A journey coming to a stop.

The right knee bent which in turn caused his right foot to lift off the ground. Cold sand tickled from his bare toes and dropped back down as he moved his right leg forward and then again pressing his right foot into the sand. The left side immediately repeated the whole process. Then the right one again. Then the left. Again and again and again at an even, slow pace.

Every step he took was forced, was something he did not want to do any longer but had to. What for he did not know himself. Maybe because he has been doing it forever, maybe it was because it was the only thing he actually knew how to do. However there was this, this feeling that he had always walked for others. It made this walking for himself, just to be so very, very tiresome.

He exhaled sharply and tilted his head upwards, peeking at the fake sun through longish bangs. He could not feel its rays on his skin, as little as the sand could. Why was he following that yellow ball of nothingness for no reason whatsoever? A sigh followed and his head straightened while his already hunched over shoulders moved even further forward.

Another step. Then another. Yet another. On and on he walked.
Because that was all he knew.

Really? Another wanderer to her lands? They were more than powerful enough to elicit her own response, she was on her way back from a visit to the party ship. A large floofy and black sunhat that was misplaced on her head, as was the sunglasses that covered her eyes as it was her best disguise.

Who expected the ruler of the lands to keep her identity a secret with such a silly disguise? No one.

At least she thought so.

With long teal curls that fell down her back and blew in the meager wind, as she crested a dune and stared down at the arrancar trudging along. "Hey there. Any particular reason you wandering through this section of land?"

Might as well find out if he knew where he was or not.

Was just slightly slower in noticing her presence. For when she appeared to take a look at him the aura shifted and something tickled down along his spine. With his muscles tensed, his whole form ready to pounce and attack anybody who dared to come too close, did he lift his head to stare at the being just as she decided to speak up.

He could not admit he had ever seen anybody like her before. There were those ever hungry creatures, just like he had been an ever hungry creature, and now there was she. With a mere glance he was aware that she was neither like them, nor like him.

It did not exactly calm him. At times the unknown was by far worse than the bad that you already knew. "Hn." The flat of his palm pressed down against he top of his katana hilt while he continued to stare at her through his longish bangs.

For now he remained prepared, he was not the type to blindly rush into fights, and would allow his instincts to decide on what was happening next. "There is sand 'n' then there is sand 'n' then there is fuckin' more sand." he drawled, at least pretending to be the one in control here. He even forced a smirk up onto his slightly pouty lips while watching her every movement. "What reason should anybody have to be here besides buildin' a fuckin' castle?"

"Just wondering if you knew where you were or not. It's a desert, obviously it has sand... And it already has a few castles, don't really need more." Sarai's tone was nonchalant but the arrancar's words caused an obvious relaxation of her muscles. He was not strong enough to be a threat to her by any means, so she ignored the hand on his weapon and the posturing. Instead she stretched a bit and moved down the dune towards the man, despite his obvious wariness.

The corona made no moves of agitation or even aggression, merely getting closer and smiling as he smirked. "My, you're a tall one. Taller than me! Do you want a castle then?"

He was a strong one, she was curious as she pulled the sunglasses off to stare at him with interest. Very strong interest. "You could build one here. Its not claimed by any specific Espada."

The smirk lessened slightly as he took in her own form. It changed, subtly, and seemed almost relaxed now. She had as little interest in throwing him around the place as he had interest in throwing her around. However judging by how quick she was to lower herself to him and how calculating those eyes, now unshielded, were he figured it would take him quite a lot of work to slap her around the desert. And while he had no clue why he fought day in and day out to go on, to take another step forward, he was too keen on giving up and rolling over. It simply was not his style.

Snorting however, yes that was something he loved doing. The sound easily escaped him while his own muscles remained tensed. Instincts were hard to overcome after all.

"So what 're ya suggestin'?" This time confusion was evident within his dark green hues. His eyebrows furrowed while the smirk vanished completely. "That I build sandcastles in a desert with a buch of junkies?" Continuing endlessly seemed like the better plan, especially as he was not really a people person in the first place. "Who gave ya the right to be the Bitch Queen around here anyway?" The last comment certainly had not been all that honest, something that smirk which returned onto his lips once more might or might not suggest. "'n' I can't really see any castles, ya know?" And what the fuck were Espadas? The name of the weirdo group? Thinking about it... there was nobody else. Was she talking about her invisible friends? "Uhhhh..." He really should not have stopped walking straight ahead.

