword suddenly dissapated and only lingered as a faint numbness. The Arrancar blinks some as he feels alot of his strength come back to him now that the sluggishness was gone and pushes himself to his feet. And with a slightly out of nowhere response, he laughs somewhat.. "That was awesome, Tacita-san... I haven't had to try and think that hard while fighting in a long time. Sadly most of those who I'm against aren't as cunning as you." he says, reaching out and ruffling the girl's hair somewhat as an act of some sort of friendship.. or something?
As for the Espada that was watching, he stops.. and goes cold, turning towards Ulquiorra.. "Ah....." unsure what to say to defend the loss.. the Arrancar falls to one knee to kneel, head bowed... "Sumimasen-deshita!" he says, apologizing to the Espada for being to weak to be the victor.. Though it was unknown to him how Ulquiorra would react to it.. To dissapoint a superior.
"...." The very notion that he was apologizing was absurd, but then Ulquiorra knew well enough how very cautious many of the Numeros were around the Espada. He comes within two feet of them, his hands still in his pockets, and his gaze fixes upon one, then the other that now kneels as if expecting to be at his mercy.
"....save your breath for if you lose a real battle, although you will likely not be answering to me if that ever be the case," he said. He let his gaze linger upon Anselm for a moment longer before looking between them both. "This has merely been a spar to let you know your opponent, and likewise, your comrades better. Both of you have exhibited skills for adaptation of close combat, but I would not have expected anything less."
"Tacita. Your attacks prove most effective, but if it relies mainly upon the beating you take from your opponent, it isn't a most advisable tactic unless you are certain you can outlast your victim. Anselm." The Cuarta Espada looks to the male arrancar then. "...knowing that this was only a spar, you relied on your bare fists, strength and speed. While not something to be disapproved of, there is a matter of your pride as well. Your last decision and manuever spoke of it in volumes." His tone manages to sound stern, and yet not completely condescending. He's actually somewhat impressed with their performance, but he knows they can do better.
"Both of you, tend to your injuries as you must. If you think it beneficial, you might want to have more sessions like this from time to time." It will certainly be something to keep them active and battle ready, if not satiate their boredom and bloodlust.
Oddly enough, Tacita is not groveling. She is eager to please, and feels rather content that such has been done. She won! Which is not entirely surprising, as the only difference between this and a century in Huenco Mundo was being in the form of an Arrancar. It's difficult to adjust to, given the seat of her powers is within her sword instead... But she bows her head reverently, by no means about to look Ulquiorra in the face. "...Yes. I wish to learn proper swordsmanship..." she comments, sulking slightly. A deep bow follows at the end, a piece of etiquette she picked up here. "It... it was nice to meet you both... I am going to retire now..." Hugging the sword to her chest, she bows again - if not as deeply - to Anselm before retreating towards the desert. This has been a bigger training session then she anticipated...
Anselm wasn't sure how his apology for losing would be taken, and Ulquiorra's response was somewhat expected as he slowly pushes himself to his feet. "Hai..." he says in reply to the Espada's take on his apology. Once he's on his feet again, he gives his attention to Ulquiorra as he gives his piece on the entire sparring match that happened.
The Arrancar nods slowly at the whole learning deal.. then it gets to Tacita's performance.. something that he even commented on. And theeeen it was his turn.. Anselm perking his ears at the mention of his name.. "Hai.." he replies, thinking it through.. he should have drew his sword or something. The majority of battles, one might not know their enemy.. and that can be the cause of ones victory or defeat..
His injuries were minimal, a cut.. and the remnants of Tacita's paralyzing blood. Who then decides it's time to retire for now.. bowing in reply to the girl as she retreats. "I'll be looking for you!" he calls out after her, grinning.. leaving him behind and the Espada.
Having nothing more to say himself, Ulquiorra merely nods, first to Tacita, then to Anselm. He has no words to offer in parting, and has never been one known for farewells. Instead, he turns and begins to walk back towards the entryway he had come from, coattails trailing in his wake like lazy banners in the wind.
Characters: Anselm, Tacita, Ulquiorra
Summary: Ulquiorra observes after instigating a spar between Tacita and Anselm.
-=[White Desert - Hueco Mundo]=-------------------------------------------------
White sand pours out before you in all directions, from horizon to horizon. Here and there are clusters of brittle-branched, leafless trees and towering dunes. Far, far away, in the distance, lurks the unreal, towering white walls of Las Noches.
Only a couple hundred yards from the endless girth of Hueco Mundo, cast in a shadow so long it nearly reaches the horizon, Tacita has been carefully going over some of the nuances in technique Tousen demonstrated. It's not particularly out of the way; a seldom used entrance is well within visual distance, primarily utilized by guards or roving individuals who don't care for the primary entrances. A circle of sand has been arranged with stones. Intended for sparring most likely, something makeshift and informal but still utilized by the Numeros at the moment. Tacita's stance is awkward, back too stiff and grip improper, yet at the very least the massive black zanpakutou doesn't seem to mind. Each grunting swing has enough force to displace a burst of sand, and belies how weightless it is even by the standards of such condensed weapons. What precisely she's trying to do is difficult to tell, unless it's to learn very bad habits, but given her back is to the doorway she'd not know of anyone dropping in unless they revealed themselves of their own accord. Swing! Swing! Wobble. ...She really needs a consistent tutor.
