Sweet House (Yuki/Closed)

It's a shame. This Human could probably give us some good intelligence. I suppose if I can take her alive I could bring her back, hand her over to the scientists. Or second division. But I need to make it out of here first.

At least the Human was on a time limit of some sorts. Her rapidly aging body suggested that her monstrous strength could only last for so long. Yuki could win a war of attrition. But she had to get free first. That was growing more difficult with the poison.

First she needed to get rid of the poison. Honestly she had no clue what the souls might do to her, and that was certainly very troubling, but the poison would eventually keep her from doing anything at all! So, as soon as the woman departed, Yuki's tail shifted, tugged upwards and off to the side to free itself. It flopped against the floor next to her, difficult to move due to the poison coursing through her veins, but the woman had made a mistake when she'd given the wolf less sedatives.

Focus. You can do this.

Slowly her tail drifted beneath the chair, beneath the restraints, feeling around for whatever the woman had messed with. Valves. Simple enough. Her eye closed, ears lifted up as she focused on the sounds within the tubes, the rushing of liquids. One valve was turned. The liquids sped up! Woops! She turned it the other way. They slowed. Turning it further shut off the liquids completely.

Alright. If I turn them off she might not notice.

One by one her tail sought out the valves and, upon locating them, turned them off. She tested her strength against the binds, pushing up with her arms. Leather stretched, metal started to buckle, but she couldn't free herself just yet. The poison in her system had weakened her. Multiple sets of restraints also made things a little difficult.

I need time. I need to trust that he can do this, that maybe he won't turn on me.

"Human. Listen. Focus. What you did earlier. You need to do that again. You need to remove those needles in your arms. Focus on your arms. The itchy feelings. The throbbing pain. The liquids rushing into your body. You need to remove it."

She didn't fully understand how the man's abilities worked, but she was hoping that they were similar to Raphael's. He'd used them before to crush things, to obliterate cement during their fight. Surely a few tubes would be a simple task! But just in case she did start looking around for anything within reach of her tail, anything she could throw.

Numb. Sick. Cold. The old croon had left them and through his blurred vision that faded in and out, he could see the girl trying to escape. He supposed he should feel inspiration from her actions, at the very least an understanding, but all he felt when he looked at her was a rolling in his gut.  It would be so much easier to give in, wouldn’t it?

Every fiber of him told him to give in to the rush of poison, let it consume him and be done with it. It wasn’t in him to give in to death so easily. Most certainly the voices that echoed in his mind wouldn’t allow it. They jeered, threatened, laughed, and cursed him in too many languages to make sense of what exactly they were telling him. All he knew was that they wanted him to press on as much as he did. It was a fine line he was walking in his mind after spending so many years denying them even the slightest concession.

Words finally formed into a coherent string, Sol taking a moment to cease his inner turmoil to hear the wolf-girl out. His eyes met hers, piecing together what she was asking him. Remove the needles? Be free? For once the voices seemed to agree or rather a few shouting in support while mingling with the manic, insane rambling of others.

Her words were encouraging in a way. It reminded him of someone...a mentor? A teacher? Alex. Yes, that was his name. As if the name alone was a catalyst, the voices pushed forward with ferocity.

She gives light through faith in you, you feed, feed on the light of the dead, the dead, DEATH, mommy I’m so scared! Don’t cry, weep and wallow! Shut it! We live, you live, die, die-die-die-die! Too many of us...çok fazla, daha fazlası var. Right? Papá, hay más pajaritos? They tweet, tweet, tweet! Hold fast, focus, listen to the words of the one so fluffy! Her aura is that of a rider, pallido come la neve, reaping souls lost. Are we lost? Yes...yes, so lost...lakini bado hajakufa. FIGHT!

“I...will...try…” Slurred words spoken from an addict mid-high probably did little to instill confidence in his fellow prisoner. Flickers of red smoke began to drip down the corner of his eye as the pupil of his right eye began to quake violently and slowly split apart. Grinding his teeth as he tried to navigate through the growing throng of violent voices clashing within his mind, the vagrant focused as much as he could through his daze.

Needles in his arms began to shake slightly before violently launching out of his skin. First one popped out, ripping from his skin and flying upward, ripped from the tubing to embed into the ceiling. Violet liquid spit from the hose as it wavered uncontrollably before falling to ground. The other needle started to be pulled out slowly, sweat beading on the vagrant’s head as he focused on it. Halfway out it was ripped out in similar fashion, launched towards Yuki and barely coming within inches of the wolf-girl’s face, though Sol didn’t notice as he was moaning in pain.

