Understanding [Ogi, Ask]

[Mikhail Rost]

Somewhere deep in the forest hiding in a small cave, a young man sat watching over the body of an unconscious arrancar. Mikhail really didn't know if the man would ever snap out of it. Weeks ago he had found the arrancar by the forests edge in the park. He pulled him, and his belongings into the forest, and did his best to cover the tracks. Erasing drag marks and avoiding tell tale signs of passage so that the enemies of the man wouldn't come to finish him off.

Mikhail hid the man in this cave and then took off to get some things to help him. He was pretty beat up when Mikhail found him, covered in scorch marks and blood. So for hours that first night Mikhail tried to clean and dress his wounds. Struggling to wrap bandages around him, because he was such a big guy. After he was stabilized Mikhail breathed out a heavy sigh and got up to head out and let him rest.

The second day it rained outside, the big guy was still unconcious. There was no response, but at least he was breathing. Mikhail got some water, and a cloth to put over his forehead, then sat there for a while watching over him before heading back out

Sometime on the third day the big man woke up and stared at Mikhail. There was little to no recognition in his red eyes, and he grabbed Mikhail by the throat, holding tight for a few tense moments. Then his grip relaxed as he faded and his arm went limp again. Mikhail coughed and rubbed at his bruised neck, it felt like he could've snapped his neck without a thought. Lucky for Mikhail the big guy had passed out again before he could do any harm.

It wasn't until the forth day that he started mumbling, he sounded angry and Mikhail warily took a step toward the cave entrance. After a time he started to quiet down and Mikhail thought he recognized a few words.

"H,..How are you...so much stronger than me?" Was he remembering his fight? Mikhail crouched and listened...

[ogihci]

As Jericho layer there unconcious his reiastu would steadily come back to his body. His dreams consisted of all his battles leading up to his newest defeat. The moment he had sat up it was not Mikhail he had seen but an old enemy whose neck he had crushed. But, the image soon dissipated and he fell back into his slumber not really knowing of what had transpired. The dream which was overheard was indeed his fight with the wolf like arrancar. The blood, gore, and absolute esctasy of it....along with the grueling realization that he would lose. He had known the wolf was stronger but the difference was ridiculous he was beaten to the point of no return and then his opponent spared him. Him!? As if he needed his pity. But what hit him the hardest was not that he lost, but Samyeru's reason for winning. Those words still rang in his ears. "A strong man stands up for himself. A stronger man stands up for others."

His fists clenched in his coma like state. What could he have meant by that? That maybe he should find someone besides himself to stand up for? Ha! Not likely, most he tried to get close either left or died, he didn't really want to try again. Then again...there was the unsaid he may become stronger which was tempting. He would need to think about it.....maybe. It depend on how life played out. Then the world came back as he opened his devil like eyes. But what confused him was that he wasn't in the park that was for sure. After all, this place had a ceiling. At that thought he shot straight up though not to his feet as a surge of pain hit him when lifted his upper body off the ground. This caused him to fall back to the ground, which did not help the case as he roared out curse after curse. He didn't even notice the person near by....

[Mikhail Rost]

Mikhail wasn't at all prepared as the big guy woke up and snapped to. He cursed loudly as he probably reopened some of his wounds. Mikhail himself jumped back as he did, just in case the man reached for the nearest person to beat into pulp. He waited a moment for the man to settle before he spoke.

"Y,...You need to relax,..." Mikhail tried to hide the worry in his voice, but this guy seemed pretty strong. "...this has to be the last place you expected to wake up, huh? When I found you, you were pretty beat up. I thought it best to get you out of there just in case someone came looking ya know? I brought your stuff, so don't worry. At least it was next to you, so I figured it was yours."

The large sword Mikhail found near him was laying propped against the wall on the other side of the room. It was hard to hide his anxiety when he kept talking like that. He cleared his throat and tried to shut up for a moment. He dug in a pack and pulled out a bottle of water, convienently kept chilly by his own aura.