Not exactly confined within the walls of Las Noches, the Numeros are given the freedom to go in and out of the massive fortress as they please so long as they don't try to slip away to the living world without permission from a superior.. Which is the case for this particular Numeros, Anselm. Leaving the confines of the compound which all the Arrancar, the ones who are under Aizen-sama's employ at anyrate, reside in, the rather bored Arrancar trapses acrossed the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo.
His pace was casual and his gaze out into the distance was devoid of much emotion since he was just wandering around in no particular direction of preference.. A walk around the building could take weeks.. so there was always something new to see.. well sometimes. And today was one such day as he would see in the distance a lone figure toting a rather large weapon and swinging rather awkwardly.. then wobbling.. A brow quirking on Anselm's face as he changes directions to approach whoever was out here.
The figure of Tacita growing closer now provides him with a closer look to see who it was.. not someone he was exactly familiar with as his hands are stuffed in his pockets, the bored look still on his face and not even saying anything just yet since he's still a ways away.
The sands seem to hardly stir beneath his feet as he steps out into the open sands that lie beneath the eternal night sky. There has been no real threat of disturbance out in the endless sands of Hueco Mundo, not since the last unexpected venture that he and Tousen had taken and properly dealt with a renegade Priviron and her small group of would-be revolutionaries. Between the former captain and the half-helmed Espada, they had made short work of them.
A brief glance towards those distant dunes brings with it no hint of suspicious reiatsu, and the only notable presences Ulquiorra finds within the area are the two arrancar that remain near the immense and white walls of Las Noches. He turns his green-eyed gaze in their direction, and silently begins to walk their way, his coattails fluttering lazily after each step.
Poor Tacita. Were she aware not one, but two people were lingering nearby, she'd be a lot more bashful. She picked this location knowing full well she's a raging incompetent, and had hoped nobody would wander by to see. But she's unable to detect reiatsu; at least, not unless very close and only to know relative strength, something recently learned and generally good for nothing. She'd always been like an anglerfish; her own massive spirit power drawing in food to eat... Swing. Swing. Swing. Disheartened, she rests a moment, brushing sand from her hair fastidiously and tightening the sash about her waist. Although she scans the surroundings offhandedly, the other two Arrancar are not noticed. Delusions of privacy cloud her vision! Assuming a peculiar stance, one intended for thrusting, she brings up her large weapon. It's entirely not made for this kind of attack, but what comes next is far from useless. The black weapon swirls, and two prongs shoot out with rather vicious speed, only stopping once they impale the sand a few meters away. An amorphous sealed zanpakutou, one retaining some of her release capabilities. Far from common. It retracts more lethargically, resuming the bulky girth it started with.
As the Arrancar stepped through the sands of the endless sea of dunes.. He drew closer and closer to the now visible circle the female was practicing her swordsmanship with. Her form was.. for the lack of a better word.. odd.. unpracticed.. Even his skill with a sword was better and he never really practiced. Anselm's brow quirks even further as his radar tips him off to someone far more powerful than Tacita or his self nearby.. the familiar Reiatsu that was put with only one of the Espada was near, Ulquiorra.
Why would an Espada even bother with a Numeros unless the intent on some suicide task was in mind.. The Arrancar starting to sweat a little at the thought of it as he drew nearer to Tacita until he was about 50 yards away, hands still in his pocket and a more than a little uncomfortable at the moment.
His yellow eyes, lupine in appearance watched Tacita change stances.. that weapon rather different.. or at least from the norm of most with their katana like zanpakutou.. "Looks like your having a blast out here." he finally says, his voice sounding a little ...'harsh' in tone.
The Espada still keeps a controlled handle of his spiritual presence, even in Hueco Mundo, although not as tightly as he does when out in the realm of the living. Here, he doesn't need to hide his reiatsu, but neither does he need to flaunt it. His progress towards the two is at a leisurely pace, and even as he draws nearer to them to be in speaking distance, he makes no effort to raise a greeting. Instead, he seems content to merely watch.
He knows the two by name, but he has never truly spoken with either. His unblinking gaze shifts between them in observation, watching Tacita's uneasy handling of her weapon and the awkward stance she takes- and then to Anselm, whom Ulquiorra notes has noticed his presence, even when the female has not.
In the midst of focusing herself for another shift in her sword, the words could not have come at a more vulnerable time. She jumps to such an extent both feet leave the sanded dunes, sword nearly popping free of her grasp before being snatched and hugged to her chest. Stumbling away from the source of the voice, she finally manages to twist and levy wide eyes towards Anselm. But it's probably only shock that keeps eye contact for more then a few seconds, casting downwards and to the side in order to observe a particularly interesting particle of sand. "Y-You scared me..." is stupidly mumbled, almost too low to be clear, as if such wasn't evident. Nothing immediately further comes, one foot kicking a little rift in the sand. "Can I help you...?" is offered thereafter, just as awkward as her earlier stance.
One couldn't live in Las Noches without knowing all the Espada by name.. and perhaps even knowing a little more beyond that like habits and traits.. From what Anselm could see, Ulquiorra wasn't much of a talker which is one reason why he never approached him.. And here he was, not much further away from the two Numeros, just standing there... that level gaze piercing them.
Since Anselm was the first to reach the makeshift training area, he would eventually turn his head towards Ulquiorra. Acknowledging the Espada's presence with a faint nod of sorts.. if he wanted something he'd probably ask it when he felt like it.. right? His hands still remained in his pockets, thumbs sticking out to give him some sort of semblence of a cool look.