It was not a pretty sight as the needles were pried from him in barbaric fashion, leaving nasty gashes and bruised marks that leaked with purple fluid. Red smoke died down to a trickle, his bloodshot eyes looking everywhere in an effort to find something stable to focus on as a wave of dizziness took him. Exhaustion quickly replaced his torpor but he didn’t know when the monstrous old woman would return Again he focused, this time on the girls straps with more concentration than he thought he was capable of.

“Don’t move.” He muttered, the red smoke erupting from his right eye and billowing down the side of his face. Bindings that had strapped the girl in began to shake violently, tightening on the Shinigami, constricting her harshly. Letting a ragged breath, ignoring the voices calling for her end, the bindings stretched and pulled before snapping all at once. A nearby window shattered, the entire room shook and several knickknacks and paraphernalia fell to the ground.

Sol grew limp, breathing heavy as the smoke died down and his pupil returned to normal. She was free...that was enough, wasn’t it? Should he have freed himself? Should he have left her behind? After all, she had tried to cut him with her sword, had fought him and got him into this mess in the first place. Doubt slinked away and was replaced by cold fear as he saw the old woman standing in the doorway.

Shock on her face was all that could be discerned, the witch looking from Sol then over to Yuki and not quite sure what to make of the situation. With quick reflexes, the old woman reached for the charms on her wrist...

Well, at least he responded. Okay, I might need to do this myself. At least, I need to be prepared to do this myself. Can I remove these binds in time if she returns? It would need to be very sudden.

Her focus was captured by the man's needles as they trembled. When the first one tore through flesh and into the ceiling overhead Yuki actually jumped slightly. It was a bit worrying seeing so much blood escaping from the man's arm, but she just had to hope that he could hold out long enough for her to escape her binds. She didn't know kido but she did know that wrapping cloth around a wound could help. Human medics could tend to the wounds if she brought him to them.

Really wish I knew some kido right about now.

Another needle escaped, whistled past her cheek to slam into the wall behind her. It would have hurt, yes, but could she really blame him if he had hit her? What he was doing now clearly demanded his full focus. Actually it was pretty impressive.

"You got this."

The Human's muttered command prompted the wolf to tense up her body. That or it might have been the sudden constricting force placed upon her limbs. Teeth gritted, body shook as she fought the urge to push back against the binds. He did tell her not to move. Was he really going to betray her like that? For a few moments she grew quite worried.

Leather snapped. Metal was torn apart. A window exploded nearby and the entire place felt as though it might come crashing down upon them. Ears flattened against her head to protect from the sudden noises. But soon everything went calm again.

Yuki followed the man's gaze. The old woman had returned. Wait. The old woman. A moment hung in the air between the three of them. Time seemed to slow down. The shock on the woman's eyes dissipated, replaced by something else. Fear? Anger? She didn't really have time to figure it out.

A torrent of reiatsu exploded outward from the wolf, filled her legs for the sub-hoho used to cross the room. Adrenaline raced through her system, pushed her body into attack mode as she settled down crouched before the Human. Normally she might be wary of striking one down, but this one could not be left alone. It was life or death.

KILL!

Both hands pressed forth, aiming to grab at the old woman's wrists. Hopefully she had lost much of her strength and reflexes. At the very least Yuki could attempt to keep her from reactivating those charms, if not tear them away from her body altogether. At the same time she threw herself up, mouth opened to snap at the woman's throat, fully intent upon ripping it out with a savage application of her fangs.

Yuki grappled with the aging witch, teeth bared and poised to rip out her throat. Moving faster than the vagrant thought possible, the woman slammed her head down onto the shinigami, freeing herself and stumbling backward. Crawling back, forcing her old bones to move, the woman scrambled for the kitchen and muttered words that were long lost to the living.

Reaching above her fridge, still barely in view of Sol as he struggled to free himself, she snatched up what looked like a broken skull mask. Slamming it several times on the floor, breaking off chunks into a finer powder, she looked fearfully back towards Yuki and tapped her charms quickly in sequence, flipping a charm on her right wrist.

Gravity shifted for the Shinigami, sending her careening upward to slam into the ceiling. With that reprieve, she continued to smash the fragments more and more. Shoving a chunk of of powder and shards into her face, munching quickly on larger pieces, as she threw her head back and let out an awful scream that came from deep within her.

Silver hair began to slowly regain its black sheen, her loose skin being pulled back into that of the youthful face she had before. Shards of bone jutted from her face and the split on her forehead from headbutting Yuki began to close. Her body convulsed ferociously as she was returning to a younger form. It was more horrifying than miraculous, the snap of her bones and twisting of her skin a sickening sound to hear.

Come on, come on, move, fucking move!

