::Bloodsprings Cavern:: Hidden below the sands on the edge between Muchos and Grande. A hidden cavern full of natural hot springs with water stained as crimson as fresh blood
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 5:44 pm
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Sinking to the bottom, burning down in the abyss Sinking within a blink of light under the freezing waters surface Collapse, break way, sink completely To the depths of the darkness, together with your friends!
◆ The cavern was dead silent. Nothing moved or stirred, even the water’s crimson surface lay still. Not too many creatures came underneath the sands of Hueco Mundo it seemed, as the waters were mostly abandoned. A handful of bubbles would float up to the red surface, followed by a wave of more. Suddenly the surface would break, a single eye of the same bloodstained color glowing as the Hollow known as Vitani breached from the spring.
There was very few times a corrupt soul like a Hollow could feel at ease. And for her this was one of them. Alone in the water was the only time the lost soul felt truly…comfortable…? She often found herself returning to this place when she wasn’t outside the realm of Hollows. It was something about the feel of water that made her feel nostalgic for her past life, though she could never seem to understand quite why.
Her two monstrous tails rose out of the water, their mouths agape as the hollow peeked around the cavern, looking for any sign of others who may have appeared when she was beneath the waves. She had discovered not too long ago when she first came to this place, that no matter how long she spent submerged in the depths she could not drown. That paired with the comfort of the water, in her leisure, she had begun spending most of her time at the bottom of the spring. It was an optimal spot to isolate herself, away from the prying eyes of other hollows looking to make quick work of her. And if even someone was to come down the cavern, the red colors of the water hid her quiet easily that one would except a monster to lay beneath them.
After assessing there was no one present, or at least she could sense, she bobbed up a bit and waded in the water. Her mind floated back to the question of why she felt so familiar with the element. Was it linked to the it have to do with the words that been the first thing she had she remembered when she came to this world? She sighed, it felt like she was on the brink of remembering but lacked the final piece of the puzzle. She slumped into the warm embrace of the water, letting out another huff before repeating the words she had now engraved into her being “War never changes…”
Xzavior Smith whistled a tune as he walked, seemingly paying no mind to the dangerous place he found himself in. He felt as at home in Hueco Mundo as he did in Northweald. He had once called this place his home, for many years. There was nobody here that could hold a candle to the arrancar he used to run with. Nobody here that could intimidate him. He had seen the power of gods written upon this dark, joyless world. He had seen Hueco Mundo bathed in ice and fire. The hollows that lived here now were mere children by comparison to the likes of the Frost King, or the old guard of Tra'al.
His destination was the blood springs, so named for the crimson waters that rested there, inside the caverns. He would never allow that water to touch him, but it was nice to look at. Who knew why the water was red? Not Xzavior, anyway. And he knew a lot about a great many things.
As he entered the cavern, he sensed that he was not alone. A wry smile came to his lips, and he picked up his pace, approaching the waters and peering around, trying to get an idea of who he found himself in the company of. His eyes came upon a hollow. He seemed surprised to see a hollow here, though he didn't know why. This was a place in Hueco Mundo, the home of hollows. In any case, he was glad for the company.
"A fine day for a dip, though I prefer clearer waters. Who do I have the pleasure of spending this moment with?"
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:18 pm
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Sinking to the bottom, burning down in the abyss Sinking within a blink of light under the freezing waters surface Collapse, break way, sink completely To the depths of the darkness, together with your friends!
◆ As Vitani waded in the spring, the comfort of the crimson waters was beginning to sneak up on her. Her eye would flutter a few times as she fought back to just drop to the bottom and sleep. Though seeing as there wasn’t anything of importance, she felt compelled to do, it might not be a bad idea to retire into the waves.
Just as she was about to dive down into the pool, she was struck by a presence so strong it rocked all her senses. She jerked up, her head whipping to meet the sight of Xzavior as he entered the cavern. Every instinct was telling her to run but in the center of the pool that would prove difficult. Instead, she watched him intensely, looking for any sudden movements to base her next step on. She knew a being like this could destroy her easily if he really wanted to, and that scared her. But not enough to scare her into making rash decisions. She immediately switched to defensive state, both of her “tails” shutting their mouths and turning towards him, as if they had a mind of their own. She did not know how long she could last in a fight with someone of such spiritual pressure, but she didn’t plan to quietly bow accept her death either.