With that look in mind and with Tacita's sudden loss of balance, followed by a rather meek reply.. causes the Arrancar to tilt his head to one side slightly.. "I...scared you?... Well, I don't mind someone telling me that." he said with a smirk before shaking his head some. "No, not in particular. I was just out here, trying to get lost and noticed you were out here so ..." he shrugs then.
Tacita proves to be quite an unusual arrancar, at least very different in demeanor than those of her brethren. That she acts almost timidly is a strange thing to witness. To Anselm, Ulquiorra's return of acknowledgement is but the slightest cant of his head. With that, he begins to approach them again, his hands in his pockets as they usually are, almost the same sort of position that the other Numeros takes up, save the Espada's are completely swallowed by the hakama slits.
"...both of you are far from the usual grounds," he comments, and although he doesn't raise his voice to make up for the distance between them, his words are still clearly audible.
Shuffleshuffle. Tacita is obviously far from her depth, completely unsure what to do or say. An almost tangible discomfort, evident in the constant fidgets and roving gaze, seeming to take everything in but the Arrancar opposite in anything but furtive glances that shy away, piecing together a puzzle-like cobblestone of what he probably looks like in her mind. "Do... you want me to leave...?" is finally squeaked out, hugging her sword to her chest. She's hovered a few meters in the direction of the door, just barely within the ring. She completely misses the glance to Ulquiorra, so it's another surprise to find him nearby. "Oh!! Ulquiorra-sama!" She bows so deeply she would of likely committed seppuku were the point of her sword aimed at her stomach rather then the hilt. It's still quite uncomfortable. "I'm, I'm terribly sorry! I did not know this area was off limits!" Between a rock and a hard place now. Poor Tacita.
Well, to recieve even the slightest of acknowledgement from the Espada was an honor in Anselm's eyes.. and appears to be less... worried about his own personal safety.. though it's not like he isn't afraid of a fight. The sounds of Ulquiorra's footsteps are nearly inaudible on the sand as that flatlike voice is clearly heard by Anselm, his own gaze shifting to the Espada now. "Ah... Ulquiorra-sama.. I had a need for 'fresh' air so I decided to take a walk.. All that fake light is a pain." he replies, his tone filled with a bit more confidence than a usual Arrancar addressing an Espada.
His wolf like gaze drifts back to Tacita who seems to be experiencing technical difficulties in even giving him the slightest of eye contacts. He reaches up with a hand to scratch the back of his silvair haired head.. "Huh..? No, your fine where you are....Uhm...." trying to pull her name from his brain, it takes a moment. "Tacita-san is it?" he tries before going quiet as Ulquiorra is really the center of attention here.
Thickly shadowed brows lift subtly at the woman's reaction, and for her benefit, Ulquiorra replies verbally aside from the headshake offered. "No, it isn't off limits." Perhaps he should have remained silent, as it's obvious his presence isn't helping Tacita's nerves. Certainly an interesting one that Aizen-sama has picked up.
At least Anselm proves more relaxed at his arrival, although even that can be a dangerous thing. Ulquiorra isn't here to be friends, but it is in his interests to see how those of Aizen's troops are faring. Despite being lower in rank to the Espada, they are by no means any less inclined to become restless when lacking in action and blood to be spilled.
"I had heard that Tousen was assisting you in combat techniques..." he says, redirecting his attention to Tacita. "....although from what I have seen right now, I must question its effectiveness..."
"Oh. Um." Tacita is trying now to regain her composure. It's one thing to be as meek as a mouse around her peers, but Tousen admonished her more then once in regards to doing such to the Espada. Even if standing tall with her head slightly bowed helps little for such; small steps, and all. "He, he has not had much time lately." is offered, tone still oozingly apologetic. "I've been trying to work on my swordplay, but we did not touch on that except once..." Fingers trace the savage edges of Grozav Sange, which despite the seemingly razor edge dull beneath her touch visible, only to reform into the deadly sheen once they pass. "..." Another momentary silence she does not like, and quickly fills. "Sorry..."
By no means was Anselm's tone that of an attempt to be friendly.. more of just stating the facts since it isn't wise to lie to an Espada.. especially not Ulquiorra who had a nack for being able to find things out.. It's just that, it doesn't exactly help things along if he cringes in fear at the sight of someone much stronger than him.
Anselm wasn't aware of all the doings of his siblings, so the news of Tousen going out of his way to teach Tacita how to effectively wield a blade was somewhat shocking to him. However, swordplay wasn't his focus of study really.. but one could always benifit from such lessons. With the hand slipping back down to it's rightful pocket, he watches Ulquiorra and Tacita with an observant, if not still bored look.
It was somewhat sad to see a fellow Arrancar in need, and despite his tone and appearance.. Anselm could be somewhat friendly at times.. the thought of helping Tacita work on her basics sifted into his mind for a moment.. but he kept it to himself for the time being.
Ulquiorra offers a nod in understanding. Tousen has other things to do, plenty enough to keep him occupied over providing private tutelage for a battle-inept arrancar. "Your method might need readjustments," he says, looking over the large zanpakutou. "Training with your shadow only gives you so much in regards to getting a feel for actual combat, and even that is very minor."
He looks over at Anselm, either aware of his however better masked unease, or simply due to convenience. "Anselm." He remembers his name. "An alleviation to your boredom, and an assistance to Tacita's abilities." His thoughts have gone along the same lines of the other Arrancar's in that aspect.
