[Elektra]

Tera, as she had been nicknamed, was slinking down the streets of the Slums, wondering what to do.  She hadn't seen her mother in quite some time, and her father was annoying her at the moment.  They had official bussiness, they said, to deal with for Halibel herself, but to be honest, Teruka didn't really give a damn.  Sure, she admired the new 'king', and held her in high respects, but she got annoyed whenever she had other people cutting into her own time.  She was certainly old enough to depend on herself, but that didn't mean she had to be alone and away from her two parents all the time.  And she had even hoped to have her father train her.  

The young Arrancar pouted and kept on walking.  She was in a dark kimono jacket, with wrappings that she had made into leggings showing under the transparent shirt.  She had pulled on a quick suit of sorts under it that had a couple of knives under it, one of which was her Zanpakuto.  She was ready for any sort of trouble, in fact, she was quite used to it.  After all, living around such a nasty part of the area came with its own set of risks.

She continued down the street, not really having any sort of point.  She became aware of a prescence close to her, but shrugged it off.  Whoever it was posed no threat, nor did they have enough power to alert her.  So when the boldly lept out of the shadows and tackled her, pinning her harshly against the wall, she had to be a little more than annoyed.

[Kitsumi]

A long day at the lab would leave many a person feeling fatigued, stressed, and ready for a long, hot shower or some other sort of relaxation. For Navvos, however, his work invigorated him and left him walking home with a spring in his step. Today had been a good day, with very little trouble at all. And while his work at the lab was tedious, it wasn't too difficult; and besides, Navvos enjoyed a distraction from the stress of every-day life that sometimes seemed to suffocate him.

However, the spring in his steps wasn't to last long, not with the path home taking him through the slums, a part of Evelon that he was very opinionated about. He hated walking through this area alone, but his partner had not been able to come in today since his girlfriend was giving birth, and so Navvos was left without a partner to keep his mind occupied on anything other than the unsafe and uncomfortable environment.

Navvos was well aware that the crime rate in this part of Evelon was high, and that many gang members and other unfavorable characters ran rampant. Yet it still shocked him to the point of almost having a heart attack as he saw a woman being pinned against a wall right in front of his eyes.

Without quite thinking, Navvos moved on instinct. He ran forward, attempting to come to the woman's aid. "You," he shouted. "Leave that woman alone!" Although he had no weapon, he still reached inside his jacket, giving the appearance of attempting to draw a gun. All that he grasped was a pair of keys, which would do minimal to no damage, and the pocket knife that had been given to him by his fathers which he always kept on his person. If worse came to worse, he would be forced to use the knife.

{4}

[Elektra]

Teruka growled slightly, angered at this man's audacity.  But when another man arrived on the scene, she was tempted to just scream.  She had planned on just using a cero to blast the man to bits, but with another human around, that was out of the picture.  She frowned, trying to think about what her options were.  She could kick him, which would most likely work, or she could just blast them both with her cero.

In the end, she chose to kick first.  Her assailent hadn't thought to worry about her legs, and she swung her leg up, nailing him right between the legs.  The guy stumbled back, doubled over.  She smirked, then went to kick him back against the other wall when she remembered that the other man was still standing there.  Sighing, she lowered her leg, and let the poor guy cry in the alley.

"Hey, um, thanks for trying to help.  Guess I'm lucky that dumb-ass wasn't to smart, or else you might've had to use that gun..." she said, motioning to his pocket.

[Kitsumi]

As the woman unexpectedly freed herself from the man's captivity before Navvos could even lay a hand on the man, he wasn't sure which was greater - his relief at having to not use his weapon and face confrontation, or his shock at seeing the woman free herself so easily. In fact, now that he thought about it, Navvos was almost positive that he had seen anger, not fear, on her face as he ran up to 'rescue' her...it seemed as if she were able to take care of herself, then!

"Gun?" For a moment, Navvos was confused, but then he let out a low, short chuckle. "Oh, no, I don't have a gun. I just figured it was better to look as if I did." He held out his knife, showing it to her. "I never use a weapon as unreliable and barbarian as a gun. I prefer using knives in close hand-to-hand combat." Actually, he preferred not having to fight at all. But he wasn't going to say that in front of the woman and risk appearing a wuss. After all, she did appear as if she were the type to enjoy fighting...or at the very least, she didn't flinch from it in the slightest.

