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.
Darkness filled the sky, as clouds rolled in over Karakura Town. The wind picked up speed with each blow as it surged through the open areas. Trees swaying back and forth giving the feeling of a future fall. No drops of rain or any stricking lightning. Only flashes would appear high above the clouds every now and then as the thunder rolls.
03:40 am. Aono's crimson eyes stared in awe at the beginning of a raging storm. Her left hand holding onto the curtain of her open appartment window. Hair blown back as the gust combed through her white-ish hair. This weather was fantastic, from the scene it gave to the power of nature; there's nothing more enjoyable in Aono's mind. That is, until she saw the darker shadows floating in the sky as lightning flashed a cloud. Large hollows flying high above like vultures ready for a picking. Nothing better than a good old storm to blame for the destruction of homes and lost lives. She knew of the immediate dangers that they were going to pose and headed out the door, already dressed since she never changed that night to begin with.
Stretching her arms out and yawning from all the boredom in her present time, Franny sat on the walls of the only building like form in Las Noches. Her eyes were droopy and her brain throbbed from the excess napping. She'd slept so much as of late that she felt more tired and kind of like she had just gone out drinking the nap before. Grumbling from the hangover feeling she had, her body leaned from side to side as a stretch and as if she were asking to fall off the wall.
Taking in a deep breath, she sighing of exasperation she took in a small scent of something peculiar. This favorable scent drool running down the side of her lip. Hollows, lots of them, gathered somewhere? Perking up she leaped from the wall and landed in the soft sand sending in flying all around from the impact. Not too far off, a hollow of good game opened a garganta and fled into the disappearing black hole. This made Franny quite happy. A smirk and an evil look took over her face as she opened her own garganta and headed straight for the fun.
She appeared perched and crouched on a tall pole. A strong wind current sent her long hair flying everywhere and her clothes rippling across her skin. Everything was dark from the cloud cover and only shortly timed flashes of light would give hint on the ground below. Hollows were everywhere, surrounding the area with hungry looks. Franny too, with a hungry look she licked her lips with satisfaction.
Post by Mikhail Rost on May 19, 2012 0:35:38 GMT -5
Mikhail was asleep in his room when a boom of thunder shook him to wakefulness. He glanced over at the clock, a comical little thing that looked like Don Kan'onji in a dramatic pose, his arms pointed out the time as nearing 4 am. He groaned and sat up in bed glancing out the window at the turbulant darkness in the sky. One hand rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed, seemed like a bad storm was coming. He put his feet to the floor and got up, wandering over toward the windowsill to peer out into the early morning. Lightning flashed and as it did Mikhail saw shapes in the distant sky. His hazel eyes widened as the accompaning thunder hit.
"Awww man,..." He muttered to himself glancing longingly back to the bed and comfort of the covers. "Don't you guys sleep?" He irritably asked no one in particular as he shook his head and picked up a dark blue buttoned shirt to throw on.
He buttoned the top few buttons and grabbed a pair of black jeans and sneakers. He turned to leave and on his way past his desk snatched up the metallic blue pair of fighting gloves his Sensei had given him. Then he went to the window and opened it to jump out. He glanced up again as he strapped on the gloves and then took off in the direction the Hollows above were flying.
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
Hollow rawrs echoed throughout Karakura as the creatures scattered on a search for humans and souls. Since it was so early in the morning, what human would be awake at such a time? Aono was one of them, but her expressionless stare wasn't impressed with their frenzy. As the wind blew all around her, sending leaves and debris in mid flight; Aono ran after the life threatening beasts. Light sparks of electricity flowed around her as the atomic air particals started to react to her power. Quickly stopping, she got a clear shot of one of the flying creatures, "Setsujo." With her arm held out towards the target, electricity flowed through and shot across the sky like a lightning bolt comming from below.
As the storm raged on, Franny stayed on that pole and listened carefully to all her prey's whereabouts. There was so much going on already, that it looked like she'll have to catch some real fast or end up hungry and with nothing. Eyes closed, a strong gust of wind blew her hair straight back, and as that occured; Franny closed her eyes and dove down to the ground as if she were falling.
Lightning cracked through the park, sending small wild animals scattering to a safer shelter. A few streets away, the pavement had been cracked as if a meteor had crashed there. Right above the circle, a light pole flickered on and off as if it were losing it's energy. A smirk on her pleased face, Franny disappeared with a blink of an eye towards the all the commotion. "I think, I'll start here." She said to herself as she walked towards a human. Her hunger was strong, but was it going to be strong enough to the point where she could go berserk and eat what she consideres, junk food?
Post by Mikhail Rost on May 21, 2012 1:08:15 GMT -5
Mikhail ran down the street as wild winds tousled his hair, it was still dark and overcast with hardly anyone awake so the chances of him being discovered were slim. Honestly who would be out on the streets at this time? He watched as a the dark form of a hollow descended over an alleyway and turned to skid to a halt at the alleys opening.
"Well what do we got here?" Came a voice from the alley as three punks looked up towards him, and what do you know, the hollow had vanished. One of the three grinned and flashed a pocket knife. "Got any money kid?"
Mikhail sighed and groaned. "Seriously?" His luck just sucked it seemed, but even protecting these jerks was important. Of course if they ended up a little worse for the wear then that was their problem. "Look, I really don't have time for this guys."
