Losers Continue to Lose [NSFW]

"Thank you." Ikari accepted the tea as Mia handed it to him, and despite his own cold temperature the tea did not immediately cool; he had control over his abilities, after all...

"It'll return to it's normal color once I exit bankai, promise..." Masaru confirmed, giving a small nod; "Ikari explained to me earlier, so it'll turn back."

Mia really seemed worried... W-Was it because...reverse...s-skunk...?

M-Moving on! Masaru's concern for Mia's current state was more important than the jabbing of that comment!

"I...had expected I might be, though your own temperature was quite hot..."

Ikari glanced over as Mia reached over to him, and his eyes went to her hand before he turned his attention back to the tea. "You're body temperature is higher than normal, I can feel the heat without contact at that proximity..."

Considering his own body temperature, which was even colder than Masaru's currently...He could certainly feel the difference of Mia's just by having her near.

Mia would have been impressed with the tea staying warm enough for the zanpakuto, with the control exhibited... But she was definitely overly concerned with the white haired Masaru. His promises did allay her fears enough for her to sigh again, the cold breath still not affecting her. Ikari had said so she would accept both of their words and gave a small, pouty nod.

Seriously he didn't need that bad luck... Still, that hot? Mia was really confused, wondering what was going on as Masaru commented and then Ikari as well. His eyes went to her hand and then to his tea, the comment causing her to pull back her hand as if it had been scalded and flushing brightly. "S-Sorry..."

"I-I guess... my zanpakuto is doing weird things as well..." Mia murmured as she reached for Masaru's cup of tea to offer him it, trying to smile as she worked through this oddity.

"It's alright." Ikari answered before taking a sip from his tea; considering he was a zanpakutou spirit...this wasn't something he normally took part in, so it was nice to be about and able to calmly enjoy something as simple as tea for the time being.

Her zanpakutou was acting up...?

Masaru wasn't sure how to take that... Was it due to Mia's own training? A-At least she wasn't coming down with anything... Though he'd still like to make sure, how would he though...any attempt to figure out her temperature would likely show a high number due to her zanpakutou...

There was no way to accurately tell...

At least she felt fine... He would trust her word.

Masaru accepted the cup of tea from Mia as she handed it over to him, though unlike Ikari it chilled somewhat, at first a very thin layer of ice extending out over the cup from under his fingers as he brought the drink up to sip from, not seemingly bothered by it.

Ah, so it was fine then? Mia felt relief... She had overstepped her bounds really, but Ikari was fine with that and that made Mia feel quite a bit better. He was kind...

Picking up her cup, it should have been overly warm but now that she was paying attention the woman noted how normal it felt. Was there something wrong? Sending a ping out in her head, all she got was a grumbled middle finger for a reply as her zanpakuto apparently was sleeping or something. Since the bankai incident, Hono had been oddly quiet for most of the time.

Mia sipped the tea, noting it was a nice temperature but unable to truly know if it was too hot or not at the moment...

Thinking on it for a few moments, the woman pondered out loud to the two much stronger and wiser fighters. "Am... I reacting to the cold you think? Snow... cold... is the opposite of my flames, sorta. It's water, just colder... So maybe I am... overcompensating? M-My energy that is. I can't seem to make any small flames anymore though... I don't know too much about zanpakuto myself, but... It's odd now."

Would her energy build and wish to be released? Or would it just...keep her comfortable at these temperatures to protect her...? This was something weird, very weird.

"Perhaps your own skills are improving." Ikari commented, lowering the cup from his mouth as Mia pondered her current state of being. "You train on a regular basis, and against someone else of high skill... Even Masaru's skills are not fully developed; you could be developing yourself..."

Her response though was something to think on; they were in fact opposites when it came to abilities, so perhaps her body and abilities were reacting to keep her from freezing.

Right... Those smaller flames, so she could no longer produce them...

"Your inability to summon the smaller flames may be due to improvement as well, your gaining more control over your powers..."

