Post by Kireon on Jul 31, 2016 10:33:41 GMT -5
Are you sure this is a good idea?
Hot and humid was the summer night and the skies above were overcast. Increased the humidity to the point where it felt as if the very air itself were wrapping fingers around the column of her throat and squeezing. Even the roar of the waterfall couldn't drown out the voice echoing from within her very soul. Sekai's fingering of the glossy violet beads expertly woven between her fingers paused as she spent precious few moments of her preparation to look for something easy for an answer that had none. It wasn't an entirely unwarranted question for her Zanpakuto spirit, the other half of her soul, to ask. Nor, given their shared history and how Amenonuhoko had come into being, was it one that she hadn't anticipated coming up sooner or later.
Five hundred and nineteen years was quite the maelstrom of memories to hold in a mind that struggled to continue to hold twenty six years worth without forgetting anything important.
"No." She broke the silence, thick and potent, hanging in the air. To speak one's doubts would put the possibility of failure or dire consequences into the atmosphere; and thus increase the likelihood of their happening. Swallowed hard, free hand reaching up to rub against the invisible pressure against her throat. Fought the urge to tear and rend at nonexistent fingers digging with cruel intensity.
"You're one stupid thing short of a panic attack, idiot." A hand, dark skinned and tipped with gleaming silver nails, seized her shoulder hard enough to hurt. Amenonuhoko chided. Expression annoyed, the black haired spirit's pale eyes reflected the worry seemingly absent in her harsh words and unrelenting face. "It's not your place to carry someone else's life within yours. Get fucking rid of it."
Sekai shook her head. Hand fell away from her throat and rested atop the spirit's own. Having someone else's presence there, even if it was the literal split section of herself made manifest, helped calm her even just a little. Pressure eased ever so slightly and Sekai breathed deeply for the first time since her arrival.
How was she supposed to tell the steel eyed woman before her that she had no other choice but to access what she'd been given against her will?
Five hundred and nineteen years of life. Of strife and turmoil and answers to questions she likely didn't even know she had within her own heart as of yet. A man who had been a Shinigami-- a Captain much loved and respected who had become one of the Vaizard. A Vaizard who, like others rumored, had fallen prey to the corruption within their very souls and became the Primera Espada she had encountered for the first time in Karakura Town one pretty winter morning. The same Primera Espada who, upon discovering his daughter, a littler Hollow, with a human held captive in a fellow Espada's tower, chose not to kill or otherwise make an example of her.
He had taken the lives of so many during the annihilation of Karakura Town. So carelessly and cruelly robbed others of family and friend alike because he had been ordered to-- and felt like doing so. Had directly caused the deaths of those she had... struggled to balance resentment and filial duty toward-- and indirectly set about the motions that had shattered other relationships most precious to her. Erasmus, no, Obsession, had also ensured that Xiaobei wouldn't be saddened by the loss of a new 'favorite' playmate. She could only speculate as to how, but theorized that his rank as Espada and Xiaobei's presence during her six month stay in Las Noches had resulted in some unspoken declaration of 'this soul will die when I decide, those who try otherwise will not live to rue their mistakes'; and guaranteed even a small degree of protection as a result.
"The man claiming to have called him brother and the society, his superiors and underlings, didn't care to look deeper into his behavior. Let themselves dismiss it as a phase or didn't..." She trailed off. Mouth formed a thin white slash in her expression as the white haired woman shook her head in helpless frustration. "didn't care or didn't have the time to address things properly. I don't know. I won't know until I look."
"Until", Amenonuhoko noted, not "unless".
Coaxing Sekai into defiant behavior or flat out asserting herself was one hell of a process. Sekai's instinctive response to appease warred with Amenonuhoko's own penchant for wanting to aggressively beat whomever was in their way into submission. Through much trial and error, and heavy emphasis on error as of late, the two of them had been working on finding a balance that would satisfy them in any given situation. something that, as time had proven, to be a good deal more difficult than either one of them had believed possible.
She gnawed the inside of her cheek in thought. Left Sekai to continue her personal preparations-- ensured the simple tie holding the simple white kimono together was securely fastened, that the surrounding area was free of disturbances or any potential unwelcome presences-- while she sorted through a list of potential arguments. Found and discarded a few weaker ones before hitting upon the one she knew would hurt the most. Might as well bring out the big guns now before she decided to quite literally seal her ears off like she had the last time. The cheating bitch, Amenonuhoko thought with a silent chuckle.
