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Post by Harmony on Feb 5, 2008 13:37:25 GMT -4
((we're going to skip Tsuke to keep this moving. Go ahead with your post, Long))
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Post by Galihan on Feb 12, 2008 23:54:17 GMT -4
((O noes! Not Long too! We... Must... En-dure!))
Time was like it wasn't moving at all, like the world itself was ceasing to run normally and only the powerful could survive. Only the really powerful, small fish like him could never have a chance to exist in this deep ocean of madness. Takeshi was unable to move, or breathe, or think. He was too scared to do so much as anything asides from sweat bullets. No, not bullets, more like tank shells or cannonballs. He was finally managing to force a foot forward with most of his willpower just focused on walking and standing upright. How could there be such powerful beings in the world?
After a few minutes, he managed to take more steps. Two more to be precise. Each becoming faster and more fluid if just slightly. He was starting to get a hang of the pressure it was only good enough to let him have some organized thoughts.
...................Where is the lieutenant?...........Where is Tsuke?......................Where am I?.................Will somebody..........Surely somebody......................Save us....save....................us................save................surely somebody....................somebody............
He too began to pass out, hearing a voice in his head that wasn't his own. It sounded familiar, like it was still a part of him however.
Get up kid. Don't lose yourself yet, there's still a chance. ... Who are you? ... Answer me! ...I see... Who are you! In due time, you'll hear the answer.
He wasn't sure how long time was actually progressing around him, he couldn't tell but all he knew was that unless there was a miracle, divine intervention or some kind, this would be a very horrible day.
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Post by GoldenKitten on Feb 14, 2008 2:17:29 GMT -4
((OOC: To Gahrok, given our extreme power differences (and the fact that the post would have been one paragraph long if I hadn't) I went ahead and simply stopped Dante and controlled his actions a bit by just tossing him in the portal without a fight. If you don't want this to happen and want to try and fight I can edit this post, I just didn't want to make others wait 10 years as we RP'd back and forth and he stumbled around me till we reached the same conclusion lol.
Anyway sorry if you didn't want me to do that, just tell me.
Also I am controlling Sokou for these next few post. I apologize to Long if he does not fight exactly as was originally planned and I am not very good at that forced dialect so he will speak “normally” in the few places he does, imagine it as Long would write it if you wish. Just apologizing in case it seems like a completely different character though I will try my hardest to stick to the little personality we saw before he left. Also his shikai was horribly vague so I apologize but I am using a modified version that only includes the axe and dagger as I could not visualize how the rest was connected.))
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Torre grasped the situation at hand with a bit of pity really, she brushed her hand across her forehead as she took in what was happening before her. In all honesty she hadn't intended to knock the girl out so forcefully, or even cause her extreme duress but it seemed she had underestimated just how far apart they were in terms of power and she could do little to lessen her bleeding spirit energy before the girl simply collapsed into unconsciousness. She did drop it enough afterwards that the boy had been able to stand before her and draw his blade in preparation before succumbing to the force though from the way he stood in front of the girl she considered he might also have had the drive and will to force himself into the situation. Still as heroic as his actions might have been, especially to someone like Torre who considered honor before all else, it didn't change the fact that she would overtake him in but a split second if she tried and with the prying hands of Las Noches at her throat she HAD to do this. So she stepped forward, knowing that these two had to be through the portal in the next few seconds or risk damage from the incoming unknown and the battle fighting with it would cause.
“I am sorry...”
She took a step forward and before the boy could even move his blade she grasped the very end in her left hand. Ever so gently given her massive strength but with more than enough force to knock the wind out of the boy she jolted the blade in his direction knocking it's hilt dead center into his belly. As he coped with the sudden loss of air she walked by him, placed her hand on his back and gave a mighty push sending him sailing through the air straight for the portal and moments later he was enveloped.
3...
Torre proceeded forward at a mild gait though it was calculated and in no way a hurried rush to get things done. She reached the girl in what was a rather slow response for a spirit being of such power but was less than a split-second for a normal human. She stood over her for a moment and then leaned down grasping her softly in her arms and cradling her almost like a child, she kicked off the ground once more and arrived at the portal.
2...
She placed the girl into the mouth of the portal and instantly she was swallowed just as the boy had been disappearing into darkness. As if it knew it's job was done the small portal immediately began sliding shut in front of Torre and the woman turned around raising her hand into the air.
1...
Sokou impacted with the force of a hundred angry warlords, he had moved with the greatest speed he had at his disposal in his sealed form but it hadn't been enough. He had felt the boy disappear first and if he had been anyone else would have given into despair but he did not, instead this simply fueled the fire in his soul and the desire to fight and he threw himself beyond his limit charging with insane force...but even it had not been enough. He had caught a glimpse of the student Namida just before she had been set into a portal which even if he did not know the destination, he knew was the worst thing that possibly could have happened here. His roar was long and loud, his zanpaktou slicing the air like a scythe but with the force of a hammer and the ponderously slow Arrancar (for he recognized the outfit she wore) had no time to draw the massive blade on her back. He would slice right through her arm which she seemed to think would defend her and cut her down, then he would make whoever had arranged this plot pay very dearly. Air rushed all around as his blade came down on her outstretched hand...and stopped dead in it's tracks as all force was immediately canceled and the paladin like Arrancar deflected the blow with her open palm before wrapping her fingers around the blade. Sokou had only been taken back for a split second or two though and had ripped the blade from her grasp before she could turn it against him, bounding off the air itself and propelling himself away from her.
“Where did you send them?!” he yelled angrily, even if he wanted a fight he was still a shinigami of the Gotei 13 and would need answers for whom he would exact his holy revenge upon.
Where most Arrancar might have been disappointed to not be challenged Torre was quite happy that the half-naked shinigami didn't seem as powerful when he actually struck out. The weaker her opponents were the more likely she would not have to kill them and the greater chance that collateral damage would be kept to a minimum. She had deflected what she was sure he was used to being a fatal strike with all the ease of swatting off a fly...admitted that might be a poor analogy as flys had a tendency to come back over and over, a sign perhaps? When the shinigami backed off for a moment he questioned her and for the first time Torre spotted a third door to this situation...if she let this man live but gave him the info he needed perhaps she would get the best of both worlds when other shinigami came to investigate the situation, of which she was sure they were already preparing to be underway. So, much to his and her own surprise she answered quite truthfully.