Sol, still trying to recover from his stupor, strained against his binding but it did little more than offer a pitiful grunt him. Voices had surged at the sight of the skull mask however, screaming in unison as the red smoke billowed forth from his right eye. Instead dripping down the side, it shot upward. Eyes crazed, like a predator focused solely on its prey, the vagabond pushed against his bindings alongside unseen force. Letting out a cry of his own, he felt the straps finally snap as the woman began fiddling with her charms again, attention focused on the wolf-girl.

Once more gravity was changed for Yuki, sending her violently to the ground. Grabbing a large kitchen knife from the counter, the woman turned to plunge the knife into the shinigami’s skull only to be bewildered, mid-transformation, to see Sol had bounded over the fallen swordswoman and slammed into the witch.

Pinning her against a wall, a bloodied face of a now younger woman snarled in rage at him, slamming the knife down into his collar bone. Grimacing through the pain, he backed slightly and slammed his elbow into her face. Both moved away from one another in pain, Sol trying to pull the knife out as the woman covered her bloodied face and then immediately went to tapping her bracelets again.

Quick witted enough to put together what that meant, Sol yanked the knife out, a spray of crimson splashing across the walls. Stumbling forward with haste, he slammed the knife into her hand, pinning it to her wrist. An invisible force was followed with his rage, slamming her across the house and tearing cabinets and pictures from the wall as well.

He fell soon after, face first onto the pile of bone she had been smashing frantically and found himself lacking energy to face the woman as she got up, beaten and bloody. Her hair floated around her, bits of energy sparking in the air as she began chanting again, biting down on the knife and prying it free from her hand and arm.

“Stop her!” Sol croaked back to the wolf-girl, struggling to get back to his feet.

Close! So close had she been to finishing the fight! Unfortunately this woman knew at least a little close quarters combat, enough to copy one of Yuki's favored moves: the headbutt. Her foe's forehead smashed into the wolf's face, blood dripping from her nose as she stumbled back. Despite her old body this Human could still fight her off!

With a shake of her head Yuki charged after the old crone once more, only to find her body shooting up as gravity was suddenly reversed! Her head smacked right into the ceiling, momentarily dazing the Shinigami. Then came the scream. A horrific, bone-chilling scream. Her eye blinked repeatedly to shake away the spinning room, focused upon the substance that her enemy as consuming.

Is she eating a Hollow's mask? That cannot be good.

She had already started to push herself to her feet again when the same trick was used once more, sending Yuki crashing against the floor. Everything grew dizzy. Blood trickled down her forehead, stung at her eyes. A sleeve was raised to wipe it away as she slowly rolled onto her knees, pushing herself to her feet only to lean against the kitchen counter for support.

So. Annoying.

An arm was raised, ready to accept the knife attack, perhaps to keep it away from anything more vital. Thankfully the man was not yet down and rushed to her aid, slamming into their shared enemy. It gave her the moment she needed to recover, to force herself forward. By the time she was on the move the male Human had pinned the woman to the wall with her own knife, only to then send her crashing through the house into another room.

Her tail reached out, snapping up the same knife block which held the knife the Human now held between her teeth. Both hands grasped upon handles, chucking them with as much force as she could muster towards the woman. Two more were taken up as she charged, tail flinging the wooden block towards the woman's face in order to further distract her.

Regardless of whether or not the other attacks hit Yuki had planned on cleaving with both knives towards her foe's arms, hoping to cut open tendons which, with any luck, would keep her from moving them. Meanwhile her tail followed up with an attack for the woman's wrist! Specifically, it tried to wrap around the bracelet, to keep it from being used and, just as importantly, to keep the two of them locked in close quarters combat!

Need to find my sword.

One after another the woman was pelted with knifes but it phased her little until the wooden block collided with her face. Having transformed back into a young woman, their captor let out another sinister cry as the blood ran freely down her face. All in all it was a sinister sight to behold but the shinigami had rushed forward anyways.

Meanwhile Sol’s vision was double, his own sanguine liquid dripped on the floor. Voices came into his mind violently, his hand shakily coming up to his face. White powder was caked onto his hand but the vagrant could see something more. Small particles of light drifted from the bone dust and the tattered pupil shrunk suddenly as whispers itched into his brain.

The beasts! Monstry iz teni! Take it, now, just a taste, a little taste! Bend it to your will, pry it from the world of the living! I want to live, no she doesn’t, so many of us want freedom! Let me out! ENGEDJ KI MINKET! Damned, stupid, blessed child. Hateful, fearful, dangerous boy, breathe in...breathe in…

Unable to stop himself, Sol felt compelled to take a handful of the dust and held it in front of him. Particles of light now shifted, the vagrant’s right eye taking a more intense red glow and billowing out crimson smoke once more. He sucked in the energy from the shattered mask of a Hollow, his cuts slowly closing as steam spit forth from his open wounds. Eyes widening, the white-haired man found himself bewildered and disgusted as he dropped the dust and scrambled away from it. Still the red smoke continued to flow from his right eye, Sol glanced over to the two woman struggling.

