A damper on the day [PRP]

[Sojiro Kusaka]

Sitting, a finger tapped against the step he'd seated himself on, things were moving along rather well, perhaps better than he may have thought? No, his confidence on this thing's success was high, more so than it should have been perhaps. Regardless, thus far it was all proceeding rather well in his mind. He'd acquired the hogyoku, awakened it successfully, and then brought Toshiro and followed through with all he'd intended. With a darkened look he pulled at the bandage on his hand, a yawn coming shortly after, another scar for another mistake, all in a day's work for him by now really, he was used to it. There was of course something else he was forgetting, more putting due to the back of his mind due to the lack of importance actually, but anyway, details. This added factor was actually something he'd been meaning to look into for a while, something he'd been putting off for near enough a year. During the whole meeting with Kisuke the vizard he'd had accompany him Shinji had displayed lowered levels of intelligence. He'd of course expected this of course, control something and intelligence would fall to at least some degree, this drop though had been rather drastic.

Looking at the young blond before him his eyebrows remained slanted down as ever, casting a harsh look to his face. He hadn't chosen the fanged little brat from any particular reason, she'd just been the the first dumbass he'd found How exactly he'd found someone so small first though was beyond him, honestly, she was older than he himself and smaller than Hitsugaya... That just wasn't normal. Resting his chin on his hand he just looked at her for a moment, Hiyori. “What are you thinking?” He questioned bluntly. He didn't so much care, rather wanted to know to work out if it anything he was to do was working. Really he felt no connection or fondness for them, some would argue that he didn't feel that emotion at all, perhaps they were right, perhaps they weren't~ Regardless he felt nothing for them, they were puppets to him, toys he could and would use for his own benefit as he saw fit. Oh they were alive, but was a life really? Just a wisp in the greater scheme of things, something that could easily be shunned and extinguished, a life meant nothing if it could be smothered and extinguished so quickly.

Running his free hand through his hair he sighed, right, so now he had to just get this over with. If all went to plan he could raise the intelligence and retain control, if it didn't then they'd remain in their present state of mind. It was no big loss, but in his plans it would be better if they had some thought. Soon he planned to put his final stages into action, there was nothing left to wait for after all, he could in all effect go right now if he so wished, after this... After this there would be no more waiting, he'd have finally fulfilled the only goal he had the ability to, this was his, this he would do without fail. To fail this would mean that he really was nothing, that he was insignificant enough not to be able to justify his own existence, he would not be that, with a harsh sneer he laughed slightly, he'd be more than that without a doubt and none could stop him. All there was left to do was mildly lower his control over this girl, it wouldn't be huge, what he didn't want after all was her to regain enough freewill to turn on him and fight back, he wanted someone easy to control, but at the same time someone who wouldn't just damn well flail a sword around in the hope of actually hitting something.

How exactly he held any control over hollows was something of a quandary though, it certainly wasn't something he'd had when he was younger. It was indeed something that had only come to light when things had been getting steadily worse and worse, regardless of how it had happened it had, and with violet eyes still drilling coldly into the girl he was going to have to undo it to some degree, if only minimally. There was no long and fancy process, no showy signal that he'd even done anything at all, to any watching he'd have simply appeared to have just sat there, black shihakusho folding neatly out behind him. The girl though would know. He didn't really cloud the senses of the hollows, and usually they did maintain the original levels of intelligence, however something about the vizard meant it fell, perhaps it was simply the soul reaper in them fighting for command, must have been hell to be trapped in their own body with some other mind in command. It was not his concern in any form at all. Shifting ever so slightly he sighed. "And now what are you thinking?" Again the bored tone, this was all so tedious to him, so dull. Yet he did suppose it had a point to it, even with Toshiro he still needed these things, they were of use to him, far more so if he could raise them into a more intelligent state of being.

[Hiyori Sarugaki]

None. That was the grand total of emotions running through the red dressed girl. Why she had been dragged away, not even she was sure. But it seemed nothing was really going through her head. But even she could tell something was up. Normally Hiyori wasn't the brightest of people, but now with the hollow surpressing everything, she was about as intelligent as a rock. A rock with an attitude problem. Part of her wanted to attack the boy before her, but a stronger part was saying not too. Her now blackened eyes quickly darted to the boy as he began to speak.

'What are you thinking?'

She blinked and grunted a bit. "What's it to yah?" Her small hands hadn't uncurled even once from their tense fisted position. But then she felt a strange sensation, like a wave passing through her head. What the hell was he doing? What was happening to her?! Her mind seemed to be clearing a bit, but instead of claiming dominance as usual, the darker entity crept into the new clarity. No!

'And now what are you thinking?'

Atleast now she stood a chance, but it seemed the hollow was not intent on devouring her, but getting revenge. "You shouldn't have let me go..." The mental struggle to rip free from the fog had begun. First one out won, and both wanted to kill the idiot before them. But instead of lashing out, the vicious battle for internal control began. Due to the hollow already being empowered by the boys strange powers, it was finding this quite easy.

Her knees bent a bit, and her back arched. Her breathing became heavy, and soon gave way to coughing. But she was not ill, and what began to leak from her open mouth, was nothing the body naturally produced. The white subtance began to seep form her tear ducts, and quickly followed by her nostrils. She threw her head back and a silent scream passed through her open jaws. The white goo hardening over her face, coloration forming diamonds above the eye holes, and along the length of he horn that had taken root above her forehead.

The icey chill that she gave how, it was like nothing many had felt. The mix of hollow and soul reaper, leaking out and acting like a force of nature on it's on. The fanged jaws parted slightly, a puff of condensed breath disperssing into the warmer surrounding air. Straightening up the female took an an animalistic stance, one leg stretching back a bit, perched on her toes alone, the other remaining bent slightly. Her fists finally stretching out, horvering at her sides, as if going to grab something. Though some fog remained clouded in her head, thoughts were for the most part coming through, loud and clear. Kill him.

