wanderer & wolf [Sol/Lilynette]

Solhammond Palliser | DEAD

For the most part, Solhammond Palliser relatively laid back. He joked around, allowed some things to strike him as funny at his own expense. It was easy that way, and it made things simple. It avoided conflict with the people he didn't want and that was alright by him. But, he was his mother's child. For all the lofty goals he set for himself, he held a certain self-respect for himself that rarely allowed a genuine threat or insult to go unanswered. For better or worse, he wasn't about to let that go unchallenged.

Let us not forget, before Sol was a shinigami, he was a human. A professional fighter whom reputation was everything. As she leer'd at him she'd see the gradual shift of his face from surprise to genuine anger. Whatever notion of timidity which was once inside of him was gone, instead that feeling which manifested during the Rukongai street brawl nearly bubbling to the surface.

"I don't know who the fuck you're talking to like that, dial that shit back." He'd comment in a tone which contrasted her mildly irritated one. "If you didn't like what I said, just say that and move on. But come at me with threats, or with that tone, don't expect that to go unanswered. I ain't no bitch, Lilynette. And I ain't gonna let no one, strong or not to treat me like one."

It was a viscerally surreal moment for the young man, as it took him back to not that long ago. Back when he survived day to day, having to answer every asshole stronger or weaker than him. He was sure Lilynette could kick his ass, and might be justified in doing it, but it was equally important to establish some mutual respect. And if that had to come with a sharp rebuke back at her, then that was a fence he was willing to part on.

END POST | WHITE KNUCKLE BRAWLER

She didn't back down, even as his expression changed. And all the more, her gaze hardened as he seemed to misunderstand the situation that he was in. The first part of what he said was fine, but the second part felt like a warning, and promptly the wolves around them stopped what they were doing to look at Sol. Lilynette's eyes narrowed slightly and she let her head tilt to the side. "What?" She blurted out, confusion clear on her face as she peered up at him.

He was getting defensive, WHY was he getting defensive? Was he fucking with her?
She smiled, showing teeth, a warning sign. "I'm not calling you a bitch, I didn't say anything about you being a bitch. But hey, you wanna feel like a big strong guy? You said yourself you're not gonna let this go unanswered. But let me tell ya Sol: I fuckin aint takin it back. So why don't we just get this out of the way. Go ahead and punch me. Face. Fist. GO on!" She promptly insisted. She didn't know jack all about human social standards, when someone threatened a response that typically meant violence. Of course, she knew, at the very least, to NOT deal with Sol the same way she'd deal with a hollow. Which would, simply, be to maul him. And as much as a weirdo as he was being, she DID still like hanging around the guy. So she just did what seemed like it would solve this problem the fastest and just insisted he get whatever this was out of his system. Then they could go get their food.

Solhammond Palliser | DEAD

He definitely was not cooling down from anything she said, and as the misunderstanding grew so did his anger. Compounding on the perception the Arrancar was trying to insult him via the big man comment, he'd scoff choking on something in his throat as a furious response bubbled. The African native losing his cool, the brief moment of lucidity which came from her confusion was immediately removed follow by the words which left her mouth. He'd look to her feet then upwards to her face as his own contorted from annoyance to outright anger.

"Is that your takeaway, I want to be a big strong guy?" He'd bark out, his hand beginning to curl into a tight fist. Callous fingers digging into harden palms as if in reaction to the rising threat of violence. "Ain't no one going to want to be around someone who's first reaction to something, is to threaten to punch them in the throat. In what fucking friendship is that shit ok?" He'd not strike her yet, but make it clear his point of frustration.

"Maybe you've spent too much time with the wolves, not everything is solved with threats or violence. " He lifts a hand up, speaking with it as he begins to turn around speaking. "If you don't get what wrong with what you said, then good luck. I'm out."

In some ways it was unlucky for him and her, that this particular button was pressed for both of them. Within the eyes of Sol, the nature of what she said was not the issue it was how she said it. And with it being perceived as an insult to him, then his bias and expectations as a human came into play. It just wasn't normal to be threaten for what he saw as a relatively light joke. And the further escalation followed the same vein.

So he answered it. Via departing. Entertaining the notion of a fight, wasn't his intentions.