Almost as an afterthought, Navvos said, "Oh, and you're welcome. Although it appears you really didn't need my assistance anyways. I'd offer to walk you home, or wherever it is you're going...but I get the feeling I'd only get in your way if another such attack were to occur."

{5}

[Elektra]

Teruka raised her eyebrow as the man pulled out a small knife.  When he mentioned how he disliked guns, she immediately took a liking to the man.  "I agree.  I prefer swords or long knives in fights, guns just seem so unfair." she said, brushing herself off.  She flashed a smile at the man, hoping that she hadn't scared him to much.  After all, she tended to have that effect on people.

"Home?  Oh, that's a good one." she commented as she went toward the man.  "Though, having someone to walk with wouldn't be to bad.  You going somewhere?" she asked, hoping to have some company that night.  She didn't really feel like walking alone anyway.  "Oh, please, I seriously doubt you'd get in my way.  And I like people who try not to fight unless they have to.  I would try to do the same, but well, I guess it's in my genes."  Nnoitra, her father, was always fighting, and having grown up around him, even for a short period of time, had definitely had an affect on her.

[Kitsumi]

((I'm so sorry it's taken so long. I keep trying to get on, and then one thing or another will get in my way. And since I have a breeding going on currently, I have to make sure I get that done since that has a time limit. I'll try to be on and reply more often, though!))

At the sight of her smile, Navvos was able to feel a bit more at ease. He easily returned the smile, and although he was usually a nervous man, he was feeling uncharacteristically confident on this night. "Unfair, definitely. If someone is enough of a coward to be willing to shoot someone from behind a corner, at a distance, then they don't deserve to have a weapon at all. At least, that's my opinion."

"If you want some company, I would be glad to accompany you. I was just heading home..." Suddenly, he realized that he was missing his briefcase. His smile faded, replaced by a look of mild annoyance. "Ugh, actually, I've forgotten something back at the lab. I suppose I was heading back there to pick it up. Although I really don't mind a detour to...wherever you are going." Actually, he could easily use some company as well. Even if it was only to be for a little while. "I wouldn't be so confident about not getting in your way, though. I can be a bit clumsy and scatterbrained at times." He chuckled. "Not a very good trait for a scientist, is it?"

Realizing that he had yet to introduce himself, he blushed. "Oh, but I'm being incredibly rude. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I am Navvos Ione, at your service." He gave a slight, gentlemanly bow.

{6}

[Elektra]

Teruka found herself smiling at the man.  He certainly was an odd one.  Most of the men she'd met around here had but one thing on their mind, and that was bedding the nearest woman.  Navvos, however, seemed genuinely concerned about her safety, even though he had just met her.  It was nice to know that there were still people in this world that could still be called decent, even if she didn't place hereself in that category.

"A scientist?" she said, an eyebrow raised.  Well at least he wasn't going around spouting out anything and everything about other people and treating life as one big stage performance, much like Szayel did.  That pink haired weirdo was something else, for sure.  Shook her head, and looked back up.

"Ah, don't worry about it.  I hardly call leaping into a fight without even thinking of yourself rude.  I'm Teruka Gilga." she said. "And I'd be happy to come back to your lab with you.  I'm not going anywhere, like I said before.  So having somewhere to go to would be nice."


((It's fine, don't worry about it.  Just reply whenever you can~  ^^))

[Kitsumi]

((Alright, thanks for understanding =3))

Noticing the woman shaking her head, Navvos wondered if he could have done something wrong. But no, it appeared as if she were thinking of something else, and that was the cause of the head shaking. He wondered, for a brief moment, what she was thinking about. He refused to ask her though; he wasn't one to invade a person's privacy. If she didn't find it fit to mention aloud what she was thinking, then who was Navvos to try to pry the information from her?

