Music Tames a Savage Beast (Artemis)

Akira was enjoying himself for the day. Things were starting to look brighter now. He had a place to stay for an extended amount of time, and he and Sirene had found allies. He hadn't known other bounts since his master had died. It was nice to once again have someone that he could one day trust. He and Sirene had decided to walk through the town this day and get a better idea of their new environment. To remain less suspicious, he had Sirene sealed in her pendant form for the time being. Getting further from the central part of town, they eventually came across a building that seemed to look an awful lot like a dojo. Fond memories passed through Akira's mind as he remembered the many dojos he'd spent time at over his life learning a multitude of martial arts. He stood for a moment in front of the main door lost in his memories. He wondered if anyone stayed in this building. Feeling that it couldn't hurt to investigate, he walked up to the door and knocked on it a few times, not sure what to expect.

James was alone in the dojo as he was most Wednesdays, this was the day that he sat aside to work on his own unique katas that he deemed too risky to show his students. Clearing the floor of the mats and practice dummies, James took off his shirt so that his shoulders wouldn’t be restrained and he took off his socks because he hated the feeling of not getting traction on wood floors.

Crossing both arms he stretched them out in front of himself and laced his fingers together so that his thumbs pointed towards the floor. Taking a deep breath James raised his hands over his head and towards his back till he felt his thumbs touch the small of his back, wincing only once when the Scars on his shoulder started to pull; always a constant reminder that he was exiled by his kind. Letting his feet slide James kept his arms locked where they were as he slid down into a perfect split. Leaning back he placed his hands flat on the ground behind him and lifted himself up and into a vertical handstand.

He kept moving through the different stances at a strenuous pace for most of the afternoon, his body was crying for relief from the work when a knock at the door brought him to his senses. Rolling onto his back he jumped to his feet with practiced grace. Opening the door James was greeted by the sight of a white haired young boy with glasses, “I am sorry but the dojo is closed today, this is the day I use to clean the place up. However if you are interested in taking classes I open the place up every day except , Sunday and Wednesday, 15 minutes after sunrise."

Something about the boy’s presence set James curiosity on edge though, “I don’t believe I have seen you around these parts though. What’s your name, boy? I am Jacob Talog, the owner and teacher of this little Dojo.” His eyes focused on the boys the necklace. There is something off about that pendant, I can’t place it but it just isn’t right.

Akira bowed courteously at the man who opened the door as he introduced himself. He returned his manners by giving his own name. "I am Akira Usui, a former drifter who has recently settled down in this area. I was exploring my new home when I happened to see your dojo."

Akira noticed Jacob's focus on his necklace. Such a simple accessory wouldn't normally catch a person's attention so intently. Jacob seemed to be something more than Akira's eyes could perceive. And there was something appealing about the sensation of his soul. He was not a regular human by any means. But what he was exactly, Akira had no way of knowing. He only knew of shinigami, quincies, and hollows as other powerful beings from bounts. And Jacob didn't feel quite like any of them.

"I hate to sound overly blunt, but might I ask exactly what you are Sir? You don't feel like a normal human to me."

James was taken aback by the boy’s question, but only smiled like an annoyed adult to a child who just repeated something he wasn’t supposed to. “That question has many answers Akira, I am a teacher of History, a Sensei of martial arts, a veteran of many wars, as well as, the victim of a broken heart.” James eyed the boy once more, “But I am guessing the question you really want to know is if I am not human than what am I? I am a dragon, one of the exiled that live among humans, as teacher and guardians for the horrors that they only imagine in their dreams.”

James opened the door a little wider and invited the boy in, “So what about you, or should I say that pendent around your neck. You’re no human I have ever smelled, you smell too old to be a human, and a reaper has a tinge of death in their scent.” He said as he made his way back into the dojo and sat atop one of the overturned dummies like a bench.

Akira's face remained stoic as Jacob went through his list of titles. He wasn't one to be easily amused by light humor, for that was what he saw the extended answer as. His right eyebrow raised slightly at the mentioning of Jacob's reptilian identity. A dragon? That was quite a find in a town like this. But then again, maybe not. He'd only been in Karakura for a few days and already run into two other bounts and a tough hollow. Maybe normal wasn't the regular case around these parts.