“They go to Las Noches.” her voice monotone but holding a hint of caring.
Sokou was indeed at odds when his question was so readily answered and almost questioned whether she might be lying despite the lack of any sort of tone in her voice that might suggest one way or another. However it was only upon closer inspection of his new opponent that he realized there was no lie here, only horrible truth. Displayed quite prominently on her left cheek was an artfully constructed number '3' and he instantly flashed back to all the warnings the thirteen squads, even his own had received about engaging Arrancar from Las Noches. There were several tiers of power much like the shinigamis own structure is Soul Society but it was nothing but a perversion of the order there, each Arrancar trying to gain power over all others, still at the very top there was a group whose name escaped him now but they were the leaders of that organization and each bore the number of their rank. Even Sokou had to consider this for a moment, it was said that all these creatures of such a rank were as strong if not stronger than many of the captains within Seireitei itself...and this was the third of that order. Then something strange happened, Sokou smiled, how glorious and with no more thought charged once more throwing swings of his blade from every angle and even though she blocked every single one with little more than her bare hands his blood lust only grew. Sokou could quickly see that he was faster on his feet than the armored monster but that didn't say squat about the dexterity with which her arms moved, if he had, had cared to think he might have noted that using that massive blade she must have known quite a few tricks for swinging it around quickly. Still he was going to use this to his advantage but he hated the fact that if he had been unsealed he would have been many times faster, how much longer would it take? If they would just activate it maybe then the girl would fight him seriously and he could show her what true horror was. Caught up in his own revelry he completely missed the fist swerving through his blade slashes straight for his face, there was no time to counter as Torres whole bodied punch struck out at him like lightning connecting with a satisfying crunch and the proceeding silence of the situation where the man no longer attacked. That was of course because he was now sailing hundreds of feet per second several feet above the ground like a streamlined missile, completely leveled by the strike and shortly after he impacted a building and continued through for another hundred feet before coming to rest.
Torre sighed, she had not wanted to use her force like that though she doubted that had killed him, it would at least keep him out of the way. Really though she was more worried about the humans and whether any had been hurt in that strike which had caused a fair bit of damage and she silently said a prayer for any that might have been in the way. She once more directed her attention to her surroundings and reached out finding the other two students, the closest one seemed to be frozen in place and she wondered why he had not used the chance to escape, still that was her next destination. Placing one foot down hard she kicked off the ground, bounding to the top of the nearest roof and began her quick journey to the other side of the small neighborhood. About halfway through she was struck by a horrible aura of reiatsu, she tried to locate who it was coming from even as she continued toward her target and to her great surprise she quickly realized it was the same man as before and with the speed he was approaching the situation was bad...oh how troubling this mission was turning out to be.
Sokou had laid in a crumpled heap for nearly twenty seconds before he began to pull himself to his feet, heavily winded and stiff. The girls punch had been like being struck with a small planet and as he spit a glob of blood out the side of his mouth he cursed her momentarily trying to pick up where she had headed off too seeing that she was no longer where she had been, the dense reiatsu field still made exact measurement difficult but he had no doubt she was likely headed for the next students. With that thought in mind he started to propel himself out back to the street when he heard a small 'ding' from his spirit radar and a smile covered his face once more. The effigy of the eleventh squad began to burn on his chest and a aura of reiatsu burst forth from his body sending lots of smaller debris flying around him, what had been painful moments ago dulled, what had been tiring was renewed with vigor and what little moral damage the previous blow had caused was replaced with a whole new level of confidence, an unbreakable will. With his full power about him and a renewed certainty in his heart he blasted through the roof of the building and shot out in the direction of the Arrancar like a cannon. Where before his senses had been muddled in a sea of reiatsu thanks to her sheer overwhelming power he was now capable of seeing through it, almost as if she was not there and knowing that he was certain his powers would now overwhelm her as well.
She was there, Torre was just a rooftop away from Takeshi and she jumped through the air spotting him below and intending to open a portal that would take them both away before the shinigami could return, because returning he was at an astounding rate. She dropped and was meters above the boy, even he would have to be able to detect her proximity at this range despite the reiatsu fog in the air when out of nowhere she was impacted directly above her hip on her side. Something happened then that didn't often happen to Torre, she was knocked off course and sent flying through the air slamming into the roof of a nearby building kicking a small plume of dust up.
Sokou laughed to himself as he stood prominently floating in the air, the slow girl had been no match for his brutal attack and had gone careening away surely sustaining a good bit of damage in the process. He readied his zanpaktou once more flaring his reiatsu dramatically as though he noted Takeshi this was no longer the time for going easy, the boy could either cope now or be counciled later, Sokou was now on a single minded course to eliminate the Arrancar. He tried to decide how he would continue to push the attack as his picked up on subtle swirls in the dust cloud below and only through years of training did he manage to drop like a rock to the ground as three small balls of red energy ripped through the cloud and peppered the area he had just been in. He landed on a nearby roof and watched the area closely this time, his over confident demeanor dropped back into a battle ready one and soon he caught glimpses of the white armor the Arrancar wore as she stepped out. He couldn't believe his eyes, not only had she not received in obvious physical damage from a full powered blow but her armor looked as pristine as it had before the fight even began and her face still looked as neutral as anytime before. He didn't give this time to connect in his brain though and charged once more readying a powerful strike to slice across her chest.
Torre had known he was coming but the last shot of power he had used had been impressive, covering a significant distance in a flash and slamming into her. Still her armor, both physical and soul based could deflect damages much greater than that and aside from the annoyance of knowing she would have to face him once again she was uninjured, even countering with several bala just to keep him on his toes. Torre was more than a little surprised at the mans newfound strength at first but then she remembered the previous battle she had, had with a Lieutenant of Seireitei long ago when she was still a Vastos Lorde and how they had activated a latent spirit reserve...she had no proof that was what this was but it was the only plausible answer. As expected he came rushing at her with with great force trying to cut her once more but this time she threw her hand out with force and threw her shoulder into the motion, she grabbed the blade despite it's cutting ferocity and then shifted their weight and before long the duo was progressing in the other direction, then with a sneak punch under his guard and into his chest Sokou was sent into an unexpected flip through the air though as he came back down to roof level he spun once more and performed a hand plant before pulling himself to a halt. Even through his trained visage she could spot that her deflecting his blade even at full strength had thrown him for a loop and if even for the slightest moment he faltered.