No outright movements to attack, no aggression other than the initial reaction? Color Saraiyu intrigued enough to want to start circling the arrancar as a rather nice hand came up to her chin and stroked it. She wanted to examine this man, see how he had lived and wandered... His own words made her think he had been wandering for a while.

Listening to his snort of disbelief, she didn't give it the time of day. Instead she focused on his words, her striated eyes looking straight up at his face. "Junkies? I'm suggesting you come back with me, random snorting stranger. Wanderers in the desert are way better than castles."

Bitch...Queen? Sarai blinked once, twice...before smiling and laughing. Her plump lips formed a vicious smile as she stopped her laughing after only a moment. "I guess my right comes from when I tore off the last leader's head. Bitch Queen's a nice title, as good as any."

"I'll show you those castles if you want, but you'll have to think about my proposition first. They are a bitaway and I don't feel like taking useless baggage." He'd made her laugh, that was something... and she was a rather blunt person with those she wanted to follow her. She didn't play games with them or tug them along and felt no need to play a cat and mouse with this arrancar. Sarai wanted him as a fraccion, he wasn't powerful enough to be an espada... Bitch Queen. Her vicious smile was replaced by one of utter amusement, arms crossing as looked up (a rare occurrence) at this man.

She liked it, that dirty man's title. Bitch Queen repeating in her head, she stepped back a bit and stretched long arms over her head. He must have been a wanderer for a while to not have heard of them...or too new to have learned. "I'm Saraiyu and I lead a powerful group of arrancar. You'd be fun to have around."

He had no clue what he had been doing when he had been alive. However his instincts always were working overtime wherever he was. It was as if he was some kind of caged animal that never was allowed to rest. Just as right now, where he seemed aloof and teasing while his eyes and ears took in every shift in her behavior. Her eyes seemed to move left and right for a moment, right before setting onto his again. She was sizing him up. Seeing what he was capable of doing even though her whole stance showed that she could easily crush him. Never let your guard down, even if you are more powerful. His words in turn had her smile, smirk, lit up those eyes. It did not seem many crossed her words like this. She must be surrounded by those invisible friends of hers and yet still feel incredibly lonely. That was something he understood also. The loneliness that made up your whole being until it threatened to swallow you up. His feet were aching, his legs tensing further and his whole being was ready to walk again, to do something in order not to think.

And yet she was here. He could not just march again.

His dark eyes, which had for a moment stared into the distance across her shoulder found hers again. The last leader's? Was there some kind of gang he had completely missed? Obviously. So those sandcastle building idiots were actually real and not her own hallucination?

"So." he finally started once she was done, his eyes caught staring at her arms before settling back onto her face. "Ya want to bring me along to yar sandcastle to meet your pile of weirdos. Ya want me to join yar collection." Even though he had no clue why. She was powerful enough on her own and if she indeed had her group of buddies he was certain they were anything but weak also. So why ask a random idiot like him? "How would I be any fun?" Maybe this was the question he really had to ask. It certainly was of higher importance. Enough for him to lean over, until his face came close to hers. "Put me on fire 'n' see how I shriek? I ain't sure if ya guys will ever have me shriek though, I tell ya that."

Waiting and watching, Saraiyu merely blinked a few times as the dirty man asked pertinent questions. Once he spoken his piece, she began firing off answers as she stood in the sands. "Yes, I want you to come back with me. No, I don't want to see you squeal or shriek. As for how you'd be fun? You called me Bitch Queen. I am sure you have more fun comments and snark in there and I'd like to see it."

"The sands are boring and there's nothing to do or see out here but the moon. You don't strike me as a romantic moon watcher, your eyes are too wary for that." A hand waved dismissively as the bells that had had much softer jingles were now set off at her movements. Moon watchers were fun to her too, but this man in his trudging seemed...listless and lost. Bored maybe? She didn't flinch one iota as his face drew close.

