With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
For a long time Vaaz has gone about taking one human soul after another. Truthfully she has done it for as long as she can remember, and not merely to feast upon when she was a lowly Hollow. Much of it was dependent on her own abilities as they developed as a Hollow, something that stuck with her as she grew and evolved. She learned quickly as a Hollow a great source to feast was at hospitals. The sick and the elderly, still-born children, the wounded and the brain-dead... all of their souls ripe for the picking. All it would ever take was just a simple cut of the chain that ever so narrowly bound them to life, or simply waiting for when the chain broke itself.
And there Vaaz awaited them...
Like the crow eagerly waiting to pick at a fresh corpse, Vaaz eagerly awaited to feast on the newly departed at hospitals. Though, now it was more about collecting than feasting. Reducing them into formless wailing spiritual entities she collects to utilize and fuel her own arcane abilities. For her they still have their purpose.
While the ordinary populace of the hospital could not see her, those who died could. They feel the unnatural presence she possessed, and much like prey finding itself standing before its natural predator--they attempt to flee every time. They cry--they wail--they scream as they find themselves disembodied and snatched away by Vaaz's unsympathetic hand of the dead.
The wide-eyed expressions of fear by the souls of the elderly, the echoes screeches of terrified spirits of children who fell silent in the instant, the terribling fearful souls of adults as they tried to flee--each writhing, twisting--trying to flee from their victimization. Each victim to satisfy Vaaz's need as she walked the halls of the hospital, one room to the next to stake her claim. While her act was done with a chilling nonchalance, Vaaz only now begun to realize it was to satisfy an urge to claim them. More than a want or a desire--but rather as expressed--a need to stake her claim upon them.
Maybe there was something flawed in her initial countenance, maybe she was not Indifference as she once thought. Perhaps, she is something other. And as she staked her claims a couple more times within the maternity ward, before moving onto the morgue--she could not help but continue to wonder what that something other could be...
It was a hot and sunny day in the world of the living. The birds were chirping and the people were... Jericho guessed. He didn't care about the surrounding scenery. In fact, he was just glad to finally be up and about. It had been about a week since he woke up in that cave with that strange little human. Nice kid don't get him wrong but, possibly too nice for his own good. The irony was that he was saved by a human after getting his ass handed to him by an arrancar who was protecting humans from him. It wasn't like he was really gonna harm any of them, he just wanted a good fight. Oh boy and did he get one? His arrancar uniform was still torn from that day and fresh bandages adorned his body. Yep he was quite the sight he guessed.
He was really just stretching his legs at this point. Not really in a fight yet. Still need to heal up from that last one. He had walked around unseen by those beings that he had terrorized before. He wouldn't mind meeting that arrancar again, not for revenge though. In fact, he respected that man, he could have easily been an espada with his skill. He actually wondered why he didn't. His best guess was probably these humans but, beyond that he had no idea. Perhaps he should stay a while... besides if the other arrancar saw him in this state there is no way they would let him live it down. Strange as it may seem he had an easier time making friends with other races than the arrancar themselves. In fact his shinigami friends... well more like friend out numbered the number of arrancar friends he had... which was zero.
Oh well, he didn't give a damn about those lousy ingrates anyway. His main concern when it came to arrancar was a good sparring match or the espada. Though thanks to Nnoitra, unbeknownst to even Jericho himself, his faith had been shaken in the espada. Anyway, as he walked he felt the familiar reiastu of hollow activity and even then. The feeling of small- no small was too fullfilling more like miniscule lives as they faded away. Hmm, maybe this would be an interesting to investigate. Whoever or whatever it was... it was strong. Strong things tended to bring out things that hunted them. Damnit... he would have to investigate even in this state it would seem. Didn't want to be attacked for something he wasnt even doing.