"Want a drink?" Mikhail said warilly holding the bottle out.

[ogihci]

The nervous tone that seem to come of the boy speaking drew Jericho from his tyraid. Glancing over he finally noticed the human in the cave, at this time he also felt the bandages upon his body. Had he tried healing him? Pfft, just another person giving unwanted sympathy. Like that wolf like arrancar who hadn't finished him off. He was unlike other arrancar that was for sure, especially the espada he served under, even though he could have easily been one but chose not to. Just to protect these humans? Why he wondered. But that was for another time, now was the time to confront this.....human? He almost laughed at the irony. After all, he was put into position because he had been attacking humans, and now one was helping him? Why?

He didn't really have time to ask him since he up and pointed out he had brought his zanpakuto along. How could a human, let alone one of his stature, bring it hysteria with his physique. Though.....he did have Amazing reiastu....for a human anyway. He may have even gone as far as saying almost as strong as his. That dreary thought aside he figured he should get some information from him as he had managed to catch him on a day that he wasn't really in a condition to fight. No blade through the chest today:......maybe. But again before is could speak the boy talked again, he had kind of a mouth on him. He shook bus head no slightly declining the drink of water. "Do you even have any idea of what I am," he asked with a rather dark undertone still pissed off at the out come of his last battle, but unable to take it out on anyone. Though he kinda reconized the boys reiastu from somewhere.....but where?

[Mikhail Rost]

Mikhail just kinda watched Jericho as he got used to his surroundings, discovering the bandages and stuff. He had more dragged then lifted Jericho and his weapon, and made sure to cover the trails he left so no one would find them. The big guy declined the water so Mikhail took a nervous drink anyway and set it aside. He stopped talking until Jericho finally asked him a question.

"Do you have any idea of what I am?" Jericho asked.

Mikhail shrugged and answered. "I know you're not human, and you're pretty strong if you can use that sword. Your clothes are tattered from whatever fight you got into, but if I had to guess, I would say, Arrancar?"

Mikhail nodded then said, "You probably would think I should be afraid, and maybe I am, a little. What's important is that you were hurt, and I couldn't just leave ya there."

So there it was, yes he was nervous that the guy might decide to Cero him like that one arrancar woman did but Mikhail was really hoping he wouldn't.

"My name's Mikhail. We're not far from the park, we're just off in the forest a bit in case you were wondering."

[ogihci]

So the boys name was Mikhail, not that he had asked but he was nervous it seemed. Whatever, Jericho guessed he could amuse him with some conversation, since he wasn't in good enough shape for a much more fun pastime... "So you know about arrancar eh? Well count your lucky stars you have met us and lived to tell the tale," he said in a joking tone. Or was it? He hadn't decided yet. "Though if i had to take a guess, its probably due to your impressive reiastu, well.....by human standards at least. By the way, my name is Jericho Cross and you would do well to remember it," he said his vanity getting the better of him. Wincing as he chuckled he remembered his injuries which put a definite damper on his mood.

"You said you brought me here because I was injured, why? For all you knew i was injurying other humans. Why you help me for no reason? Or was there one?" He asked the human named Mikhail in a questioning tone of voice. He wasnt really the trusting type. Everyone had a reason for doing something, no one did anything for no reason in his opinion. Hell this could be a deciding factor for many opinions, who knew?

[Mikhail Rost]

"So you know about arrancar eh? Well count your lucky stars you have met us and lived to tell the tale,"

"Well," Mikhail responded, "...I almost died fighting one of your kind, but everyone is different. Just because one might try to harm others, doesn't mean they all will. It's the same with humans so why not with arrancar?"

"By the way, my name is Jericho Cross and you would do well to remember it." The way the arrancar spoke he sounded very proud but then winced slightly. "You said you brought me here because I was injured, why? For all you knew I was injuring other humans. Why you helping me for no reason? Or was there one?"

Mikhail hid a smirk, might as well let the guy feel like he was all powerful instead of making him angry.

