Be Water, My Friend (P,NK,IO)

Altar smirked as Maya threatened him through gritted teeth, slamming her foot through the concrete. It seemed his ploy had worked. He had always hated people that held back. It wasn't a real fight if someone wasn't fighting to the best of their ability. Under life or death circumstances, fine, but in any others it wasn't worth it. Haru had seemingly motioned Noctis from the air. He almost wondered what for, but decided to pay it no mind. He had more important things at hand.

Altar's hair had fallen in front of his eyes at about the time Maya decided to stomp through the concrete in a display of power. He decided now would be a good time to showcase that she didn't intimidate him. He would flip the hair out of his eyes, revealing his now reactivated Byakugan and Meigan, along with his trademark smirk. As Maya stamped her way slowly towards him, he would extend a hand, beckoning her to him. This was gonna get interesting.

Once Maya was within range, she feigned and swung at him with a left. Altar would pull back and out of reach of the swipe, before looking to her to see her trying for another kick. Altar would swing his right hand up, slamming it into her leg as well a catching it. After that, Altar would keep the leg raised and pull her towards him. If that was successful, Altar would start a Chidori in his left hand and drive it through her stomach. Seeing as she was in an awkward position, and moving towards him as Altar was moving at his highest speed, this would probably prove a hard move to dodge.

Maya let out a cry of rage as her first swipe missed, the bloodlust created by captivate starting to go to her head. Haru’s brow furrowed. Was she doing what he thought she was? It seemed like she was no longer going for injuring blows, she was fighting for the kill… Was she trying to feed on Altar? He had seen firsthand the level of bloodlust that a siren experiences when she needs to feed...
 
When Altar caught Maya’s kick, she would not be stopped. In fact, the difference in their strengths was so vast, that she was almost unhindered by Altar. Her foot would continue downward, crushing Altar’s arm into the ground, actually cracking and imprinting on the concrete. Luckily, the rest of Altar’s body would be saved from the impact, but his arm would most likely be broken and dislocated. But Maya didn’t stop there. She would reach down, attempting to grasp his neck with a clawed hand, lifting him up off the ground, and off his feet.
 
Haru tightly clenched his fist.

”Maya, what are you doing?!” He would shout, enraged himself. He hoped Altar could stop this, because he didn’t think he could reach them in time. He began to run towards them, trying to stop Maya from, well, for lack of a better word, eating Altar.

Altar felt his arm crunch into the concrete below him. Well, that kinda hurt. Scratch that, his arm was busted into tiny pieces and he was extremely lucky he still had it and wasn't profusely bleeding out. Still, he couldn't show weakness, though his eyes had once again been de-activated in the force of the blow.

As Maya picked him up, he knew what was going to happen. There was no point in struggling. Her arm held him like a steel vice. Still, he would embrace his fate with no fear. He was not afraid to die. He had never been afraid to die. However, he had dues to pay, and so as he felt his body being drug up, he closed his eyes, and focused on the pain. He would die with dignity.

"What is your name?" Altar heard a familiar voice bounce around his mind. It was Nekoda. Perhaps now would be a fitting time to say farewell. However...what was her question?

"Why does it matter?" Altar would say back to her, wondering what she was asking for.

"What. Is. Your. Name?!?" she said again.

Altar felt power flood throughout his body. This was not him. He laughed in the face of enemies. He refused to die. He would never be shaken. He was strong. He would not die like this.

Altar opened his eyes, still in Maya's grip. It seemed not long had passed. His mouth would slowly lift into the same old smirk, as he looked at Maya, his crimson eyes gleaming as they caught the light.

"You're right. You can hit pretty hard. But there's something you should know about me." Altar would say, trailing off at the end. After saying this, Altar would start a Chidori in his left hand, and jab into Maya's stomach. After this, he would push her away, the grip on his neck probably weakened or left altogether after the sudden blow to the stomach. Altar would rise back up, still wearing his smirk, albeit breathing somewhat heavily, and look to Maya, his Meigan and Byakugan once again flickering back to life.

"My name is Altar Shinkou. And I do not. Give. Up."

TWC: 4620

(Felt this was appropriate to go along with your post XD)

Maya’s eyes widened as the boy’s hand sparked with electricity. She tried to move her hand to stop him, just barely missing him in time. The lightning blade entered her stomach, cutting through and leaving a hole in her chest. The wound was not life threatening, if treated right away, but it was still big. Her grip on the boy’s neck was released, although there were probably some claw marks dug into his neck from the vice grip she had on him. She fell to one knee, placing a hand on the ground to stabilize herself. Her crimson glowing eyes would return to normal.
 
”Badass, kid…” Haru muttered, a smirk appearing on his face.
 