He looked around for something, anything to help. Though the wolf-girl had successfully slashed the woman’s wrists, the sinister woman had started to look more wild-eyed. More feral. Her teeth had become razor sharp, her nails growing longer as the blood that now flowed from her now took a blackened tinge, thick like tar.

Suddenly the old woman tried to chomp down on Yuki, freeing her wrist in the confusion and smacking the swordswoman down. The movement had torn the charms from the woman’s wrists, her growling sounding more animal than human. Sharp nails, deadly enough to pierce flesh, raised high to strike Yuki once again.

A wave of invisible shot forward, taking her in the chest and slamming her back against the wall. Deadly glare snapped up to lock onto Sol only for her features to soften. Was it shock? Fear?

“You...you feed as I do…” She muttered but shook her head violently, dismissing this sudden revelation.

“I’m nothing like you!” Sol snapped, rage taking him as he thrust his hand forward. It was enough energy to drain him completely, the vagrant falling to his knees once again. Wounds that had closed were now reopened though nowhere near as fatal as they had been.

A wave of telekinetic energy ripped through the air around them and violently collided with the woman. The force alone snapped the woman’s neck. Her head had been twisted all the way around, bone sticking from flesh as the black ooze continued to flow.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill! Killyoukillyoukillkillkillkill!” Her gurgled cries were enough to unnerve anyone as she stumbled around reaching for something she couldn’t see. She slashed at the air with claws, stumbling back and forth. Still alive, still trying to kill them Sol sneered in disgust but realized he had found something that could help.

"Ghost girl!" Sword in his other hand, the vagrant flung it towards Yuki as he collapsed forward.

Who would have thought that a block of wood would be more effective than a couple of knives? Still, she couldn't complain. Whatever worked, worked. Unfortunately it didn't work well enough.

She had managed to strike the woman, yes. In fact the attacks had dealt a substantial amount of damage, blood oozing freely to the floor, pooling beneath them. But this woman was changing. She was turning into something decidedly inhuman. Something familiar to her.

The bite was met with her own leaping headbutt. Sure, the fangs might find some purchase within her scalp, and sure it was going to hurt, but even she knew not to bite the top of a foe's skull! Always aim for the soft, squishy parts if at all possible. But then this woman probably wasn't used to the life of a beast.

A tremendous force smashed into the side of her head following the successful defensive maneuver. Yuki was sent stumbling back to a knee, grip released from her foe, but at least her tail had completed its task. No longer would she need to worry about those charms. It was just one beast versus another.

Or it would be if the male Human didn't have her back! Something slammed into the woman, sent her hard against a wall, cracking it from the impact. Then came another invisible strike, only this one landed squarely against the woman's cheek, sending her head snapping back. Blood oozed from a grotesque wound, white bone jutting out from flesh.

Yet even now she moved! But they had a solution for that. As the man called out to her Yuki turned her gaze to meet him. Knives were dropped, left hand snatched the zanpakuto out of the air. She kicked off into another charge, gripped at the handle of her sword, and in one clean draw swept the weapon forth in an arch aimed to decapitate the woman once and for all!

Halting her frantic movements, the woman stood in place for a moment. A line of red and black came into view across her neck and in the next instance the head slide forward off the neck. Like a sack of bricks the woman collapsed. That presence, evil in nature and an aura that had engulfed the entire house suddenly vanished. Sol had trouble even processing it was there at all but immediately felt relief.

Limping, his injuries still bleeding profusely, the vagrant stood beside Yuki as he looked down at the decapitated form of the woman. Slowly the youth of her face, a look of shock frozen in place, began to fade and wither. Soon her entire body began to disintegrate into ash, small flecks of light drifting from the pile and vanishing just as quickly.

He had his own encounters with people with powers, of creatures that defied logic and reasoning. They existed all the same, whether you deny their existence mattered little to them. He imagined how many people died, how many souls she must have taken over the years. Worried thoughts drifted into consciousness, that he may be like her though ignored the notion as the voices jeered and prodded in agreeance. Laughter and crying in his mind, raking his thoughts like nails on a chalkboard and sapping his willpower.

Adrenaline left him as the sickly, frigid sensation stuck to him once more. Looking over at Yuki, he sighed before turning around to lazily move back towards the kitchen. That sickness had to do with her being a Shinigami, right? It had waned significantly since his first encounter with the wolf-like swordswoman but was there all the same.

