[Private] Broken Mask

Around the age of 15, a petite teen watched the simple door to the room she had been called to. She just stared, memorizing every little line of the wood that made up the door, lost in her little world of thought. She was still trying to register what events have happened and the new change in her life. She was Alondra Owalce, the Former 5th Espada's Fraccion. However, now she was the new 5th's fraccion. She enjoyed her former life and the knowledge she had gained, but maybe she just got too used to the same old and forgot, death is permeated even in this world.

A light gasp escaped from her naked lips as an unfamiliar voice brought her back to reality. She stood at the height of 4,9" as her weight could be estimated around 100 or so.  Dark chocolate brown hair fell over her shoulders, braided into two low braids on either side of her head, reaching down to her armpits. Part of an Owl shape skull rested loosely on top of her head, allowing some sight of her eye lash-length bangs to be seen beyond the fractured cracks of a former beak. Her eyes were big and bright, holding to glowing orbs of Amber, full of life and wonder. Her skin was pale and smooth to the touch, like freshly placed sand evened out on the beach in the moonlight. So soft and untouched with a glow of youth to it. six whitewings wrapped around her figure, forming a cloak of sorts, hiding her stature underneath other than from her mid-calf down to her feet that were partially covered with a black cloth.

"Uh, y-yes."She managed to get out before she reached forward, taking ahold of the doorknob before giving it a light turn while pushing forward, opening the door. She moved slowly inside, closing the door lightly behind her. "My real name is Alondra Owacle, but my previous Espada preferred to call me Ana. "She said, looking down to the side, avoiding looking towards him. She was never really good with talking to anyone outside those she knows and this being. He was familiar but very unfamiliar, so it was awkward, to say the least, for her as she wasn't sure how she should act or feel towards this situation.

Alondra kept her eyes downcast to the side to avoid looking towards the Sziercesaal to best she could, as that was easier said than down as the Espada towered over the girl. She tried her best to keep herself from running out of fear seeing the shadow of his hand moving over to her cheek, slowly moving her gaze towards the cage. She watched the cage while keeping a keen eye on his free hand, listening to his next words. Enclosed spaces were something Alondra tend to avoid, like the plague. She hated them and feared them for some self-explanatory reasons and some not so obvious. She winced, shutting her eyes out of the unexpected feeling of a small flow of his warm breath stroking itself against her head moving down to her neck, touching the exposed skin, sending goosebumps with each wave through her neck to her shoulders. Her feathers ruffled a bit as she maintained a calm demeanor, standing her ground where she stood. She closed her eyes, listening to his question before deciding to answer, "Yes...I have seen it and managed to avoid it at all costs."She replied, unsure if that was the best answer, but that was the truth in her eyes. She did whatever she needed to keep in the good graces of her old Espada, cause, well, his feeding habits were not exactly a quiet affair. Some of those cries and screams still haunt her sleep now and then.

  Alondra felt him being too laugh, which was weird and got weirder as he broke into full cackling laughter for a few moments before returning his tension to the girl.  She tensed up, feeling his bare hand touch the nape of her neck, feeling a finger track along with it."W-Why are you telling me this...I know my previous Espada was a monster and one with a bottomless stomach...As much as  I wanted to stop those feedings, there was nothing I could do or end up as one of them.."She said, lowering her tone down to a whisper towards the end.                      

"If I was to fight you , you would be disappointed in my current state. Fighting and growing was not something I have been really allowed to achieve or become great at."She spoke looking up towards him watching his display " I am willing to learn and follow as it is what I contracted to do when following you as my Espada."said Alondra listening to his ,somewhat, inspirational words.
             

Alondra expected a slight disappointment from him but not a near total disappointment from her new master. She allowed her eyes to follow his movements as he brought up a nail towards her forehead,feeling his nail scratching against what was left of her former mask before he lowered himself to her height before coming in close to her ear. She moved her eyes to the side listening to his words of the lamb being prey but yet equal to the Lion or something. She winced out of some surprised feeling one of his hands begin to stroke her hair as she felt his head lift up.

Her eyes continued to follow his movements as he backed up speaking of how the lamb was equal to the lion, which at first went over her head for a few seconds as she tried thinking of his comparison and lesson before his next words shocked her to her core, allowing the last part to linger longer then the rest of the lesson.

"I-I'll ensure I will learn this lesson."She studdered keeping her eyes locked on the cage, her wings shifting around her uneasily from her nervousness and fear.