Haru would have reached them by now, slowing as he reached Altar’s side. A few hand signs caused Haru to split into two, forming a wood clone to help him treat the two faster. The cloned Haru would apply the mystical palm technique to Altar’s arm, while the real Haru would apply the same technique to the wound in her chest.
”Sorry, Sirens have a very strong bloodlust when in combat. Maya’s still young, she hasn’t learned to control it.” He explained, while the real Haru snapped Maya back into reality and tried to snap her out of her enraged state. Now that Captivate had deactivated, she appeared fine.
 
   
”Uugh….” She muttered, rubbing her stomach. ”What happened?”

(Fuckin' Believe It)

Altar was surprised as his attack went as planned. Maya had even stumbled back like anticipated. She fell to one knee, one hand on the ground. It seemed that the Chidori had been enough to disable her. And as she fell, Haru started making his way over to him. It appeared that the fight was over, then. It had gotten really dire, but he had pulled out and survived. That was the important thing here.

As Haru made his way to Altar, the former would deactivate his eyes. He had noted during the fight that the more he used his Byakugan, the clearer it got. It would appear he was getting used to it.

Haru started to heal his arm, and the feeling slowly came back as the bone melded back together. As he did, he explained the bloodlust that the Sirens had in combat, and how Maya still lacked proper control over it. Altar would look to Maya to see another Haru, probably a clone, working to heal her.

"I'm fine. Just a bit scratched and busted. Is she okay?" Altar would ask, hoping he hadn't caused any real damage. After asking that, he mentally shook his head. This was the girl that had almost just killed him. Was he really feeling sympathy for her?

As he healed the two, he subconsciously wondered why they hadn’t used a wound destruction technique. Since getting that particular technique, he found it hard to think other people couldn’t use it. This made him wonder about empowering his own wound destruction technique. Experimentally, he tried using the concept in healing the two injured opponents. He had heard that, long ago, one of the legendary Sannin had used this very technique’s concept to save a boy’s life. That in itself showed the promise this technique had.
 
Maya, after being restored, sat up slowly.
”I’m… I’m fine. Sorry about that, I got carried away...” She said apologetically. She slowly got to her feet, looking over at Haru. ”He’s got guts, I’ll give him that.” She told him.
 
Haru nodded.
”Kid’s as stubborn as a donkey on her period.” He agreed. Maya shot him a dirty look for that.
”Anyways, that’s besides the point. Haru, you know we’re short on siren summoners. You’re kind of the only one. What about this kid? Would you recommend him?” She asked. Haru nodded.
”I think he’d be up for it. He’s about as strong as I was when I signed. We can give him a shot.” He said. Maya looked over at Altar.

”What do you say, kid? Wanna sign a contract? A little blood here and there, and you can get one of us to fight for you on a moment’s notice.” She offered, holding out a clawed hand to shake.

Altar gave a small nod at Maya after her apology, at least notifying her that he had heard and acknowledged it. He looked around, slowly shuffling his feet as the other two talked about him. It was...strange that others were conversing solely over him. It didn't feel right to be that...popular? No, that word didn't quite fit. Ah, whatever, thoughts for another time. Altar overheard Haru say something about a donkey on it's period? He looked over to see Maya shoot Haru a dirty look, and wiped at his mouth to hide a small chuckle at that. He'd walked right into that.

However, talk soon turned to muttering, and the only word he was able t overhear was summoner. Were they talking about Haru? Or were the Sirens looking for more summoners? Altar decided it may benefit him to walk closer to them, within hearing distance. When he did reach them, though, it seemed they had finished conversing amongst themselves.

Altar's eyes would widen a bit as Maya asked him to sign the contract for becoming a Siren summoner. She then held out her hand, claws and all. The same hand that had just been used in a fight against him. The same hand that had just been lifting him off the ground, choking the life from him.

The same hand he would take and shake, looking up at Maya with a semi-genuine smile.

"Y'know, i'd make a joke about being a hemaphobe, but I doubt you'd buy it at this point." Altar would say, before releasing her hand and looking to Haru.

"You're the Siren summoner here. What do you make of this? Think i'm capable enough to handle someone like her?" Altar would ask, pointing a thumb to Maya.

TWC: 5139

Maya chuckled at Altar’s joke as they shook hands, before turning and walking towards Haru.
”You know what to do.” She said, walking past him, towards the edge of the rooftop. ”I need a moment to myself. That fight left me a little shaken up.” She said as she passed.
”No problem. Try not to eat anyone.” Joked Haru, earning a middle finger from Maya in response.
 
