I had invited the newest subject of gosip over to my barracks when it happened. I had wished to get to know the recently revealed time traveler better, and I got far more than I bargined for on that front, thats for sure.
I don't remember what we were talking about, but I do recal the moment when cut himself off in startled confusion when Ichigo put up a finger, cocked his head, and looked like he was listening to something, then broke off into: "No, NO, NO! WAIT!-"
I felt a sudden pressure on by back, like something ...or someone had materialized there.
Two crooked white points came into my vision, along with a weight in my shoulder. I turned my head to try and and identify the source of the weight, only to get a facefull of orange-red hair. I jolted back at the sensation, hearing a soft *thump* as the weight must have hit the floor. I looked back at the source of the *thump*, and am not ashamed of the noise I made consequently.
I was looking at, what I will swear on my zanpakuto, was a Vasto-Lorde. It was a little larger than a human, and bone white with black tribal highlights. It also seemed to have a mane of orange-red hair around a horned mask, along with tufts of it along the wrists and ankles. The Mask was a demonic sight, a fairly humanoid shape, with a defined mouth, nose, and eyeholes, but had rows of sharp grinning teeth, and front-facing horns.
Horns, which I now realized, were just the shape of the points that had intruded in my line of sight earlier. Horns which could have skewered me in an instant.
I jumped, once again startled as a hand touched the one I had resting on the hilt of his Zanpakuto (something I hadn't even realized that I'd done). I glanced at the owner of said hand, out of instinct if nothing else. I hadn't wanted to take my eyes off of the elite hollow for even a moment, but the look on my dimension-hopping friends face made me do a double take.
Ichigo didn't even show an iota of fear in his eyes towards the hollow, barely even glancing at it. And even when he did, his face showed more of a mild amused concern and confusion rather than the full on fear and concern that was directed at me.
Before I could decipher this riddle of a reaction, he spoke up.
"Please don't freak out and attack. I can explain, but I need to do something first."
He then turned to the hollow, who was lounging on the floor like a happy cat and making a noise that was probably it's best approximation of a purr.
"Okay ya' skink, explain yourself."
The dimension hopper paused, once again appearing like he was listening to someone, and then put his face in his hands with a defeated sigh/groan.
"You meant to tell me," Ichigo tiredly continued through his hands, "that you a. Can't change back to a more human form, b. Can't speak in this form, and c. thought it was a good idea to materialise in front of someone who doesn't know you, with this all in mind?!"
He was listening again, and quirked an eyebrow in a "really? You're trying that excuse?" expression before speaking.
"No, it doesn't count if he knew you there, this Ukitake has no memories of that one"
'This Ukitake' was now thoroughly confused, but starting to relax in the slightest, if for no reason other than the fact that his subconscious felt that it needed to direct more energy to putting together and accepting the puzzle in front of him, rather than defend against a threat that was proving itself to be more of a confusion than a danger.
The hollow lolled onto it's back and opened it's mouth, showing off a blue tongue. The Lordes' paws were also shown in their full glory, black claws tipping the far-to-human hands, and feet like a raptors also ending in the deadly tips.
"Juushiro, I would have liked you to meet Shiro in a... less … surprising manner, but I suppose this will have to do." The orangette sighed once again. "Anyways, Juushiro Ukitake, meet Shirosaki… Shiba, I guess? Anyways, he's my inner hollow." There was a definite stress on the word "inner". In response to this, the hollow- Shiro, I supposed, -stuck out his cobalt tongue, rolled onto his paws, and pounced at Ichigo.
I gave a start, and almost attacked. I restrained myself however, at the strange sight before me. (well, the entire sequence of events leading up to this was also as bizarre as anything, but so far this was the crowning moment of What The F-?!).
The hol- Shirosaki-, he reminded himself, was now lying on top of Ichigo, radiating the air of a smug cat (the tip of his tail was twitching like one too, I absentmindedly noted), and Ichigo just seemed mildly annoyed at the fact that a creature that could rip his throat in less than a heartbeat was right next to both.
When Shiro then started licking Ichigo's face, that was when the captain just gave up trying to understand what was happening, and sat down.