Instead and eyebrow quirked up as the corners of her lips rose once again. The hand that had waved dismissively went to her nose chain and played with the bells a bit as she stared directly into his dark eyes without a hint of flinching. "I can at least promise you won't be bored... Arrancar of your strength aren't that plentiful for me to pass up offering you a chance and I keep those who follow me busy."

He was aware that he was pushing it quite a lot with his questions. It at least seemed to him that she wanted to do everything to get going and not linger here. It certainly was not nervousness, she was too strong for that. Maybe she had something to do? But what could you really do in this dessert than walking straight ahead?

Build sandcastles?

At least she had wits also. It was his turn to smirk slightly as she talked. The moon watcher and the Bitch Queen? It sounded like the beginning of a very, very bad joke.

And yet she surprised him once more as she spoke so easily of his behavior. He could not recall if anybody had ever paid that much attention to him. "Hn." Because really, what was he supposed to say to that? It was better to leave it hanging in the air while he pulled back once more. Instead he listened her out completely before his head tilted up slightly.

She liked him because he couldn't care less if she killed him now or not? Hilarious. She saw through him and his behavior even though she only wanted entertainment? Interesting.

"I'm really not the kind to moon watch." he murmured at long last, just as he lowered his head once more to take a look at her. "Show the way, darlin'."

Smirking smirks on this arrancar, he would be quite nice to have along. Saraiyu was patient and relaxed from her trip to the boat, she was willing to attempt to convince this arrancar to come along...or send him in a different direction. No need to have one like this wandering straight through her lands and causing annoyances.

What kind of sound was that? It was some sort of acknowledgement, that much was easy to see, but to which part? The moon watching, the sands being boring... Maybe all of it really. He had been paying as much attention and focus on her as she had on him and as he stepped back she continued her careful scrutiny.

His words caused a genuine smile to appear, the smirk from earlier still hinted at inside of it but... she was definitely pleased and it showed in her whole body. Snorting, a rather unladylike behavior but it wasn't as if she was the type to care about such things. "One of my men is a moon watcher, so I believe you could ask him to do it in your honor if you wanted to get all the benefits and none of the hassle."

She flipped around after her comment, opening a garganta in the sands in front of her. Without looking back, the Corona stepped inside and pulled the stupid sunhat off of her curling locks and tossed it aside as well. "This way, nameless wanderer."

There was no name given yet, but she was fine with waiting until after he had seen the Tower.

It was the first time he truly found himself surprised. He certainly had never been during his journey, not even when being ambushed, and had not been as much when she started talking with him. However this smile- Nobody smiled at him like that. People did not even look at him. The creatures here all just wanted to eat him at most. And even tough he knew that had to be something before that time, he could not imagine anybody ever smiling.

Or?

The tall male exhaled quietly while his dark green hues lingered on those lips even when she started to talk. Only once she was done with her sentence did he chuckle and lifted his dark green orbs high enough to glance into her eyes once more. His own were slightly obscured by his longish bangs, but he did not seem to mind that.

His vision was still clear anyway. His instincts as high as always. And yet he nodded. "Yeah, can't wait to be lazy." he drawled, but his humor stopped abruptly upon seeing what was happening. This was absolutely new to him, and for a moment he was unable to hide his utter shock. With his eyes wide and his jaw dropped he watched her open that, that, that... well thing!

"Uh." He swallowed heavily and immediately flickered his eyes back at her. No reason to be caught staring. "Yeah uh yeah um alright." Maybe he did not manage to hide it that well. "I, I guess so yeah." What was he supposed to do? Oh. His steps were still careful and his shoulders hunched over even further as he slowly moved up to the garganta. Was this some kind of trap? Well, then she would not slip through first, would she? He took a deep breath, his instincts still flaring as he carefully followed the woman.

Had there been something wrong with her lips? Saraiyu was unsure but his eyes had lingered more than a bit on them before he looked up. A chuckle for her joke was all she got, a pity. She'd bother Luca later and tease him about his romantic aimed moon viewing and get some tips.