Altar then asked him about his thoughts about him becoming a siren summoner. Haru shugged.
”Oh, hell no. She could kick your ass, you already know that. You haven’t even heard her sing.” He said, as if the suggestion was absurd. ”Her chakra level is roughly double yours, and her genjutsu would leave you swooning like a twelve year old for a famous singer.” He said honestly. ”But signing the contract makes it a capital offense to even consider feeding on you, and grants you immunity to their genjutsu. They’re loyal, there’s no questioning it.” He said, folding his arms. ”If you’re up for it, I’ll summon the contract keeper.” He said. If the boy indicated he was ready, Haru would turn, making a few hand signs, and summonging the contract keeper.
 
A woman much older then Maya would appear, dressed professionally in a black suit and dark glasses.
”Can I help you, Mr. Hyuuga?” She asked blandly, as if she had just been interrupted from doing something important.
”Not me, ma’am. This kid wants to sign.” He said, pointing to Altar. She glared at him like she would like nothing better to be gone.
”And does he have a recommendation?” She asked, raising her nose into the air and looking down on them.
”I’m here, aren’t I?” He asked.
”I support him as well.” Maya said, appearing beside Haru. The woman rolled her eyes, kicking forward the scroll, which rolled out towards them, stopping at Altar’s feet.
”Go ahead, then.” She sighed.
 
Haru pointed to the place Altar needed to sign.

”Right there, Altar.” He instructed.

Altar chuckled again as Maya flipped Haru off. While she seemed loyal and all, obedience and ability to take a joke were definitely area of critique. Not that he'd be the one to try to tell her that. He'd leave that disaster of a job to Haru. Though, after that bit of the fight, he felt pretty invincible. Almost like he could take on the world. He couldn't wait until the day that that dream would become a reality.

His feeling of invincibility was crushed, however, when Haru told him that Maya could easily kill him. Yeah, he had known that. But it still wasn't nice to hear. The idea and feeling that you could be so easily crushed put a familiar weight on his shoulders. But he was glad that he had been honest about it, rather than lie to him. Haru went on to tell him that if he became a Siren summoner, then he would be safe from Sirens in the future, and that he would be immune to their genjutsu. That was definitely a benefit. He didn't want to be put on a Siren's menu ever again. That was another experience to throw on the "Never again" list.

Altar's ears perked as Haru said he could summon the contract keeper now, if preferred. At this, Altar would give a slight nod, both happy and nervous at this matter. Happy to be gaining allies and friends, nervous to have to sign his name on a dotted line. And so, Haru summoned the contract keeper.

Altar was semi-surprised to see the woman with the contract. After a short conversation, the woman unrolled the contract, the dotted line clear as day, which Haru pointed to as well. Well, this was it.

Altar would bite his thumb, blood making it's way to the surface as he did so. He would kneel, running his thumb across the paper as he signed his name in his very own blood. As he finished signing, he would pull back from the paper and stand back up, and look at Maya.

"Oh yeah, one more thing Maya. I've told you my name twice now. Stop calling me kid, alright?" Altar would say. The nickname had never truly left him since childhood, and he had only grown to hate it more.

TWC: 5514

Haru and Maya both smiled as Altar signed the contract. Although he was almost never serious with the boy, this was an occasion that made him feel like a true sensei, not just a guy who knew a few jutsu other people wanted to learn. It was nice, being able to see the fruits of your labors with kids like Altar. Haru folded his arms, watching as the contract keeper rolled up the scroll, giving a sarcastic bow, before disappearing in a poof of smoke. Haru would grab the boy’s hand and pinch his thumb slightly, applying the mystical palm as he did so, healing the miniscule cut.
”Ssss…” He hissed, exaggerating the whole moment.
 
”I hate her.” Said Maya regarding the scroll keeper, sighing and flipping some hair out of her face. Haru nodded in agreement.
”Get your aunt to fire her.” He suggested. Maya shook her head.
”That would never happen. She’s a very good secretary, if a mediocre scroll keeper.”  She explained. Haru shrugged.
 
”So, anyways… Congrats, kid. You can summon one of us whenever you see fit. Most likely, I’ll be the one you grab. Your first couple times, it’s hard to pick your target, so you’ll have an easier time of going for a familiar chakra.” She explained to Altar.
 
At Altar’s request that she stop calling him kid, both Haru and Maya burst out laughing.
”Do you know how old I am, kid? Quite a bit older then I look, and quite a bit older then you. I can call you kid all I want!” She said knowingly, once she recovered from the fit of laughter. ”Besides, you still let Haru call you kid, and he’s only, what, a year or two older then you? Where’s the logic in that?” She asked sarcastically, looking at Haru for an answer.

”I’m just more intimidating then you. He didn’t dare ask me to stop calling him that.” Haru joked, chuckling a bit.

WC: 5157