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.
Post by Mikhail Rost on Feb 1, 2012 6:09:55 GMT -5
"You're a rather peculiar person, I will give you that."
Mikhail smiled and scratched his head. "Thanks, I think I'll take that as a compliment."
Mikhail could tell there was a lot going though the arrancar's mind, at least for now it wasn't focused on how or when to kill him.
"So, I'm guessing you go to one of those buildings...where they teach people, right? I suppose you have questions as well. As I won't be moving anytime soon and my only pass times require it, you can entertain me with talk...I guess."[/color]
"School, yeah. It's alright, though I've been in trouble a few times, for fighting of all things. Usually it's me lookin out for someone else but they still get on me about it. Where are you from?"
Likely he meant 'where in the living world?' He didn't know about hueco mundo, so it seemed like a decent question.
"...and what do you mean by your pass times? Do Arrancar have hobbies?"
That was a stupid question, of course arrancar were people too, but did their hobbies differ much from humans? Was there more then just 'find something and squish it'?
"What do you like to do?"
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 genuinely smiled. He guessed he could take it as a compliment, it WAS, the second closest he had ever came to one he guessed. So yes, this man could definitely take it as a compliment. He also smiled at the man's tenacity for getting into fights but lost it when he learned he was defending people. What was up with these people? Why help the weak? They just seemed to drag everybody down.....he hen remembered the wolf like arrancar's words again. "A strong man sticks up for himself, a stronger man sticks up for others." This still didn't make sense to him but, it had to have some truth behind it. After all.......the man had kicked his ass...... On a lighter note he got to meet a amusing human for once. He guessed that was good.....for now.....
"Where are you from?"
He had met arrancar before and he had never learned where they came from? That seemed odd but, then again I guess it isn't a question thaat is usually asked of them since they mostly assume people knew. After all, the shinigami definitely knew it, and that was the only ones who they really cared about usually. "I'm from a rather boring placed called Hueco Mundo. Weak hollow run rampantly through it and don't seem to want to just go and die. But, there also resides the Espada, they are of great importance to us arrancar as they are said to be the strongest of us. Though....for some reason they tend to have weak arrancar running with them which is......disappointing. To make matters worse these arrancar are complete idiots." He said growing nestalgic when he started talking of the espada and then shuddering when he reached the weak arrancar. Filthy abominations as they were. He was more referring to the two who died during the war. They were lucky he even remembered them.....
"...and what do you mean by your pass times? Do Arrancar have hobbies?"
"What do you like to do?"
Jericho was actually taken aback by the question. No one had ever actually asked him that before. This was a first for him quite literally. What did he like to do? He thought about it a moment before answering. "Well squishing things is always fun," he teased and then continued. "But as for beyond that, I do like to break out my guitar every once in a while, plugging it into my amp and just letting the music take me. Besides that? Hmm, I guess I do like to train my body for my next big fight. Not that you humans train as hard as we arrancar do, after all, its basically for our survival." He finished being very philosophical but, by accident.
"I suppose I should ask you the same. What do you like to do? I'm sure there are some human stuff that I couldn't possibly ponder but, feel free to let me know of such things as those as well." He said not really trying to be condescending but, it seemed it turned out that way....
Post by Mikhail Rost on Feb 27, 2012 3:43:25 GMT -5
When Mikhail had explained himself to Jericho, he supposed the arrancar didn't care much for his defense of those weaker then he. Should Jericho ever find out that he shared the same ideal as his mentor, the same arrancar who had bested him in battle, what would Jericho think then? He listened as Jericho talked about the place known as Hueco Mundo and how weak hollows ran rampant there. Then of the Espada, the strongest of the Arrancar, Mikhail wondered if he had ever met any of these Espada, if they acted anything like those that usually came looking for trouble. As he continued speaking he mentioned that the weaker followers of Espada were complete idiots.
"Really? Why would they have dumb followers?"
Mikhail could only imagine a bunch of stupid flunkies following around the bigger arrancar. He rolled his eyes when Jericho said that squishing things was always fun...
"But as for beyond that, I do like to break out my guitar every once in a while, plugging it into my amp and just letting the music take me."
"So you play guitar? That's awesome! I play Violin myself."
"Besides that? Hmm, I guess I do like to train my body for my next big fight. Not that you humans train as hard as we arrancar do, after all, its basically for our survival."
"I don't know about that, I mean, considering that those of us humans who know about arrancar are fighting for our survival as well. One day for my training, I climbed a hundred foot cliff with weights attached to me, after running an obstacle course. Just recently, I had to fight three huge hollows one after the other, by myself."
While it probably sounded funny to Jericho to listen to Mikhail talk about his training, it was a lot for a human, at least Mikhail thought so.