"That's too bad, cuz we got all night." They started to step towards him and Mikhail shook his head.
"You don't wanna do this,..." Mikhail said as he saw a dark shape starting to emerge behind them, his eyes widened as a claw started to reach out. "Crap!" He suddenly charged toward the trio and shoved the guy in the middle away, before the claw could hit him. Then tackled the hollow behind him. The guy Mikhail shoved looked pissed for a moment, then confused as Mikhail grappled at air and rolled around on the ground, then they started laughing.
"What the hell's wrong with you man?" The guy said with a grin, at least until Mikhail kicked at the air and 'something' flew back and knocked over a bunch of trashcans. A moment later one of the bags was lifted by the unseen force and thrown at Mikhail, which he knocked out of the air with a well timed punch before wrestling with something again.
"Holy crap kid, what's going on?"
Meanwhile Mikhail held the wrists of this lanky hollow and tried to avoid its mouth as it gnashed its teeth and tried to bite at him. He kicked out again and dazed it just long enough to haul back and lay into it with another punch that cracked its mask.
"You don't wanna know." Mikhail growled as he hit the creature, sure he looked insane fighting the air but there was some kind of evidence that something else was there. The three backed away slowly but were both frightened and curious at the scene playing out before them. Mikhail's eyes glowed a soft blue as his spiritual energy chilled the air around him considerably. He threw another punch that staggered the hollow and it drew back and screeched. It caused a few windows and bottles to shatter, and everyone including Mikhail to hold their ears momentarilly.
The three yelled in pain and Mikhail just gritted his teeth through the pain and picked up a broken board to swing at the hollow. FHUMP! The board cracked as it hit the hollow and caused it to wobble but it had stopped screeching. Mikhail shook his head and yelled to the three... "GO! NOW!"
After that they didn't argue, they just took off as Mikail held out his hand. Reishi collected and froze within his grasp, forming an icy dagger that he plunged into the hollows mask as it turned back towards him. It shrieked once more and collasped, but so much for not being discovered. Maybe they would consider it just a bad dream and, at least, not come back around this area. Still it wasn't like he could just rest, there were more, lots more. Mikhail sighed again and rushed off to find more hollows...
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
One down and more to go. At this rate, hollows will cause all sorts of damage to the town and its budget. Aono had to think of something and think of something fast. If only she could get them to stay around one certain area instead of roaming out of control. Would these hollows be appealed to released spiritual energy and be drawn towards it? She knew a lot about these fiends and that they do attack those that seemed to have more,but how would she go about this?
Running towards the park where it would be more open and less constricted by surrounding buildings, Aono used her close combat skills on passing hollows. As one attacked, she dodged to the side in one swift motion and quickly made a spin with her leg being raised. The spin gave more momentum to her move as she kicked the hollow in mid move, sending it crashing to a flat wall of a building.
Like an invisible vail that covered her body, something was creating a constant flow of what seemed like heat. The area that Aono kicked burned the hollow as it got up to turn and counter. She dodged again silently and sent a hard punch smashing into its white mask. Slowly cracking, the hollow's mask started to break and then it disappeared as a black disintegrating fog.
When on patrols it was not uncommon to Kaida taking to the parks. The reasoning was on several levels. Parks are remote areas, often not very crowded, thus for any wandering human souls passing through or taking refuge in one getting away from the bustling populace of the living--they unwittingly make themselves easy prey for Hollows. These Hollows Kaida often likes to hunt down, and like with any Hollow hunting them down for their express elimination.
But Kaida does not do so just by wandering around near aimlessly. Rather she finds a place within the center of the park, sits there in a zazen style of meditation, and reaches out with her perceptions seeking to feel anything spiritual with any sign of malevolence to it, or something spiritual running in fear. But on this day she did not have to do much to feel darkness loom over the area of the park near the housing districts.
With the storm building and the flashing of lightning and thunder rumbling in the sky, she felt the murderous deserves of numerous Hollows. It was only a matter of time before they struck out upon the weak and the helpless to feast. Yet... Kaida paused, not out of hesitation, but more observation. She felt the reiatsu of a few others, not like the rampaging Hollows, but their spiritual strength was certainly a cut above the ordinary human.
She moved in a flash, quicker than the simple human-eye can follow. She observed a couple humans well beyond what the norm of their kind could hope to perform facing and defeating Hollows. At least for now, she knew she did have to worry about them, but rather the other unweary humans in the their, for they did not have a chance against a Hollow, they likely would not even be able to see one coming for them.
With her eyes in their seemingly closed state, she took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled to fall into her mushin state. It is the Zen practice of the mind without mind, utilized by those who train in bushi often. The ability to free one's mind of their ego, thus eliminating such things as fear and anger. Letting them act intuitively, but this frame of mind is not a restful state--for the mind within mushin is working at far more increased rate taking swift, precise action without needing to deliberate. It simply lets one be within the moment--intuitively tuning oneself into the moment to act accordingly to it. No thought, just action and reaction within fractions of a second.
It is the essence of iaijutsu within bushido, letting go of the ego to find a clarity of acting with utter precision and swift action. For those Hollows her movements were blinding, and by the time each had seen her--she was already sheathing her blade from cutting them down. Several had fallen to the way side in her path. Which by proxy gave the defenseles those Hollows were attacking the chance to flee.