He began following the reiastu path using sonido and pesquisa. Strangely it was staying in one particular area it seemed. Not really moving from there. Did they not know that was dangerous? Talk about letting yourself become marked. Either they were ignorant, arrogant, or just didn't care. Whatever the reason, it might be interesting he figured. Stumbling upon the hospital it seemed it was in was a piece of cake. Even a dimwit with terrible ability sensing reiastu could have found it in a matter of time. That was the danger of staying in a area for too long. Your were easier to track that way. Walking in he found himself going deeper and deeper in the hospital. Hell, a soul actually tried to stop him and ask for help but he simply socked him in the face and continued on.
Measly souls like his weren't worth it anymore. In fact, he had lost his taste for the souls of humans long ago. They were much too weak anyway... well... there were a few exceptions to that rule, including Mikhail now that he thought about it. That boy certainly had SOME power that he kept hidden. He eventually found his destination. The wording above the door read "morgue." The fuck was this thing doing in a morgue. But, now that he drew closer he felt how much stronger it was... even comparable to him it dwarfed him. Even... that arrancar who was protecting the humans. It was obvious that they were an arrancar. "Shit... well let's hope they aren't looking for something with a little more meat on their reiastu..." He said grimly.
Hell, in most cases he would be all for an obviously losing battle against something stronger than but, he was not in the state he would want to start out in those circumstances. He reached up and opened the door stepping in and letting it close behind him. Alas, behold to his eyes was that of a female with pink hair. Hmm, female huh? Not surprising to find a strong female arrancar. Though... Nnoitra would probably insist she was weak like Halibel. He hated that man, insinuating that his superior in a sense, Halibel was weak? Curse him to hell. Maybe that's why he left being his fraccion, the other two dying in that random ass war. Oh well... their lose he guessed. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? An arrancar consuming human souls I take it? Now why would someone as strong as you being doing something a lower rank could simply supply you with?" He asked acting all cool.
Upon her entering the morgue, two spirits of the departed lingering at their freshly departed corpses. The confusion of their situation was obvious, they did not know what happened to them. A severed chain once attached to their body, slowly eating itself away as they stood there. The two spirits did not seem to even take much notice of each other--where to go, what to do--the concepts were lost upon them in their lingering moments.
But something dark approached them, something not right--something unnatural to them. The young girl with pink hair and unblinking blood red eyes and a snow white complexion, there was something so very wrong about her to them. Those eyes, staring right back into theirs, never blinking... just staring... deadened in their expression--cold and unfeeling it seemed.
One tried to run in their fright. The girl seemed to vanish from sight, the sound of a static burst reverting into the air upon her abrupt seemingly disappearance. But in the next instant, there she was holding the severed chain of fate in her right hand connected to the lost soul that attempted to run. The lost soul begging and screaming for Vaaz to let her go, but there was nothing the crimson eyed Arrancar responded to. For only but a second later, she violently yanked on the chain of fate, pulling the poor soul right to Vaaz, whom responded with sudden backhanded swing with her clawed right hand ripping into the spirit. The victimized spirit seemed to disembody--losing its form as the spirit wailed in agony, but became terribly silent upon suddenly after being absorbed into Vaaz's right hand.
The remaining spirit's eyes went wide with terror from what it had just witnessed, but the little boy spirit trying to scramble away found his chain too under the grasp of Vaaz's clawed right hand, preventing him from running away as though he were leashed. Though... there was the presence another... she recognized it as an Arrancar with its unique reiastu, different from the garden variety Hollows. She felt it a little ways off, but now it approached her... Albeit, she was unsurprised by this, she was not exactly hiding her actions, and likely arise the curiosity of anyone able to sense spiritual pressures.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? An arrancar consuming human souls I take it? Now why would someone as strong as you being doing something a lower rank could simply supply you with?"
"Consuming...?", she said with that soft-spoken voice of her, "While... like you, I am... a visitor. I am not here for it to be a buffet, but rather--a garden... much like an alchemist collecting ingredients for their concoctions."