"I've nobody to spar with..." is began, with no air of such being a lie. Merely a genuine excuse, if one she's taken no practical measures of fixing of her own accord. The prospect of the meandering Numeros nearby fitting the bill had completely not registered in her mind, and with an incredible difficulty she wrenches up her gaze to meet his. It still seems to be difficult to keep, and eventually the effort is abandoned. Such is less nervous shyness and more a deeply seated insecurity and lack of experience in social encounters. Easily read in either direction by the common masses, but Ulquiorra can doubtlessly tell the difference. "Um... what do you mean?" is still inquired to the Espada, continuing to finger her sword restlessly and hovering on the threshold of the makeshift ring of stones.
Anselm merely watches on in silence as Ulquiorra interacts with Tacita about her training needs. He nods to himself in his head about this.. that sword is not by any means the same size as Tousen's zanpakutou so of course adjustments would need to be made in her case. As he listened further, he could tell by the way Ulquiorra was talking that he soon would be involved in it.. Which really would solve his problem with offering his services to the inept Arrancar girl.
Finally, his name was uttered by the Espada and his attention snapped awake to listen intently. "Hm..?" he replies, listening... nodding. "I can do that." he says in reply. Knowing what the Espada meant by it.. or at least thinking so. Hopefully not be just a moving target. With a deep breath to shake off his boredom spell, he removes his hands from his pockets to stretch his arms slightly. Each pair of knuckles loudly cracked.. indicating that he liked to use his hands perhaps.. his poor Zanpakutou so underused..
Arching his back, he lets out an invigorated sigh. "What he means is he probably wants me to be your pin cushion for that monster of a sword." saying this with a little bit of.. was it eagerness? in his voice.. Though he didn't know anything about Tacita or her abilities beyond just her name.. and what he saw moments ago...
The 4th Espada is by no means one for social encounters himself, but he does speak when situations present themselves. He could have very well looked at them and then continued on his way, but that he has granted them his attention and patience could mean any number of things. As one of Aizen's top soldiers, it is only expected that Ulquiorra have some sort of responsibility in making sure they have no useless deadweights in their ranks.
"...a spar...." Ulquiorra clarifies. "...it will help both your skills, and will familiarize you with the other's abilities, that of which might be good to know when in an actual battle." The half-helmed Espada remains where he stands, several feet from the ring of stones that marked off a suitable space for training. It seems he's going to stay and watch after all.
"Monster?" Tacita replies, seeming to be somewhat intrigued by the fact that her apparent opponent is not going to use his sword. A stark contrast to her otherwise demure nature, that the cracking of knuckles does not send her quivering. "This is as small as I could make Grozav Sange..." She glances at her sword, which is a far cry bigger then most sealed weapons. Then again, it's rather easy to tell her reiatsu is a league above common Numeros. Regardless a couple tentative steps forward are taken, lowering her weapon and resting her other hand upon her bicep, crossed before her chest. "I'm ready..." is offered. Eager to fight as well? In her own way. She's trying to prove herself a valuable asset, and with Ulquiorra watching there's hardly a better venue! But still, she's not sure if she should start, glancing to the Espada a moment. In other words, quite an opportunity for anyone less chauvinistic. Anselm will have to tell her to attack if he doesn't want to steal the initiative for himself.
With Ulquiorra's interest in the pair of Numeros.. strikes odd to Anselm.. who wasn't one to complain when told something to do by one of the Espada.. especially Ulquiorra.. Who Anselm held respect for, moreso than most of the other Espada.
Anselm was still somewhat outside that circle of stones.. and slowly stepped into it, his adrenaline starting to pump as his bored look had now contorted into one of more.. eager looks. "That way, we both win... You get to practice against someone other than your shadow and I get to have a little fun." the Arrancar rolled his neck to one side with a crack. "I'm probably not as observant as others.. but I'll try to give you pointers as I see how you fight." eyes drifting down to his zanpakutou... He should be fine.
His gaze shifts towards Ulquiorra once more, "Anything else I.. or we should know before going at it Ulquiorra-sama... Yeah, that thing is pretty huge for a petite Arrancar like you." he asks before adding his comment about Tacita's zanpakutou. Obviously he was looking for restrictions.. rules.. death probably being frowned upon. He then lets his wolfish gaze drift back over to Tacita once he reaches a suitable starting position for the spar, going over some things in his head.
His skill at reading reiatsu wasn't able to snatch minute details about a person, but Anselm could tell that Tacita wasn't someone to take to lightly. His body shifting into a sort of stance, a practiced stance with his fists at the ready.. not quite clenched closed. "Alright... ready." he says, pausing a moment.. "Come." he says once he's truely ready.. body surging with adrenaline to move.
If either are waiting for a word from him to start, they would be waiting a very long time. Ulquiorra is not here to play referee, and he's already spoken much more than he usually cares or tends to. He considers each of the arrancar, nodding then to Anselm at the inquiry. "Perhaps just stick to physical combat over use of techniques. Focus more on movement and wielding your weapon," he says, the latter directed more towards Tacita. Again he falls silent. It would be interesting to see these two fight, and he's only heard a little about the female's abilities. Little good they would do her if she wasn't able to make full use of her weapon while sealed.
"Tacita, perhaps as you fight, you should use the size of the your zanpakutou to your advantage. You don't always have to be swinging it and carrying it completely, you'll just wear yourself out." Even if she has no problems lifting it. Green eyes flick over towards Anselm as the silver-haired arrancar enters the ring of stones and prepares himself, and Ulquiorra nods as he initiates the beginning of their spar with a word.