His question threw her off guard for a minute. She realized this was the first time someone had asked her name. Most Hollows didn’t say much to her, and in return Vitani didn’t say much back. So, she had grown used to being silent for the most part. She wasn’t sure if this was a plan to throw her off but, if he wasn’t attacking them it might be for the best if she humored him as she did not need to make herself out as an enemy. “My name is Vitani…and you might be?” she cocked her head to the side after the introduction, it wouldn’t be wrong to say behind his intimating aura she was intrigued by why such as powerful induvial had decided to come here of all places.
Xzavior smiled, though he was at least a little disappointed. It seemed that in his absence from Hueco Mundo, hollowkind had forgotten who he was. All of his deeds, feats of mental prowess, all forgotten like leaves blown in the wind. His name had faded from memory in this place. He did not let his disappointment show on his face, instead widening his smile, and bowing deeply as this hollow girl, little more than a fledgling, asked him for his name. Introductions were something Xzavior had come to enjoy.
”I have the pleasure of being Xzavior Reginald Smith. The spectral jester! The King of Northweald, and the Valley of Screams! At your service.”
From his bowing position, his crimson eyes came up to meet Vitani’s.
”And you are in luck, for I come with an offer of respite. Come with me and make your home in Northweald, free of the savagery inherent to this place! Free from the constant threat of Shinigami and Hollow and others! A place where you can be free to do as you wish, so long as you follow my laws.”
Xzavior had always had an affinity for hollows, at least the ones with their wits about them enough to not be mindless slaughter machines. This one, judging by her terror (which Xzavior could sense as if it were a scent that permeated this place), was mindful enough to know danger. That was more than could be said for most of hollow-kind, especially those who had not yet ascended to the state of Arrancar.
He stood back up to his full height.
”You need not come to a decision now…. Say, do you take tea?”
Xzavior snapped, and a pair of teacups and saucers appeared, floating in mid-air before him, already filled with steaming earl grey. He had come to learn that you could determine a lot about the civlity of hollowkind by whether or not they would drink tea. Rahvir had drank tea with him, and Rahvir had been the most civil (and deadliest) hollow he had ever met.
Xzavior sipped from his cup pensively, his eyes never leaving those of this hollow woman.
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:36 am
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Sinking to the bottom, burning down in the abyss Sinking within a blink of light under the freezing waters surface Collapse, break way, sink completely To the depths of the darkness, together with your friends!
◆ His behavior was very confusing to the Hollow. Though she had only been Hueco Mundo for a short time, she had quickly learned from her experience that most Hollows didn’t interact this much with one another unless they were out to kill you. Though she supposed it could be different for him, as he lacked the aura of a corrupted soul like her. But due to her inexperience she could not quite yet identify what exactly he was, only that they were not the same. She would still stay on guard however, and while his spiritual pressure was weighing her down, it was not suffocating. A sign that it lacked the hostile intent she had been accustomed to. She waded through the waters towards him, slowly but cautiously, still being mindful to keep a preferable distance between them.
He would introduce himself as a king but, to what exactly Northweald still alluded her. The Valley of Screams however, did ring a few bells but only in name alone. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious as to what this other realm was like. It would appear there was many places she had yet to discover. His proposal for her to move their intrigued her more. While Hueco Mundo was certainly where she resided, it would be farfetched to call it a “home”. The temptation of being out of the range of soul reapers and fellow Hollows was awfully appealing to her. And unlike other Hollows who seemed to have a problem following the lead of others, Vitani had no qualms with abiding by another’s rules if it meant she was getting something better in return.