"Lazy? Lazy..." A soft chuckle slipped past the apparently interesting lips. He thought if he went with her it'd be lazy days and boring she bet... hah! The shock of this arrancar didn't go unnoticed, which was surprising to her. She showed it in the lift of her eyebrow and the small little smile on her lips, both almost questioning in nature as she glanced back.

"It's called a garganta, you can make one too. I see you are a new arrancar then." That was even more fun! Especially as he approached the portal with trepidation. It was almost like a fluffed cat approaching a new scary item... Actually no, it was exactly like that. Might as well give him the warning as she turned forward and began walking. "Stay on my platform for now, otherwise you'll fall off and never be found. You can learn how to do this later, for now lets get to the Tower."

It was a short trip through the swirling maelstrom and she wondered how the others would once again take her finding more strays. This was a larger than normal one, admittedly, even if he was all skin and bones at the moment. Though those wiry muscles...

"Here we go, my Tower. Xavos' castle is the tiny speck in the distance, I'm sorry to disappoint in that it's not closer. The volcano is on the other side, I'll show you later." As the portal opened once more, this time from the inside, a large looming tower built of some sort of rock stood in front of them. It had a spiral twist to it, the bottom wider than the pinpoint top and it was impossibly huge as if it wanted to reach the ever present moon. There were no seams on its surface and she waited for him to take it in, ask questions or really anything. There was a lot to deal with and she was patient.

Naturally he did not see her questioning glance. Neither was he able to read any of her thoughts. Actually, for a few moments the woman was absolutely forgotten as he almost timidly moved up to the huge portal. He was certainly wary. This was not normal. This was, this was, he certainly would recall if he had ever seen that, lost memories or not. Or?

It was her voice that pulled him back out of his thoughts and guided his attention back to her. At first he did not seem to realize what she was saying, something that mirrored in his confused expression, but then it morphed into recognition.

Lucian was quick to move up to her, almost sticking his front to her back. And yet he was careful to keep minimal space between them, the man never all too found of any form of touch. Yet he would risk a tiny dosage of it if it kept him rooted down instead of turning around and running the other way. He was not a little kid damnit!

And yet his curiosity met with the one of a child as they stepped out on the other side. First he was impressed that they were certainly somewhere else, then she talked in volcanoes and only then his eyes actually caught up to what was laying ahead of them.

"Oh." It was amazing, even to himself, that he did not take a shocked step backwards. Probably due to his worry that the huge portal still lingered there to suck him in. "That yeah that, ya certainly had to do a lot of shoveling to create that sand castle." The sentence was lame, even to his own ears, but right now he was far too shell shocked to find his wits.

Feeling the warmth of a body close, Sarai didn't move any faster or flinch at that when they were in the portal. He was scared or trying to intimidate her... Either one was fine, but she assumed the former.

The corona allowed the nameless wanderer his awe, taking it as due for her Tower. Her oddly striated eyes took in his curiosity, his shock and his tiny bit of fear of the portal before she spoke as she tried to hold amusement back.

"Not if you get one reaaally big shovel." Sarai started snickering after a few seconds, that was a hell of a reaction at least, he'd kept his sense of humor even in the shock. She shut the portal, worried he'd step back and she'd have to save him... though she'd kept it open in the first place in case he felt the need to run.

Since he seemed unable to form coherent anything she decided to do so for him. She smirked as she moved across the sands amidst jingles, heading for a hidden door at the edge of the sands. "Come along sweetie, you want a tour, yes?"

He still was rendered speechless a few moments longer before her words suddenly caught up to him. Immediately a snort escaped him while he shifted his dark green hues enough to take a look at her out of the corner of his eye. "Ya'd need somebody who'd do that shovelin'. So a big dude with a big shovel 'n' I dun wanna have such a big dude here. If I were an ass I'd say yar tower is a pile of shit from that big guy." Who then used a shovel and- No, no it was becoming too weird now, even for him. Instead he shook his head and then finally turned to follow the girl.

"Dun call somebody like me sweety, Bitch Queen. I ain't the type for that." he murmured as he followed her. He had stepped through a weird ass portal just to appear at a place he could not even imagine. He might as well take the tour. If he died along the way then well- He at least had seen it then, right? "Where are yar imaginary frien- ah yar very real followers 'n' harem boys then?" He usually was not the type to small talk. But he certainly was not going to follow like some freaky shadow behind her.