Akira followed Jacob into the dojo, intrigued by his revealed nature and interested in conversing with him more. He wasn't surprised that a being like a dragon would be able to tell him apart from humans, and he had no reason to try and hide the fact now that he'd been found out.

"You're correct in your analysis of me. I am no human. I am much older than I appear, though still young for my kind. I am one of the life drinkers that humans fear in the nighttime, the immortals that walk this world fulfilling no one's agenda but their own, mistakenly called vampires, but in reality...we are bounts."

Akira gently placed his hand on his pendant, caressing it lovingly. He removed the string from his neck and held the feather in the palm of his hand. "You also noticed my necklace. It is my most precious thing in the world, and my constant companion. But it is easier to show you than to try and explain. Zeige Dich, Sirene."

Akira's pendant floated up and out of his hand, glowing with a bright white light. The light shone brighter with a brilliant radiance as it burst in a shower of white spiritual feathers that faded as they fell to the dojo floor. Standing where the pendant had been before was Akira's doll Sirene, stretching her wings glad to be out of her sealed form. Akira looked back at Jacob to observe his reaction to seeing a doll released.

(OOC: Your character is truly evil underneath you have found two of my three weaknesses in one character…-.-…Loud noises and children)

James watched as the necklace floated a bit in the air and then transformed to a brown-haired little girl white feathered wings protruding from her back. James smiled just rolling with the punches, “Hallo kliene, es ist eine Freude, in diesem Dojo sehen, es tut mir leid für das Durcheinander, wenn ich hätte gewusst, wäre ich begrüßen eine junge Dame in das Dojo haben dieses morningI würde gereinigt dieser vermasseln.“ James spoke in a gentle voice in his accented german as he pointed toward’s his office,“Es gibt einen großen, bequemen Stuhl in meinem Büro sind Sie willkommen, geh und hol es hier für sich und helfen sich auf die Süßigkeiten auf dem Schreibtisch.“

Looking back at the Akira, he smiled “Well I knew you were no vampire, I met one once in Romania a century or so back, turned out he was a just a crazy human who had a canabalistic taste for the blood of his own kind.“ James leaned back on his inpromtu bench, “Find yourself a seat if you can, like I said I didn’t expect company today. Though I expect one so serious as you doesn’t come to simply visit.“

Akira had no idea what Jacob was saying as he spoke to Sirene, but she seemed to understand him well enough. Even though bount powers seemed to hold a root in the German language, he himself had not bothered learning it since he'd never ventured out of Japan. Interacting with his fellow bounts and now Jacob was starting to show him just how young and inexperienced he was with the world. He chose not to find a seat, but leaned against the wall of the dojo instead. Sirene stayed beside him clutching onto his arm.

"You'll have to forgive her. She's a little shy with strangers. I apologize for intruding on your time. As I said earlier, I was just exploring when I saw your dojo. The sight of a martial arts training center made me feel a tad nostalgic. I have trained in many dojos during my lifetime. All for Sirene's sake."

(ooc: lol you'll have an easier time with her when Akira's power increases then. She'll be a young woman instead of a child then.)

James looked at Akira a faint grin of sympathy on his face, “Nostalgia is a feeling I know well, in all my years walking this world, I always find myself reliving old memories.” James looked over at the doll standing beside Akira, “So she isn’t much of a fighter then I take it from looking at her wings. My sire always told me, you can tell how well one knows how to fight by the look of their wings.”

James laughed a little at one of the few memories his exile had left his of his father, “Hers well they look newly fledged as if they haven’t see a fight, mine however are laced with scars and even a hole are two. I even have seen a few of my kind when I was a hatchling that had their wings removed due to a battle injury.”

James smiled at the doll and added in German, “Sie haben sehr schöne Flügel, Kleines.“ (“You have very pretty wings, little one.“) His smile turned to a frown as he reached up and rubbed his own shoulder blades just above his scars, “Makes me miss mine.“

Akira gave a slight nod to confirm Jacob's comment about Sirene. "Indeed, she is not a fighter. She is young and more vulnerable than most dolls. Since she manefests as a flesh and blood girl, she is extremely delicate. She acts as my support while I do the majority of physical combat." Akira had another thought and pitched a new idea to Jacob. "You seem to be very experienced. Would you mind engaging the two of us in a friendly spar to help develop our abilities?"

