Evergloam
New Member
Flower Power
Dys as Robin | Gloam as [nobr]Vaugn[/nobr]
- 2,786 -
Green cornstalks topped with golden tassels stood tall and proud in a field, unbent by the brisk Nebraska breeze. A shinigami topped with bright blond hair seemed to blend in with the corn from above as he trudged alongside the cornfield on winding road, sidestepping the occasional pothole. "How did a car crash happen in the middle of nowhere?" The man grumbled to himself, rubbing at the goosebumps prickling on his arms.
Robin had imagined his first mission to be much more exciting than this. Instead, he was sent to search cornfields for kplus souls to perform a soul burial. Did soul reapers really pick through the middle of nowheres of the world in search of plus souls? Probably not, the tall man thought irritably, I bet only the new guys get missions like this. Probably impossible to die on a hike through a cornfield unless the corn is somehow dangerous. The American frowned and fiddled with the small heart shaped charm on his zanpakuto. He had been walking for a while and could barely make out the faint feel of something on the edge of his senses. "Gotta get better at tracking..." he mumbled, wondering what it was that he had sensed.
Despite his grumpiness, Robin's curiosity had been piqued. What kind of people would he be sending to soul society? Would they be glad to see him? Scared? Angry? Lost in his own world, the blond man walked on, unaware of the possibility for danger.
Stalking, just on the outskirts of the shinigami’s senses, was a creature. A hungry, starved creature. It swam through the cornfield with much ease, its golden petals and ivy stem blending in almost seamlessly with the corn. A bleached-white mask sat in the center of its floral features, with a single line for a mouth and two eye sockets that held cold tan eyes.
As it lurched through the corn field, it was on its way to a quick little dish. One that wouldn’t fight like the shinigami. No! Easy pickin’, as humans said. Against a shinigami, it might not’ve had a chance.
Seconds became moments as its body rushed through the corn stalks, pushing them past and trampling over them to get to its destination. Without warning, a fierce growl was let loose. It was so close, it could taste them... Oh, how he wanted that sensation!
Happily oblivious to his stalker, Robin perked up when he heard someone calling, "heeeelp! Is anybody there! Can anybody hear me?" A plus soul pushed aside some cornstalks and stumbled onto the road. This soul was a teenage girl with a dark ponytail. She wore faded jeans and a light green T-shirt. She would have passed for an ordinary stranded Nebraska teen were it not for the chain protruding from her chest.
The tall blond man, clad in black robes, jogged over to the confused soul and waved. "Hey!"
The plus soul's green eyes focused on the shinigami. She jumped, startled by the figure in black running towards her, but didn't run. He had warm brown eyes and a friendly smile. Maybe he would help her.
Stopping in front of the dead girl, the equally dead man offered a handshake and a grin. "Hi! My name is Robin, how are you?" The American death god was glad to meet somebody new. He had so many questions for her; she would be the first soul to receive a soul burial from him after all. A chill ran down his spine making the tall death god's eyes narrow almost imperceptibly while he chatted up the plus.
As words were beginning to be exchanged between reaper and soul alike, a third party was stalking. Waiting among the stalks of corn. Patiently.
After they began to talk and the words went on for what seemed like an eternity, despite seconds passing, the hollow let out a rattling breath. From the pursed ‘lips’ on its mask, two small puffs of smoke began to rise. The corn around the group began to shake as the predator began to skulk towards his prey.
Shiiinnniiigaaammmiii...! the thought crawled into its mind as its alabaster mask peeked through the veil of stalks. Tan eyes stared down the soul, then to the shinigami. Which would be tastier? Which would be easier? It wasn’t a strong shinigami. And scrawny! Oh, the choices.
Both!!! A single burst of its reiatsu rushed forth as the petals on its stem-like body began to rustle, then dislodge. Guided by wind, they rushed forward at a dangerous speed towards both of the people.
A rustling noise from the corn was all the warning Robin received before a monster emerged from the corn patch. Alarmed, he grabbed the plus, Amy, and tried to jump out of the way. Some of the strange flower petals aimed at the two hit Robin and sent him and the plus tumbling. "Natural law undone! The world turned on its head, the apple high in the tree, Bakudou seven, Mujuuryou!" He shouted, the words tumbling together.
The two halted just above the ground for a moment before dropping harmlessly onto the blacktop of the road. As soon as they landed, the shinigami leapt up and ran, clutching the dead girl to his chest. "I gotta get you out of here!"
Amy blinked in surprise, still clinging to the tall blond man, "w-what?" She struggled to process what had just happened as the cornstalks closed behind her and the man holding her like a curtain.