The only response to his rambles about a large fellow building this with his own waste was a very loud snort and then laughter. If you say something like that, prefaced by words declaiming not wanting to be an ass...then are you being a smart ass. Sarai almost felt like retorting but had a bit more important things to retort for now.

"You called me darling first, and I'm especially not that type. I'd say we both agree to not use those again and live our lives happy." Most snorts escaped as her eyes glanced over and up at the tall arrancar. He had started it, if he didn't want to get called sweet nothings he really shouldn't call her that.

The door opened without any sign from her, leading them into a tall white hallway that actually tilted down just a bit instead of heading upwards, almost like a ramp. It was a bit sterile looking, but the halls themselves seemed oddly fluid, things almost seen moving around behind them or even rubbing against the walls and bulging them.

"Ew, no harem boys or girls or monsters. My followers live in other buildings, except for the two that share this tower. I can introduce you in a bit to them and their second in commands." Sarai waved a belled hand and a few oval portals opened in the walls, thralls of hers who stepped out and began to escort the two as well. The walls curved just slightly as it continued down and the air grew slightly humid, which was a large difference from the arid desert air.

Her teal eyes never left the arrancar for the moment, wanting to see how he reacted to hearing her next bit of information. "These are my mindless thralls, I don't really count them since they had no choice in the matter. I suppose you could count them followers?"

A startled blink of eyes, then he lowered them to stare at the female close to him. The darling had been the issue? Really? It was something he simply said because he did not know what else to say. It came automatically by now. However, he saw no reason to explain himself. Or to continue with something she seemed to dislike. Therefore a simple shrug before he looked straight ahead once more, maybe staring a bit too intently at those walls. "Alright. Just thought sugar babe is weirder. But whatever floats yar boat."

Along their walk he moved close to her again, however still instinctively made sure not to come in contact with her form. So far, and as crazy as the thought was - or illogical, she seemed to be the safest spot here. Or at least the one that was pretty much normal compared to those other things that were going on.

"Could have fooled me. Figured they'd be yar bitches." he murmured, still not looking at her but instead at those things that had suddenly joined them. Talk about brainless - they certainly looked their part. "Dunno if those're followers really." he murmured, sounding almost absentmindedly even though he was not. Quite the contrary even. He had taken a step away from her once more as his muscles tensed up, ready to strike either, her or them, if they came too close to him. "More like puppets." And then those dark green eyes finally settled back onto her again. "Ya better kill me than make me yar dumb lil puppet, sugar babe."

"Just call me Bitch Queen, Corona or Saraiyu. My boat is sunk by those pet names, cutie pie." Saraiyu couldn't understand his insistence on calling her such things, he didn't seem to have any sort of interest in her in that manner so why? Sugar babe?

Euch, she wasn't some sweet treat. Bells jingled loudly as she almost gagged and shook her head, teal curls falling around her in an almost floofed up annoyance. He was lucky she was in a good mood and wanted him on her side, still not enough to allow herself to be called like that without snarking back.

Was he nervous? The arrancar was close again, she wondered why the walls unnerved him but it was normal to her by now. Walls that didn't move a bit were weird, like those in her Espada's quarters in the tower. No thralls working there, or at least not many... She wanted to glance back but it would be a pain to and give away her interest in the wanderer's reactions.

Not that it hadn't been obvious up till now.

"I really promise I'm not one for those sorts of things... and I didn't think so. My followers have work to do though and I can't exactly call them on a mental command like these. I suppose I'll just have to take you into my home." Waving her hand unconcernedly out, she sent them back as the floor leveled out finally. There was a long red carpet and it seemed to lead to a set of huge and ornate, gilded, double doors. The humidity was much stronger here, the air warm and smelling vaguely of...baths.

At least that was what it reminded Sarai of and she paused for another moment to look at the man. "If you were to be a thrall... I would have made you one? They are useless for thinking, useless for snarking and useless other than in menial tasks or things that don't require a lot of thinking. There's a lot of those to be done, so they are good for SOMETHING."