“Listen...” she began “The kids are not going to come to any harm if I can help it, so why don't you just give up?...You may have more power in reserve but this is as high as that energy can be put out at once...I haven't even begun.”
She thought that made a lot of sense, however she had apparently briefly forgot few people actually listened to sense and instead she found an infuriated Shinigami charging her position. She began deflecting blow after blow with her hands, completely unmoving hoping that he might soon see the ridiculous act he was putting on. She wanted this man alive but if he refused to back off soon she was going to have to take greater action. Then the man called out in a tone and manner she was all to used to.
“SEMEHOROBOSU!!!”
Sokou hadn't had to activate his zanpaktou in a loooong time, he might from time to time but it was never really a necessity. Now though with the utter uselessness his usual form seemed to have it seemed that this was one of those times it would be required. His zanpaktou and hands were engulfed in a green reiatsu momentarily and when it faded he carried the large axe and shaft that comprised his shikai, the shaft had a long chain at the end which had a medium sized dagger attached. He spun the weapon above his head several times and then threw it out to his side while charging in once more readying it almost like a halberd just before he struck. As several flashes of energy shot out across the night sky he was pleased to see that the Arrancar had fallen back to using her gauntlets to deflect the attacks and not her bare skin though the mundane look crossing her face through him off a bit, not enough to stop his flurry of strikes though.
Little did he know she was just being cautious and his momentary power did little to impress her, if anything the respect she tried to afford every shinigami had dropped significantly in his case over these past few minutes, she could respect someone who fought to the end but someone who could not see futility didn't deserve to fight. She made a decision, it was time to end this, she wanted him alive and would try her hardest but if it could not be done then that was just the way it was and she would figure things out a different way. As she deflected a harsh blow with her right hand she reached to her back and grasped the hilt of her massive blade, the shinigami was obviously aware of this and backed off just a little bit as she spun it around and then whipped it over her shoulder, a displaced air sound accompanying it before it set out straight before her aimed at the man. She was slow but more than capable of producing moments of speed and this was one of those moments, she flashed from her position to be on top of Sokou in a blink and before he could even be surprised she gripped him by the back of his neck and brought her head toward his and moments later her forehead hardened by reiatsu smacked him square in the middle of the face sending his senses reeling. With an opportunity presented she raised him up by the scruff of his neck and with her sword turned sideways pummeled him in the stomach twice with her fist before tossing him into the air. He did not go far and though it went against her normal battle method she flipped upside down, wrapped her legs around his right lower leg spinning him in the air and threw them both into a spin. He went flying uncontrollably and she readied her blade spinning the blunt end to the forefront and in one massive arc aimed square for his chest and when it connected she felt bones crack.
Sokou saw the strike coming but there was nothing he could do. The sound of thunder echoed when the blade connected and waves of agony washed over him but before the pain had even begun he was sent speeding off into the darkness of the night and as he lost a sense of the space around him he found he was incapable of stopping the speeding tumble he was now in. Sokou flew almost three miles through the air in just a little under twenty seconds before he came to the ground, he impacted in a field somewhere toward the center of the city and even in the dark night the plume of dust that shot skyward could be seen for miles around as it blew up into the air like a miniature volcano. He tumbled for hundreds of meters and through several buildings, slamming his head into the ground time and time again and surely receiving other sores and breakages as every brief connection he made with the ground kicked up another plume of dust smaller but just as damaging as the last. Eventually Sokou began to slide along the ground and quickly slowed down as he carved a long trench with the force of his landing and came to rest nearly four miles away from the initial strike in the middle of a currently empty street. He lay motionless for a long while, not so much as blinking his eyes as his head hung low...but after several seconds his prone form took a deep breath in, as he continued to stay laid out there could be no question, Sokou was down for the count and his weapon still gripped tightly in his right hand reverted back to its original state.
Torre had not seen everything that had happened but she knew the force she wielded and she felt bad for using it on him but at some point reinforcements were going to show up and she couldn't risk that with the students being within her grasp.
“Such a foolish mission...but a foolish man too...”
She hoped the shinigami would live but her thoughts returned to the boy (Takeshi) that had been not to far below her before and when she finally did locate him she dropped out of the air like a bomb and came skidding to a stop not to far from him. She began preparing to open another portal.
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Post by Galihan on Feb 23, 2008 1:12:44 GMT -4
Takeshi was staring death in the face, knives and shackles pinning him to the ground. He didn't know exactly how he could have ended up in this situation, what did this person want with them? They were only a couple of kids for god-sake! Only a small group of shinigami-in-training posing no threat at all to any hollow (save for the one weakling from earlier,) let alone an arrancar! Then Takeshi examined death's face, was that a number tattooed on her face, good god no wonder she was able to dispatch Lieutenant Sokou with such ease; this was a member of the Espada! The most powerful and feared arrancar to ever hail from Hueco Mundo! There was nothing, absolutely nothing that this first-year shinigami acadamy student could do against such a godly adversary.
"How do I live through this?," Takeshi murmured pessimistically, dropping to his hands and knees under such stress. "What am I supposed to do, just leave my fate in the hands of the heavens, just give up and surrender to your existence? Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit..."
He kept repeating himself, over and over and over and over again until he couldn't swear at himself any longer. He couldn't just sit by and watch his destiny be orchestrated by other, he never was like that, he never let others stop him or hold him back. He didn't care if she was an espada, if she was going to take him prisoner like she did with Namida and Dante he'd at least try and put up a struggle, no matter how pathetic or humorous the bitch would think of it.