Picking up the vial that held the odd butterfly, he looked at it once more. Being a creepy insect aside, it held its own beauty as its wings fluttered gently. Arms dropping to his side he looked up at the ceiling with a sigh and then over towards Yuki who he was sure would cut him down if he didn’t give her the prize. Sniffing loudly, he saw his jacket and bag conveniently placed next to the door and moved to pick up his things. He held up the vile, shaking it gently and noticing his blood smeared across the bottle. Right. He was injured…

“I’ll give this to you outside. Just...grab some towels or whatever.” He said, his voice strained and hoarse, the color in his face looking more ghastly with each passing moment. What he wouldn’t give for some vicodin, he mused to himself as he left out the door before the Shinigami could utter a word of protest.

In the end it had only taken one solid hit to finish the Human. A flash of steel and her head was removed from her body. Still, this thing had continued to speak even following what was supposed to have been a death blow. She wasn't going to let her guard down just yet.

Skin drooped as age consumed the fiend's face. How old had it actually been? More importantly, how many people had it consumed? Or Hollows? Unfortunately there were going to be plenty of questions left unanswered as the corpse before her started to disintegrate.

Her blade flicked out, removing much of the blood left behind. With a practiced flourish she wiped her zanpakuto clean, only to then sheathe the weapon. As it clicked into place Yuki finally allowed herself a moment to relax. Soft panting emerged from the wolf, an arm moving up to clear away more blood from her face. It had been an exhausting but ultimately fulfilling battle.

She turned towards the Human at her side. Right. He was pretty injured. She had suffered her own, but she knew her people were generally better at dealing with such things. Looking around she managed to spot some dish cloths in the kitchen. Scooping up as many as she could Yuki ventured out to follow the man.

"We need to treat your wounds. I am not a practicing medic."

Right. They hadn't had the chance for introductions.

"I am Yuki Kameko. It is nice to meet you."

Dragging his feet as he walked, Sol pushed over a stack of milk crates that had been piled high and took a seat on one that he felt looked particularly sturdy. Once again they found themselves in one of the cramped alleyways of Japan. Looking back and forth, he was curious as to why no one had come running to check out all the noise they had caused. He was taken aback as he noticed the house that they had just left from.

A small house made of candy was stuck to the wall of the alley, two chicken feet dangling beneath it. As soon he took notice of it, the candy began to curdle and the house began to slump inward. Chicken feet dried out and the little candied home fell from the wall and slopped onto the ground.

Had they really just exited a tiny little house made of candy? Just like the stories...no, no it was too weird to be true. Yet there was no other door, no house that large anywhere near them. Weird. All of it was strange, even for him. Letting out a sigh, he dropped his jacket and bag to the side and waved for her to hand him the cloth.

“Benim ismim Sol. No, wait. I’m...uh...Sol. Nice to meet you...Yuki.” He introduced himself though had trouble shifting languages for a moment. Reaching down with a strained grunt, he gave her the vial with the butterfly in exchange for the towels. Voices clamored in protest, whispered vile things about the girl but he ignored them the best he could. They had done enough for one day, he'd have to find another way to get his fix to drown them out.

"So..." He cleared his throat as he tried to wrap the towels around his wounds awkwardly. "You're a Shinigami, eh? Not a ghost, then?"

Somehow they had ended up in a tiny home. No wonder nobody heard the battle. If she had to make a guess then they had probably been brought to some other realm. Somehow.

These Humans are concerning.

When the vial was traded over for the towels Yuki lifted it up, carefully inspecting both the container and its contents. All seemed to be in order. With a nod she tucked it away within her robes. Her mission here was complete, but the Human was still in danger and, for the moment, he appeared to be quite a bit more civil towards her.

Stepping closer she crouched down, moving her hands up to assist with bandaging the wounds. Careful as she might try to be Yuki wasn't really skilled in this sort of thing. Still, she had two working hands. That had to count for something.

"Correct. That butterfly is important to us. It cannot be allowed to remain here in your realm. Also."

She paused, waving a hand towards the man's body. "I must apologize for the wounds you suffered" she commented before returning to work.

Even though he had attacked her first. He still hadn't paid for that. He should pay!

"Might I ask for what reason you attacked me?"

Allowing her to tend to his wounds was so much a choice as it was him not having the energy to argue.   Truth be told, his injuries should have been far worse than they were. Deep gashes and broken bones should have adorned his body yet after his contact with the spirit injection and with that odd powder, they were little more than cuts and bruises. They grew silent at the thought, whispers fading to the background as little more than ambient noise.

Am I asking myself the right questions, you fucking assholes?

No response outside of the same quiet drone. For a moment he caught something in her eye, a small errant twitch. As though she was unsure if she agreed with her apology.