"Why would I want you as a mindless puppet, you thinking is way much more fun? Do you at least have a name I can call you before I let you into my sanctum? Sugar babe and cutie pie will get old fast I assume." She stretched and yawned a bit, hoping he'd introduce himself and stop worrying so much.

"Ya know." he murmured absentmindedly, his eyes staring at those walls, the followers and then finally shifted back towards her. "I care quite little what ya promise, darlin'." He was very much aware that following a stranger in this dessert was a very stupid move. However he had been bored enough to do so. It did not mean that he would simply let his guards down. Those nicknames should have told her that he felt anything but connected to the female. "In the end ya might just be as bored as me." he continued, not paying any kind of attention the shifting air or the smell.

He finally stopped walking also, right in front of those double doors, and turned around completely to have a full look at the woman. "Anyway." He reached backwards and scratched along his right buttcheek. "'m Lucian. I think. 'n' while I ain't got a fuckin' clue what ya really wanna do - causing sayin' something means quite little." He was a man of action. He would make an opinion of her at a later date. "'m here now. So we could talk about this forever, or we can continue the tour," And just because he felt it "- Saraiyu."

"I won't stop offering it in regards to that, whether you care or not." The corona yawned and raised her arms above her head, pushing the large doors open and feeling better as she entered her large domed main room of her home. Whether he let his guard down or not, she didn't really care. He had no reason to at all and while she noticed it, it wasn't much bothering her at the moment despite her wish for him to loosen up a bit.

Stepping into the steam filled room, it was huge and the top could barely be seen despite the odd lighting that kept everything lit. Around the dome were sectioned off areas almost, a space filled with standing screens that seemed to be a living area of some sort to the right of the carpet. To the left was a large section of just what seemed to be a more personal area, with even more screens blocking it. Ahead of them was what created the copious steam, a large area in the middle devoted to a tiled bathing spot. There were places with towels, washing items and small shower like spot to rinse off. But once past that, an enormous steaming bath existed.

A few regular fraccion of the other espada rested in it, barely looking up to salute her.

"...I am bored a lot. However did ya notice, Lucian?" Sarai gave the arrancar a glance just filled with amusement as he finally used her name. She shrugged before deciding to explain, continuing on in the slang he seemed to adore. "S'why I pick up strange random arrancar and the desert and bring em back here. See if they have useful skills just wasted out there doing nothing but moon gazing and fucking around."

"S'why I do most things. Boredom. So ya got any special skills or just a random useless arrancar with sand between your ears? A bath might wash it all out at the least." Well if he got pissed at her she could just show him how to garganta and be free, she didn't have to be all sweet and maternal all the time. It'd be a waste but...

Lucian easily ignored her for the time being. He was seeing things he had never seen before, at least as far as he could remember, and certainly would now allow her to ruin that moment. Dark green eyes were quick to take a look around. They shortly came to rest on the other four persons, but did not linger upon noticing they seemed harmless. They however remained in the back of his mind, the arrancar quick to notice them again if they were to make a sudden move. They screens however turned out to be quite bothersome, shielding his eyes from most of the things, and not allowing him to see what created the strange air around them.

He could not recall ever feeling something like that before.
No reason to waste his mind on it then.

Instead he turned back towards the female as she spoke up once more. A snort was quick to escape him. "Sounds like ya're takin' in pets? What am I then? Yar dog?"

A roll of his eyes before they settled back on the fraccions. "I know yar eager to have yar doggy show some tricks, but I ain't all that interested in immediately showin' my cards to yar, darlin'." He was very much aware that she was stronger, could detect it by the way she stood even, but that did not mean he was going to make it easy on her. "Ya'll probably have to train yarself in patience?" Those eyes lowered back to her. "What's that talk about baths though?" The sand between his ears? The comment was simply ignored.

"If you want to be a dog? Dogs just obey though, I want thinking people." Saraiyu was quick to point out again, waving her hand almost impatiently. She didn't want unthinking people by any means! "People who can do a damned job I ask of em and do it well, without me having to supervise. So maybe more like...well smart cats. Ah, my metaphors and similes are falling apart."

