All Girls Like Candy [Group.PG/Closed]

Ciro was more so curious that anything else, in her hand was a notepad, and a pencil that scribbled over the paper quickly. She looked in thought for a moment, candy, what a glorious thing it was. Maybe she only thought that because she loved sweets, but, regardless she continued to write. None of the humans even noticed her gathering research for candy ideas, her red eye held a content look as she worked. She didn't enjoy the smell of candy, nor so much the taste, but more the fact she could make it. Musing this for a moment, her eye closed as she felt an Espada enter the building, the meeting had been today huh? She merely shook her had before returning to scribbling, her hand gliding over the paper quickly before she nodded her head. She got an idea for a candy! Lowering herself to the ground to walk like a normal person Ciro gazed around the store before freezing.

Her eyes looked on a figure in the door way, she had been found.

She merely tipped her head in his direction in understanding, before lifting up her hand to signal one minute. With that being said, she turned. Her white hair fluttering slightly as her hand once more move over the paper, she scribbled fast, looking focused on it before stopping and then nodding her head. Slipping the notebook under her arm and the pencil behind her ear she slunk to Tova's side with a childish grin on her face.

"Am I to assume you're my new master?"[/i]

Her arched one of the pale eyebrows before smiling sweetly. She almost too innocent, peering to the arrancar before her, she didn't seem nervous. But why be worried over something she hated? That would make no sense to her. She was staring him down with a look that out right challenged his authority, she bowed to no one, and if he thought different then he was a fool. But she would merely play nice for now, he deserved at least a civil greeting before being cero'ed or the likes. She seemed intent on watching him before losing interest, and slipping past his side out the door.

She wasn't going to stand around and talk, with that thought in mind she disappeared into a large crowd of humans.

Arrancar.

It was because of these creatures that Tova felt that any sort of higher power must have a terrible sense of humor since he put him among their ranks. Not once had one of his own species managed to do something that surprised the Espada, and this Ciro was no exception. Although she seemed sharper than most, the girl was infinitely more interested in her own projects and hobbies. One of which seemed to be candy. Although she didn't seem to be eating any of it.

Eventually the girl decided to pay some attention to Tova, who she had clearly known was in the room for a while. But instead of addressing him on the situation she simply commented that she was aware that he was now in charge of her and went on his way. In fact she even smiled about it, as if just innocently inquiring about it. However, the Cuarto had indeed read her file. Just like himself and Muifong, this girl had her Aspect of Death listed as "Deception".

But with her it wasn't even that easy. Next to "Deception" was listed "Fear", the same Aspect as Privaron 106. Koy Zhenhao being a close friend of Tova's it was really no wonder why he was able to connect the two. But it definitely felt that her Deception aspect held more weight within the battleground that was the Arrancar psyche. So Tova would proceed cautiously, as he always did. He'd alter his strategy from what he learned from Muifong and even keep in mind things he had learned from Koy.

The first step was, of course, to play it nice. A normal Espada would rage at the affront to their authority. The fact that this mere Fracción wasn't on her knees and begging his forgiveness would be enough for the other Espada to justify a death penalty. But not the Cuarto. He had something far more effective in mind, and something she probably didn't see coming. In fact he was rather certain she didn't see it coming, for he wouldn't have been able to easily.

As the Arrancar weaved into the small crowds of humans, Tova simply let her go. He gave her a few seconds head start, never losing sight of his new subordinate. Then he made his move, and with a few quick steps had found himself at the side of Ciro and walking alongside her. He wasn't angry, and even had his hands in his pockets as they moved between the crowds unseen and undetected.

"So what're you up to here?" Tova asked quietly and in an off-hand manner. It was all very casual, very friendly. It was also a lossless approach. No matter how she responded to him just buddying up with her things would go the way the Cuarto wanted them to. Although he did consider any resulting violence to be a bit of a defeat on his part.

Ciro glanced over to her side for a moment, with a light glance her crimson eye holding a surprised look, but she did not pick up her pace, nor slow it merely glanced at him before grinning slightly. What would an espada give two shits over what someone of her rank did? But she looked ahead once more, "I'm seeing what interests the humans tastes. Nothing more or less, research I suppose." Her voice was softer than it had been earlier, the crowds of people around them did not bother her in the least. She glanced to Tova seeing no point in lying about why she was in this realm. She was gathering data for her candy making, glancing to her new master with a light grin, she took his hand suddenly.

Applying the slightest of pressure on his hand, Ciro peered towards the crowds around them, before gently tugging him along at her side. She didn't speak, merely watched the people around them her face never moving from the slight grin. Her white hair swayed slightly for a moment before she smiled warmly. She hated the Espada, it was an unnatural hatred, she'd give nothing to see the 'swords' of Sougetsu fall in a fiery burning pit of hell, being tortured endlessly. Yet, here she was holding hands with one while she walked. She was a fox, sly in nature ready to spring at him if she needed to. But, at the moment she enjoyed his company at her side. Or so it appeared she did, the hordes of humans around him was comforting, but reminded her if she was going to kill him then bring him somewhere else. Where less people would be around.

The arrancar wasn't envious of the espada's rank, nor did she care for making a name for herself. What did she desire? Looking thoughtful for the brief seconds between their turn around a corner leading to another section of the mall.

Everything in this end of the mall seemed slower than the other half, bringing them to a stop the petite female tipped her head back to admire glass figurines for a moment.Her eyes held a curious look to them, she could easily replicate all of these glass objects. Despite working with glass as much as she did, she had to admit she was scared of it. Th last day of her human life when the glass had sliced her pale silken throat open. That man had been a keen liar just like she was sure Diablo was. But she would not call him out on it, she merely felt some tinge of annoyance over it for a moment. "What do you fear the most? My fear wound up being my very own power in this life." She admitted this fact with a light grin.