Tears began to well up in his mismatched eyes and he charged, drawing his zanpakuto and hopelessly thrusted the blade at her stomach. This all must have looked pitiful to the espada; one could only guess how slow he must have seemed from her perspective, the blade not doing jack squat except for making a loud clink noise against her bulky armor. Takeshi got sent flying backwards and was knocked unconscious upon sprawling on the ground, his leather gloves practically ruined but at least they protected his hands from being too badly wrecked from the energy backlash surging into his sword from her body the moment the blade made contact.
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Post by GoldenKitten on Feb 26, 2008 22:55:21 GMT -4
Torre didn’t like this, she didn’t like it one bit. When she had taken the first children something of necessity and the closing approach of the shinigami had set her into motion with minimal thought in her actions. However as she landed before the next student and saw the duress just the situation alone was putting him in she couldn’t help but feel a tad shitty for what she was doing, damn that Desperado she would kill him someday for ordering such unhonorable tactics. The boy had charged her but the entire motion had been completely deflected by their sheer power gap and he had been knocked completely flat with absolutely no movement on her part. She observed him for a moment noticing he had fallen unconscious and taking a deep breath of annoyance proceeded forward to scoop him up into her arms. She gave him a good look up and down and grimaced as she noted his physical features and a rather unpleasant memory shook her but after a lifetime of letting that chapter in her life fall to a close it only momentarily took her by surprise and then she turned her attention elsewhere.
She through her senses around and locked on to the next student, the last one, when she was instantly flooded with a new set of reiatsu sparks. She cursed silently to herself as a series of Senkai gates could be sensed opening all around the area and shinigami began to step out. She judged where the next student was and burst off in his direction seeing if there was any chance she could get him. However only a second had passed in her stride when she felt a solid throb hit her in the back, it hadn’t been strong enough to penetrate her armor but it was a heavy hit and the metal reverberated for several seconds, she slowly turned around on her heel to look behind. A man of average height and build sporting blood red eyes, slicked black hair and a black coat with red inlay to support the rest of the motif stood before her with a glazed expression. He twirled a small dagger like zanpaktou in his left hand as she felt and spotted other shinigami appearing, some of them sporting large bulky armor and massive Zanpaktous. The man before her spoke in a flat tone:
“You’re friends were creating quite a ruckus back in Soul Society; you should thank them for keeping us from the senaki as we had to take the time to create a temporary gate and it bought you a bit of time too. Still, this ends here.”
A gust of wind kicked up and Torre saw for the first time the white strands of fabric that bore the mark of the Tenth Division that sat on his back pick up behind him and she understood without any words that this was the leader of that division and those surrounding him were the best members of it, this was not a battle she could win. She backed up but instantly felt several of the followers fall in behind her, she nodded a few times and then frowned realizing she would have to be quick, something she often wasn’t, to get out of this. She placed her free hand next to her and muttered under her breath, she saw the recognition in the Taichous eyes as he pushed off the ground toward her and several others followed shortly after. A purple void opened up behind her and she was already in mid-step as she blasted through the portal and she watched as the mans dagger came straight for her face…and then the portal sealed centimeters before he came through and she let out a grunt as the darkness of the transition realm engulfed her.
Yun took a deep sigh as he skidded to a stop and several of his followers came after him. He observed his surroundings, chewing on an imaginary piece of gum as he did so.
“Damn…” he muttered.
“Sir, we are going to perform a trace to see where she went.” One of the armored Deaths Hand members said.
“No need, we already got reports from those that are attacking Soul Society and seeing her face was obvious, these are the Espada. That makes their destination simple; they have gone to Las Noches.” He cut them off and there was no response from anyone, “You two go collect Tarukane Fukutaichou, let’s see what we can learn. We are going to return to Soul Society, there’s nothing we can do to follow them at this point.”
There were several nods and then everyone began moving to their appointed position.
Torre stepped through the black hallway of the portal…
There is something different.
…and came out into a white room which walls and furnishings had all been covered in white linens. There was a soft melancholy tune emitting from a small black box on the ceiling that sounded like a mix between wind and a soft synthesized piano/flute, which was hard to tell. A small globe next to it threw pale orange light on its surroundings. On the far side of the room a series of doors opened into other similarly furnished areas all the way out to a balcony which looked out over a massive desert littered with white towers, a blue sky shining high above. The sheets that covered the walls had prayer incantations drawn on them in black and as breezes from the open door played through they rippled up and down playing about like harmless ghosts. In the center of the room there was a massive four poster bed with black sheets lying on a white frame with dangling beads coming from the white curtain draped from the top. There was a large white dresser at its foot and a desk a few feet from it. There was no obvious entrance to the room except for the balcony and if one looked this room was set in one of the many similar white towers, thousands of feet from the desert far below.
Torre was standing at the edge of her room and took a few steps forward to the other two students who were spilled out over the ground. She bent down throwing the girl under her free arm and picking the boy up by the scruff of his neck and then proceeded toward her bed where she laid them all out long wise with more than enough room thanks to its colossal size. She watched them all for a few moments with a somber tone about her, she couldn’t really tell but they seemed to be at peace now, likely because there were no longer colossal reiatsus clashing about them and Torre had once more brought her power under control. She felt something and turned around, there standing against her wall was the same blond haired numeros who had scouted the scene for her earlier, she frowned, he was not her fraccion but Hrugar occasionally did work for her…still, she knew she had never told him how to get into her room which very few people knew how to access, even from what appeared to be the open balcony there were unseen barriers.
“Spying on me Hrugar?” She said with no particular tone to her voice.
“Not at all mam.” He replied no hint of deceit in his voice, “Just interested, so I see you were successful…more or less.”
“A taichou and his top followers appeared before I could reach the last student.”
“Ah, one was all that was needed anyhow so no problems. So I suppose I should go report this.”
“If you must.” Torre replied trying not to sound displeased since she had hoped to keep the students position a secret.
“I must.” He turned toward the next room and started walking for the balcony; he stopped just short of it and spoke loudly over his shoulder, “Be careful Tres Espada Torre…things have changed since you left.”
“What could have changed in that small a period of time?”
“You will see, but you of all people will need to be careful…just ready yourself.”