Saraiyu ruffled her teal hair up in a fit of frustration at how badly she was explaining things, bells on her nose chain and bracelets going wild with jingles. At least the arrancar was enjoying the scenery... If he wished to explore she'd not stop him, but she'd prefer he bathe first...

"Look I just like to do this, it keeps me busy and keeps others busy. Its win win on both ends, usually. If it isn't, we part ways and no one has any issues." Sarai grumbled, a bit frustrated with the arrancar but not seeming to mind being so. At least it was better than boredom or stress... "I've got a lot of patience, seeing as how I haven't killed an impudent young man like yourself. Or tossed you into the bath yet... That's a bath by the way."

Waving her hand at the expanse of water, the Corona moved closer to it, though not near the soaking fraccions. She instead gave them a decent berth for the moment, wanting instead to focus on the man. "It's water you wash in and soak away dirt. It feels rather nice to be clean also the heat is relaxing. Wish to try it?"

He did not bother to hide his confusion and maybe his own frustration about how she worded things and let out a rather loud snort. Complete with a set of rolling eyes while he actually turned his head to look at her. She better know she was not the only one close to a headache. "I dunno what's so much better about bein' a cat but I'll live with it." It was better to drop that topic altogether. She had her reasons and if looked closely he might just have his own reasons too.

For why would somebody simply follow another? Especially when knowing that somebody could kill you with a flicker of her wrist? Maybe even less.

If she'd kill him he would just finally be able to stop that horrible walking. And if she did not kill him she'd give him something else but that sandy endlessness.

A sigh, barely audible, escaped slightly pouty lips and his dark green eyes settled back on the water. "Yeah I fuckin' know what water is." He used it to clean too - but like this? Finding water in that desert was well, not something that happened often. And such an amount too. And to wash himself, all of himself, properly - that was, unbelievable.

"Alright." He was not certain to what he was agreeing to in the end - working for her, with her, or that bath - probably to everything, and took a few steps forward while loosing the katana against his hip. It did not clatter down onto the floor immediately, but neither did he hesitate following her invitation. Ignoring her, for the moment, and those soldiers of hers close by he started to loose the filthy rags that clung to his thin frame.

Sarai could have continued on her lecture about cats vs dogs in this case, cats having domesticated themselves in a mutual working relationship that benefited both parties while dogs were captured and bred to do specific things their owners wanted...

Her eyebrow raised as Lucian spoke of knowing what water was, refraining quite politely from pointing out the fact that he had not really given her any clues to that affect. Instead she smiled as he agreed, a warm and rich laugh coming from her while her teal eyes sparkled with glee. "Excellent! Here, I will join you. I do need a bath myself."

The thin frame was watched carefully and she wondered if there was any way to firm up an arrancar... but at the same time did not really care. Despite their builds or looks, most tended to be strong no matter what they looked like and the Corona pondered his true strengths. One of the soulless beings from earlier appeared to take away the rags, as well as set some towels and bathing items nearby, a small arrancar that was unassuming in the least.

Wondering if he knew how to bathe properly or if she should attempt to show him properly, the Corona began taking off all of her various articles of clothing and bells. If Lucian was to stay he'd need rooms set up for his use as well as clothing...

His filthy rags created dull thudding sounds upon dropping on the floor but he paid them no mind either. Bony joints became as much visible as rips and narrow hipbones underneath tightly stretched, scarred skin. As she spoke up again however he was pulled out of his silent musings and turned his head enough to take a glance at her.

And then he could not stop staring. His eyes widened almost comically while heat spread along his cheeks until they were as much of a burning red as the tips of his ears. "Wh-what the fuck?" he sputtered and took a surprised step backwards. "Ya fuckin' perv-" Of course he stopped as soon as he connected with one of those mindless puppets that had come closer to do her job.

Startled he glanced at her over his shoulder before he regained some of his cool. It would do neither of them any good if he killed one of her toys by stepping on it. A roll of his eyes, then a jerk of his head before he leaned forward.

He did not dare to glance at Sarai once more, went even so far as to pout stubbornly while the heat in his cheeks lingered, while he cupped some of the water in the palm of his hands. Indeed, he had heard of water, but not as much of bathing. And so he remained in front of the pool while he started to wash his face.