"I suppose I should ask you the same. What do you like to do? I'm sure there are some human stuff that I couldn't possibly ponder but, feel free to let me know of such things as those as well."
"Me? Well, I do kinda like training with my Sensei, and playing my violin. There's spending time with my family, my little sister. They can be a pain but they're family. Also, there's this girl I like, she goes to school with me, and we've gone out a few times. Do you have any family, Jericho? Someone you care about, even a litte?"
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 just blatantly laughed, which hurt slightly. He had asked himself this question so many times he would probably be an espada if he had a soul for every time he asked. He was starting to like this kid, not tolerate but, actually like. This kid certainly had turned the situation around. "Hell if I know. Your alright kid," He said with a smile.He would of patted him on the back or ruffled his hair but, well, he was kinda broken right now. He then listened to him about about how he liked the violin. "You don't say? Well maybe we can shred some time eh? You know.....when I'm not broken...." The dampened his spirits a bit but, he continued to talk with the boy. He found him at least a little interesting compared to the dull arrancar running around Hueco Mundo.
"I don't know about that, I mean, considering that those of us humans who know about arrancar are fighting for our survival as well. One day for my training, I climbed a hundred foot cliff with weights attached to me, after running an obstacle course. Just recently, I had to fight three huge hollows one after the other, by myself."
He supposed he was right. After all, they had come to take this kids world at one point. Not really sure why they did but, they were just following orders from what he knew. They failed in the process, he didn't really care though. "I didn't mean any harm by it but, I suppose your right. But, you know, we arrancar have been having to worry about the damn shinigami since we were lowly hollows. Them chasing us down and slaughtering us like cattle." He said a little fuming but, at the same time not really caring. It was all in the past now and now he had the power to return some pain to them if they ever tried to kill him again. "Also kudos on taking on more than one challenge, more impressive than some humans I have met, the last one had a bow though." He said thinking, what were they called again? Ah it didn't matter.
"Me? Well, I do kinda like training with my Sensei, and playing my violin. There's spending time with my family, my little sister. They can be a pain but they're family. Also, there's this girl I like, she goes to school with me, and we've gone out a few times. Do you have any family, Jericho? Someone you care about, even a litte?"
Well it was always good to like to train he supposed. After all, if you didn't like what you did then why do it? That's probably why he had stayed with the Espada so long. He enjoyed serving them and also the hopes that one day he would become one helped as well. He chuckled as he talked about hanging out with his family and little sister but, that's when he asked Jericho the question. Did he have a family? Well... of course not. There was no family in Hueco Mundo. Even the Espada and other fraccion couldn't be considered that. After all, he had simply gone from one Espada to another. Gillroy had disappeared from his life......his first Espada. The one he actually fought to get a position by his side. Then there was the one after that and now Nnoitra. He could care less a bout his fraccion, which was how you were suppose to act to your fraccion right?
"No......no family at all really. Someone I care about?" He seemed to be asking himself that very question. He glanced over at his zanpakuto Diablo. Did he count? They never actually ever said they cared about each other. In fact..... their relationship was completely a business contract. They would probably turn on each other at the slightest provocation or crossing of their contract. But that's when it hit him. Dai! He cared about his well being. He was actually probably his closest friend. Which was sad really. An arrancar's closest friend being a Shinigami, the press would have a field day with that. "Well actually there is one guy. Ironically hes a shinigami. His name is Daigoro Ito. He is the closest thing to a friend I have though... he disappeared a while back and I haven't seen him since..." His whole personality seemed downed by that thought and it showed even on his face. Where was he? Also, was he ok?
Post by Mikhail Rost on Feb 28, 2012 0:01:00 GMT -5
Mikhail smiled as Jericho seemed to think he was 'alright'. He mentioned getting together and shredding sometime when he wasn't hurt and Mikhail smirked slightly.
"Maybe, hard to really shred with the violin but I dunno, a mix up might sound cool. Alright."
Jericho seemed pretty interesting to Mikhail. The boy found himself wondering how he came to befriend arrancar, but Mikhail was just that kind of person that, perhaps foolishly, believed that there was good in everyone. He listened as Jericho talked about the shinigami who hunted them. Sadly, Mikhail's experiances with Shinigami were rather limited, so he couldn't say much.
"Also kudos on taking on more then one challenge, more impressive then some humans I have met, the last one had a bow though."
"Thanks, wait, A bow?" Mikhail wondered If Jericho was referring to the Quincies, of which he knew two and hoped that it wasn't those two he was thinking of.
Mikhail asked if there was anyone Jericho cared about and was surprised to get a real response. To have the intimidating arrancar talking about these things was like a breakthrough, and wonders never ceased,... it was a Shinigami.