Ikari did not converse much with other zanpakutou, rather being one to listen or guide, but... From what he could tell Mia's current state seemed to be due to an increase in ability...

Also...

"Also..." Ikari continued, though trailing off as he removed one of his hands from the cup to gesture over to Masaru whom...was currently having difficulty with his tea.

By difficulty... It mean that the tea was completely frozen within the cup, and to go along with that...the man's tongue was stuck to the frozen drink as well; it seemed he'd been quietly trying to solve the problem on his own while the two had been speaking...thus his earlier silence...

Mia was expecting Masaru to reply, so she was instead shocked when Ikari began speaking. Her full focus turned the polite spirit and she listened rather obviously, paying his words great heed as she nodded. "I think that probably...makes a lot of sense... I haven't, even when I've lost my temper or got upset... haven't burned anything lately..."

Especially the part about controlling it. If she was gaining more control, the leaking flames were being sealed up... Maybe even Hono herself was being sealed more... Mia was gaining what she had always sought, full and utter compliance over her abilities. Ikari, for his efforts, got Mia's brightest and sweetest smile before she turned at his words. "Thank you Ika-Masa?!"

A-Ah! It was obvious what had happened and Mia leaned over with her cup of hot tea still, reaching out to pour some in his glass and reheat the liquid. Instead it too froze and the woman squeaked as she set the cup down softly, arms almost flailing in panic. "A-Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! L-Let me unseal... Hono is right over there, I'll thaw you!"

!!?

Masaru's already widened eyes widened further for a moment as the liquid Mia poured over into his cup froze as well. He had... He had just wanted to take a sip! Then... Then this had happened! He'd been trying to be careful, but...

He couldn't speak, obviously due to his tongue currently being stuck to the frozen drink; attempting to speak would only result in intelligible babble most likely...

Ikari watched the two silently, taking another sip from his tea as Mia stated she would unseal her own zanpakutou to defrost him. Would that work though...? Right now Masaru's current state was due to his lack of control... It would take more time for him to become fully accustomed to these developing powers...

Mia darted up and over to her sword, quickly unsheathing it from its odd metal sheathe and holding it out as she spoke the command. It quickly heated up, the blade glowing in the cold from the heat as she then stabbed it straight through the snow and ice. Unlike before though, she didn't need to set something flammable on fire to give her the violet flames she needed. Instead they came to her hand as she rushed back to the two men, one seriously in trouble as she brought the handful of flames up.

This...would be a delicate process... Her hand wrapped around the cup as she frowned, violet eyes glowing brightly as she attempted to heat the tea back up and fight Masaru's cold control. "H-Here... Tell me if it gets too hot."

Could her heat right now win against his ambient cold? Or would she have to bankai and summon more energy...

Masaru continued to try to remove the cup from himself on his own while Mia prepared her zanpakutou; he had just wanted to take a sip of tea! He needed further training just to drink tea while in bankai!?

His eyes went to Mia as she returned, though... The flames... He could feel a very slight warmth, but the current freezing temperature of his body, along with the ice he was producing...

The flames weren't having their desired effect.

E-Even flames weren't enough!? Directly!?

"My abilities produce the coldest ice imaginable; it will take some of the hottest flames you can manage if your goal is to attempt to melt it..." Ikari stated, offering some advice before taking another sip of his tea...though, it was obvious he did not recall what was necessary for stronger flames.

Why weren't her flames working?! Mia was growing frustrated, which was helping heat them but really it wasn't doing much other than warming it minutely! About to try another technique, Mia was stopped by Ikari's words as she froze instead of Masaru. A-Ah... Hottest...flames...

"...I-I see." Squeaking a reply, Mia gulped and pulled back from Masaru. The longer she waited, the worse it would be for him, stuck like this. She... she had no time to worry or think about it. Ikari was Masaru's and no one else was around...