"You realize we're going to fight him again, and this time we'll probably have to make it a death match." Stated it flat out. Watched Sekai flinch at the mention of it. Thought so, Amenonuhoko thought with a wry twist of her mouth. "Why go through the trouble of learning who he used to be throughout his life? I mean, from where I'm standing, it's just going to make it harder for you to kill him when the time comes."
Silence.
Amenonuhoko's eyes narrowed. Head canted to one side as a sneaking suspicion popped into her head with the woman's refusal to look at her. "Sekai, you're not doing this in hopes of finding a way to resolve this without killing, are you?"
”Do I honestly look that stupid to you?” Sekai countered bitterly. Felt her cheeks and ears heat and burn at her intentions being caught and flung into the open so easily. Caught the look on the spirit's face and threw a black scowl her direction. ”Ooh, don't even answer that, I already know what you're going to say.” Watched the pair of perfectly arched brows rise a little higher toward her hair line and resisted the urge to try throwing her bodily into the pool at the waterfall's base.
As if reading her thoughts, Amenonuhoko tempted her further by merely striding into the shallows of the frigid waters as if they weren't snow melt. ”Wasn't gonna say anything,” she offered in return.
”You're even worse at lying than I am, and that's saying something.” Sekai grumbled.
”You wish.” Amusement colored the spirit's voice. Little splashes as the dark skinned woman paced through the ankle deep waters lapping at the shore. Collected and redirected her thoughts once more. ”Why go that far when you know it's not gonna work? We both know this has to end in his death.”
Sekai didn't reply right away. Continued ensuring her preparations were completed to the best of her ability before her head lifted, at long last, to meet the direct and mildly impatient stare of the spirit in front of her. Their gazes locked and held, the bond between them, stronger than it had been but still not where it could be, tightening all the more as she gave Amenonuhoko the answer she was waiting for.
Silver eyes widened, expression stunned, and she opened her mouth to protest. Stopped. Reconsidered after a moment or two of starting and stopping all over again. ”...let's find out then.” She gave a rather weak response as she vanished. Returned to her 'proper' place and prepared to aid her not quite better half in keeping her sense of 'self' when once again living through the life of someone else. Given that motive, Sekai was going to need all the help she and that piece of shit fragment quietly lurking could offer.
--
WC: 1397
Hot and humid was the summer night and the skies above were overcast. Increased the humidity to the point where it felt as if the very air itself were wrapping fingers around the column of her throat and squeezing. Even the roar of the waterfall couldn't drown out the voice echoing from within her very soul. Sekai's fingering of the glossy violet beads expertly woven between her fingers paused as she spent precious few moments of her preparation to look for something easy for an answer that had none. It wasn't an entirely unwarranted question for her Zanpakuto spirit, the other half of her soul, to ask. Nor, given their shared history and how Amenonuhoko had come into being, was it one that she hadn't anticipated coming up sooner or later.
Five hundred and nineteen years was quite the maelstrom of memories to hold in a mind that struggled to continue to hold twenty six years worth without forgetting anything important.
"No." She broke the silence, thick and potent, hanging in the air. To speak one's doubts would put the possibility of failure or dire consequences into the atmosphere; and thus increase the likelihood of their happening. Swallowed hard, free hand reaching up to rub against the invisible pressure against her throat. Fought the urge to tear and rend at nonexistent fingers digging with cruel intensity.
"You're one stupid thing short of a panic attack, idiot." A hand, dark skinned and tipped with gleaming silver nails, seized her shoulder hard enough to hurt. Amenonuhoko chided. Expression annoyed, the black haired spirit's pale eyes reflected the worry seemingly absent in her harsh words and unrelenting face. "It's not your place to carry someone else's life within yours. Get fucking rid of it."
Sekai shook her head. Hand fell away from her throat and rested atop the spirit's own. Having someone else's presence there, even if it was the literal split section of herself made manifest, helped calm her even just a little. Pressure eased ever so slightly and Sekai breathed deeply for the first time since her arrival.
How was she supposed to tell the steel eyed woman before her that she had no other choice but to access what she'd been given against her will?
Five hundred and nineteen years of life. Of strife and turmoil and answers to questions she likely didn't even know she had within her own heart as of yet. A man who had been a Shinigami-- a Captain much loved and respected who had become one of the Vaizard. A Vaizard who, like others rumored, had fallen prey to the corruption within their very souls and became the Primera Espada she had encountered for the first time in Karakura Town one pretty winter morning. The same Primera Espada who, upon discovering his daughter, a littler Hollow, with a human held captive in a fellow Espada's tower, chose not to kill or otherwise make an example of her.
