Heaven's BBS | Text

[moonlitknight]

Posted: April 24
From: Zero

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Can Shinki get sick?

[ A seemingly simple question, but one that's been clawing at him for days. The symptoms have become too painful to ignore, so he bites his tongue and seeks answers because unknown to him, his bloodlust has begun to manifest. ]

Comments

[moonlitknight]

[ An unfamiliar face, but his words immediately tag him as another Shinki easing his mistrust of him, but what truly has him answering fairly quickly is that last statement. He was hungry, all the time. Like him. ]

How bad is your hunger?

[moonfang]

irritating at best, almost overpowering at worst. it really only goes away if I go after live prey

1/2

[moonlitknight]

[ .........

His eyes widen as the knowledge he tried to ignore suddenly comes surging back to the fore front of his mind. ]

2/2

[moonlitknight]

What

[ His fingers clench unable to write the rest of it out, so he forces himself to calm down before typing the full question.]

What kind of prey?

[moonfang]

Animals. Small ones. Birds, fish, monkeys, whatever I can find in the jungle around my God's temple. But I gotta say... the free spirits floating around look more and more appetizing every day.

I'm a shinki. But I think I'm a lot closer to the ayakashi than most. it doesn't bother me.

[moonlitknight]

[ None of the animals ever triggered an episode but... the free spirits... He swallows thickly, aware of the mark on his neck beginning to itch. ]

Appetizing? Aren't the animals enough?

[moonfang]

They are


For now.


I'm resisting the urge because I think it may blight my gods.

[moonlitknight]

How long have you been resisting?

[ It wasn't an easy thing, a fact he was just beginning to find out. ]

[moonfang]

since I got here. I suspect it's part of my nature from...before.

[moonlitknight]

[ From before.... he never really thought of that but here, he seems to have found a kindred spirit. Someone who could understand, what he could never put into words but he suspected he would understand even in simple terms. ]

It's the same for me.

[moonfang]

Well, well, well. Didn't think I'd find anyone else feeling the same way, but here you are.

Zangetsu. Hollow. Apparently my old world's equivalent of an ayakashi. You?

[moonlitknight]

[ Hollow.... He doesn't know what it means but he understands the Ayakashi explanation well enough. But then... if he was like one of them, did that mean he was too? ]

Zero. I don't know anything of who what I am.

[moonfang]

I got lucky, there's someone from the same world as me.

Well, now you aren't alone, Zero. If you need a good hunt, come to Mixcoatl's temple. We can track a boar.

Locked - Entire Thread

[moonlitknight]

[ Zero takes a moment to lock the thread from prying eyes before replying. ]

How do you know they're from your world? Do you remember them?

2/2

[moonlitknight]

[ A shake of his head. ]

I don't hunt boar.

[ The words come out even before he realizes he's sent them but once sent he can't retract them. He doesn't know how, but he knows the statement to be true. ]

[moonfang]

of course I don't. But she knows me. Or knows of me... or just knows what a Hollow is and was able to tell me that's what I am. That's enough for me. If I think about it much more deeply than that, I get that twisty stomach-ache.

you sound so sure of yourself! hehe. you ever tried it?

[moonlitknight]

She's a god.

[ He can tell that much from his words. ]

I won't kill an animal.

[ The words may show up plainly but there's a steel in his mind as he types them. He won't harm an animal. ]

private

[skyleopardess]

[She'd been following the post out of curiosity, but this has her sighing in mild exasperation. The damage is done, but she might as well step in and say something.]

Don't be so quick to talk about that in public. You've seen how the old gods and shinki already think of us; I'm not ready to go up against all of Heaven yet because they've decided you're no better than what we're hunting.

[Not that she wouldn't, regardless. They may not be able to win, but they'd do some serious damage before going down. ]

private;

[moonfang]

oh uh

oops.

my bad.

[he was just trying to be empathetic!!]

... wait, are you saying... you would protect me against heaven?

private;

[skyleopardess]

[ It's just another reminder that for all his power, Zangetsu's still just a kid. Ichigo's Hollow shares his straightforward nature, so it's not all that surprising that he'd let that bit of information slip.]

Of course I would.

[ The fact that he has to ask about something she takes as a matter of course makes her heart hurt, just a little. The idea of abandoning any part of her student after all he's sacrificed is unthinkable.

If Zangetsu does something he shouldn't, then of course she'll deal with that. But hell if she's letting people come after him because of what he is and what he might do. ]

private;

[moonfang]

[Ichigo and all of his constituent parts have a bad tendency to leap before they look. It's a hot headed teenager thing.

But that actually... sort of surprises him. Zangetsu considered her his teacher, but never thought she'd actually put herself out there for him. He was just some stupid monster, after all. He transmits a few emotions all at once. Confusion. Surprise. But also, deep gratitude]

i uh

Im not sure what to say

except thanks, i guess?

private;

[skyleopardess]

[ The emotions surprise and warm her; especially that he's feeling them strongly enough for her to sense. Yoruichi isn't particularly demonstrative, but she stands by the people she cares for.]

Don't get me wrong, I'll still kick your ass if you need it. But I'll have your back as long as we're here.

private;

[moonfang]

[it's rare for Hollows to feel anything but pain, and it's rare for Zangetsu to feel anything other than angry or bloodthirsty. This is definitely a different feeling altogether]

... speaking of needing an ass kicking. do you know any way us "hollows" can moderate the hunger? I'm afraid I might lose it and go after the souls drifting around the near shore.

... that ain't to say i give a damn about them. if I don't eat em, ayakashi will, and if theyre not strong enough to get away, well.... but i think it might blight you and jin pretty badly if I did that

private;

[skyleopardess]

[Yoruichi quickly sobers--she'd been worrying about this possibility since they'd arrived. Regular food and animals seemed to have helped for a while, but it's apparently not a permanent solution.]

A Hollow as strong as you usually eats other Hollows. [She's suddenly overcome with a brief, powerful wish for her partner's expertise. Kisuke could probably figure something out without Zangetsu being forced to eat loose souls. This isn't her world, but she's still shinigami enough to want to prevent that.]

Let me see what I can find out. In the meantime, let me know if it gets any worse.

[She can handle a little blight if it comes to it, but she'd like to avoid it as much as possible.]

private;

[moonfang]

[one can only hold off their true nature for so long. He may be a very unique hybrid creature, but outside the confines of Ichigo's soul, Zangetsu is very much subject to the laws that rule his kind]

Huh? Really? Other Hollows... you know, what if we could figure out a way for me to eat the ayakashi? That'd be pretty similar I think, and the stray souls wouldn't be in danger.

... either way, I'll keep you updated. Animal souls still seem to be workin for now