The woman began stripping, pulling the sash that tied her clothes closed, open instead.. U-Uniforms were expensive and... Mia was flushing, but she quickly yanked off every article of clothing on her. I-It was highly possible Ikari had seen her naked before and she wasn't... letting her...clothing get burnt up!

Still, she covered herself in her hair before she half stumbled, half ran basically to her impaled sword. Speaking the command, along with Bankai, the sword swiftly melted and melded to her body to form the armor that she had as her hair glowed as well as the flames of her power soaked into her. Hottest... fires... Were only possible in this form... The flames were coming from the top of her staff and instead of taking the full thing, she instead dropped the lower part to the ground.

Gulping, she turned around and looked down as she carried the chalice spilling with her flames towards the two... H-Hopefully these would be better... H-Hopefully her hair... was...covering all that skin... Even thought she knew it wasn't...

He had not thought this entirely through...

Ikari realized this silently as Mia began to shuffle around as she removed her clothing. As usual, he immediately directed his attention elsewhere...

The wall, again, seemed like an ideal...

He would just keep his attention there until things were finished and done with.

"-iiiaa-!" Hottest fires, that mean... Masaru, whom had been attempting to not speak had to now. Only her bankai of all things would work against this!?

Ikari had diverted his attention, as expected, but... This was a dire situation! It felt like one, anyway! He'd just wanted to sip tea! Now Mia had had to unleash her bankai just to thaw the drink!

She had to hurry! Masaru's cry for her made her almost whimper as she moved to lean down, afraid she might burn the porch by sitting. The snow and ice around her was melting away, heat rolling off of her and her body in miragelike waves that betrayed how intensely warm she was from this. The chalice was set down in the ice as Mia scooped flame from it as if it were some kind of solid or semisolid substance and then lifted it to the cup and Masaru to help. "H-Here... I'll try to be careful but these are the hottest flames I have. I don't want to burn you..."

Mia realized part of the way through, that couldn't Ikari have controlled the ice himself and stopped it? Well she was bent over and not facing Ikari, so she couldn't ask. Her first priority was trying to get Masaru free, worry shining on her face and as she bit her lower lip.

Hopefully this would work...

Masaru remained still, absolutely still as Mia approached him and brought her flames out to him; they both had to be careful with this... These were the hottest flames she had, so if this could do nothing then it was hopeless...

Luckily, her flames currently had a much better chance against his freezing ice as it melted more swiftly, it was still slow somewhat, but fast enough and soon the ice had dissolved enough for Masaru to pull his head away from the cup, his tongue uninjured.

A breath of relief escaped him once he was able, free from being stuck to frozen tea... Though he had not gotten to drink it... He would have to exit bankai to enjoy it, wouldn't he...?

"Thank you, Mia..."

"It worked! Welcome!" Pleased that it had worked, Mia practically bounced in place as she straightened up with her handful of fire.

Success! Mia flung the fires away to snow piles after the work had been done, where they immediately began melting those. She was happy though and reached out for Masaru's cup, intent on taking care of it before deciding to just let him handle it. Instead Mia bent down and kissed Masaru softly for a few brief seconds and pulled back, happiness shining in her face at her successful melting. "Welcome..."

She was repeating herself but Mia didn't care. Instead, forgetting about her bankai she turned to the man looking away from her and all but dove for him. Wrapping her arms around Ikari, Mia pulled the seated Zanpakuto to her chest for a hug. "Thank you for the suggestion! But... you could have controlled the ice enough to help him, couldn't you? Did you really need to guide me to helping him instead of just doing it yourself?"

Masaru couldn't help but smile due to Mia's own happiness after helping him, responding to the kiss after she'd connected their lips for a few seconds. He gave another smile, a soft one as Mia repeated herself, she had definitely helped...

A-Ah...

Before he could react though she'd gone and...hugged Ikari... A-Aha...