James smiled, “I would be more than happy to fight you; however I will not fight the child. I do not wish to harm her by accident. She is welcome to help you though if she wishes, if she doesn’t want to fight don’t make her.” He said as he stood up and walked to the center of the dojo and took a relaxed dragon-like stance. I haven’t seen this man display any abilities other than changing that necklace into a little girl. So I am forced to wait and watch instead of making the first attack.

“When you are ready Akira, when you are ready.” He said his voice had a little more of a bite to it than it had a moment before, then looking at the little girl he said in German, “Es tut mir leid Kleinen für das, was Sie gerade erleben.“ (“I am sorry for what you are about to witness little one.“)

It was a boring day in the mansion isaac was sitting on the couch listening to the repairs of the house, akira left the house earlier and hania was no where to be seen so isaac was in the house by himself not including dalrag."ehh, what a boring day"isaac said as he stood up and rubbed the back of his head."well im gonna go find akira'isaac said to himself as he grabbed his vest and walked out of the door to karakura town. Isaac made it in town in about 30 minutes and decided to try and find akira. Isaac found an elderly lady walking the streets"maam, can i ask you somethin"isaac asked the elderly lady"what is it sonny" the lady replied."have you seen a white haired guy walking around town"isaac asked"i saw a young man walking into that building"the lady said pointing to a building about a block away. As isaac was walking towards it he felt a surge in reiatsu, it wasnt strong but enough to interest isaac. Isaac ran to the building and slamming into the door throwing it open"yo akira you in here"isaac shouted as he walked in"be careful isaac"dalrag stated. Isaac found himself in the mainroom seeing akira and sirene standing there with another man who seemed to be ready to fight akira."whats going on and who the hell is that"isaac shouted as he walked towards akira.

Akira gave a thin smile as Jacob accepted his request to a spar. But he swiftly put up his hands in a haste warning as Jacob took his stance in the center of the floor. "No,no...we'll want to take this outside. Once we get serious, there's no telling what we might end up doing to your dojo in the heat of the moment."

Akira took Sirene by the hand and turned to head for the door, but stopped suddenly when it suddenly swung open and his new friend Isaac stepped in. Staying as coldly calm as always, he inquired as to Isaac's presence. "Isaac, what are you doing here? This is a man who's agreed to have a spar with us." Saying nothing beyond his one line explanation and not even waiting for Isaac's reply, Akira walked past him and out into the open area outside the dojo. The sun was shining brightly and there was a light breeze blowing through the area. Akira muttered to himself, "...a nice day for a spar..."

James smiled, “It has been a long time since I fought in the open sun without having to rip something limb from limb.” He made towards the door when another man burst rudely through his door acting like he was about to intervene in a fight that was even started or in dire straits yet. “Don’t you know it’s rude to enter a closed dojo without knocking, and I hate to seem rude but if you intervene in this fight I will have to roast you alive.”

James made his way outside and smiled as the sun hit his bare back, it feels so good to feel the sun on my scales. James walked out into the center of the street and flexed his toes feeling the loose gravel on his bare feet. “I must say boy this was a great idea, but now we have to worry about not destroying the buildings around us so just remember to pull your shots and I will do the same.”

James instinctively fell into his practiced dragon stance with his right palm down to defend against the boy if he went for any basic attacks and his dominate left palm held high to strike at first opportunity. A voice chimed in the back of his mind from long ago, ”Don’t you find it ironic that a dragon prefers to use the dragon stance to fight?”

Dragon stance... Akira thought as he vauguely recognized the stance taken by James. With Japan bringing in martial arts from all over the world in the past several hundred years, he'd seen many and devoted himself to none. He faced James ready to fight and muttered out of the side of his mouth to Sirene, who had taken her stand behind him. "Cover me as usual. I know he said he won't fight you, so we don't have to worry about your own safety as much as usual. Don't push it though. You may be a girl, but who knows what he'll do if we make him mad."

Akira dashed towards James with his fists balled. Jame's stance did seem ready to defend against anything Akira would try. Sirene was approaching from behind Akira, gliding on the air with her wings. She could only stay in the air for so long with that method and those little wings. This was a basic strategy that the two of them used often against hollows and other foes. When he was almost at James, Akira skidded to the left, taking a lowered position with his knees bent, and lunged forward to throw a right straight at James's stomach. Sirene kept an eye on the two from her higher position, ready to lend support if needed.