"Well actually, there is one guy. Ironically he's a shinigami. His name is Daigoro Ito. He is the closest thing to a friend I have though... He disappeared a while back and I haven't seen him since..."
"Wow, really? I mean, It's just not something you would expect. Of course, I could say the same thing about me helping you I suppose."
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 just grinned. Was this guy being a smart ass? Talking about "not being able to shred on a violin," and with that smug ass grin too. Well it was official Jericho liked this guy. Not a bad level of power and quite the talker. Not a bad first impression, not a bad first impression at all. He may have even qualified for friend material but, he would have to see at that. Still didn't know if this kid was even worth sparring with. Maybe he would test him out some day. "Heh sounds fine to me kid," He said with a big ass grin on his face. It was strange... Jericho had never really liked many of his race that much. Maybe the espada but... even then he found qualities he detested in them as well. Hell, when he was running with Nnoitra he would talk down about Halibel. Why? She was easily more superior to him... it didn't make sense to him.
Jericho kinda raised an eyebrow when Mikhail seemed particularly interested in the fact that the person had a bow. "Yeah? She had quite the mouth on her too but, don't worry I didn't rough her up that badly. She put up a hell of a fight too... for a human. Uh... no offense heh. Do you know her?" He asked curious. Also why was he apologizing? He never did that. Perhaps he felt ill? Nah, oh well its not like it was important anyway. He seemed as dumbfounded that he had a friend who was a shinigami just as much as Jericho himself did when he really thought about it. It really was quite the oddity, if any of the other arrancar knew... well he was sure they wouldn't find out.
"Yes really," he chuckled. "I suppose that's true huh?" He finished thinking. He thought about their first encounter. It wasn't one that many friendships could be made out of, in fact it was funny he didn't take it as an insult. "The ironic part is we met on the battlefield... I was sure I was going to win thanks to our power difference but... I soon found out he hadn't been using his full strength. There was also the fact his powers were a pefect counter to mine..." he smiled nostalgically before he continued. "Then he had me right? Down for the count one easy blow from killing me and... he just let me go... it was weird I thought he was tricking me for a second cause... no shinigami would let us go freely right? But, Dai was different for some reason... and I respected his strength," He said in a low tone almost mumbling. He might have shed a tear if he had continued but there wasn't really much left of the story...
Post by Mikhail Rost on May 11, 2012 3:26:24 GMT -5
Mikhail considered bringing his black and silver violin by sometime to play for Jericho, maybe not the classical stuff though, he'd have to find something that Jericho might enjoy.
"Heh, sounds fine to me kid." Mikhail thought it might be interesting to play his violin alongside Jericho's guitar. He talked about his fight with the woman with the bow and Mikhail had a pretty good idea who it might be but couldn't say for sure.
"Yeah? She had quite the mouth on her too but, don't worry I didn't rough her up that badly. She put up a hell of a fight too... for a human. Uh... no offense heh. Do you know her?"
To Mikhail it sounded like Jericho had fought a quincy and there were only two that he knew of Makana-sensei and Dylandy-sensei, and since it was a woman well that kinda ruled out the matchmaking Irishman that had set him up with his girlfriend.
"Well I can't say for sure but she sounds familiar, did she wear glasses? Oh and was her hair some strange color?"
Jericho went on to talk about his encounter with his shinigami friend, a man named Daigoro Ito. Funny how the shinigami had defeated him and left him, just like whoever attacked him in the park.
"Sounds like a trend,...I mean, is that normal among arrancar? Respect through strength?" If that were the case it would take a lot to earn Jericho's respect.
"So, what are the Shinigami like? I haven't really met any of them for long enough to get to know them."
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 gave Mikhail a slight smile. "You do realize that there are arrancar with half their head shaven and the other half really long and red right? Kinda hard to say whether or not she had a weird hair color with those to compare it to but, now that you mention it she did wear glasses," he chuckled. But, then he thought about it for a moment. "Hmm, though by looking at you humans I guess it is possible she had a weird hair color but, I don't pay that much attention to peoples fashion sense. Theres no sport in it," He finished nodding. Fashion? Trends? He didn't really see the point of all that, sure he had his preferred look but, that's just what it was HIS look. Not copied off someone else or a model. He was happy with it.
Jericho was a little miffed at Mikhail's joke but, when he thought about it, it was kinda funny. Who knows maybe he would befriend that other arrancar one day. Though he was pretty sure that he had left a lasting bad impression on someone who protects humans. Oh well, not much he could do now. "Hmm, I suppose so, I mean it is common for arrancar to look up to those who have power. After all, we don't have much else. We basically came from a being that would only devour and consume. Needless to say old habits die hard. Especially when you ha be doing for a couple hundred years. As for me... nah not just power earns my respect. You need to know how to use your power before you earn my respect," He said finishing his rather long winded reply.