Ikari's attention was on the wall. It was on the wall as Mia dove for him; his body stiffened in response out of surprise. The woman was...embracing him in such a state!? He was not Masaru! He was...a part of the man, but...

"...That..." Ikari began, placing all of his focus entirely on answering Mia's question; "It's his obstacle to overcome. Moments such as these will help assist him in...further learning to place control over himself and our abilities."

He could not hold him by the hand with this.

Mia was distracted by Ikari's answer and pulled away from the hugging after a moment, still confused by the sword's response. "But you had me help him... So he didn't do it alone at all anyways, you could have left him in that state long enough to be a lesson and then be done with it..."

If she had helped Masaru overcome it, how did that help her love at all? Since she had had to use her flames in the first place... Mia stepped back for a moment before seating herself on her uniform on the porch between Masaru and Ikari... And promptly setting it on fire.

She didn't notice the extra burning, already on fire herself. Mia was still confused by Ikari's mannerisms though and looked to Masaru for guidance and help in understanding things.

"...It had appeared doubtful to me once you'd noticed him in that state you'd want him to sit there... So letting him off such a lesson...this time at least..." Ikari attempted to answer, not quite back to his usual calm after Mia had removed herself from him.

He was at least good at masking his emotions though...

The tea cup in his hand though was still being held in an iron grip.

"M-Mia! You're uniform!" Masaru's attention had gone to Mia's uniform as she seated herself on it as Mia and Ikari spoke; it was burning! She...She had spare uniforms, but-! This one was burning! She didn't like to burn her clothing!

...The spirit had a really good point, once Mia noticed him in that state she definitely would not have allowed him to be stuck like that, lesson or no. Masaru was precious to her... If she had had to beat up Ikari or try to, she would have. The stubborn tilt to her jaw as she thought that proved the spirit right, even as Mia looked away. "Yes... I would have put an end to the lesson immediately."

If he had even dared to try...

Masaru's words jolted her from her thoughts though and Mia jumped up, flailing lightly as she hopped away from her clothes. The porch was not burning, but her clothes burst into stronger flames as air reached them and fanned the violet fire higher.

"Not agaaain!" Falling to her knees, Mia blinked and stared in horror before she landed hand first in the snow that was immediately melting from contact with her. Soon she would be in her own despaired mud puddle... Without even a flicker of movement, the flames flew from the now way too singed to be salvaged clothing to dance on her as if enjoying their mischief.

As he'd thought... Though, Ikari did not have but a moment to think his response as his focus shifted to the uniform the other two were worried about. It was...too singed by now to be saved, otherwise he would have attempted to save it...

The flames that'd caused the destruction seemed animated, looking as if they were proudly dancing after the destruction they'd caused.

"A-At least...there's spare uniforms..." Masaru stated, offering some glimmer of hope about this situation. "Here..."

He held out his hand, offering it to Mia to take as he noticed the snow was melting under her. She'd wind up in a puddle at this rate...

The water began steaming, filtering up and around her as it boiled from her embarrassment. The purple flames grew stronger, more powerful as they fed from her emotions, dancing more and more before they were quenched by Masaru's hand. Mia, seeing that hand, blinked and reached out to take it as the boiling water and snow were allowed to be cold once more. Letting herself be helped up, she smiled sheepishly as her staff and chalice flew to combine once more and she gripped it in her free hand. The violet flames that fell over the edge seemed merely light now instead of filled with heat and and carried it with her to Masaru's side.

"There are... I just hate when my clothes get burned up from this. Why is Hono so cruel? Why do I have a zanpakuto that feeds off emotions..." Mia spoke softly, shaking her head and leaning down to kiss Masaru's head before her metal tipped fingers touched his mixed tone hair softly. For Ikari and Masaru's benefit, she spoke a bit more.

"A-Ah... I guess it might be confusing for you two... Emotions means... stronger, more control... Th-The less I think about it and the more I feel the more... things work." Twirling a strand of fire embued hair around her finger, she tried not to feel embarrassed. Those two were so tightly controlled... Their powers didn't run on instinct and feelings, but hers were entirely based around that.