The foreward leg bent a bit more before springing up, sending her easily into the air. While airborn one hand grabbed the hilt from her back, whipping the sword of with speed that could have taken off her own head had she not been careful. As gravity decided to take effect, she plummeted down towards him, sword held ready to smack him right down on the head.

[Sojiro Kusaka]

"What's it to yah?"

With a sour grin he chuckled in that odd tone. He may control them, but they did retain some of their original personality, and frankly this girl was a bundle of rage, anger bursting at the seems. Grumpy little sod~ “Because I asked~” If it were possible for something to be made to seem a threat yet at the same time seem totally innocent he'd have just done so to utter perfection. He wouldn't do anything to her, she'd answered the question and that was all he needed after all. It didn't of course tell him what she was thinking, but her reaction was certainly enough for him to run upon. His arrogance about all this was somewhat overwhelming, he was sure without a doubt that he could do this, and thus was just sat nonchalantly watching. He was nothing like as prepared for any issues that may arise as he should have been, of course he was anything but relaxed, that was something he didn't do. Regardless though, this was all a hugeass mistake on his count, they said you needed to make them to learn, though in his life mistakes generally didn't lead to a slap on the wrist, rather being killed or mauled... Yeah, mistakes were a sure fire no no for him.

"You shouldn't have let me go..."

And so it started? Watching closely he shifted and folded his arms before him, there was clearly an internal struggle going on. What came next though he hated, the white skeletal structure began to leak from her face, flowing around it to form the structure of what was the physical representation of the other being within her soul. It wasn't so much the mask that he had an issue with, just the way it formed on this occasion, it brought up to much that frankly he didn't at all want to deal with. Whatever though, the fact the mask was forming was likely a good thing for his side of things, like this the hollow was liable to keep manipulation over her, he hoped anyway. To be perfectly honest he was by no means at all sure on how a vizard actually worked oh he knew that it was about having an immensely strong hollow in your soul, one that could take you over in a moment if you didn't have the training to tame it. He knew the vizards had been trained for this of course, though with him about it was only an ever so simple matter of bringing the hollow forth... On this occasion though perhaps he'd miscalculated things.

His eyes widened slightly as she leaped at him, movements swift and fluid, there was no time to order her to stop, she'd have cracked his head already, only dodge... And in his position that was hard. Jerking back he grabbed the hilt of Hyorinmaru, pulling it up to block, though to slow. The blade struck down, thankfully not as she'd have full intended as he'd moved back to avoid it as best he could whilst sitting, regardless though damage was done. Kubikiri Orochi hit the right of his face, effortlessly dragging down just short of his temple, over his eye and down to the bottom of his jaw. Wincing angrily, refraining from the yelp that was on the tip of angrily his blade prevented further advancement as he sat almost dazed he rocked back on himself and kicked up to throw her away if possible. “Stop!” Full control was what he intended now, nothing short. Quickly he lifted a hand, covering the bleeding gash down his face. Thankfully he could deem the eye hadn't been cut, yet somewhere there was some odd pain to it below the scorching of the long slash. Whatever it was he couldn't say, it was dull and throbbing, forcing on a headache... Dammit!

Snarling, regretting it very shortly after, he stood, pointing his blade toward the girl. Shortly after sheathing it. “Get out of my sight,” he growled sharply. Despite the utter lack of yelping, hissing, or any other noise that may have displayed pain, he hurt. The pain down his face was one, then the odd sensation to his eye, all followed up by an agonizing headache that tore through him causing what sight he was currently able to muster to shift and sway painfully. Stumbling slightly he tightened his grip on the hilt his hand had never left, dammit this made everything so much harder! This was just his freaking luck, unfair too, he'd been so close, and then some foolish mistake in a laps of judgment had cost him heavily. And now... Now things would have to be delayed, once more he was stuck damn well waiting. There was nothing he could do though, tightening his grip further his knuckles whitened, he'd now have to wait until he'd recovered... And all he could do was pray that there was no long lasting damage to his eye, if there were... Well then he'd never be able to fulfill his goal, and then what would he be left with? Nothing, always and forever, nothing.

[Hiyori Sarugaki]

'Because I asked~'

What a boring, and simple reason. But then again, would she understand anything more right now?

Her red eyes followed the streak of blood as her blade made it's way to the ground. A twisted grin spread under her mask. The wound, it was small, yet so powerful, and the amount of blood from it was so delightful. She could have laughed, but a sharp word forced her to fall silent.

'Stop.'

She snapped the masks jaws shut tightly. But something tweaked, as if he was slowly getting what he wanted. The clouds were returning, thicker than ever. Why? She had been so close, the blood dripping from the tip of her zanpakuto was proof of that. Why couldn't she muster the energy for one more strike? Why couldn't she allow herself the satisfaction of seeing blood pouring from his severed head? It would be so easy to let the blade live up to it's name, the beheading serpent. But every muscle refused to defy him. As if nothing she told them would go through.

'Get out of my sight,'

As much as she wanted to scream at him, rip that wound right down the rest of his body, every part of her screamed right back, saying no. She whipped the blade through the air, but slid it back into the sheath upon her back. A growl passed her lips, arms jerking back to her side. Shaking her head she turned away, was this honestly happening? No point in lingering. Her short legs bent at the knees before she shot into the air again, grabbing the ledge of a higher level.

She threw her legs over and turned, putting her fingers over the edge, staring down. What did he do to her? A faint snarl escaped, the confusion tearing at her. Like a hungry beast ripping at it's prey, she was becoming less of an independant person. She was becoming just another pawn. Why? Why did this have to happen?