The hollow’s eyes narrowed as the shinigami began to retreat. What was this? A coward? Whatever. It gave him perfect reason to devour Robin. A coward shinigami was a pathetic shinigami and better off as a meal.
I can taaaste hiiim... the voice in his mind growled out as they noted the small blood stains smeared across the corn stalks and a little of the asphalt. A direct hit meant the shinigami was already beginning to lose this battle.
Perfect. Without another moment to think about it, the hollow retreated from its forest of cornstalks and out into the road, its full body being shown. A stem body, from the mask to its ‘feet’ was revealed, with petals abundantly showing up on its body. It slithered, however, like a snake. And it was a hungry predator. With a fierce growl, unlike what one would expect from the flower power hollow, it began to speed up. It wanted these meals more than anything right now.
As soon as he had put a fair amount of distance between himself and the floral beast, Robin set Amy down. She looked up at him with confusion in her big green eyes. "That thing," the blond man who had rescued her began between heavy breathing, "wants to eat you."
"What!" She squeaked, eyes widening. Nervousness made it hard for her not to squirm when Robin didn't answer her. "Robin?" The tall man grabbed her hand and quickly scribbled something on it.
"No time!" He told her, pulling out a katana with a red ribbon wrapped around the handle.
"Kyaaa!" Amy shrieked in alarm at the blade just before he stamped her forehead with the butt. A mark appeared and she began to glow. "W-wha..?"
"See you soon," Robin smiled and waved as the plus faded from sight. Sighing, he mumbled another incantation under his breath, " Give vision life, make the intangibles tangible. Bakudou number five, Mage Eye." He turned just in time to see a bright blue mass approaching him. The tall man re-sheathed his sword and readied his mind. “It’s here...”
The hollow’s petals surged through the air like shuriken, embedding themselves just feet away from the blonde. Then, following their arrival, so did the hollow. Heartless, cold eyes stared down at him, then began to bounce wildly. Its slit of a mouth opened to speak, but only a roar came forth. Warbling in an angry tone, followed by a hiss. Its meal was gone and now all that was left was some scrawny thing?
Unacceptable.
With a burst of what speed it could conjure up, it slithered towards Robin, its leafy tail swaying to the side, as if to give the slightest hint of what would happen when it got close. One single burst of reiatsu sent out a single razor-edged petal, aiming right at the torso of his meal.
This time, Robin wasn't caught off guard. He twisted out of the way of the dangerous flower petals. Glowing blue eyes locked on the hollow's form taking in detail. The monster across from him was a mass of blue with bright blue spots where the petals grew.
If I can just time this right.... The blond man ran into the corn in a zigzag pattern, hoping the hollow would give chase. He just needed time to figure the monster out. I can solve this... I hope I don't die first.
Every motion the shinigami made, the hollow mimicked, though slower. This one was faster than his last meal. Some succulent soul was easier to catch than a shinigami. But weak was a correct assumption as well. This man was just running around.
It continued its path towards Robin, occasionally sending out a burst of reiatsu in the form of its petals. They would be either dodged by a rightly-timed turn, or completely ignored. It began to annoy the hollow. Finally, it stopped giving chase. Its reiatsu spiked momentarily as all of its petals on its slithering body began to jitter.
Suddenly, every single one was launched towards Robin in a deadly display of its annoyance towards its prey!
Robin winced as petals grazed his body, shredding his robes as they sheared by. Oh, man! This thing is really gonna kill me! He ducked behind some untrampled cornstalks for a moment only for a series of petals to slice them away. A few strands of blond hair floated above his head were a testament to the close shave.
I think I have the timing down. Robin glared at the bright blue mass that the hollow appeared as to his Mage Eye enhanced vision. Here goes nothing. The blond shinigami ran again, this time, however, he headed straight towards his foe in a jagged zig zag. If I do this right, I won’t die, I just have to time it perfectly.
Beneath his blond hair, the tall death god’s mind raced, calculating how fast the beasts’ attacks would come and how long he would need to stab it in the mask. The large, blue mass was ominous, making Robin second guess the sanity of his plan.
The flowery hollow’s eyes narrowed as well as its boney mask could allow, glaring down the path of ruined corn stalks towards the shinigami. It was fast, and it seemed to be running... towards him?
A suicidal meal was still a meal! In a quick flare of reiatsu, three simple, yet sharp petals began to dislodge themselves from the mask itself, leaving behind several other petals, but an odd looking mask with the loss of a few petals.
Diiie! Sending the petals towards the shinigami, the hollow braced itself. It expected the shinigami to dodge, but it would simply meet the end of its body. Strangulation would be suitable; it left the meal intact.