“…I would like to see this…Northweald place…” she answered, watching him as the two tea sets manifested out of thin air. She tilted her head to the side, never having seemed such objects before…or at least she remembered. Her eye would observe him put it to the edge of his mouth, so whatever was inside, must be consumable. Vitani would straighten her posture at the same time one of her tails would dip down into the red waters and out of sight. A few moments later it would resurface next to Xzavior, looking at the man with a crooked smile before its jaws would open freakishly. Chomp. It swallowed the teacup completely before retreating down into the crimson waves. It appeared back at Vitani’s side, the Hollow holding out her hands as it miraculously coughed out the set without any damage, not a single drop of tea spilled despite being dragged. She would look down at the cup, looking at the murky liquid inside of it. It gave off a pleasant aroma, so she didn’t expect it to be poisonous. Just like she had watched him do, Vitani brought the cup to her lips, taking a small sip. It was surprisingly…satisfying…she had never tasted such a warm flavor. Looking back to Xzavior, she would give a small appreciative nod for his gift. “…I like this…thank you…”
A soft crackle and popping sound followed by the distinct snap of a being simply coming into existence would resonate throughout the caverns, as a green cloaked figure would appear to create itself from nothing directly in the middle of one of the pools of red liquid. With a splash, the cloaked figure would sink into the water, before the cloak surrounding it's form would condense and shrink until it resembled swimming trunks and a hooded tank top. The overall appearance of this figure was that of a humanoid skeleton with an eyeless face, it's entire body nothing more then bones with the occasional spike here or there. As the figure rose itself fully from the depths of the red liquid that he had fallen into, his apparent gaze swept across the location that he now found himself in with a soft clack of his fanged jaws in what could only be in that of slight confusion. He hadn't planned to end up in a place like this, seeing as he was looking for the place that Nobody's such as himself would head towards. Yet instead he had simply popped into existence here, as Blanks tend to do. When his eyeless gaze came to rest upon the two that had begun sharing a liquid of some sort between the two. Several tendrils of what could be green fabric slowly extend themselves from the folds of what could be his clothing, as they caress against the red liquid he stood within momentarily before fading back into the folds once again. This casual touch was all he needed to understand the memories held within the waters themselves. This was a spring of sorts, for relaxation and rest. Yet those before him appeared to be sharing something that did not immediately come to him when he prodded for the answer. This curiosity led Ye to slowly move forwards towards them, oblivious as to what or who they were, as he waded through the red liquid with his eyeless gaze pressed directly upon the teacups in their hands. Based on the immediate understanding of the situation, they had to be used for drinks of some sort. He had seen them in his temporary travels before even though the ones he had seen had been used with straws and plastic tops. Normally immediately discarded the moment they had grown empty of liquid, though not the frozen kind. Ye moved ever closer as if he was a creature on the prowl, and yet his motions were almost childlike as his green hooded head tilted slightly to the side with the curiosity he felt. "Is this drink? Do you share?" He would soon ask as he came close enough for basic communication to be possible. The sound of his voice radiating a hollow and rather inhumane tone that sounded like one ripped right from another's mouth. While his own fanged jaws moved in a way as to mimic the sounds he produced, but not in the way that actually harbored the movements required of them to do so.
// 511 Words x2.6 = 1328.6 Words //
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 12:37 am
Xzavior’s look of delight was palpable as Vitani expressed her pleasure with his tea.
”I have a dear friend that grows this in Northweald. Perhaps I can show you the garden that he tends? Eiji will be delighted to tell you more than you need or want to know about his work.” This much was true. Eiji took his tea very seriously, almost as seriously as Xzavior did. And Xzavior had killed people for tea.
He was delighted that this voncersation seemed to be going so well. He was well on his way to making Northweald a formidable force, and truth be told, he was excited to have the chance to associate with hollow-kind again, if only for the nostalgia of it. This girl was no Rahvir, but Rahvir had once been a fledgling hollow as well. She would grow into a powerful ally, if carefully tended like one of Eiji’s plants.
He was about to offer to take her to Northweald when a figure splashed down into the crimson waters. If Xzavior was startled it did not show on his face. His smile only widened further. He immediately sensed that this was another blank, much like himself, though likely this figure had come upon its nature in a way quite different than Xzavior had.
The figure reached out with its tendrils, probing the area. Xzavior recognized its search for memories, a persuit that lesser Blanks often had to devote themselves to. It was a rarity, to Xzavior’s knowledge, that a blank had a unified identity like he did.
Xzavior looked the figure up and down, seemingly unperturbed by the skeletal nature of their company. As the blank asked them if they would share their tea, Xzavior already had materialized another cup and saucer.
”This is indeed drink. And he more, the merrier, I always say! Who might you be?” Xzavior allowed the cup and saucer to float over to the blank, as he himself took another sip from his own cup. Xzavior did not recognize this blank, which meant they were either newly formed, or simply had not crossed paths with their king. Xzavior made a point to try and know as much about and as many of his citizens as he possibly could. That he did not know this one did not alarm him, however, but piqued his interest for sure.
He spoke warmly to the Blank. ”I was just about to take my beautiful companion here to see our homeland. Would you care to join?”
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Karurura
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:20 pm
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Sinking to the bottom, burning down in the abyss Sinking within a blink of light under the freezing waters surface Collapse, break way, sink completely To the depths of the darkness, together with your friends!
◆ Her attention would drift back and forth between Xzavior and the cup, both still a mystery unto itself for her though she was quite enjoying the how it was going. She was interested in obtaining more of this “tea” substance at some point. Just as Vitani was about to question about this Northweald place he had brought up again, the sound of splashing waters would put her on high alert.