Alondra gasped feeling his hand suddenly clench her by the chin holding her head still as his forehead came to rest against her mask as her eyes watched him the best they could while feeling him grab her hand. She was not sure what was going to happen as anything could happen at any moment especially the feeling of something small and fleshy with a pulse now resting in it. She looked down towards her hand listening to him "So this...That is the reason you survived...All those times, but...why give it to me. How do you know I won't destroy it and take you out?" she asked confused looking between him and the worm in her hand trying to wrap her head around the new situation

"Uh...Thanks for the.. trust?" she said trying to think of the proper wording. As much as she was holding a helpless worm and her instincts were scream to just end him take that power. She couldn't stomach the thought of him regrowing and reforming over and over or even possibly taking over her body. Even that destroyed any appetite that she was even thinking of having of the worm in her cupped hands. She adjusted her hands back into her wrapped wings holding the worm in a very safe and secretive place for safekeeping. She allowed her gaze to follow him as her body soon caught up with his beckoning. She headed out the door first, seeing as he opened it for her to go first "I have a name and I am not a Lamb I am an Owl if your speaking literal animals."She spoke gently looking up towards him "I hope I can be of some use during training"She Spoke

"I do not remember ever knowing of the figure of speech, I don't remember much of life before our former Espada ripped my mask off," She said lifting a hand to the mask sitting on top of her head following  Sziercesaal down the eerily empty halls. She hated the silents, the echoes of footsteps haunting those who don't know the beings they belong to. Maybe that was part of the atmosphere that kept her and many others under the former scared of trying anything, the unknown was something she was scared of the most.

She stopped soon after him, allowing her train of thought to return to reality station as she looked up at the massive portrait of the former. She could still remember the haunting words shaking her thoughts free as she responded to his question "Uh, well if you had wanted flattery I would have indeed said you but if I remember anything of the others I have met or heard of. Graven Fel, Our Cero Espada, The...Lazy wolf is said to be the strongest of all the Espada from what I have heard of other Arrancar and hollows that I was allowed to meet. I have only seen  him a few times and all I remember is he has some long hair that is well kept."She said trying to search her memory of graven as she never actually spoke to him before.

Alondra froze feeling him grab ahold of her hand wincing slightly more and more to fully shutting her eyes upon feeling his grip tighten more and more around her small hand threatening to crush it. She wasn't exactly sure what this was to prove or test but she was relieved feeling his grip loosen as her hand retracted back into her feather cloak being comforted by her other one as she heard her compliment her choice of words before going on with a continuation of a philosophy talk again, which this one she kinda understood with the whole age making you blind and weak as time tends to be the end of everyone, even gods. However the last part she was sort of lost. She understood anyone could end graven or time could on its own. maybe that was the understanding. "I don't think it will be me, I am not that strong, I wasn't built to handle a predator like him. I know this off pure instinct. I know my current set of abilities and my strengths and weaknesses. I could never hold a candle to his wind" She said gently looking up towards him, unsure if those words she spoke were a good thing or not to admit. She knew monsters but that one is very much a wolf in sheep clothing and it was a very starved one craving the prey they call time to satisfy its undying hunger from the cage that was its body.

Alondra a kept her eyes on his hands watching him take aho ld of sand before feeling his energy release enough times to watch it get a turn to rock before she looked up when he said to pay attention before seeing him switch the rock between his hands "From your Movements...I want to say the left one with the way your hand is but part of me says to say your right really has it as an attempt to deceive me...Uh If I had to choose. I'm going with the obvious Left hand. Was I right?" she asked looking up at him again, giving a hopeful look that she was right in her decision to go with the obvious.

"huh? I actually got that right? that is amazing."She said before thinking back to what he was doing with his foot. it was a sweeping motion and five times but a 3 digit number. Af ter a few seconds she decided to answer to say
Well How about 331? That would be the most logical of the sweeping and the amount of times and the number of digits? Was I right of that as well?"she asked tilting her head to the side in curiosity of whether she got it right or not.

Alondra was a bit disappointed in her guess being wrong but his praise made up for the wrong answer being right in the sense that she was right to make an educated guess without any hints or clues other than how many times his foot moved along with his hands. "So there is hope for someone like me? That I can truly grow stronger and be someone who can come out on top with my own power?"she asked believing there was such a thing she could do for herself from his words.

Alondra nodded as she shifted her weight some before she continued to follow as he beckoned. She knew the hallways of this castle , but for the life of her, she could not guess where they were going or even why? He knew the layout of this castle right? was he just testing out the body he took control of?That might be the reason right? unlikely but still possible. She looked around timidly at their surroundings as she followed. "I am grateful for this teaching and for you allowing me to become your fraccion instead of another."she replied before tilting her head looking towards him as she listened. "But you can't slowly think in some battles, even if your opponent is quick in response. I can't like stop time long enough for me to think what I am to do."she said