"Mmm... can't argue that..." is responded towards Anselm, scratching at the back of her head and similarly turning an ear towards Ulquiorra. "I don't really have many techniques..." Tacita mulls to herself. Mere Sonido is more or less above her still, although she can do a nasty Cero and Bala if the opponent is foolish enough to allow her. She waves her weapon through the air in smooth arcs, indeed seeming to be having nothing in her hand. There's no flex of muscle or tension in the body that would hint towards shifting around something even as light as paper. It's obviously got some unique properties that make her more then a little formidable sealed. "...? And I've never been tired before..." Not contrary! Just supplied information. But such mild and halfhearted commentary no longer has a place, for it is FIGHT TIME. Regripping the weapon, she shifts closer, sliding one foot through the sand before swinging in an overhead arc. One might think she has a lot of power to contrast the somewhat slow movement, completely foreshadowed. They'd be wrong. She may be able to heft the weapon around like nothing, but she can't swing it any harder then she can swing anything else, and she's got no hidden might within her. In other words, were Anselm to be hit, he would probably be immediately fired by Ulquiorra. Out of a cannon. Into a sun.
Physical combat?... Anselm sure as hell can do that.. it's what he's good at afterall. His body was built to move quickly and strike powerfully. Though with his lean physique.. lies the somewhat obvious problem of not having much in the name of a buffer for when he is struck. Not really casting a glance to Ulquiorra as he tells them the 'rules'.. "Hai..." he replies to the Espada as his attention.. his eyes, were focused on Tacita.. staring intently at her.. and hopefully that didn't pose much of a problem for her.
The smirk he wore on his face broadened as the spar was now in play.. allowing Tacita the first move if she wished.. watching her movements and the ease at which she swung her blade.. effortless. He was keen enough to notice that much as Tacita swung her sword in that overhead arc that was comming right for him.
To him, it seemed a bit sluggish in movement as he pressed forward, his feet sinking into the sand somewhat as his fist rose up, clenching at the last second to swat away the attack to get it out of his way and probably throw Tacita's balance off if she wasn't ready for it.. his other fist darting forward as he closed the distance.. hand clenching moments before impact and twisting to add that much more force behind it. He couldn't be to nice.. he had to fight for real... just not kill her to bad.
And so they begin. Ulquiorra has nothing more to impart at the moment, and so he falls into his customary silence as he does what he does best: observe. He watches as Tacita brings the massive blade up and then moves to swing. He can tell from a glance that Anselm is more than ready, and he awaits how things will progress between these two.
Well, Anselm probably overcompensated for the sword. It's rather easily swatted, with a dull sound nothing like metal. It drives into the ground with a big puff of sand, Tacita yeeping and trying to keep a tight hold. But that was a very good warning, for the grazing touch would of burned like acid even with only a graze; remaining behind on the other Arrancar's hand, small specks of black seeming to be the culprit with just the mildest hint of numbness. And it would not go away in time, only intensify. In other words, all signs point to flesh touching sword = bad. Regardless of such, it won't save her from the sudden rush. She manages to hunker slightly and shift her forearm to catch the punch. Her hierro would feel like slugging steel, however. She's sent sliding backwards before crashing on her back, but that seems to be the extent of the damage. Anything less then full force will be a love tap, that's for sure! "Ah..." She gathers herself and readies the weapon, but completely forfeited any further attack. What the lupine opponent does now, however, is unknown!
When Anselm's hand comes into contact with the obsidian blade, he feels that the blade isn't like normal blades.. the sound produced when struck dull.. like hitting a tree.. or someone's face? After that was out of the way, noting how easily it was swatted aside.. Anselm gathers that Tacita is lacking in the area of physical strength.. barely able to keep a grip on her sword it seems.. And when his other hand comes into contact with Tacita's forearm, that famous hierro saves her from serious harm..
After the blow, he watches the girl skid backwards and topple over onto her back.. an odd feeling in his hand that deflected the sword.. looking and seeing the black specks.. "Hm.. what's this...?" he things to himself, shaking his hand for a moment as he feels the numbness sinking in.. The sword.. was a problem.. and was to be avoided at all costs.
So far so good, save for the odd substance on his hand.. Anselm watches Tacita ready herself again before his body vanishes with that telltale static noise of the sonido movement... When the Arrancar was visible again, he'd be seen attempting a sharp right hook to the girl's face..
There's a tension that shows that Tacita had saw him shoot forward, but she's unable to muster any defense this time. Struck right across the face, the haplessly lithe girl spirals twice before crashing upon the sand once more. Although it's still by no means as crippling as might of been desired for so full a blow. "Ouch..." She doesn't hesitate to pick herself up, a line of blood slithering down the side of her cheek and quickly wiped away. That was pretty bad, Tacita... although getting beaten up is her strong point, luckily. Much to Tousen's admonishment. She seems to loosen up this time, narrowing her eyes towards Anselm. Watching for movement this time, preparing to retaliate instead of pressing a useless defense... what might be different is questionable at best, however.
Anselm was in an observational sort of mode.. testing Tacita to see what she was capable of.. her speed lacking if she was unable to muster a defense in time.. but her general ability to shrug off his hits was something else. His hits, though not full out punches.. were barely causing any effect here.. which was surprising when he looked at Tacity and her slender frame.
After the punch connects and sends the girl spiraling into the ground.. he doesn't wait around for her to gather herself again and vanishes yet again, leaving behind that static sound with his burst of speed.. comming into view mere inches away from her, his face right close too as his arms seem to be at his sides, bent at the elbow with his knee the one to come thrusting up to try and knee her right in the gut with the intentions of sending her into the air onces more. Air Time to date: 1 second.
