A Karakura Haunting

[Yaksha]

Yaksha walked through the streets of Karakura town silently, without making so much as a sound. The people he passed didn't so much as look up, didn't even seem to notice his passing. They were all absorbed in their businesses and their phones and their games, all trying to pretend they were the only ones in the world for this little moment. It almost made him furious; Yaksha had spent centuries wandering the world, seeing as much as he could, and there was no question that these were real people, living real lives; the sheer audacity it took to lock them out like that made Yaksha want to grab the nearest businessman and shake them by the collar. Given that he was roughly 8 feet tall at this moment, and could've passed for an extra in some sort of horror movie, Yaksha knew this was a bad idea just right now. Instead, he looped a hand around, plucking the phone out of the nearest person's hand; it fell to the ground, clattering, and for just a moment everyone looked her way. Yaksha smiled inwardly, moving along; he'd managed to shatter the illusion, if only for a moment. And that was enough.

There were more important things to worry about, anyways; stories had been circulating lately of a haunted building, one that was by most accounts pretty unassuming. It hadn't been condemned, the building permits were all in order and everything had been legal. No one had ever died there, and there was no sort of disturbance to imply demons. And yet when people entered they reported hearing strange sounds, and seeing objects disturbed as if a breeze came by, and sometimes flung around if they tried to approach. It had become a sort of talking point among people, and younger kids would often dare each other to go inside and meet the ghost. It was funny; they all met ghosts every day, most without realizing it. Yaksha estimated as much as 1% of the population in the town was some manner of spiritual being using a gigai at any given time, and as small as that was it was still in the hundreds, and that was enough to guarantee SOMEONE they met wasn't who they seemed. They met these ghosts, conversed with them, did business with them, commuted with them...but as soon as there was a ghost they COULDN'T see, it was a matter of emergency. There were ropes around the entrance, filing everyone in some odd way that ensured the most people could fill the smallest area. Yaksha walked right through them, the ropes not so much as swinging, as he stepped through the threshold.

Immediately, he could sense reaitsu; it felt like some manner of hollow, though if the stories were accurate they were much too benign to be a hollow. Either way, he was going to enjoy unraveling another secret, showing the world for what it truly was again...

[Ravilin Asura]

Did people not understand how to leave her alone? The blue eyes reflected annoyance as another human was walking into the area calling out for some ghost. Leaning down slightly she grasped a pebble to throw it at the ground in front of the human. They usually ran away as if someone was trying to eat their face off. Watching the pebble ricochet off the ground the arrancar turned her gaze slowly. The human had let out a shot in terror, before laughing as he ran away. Ravilin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was sheer stupidity. Was it too much for her to want to be alone without the people constantly invading the place she had considered a home? The building she was in looked like an old run down library, there was second story on it to show the middle on the main floor. The main floor had thick dust covered shelves. There was some novels scattered on the floor where she had been laying, trying to figure out what some of these words meant. A large dictionary was beside the pile, Ravilin remained in her sitting position by the books, the pages slowly moving. Turning her attention once more to the novels the arrancar wondered if there was a safe way away from all the people that liked to make a spectacle out of something so simple? It got to the point that there was usually a line of people streaming in. Ravilin was never violent to them, she just never understood their fascination with the dead. Pausing in her reading the petite girl lifted her head to peer to the entrance of the old library. There was a hollow of some sorts out there. It was tempting to just leave the building until the spirit left. Pushing away from her small pile the girl decided to slink through the shadows using them to help her head for a broken window to slip out. There was no way she was going to be caught in here by a hollow. Moving between the old shelves, Raivilin searched for another low window as another idiotic human wandered inside the library calling out to whatever they believed was haunting the old building.

