- TsubineYe Olde Guarde
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10:45 to Saguache
Wed Feb 15, 2023 4:58 pm
HIJIRI ARAMAKI
The search for Ichigo Kurosaki was (either officially or unofficially) priority one on the Vandenreich's to-do list. The importance of this task meant that Hijiri was excluded from it. He'd never met the guy, so he had no information or insight to add. He also only knew of Arrancar from books and published studies. But more than that, Hijiri was perhaps one of the least-trusted members of the Vandenreich. Even though Solomon might have encouraged him that the Vandenreich had good people and Liltotto had showed that people that were suspicious of him could at least tolerate his presence, Hijiri was far from being included in important matters. Right now, he was OK with that.
Except for the fact that he hated the desert.
It wasn't a true desert like the Sahara or the Taklamakan. It was just desolate flatland with infertile soil and low-growing shrubbery. Worst of all were the cacti. After getting caught on his fifth cactus, Hijiri decided to avoid them entirely. Hijiri had been tasked with finding out the identity and strength of an Arrancar that had been noticed in the southwestern U.S. His investigations (simply asking locals if they had seen anyone weird besides himself) led him to an old tourist trap.
The town had been set up to look like a gold mining town of the American "Wild West" from the late 1800s. Sometime within the last fifty years or so, the funding dried up and it had been abandoned. The modern construction held up a lot better than if it were an actual 19th-century town. But it was clearly and utterly abandoned. So why was this Arrancar here? Hijiri didn't have much Reiatsu to suppress, but he still kept it as close to him as possible. He didn't want to be seen. He wasn't a frontline fighter like Solomon. He was, at best, an aspiring listening device. When he tried to peer around the corner of a building, the rotting wood gave way. A plume of dust and the loud crash of a split beam falling to the ground showed exactly where he was—his hand already moving towards his Zanpakutō. "...shit."
- Cala ParacerEstablished Member
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Re: 10:45 to Saguache
Wed Feb 15, 2023 8:45 pm
CALA PARACER
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The Cala currently in control of their body had had a good stint being in control for a bit now, going from sparring with Arianda to their journey to Africa, and they had to admit even they were growing more accustomed to the living realm. They did not have the preference for it their other half did over Hueco Mundo, save Aina's home being here, and so they had begun to travel more openly as an Arrancar in their time controlling their joined body. It should not have been a surprise, then, that they would have garnered at least some attention based solely off of what they were. Unlike in Hueco Mundo, however, in the living realm Cala was currently of both minds that it mattered a lot less who knew of their existence of the moment.
As Cala traveled, stopping by an old, run-down dustbin of a town after leaving Ari's, they took the time to site-see and ponder at the oddities on display. Some horribly stitched-together amalgamation of living realm animals, fit to be a hollow itself, sat glassy-eyed in the window of an old taxidermy store manned by only one old man with a gun across his lap. Gently teetering back and forth in a rocking chair the old man, of at least somewhat Hispanic descent, spot into a copper pot and lazily looked over Cala as the Arrancar had been staring at the jacka-were-basilisk-lope for a good three minutes now. Extremely puzzled by the odd beast and eventually reaching the conclusion that it was not, in fact, a creature actually in the living realm.
Turning away from the taxidermy store their interest drifted outward, along with their Pesquisa, to flood over a good portion of the town as they fought something else to possibly entertain themselves with. They could sense.... something vague and small nearby, though pinpointing exactly where was a bit of a challenge. Their head had only begun to turn in the direction Hijiri was hiding when the rotted wood gave way, definitely revealing the Shinigami, and Cala hummed idly. There were no eyes, necessarily, to stare at Hijiri once the dust cleared, only a noticeable pin-point weight of a very potent Pesquisa bearing down on him, studying him.
As Hijiri reached for his blade Cala's expression hardened, their self-defense instincts kicking in, and they nearly began gathering energy for a Cero to blast the rotting building away before... they paused. Remembering their conversation with one Tento and their other self's friendship with one Hana, they decided to not react too violently to the Shinigami's obvious threat and instead pointed a finger to fire a Bala of black-and-white energy into the dirt beside the Shinigami. A warning shot, as it were, and Cala would rest a hand on Ceniza as they spoke in a neutral, distinctly grey, tone.
"Come out of hiding, we can sense you, and we will defend ourselves."
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[THEFROST]
- TsubineYe Olde Guarde
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Re: 10:45 to Saguache
Thu Feb 16, 2023 3:03 pm
HIJIRI ARAMAKI
Well, Hijiri was already turning out to be a terrible spy. Even with the warning shot, Hijiri didn't reveal himself further. He snuck back around the corner and looked at the buildings surrounding them. It was a single-street town with rows of buildings to either side. There were maintenance shacks behind some of them, but for the most part, that was it. With a fairly basic Shunpo, Hijiri relocated himself to the rooftop three buildings down.
With a a rasping hiss, Hijiri drew his Zanpakutō fully. "See, the problem is that I have a job to do." His face darkened slightly. He wasn't looking for a fight, but he also didn't have any information to report back. Maybe that the Arrancar was about at his level? Then if nothing else, he should try something. He kept his Zanpakutō to his side as he pointed his middle and index finger at the Arrancar. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini. Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat." Others might have called out an incantation with enthusiasm, but Hijiri was as monotonous as one of those Public Broadcasting System emergency tests. "Bakudō Nine: Hōrin."
An orange-and-yellow tendril shot forth from his extended fingers. It snaked towards the Arrancar. Hijiri hadn't practiced Kidō outside of his days at the academy, and so he was a little wary on using more going forward—if only because he couldn't remember the incantations.