"Ah, yes, a scientist - although a rather amateur one, I must confess." Navvos ducked his head, embarrassed. "I had a hard time in college, and they were hesitant to hire me at first. At the moment, I'm only doing the minor work, the experiments that everyone thinks will fail anyways, and documenting the fact that they are, indeed, failures. I should move up soon, though." His boss had been dropping hints for weeks that Navvos was the first one in line for a new, big project coming up. If he was chosen, he would be given a raise, as well as becoming a higher ranked and well esteemed scientist. This was all just a hope for now, though...

Navvos repeated her name, locking it in his memory so he would not forget it. "Teruka Gilga...I like it. It's quite pretty." When she offered to go with him, his smile returned, and he offered her his arm in the style of a true gentleman. "Well then, m'lady, might I escort you to the laboratory? There's probably no one there at this time...I could give you a private, "behind the scenes" sort of tour if you like, as well?"

[Elektra]

"Haha, that's got to be a first." she said, smiling once again.  "I doubt anyone has ever said that to me before.  Most people find the first part just to foreign, and the second part downright ugly."  She had at one point agreed with them about her name, but over time she'd gotten over it.  After all, if anyone insulted her, she tended to just pummel them to a pulp, so it wasn't as if she had to deal with that a lot in the first place.

She looked at him as he explained his job, and had to admire his perseverance.  Not many people would be able to stumble through college doing only mediocre at best, and then jump back into the game so eagerly.  At least he seemed passionate about his work, which was certainly a good thing.

"I'd like that, yes." she replied as he mentioned a 'behind the scenes' tour.  She didn't mind learning about new things, especially considering that many of the modern items this world held weren't common in Hueco Mundo.  That was probably the only reason she didn't spend nearly as much time as other Arrancar did in their original realm.  She found everything here, including the people, quite interesting.  And apparently that included Navvos.

[Kitsumi]

Navvos shook his head, a stern look on his face. "Ugly? I suppose that many people now-a-days find individuality or anything different from what they are used to ugly. I, myself, am not so closed-minded. I don't agree with conforming to cookie-cutter molds, and I don't agree to killing all that separates people and sets them apart." The stern look succumbed to a look of mild embarrassment. "I...I'm sorry. I'm rather passionate about that topic. During school, you see, everyone was all the same...except for me. And they teased me mercilessly for it."

Ah, yes. At first, Navvos had simply been the boy with two fathers and no mother. Not to mention, he was also the boy from the "dreaded village" where some of the more dangerous creatures lived. Actually, he wasn't from that village but living in a mansion nearby, but apparently it was close enough to give the kids cause to use it against him. And then when he began blacking out...they said that he did terrible things that he could not remember. No, Navvos did not have an enjoyable time in school.

Since he had been half expecting her to decline his offer, Navvos was pleasantly surprised when she agreed. His whole face seemed to light up at the thought of showing her his beloved laboratory, and he appeared almost like a child at Christmastime. "Oh, that's wonderful! We're not one of the top labs in Evelon, by far, but we do fairly well, and there will be plenty to show you."

{8}

[Elektra]

Teruka did one of the most surprising things she'd ever thought she'd done in her life: she blushed.  Not the kind that spread all over your face, but a pale, plush line across her nose and cheeks.  She giggled a quietly, and punched him as lightly as possible.  After all, she wasn't to accustomed to doing such, rather, she was used to punching others in an attempt to end their life.  Regardless, it seemed that she didn't hurt him to much, since he didn't fall down on the ground in pain, not at that moment at least.

"Geez, what ass holes." she said, not bothering to watch her language.  Hopefully Navvos wouldn't mind to much, since that was pretty much a habit at that point.  "Truthfully, if I ever had the chance, I think that I would have done the same thing.  Sticking out among the crowds is always better than blending in and losing yourself in the crowd.  Eh?"

She laughed, this time not really trying to hide it.  He was so excited that she just had to laugh.  "Well then, let's get going!" she said, grinning.  "I can't wait to see this lab of yours."

[Kitsumi]

While the blush and giggle was unexpected, the light punch was what really surprised Navvos. It hurt a bit, but it was obvious that she had been trying to hold back, so he forced himself to hold back the small grimace of pain and smile instead. He noted that she must be quite strong, and decided that no matter what happened, he was not to upset her in any way. Not that he thought she'd end up attacking him or anything, but he didn't want to risk the pain that accidentally insulting her might result in.