END POST | WHITE KNUCKLE BRAWLER

Fuckin...WHAT?! She stared, just.....confused. Not knowing what the fuck this was all about. What did he mean raised with wolves? Resorting to violence? Did this motherfucker not understand how hollows lived?! And then just like that he was bouncing?! She considered trying to speak up, but she just....narrowed her eyes and watched him leave. Seriously?

She considered going after him, but she straight up did not know what she did wrong. And not ONLY that, but she was still fucking angry at being called cute, bristling just a little and feeling that stab of insecurity. But she didn't focus on that shit for now. She just turned and vanished with a sonido, intent on hunting down the nearest hollows and taking out her frustrations on them.







It was a couple days. She hadn't been in the area for a good while. No texts. No calls. And nothing but stewing in her own irritation. Fucking CUTE. She found herself using her phone often. Using the camera o look at herself again and again. Inspecting herself, making note of her height. Her physique. Her faces that felt natural. And she felt that sinking hole in herself where Stark had once been. It had taken centuries before her body had started to actually mature, but it wasn't a matter of age. She and Starrk were the same, but it was the nature of their relationship that had caused her form. Hollows didn't truly age, any change in form was a matter of the relationship with their own power. When her own mask fragment nad broken away, it was a little more of her self that had felt....whole. she'd grown. Her mask had shrunk. And that loneliness in her heart had .....been able to grow. Turn into a drive instead of an anchor.

But it was never truly gone.

Which is why sne decided to check up on Sol. It was nothing especially intrusive. He would simply notice their presence. The wolves. Not watching him. Not stalking him. But he'd see them here or there. Patroling on their own, or investigating storefronts and other similar things. Keeping an eye on the area rather than just straight up Stalking Sol specifically. Just being THERE. In case he wanted to approach on his own. But, ultimately, Lily would eventually grow impatient. And if he ignored the wolves for long enough, a couple days later, one would just walk right up to him.

Solhammond Palliser | DEAD

When she checked up on him, she found his schedule was always somewhat different. A different patrol, a different location, etc. He mixed it up for some reason or another but one thing did remain: He was certainly looking for fights. And he found them more often than not, be them a hollow or something else. Rarely did the fighter allow for the chance to pass up a brawl, and they usually ended in his victory. Usually.

And he noticed the wolves, at first he was annoyed. He thought she was trying to annoy him, or something. It was the blind anger, the sore spot felt from confrontation which didn't truly get resolved. And it was his pride which prevented him from speaking to them for awhile. As if by going to them he'd be admitting to some wrongdoing he himself didn't understand. Headstrong, a Palliser family trait.

But as time passed, as days did, that annoyance would fade. He thought more as the anger was gradually replaced with something else. The slow knot which formed in someone's stomach as they gradually grew to resent their actions. And Sol was no exception. When the wolf approached him, he was sitting down next a tree. On break if you would. His jaw tightening for a moment before relaxing. A visible sigh leaving his lips as his shoulders sagged.

"What?"

Yeah, that seemed a good way to start this off.

END POST | WHITE KNUCKLE BRAWLER

The wolf paused, her ears perking slightly, picking up the ...shift in tone that Sol had taken on. An improvement to what she had expected, as she admittedly DID wonder if perhaps, Sol might just stay angry. The wolf seemed to consider the greeting offered.... and gently sat down on it's haunches for a moment. as if to consider what it was that it wanted to say.

"I'm not sorry for what I said." Lilynette's voice emerged from the canine. At the same time that a descorrer peeled it's way open, and from the darkness, the wolf queen herself stepped out with .... a sheepish frown on her face, guilt very clearly showing in her body language as she folded her arms infront of her, leering a little at Sol, but in a sort of.....frustrated.... uncertain way. "But I am sorry how I said it. I don't even know how I should say it, I've never hung around humans before. I don't like being called that, it brings up a lotta bad shit. And in Hueco Mundo, you gotta make SURE a fucker hears you when you say something." She noted, her voice briefly hardening before she ....let her shoulders slump.

"BUT.....you...aren't a fucker. You're pretty cool. Usually." She murmured, VERY clearly struggling, trying to be cautious with how she was expressing herself. "So like.... last time I said you could hit me you got angry. So.....how do I ....make it up to you and shit?" She asked, CLEARLY at an impasse. As obviously, it was clear that the 'you get a free shot' move HAD indeed occurred to her a second time. Raised by wolves indeed. But she was at least trying.