- Cala ParacerEstablished Member
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Re: 10:45 to Saguache
Mon Feb 20, 2023 5:47 pm
CALA PARACER
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Cala could not help a reserved amount of distaste entering their mouth at the equivalency drawn by their opponent. Their entire existence at risk for.... this individual's job? How utterly heartless. Now that Hijiri had revealed himself following his Flash-Step with their Pesquisa was child's play for Cala. Indeed it seemed the Shinigami in question was notably slower than themselves. A fact that Cala was.... at least a tiny amount proud of. Beginning to overcome those that would be sent to hunt them. Though Cala was far from a proud individual it at least made them feel satisfied that there WERE threats in this world they could contend with.
For the briefest of moments Cala tilted their head, noting the gathering of energy at the tip of Hijiri's fingers, and earnestly thought the Shinigami was just levelling some very odd speech or insult at them until the stream of energy emerged and they were reminded of their encounter with another Shinigami who had thrown... magic at them. Cala's teeth grit in a bit of rejection at being called a dog and, preparing themselves would have their own Sonido carry them to the same rooftop behind Hijiri. Making use of the one advantage Cala knew they possessed Cala would hiss at the Shinigami.
"You call me a dog, yet you are the one sent to hunt like one......"
With that said Cala would open their fanged mouth, a Cero charging between their teeth with a pitch black core and a corona of white light around it, before they would fire off a Cero of Lost Potential at Hijiri from comparatively close range. This Cero, oddly enough, did not true physical damage to Hijiri should it strike him. Instead Cala would use it as a vessel to inflict their aspect onto Hijiri, draining away at his Strength, and weakening him physically. Should this be unsuccessful Cala would begin to gather Bala at their fingers at launch a follow-up spray of them at Hijiri to maintain the offensive. If it was successful in striking Hijiri Cala would strike out with Ceniza at Hijiri's weapon, looking to take advantage of Hijiri's weakened state and physically disarm him of his weapon.
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- TsubineYe Olde Guarde
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Re: 10:45 to Saguache
Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:55 am
HIJIRI ARAMAKI
It's fast. It avoided the kidō with little effort. He had hoped to end it without actually having to fight. Because again, this wasn't a fight for him. He wasn't here to purify this Arrancar. That was the job of a Shinigami. Hijiri didn't have time to spin around as he dove out of the way of the incoming Cero. He had heard they did wide-ranging damage. A Hollow's Cero was more than enough to kill normally. So why did this one only make the floor creak?
Before he could think further, Hijiri was assaulted by a barrage of Bala. The combination of the Cero and the impact from the Bala was enough to save his life as the roof opened up beneath him. It was a bar—well "saloon" was the right term. No alcohol remained, but dozens of glass replicas of alcohol did. Hijiri let out a small groan as he stood. Coughing out dust, he thought about how best to fight this Arrancar. He hadn't escaped unharmed. Whether the fall or the balas bloodied him, he wasn't sure.
Before he could cement his answer, Hijiri chanted again, but this time far quieter. "Hadō One. Shō." His outstretched hand fired a thrust of kinetic energy at one of the rafters above. Already weakened by part collapsing, another section of the roof collapsed. He hoped to catch the Arrancar off-guard and have them fall down too. If he were truly lucky, they'd fall on the piano and get tangled in the wires and his job would be done. He could hope.
But Hijiri wasn't betting on it. As the roof collapsed, he began chanting. He grabbed a piece of decor—a set of longhorns—and tossed them at where the expected the Arrancar to land. He pointed again. "Hadō One. Shō." The same Kidō propelled the horns at a high rate of speed—at that moment, Hijiri invented the Shinigami Boomerang. He just didn't realize it yet.
- Cala ParacerEstablished Member
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Re: 10:45 to Saguache
Sat Mar 04, 2023 4:17 pm
CALA PARACER
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As Cala's Bala unintentionally gave their enemy regress Cala simply halted in their assault, hoping the fall had dissuaded the horrid Shinigami, willing to kill them for their day-job. In a way it was almost more monstrous than another Hollow trying to eat them to survive, though Cala had no time to ponder on that, as they heard through the hole their Bala had made another incantation from their enemy. They could sense this individual was quite a bit weaker than the blonde-haired woman who had resorted to them same tricks, but even so, they did not risk staying in the same place as they heard that incantation begin.
Instead of remaining on the collapsed roof Cala leapt upward, plunging into the hole Hijiri had just vanished down, Ceniza drawn and ready into a downward plunge attack from directly above their enemy. As such Cala did not land where those menacing horns were pointed and was, instead, coming from directly above Hijiri. The only warning of that attack being the brief flicker of darkness from above as Cala's form blocked the sunlight streaming in through the hole.In the likely event Hijiri dodged or sought to intercept Cala with those horns Cala's Hierro was monstrously powerful for their level of spiritual energy, and Cala would drive Ceniza toward the joint between Hijiri's dominant arm and his shoulder. Looking to make the limb useless should their stab land.
In the event their downward plunge missed Cala would land crouches, Ceniza buried into the wooden floor, their other hand braced on the floor, before they gathered up a Cero and, not having to raise their eyes towards Hijiri to know where he had moved, looked almost as if they were going to shoot the Cero into the ground beneath them before Cala raised their head at the last second before releasing their Cero directly at Hijiri. This Cero was nothing deceptive and tore up the floor beneath it as it traveled in an beam taller and broader than Cala and Hijiri themselves just by it's passing. A lance of obsidian corona'd by white flaring with energy toward their enemy.
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