With violent yank on the chain of fate in her clawed right hand, the terrified spirit found itself unwillingly pulled right to Vaaz. With a swift swipe of the same clawed right hand, she shattered the spirits form--destroying its human appearaance, and like the victim before and the many other Vaaz claimed within hospital--it was left as a formless spiritual entity wailing in agony. Yet... once again, became eerily silent the moment it was absorbed into that clawed right hand of hers.
"Some Hollows use the spirits of the dead for more than just feasting upon", she clarified, "The need to feast on them and Hollows ceased for me long ago. There just wasn't any point."
She then turned to the Arrancar before her, "But, here you are--a visitor like myself to this room of empty vessels. Did you come here for a reason, visitor? Or was it just to see what was causing the ruckus among the lost and the dying of Karakura's sick and huddled masses?"
The questioning of consuming troubled him and the answer afterwards didn't help any. What exactly was she talking about. A garden? So she let the humans ripen before picking them, or was it her special store of souls? Jericho scratched his head, he certainly didn't know much about alchemists or alchemy really. Just that herbs and weird stuff was used to make potions. At least, that's what he thought she was talking about. Soon she went and slaughtered a soul in front of him. For most this would have been a dreadful sight but, not for Jericho, death was too be expected when the weak faced the strong... right? He was gonna ask her what she meant but, he stopped as she began to clarify. So she used them for something else then?
"Hmm I see your point... sorry I haven't really met anybody who used them for something else personally." He shrugged, at least he had a excuse for his ignorance. Then again, it was still an excuse and really that wasn't a good thing in most cases. When she turned to him he was glad it wasn't in a offensive manner. In most cases he probably wouldn't have been able to take her, not that he would have cared. But, having these injuries didn't help his chances either. She went on to asking himself questions. Why did he come here? Curiosity? That was a possible answer right? "Well that's simple, I felt a strong reiastu near by with smaller fading and I got curious why," he said his face thinking.
"If not for certain circumstances my curiosity would be to test your mettle but, as you can see I am in no real shape to be doing that. For now I guess it was just curiosity with you having such a strong reiastu," He finished his eyes hinting at the bandages around his body. "Also I don't know if you realized this or if you just didn't care, I'm thinking the latter, your activities might draw attention to you. But then again you seem like someone who can handle themselves but, doesn't hurt a fellow arrancar right?" He said warningly at first and then changing it up to a happier tone near the end. "But, if you don't mind my asking, what do you use their souls for? As I haven't really ran into many who don't just use them for a snack." He asked with genuine interest.
Crimson eyes unblinking, she simply stared at the Arrancar before her as he gave his reasonings and admitted what seemed to be his curiosity. She was motionless, expressionless--stoic, as she simply stared at him. Though she may not exactly shown it, she was a dash surprised by his giving her warning of possible dangers of other visitors, those not friendly to Arrancar, albeit even other Arrancar are not necessarly always so friendly with one another. To which he somewhat amitted himself he would attack her to test her were he in better condition; but she is used to such things--it is the way of things for Hollows.
"I'm just a solitary crow, there is always the chance when investigating a field of being bitten by the asp lying in the brush", she said with soft-spoken monotone, "But--if fear of what might happen prevents you from venturing out there. Then one may as well just resign their fate to cowardice. There is always danger."
When he mentioned his curiosity about what exactly she uses disembody souls for her. She flippantly shrugged, deciding to indulge his curiosity. Besides showing him just one simple application is nothing, it is not as she is revealing her entire arsenal. Much like showing a handgun, while the rest of the stock are rifles and explosives.
Nonchalantly she walked passed Jericho, though over right shoulder with the index finger of her right clawed hand she waved to him to follow her. She left the morgue area as she mentioned, "Spirits are attracted to morgues... looking for their corpses... I rather not linger there so they know I'm waiting for them. We will go some place with a little more space.", she lead the way through the halls of the hospital stopping at the front desk lobby area of the hospital. Sure there were a few humans there sitting around, but aside from being oblivious to the two of them, in case problems occurred with Shinigami or some other do-gooder, those humans could be excellent shields, and as well the area possessed plenty of exit strategies.