Pushing across the broken railing on the stairs she moved up them quickly so that she'd have the advantage of height over being caught. Slowly she ended up near one of the broken windows, casting a glance to the floor below wondering what was down there. Slowly she placed her hands against the window looking into the night before back to the lower floor. Ravilin was used to being skittish, considering that most Espada looked down on her to the point that she ended up earning beatings now and then. Ravilin was used to being treated like a dog that no one wanted around. That thought made the young girl tug on her hair in the nervous tick like manner that was present whenever she confronted someone with a rank above her. Though she was tired of being pushed around. It was easier to pretend she didn't exist than to accept them constantly harassing her. Methias had been her master but he vanished on her. Ravilin didn't know where the man had vanished to. It left her without any orders or someone to look forward to. It left her alone with the monsters that wanted nothing more than to hurt her.

Pushing the glass further, Ravilin slipped out onto the narrow roof, looking about nervously ready to flee into the night once more.

[Yaksha]

They were on the move; the feel of of reishi, burning like a bonfire in a room full of candles, was getting smaller every second. It made its way away, heading towards...the roof? He glanced upwards, sighing under his breath as he took a step forward; rather than touching the ground, his foot landed on thin air, remaining firmly in place as if he had landed on an invisible step. He continued up two, three times. His head was level with the ceiling of this floor now, and with another step on thin air, his head popped through the floor, into the room above. Still no sign of her, but the reaitsu seemed to have stopped moving. He rose and rose, climbed ever higher, and continued towards the signature. He was even humming under his breath...

When he finally reached the roof, he spoke in a voice like fresh honey, flowing warm and sweet over the arrancar. He could see her now; she looked no older than 13, and she was almost ready to jump. "Let me guess; humans getting on your nerves? I've known more than a few spirit beings who grew tired of standing on the divide, who hated the fact that they were only halfway invisible; who hated knowing at any time their secret could be blown. But that raised the question of why you're here, and not in Hueco Mundo..." He took a few more steps, his hand outstretched, and his head tilted to the side.

"I get the feeling you don't like hollows much."

[Ravilin Asura]

Ravilin froze where she was, the blue eyes holding a frightened look. It was not much different than when a deer was caught in the head lights. The pink hair fluttered around her delicate frame before a low growl escaped her mouth. The girl wasn't used to people approaching her like this, especially a hollow. The thought made her nervous more than anything else. Why would a hollow be bothering her in the start? Slowly she tipped her head to the side, listening to Yaksha, the blue eyes looking like they were lost. Why was he sounding like he held any interest in her? The small girl paused to look over her shoulders to make sure he was in fact speaking to her. Shock laced the features of the petite arrancar as he gazed locked on the large hollow. "Onii-san, I mean no harm by being in this realm of existence." Her voice was a soft murmur, stepping back from the hand that was stretching out from the large hollow. The eyes flicked over to the shadows as cover for a moment before once more fixating on Yaksha. In all honesty she didn't want to return to Hueco Mundo. Then arrancar there frightened her more than she'd admit to anyone. Toying with a strand on her hair the girl didn't know if she should just right right there. It wasn't like he had harmed her yet. Though her experience with those stronger than her proved that she'd only end up badly hurt if she decided to let him get too close, or grow too comfortable around him. There wasn't much to her beyond the caution which was a natural thing from her.

Slowly her feet moved over the old shingles of the roof, the night air making them damp. Slowly she edged along looking cautious as she did so. "I guess you could say that Onii-san." The small arrancar replied once more before quickly throwing herself off of the roof. There was no way in hell she was standing beside that gigantic monster. The thought of the hollow being that strong was more than enough to frighten her. Weren't some of the Espada strong like that? Curling her fingers in the pink locks the girl looked unhappy as she stood on the edge of the building, peering around the side to see humans still lined up to go inside. Now, it didn't surprise her with humans being curious over death. Though it wasn't that healthy for them. Now and then Ravilin would feel the faint feeling of anger and hatred as if she wanted to devour those souls to show them just what was coming to them for being curious about things that healthy men and women had no business about. Flicking her gaze upward the girl knew the hollow wouldn't be that easy to evade but it was worth a hope that he would give up after she scurried off some more. The blue eyes held doubt in them. There was nothing that she could offer the hollow and yet he had seemed genuinely interested in her. Sometimes the creatures around her would surprise her. Running her tongue over her sharp canines the small arrancar felt tempted to scare the humans a bit more than normal.