The hollow whipped her body to face the newcomer, both tails rising up about of the waves and aiming right towards them with their mouths cracked into sinister smiles. She would watch him come closer to them. Just like when Xzavior had first approached her, her first instinct was defense. She would not attack him if he didn’t give her a reason to, but she wasn’t going to wait around for that to happen either. Vitani would soon realize the aura produced by the newcomer was the same as her other guest; neither of them being Hollows or Shinigami. She made a quick glance to Xzavior, of course, someone of his stature wouldn’t be afraid like she was and while she could sense the newcomer wasn’t as strong as him, it was apparent to her she was still the weakest link in the bunch.
The Hollow would sink into the waters a bit, feeling overwhelmed by the two who had entered her deserted chambers. Xzavior hadn’t given her a reason not to trust him but just like water, the tides could change at a moment notice if she wasn’t careful. For now, she would drift closer to black-haired nobody, feeling like it safer to near him.All while keeping her gaze on Ye for the time being. He did not appear to be hostile, more curious if anything. But if these people were anything like Hollows, unpredictable was a common trait.
Ye immediately lifted the cup with boney claw like fingers delicately wrapping themselves around the entire thing. His eyeless face shifting downwards to look from the cup to the saucer as his head tilts slightly to the side again. Observation and understanding immediately passing through his mind thanks to both viewed experience and the touch of the object itself. He rose the cup to his mouth, pouring the liquid inside without any sort of hesitation until the entire cup had been emptied in its entireity. "I understand. Hmm. Delicious." He says a moment later, before carefully placing the cup back onto the saucer before him and allowing his hands to go back to rest upon his sides. Ye's attention soon shifted from the objects in front of him, and onto the ever staring and defensively postured Hollow a distance away. "Threat? No.." He soon says aloud before turning his attention back onto Xzavior in order to finally answer at least one of their presented questions. "I was called. Am. Called, Ye. Ye Du'An Eero as my full designation. Who are you?" He asks, while raising one of his skeletal hands and gesturing at both of them together. "Returning is acceptable. My route was placed incorrectly during previous travel." He soon follows up, while lowering his hand once again as if he had just remembered he had raised it moments before. His eyeless face soon turns once again to look down at the cup and saucer, almost as if expecting it to have refilled itself much like it had seemed to have appeared out of thin air. "Was this gathering.. Date? Did I intrude upon it? Humans fancy those type of gatherings in even numbers. Not odd. Am I still invited?" He asks suddenly, while turning his attention back away from the cup and saucer and back to the two new beings that he had come into contact with.
Xzavior sensed the trepidation in the hollow woman, a defensiveness that could only come from hard years in the hueco Mundo sands, a sense of impending danger. Hollowkind was anything but predictable. A friend one moment could devour you the next. This girl would find herself in Northweald, Xzavior knew. A place free from those sorts of dangers.
Xzavior allowed his beaming smile to rest upon the newcomer blank as his tea was complimented. "I was just telling our friend here that Eiji, one of my friends in our homeland, grows this tea himself. I was planning on showing her the Tea Garden, if you would care to join us."
Xzavior's normally-flawless countenece was stained red with embarrassment as Ye asked if this was some sort of date.
"An old man like me?! I would never dream of it! Just tea between new friends. Feel free to join!"
Xzavior snapped, and all three teacups refilled.
"If we're all going, then let us be off! But first, I have to go fetch my Tea Master." Xzavior bowed deeply.
MEANWHILE, IN THE KARAKURA HOT SPRINGS...
Within a blink of an eye, the group found themselves in the Karakura Hot Springs
Corrina entered the caverns covered in blood, with a wicked grin plastered across her face. She looked around, but the place seemed to be empty. She had sensed a powerful presence there earlier, and had kept her distance, but now the place seemed to be abandoned.
She had always taken a shine to this place. Something about it felt like home, likely the crimson pool that gave the place its name.
Over her shoulder she carried a large chainsaw, or something like it. It was as covered in gore and viscera as she was. She set the machine down by the water as she began to pull off her blood-soaked clothing, one piece at a time, until she was wearing naught but her skin. She stepped into the cool water (if water was what it was. In a way, she hoped that it wasn’t.)
She went in up to her chin, giggling to herself as the waves lapped around her face. She began to swim, washing the blood off of her body with the crimson water. Nobody loved blood more than Cori Chanso, but she also did not like the idea of smelling like old blood. She liked to be covered in fresh blood, not caked in dried, stinky, day-old blood.
She swam a few laps from one side of the pool to another, humming to herself, and enjoying the solitude.