Standing at the center of the front desk lobby area, she held out her right clawed hand--palm up and explained to the Arrancar, "It is not all that unalike the Shinigami's 'Kido', however, if were classified as such by them--then it would likely be considered as 'Forebidden Kido'. A soul--in a way by virtue of technicality is just spiritual essence given consciousness", rising from the palm of her hand was a screeching, wailing soul without form while in agony by being constrained and regressed into such a thing unable to anything other than scream to give voice to its painful conditions, "This is what they are reduced to under constraint by my own will after being reduced to their most basic compounds. It is what you saw me doing within the morgue."
While the few humans there in the lobby area could not sense their reiastu or even see them. They certainly could feel something strange and unnatural in the air in response to what Vaaz was doing. The discomfort of a creeping fear in their eyes as they recoiled into themselves unconsciously.
"I cannot claim to know much about Shinigami Kido... but from what I understand--it's giving their reiyoku a pre-determined form for some kind of spell", she explained, "In a sense, that is what I'm doing here. I'm using my reiyoku to create fire.", though she says this neglecting to mention fire is an element tied to her powers, "But I then use my reiastu to condense and interweave the disembodied soul, which creates--", and just as she explained, almost instantaneously the formless spirit in the palm of her right hand condensed and meshed with fire that silenced the spirit's cries. For it was now a vile green infernal flaming spiritual ball of energy in the palm of her hand as strong as an ordinary bala, to which everything about it felt... outside of the natural order.
"Doing such a thing I can do near-instantly and unconsciously it's become so simple", she off-handedly remarked, "Though with a little more concentration, using more spirits the strength can be amplified--even to the point of being as strong as a Cero. And that is just one application among many to which human spirits when broken down to their basic compounds can be used.", she then closed her right clawed hand shattering the odd bala-like creation.
Crossing her arms under her chest, her zanpakuto grasped in her left hand as it seems to always be. She went onto say, "I have heard of Hollows using them for other things other than feasting, not all that different from myself as well. To each there own."
Post by Mikhail Rost on May 13, 2012 0:22:58 GMT -5
Mikhail had decided to brighten some days by heading to the hospital to play his violin. Usually he played at the park or around the shops but today, he decided, was an opportunity to share his music with those who maybe couldn't get around well enough to hear it. Not far from the lobby in a recreational room, some older folk, children, and others were gathered around him, as he held and played the beautiful silver and black violin that had been passed down to him. They listened as the sweet music drifted from his instument into the room and hall beyond.
Mikhail was in the middle of song when he heard the pained screeching of the soul that Vaaz displayed. His hazel eyes opened as he missed a note and the people looked up at him with a bit of confusion. No one else could hear it... He smiled softly, a forced smile of reassurance and tried to play through the rest of the song, but as he let out a breath he noticed it came out as a cool wisp. Something was near and abruptly the screeching cries were silenced.
He looked to the people around him and bowed, "Please excuse me, everyone."
He set his violin in its case and closed it, then moved across the room towards the door that led out to the lobby area. Mikhail pushed the door open and stepped out into the lobby looking back and forth until he saw the two arrancar talking... One he recognized immediately and the other not so much.
Mikhail Rost - Human - ML:S Sobek Kurokawa -Arrancar - HL:W Kimiko Kaneko - Shinigami - ML:A Ikkaku Madarame - Shinigami - HL:S Don Kan'onji - Human - LL:A
Why the hell did this chick talk in riddles? Jericho wondered as he listened to her. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to him, then again, he had met weirder people over the years. But, from what Jericho could gather, she preferred to be alone and was prepared to face trouble if it came up? That was right, right? Oh well, it was not like it really mattered. "I suppose that's true," he shrugged. If you were afraid to take on the world's problems and dangers might as well just die a coward eh? She then began to walk past him, when he glanced over to her, still not exactly ready to trust someone at their word especially in his current condition. Her clawed finger enticing him to follow her. Did she need him for something or did she want to show him something. Either way he would follow though, with some caution.