Then he was gone, disappearing into thin air as quickly as he had arrived. She watched the room as it was once again recaptured in relative silence, only the soft music breaking its grasp with pointed notes. There were a few Numeros like Hrugar in Las Noches, you never quite knew where their allegiances were but Torre had always felt that he at least had some morality in him as she did and for that reason had a preference for sharing his expertise with her. Because of that she realized he was likely giving a legitimate warning though she didn’t…then it hit her like a brick.
My god that’s what’s different.
Desperados force, it always dwarfed Las Noches as a reminder to all who was in control but now it wasn’t there. She tried to understand what could have happened and she realized none of the possibilities were good; she crossed the room and laid her zanpaktou out across the shelf at the end of her bed. Turning around she sat down in the chair at her desk and brought one hand to her face staring above it at the students. As she was watching a small white creature appeared from under the bed, it looked like something between a cat and a hollow, its eyes bright yellow and its joints filled with white fire but none the less feline in nature.
"What are you doing Mr. Snugglebottoms?" She asked it.
The creature mewed at her and then noticing the figures on the bed lunged upward and landed on the sheets. It walked up to the nearest boy, one with long brown hair and blue eyes and after staring at him for a few moments walked directely on to his face. It began making biscuits and after spinning around several times laid down right on his forehead.
"Ai, don't do that!"
However her words fell on deaf ears and the creature seemed to already be asleep. She rolled her eyes and the returning to her previous thoughts her expression turned flat and serious once more.
“What to do? What to do?”
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Post by Harmony on Mar 5, 2008 19:10:57 GMT -4
((Sorry that this took forever, and also my apologies for length/ lack thereof... my first posts with new characters are usually very awkward for me))
Only moments after Hrugar made his departure, Calixta's delicate form materialized just outside Torre's room and she lingered here for a short moment, her eyes scrunching in distaste. How she despised the feeling Torre gave her... the feeling all lowly Espada gave her... They made her want to gag. Their imperfection, their pride... their - oh how she wanted to devour each and every one! But, this pleasure she would not allow herself... no... they were her subjects... her playthings. How bored she would become. Her father used to love them... they fascinated him... perhaps because they achieved power that royals were born with... powers they barely had to earn. She had to admit... it was admirable. She had to respect their will, their desire to climb higher, to achieve a level of consciousness surpassing that of cattle... but still all the same, Torre and the other Espada were once nothing more than worms to her. Their origins were unforgivable.
She swallowed as her keen senses picked up also the faint throbs of the shinigami students. There was three.... A sweet mocking smile pulled at the corners of her lips and her fingers twitched with desire. They would be her food before long. No one could stop her from enjoying them. They were so ugly to her. She didn't even need to look at them to know this... their sweet little reiatsu's were unattractive enough that their only use could be food... little candies. What Desperado desired to do with them she did not know... but... they would be hers for sure.
"What are you doing Mr. Snugglebottoms? ... Ai, don't do that!"
A shudder of hatred passed through Calixta at the mention of Torre's ridiculous pet.. that damn cat hollow. Her eyes narrowed as a series of memories flowed through her... little hollow like Snugglebottoms used to be her candy. When she was young, oh how she delighted in taking them apart bit by bit with her prying fingers. Her dislike for Torre escalated with the thought that an Espada would allow herself to live with one. How insulting.
Finally, after gathering her very limited patience, Calixta made her appearance, walking confidently into Torre's room without warning. “Hello, Torre,” her emerald eyes glittered in barely suppresed hatred, “I see you've collected the little ones.”
She glanced at the three figures on Torre's bed longingly, the hunger apparent in her gaze, “Asmodeus and Zetsumei are in Soul Society... they should return shortly however...” She looked back at Torre, a disturbingly sweet smile gracing her features, “If the shinigami do not claim them soon, the children are mine.”
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Post by GoldenKitten on Mar 6, 2008 17:40:28 GMT -4
Torre had sat in relative silence for a total of five seconds before a voice accosted her, the one voice she would rather not have heard today...or any other day for that matter. She spun around without getting out of her chair to see Calixta emerge into her room while she absentmindedly made a mental note to install stronger barriers into the entrance, the kind that killed unwanted guest. As she viewed the incoming Espada Royal her hand dropped from her face and she sat rather awkwardly returning the malicious and hateful stare the other woman gave her. She despised this woman...or rather this girl, where Desperado was powerful and amoral he was also rather complacent and didn't cause much trouble meaning that though Torre disapproved of his ventures he never did anything that appalled her as he had some rudimentary sense of honor. Calixta wasn't this way, she was a spoiled brat who thought everyone should love her and would kill just for the joy of killing, something Torre could never forgive her for. There was one big difference though, Desperados presence was powerful and often allowed Torre to forgive herself for committing evil as though she didn't fear the man she knew she couldn't face him...she knew she could face Calixta, she never had found her attempts at seeming powerful convincing and her personality just pissed her off. For these reasons whenever they did talk she never treated Calixta with the respect or fear she usually got, rather they often found themselves trading thinly veiled threats and venomous barbs.
“Welcome Calixta, you expected otherwise?” she suggested to the comment about retrieving the children, she practically spit at the other woman in her speech.
Torre pushed off the edges of her chair and stood up, walking closer to Calixta but keeping her distance she viewed the pompous biiiii---rrrchtree. Calixta claimed she was the most beautiful of the Arrancar...and she did so quite often. Torre had never thought she was anything special, she had seen plenty of Numeros do better and the least of which was probably herself being as well known as she was and like the rest of the espada, worshiped by some. She stuck her thumbs into little slits along her belt line, just to grab a hold of something and watched as the woman eyed the children lustfully. Mr. Snugglebottoms had looked up at her when she had come close, never leaving the boys face. The way he stared at her through his eye slits with a look that could kill suggested there was more intelligence going on there than was let on. Torre never went on the offensive but it would have been hard to miss the obvious presence she was putting on the situation being taller than the woman and bulky in her armor suggesting she was ready to move in at the slightest provocation. Eventually Calixta returned her vision back to Torre and she pulled back a bit.
“You should have told me you were coming, I might have prepared something.” The obvious contempt and emphasis on the word 'might' suggested she never would have done so or more than likely would have taken such an attempt to poison the woman but she never said it as such.