“You don’t have to apologize for anything...” He muttered, wincing from a particularly tight wrapping, though he had to admit he couldn’t have done much better himself.

“I...don’t know why. They don’t like your kind. Hard to distinguish my emotions and theirs.” Sol replied absently, motioning to his head and not much caring if he was admitting that the voices in his head really existed as something separate or that he was, indeed, just going insane. Her slightest touch gave him goosebumps and that sickening, cold pit in his stomach threatened to rear up and consume him.

“You may not be a ghost but you...you feel like one. It’s different than the monsters, though. Sickness instead of rage, though the rage is still there. Just not as bad? I think? I...eh, it’s...it’s hard to describe.” Pausing at that, he looked at her and regarded her with a mix of frustration and confusion.

Should he ask questions? Somehow he doubted this would be his last encounter with a Shinigami. Might even be the last encounter with one where he wasn’t trying to rip apart. It didn’t matter, he mused, as the voices would cease their reprieve any second.

Just keep calm, let your exhaustion wash over you.

With the bandages properly set into place Yuki stood back up, looking over her handiwork with a single nod. That was as good as it was going to get. Still, his injuries appeared not to be as horrendous as she'd earlier believed. Perhaps in the midst of their battle she had mistaken just how much damage he had taken. But that was a good thing.

"They?"

The wolf's head tilted slightly in thought. Was this man really as crazy as she'd believed? Or perhaps he had something else inside of him? Something which spoke to him. Like a zanpakuto.

"I too hear voices. Sometimes. They can be violent. Perhaps it is not the same as yours either. But if it is similar then know this: you can conquer it. As for what I am? Well, I am not quite a ghost. As you stated before I am a Shinigami. I assist souls with passage to the next life and I free the souls trapped within those monsters. I mean you no harm. Most of my kind will not bring harm upon you. Unless, of course, you attack them. Compliance is usually the safest option."

Perhaps she could assist him in avoiding unwarranted bloodshed in the future. This was the best she could do right now. He was not her mission. But he was also an unfortunate bystander and he did assist her against a truly horrific foe. She was grateful. Just as importantly she wouldn't need to lie to him.

"I wish I could help you further. Unfortunately I am not a healer. I am a warrior. A huntress. I know not what ails your mind. Perhaps I could send another to find you, someone who might be able to help, should you desire. If I had something with your scent, perhaps some of your blood, I could try to track you down again later. But I do visit this town often. If you need help do not be afraid to reach out to me."

Was this alright? Leaving him like this? It didn't feel right, but what else could she do? Oh. Wait. "If you'd like I could carry you to one of your medical centers."

Listening intently, Sol tried not to show emotion. Was he really not alone? No, this was a being from another world, what would she know of his pain? And yet, she spoke to him, calmly, explained to him exactly what he was seeing. What he was feeling. That he could rise above. An inkling of hope crept up, a sentiment he barely gave a second thought as it led to disappointment and heartache.

“A friend from the great beyond...hmph.” He muttered, though a thought did strike him. Perhaps they could help? Not with his mind but with the ones who were so intent on hunting him down?  The woman with hair of fire…the other with the knives.

Shaking the notion from his mind completely, he waved off any further assistance. While she had been honest and open with him, helpful even, Sol thought it best not to tell her where he got the butterfly from. Guilt was no stranger to him. Also imagining what the young drug dealer had to say about his botched delivery frustrated the vagrant but he’d come up with a way to make it up to him. Despite the quiet murmurs, the voices would return in full force and he needed the drugs Bejiro supplied.

“If...you’re serious. About reaching out…” Again his emotions waned, reaching for that semblance of what could be friendship. Opening his bag, he rummaged around until he pulled out an old scarf. It was deep green, with a heron design stitched in blue. Worn, frayed, torn, it had seen a fair amount of use. It was his oldest possession but he had forgotten why he had held onto it for so long.

“That should be good, right?” Shifting uncomfortably as he handed her the scarf, a chill ran through him as the voices started to stir once again. Agitation. Frustration. Hatred. Forcing it down was difficult, coercing his mind to deny the powerful intensity as pins and needles spread throughout his body.

“A hospital isn’t necessary. Don’t really know how to get a hold of you but some distance might help...for now. Sickness is coming back.” He had more questions but they would have to wait. Closing his eyes, sweat starting to bead along his forehead, he let out a slow breath. Plunging into murky water, that was what he had thought about being near the Shinigami and that descriptor still seemed appropriate. Was it going to be like that around every soul reaper?

“And Yuki…” His eyes slowly opened to regard her before she left. Despite their initial confrontation, this had been one of the more positive experiences he had since coming to the sleepy little town. Well, perhaps not so sleepy as every day provided some new danger.