This kid now wanted to know about shinigami? From a arrancar no less? Jericho guessed he could give him an idea of a hollow's point of view. "Well besides Dai most of them are gunning for us arrancar and hollow alike. They have like this sense of duty to just annihilate all of us. Its kind of a pain in the ass," he sighed."Imagine there is an entire race just on the look out for you all your life. You think you can do that?" He asked rhetorically. Jericho snorted at the thought, what was their problem, sure at a younger stage in their evolution they consumed humans which is what the shinigami protected. But, that was their first stage, eventually they just went to Hueco Mundo to feast on each other. Didn't need the shinigami's help in killing off their population.
Post by Mikhail Rost on May 12, 2012 4:17:33 GMT -5
Mikhail guessed that Jericho was right in that, there were so many different arrancar that you never could be sure about the way one looked from another and when you're fighting just how much attention do you pay to someone's hair. He guessed it would depend on how close you got...nope, Mikhail was just gonna chok it up to Jericho not being too observant, either that or he couldn't see for all the smoke while blasting someone.
"So she did wear glasses, It could very well have been a friend." Mikhail thought about what he should say, even wounded he doubt he could fight Jericho, he sighed.
"I wish you hadn't hurt her, I can't say I'm not upset, but I want to believe that everyone is capable of good. You're right about it being important how someone uses their power. I've seen the way people use power to intimidate and hurt others. I'd rather use my power to protect people. As strong as you are, Jericho, if you used your power to help others you could be amazing."
Maybe he was just sounding campy now, but he meant it. "I was playing my violin in the park one day, and some kid came up and gave me this origami bird he made. I wasn't sure what it was for, but then he turned around and ran back to his father. It was a man I helped out of the wreckage of a building during the war... never can tell how our actions might effect others."
Mikhail listened when Jericho spoke of the Shinigami, and decided against answering his rhetorical question anyway. After all things like that happened even among humans throughout history, but there was the hollows that hunted humans just as the shinigami hunted them.
"So was it a Shinigami that attacked you? Do you remember what happened?"
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
Hmm so it very well could have been a friend of his eh? He wasn't sure but there was this hinting thought that maybe he should say something in response. "I'm... sorry," He said glancing away to make it easier to say. To him this kid should feel blessed. He was the first ever to receive a genuine apology from the ever prideful Jericho Cross himself. "Don't get too high and mighty about it though, I just figure I owe you for... helping me..." He said glancing away again. What a pain in the ass, he owed a human, who would have thunk it? Though this was strange for him, it was possible he could of ended the kids life right here and now but... he had grown on him he had to admit. "I still owe you I guess. As a man with at least some honor I will find a way to pay you back..." He finished allowing Mikhail to continue.
The strangest thing was... this kid sounded exactly like the arrancar who he had fought. What was everyone's deal with protecting people? It's not like anybody protecting him when he was a lowly hollow or Gillian. Nope there was no help to be found at all. Being hunted by shinigami outside Hueco Mundo and being hunted by your own kind on the inside. They had lived lives where they couldn't think about protecting people. So why should others be any different. But... the arrrancar said a strong man stands up for himself but... a stronger man stands up for others. Then there is this here kid saying how amazing he would be if he protected others... Could there be a connection? Could their words be true and not simply random philosophy?
That's when it hit him... their words did make sense when you think about it. If you fight to protect yourself you become strong enough to... but if you fight for others you have to go stronger to compensate right? Then again... maybe he was just over thinking their words. "I would be amazng huh?" He asked while laughing and then twinged in pain a bit. God damnit being injured was annoying. Mikhail continued on telling him about a story and Jericho actually listened to every word. So he was thanked for helping them with a paper crane? He didn't really get it but, judging by the look on Mikhail's face it meant something to him. Jericho shrugged, he didn't really understand human customs anyway.
"A crane? Uh I don't really get the symbol of the crane but, I guess I can see how our actions could effect others," He said thinking. Kinda like what he did at the park that made the other arrancar so furious... WAIT!? Was this kid making him feel guilty for things he did to try and have fun!? Oh whatever, its not like he had lived as long as Jericho had anyway. What did he know? Little did Jericho realize, the words hit home whether he wanted them to or not. "Shinigami? No, no, no. It was another arrancar. He was strong too and fast as hell. He could have easily been an espada but, he decided to stand up for..." Jericho trailed off almost revealing what he had been doing that day. No need to get the kid upset with him now, was there?
"W-well, let's just say he didn't like what I was doing and decided to attack me. I got what I wanted anyway... a decent fight... actually and excellent one," he finished sounding defensively. Not that he was trying to of course but, he did almost reveal some information that Mikhail would probably not take kindly to...