Calixta explained that two of the others would be returning from Soul Society soon. It didn't take her much thought to figure that they had probably been buying her time, confirming what the Taichou who had tried to catch her had said. She internally shuddered at the thought of what Asmodeus, another person she despised, might have done in Soul Society but with more pressing matters at hand tried to let it fall to the back of her mind. It was at this point Calixta voiced the desire that had been gleaming in her eyes ever since she had appeared now, stating that the children were to be hers. For the first time Torre closed the gap abnormally close to Calixta with the fire in her eyes obvious and the miasma flowing off her suffocating in its malignity.
“They, are not for you.” she stated in a blunt bordering on angry tone, “Desperado ordered them here and even your position won't save you if you cross him.” the comment on her lack of actual position was dripping with sarcasm.
At this point she pulled back to her previous position.
“Plus the shinigami will come, we couldn't have made who we were any clearer. You'll have plenty of fun when they arrive. Or are you saying that you'd rather consume a bunch of unconscious children with the power of fleas because real shinigami are to hard for you to fight and consume?” Torre was never gentle with Calixta but with everything else had happened to shame her honor during the day and then adding in this contemptuous witches arrival she was in no mood for the round about...and even if she had known the changes that had occurred in Las Noches it was doubtful she would have been much more pleasant.
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Post by Harmony on Mar 7, 2008 16:16:43 GMT -4
“Welcome Calixta, you expected otherwise?”
Calixta's sweet smile surfaced, and she answered back coolly, peering at Torre from behind slightly hooded eyes, "Oh no, Torre," her smile broadened, "I knew we'd have the children one way or another... I never imagined you'd have the capability... but... I do see that we are missing one, aren't we?" She brought a dainty finger to her deep rose lips, "Perhaps Asmodeus would have been better suited... ugly as he is."
She watched motionlessly as Torre stood before her, her smile fading slightly. She could see the contempt in Torre's eyes and though she was not directly insulted, she was slightly confused. She never understood how Torre could hold so much dislike for her, the most precious of jewels. Calixta's hatred for Torre was not nearly as passionate as Torre's hatred for her, perhaps because Calixta lacked the moral reasoning, or perhaps it was similar to the way a tiger felt for its prey. There was no respect, but the hatred was nearly nonexistent. Whatever the reason, the hatred was not purely mutual, and Calixta above all else felt amused by Torre's barely concealed gestures of dislike. True, Calixta did take part in this game of masked insults, but she did it moreso for the pleasure of watching Torre grow upset.
It seemed she did indeed hit a nerve with her comment about the children and she watched as Torre closed the distance, a cruel light entering her emerald eyes. It struck her as entertaining that she affected Torre so greatly with so few words. Such emotion was not suitable for an Arrancar, especially not an Espada. It never ceased to amaze her how inadequate Torre seemed. She watched in mild interest as Torre's aggression quickly escalated, a thick burst of force flowing from her. Calixta felt the strain but held her ground unflinchingly, pretending to be more interested in her fingernails than Torre's little display. "Desperado's done for I'm afraid. The crown along with the children are forfeit to me." She said this in a nonchalant fashion, similar to the way one would discuss the weather with another, "I suggest you meditate a little Torre, all that excitement may not be healthy for you."
She sighed gently before raising her gaze, "As for the children, there is no question of ownership. As much as I'd love to let you keep them as little pets," she threw a glance at the cat hollow before continuing, "They are mine and I'm sure you'll find them more useful in my hands.... and..." she smirked, "The shinigami will still come for them whether they are alive or not Torre, don't you think? Those little rodents would never know the difference!" She laughed at this, her hands clapping together in her excitement. "I enjoyed this little chat, I really did, but I have important matters to attend to. You just keep an eye on them for me, won't you? That's a good girl." And with That, Calixta vanished, her laughter still echoing in the room.
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Post by GoldenKitten on Mar 17, 2008 3:30:27 GMT -4
((OOC: I apologize this was written quickly after a long day of work and with no sleep under my belt but I knew with my being missing this last week and a half I needed to continue the thread. So again I apologize for the quality.))
Torre hardly responded to Calixta as she ran off though she remained defiant until the end and did not let up until she was quite certain the other woman was gone. As was usual she had wanted to respond but when Calixta had made it obvious she was going to leave she fell silent as not to give her any chance to feel she had angered Torre and thus “won”. In truth while she did hate the Espada Royal her actions had stemmed less from anger as they did annoyance and overexposure to the situation which caused realization. In that Calixtas appearance and subsequent dishonor had simply flipped a switch that had been there all along, it had nothing to do with the situation in particular. With the woman gone though Torre at least relaxed and brought her hand up to her face as she stood scanning the room unconsciously while her brain went to work. Slowly the rush of adrenaline that had singled out the confrontation seeped from her mind and the soothing sound of the music and the light breeze from outside once again took hold of the situation.
“Desperados done…” she repeated.
The words could have carried multiple meanings but she already knew his presence was gone; it had been one of the first things she noticed and that only spelled trouble. She quickly considered what those words truly meant and the fact hit her like a brick wall dropped from orbit. What it meant was that Calixta was in charge…and what that meant was that the foul winch would soon have the whispers of Asmodeus in her head. Her face became solemn and dark, a surprising anger radiating from that image and while flippant thoughts took her mind as the ground was quietly set for what might come to pass soon she realized that she could never let Calixta rule her. It wasn’t just because Torre hated Las Noches as it was and knew she would hate it even more when it was as it would become under the others rule, it also flowed from the fact that Calixta would never suffer Torre as an underling. She might see fit to try and make Torre obey at first but as soon as she realized that Torre would have no intentions of treating her as a leader her amusement with the situation would fade and Torre would be forfeit.
Torre turned to the bed once more and looked over the children as she rubbed the back of her neck. Mr. Snugglebottoms was staring at her now, obviously trying to read her thoughts showing the intelligence his appearance belied. She took a deep sigh as she squinted at him.
“And she’d kill all of you too…that’s what she’s like.”
Snuggles gave her a sideways glance and she crossed her arms, once more taking an air of defiance.
“And that stain on our honor cannot come to be can it?”