“Thank you.”

A friend?

Perhaps that was taking it a bit far. Way too far. She couldn't have friends.

An old scarf was removed and extended towards her. Accepting it she brought it close to her face, sniffing a couple of times. Then, after lowering it, she sniffed a couple of times further in Sol's direction. "Yes. This will work. And yes. I am serious."

He didn't appear to require a hospital. No, he just needed space. She could understand that if his condition acted up around her. Still, she was a little worried, and she did feel a little guilty for not knowing any kido. Perhaps it would be good if she looked into improving her studies. Maybe someone within Seireitei might be able to help her with it.

Yeah. I'll do that.

The Shinigami lowered her head towards the Human. "Thank you as well. I hope that our next meeting will be friendlier. Until then, stay safe."

With that she turned and hurried away, leaping up onto a roof to begin her journey to another quiet area. She could access the gate here, yes, but she didn't know if it might worsen the man's condition. In any case, her mission was complete and she had a new Human to follow up on. Hopefully he would last that long.

I need to find someone who can properly help him.

// Thread Exit!

Watching her leave he mused if he could leap onto a rooftop in a single bound. Crushing and maiming with his mind was far more troublesome than keen senses and super strength. He’d even take looking like a wolf too if it meant he didn’t have to be him anymore. When she finally vanished from view, the rising voices had settled into their normal jeering, vile whispering. Letting out a long, ragged sigh, he went to stand up and throw on his jacket.

Pain emanated from his wounds but it was better than bleeding out on the floor. Floor...bread crumbs littered the alleyway but instead of stopping at the rotting candy house, they extended along the path and around the corner. Mumbling to himself as he picked up his bag, he limped along as he followed the trail

One turn followed by another. After a few moments he saw them. An odd, overweight couple standing at the cross section of the alley and a main street, people milling about and cars driving by. All oblivious to the mortal danger that had been only a few minutes away from them. Walking slowly, frowning as the voices made several disgusting remarks amid a tangent of other lunacy, he cleared his throat as he came upon the couple.

Startled, they both whipped around wide eyed at the white-haired vagabond. Their clothes were upscale. Very upscale, the woman’s garments reeked of money and the man’s finely pressed suit held similar presence of being filthy rich. A large loaf of bread was in his hand, though it looked like it wasn’t the only one he had consumed. Phone in hand, a male voice on the other end, the woman had placed her free hand to cover it as she eyed Sol with disgust.

Ah...bread crumbs. Really?

“What do you want, beggar? I don’t have anything for you…” The man scoffed, shooing him away, bread crumbs flying about. People ignored them almost as much as they ignored a smelly hobo like Sol, the parallel completely lost on the vagrant.

“Oh, dear, what if…? Hold on. Ito-san, what does your associate look like?” Her voice was grating, it came across as fake and strained to sound younger than she was. Years of practice, maybe. Wait, Ito? There was a brief exchange on the phone and the woman looked mortified for a moment before hesitantly offering the phone to Sol.

With a raise of his brow, he took it gingerly from her and she retracted her hands as though she would have had her hand bitten off. Still might have, Sol having trouble remembering the last time he ate.

“Hello…?”

“Sol! There you are! Thought you were some other homeless guy, that would've been awkward. Okay, hand them the bag and we’ll be square.” His voice was just as phony as the pompous couple but he still hesitated. Right. The butterfly. Looking at the couple with something of a glare though he had tried his best to smile, he held up a finger and took the phone out of earshot of the couple who seemed ready to burst judging by the red in their faces.

“Yeah, I don’t have the butterfly anymore.” Sol admitted, trying to keep his voice down.

“You...saw it?” There was a long pause on the phone after that, the vagrant shifting nervously in place and wondering if he should say something. Whispers in his mind screamed suddenly causing his head to whip back but as soon as he realized it was in his head, placed the phone back up to his ear as he grumbled in frustration.

“Okay, buddy. Not a problem. They can’t actually see anything. Those idiots have no idea what they’re paying for. They think it’s ancient air from some mountains that will help them live forever. You got a bottle in your bag, yeah? Some old prescription bottle, anything with a lid.” Sol nodded as Benji talked but awkwardly realized he couldn’t actually see the dealer.

“Uh...yeah, I got something.”

“Great, give the phone back and get it for them.” Sol did as he was instructed, rustling through his bag as the woman continued to talk with Benji. She seemed particularly disturbed when he handed the phone back to her but was soon letting out a lighthearted titter at something Benji said over the phone.