Nothing to hide, it was like looking in someone's body and seeing all their organs. With a brief grin, she pivoted on her heel for a moment before looking calm. Her hand slipped from the fourth Espada's before she lightly tapped her foot on the floor, as she did so there was a blinding flash in the hallway. A brilliant wave of energy traced in every colour went off at an accelerated rate at the espada.

"Gran Ray cero, have fun! She chuckled, before prancing off, hoping not to see his face again.

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Gran Rey...Cero? His mind rejected the thought even as she let go of his hand, something that had already surprised the Arrancar, and revealed that she had prepared a technique that no one outside of the Espada should know. What kind of genius with ranged techniques would she have to be to have learned it on her own? Whatever the case may be, the Espada only had split seconds to choose what to do before the blast leveled the mall.

He had been dragged over to this shop by Ciro when he appeared next to her. It was rather strange, her holding his hand the way she did. In fact, such an act was rather low on Tova's list of possible events. But it happened, and she pulled him around like they were close friends. In fact, she even asked him a rather serious question. What he feared most. Tova had a pretty solid answer to that, something that even he was surprised at. But nothing could top his shock in regards to the Gran Rey Cero that follow.

Under normal circumstances the Espada would simply Sonìdo around this technique. It was pretty quick, much faster than he expected, but not quick enough even at this range. But the use of the Arrancar's infamous speed-boosting ability would definitely be neccessary. However if he did that then she'd blow away over half of the building. The kind of damage and those deaths simply weren't acceptable to the Espada if he could avoid it. The problem was that he could indeed avoid it...though he'd be risking his life to do so.

The only way to contain a blast such as that, something he was far too physically weak to do, was to take it head-on. He'd hold back the blast not with his arms but with his whole body. That should force it to detonate in place and contain the damage to a small part of the store. So with his mind made up the Espada raised his arm, embracing the multi-colored blast as it was born right before him.

And it hurt in ways he dared not even imagine. But it worked. The blast detonated in a brilliant, rainbow lightshow that would have provided quite the spectacle for anyone watching. The blast itself tore through the roofs above the Espada's head and leveled everything within a hundred yards. It was massive damage to the mall, and a lot of people die. But the casualities were far less than what they would have been.

Standing in the center of the blast zone was Tova. His entire top was burnt away into nothingness, and the hakama around his legs was in tatters. The body of the Espada itself was horribly damaged. Gaping holes stood on his limbs and torso from where the blast at hit particularly hard. Entire chunks of flesh and muscle were gone, but luckily the Cuarto had seemed to avoid any serious organ damage. Not like it mattered, for he looked more like a walking corpse made out of shredded flesh than anything.

I've...never felt anything like this... Tova thought, his mind completely buried in the pain and fighting simply to stay conscious. It was like each drip of his blood to the ground was a little bit more of his sanity sinking into an abyss of nothingness. But...I can't let her get away. She just killed so many people out...of...What was that?

Unable to hold it back anymore, Tova allowed his natural regenerative powers to take back over. Although the wounds were merely that of the flesh, with only a few dozen broken bones, he'd be able to be moving in a minute or so. His body simply needed to stitch itself back together so he could let the power of his Sonìdo return him to whereever Ciro had gone to. He had to find her...because now he wanted to save her more than ever.

Hate

That's what it was, or so the Cuarto thought as his body stitched itself into less than a thousand pieces. She did this because she hated him, for whatever reason. Or reasons, for the motivation behind such a deception had to run deep. She had treated him kindly only to turn on him, the most basic form of trickery. She had just killed a few dozen people to boot, and yet he still wanted to help her.

In just over a minute he could move his right arm again, and most of the more severe wounds had been patched up. But his body had almost literally been turned inside out. Had he not been expecting it the blast could have very well splattered him like paste. But it's progress so far was enough. He could move, albeit in extreme pain.

So that's what he did, he used Sonìdo. He jumped from location to location, the static sound of the technique following him. He raced through the mall as fast as this quarter-dead body could take him. He saw humans rushing to the scene of the blast, and could already here sirens responding to the emergency calls and the billow of smoke that was now in the sky. But he had to ignore it all, because right now his focus was on saving someone more important to him.

He found her less than ten seconds after he left the blast site initially. She was no more than a snail in comparison to him, even greivously wounded. The Cuarto stood in the air before her, his body still stained with his own blood and his clothes still half-disintegrated. And as if standing as testament to how much he was truly shaken by her blow, he stood before her shirtless. Due to that the hollow hole located on his right pectoral was as clear as day. Something he hid from the world was now shown to the girl who had hurt him so.

"...Are you proud of yourself? Congratulations. You hurt me. If I didn't have these powers, powers I had kept secret from the world, I'd be laying on the floor dead right now. In fact, I'd be liquid if I hadn't seen that blast coming and prepared accordingly. So are you content? You demonstrated a power no one but the Espada are supposed to have. Good job." Tova was angry, and his words reflected that. But his overflowing desire to help her, for such an action to him seemed like nothing more than a cry for it, kept him focused. His words were true, and he hoped they hit home. If not, things would go downhill here rather quickly. "So now what? You run off to do whatever like nothing happened? You end the lives of a few dozen humans as if it were your average afternoon just to go and do...what? Accomplish what? For what purpose and to what end?

Why did you do that, Ciro? I want to know."

*****

Stamina: 90/100 (1 spent on combat, 9 spent on High Speed Regeneration)