Masaru kept his hand out for Mia as she took it, and he helped her up so she could come and sit down by him. Hono fed off of her emotions... It wasn't something he was able to grasp in full until Mia began explaining it.

That was certainly different from how Ikari worked...

Masaru continued to listen, as did Ikari as Mia reached out to Masaru's two-toned hair to touch it. He had to wonder if she was still worried about this...the hair...

He still didn't quite understand the worry, but...it would definitely return to normal once he exited his current bankai state.

"I see... It's different from how Ikari works, certainly...ah...Mia... Are you still worried about the hair?" M-Might as well ask...

Ikari had informed him that once he gained a full control over his abilities it would change further, and turn white like his rather than how it was now... Maybe it was just the...s-skunk appearance that bothered her...

Mia wanted to sit but she was too busy worrying over this hair... How could she stop it... As Masaru spoke up, she gave a firm nod and stood up still before his words made her respond outloud.

"Its a death sentence! White hair is bad, it means you're gonna be a target for despair and hurt! You have a sad enough past without bringing more bad luck into your life with white hair too!" Her words were punctuated with flailing arms and fire that remained when she waved them, a sign of her agitation. "Do you know anyone with white hair that isn't old? No? Why? Because they are all dead!"

Mia clenched her fists at her side as she finished her tirade and gave a little grumpy and cute stomp, before turning to Ikari and crossing her arms. "And you! Just because you have pretty white hair doesn't mean you should invite the bad luck on Masa!"

It seemed the zanpakuto was now on the short end of the Mia grumpy stick, her emotions flaring and thus the fire was as well. However it wasn't hurting anyone or even melting the snow as it began to worm its way across the frozen landscape.

E...Eh...?

Both Ikari and Masaru had gone silent as Mia began to explain, rather passionately, about the bad luck of having white hair at a young age. S-So it wasn't the skunk...then...

It was the possibility of his hair being full white...

Oh no...

Mia was not going to be happy with the final stage of his training then...

Not at all.

Ikari blinked, his eyes already widened slightly due to her tirade before as he was suddenly...placed at the center of her grumpiness.

What...was he meant to say?

"It is not something I can help." That was likely not a liable excuse. "It's not in my control...as to what my powers will change about Masaru..."

Even if only temporarily.

Masaru for one was silent in unsure panic. His hair when he reached the end goal of his training... Oh no... Mia would not be happy, she'd panic... She'd panic... Panicking Mia wasn't good, she would be upset...

"You can help it! And you will stop it right now, Ikari!" Mia demanded, stubborn grumpiness shining in every bit of her, down to her stance and her pointing finger. Fire roared around her, swirling and feeding off of her emotions and beginning to melt every bit of snow in the whole of the training grounds as steam began rising. Nothing else was catching though, and even Mia had not noticed this yet.

"You seem to have a lot of control over things and Masa, which I am really really grateful for. I appreciate all you've done for him, all you helped me with when he was scared as well... But I draw the line at burgeoning white hair!" Looking much like a fiery queen, Mia tilted her head up almost imperiously without thinking as her fire grew and she stared down at Ikari. Masaru himself, and his mild panic, was not noticed at this moment.

She had to nip this in the bud, even practically naked and on fire as she was... It was impossible for this to happen!

"..."

"..."

There was...really nothing he could do though; this was the natural progression. This wasn't something he could control or change; Masaru was nearing the skill level of unlocking the true form of his bankai.

That...was not something changeable...

Masaru could not simply stop training either...

Masaru didn't know what he could do to help this situation, the one card he had to play had been destroyed. It wasn't the two-tone that bothered her...she didn't want his hair white, but there wasn't...

What... What then!?

The training grounds were beginning to steam rather strongly now due to Mia's abilities, and it did not go unnoticed, really it only seemed to cause further distress.