This time, although he still manages the fiercesome blow that folds her up like cheap luggage, there's no sign of surprise. Even as the air violently leaves her lungs, the crimson scintillating blade surges to life. A thin prong flashes out, trying to impale Anselm within the shoulder. Were it to sink within, it would then break off and leave a large segment in the wound. The effects of such will be bad, were it to work. Of course, this attempt to trade an eye for an eye doesn't change the fact her own just got gouged; thudding upon her knees a couple meters away, this time slow in her languid rise, Grozav Sange dragging a furrow through the sand as her free hand cups her stomach. Hack!
"......" Interesting. It is always more interesting to see things happen for oneself than hear of it second-hand. Ulquiorra masterfully maintains a stoic appearance as he continues to observe, but he might very well make mention to Aizen about such promising soldiers.
It wasn't a surprise to him that his knee connected so easily.. Tacita's speed was relatively slow compared to his own.. but her lack of defending was striking to him as he figured she'd try to lure him in close for something.. which he'd have to eventually being a melee fighter and all. As his knee connects to Tacita's mid section, his eyes dart off to the side as he sees the blade make a move.. a tendril that lashes out to try and stab his shoulder. The Arrancar doesn't seem to surprised since he had a suspicion that it was going to try something like that. But he sure as hell didn't want to be touched by it after he experienced simply touching it. His body flickered from sight again, appearing at the opposite side of the sparring ring... "Your sword packs a wicked bite..." he comments, giving a thumbs up with his hand that isn't numbing.. clenching and unclenching the fingers to make sure he can still use them.. the numbness not as bad as he would have thought. The idea of back attacks comming to him.. the only probably safe way to attack her without getting a nasty surprise.
"Sorry... This is how I always fought as a Hollow... it is hard to adapt." Tacita comments, picking herself back up. After a few deep breathes, she seems to have mostly endured such little the worse for wear. Yet he's managing to hurt her just slugging her; that's more then she is used to. "I'll try to be a better match..." She raises the sword back towards Anselm, narrowing her eyes again while tensing in concentration. And then there's a crack like a rifle, and a shard about the size of an arrowhead of black blood screams across the intervening distance, trying to sink into the feral Arrancar. Multiple other shots go off thereafter, aiming the tip of her weapon and trying to catch him as best she can in this ambush. But her rapport with her blood is weak in this form, slowed down to molasses compared to her release. She has to get in a full hit and then ride him out! That is how she intends to win. If Tousen was here, he'd slap her for this train of thought. How self destructive.
A smirk crosses Anselm's face as Tacita isn't as shy or meek as she first was when both he and Ulquiorra arrived. Though you don't become one of Aizen's Arrancar just because your cute.. there has to be some sort of potential there, and Tacita has much. The fist using Arrancar wary to go within range of that sword.. "Not a problem.. that's why I'm sparring you, to help you adapt.. You should try not to let yourself take so many hits." he suggest as he raises his right hand, the one that had the black specks.. and clenches tight.. bones cracking.
When Tacita says she'll try harder, he watches the sword raise up and aim towards him.. the thought of projectiles soon to come flashes through his mind as a warning. If those arrowhead like projectiles sunk into him, he was as good as done and quickly gets the hell out of the way by leaping high into the air. He contemplates how he can combat her and help her, but with that sword.. he couldn't stay within melee range for long.. or in one place for long either.
Remaining in the air for a few moments, his body vanishes once more.. that static sound left in his wake before he appears behind Tacita.. both hands raised and clenched together as the come crashing down to try and axehandle the girl from behind, this time actually putting some oomph in his attack.
"Mmm. I'm at my strongest when I'm wounded, sadly." Tacita offers mysteriously. What that might entail will doubtfully be realized this time, as she's not going to release for anything beyond a life or death struggle, which this surely isn't. This time, the sudden woosh isn't completely ignored. As he drives down both of his hands, the hilt of her sword flashes out behind, trying to catch him in the solar plexus even as his fists slam down into her shoulder; she maneuvered to catch it somewhere less vulnerable, but she immediately crashes to her knees and doubles over, mound of sand kicked up in a two meter veil as she lets out a pained gasp. But immediately thereafter she whirls and slashes with her sword, blindly but with much more speed then shown; forcing through the pain with practiced ease. The furious thrashing of a cornered beast, but in this case instinct is a potent and useful weapon!
Tacita's remark about being strongest when wounded mulls around in the Arrancar's head.. more or less understanding what that means.. but how she'd pull it off exactly.. is left to be figured out.. For now, Anselm' is more concerned about watching for surprise attacks from that sword of hers..
As his hands collide with the girl's body, he feels her resilliance and sees the sword hilt flash out to catch him in the gut.. whudding against his steel like abdomen.. Tacita wasn't the only one with a tough hide.. but for what it's worth.. he can't take heavy duty hits without worrying. So as it strikes, he immediately pushes himself back and away as the sand explodes up around Tacita from the blow.