For the briefest of moments it looked as if the creature was actually opening its mouth to respond when a bout of movement from below caught it off guard and he had to right himself. It clinched on to the boys face as he started moving around, the first to wake up though the others would follow shortly. She progressed forward to stand near the bed and look directly at the boy as he awoke.
“You know what this means don’t you?” she said seemingly to Snuggles once more.
The creature however was no longer paying her any mind as it began once more making biscuits on the boys face in an obvious attempt to annoy him as he awoke.
“Good morning.” She said in a pleasant tone while smiling down on the them all.
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Post by Gahrok on Mar 20, 2008 0:36:38 GMT -4
As consciousness slowly and painfully crept into Dante’s dormant skull… he most suddenly and unexpectedly found his breath completely stifled by some furry gag. Pain seared into his cheeks… it was a familiar feeling that he couldn’t quite place. It hit him then… as his mind fully returned to him… CLAWS! A sudden need to move, to escape, to struggle, seized Dante and overrode all thoughts of safety. It released him, whatever it was. Then he smelt it and his hands clutched the soft material on which he lay tightly, it was a foul odor…. he knew immediately as it landed with a revolting plop on his face that it was some type of animal excrement.
Dante convulsed, quite ready to throw up. Why, he managed to think bitterly to himself, couldn’t they torture him with pain? As his eyes opened Dante closed them tightly shut once more, there was a pile of SHIT right beside him. Finally losing his self control he slapped his cheek hard, flinging off the unknown fecal matter. Furiously wiping his hand on the blanket, Dante thought of nothing else but ridding himself of the stench and disgusting feel… he’d always had a weak stomach. He stopped suddenly, realizing that his surroundings were uknown… fear began its slow trickle down his back, he felt eyes.
“Good morning.”
The pleasant tone of her voice frightened him even more then when she had commanded him go the day before, oh he knew that voice… it was the arrancar. His blood ran cold….. where was she? Where was namida? But he didn’t dare to move, he didn’t dare to turn or to speak a word. He knew the arrancar could take his life without a thought. The helpless feeling inside of him ripped Dante apart as the seconds turned centuries, why didn’t she kill him… why didn’t she just finish it….
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Post by Galihan on Mar 22, 2008 14:28:57 GMT -4
Takeshi was slowly beginning to regain consciousness, but was only able to hear bits and pieces of whatever was happening around him. He couldn't feel his body, save for a slight chill. He couldn't move and his mind began to put itself back to together in little pieces.
...It's dark... ...so dark... ...where am I... why can't I move... “Hello, Torre,” ..who... ...wha?... “I see you've collected the little ones.” ...what's happening... ...ugghh... "As for the children, there is no question of ownership. As much as I'd love to let you keep them as little pets," ...I don't understand... ...not at all... “Desperados done… And she’d kill all of you too…that’s what she’s like. And that stain on our honor cannot come to be can it?" ...so... ...tired... “Good morning.”
Then something landed on him, something heavy like some sort of overweight animal just landed on his stomach. He lurched forwards and took in a giant breath of air, his eyes wide open. Flailing a bit, he felt whatever thing that had just climbed on top of him jump a bit and scamper away. His eyes began coming into focus, but everything was still blurry and his head was a mess. He saw he was in a white room, free of almost any color.
He then noticed that on this bed was also Dante and Namida were also on the giant beg just like him, though Dante seemed to already be awake and also over exaggerating about something maybe that thing also was on top of him before it has landed on Takeshi himself. Then he saw her, that woman, the espada from earlier.
He froze up, unable to move but he felt his heart racing like crazy. He didn't seem too particularly scared, but definitely confused as hell. Why had she kidnapped them? What use would they possibly be to someone as powerful as her? After what seemed like forever, he reached for his notebook, but didn't have it in him to write down anything. Instead he simply looked on, awestruck and unable to do anything whatsoever except fall back onto the giant bed and lose consciousness yet again.
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Post by Harmony on Mar 24, 2008 19:18:16 GMT -4
“Good morning.”
........
Namida's eyes fluttered open and she sat up shakily, her surroundings largely in a blur. "What...." she murmured, putting a hand to her pounding head. She had...fallen asleep again, hadn't she? She swallowed with a bit of a wince at the feeling of her sandpaper throat. Where was she?
Suddenly an overwhelming stench blanketed her and Namida's eyes snapped open entirely, her face scrunching. "What the hell?!" She clapped both hands over her nose and looked to the side to find Dante, covered in shit. Gritting her teeth in a feeble attempt to remain calm, Namida began inching to the far side of the bed, keeping as far away from Dante as she possibly could without appearing overly impolite.
That was when she saw her.... that Arrancar bitch from before and Namida went rigid, backing away by kicking at the sheets with her feet until she rammed against the headboard of the large bed.
Dreaming.... I'm dreaming.... not here... not real
Oh shuttup Namida you retarded thing. That Arrancar is as real as you!
Namida gasped, her breaths rapid and shallow. Not a dream?
How... where are we? Oh Shit! Gonna Die!
"S-stay away!" Namida stuttered, bringing her hands down from her face. She could feel her cheeks growing flush.... every muscle, every bone in her body screamed for her to run, to hide, most of all to shut up, but Namida wasn't listening. She never listened when she was cornered. "Who are you?" she demanded suddenly, her soft hazel eyes burning into Torre's.
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Post by GoldenKitten on Mar 25, 2008 17:52:30 GMT -4
((OOC: For the record after talking with Gahrok I have found the term “making biscuits” is a southern slang that has no meaning to those outside the south. Looking at it under those terms I see how it looks like taking a crap but that was not what I had in mind. The term describes the motion of a cat kneading with its paws before lying down as if it’s kneading dough and thus “making biscuits”.
Anyway I just felt the need to mention that because such an action is completely at odds with the personality of the character who was supposed to have done it. While I will not ask Gahrok or anyone else to edit their post and its fine for a short humorous moment I would ask that it does not become canon. That it does not get mentioned outside of this singular event as its paints an entirely opposite picture of the kind of character Mr. Snugglebottoms is.))