Navvos wasn't shocked at all by Teruka's foul language. His own sister, Shiras, swore frequently, although never within earshot of either of their fathers of course. "Yes, I do believe they would fit the 'asshole' mold quite well. I suppose that's what trying to fit in does to someone." At her statement, his grin widened. Apparently they shared at least one point of view. "I couldn't agree more. In my opinion, individuality is beauty." And seeing as Teruka was one of the most individual women Navvos had ever met...she was also one of the most beautiful. This time, Navvos was the one to blush, although he was fairly sure that Teruka would have no idea why he was doing so.

Taking her laughter as encouragement, Navvos picked up his pace, but only slightly, making certain that she could easily match it. As they arrived at a rather large, official looking building, Navvos held the door open for her. "After you, m'lady," he said.

[Elektra]

"Sorry, kinda hard to hold back when you've been trained to k- fight." she said, catching herself quickly.  Sure, Navvos seemed as if he was a decent guy, or even better than decent, but how would he react if he knew who and what her parents were, as well as what that made her?  She couldn't just come out and say she was a lost spirit formed from to of the fiercest fighters that were also souls lost and transformed.  He'd think she was crazy.  Or worse...

It took a lot from her not to laugh at what he said about fitting in.  Hell, that was what she was trying to do now - fit in with the humans all around her.  And her strength alone was obviously not helping, not even mentioning her other abilities.  But hey, at least she wasn't an ass hole to everyone, which seemed to have been what Navvos had experienced himself.

When they approached the building, Teruka smiled and nodded before going in.  She really had to admit that Navvos was quite the catch, if she could call him that even.  Because he was more than just a catch to her at this point.  He was, did she dare to say it, an interest.

[Kitsumi]

((Haha so for the record, I like these two together xD Not necessary as a lifemated pair or anything, but they roleplay nicely together. And I think it works out great that Teruka is tough, since she can ward off Krypton when he comes out xD))

Deciding to ignore the slight slip in her words - surely she hadn't been about to say kill? - Navvos simply shrugged as if his shoulder weren't slightly throbbing with a dull pain that was slowly dwindling away. "Ah, no worries." A slow grin crept onto his face. "At least I can rest assured that our journey will be a safe one. If anyone attacks, I'll simply jump back and allow you to do all the fighting." He nudged her with his shoulder, a bit harder than he would usually dare since he knew she could handle it, letting her know that he was joking. She may have been the better fighter, but Navvos wouldn't mind taking a few hits himself if it would impress or at the very least protect this beautiful and interesting woman.

Tekura seemed to be holding something back, and Navvos wondered about it for a while. Should he ask her about it, or mind his own business? He could have sworn she looked...amused? Perhaps something he had said was funny to her? Either way, there didn't seem to be anything wrong, so he figured he could simply let it be, at least for the time being.

Besides, once he himself stepped foot in the building, his eyes took on a happy glow and he forgot about all else. He hung his jacket on the hook, before pulling his lab ID out of the pocket. He couldn't very well get into the more limited areas of the lab with his security key hanging up with his coat, now could he?

"Here, follow me," he said, taking Teruka's hand in a way that was more friendly than romantic, tugging her gently deeper into the laboratory. "This is all the front offices and lobby, nothing interesting here. We have to go a bit deeper to find the more interesting stuff."

[Elektra]

She raised an eyebrow, smirking.  Teruka liked that he had finally plucked up enough courage to make a move of his own.  Sure, she didn't necessarily believe that whole thing about guy shaving to make the first move but she did like it when they tried to do something for themselves. And at least she hadn't scared him off by now.  That had to be a good sign.

She smiled, trying to reassure him for the time being.  To be honest, she wasn't sure if he could freak out and run away, or worse, try and hurt her in some way if she exposed herself.  Sure, he seemed nice, but he was a scientist. after all.

She looked around, getting a feel for the place.  It was certainly sterile, that was for sure.  But what else would it be like?  It was a lab, after all.  When he mentioned more interesting things however, her interest was piqued, and she nodded to him to continue on.