"Fair enough Jericho, and I'll answer you with another question. Why shouldn't I help you? I suppose I coulda just left you out there in a weakened state, where any other hollow could've come along and decided to devour you for your power."

[ogihci]

"Well...I almost died fighting one of your kind, but everyone is different. Just because one might try to harm others, doesn't mean they all will. It's the same with humans so why not with arrancar?"

Jericho was about to sneer and tell him of how wrong he was but, stopped. He would of been wrong, after all he had actually met an arrancar who cared not for being an espada and even worse, actually protected the humans from....well....him! All he could do was brood over that answer and nod in agreement, not that it made him happy, he was just content. To think that was even possible and seeing it with his own eyes. Oh well, it made for less competition. "I will give you that human, not that I happy ab....." he said trailing off into thought.

"Fair enough Jericho, and I'll answer you with another question. Why shouldn't I help you? I suppose I coulda just left you out there in a weakened state, where any other hollow could've come along and decided to devour you for your power."

Jericho almost laughed at the thought of a hollow devouring him. Those....weaklings! There was no way in hell he would let that happen. Though....thinking back.....he actually wouldn't have had much choice in the matter. He almost looked hurt from that realization. This human may have very well saved his life. He clenched his fists and his teeth. "Thank.....you," he said almost choking on his words. He had been saved by someone with less power than he had. It was quite a truth to swallow for him. "I....wouldn't have lasted long......without your help I guess...." Oh how it pained him that those words ever left his lips.

"But.....you never answered my question as of why.....you saved me..." He still couldn't help but be curious. After all its not like he ever helped him, in fact, during the war-, That is when it hit him! He had seen and completely by passed this kid during the war. After all.....he had been looking for Dai not him. If he hadn't done that.....he might be dead right now. He wondered if this kid realized that. Probably, then again....maybe not, after all they only saw each other for a second....

[Mikhail Rost]

Mikhail watched Jericho sneer with a thought, but then it left his face like he thought of something else, he got this broody look and nodded.

"I will give you that human, not that I'm happy ab..."

Mikhail just nodded as he explained that Jericho was in danger and if he had left him out there any other hollow could've come along and devoured him. There was such torture in his expression as he realized that truth, finally he choked out a response.

"Thank...you, I,...wouldn't have lasted long,...without your help I guess..."

Holy crap! Mikhail's eyes widened slightly at the amount of effort that seemed to take.

"You're welcome Jericho." Though inwardly he hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"But, you never answered my question as of why, you saved me..."

Mikhail as a matter of fact didn't really recognize Jericho from the war he was busy trying to help people out of collapsed buildings and such.

"Well Jericho, cheesy as it sounds, I do like helping people. You ask me why like you think I shouldn't have... Maybe I wanted to believe that I could show you that humans are stronger then you think. I've met a couple arrancar who didn't immediately want to destroy me, so I took a chance." Mikhail shrugged slightly.

[ogihci]

Jericho actually smiled a little at his response. Not in a sense of mocking the human, in fact, he had managed to peek his interest. Whether this was a good or bad thing was up for debate. "Your a rather peculiar person, I will give you that." He said with a little chuckle. So this human had helped him just because he liked doing so eh? How very interesting. Well it was decided, he would let the human live. After all, he guessed it was the least he could do for him saving his life. Though, it was sour sweet how it had occurred. Oh well, he supposed he should attempt some small talk with the human. After all, they hardly knew one another. He looked the man up and down. What was it that younger people did these days?

"So, I'm guessing you go to one of those buildings....where they teach people, right?" He said not really sure what the term for it was. He didn't know the term, or even cared. The man just looked young is all. Though...its not like he could talk. Its not like his race aged rapidly when it came to appearance. Though it did vary from arrancar to arrancar it seemed. "I suppose you have questions as well. As I won't be moving anytime soon and my only pass times require it, you can entertain me with talk...I guess." He said, sadly this was one of the only times in his life where talk was at all necessary....