They were leaving the morgue apparently. Her explanation, though dark, made a lot of sense he guessed. Not really have much experience using souls for anything other than consuming. "Makes sense... I guess," he said following her in toe. He followed through the halls and all the way to the front desk were she seemed to stop. Well looks like she found what she was looking for... whatever that was. Then, she raised her clawed hand revealing a soul, which she would explain the properties of her technique. Over all, the science made sense, at least from he could understand which wasn't much not being someone who was well read in this kind of thing. But from a general point of view it made sense. Also the fact that she said it would be forbidden kido made Jericho chuckle.
"I wonder why?" He said sarcastically. It was plenty obvious why it would be. The show was rather disturbing through a combination of the scream and the sight of the what he guessed was the tortured soul. Overall he kept a straight face, not like he cared about it. Besides not like he could do anything about it either. "I see." He responded to her explaining what she had been doing in the morgue. It was certainly interesting if anything. At least from his stand point. Someone who had done it for a long time probably wouldn't find it that interesting. Looking around Jericho saw that the faces of the people seemed uneasy, not able to see anything but it almost seemed like they could sense it. Interesting...
Jericho continued nodding as she was talking about shinigami's kido. Over all, he didn't know much about it either so it wasn't like he contribute in any way, shape, or form. His eyes did however go wide as the soul was transformed into a evil green flame, its cries silenced leaving it all with an eerie undertone to the situation. She went seeming to stroke her own ego a bit which caused him to smile. "As strong as a cero eh? Wouldn't it just be easier to use a cero?" He asked puzzled but, maybe she had meant she could possibly make it stronger than one. In which case the ability made sense he guessed. Hmm was certainly a fascinating subject, then again, he may have been being biased because of her strength but, only he knew why for sure.
That's when it reached him... a reiastu which he recognized... very distinct with how cold it felt. What was that? He looked over to the general area of where he sensed it coming from. To his shock it was the boy who had been taking care of him. Of all the- did he follow him? What was he doing here, especially with someone as strong as the arrancar next to him in the area. Didn't this kid care about his life at all or was he just ignorant to the danger. Hopefully she wouldn't notice him, and if she did at least not try to attack him. Jericho might have to intervene if it came to that. He still owed the kid for saving him. Something he, by his honor, had a obligation to pay back. "So you don't say, must be few and far between as I have never met anyone else who used them for anything else," he said in an attempt to try and distract her from Mikhail.
"As strong as a cero eh? Wouldn't it just be easier to use a cero?"
"It would take me the same amount of time... besides... Ceros do not normally set things on fire.", she replied casually with her deadpan soft-spoken voice, "Sometimes it is nice to have a burn victim. Gives them something to remember you by."
"So you don't say, must be few and far between as I have never met anyone else who used them for anything else,"
"Maybe.", Vaaz replied, truth be told she was not entirely certain herself how many were out there, she assumed there maybe others--she had only ever met one other as she explained, "I only came across one other... and that was a long time ago when I was little more than an Adjuchas... and so was he before I ate him. Albeit, his application of them was a bit different from mine. Again--that was a long time ago and I have not seen another since the, but I assume there are others out there."
Reality being she had been ignoring it until now, but there was another reiastu present. It did not feel like a Shinigami or Hollow or anything inbetween. It felt... human... unique to find a human so above their norm. She turned to see the lad facing she and the other Arrancar with her, "What is this? Another visitor?", she uttered with her soft-spoken monotone.
Taking a few steps to the young lad before her, her unblinking crimson red eyes staring straight into his, "Are you an outsider? An existence on the outside able to turn their gaze to look upon the inside that the masses of your kind cannot? Yes... you are that. And you maybe a little more."