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Torre cocked her head and gave all of them a quizzical look as they all freaked out in their own little way. She knew she hadn’t exactly made the best of first impressions but she was pretty certain she wasn’t gnawing on baby skulls and offering blood to the blood god either so the strength of their repulsion did strike her as a tad odd. She had to remember that all three of them had probably never even fathomed the unreachable depths of power that beings such as herself or the captains of the Shinigami order were able to reach before she understood their apprehension. She spotted the boy in the center fall unconscious and rolled her eyes knowing full well she was suppressing her energy much farther than would have been required for them to easily be in her presence. She leaned over the first boy ignoring his obviously stressed pose and pulled her hand out toward the center and then…began flicking the tip of the unconscious childs nose with her pointer finger rapidly.
“Hey there…stop being melodramatic and wakeup.” She said in a rather joking tone.
She pulled back and looked around seeing that she had been right in assuming they were all about the same level, each waking up in succession. She pulled her arms behind her back and watched as the girl awoke, spotted her and despite being as visibly shaken as the other two managed a few words. By this time Mr. Snugglebottoms who had been thrown off by the first and boy’s sudden movements hopped back up on the bed and took at seat at the foot of the children, staring them down. There could be no confusing their auras, neither of them seemed hostile toward the shinigami but there was a certain stern nature to the stare the cat was giving them that said “sit down and shut up” while Torre almost had a motherly tone to her. Finally the girl managed to ask the question Torre suspected she should have answered in the first place without needing to be asked.
“I am Torre. I am the Tres Espada. This is Mr. Snugglebottoms.”, She said motioning toward the cat “And-”
She paused in careful reflection and introspection, stroking the back of her head as she did so. A glance was cast across the three children once more and then toward the area where Calixta had been standing when she disappeared. Her features hardened but when she spoke her tone only conveyed a bit of melancholy and no anger.
“It is now clear I have made some bad decisions.”
She looked down at the shinigami knowing they wouldn’t understand, she knew she was really talking to herself as much as them. Unlike before her silent kitty companion gave no returning glances as she looked at him, remaining his constant stern vigil of the children. She then sighed and offered her hand out to the nearest boy, more in a gentle showing manner than in any attempt to actually touch them.
“Tell me, what are your names?”
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Post by Gahrok on Mar 25, 2008 23:50:47 GMT -4
Dante risked a look over the side of his shoulder to see as shocked Namida recoil and inch slowly away from him, he immediately felt stung by her actions until he realized the cat-fertilizer surrounding him… right… he managed despite the fear of his surroundings to think with an ever sarcastic dullness, there was always something. He heard her gasp and winced, she had seen it. Dante furrowed his brow…. did she know yet… had she seen? It didn’t matter, he had tried to be a man… tried to be valiant, tried to help her…. once. And he had failed. There was no way he could do anything. His heart throbbed for her as he heard her shallow gasps, Namida… he thought to himself, pained, why do you have to be here? Why couldn’t you be safe at home….. why would they take us? We aren’t worth a damn thing…
"S-stay away!"
He bit his lip, he swore to god if that thing touched her….
“Who are you?”
Dante’s eyelids flew open and he stared numbly at her, this braveness…. this commanding tone in the face of one who could crush them… he nearly felt a smile coming on… Namida… they are wrong about you, your braver then anyone thinks, then anyone knows. Even I should’ve had more faith in you…. Still, Dante’s hair stood on end, he was nervous for her…. If that fucking thing tou-
“Hey there…stop being melodramatic and wakeup.”
Dante saw a hand reach from behind him, his back was still turned to Torre. He looked without moving his neck, his head still facing the wall behind the bed, as she proceeded to flick Galihan’s nose. Even though her proximity frightened him he couldn’t help but think it almost silly of the arrancar to use such a method. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seemed very….
“I am Torre. I am the Tres Espada. This is Mr. Snugglebottoms. And-it is now clear I have made some bad decisions.”
Dante began to turn, slowly at first and then all at once as if speed would overcome his chronic-fear, and then he saw her, all of her. She was an imposing figure, though not at all what he would’ve expected, she was not ugly nor frightening but clad completely in thick armor… she looked commanding though, she looked powerful. And… as he recalled, she very much was.
“Tell me, what are your names?”
“Dante” he answered quietly, flinching as she offered her armored hand in some sort of comfort…. his tone was a defeated one.
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Post by Galihan on Mar 27, 2008 16:28:32 GMT -4
Takeshi was tired without a doubt, and had no clue on how he was going to get out of the ordeal. By not losing control of his consciousness and collapsing like he did, he didn't have to think about what had happened to him, where he was, even who he was had no importance and just bogged up his ability to think. He feel back and blacked out as a way to shut out the rest of the world and let his thoughts collect themselves before he could take any sensible action. His body weak and drained of it's strength, his mind groggy and jumbled, still the effects of the earlier maelstrom of high spirit pressure messing with the teenager Shinigami-in-training. It didn't matter at all that she was currently suppressing her energy, it was like in this room of hers, the overall abundance of her trace energy that soaked into their surroundings like one's scent in her own home somehow triggered something in Takeshi's head. Her contained energy echoed throughout the room, and echoed in his head as the being to powerful that her presence was enough to cripple him.
Suddenly just as he had lost it for a moment, he was shaken back into reality as he felt a small flick on the nose.
“Hey there…stop being melodramatic and wakeup.” She said almost playfully, or at least jokingly.
Takeshi's eyes opened wide for a moment, and again he slouched back up into an upright sitting position in between Dante and Namida.
Melodramatic? Thought Takeshi as he gathered himself and looked up at the arrancar. First you nearly drown me to death with your immense spiritual pressure, kidnap me, and now accuse me being melodramatic, you bi-
He couldn't finish that angry thought, almost unable to remain angry to his kidnapper for some odd reason. Maybe it was that she had said something about having made some bad choices, but her presence wasn't in fact all that intimidating. Her energy was almost changing, like Takeshi was adapting to the feel of the dominating air that belonged to her, it becoming now more like a soothing one than threatening.
"...the name's Takeshi," he awkward shinigami said in a clear voice which was louder than his usual quiet tone, except he then added at the end a very unintentionally quiet "It's, umm, nice of you to not have tortured us yet or anything like that...."
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