Though... She wouldn't. Instead she started singing nursery rhymes to keep herself entertained while slinking through the shadows.

[Yaksha]

Yaksha watched the girl silently, his eyes wide open, his tail swishing back and forth as if he were waiting to strike. He didn't speak, didn't move, didn't do anything but watch her; when she turned to leap from the roof, he disappeared in a crackle of static, landing on the very edge and peering over. The girl stood below, watching the people; her movements were nervous, shy, almost weak. She was so small, so fragile, her every movement like she was being watched and weighed...he disappeared in another crackle of static, reappearing behind her in a split second. His tail slipped out, wrapping around her waist and pulling him towards her. The tugging was gentle but firm, persistent in a way that made it clear that if she resisted, he could become forceful.

"You mean no harm, yet I feel the anger underneath. You envy them, don't you? You feel like they squander what they have. They rush to their fates, embracing things that they shouldn't. They run headfirst into the fire, believing they can reach the other end without getting burned. Their ignorance makes them strong, in a way...shields them from all the emptiness, all the bleak terror. You may say you mean no harm, but it's madness not to want to see them suffer. It's natural, little one; even I want to see them suffer, most of the time. It's a tempting feeling...but it's one we can't ever indulge in. The danger is simply too much. The price isn't worth the reward. Remember, little one...our lives are clandestine, our motives unknowable. Our worlds are made of secrets, glorious secrets that no one should ever know. You musn't hate them, dear. Pity them...but more than anything else, watch over them. They're like children, and they need every bit of guidance they can get."

[Ravilin Asura]

Ravilin tensed, the frail form going shock still before a tail wrapped around her waist. It was secured firmly as if afraid she'd run off again like a rabbit. The blue eyes slowly pivoted from where they were locked on the ground a slow snarl rising up low in her throat. Squirming against the tight hold around her waist the normally timid arrancar was acting erratic almost. He was talking, the words echoed round her in the panic she held. The low growl turned deeper before she bit the tail holding her, and hard. Her whole body was tensed as she growled softly into the tail wanting him to get go. Normally most arrancar would try normal tricks to get free but Ravilin was too much of an animal to really depend on something like that. Her beast was growling at her to get free, that she wasn't going to be dominated by someone who seemed to be a lesser creature. The blue eyes were starting to bleed to the dark amber colour of her release as he continued to speak. Each word seemed to be making her angrier. Finally she wiggled out from the hold of the tail around her waist, whirling away from him. The pink locks almost seemed to float around her as she stared down the hollow. The eyes were strange looking now, dark hues of amber mixed with the soft blues. It looked like something out of a painting, an unreal fantasy. Her body was still tensed, the slow quiver in her muscles was enough to suggest how agitated she really was. "And what? Protect those who look for their own deaths? Why should I care for them in the least." She spit to the ground getting the hollow's blood out of her mouth. It was disgusting and made her feel dirty to have had such a thing in her mouth.

The strange eyes held darkness. "Keep your limbs to yourself. There's no reason for you to touch me." The arrancar huffed, the white canines showing clearly. Slowly enough she stepped back from the hollow. Darkness lurked in her eyes. For every piece of innocence there was something sinister. She didn't become like this because she was a good person. Her fingers curled slightly, the shadows in the area seemed to be extending outward as if to bathe everything in a layer of cold shadows. The eyes held a look of anger as she stood in the shadows. They seemed to lap at her from every direction before the eyes once more settled to their normal soft blue hue that everyone was used to. Her fingers threaded through her pink locks, idly pulling on the silken locks with a thoughtful look on her face. Blinking slightly the young arrancar looked to the humans who seemed to have the heavy weight of fear pressing against them softly. The blue eyes danced with amusement as she stood in the shadows wondering why anyone would want something bad from her. Stretching her body out slowly the soft crack of the bones made the wolf girl relax. "If that's all then I'm on my way. Thank you onii-san." The eyes sparkled in a mischievous manner as if she knew what she was doing but didn't give a damn about it.