The former Cuatro stood no more than five even, if that. Petite in size, for certain. Looking no older than in her mid-teens, but it only belied a darker reality. A reality that those unnatural unblinking crimson eyes that only ever stared at what she gazed upon continuously failed to conceal.
Post by Mikhail Rost on May 15, 2012 0:12:10 GMT -5
Mikhail had stepped out into the lobby and turned to regard the two arrancar. Things seemed to stand still for a moment as he wondered what they were doing here, but he didn't like the spiritual scream he heard moments before. Jericho started talking to the woman in an effort to draw her attention away from him but she curiously turned toward him as he exited the recreation room.
"What is this? Another visitor?"
Mikhail's hazel eyes returned her curious look, then glanced over at Jericho. People moved around them unknowing of the danger in their midst. She moved toward him with unblinking red eyes staring into his. Shame he was no good at feeling out spiritual presences, he might have had the sense to realize how strong she was and know he should be afraid. Unfortunately he didn't, and just saw her as another arrancar. Not neccessarily a bad thing, as Mikhail had befriended more arrancar then was probably good for him.
"Are you an outsider? An existence on the outside able to turn their gaze to look upon the inside that the masses of your kind cannot? Yes... you are that. And you maybe a little more."
Mikhail's lips upturned slightly as she watched him speaking in what seemed like a riddle, oddly enough he understood it. Yes, he was spiritually aware and this woman was able to easily sense it.
"Uh, thanks," Mikhail said softly as he stood watching her flicking his gaze to Jericho as if asking 'She with you?' "My name is Mikhail."
Some guy with glasses glanced up at him from a nearby seat and nodded then went back to looking at a magazine. Why the kid had introduced himself to him, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was some kind of new welcoming policy the hosptial had.
Mikhail Rost - Human - ML:S Sobek Kurokawa -Arrancar - HL:W Kimiko Kaneko - Shinigami - ML:A Ikkaku Madarame - Shinigami - HL:S Don Kan'onji - Human - LL:A
Jericho nodded. Ceros certainly did not light things on fire... well... not very often anyway. One could probably do it at the right situation and all. Her comment on sometimes needing a burn victim was a combination of sadistic and malicious, which made Jericho chuckle under his breath. It was sad that sadistic arrancar wasn't more uncommon. Granted some of the "sadistic" ones were rather tame in all retrospect. Her instant deflect of Jericho's distraction caused him to wince. Especially because it didn't work... at all. Her story had been interesting but, on the bright side it proved his question possibly right. Fuck, she had spotted him and there was no hope of distracting her now. As she began taking steps towards Mikhail he contemplated surprise attacking and getting the upper hand.
How ever he hesitated, the surprise attack would have to be to be devastating and at his current condition that didn't really look like an option. Even worse, if she did catch on to it he would surely be taken out... and quickly, sad however he was to admit it. "Coward~," He heard Diablo, his zanpakuto, finally chirp up in his head after so long. He shot a menacing glare at him. He mentally told him to shut up but he continued on. "Your not trying to go back on our contract are you~" it said but, this time Jericho ignored him looking back towards the other two. Mikhail was now talking to the other arrancar. Talking!? Did he not sense how powerful she was?
Damnit... he thought as his reiastu flexed out of reflex of being irritated. But, it soon subsided. When Mikhail glanced at him his eyes shot wide open and he shook his head hesitantly. She wasn't really with him, he was simply talking to her. He had to do something, he would at least bide his time, anyway its not like he truly knew her. Maybe she would leave the kid alone. It was a possibility right? "Hmm now that I think of it I haven't even properly introduced myself have I? My name is Jericho Cross, Numeros number 67, and ex fraccion to the Ex 10th espada and Nnoitra Jiruga." He said finally introducing himself. Strange... he had always been quick to do that before.
Walking over to Mikhail, placing his hand on his shoulder, and turning to her. "I also train this kid here a bit," he said then ruffling his hair a bit, hoping to all hell that he played along. Maybe it would prevent later problems?