Robin avoided two of the petals, but the third snagged his left sleeve and some of his flesh as he went by. Wincing, the man grit his teeth and tried to make his long legs work faster. He came to a halt just out of the hollow's reach and stamped his foot.
"Atlas forbids Hermes' will. Bakudou six, Tensoku!" A flash of blue energy surged towards the hollow to lock it in place. Confident that his plan would work and praying that he wasn't wrong, Robin ran and leaped at the hollow, the words of another binding spell on his lips.
The hollow’s serpent-like body was frozen by the low-level Bakudou, much to its disdain. Tan eyes watched the shinigami as it neared him. If it was possible for that floweresque mask to crack a smile, it would’ve. A low warble came from the hollow, reminiscent of a laugh. Binded or not, it had its tail! With a flick of what strength it could muster up underneath the binding, the hollow moved back, almost landing on its back, and raised its vicious tail upwards, aiming to uppercut the young shinigami.
Yes... Yes... Yes! Die, meat!
"...Bakudou seven, Mujuuryou!" Robin finished shouting the incantation just in time to find himself afloat before the hollow's tail. He smacked the appendage aside with an open hand strike and his descent resumed. Robin's feet collided with the monster before he could maneuver to land anywhere else. He landed in a tangle of gangly limbs and torn fabric before scrambling away from the hollow as fast as he could.
The chill of the beast's mere presence made Robin extremely uncomfortable. Its awful shuriken-petals didn't make him feel any safer.
A surprised look washed into the hollows eyes as its meal leaped into its maw. Did it really feel so suicidal that it felt the need to jump into his mouth?
With the binding still around him, it was hard to try to digest anything, let alone a soul. But a Soul Reaper was even harder. But that wouldn’t stop him from trying. With fierce intakes of air and its own... lovely oral juices, it began to try to take Robin into its body deeper, to end this battle with a delicious bite.
"Aww!" Robin groaned, "that is disgusting!" He wrinkled his nose at the hollow saliva covering him. Fumbling, he pulled out his sword and began to jab at the beast's mask. "Not today!" He glared, intent on not getting eaten.
Why me, he thought. Why do I have to almost get eaten? This is just plain annoying, is that a hole forming in my robes?! The scrawny shinigami's struggle intensified as he slashed and stabbed. The excitement and adrenaline rushing through his veins numbed any fears he should have felt. He growled, "Stop it! You beast! I. Am. Not. Food!" He punctuated each word with a jab of his blade.
With every slash and angered jab, the hollow began to bleed. Haphazard slashes were effective, making the hollow’s body a canvas for a murderer. At first, it was a little annoying. None were fatal, and the shinigami had yet to use actual force, more or less, he used panicked movements and kicks. Then, they began to hurt. Badly.
Body being torn asunder, the hollow wasn’t exactly enjoying a suicidal meal. Instead, it was a meal with a kick. After several more cuts and jabs, one managed to pierce through a layer of tissue in its back and piece straight through the floral mask, resulting in the hollow’s demise. A single thought crossed the mind of the beast as Robin crawled out of its body, writhing about and slowly disappearing.
Prey... doesn’t get... away... just... stronger meals for... stronger predators...
Robin flopped onto the ground a few feet away from the beast he had just slain. In its place, an innocent plus sat crying. The unhollowfied soul was a small child, no older than ten, with messy red hair and a battered, over sized T-shirt to clothe it. “Oh boy,” the soggy shinigami grumbled tiredly. “It’s hard to believe such a small guy like you almost turned me into a snack....”
After a few moments of the saliva soaked death god panting and the purified plus whimpering, the tall man managed to stagger to his feet. “Come on, it’s time to get out of here. I’m kinda tired of corn,” the blond’s eyes faded from the bright blue of Mage’s Eye to a warm brown color as he tried to give the other soul a reassuring smile. He looked even scrawnier than he had before; what remained of his robes was plastered to his frame with spit and digestive juices. Several cuts and bruises marred his pale skin and his normally fluffy blond hair was slick against his scalp. In short, he looked pitiful.
The plus seemed to notice Robin’s haggard appearance. The sniveling stopped and laughter began. “Oh yeah, real funny, kid,” the grumpy man muttered, haphazardly stamping the plus on the forehead with his sword. Pulling out his soul phone, which miraculously survived his adventure unharmed, he dialed a number. “Hey, Ms. Adele, could you please open a gate... asenkaimon for me? I finished my mission... okay, yeah, thanks.” He flipped the device closed and let his arm drop to his side as he waited for the magic door to open and let him go back home.