As his body flings itself backwards, the immediate repraisal from Tacita wasn't expected.. the sword whooshing through the axehandle's force and right for him, his eyes going wide as the sword closes in.. his hands quick to respond as they clamp down at the flat of the blades.. but sadly for him.. his thumb gets bitten into by the blade and his blood drips to the sand... "Heh..." he mutters before he rears and slams his already black specked hand down onto the flat of the blade with extreme prejudice!! >(
This time there's a bigger black sliver stuck within said thumb; if Anselm is wise he'll yank it out and throw it away right quick, as it would dissolve in a few seconds otherwise. She lets out a sharp exhale, having rattled herself more then her opponent smacking into him. Trading physical blows is a lose-lose proposition, which is starkly unsurprising. But then he makes a potentially fatal mistake!! Were this to be a real fight. The incoming punch is not surprising, and just the slightest of smiles creases her face. Anselm punches the sword dead on, but... his fist goes partially through, as if he just tried to smack a big piece of taffy, absorbing the kinetic force completely. Before lacerating barbs erupt out, trying to catch him firmly and sink deep within, to slither up his forearm and burrow under his skin like frisky tentacles. "Gotcha?" is offered, with just a bit too much tease for someone who's supposed to be shy, redoubling her grip on her weapon in anticipation of a tug o' war.
The full extent of Tacita's weapon was still largely unknown to Anselm and who woul d have guessed that his hand would sink right into the weapon like punching something maleable like 'taffy'.. This of course surprised the Arrancar, his eyes widening as he finds it hard to pull it out.. and he also has a shard in his other hand ...snapping the wrist to dislodge shard with a sudden forceful movement..
As his mind raced for possible solutions to his predicament, he sees the girl's smile.. as if the fight was over.. Straining with his hand, he manages to open the fingers to expose his palm just as the tendrils erupt out to try and octopus his arm.. "Maybe..." he says as that arm suddenly surges as Cero energy starts to accumulate in his palm.. a wide grin on his face just then as he starts to yank his arm back at the tug of war to aim the Cero blast.. out of the way just in case it broke through the weapon's other side.. If it was enough he could pull his arm free before the tentacles could do any good.. if not.. well.. that's to see...
Ulquiorra's eyes widen slightly. Well, that's different. Tacita's weapon certainly has displayed intriguing properties. From the female arrancar, the half-helmed Espada looks to Anselm to see how he will deal with this new predicament. He can feel the power gathering for the blast even before the Cero is released, and even then, Ulquiorra has not yet shifted from his spot.
Oh, my. Tricksy, isn't he? But Tacita is quite happy to break the tug o' war pre-emptively. After the tendrils slither out, her weapon parts like the red sea, and she dives aside as the blast of cero erupts into air. Her zanpakutou reforms slowly thereafter, but more bothersome to Anselm is the fact that her budded offspring decided to stay; there are many shards upon him, peppering like leeches and trying to sink into his bloodstream, burning like acid all the while in a manner that is not unlike jury-rigging one's central nervous system to a car battery. They would melt like icecubes in the sun, as she tries to get as much of her vile poison into his system as possible. "You shouldn't touch my weapon..." is offered helpfully, likely too late to do much. It seems that even if she sucks at swordplay, she's nowhere near harmless.
Well, at least his arm is free.. the parting of the obsidian sword like it does exposes the Cero blast to the open air and fires harmlessly out into the horizon.. probably blowing up some unsuspecting Hollow wandering around.. With Anselm free of the sword of tentacle rape, he leaps back to a safe distance to asess the damage. His arm is dotted with the tentacles babies as they try to worm their way into his arm and into his blood.. And without knowing their properties, he's not sure how to get rid of them properly.. short of trying to brush them off.. The burning sensation starting to grow rather annoying as he then tries to shake them off.. "Damnit!" he curses as he looks over to Tacita as she makes that poisonous comment. "Haha... I know.. but I learn by trial and error it seems..." he retorts. He wasn't sure just how long he had before he'd feel the affects of that much poisonous material in his system..
Brushing? Nope. Shaking? Nope. The precious seconds of opportunity vanish, and there's only odd black blemishes upon the skin, the same as the specks now on his thumb and the back of his hand. But unlike the other two, this time the effect on his system is cumulative and devastating. It would be like the world is beginning to go into a slow motion, all feeling beginning to get lost in a haze of increasing pain. Lesser beings and even lesser hollows might succumb to that almost hallucinogenic experience and collapse into seizures. She has to admire his strength. "This is how I fight... sadly, this is not exactly a poison... it will not stop increasing in potency until you are paralyzed... The more in your blood, the faster the effect." She levels Grozav Sange once more, seeming to have some confidence in her victory. He's on a timer now. "Do you wish you drew your sword now?"
Anselm's attempts to rid himself of those freaky ass shards in in vain as they worm their way into his system and vanish, leaving those black spots on his arm.. It wasn't long until the cumulative effects would take hold of his system and render him unable fight. With each beat of his heart.. wherever it was.. it pumped the mystery fluid deeper into his body and well, things weren't looking good for him.. But at least he knows now to steer clear of that sword at all costs.. until he can resist it's penetrative ability..
The Arrancar's breathing started to become heavier as he didn't look so good.. but he wouldn't quit while his limbs were still under his control.. Those yellow eyes of him showing his unbreakable will to fight.. and to overcome.. which probably is what kept him standing at this point.. "Not.. exactly.. You probably wouldn't be standing if I did.." he replies, raising his right arm that was the most afflicted.. then the left.. it seemed more lively and he clenched his fist. "But I'm not finished yet..." his speech labored.