He had taken the lives of so many during the annihilation of Karakura Town. So carelessly and cruelly robbed others of family and friend alike because he had been ordered to-- and felt like doing so. Had directly caused the deaths of those she had... struggled to balance resentment and filial duty toward-- and indirectly set about the motions that had shattered other relationships most precious to her. Erasmus, no, Obsession, had also ensured that Xiaobei wouldn't be saddened by the loss of a new 'favorite' playmate. She could only speculate as to how, but theorized that his rank as Espada and Xiaobei's presence during her six month stay in Las Noches had resulted in some unspoken declaration of 'this soul will die when I decide, those who try otherwise will not live to rue their mistakes'; and guaranteed even a small degree of protection as a result.
"The man claiming to have called him brother and the society, his superiors and underlings, didn't care to look deeper into his behavior. Let themselves dismiss it as a phase or didn't..." She trailed off. Mouth formed a thin white slash in her expression as the white haired woman shook her head in helpless frustration. "didn't care or didn't have the time to address things properly. I don't know. I won't know until I look."
"Until", Amenonuhoko noted, not "unless".
Coaxing Sekai into defiant behavior or flat out asserting herself was one hell of a process. Sekai's instinctive response to appease warred with Amenonuhoko's own penchant for wanting to aggressively beat whomever was in their way into submission. Through much trial and error, and heavy emphasis on error as of late, the two of them had been working on finding a balance that would satisfy them in any given situation. something that, as time had proven, to be a good deal more difficult than either one of them had believed possible.
She gnawed the inside of her cheek in thought. Left Sekai to continue her personal preparations-- ensured the simple tie holding the simple white kimono together was securely fastened, that the surrounding area was free of disturbances or any potential unwelcome presences-- while she sorted through a list of potential arguments. Found and discarded a few weaker ones before hitting upon the one she knew would hurt the most. Might as well bring out the big guns now before she decided to quite literally seal her ears off like she had the last time. The cheating bitch, Amenonuhoko thought with a silent chuckle.
"You realize we're going to fight him again, and this time we'll probably have to make it a death match." Stated it flat out. Watched Sekai flinch at the mention of it. Thought so, Amenonuhoko thought with a wry twist of her mouth. "Why go through the trouble of learning who he used to be throughout his life? I mean, from where I'm standing, it's just going to make it harder for you to kill him when the time comes."
Silence.
Amenonuhoko's eyes narrowed. Head canted to one side as a sneaking suspicion popped into her head with the woman's refusal to look at her. "Sekai, you're not doing this in hopes of finding a way to resolve this without killing, are you?"
”Do I honestly look that stupid to you?” Sekai countered bitterly. Felt her cheeks and ears heat and burn at her intentions being caught and flung into the open so easily. Caught the look on the spirit's face and threw a black scowl her direction. ”Ooh, don't even answer that, I already know what you're going to say.” Watched the pair of perfectly arched brows rise a little higher toward her hair line and resisted the urge to try throwing her bodily into the pool at the waterfall's base.
As if reading her thoughts, Amenonuhoko tempted her further by merely striding into the shallows of the frigid waters as if they weren't snow melt. ”Wasn't gonna say anything,” she offered in return.
”You're even worse at lying than I am, and that's saying something.” Sekai grumbled.
”You wish.” Amusement colored the spirit's voice. Little splashes as the dark skinned woman paced through the ankle deep waters lapping at the shore. Collected and redirected her thoughts once more. ”Why go that far when you know it's not gonna work? We both know this has to end in his death.”
Sekai didn't reply right away. Continued ensuring her preparations were completed to the best of her ability before her head lifted, at long last, to meet the direct and mildly impatient stare of the spirit in front of her. Their gazes locked and held, the bond between them, stronger than it had been but still not where it could be, tightening all the more as she gave Amenonuhoko the answer she was waiting for.
Silver eyes widened, expression stunned, and she opened her mouth to protest. Stopped. Reconsidered after a moment or two of starting and stopping all over again. ”...let's find out then.” She gave a rather weak response as she vanished. Returned to her 'proper' place and prepared to aid her not quite better half in keeping her sense of 'self' when once again living through the life of someone else. Given that motive, Sekai was going to need all the help she and that piece of shit fragment quietly lurking could offer.
--
WC: 1397