Rolling his eyes he finally found something. It was an old mason jar he had been storing mushrooms in.  Having no idea how it survived so many scuffles up till now, he gave it a once over before deciding it was good enough. Walking back, he made a show of looking both ways in the street and making sure no one was watching them make the trade. Quickly he handed it to the man and snatched the bread from his meaty fingers in one fell swoop.

Aghast that such a beggar would do something so audacious, he blubbered for a moment. Sol took a bite and glared at the man as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and started walking away.

“So just two sniffs from the jar before bed? Oh, Ito-san you know how to acquire the most fantastical concoctions.” The woman let out another shrill laugh as she touched the growling man’s shoulder. As they left, Sol was rounding the corner as they disappeared.

Now all that was left was to get his pills.


“I can’t believe you survived that. A witch and a shinigami. That’s awesome!” Benji laughed, patting Sol on the knee as he finished bandaging the vagrant properly. Sol was pretty sure he shouldn’t have mentioned anything but the young man offered to patch him up and give him more than what was arranged if he spit out the details. Feeling as though he had no choice, especially with the voices starting to overcrowd his own thoughts, the vagrant retold his story as briefly as he could muster.

“I feel like you should have warned me…”

“And tell you what? Don’t let an invisible butterfly fall into the hands of Shinigami? Watch out for a wicked witch living in the back alleys of Karakura? Okay, okay, I admit I did have an idea about the witch,” He said sheepishly as he tossed dirty rags in a small container, “But it was only rumors! Besides, not much can get between a junkie and his fix. I believe that more than ever now.”

“So what was the plan? They open the jar and the insect just takes off?” Sol wondered, though his tone was more bitter than he cared to admit.

“Pretty much. Those things are hard to get a hold of and the trouble that can follow for holding onto one for too long is almost not worth the risk. Almost. Hey, unless you’re some Baba Yaga wannabe living in a gingerbread house, I’ve heard of people vanishing or ending up dead with no wounds to speak of.” Benji admitted, prying off his latex gloves and tossing them in the trash as well. Moving over to his backpack sitting on the counter, he unzipped it and fished out a large assortment of pills and other narcotics packed tightly in a ziploc bag. Sol tensed as he saw it, the voices screaming in protest but he ached for it more than he thought he would.

“I...no, no that’s too much for what was done. Even with the risks.” Sol croaked, it hurt him as much as Yuki’s sword to admit that. Should he just knock the dealer out and take it? It wasn’t right, not even fair, but if he crossed this college kid he had a feeling that it wouldn’t end well for him. Powers or not.

“Oh, for sure, my dude. There’s at least three-K sitting in here. However, you will owe me. I don’t know how you managed to take on a Shinigami and live but I do believe you enough that you did it. You may be a filthy junkie, but I got a sense for when people lie to me. Now...take it.” Benji insisted, slapping the bag against Sol’s chest and giving him a threatening smile that never touched his eyes. Hesitantly Sol clutched the bag, his body tingling in anticipation at the thought of some of the names he had seen at a glance.

“What do you want from me…?” He asked his dealer, a sense of dread in the question. Benji let out a laugh that seemed genuine enough, breaking the tension in the room.

“No worries, no worries. If I can find an invisible butterfly, I should be able to find a white-haired foreigner bumming about town.” Benji smirked, punching Sol in the arm though waved his hand in feigned injury.

The vagrant was soon ushered out the back door when their conversation was done, Sol’s blue eyes beaming in excitement as he rushed to leave.


“Yeah, yeah...I’m on my way. No, man, I got a shipment in today.” Benji was talking on the phone as he packed up his stuff. He was lucky enough that his parents had closed the clinic for the day, it made so much easier to fix up his latest customer. Or should he call him his newest project?

A hobo with the power to take on Shinigami and even other spiritualists. Most people could barely get in touch with that kind of power, even Benji made the most of his lie detection abilities and even then it wasn't that spectacular. Facing awful threats like that with nothing but his bare hands? That was indeed impressive, the college student wondering if he should ask Sol if he had ever taken on a Hollow.

Going to double check on his stuff, he offered the occasional agreeance over the phone. Suddenly he felt a cold ball in his stomach. Three large bags had been in his backpack, one was for Sol and the other two were for his supplier. Had he really been so engrossed in the vagrant’s story that he gave him the wrong bag?

“Shit...uh, hey, I gotta go. What? Oh, yeah. Totally, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Switching off his phone he placed it down and let out a long sigh as he removed his glasses and pinched the space between his eyes. The bag he had given Sol had Scatter-Bait...lure for Hollows. It was a small amount, probably only good for bringing in one Hollow but that was besides the point. He'd hate to lose someone useful...

Guessing he had to find Sol sooner than he thought, the drug dealer picked up the phone and began calling other contacts. Hopefully his people could find him before the stupid junkie accidentally snorted the stuff...