[Yaksha]

"Why should any of us care, sweetling? In a world where death is cheap, where sacrifice has no meaning, why should we bother? We like to place ourselves on pedestals, to say that we're not just animals. We use words like 'soul' and 'mind', but does it really matter? They're no less alive than us, and their lives have no less meaning. We're human because we care. Because we can look at the world and think about something besides ourselves. In all the world, humans are one of the only animals that will let themselves suffer for the happiness of another. So why should you care, dear? Why should you watch over them? Because people need reminding, sometimes. They need to be shown that this world is so much bigger than themselves; than me, than you, than anyone in this entire world. Humans look for death because they don't realize just what they'll find. They believe it...a mystery. A moment of great revelation. Me and you have had that revelation, and we know it's not great in the slightest. But you stand by and let these humans tear themselves apart, let them make all the same mistakes, because you think you shouldn't care. It's disgusting...to think anyone gets to choose who matters. Who they care about."

His hand extended outwards slowly, and Yaksha's eyes softened slowly. His tone turned hushed, carefully measured as he took a step forward. "I can tell that you've been hurt before. A lot of times, I don't doubt. Someone has wounded you...left scars that go deeper than I can see. But that doesn't change anything, sweetling. For now, we're both...well, let's not say alive. But we're both here, and we both need something. You need peace of mind...you need to see that someone in this great big world isn't asking themselves why they should care. And I need someone to care about." He smiled slightly, revealing sharp teeth; somehow the gesture wasn't frightening, even with his visage.

[Ravilin Asura]

One thing the small arrancar noted was that this hollow talked a lot. It almost made her wonder if he expected her to stay there while he preached out to her. The blue eyes held a keen gaze to them as she felt the shadows reach to her in a loving manner of protection. The hollow continued to talk, Ravilin was peering to the humans who were scattering from the shadows heading to what they thought might warm their spirits. The feeling of sorrow brushed against all their skins like an animal brushing their fur on someone. Her mind was screaming to run, the flight or fight instincts were roaring through her mind. It didn't seem to make sense to the girl why a hollow would stalk her about to preach about how she should care for humans. Humans didn't do much to deserve love, pity perhaps but nothing more. The harsh look in her eyes was to the humans who were by now heading to bars and their homes. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother coming to this realm, it doesn't seem anything changes between them. The soft press of panic continued to to thrive with the young arrancar as she stepped back once more the haunted look remaining in the young eyes. It was a shame that such a young girl knew fear like this. Closing her eyes for a few minutes the girl tried to calm her nerves. The faint taste of the hollow's blood remained in her mouth. A flicker of a memory nagged at the girl's mind, it made a soft gasp escape her mouth as she looked down at her hands. If humans needed love then why did no one give a single damn when it had come to her? The blue eyes slowly moved up from her hands to look at the large hollow once more. They felt watery, blinking Ravilin tried to keep herself from crying despite the urge to do so. Her fingers trailed on the sleeves of the white uniform she wore and the blue eyes held pain in them.

Once more the hollow was speaking, but this time about her. As Yaksha stepped closer the arrancar flinched like he had hit her or something on that scale. When he spoke about them needing each other the girl felt the burning tears fall. No, no one wanted her. Swiping at the tears she sniffled. "Don't make a mockery of me." The voice was pained as she slunk back slowly the fangs still showing. If back into a corner odds were that she'd hurt him again. But at that moment the young girl just wanted someone who wasn't going to use her or hurt her. The eyes closed tightly as she bumped into the rough brick wall of the old library and then sunk to her knees whimpering slightly. "No ones ever wanted me. I don't even have a safe place in Hueco Mundo. No one wants me." Ravilin lifted her head from her arms tears showing clearly. "So don't offer me a farce of something I'll never get! That's cruel. I rather you hit me than that." The girl whimpered the eyes wide.

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