Solhammond Palliser | DEAD

It was hard to really say how Sol felt as she appeared, how he processed what she said. But he wasn't as angry. Not as much as he had been. He shifted in his seated position as she crossed her arms and spoke, his own gaze briefly turning away from her for one reason or another. The heavy feeling of guilt washing over him in a way not too dissimilar from herself. As she finished speaking, he'd turn his gaze back to her.

"I shouldn't have gotten so... angry." He'd admit in his own pained way, letting out a displease grunt. "All you had to say, was what you just said, and I would've respected that. I don't..." He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right word. Before finally letting it out with a heavy exhale. "I don't want to make you feel bad, cause you're my friend, ya' know?"

"I just wanted to; I don't know. Compliment you, I guess." He'd begin to get to his feet, dusting himself off as he did so. It was an awkward encounter, but a genuine one. It had been sometime since Sol actually opened up to someone, about his feelings on a subject. The last time he done so was with Chidori, and that didn't go well. His hands would raise up to behind his neck interlacing his fingers while his elbows pointed outward.

"You don't need to make anything up... but I guess we could finally get that bite?"

END POST | WHITE KNUCKLE BRAWLER

Lilynette.....was certainly glad that he was working his way through it. BEcause she sure as hell didn't know how to. She tilted her head, and was....STILL confused. Now he was going back on what he said?! Her face scrunched up, baffled. She JUST admitted SHE probably was in the wrong, and NOW he was apiologizing?! She struggled, realy disliking this human shit, she fuckin HATED it. But at least it seemed they had worked it all out. Reaching up and itching her temple, she supposed it was better than just having a grumpy Sol around.

She stuck her tongue out implishly and smirked just a little as he finally got around to how they were gonna go abouit fixin this shit up? He won some brownie points by mentioning food, chuckling to herself and promptly walking over and holding her hand out, intent on pulling him straight up to his feet. "Hell yea! Lets get some fuckin food, I haven't had human shit in DAYS!" She grinned from ear to ear, the wolves all wagging their tails excitedly as she promptly began circling around him, waiting for him to start leading the way. Sure as enthused as she WAS, she still didn't really know enough about this human stuff to know where to go to find the best stuff. Outside of just trying to sniff shit down. But utilizing Sol was a lot more efficient most of the time. Plus he led her to a lot of foods she usually wouldn't have noticed.

Solhammond Palliser | DEAD

He took her hand getting to his feet with a small 'unf'. She was weird in her own unique way, being that she was a Hollow whom was somehow also his friend. It was just all around a weird situation, and it provided Sol with insight. He had to be more patient around her, or try to. She was his friend, and being around her was relaxing in it's own way. Plus the dogs were great, but he'd need to make sure not to call them cute. He'd let go of her hand, rolling his eyes with a false exaggeration to them.

"Phrasing, Lily." He'd tease lightly before stepping past her, placing his hand at his brow looking off into the distance. Over yonder there was a small town, it wasn't quite like the Bazaar they went to before. This town definitely held a more Asian persuasion to it. "I'd ask what you're feeling but I'm pretty sure you'd eat near anything." With that he'd start walking towards the town, it might be about ten or fifeteen minutes before they reached it.

"So I got a question, have you ever had chocolate?"

END POST | WHITE KNUCKLE BRAWLER

Lilynette couldn't help but give something of an amused smile at his little murmur, though all the more she was pleased to see him getting up and starting to lead the way. Though rather consistently the wolves would lightly charge and bump him with their heads or snouts as they pranced around the pair, clearly demanding attention from the man as they made their way off. The question made her quirk her brow just a bit before folding her arms across her chest. "I dunno about ANYTHING, but I will try most stuff. Love me some meat though." She noted with a decisive nod.

"Yea I've tried it before. Some of its REALLY sweet. But some of the more like....chill kinds are pretty awesome. The darker stuff usually." She noted with an almost achedemic air about her assessment, rubbing at her chin as they went. "Why, ya planning on getting me some chocolate? They been selling a lot of it now I noticed. Is it the season for chocolate bugs or whatever?" She didn't fucking know where chocolate came from, nor anything about holidays and the sudden surge of red chocolate containers.