Within the blink of an eye, the Arrancar male vanishes with another burst of speed.. the static sound resounding where he was before appearing right in front of Tacita with his hand firmly wrapped around her throat.. for about as long as he could move.. With his quickly draining strength, he squeezed... until his legs gave out and he collapsed into a kneeling position, panting.. >.O;;
"...well you certainly know how to fight freestyle," the Espada spoke up, breaking his long-held silence. And for the moment, they both insisted on continuing. Not for very much longer, Ulquiorra anticipates, given Anselm's ragged appearance what with the effects of Tacita's blood affecting him. "Enough, both of you," he says, crossing the rock-marked perimeter.
"Mmm." Tacita muses, not particularly pitiful of the plight that Anselm is suffering. And much as she is want to do, as he surges forward she does not move to evade, but instead leans back and shifts the sword. He grasps her by the neck, grimacing even as the tip shoots out towards his stomach, trying to sink within as she finds air to be sorely wanting. Of course, were her already lingering poison to not suffice, that would likely do the trick. She's still calm despite such, his weakened body unable to snap her neck even if he were inclined... it's uncomfortable, but that is her entire life... her gimmicks seem to have won her this fight, even if he won't be nearly as careless about her sword in any further conflicts... "Hrrgh...!!" Of course, at Ulquiorra's word, she would immediately cease her attack. --And actually, all the pain and lethargy would vanish as she ceases the grip of her invasive blood, leaving behind a muddled numbness but no more pain or incapacitation...
Before he even hit his knees to the sand, Anselm was more or less out of it.. Not even able to move out of the way of the incomming blade. Lucky for him, the spar had ended... and Tacita ceased her attack. It wasn't long though that the effects of the sword suddenly dissapated and only lingered as a faint numbness. The Arrancar blinks some as he feels alot of his strength come back to him now that the sluggishness was gone and pushes himself to his feet. And with a slightly out of nowhere response, he laughs somewhat.. "That was awesome, Tacita-san... I haven't had to try and think that hard while fighting in a long time. Sadly most of those who I'm against aren't as cunning as you." he says, reaching out and ruffling the girl's hair somewhat as an act of some sort of friendship.. or something?
As for the Espada that was watching, he stops.. and goes cold, turning towards Ulquiorra.. "Ah....." unsure what to say to defend the loss.. the Arrancar falls to one knee to kneel, head bowed... "Sumimasen-deshita!" he says, apologizing to the Espada for being to weak to be the victor.. Though it was unknown to him how Ulquiorra would react to it.. To dissapoint a superior.
"...." The very notion that he was apologizing was absurd, but then Ulquiorra knew well enough how very cautious many of the Numeros were around the Espada. He comes within two feet of them, his hands still in his pockets, and his gaze fixes upon one, then the other that now kneels as if expecting to be at his mercy.
"....save your breath for if you lose a real battle, although you will likely not be answering to me if that ever be the case," he said. He let his gaze linger upon Anselm for a moment longer before looking between them both. "This has merely been a spar to let you know your opponent, and likewise, your comrades better. Both of you have exhibited skills for adaptation of close combat, but I would not have expected anything less."
"Tacita. Your attacks prove most effective, but if it relies mainly upon the beating you take from your opponent, it isn't a most advisable tactic unless you are certain you can outlast your victim. Anselm." The Cuarta Espada looks to the male arrancar then. "...knowing that this was only a spar, you relied on your bare fists, strength and speed. While not something to be disapproved of, there is a matter of your pride as well. Your last decision and manuever spoke of it in volumes." His tone manages to sound stern, and yet not completely condescending. He's actually somewhat impressed with their performance, but he knows they can do better.
"Both of you, tend to your injuries as you must. If you think it beneficial, you might want to have more sessions like this from time to time." It will certainly be something to keep them active and battle ready, if not satiate their boredom and bloodlust.
Oddly enough, Tacita is not groveling. She is eager to please, and feels rather content that such has been done. She won! Which is not entirely surprising, as the only difference between this and a century in Huenco Mundo was being in the form of an Arrancar. It's difficult to adjust to, given the seat of her powers is within her sword instead... But she bows her head reverently, by no means about to look Ulquiorra in the face. "...Yes. I wish to learn proper swordsmanship..." she comments, sulking slightly. A deep bow follows at the end, a piece of etiquette she picked up here. "It... it was nice to meet you both... I am going to retire now..." Hugging the sword to her chest, she bows again - if not as deeply - to Anselm before retreating towards the desert. This has been a bigger training session then she anticipated...
Anselm wasn't sure how his apology for losing would be taken, and Ulquiorra's response was somewhat expected as he slowly pushes himself to his feet. "Hai..." he says in reply to the Espada's take on his apology. Once he's on his feet again, he gives his attention to Ulquiorra as he gives his piece on the entire sparring match that happened.
The Arrancar nods slowly at the whole learning deal.. then it gets to Tacita's performance.. something that he even commented on. And theeeen it was his turn.. Anselm perking his ears at the mention of his name.. "Hai.." he replies, thinking it through.. he should have drew his sword or something. The majority of battles, one might not know their enemy.. and that can be the cause of ones victory or defeat..
His injuries were minimal, a cut.. and the remnants of Tacita's paralyzing blood. Who then decides it's time to retire for now.. bowing in reply to the girl as she retreats. "I'll be looking for you!" he calls out after her, grinning.. leaving him behind and the Espada.
Having nothing more to say himself, Ulquiorra merely nods, first to Tacita, then to Anselm. He has no words to offer in parting, and has never been one known for farewells. Instead, he turns and begins to walk back towards the entryway he had come from, coattails trailing in his wake like lazy banners in the wind.