Into the Fire 4 - (Bleach, OC-I)
Spirited Away is not a movie I remember much about. Mostly because the first and last time I saw it was a long ass time ago.
I could say from the get go, right as the movie started, that there was nothing that I could remember about the plot. So, it was like watching it for the first time and... yet, I couldn't get much focus onto it. Both because I had my own thoughts to entertain as I kept on thinking about the training I was undergoing and wondering when something should happen.
Urahara's pills had a strange effect of depriving me of consciousness. It was perfect to go asleep, but I also felt surprisingly unnerved by the feel this slumber left me in from time to time. It was like I was unconscious, my body was 'slumbering', but something wasn't. And that something kept on growing more prominent to my attention the more I tested this out.
And as I sat between a curious but half-bored Rukia and a strangely annoyed Tatsuki, while Orihime and Ichigo sat on Tatsuki's other side, I couldn't help but feel somewhat claustrophobic about the situation. There was a constant glancing from Tatsuki, mostly when it came to Rukia nagging at me for questions on how some of the animation was done.
Considering that Rukia was someone that lived in a society where this sort of stuff was novel until recently, it kind of made sense she was curious to know the details. Also, she wasn't being a nag about it since she was mostly drawn by the movie than by the logical element behind its creation.
That didn't stop Tatsuki from keep on looking at me as if I was stabbing her in the back or something of the kind. It kind of got so bad that even Orihime took notice of this.
"Tatsuki-chan? Is everything alright?"
She had a forced smile as she answered. "Everything's peachy."
She wasn't happy, she wasn't fine, and she looked ready to jump me.
Still, Tatsuki just took the chance to go to the bathroom during the first break of the movie. Looking around, it became clear to me everyone knew something was up with Tatsuki. And no one had clues on what it truly was all about.
We waited for the movie to resume, but Tatsuki wasn't back as the room went dark. And she wasn't back even ten minutes after the movie resumed. I had just this bad feeling that I couldn't ignore, and I decided to go and check for her.
It felt a bit distasteful to leave during the movie, but Rukia was more than happy to switch up to sit beside Orihime, so that was going to be a change that should, hopefully, get Tatsuki in a better mood for the remainder of the sitting.
Once I was out of the Cinema Room, I started to glance where the bathroom was and... I paused as I saw the girls' bathroom had its door yanked down and there were claws' signs on the floor. I felt a hint of dread as I followed the signs around, turning through a few unknown halls of the building that I am sure were not part of the regular cinema experience and...
I found myself wandering what looked to be some dusty old apartment that was partly occupied by the cinema. I felt a chill going through my bones as I found more claw marks around. And then, quite suddenly, I heard a rabid growl coming from nearby.
Hollow, I felt my throat going dry. I knew what I was going to find, or rather the thing I was going to face. I wasn't sure how Tatsuki was. I couldn't hear her as I rushed to find the monster, and yet I saw her. She was frightened to silence, muted by the horror as the monster had cornered her and...
And then it stopped. It turned around and greeted me.
"This place..." The lupine monster, showing some hints of a human soul getting corrupted right before our eyes, muttered. "Is my home."
"Is it?" I blurted out, kind of thinking of a way to get Tatsuki out of that spot, get Ichigo there, and not die in the process. Because there's no hell I can take a Hollow right now!
"It... is... they took it... from me..."
"That... sucks?"
"It... does... you two... you two are... intruding."
"We can leave just now. No reason to get clawy on us, kind sir."
"Liar... your smell... you are dangerous... very dangerous."
"...I don't stink," I stated as a matter of fact, but the low growling suggested it wasn't that kind of smell. "Well, let me just pick my friend and leave and-"
I backed away in time to avoid getting clawed by the guy, the wolf-like creature only growing more impatient with my chatting. But it was during that exchange of actions that I heard a peculiar noise: chains.
While to a normal person this may not sound much, chains were a sign for hollows that meant that this... this wasn't a fully-formed hollow just yet. It was a Demi-Hollow, which meant it wasn't as strong as a regular Ghoul.
"T-Taki, don't... don't do anything stupid."
The girl's words weren't delivered without reason. Not when I was taking a stance to square up with wolf-guy. Truth be told, I was scared shitless but I knew that there was hope for me not to die. I just had to smack the demi-hollow's mask and that should be it.
Hopefully, I don't get maimed or killed in the process.
The wolf-guy readied itself to pounce at me, but as he bolted to try and bite at my face, he got a full serving of knuckles' sandwich. I couldn't strike first, or second. I could just react since I was dealing with something that could lash out at me if I got too close. No, I had to pick this fight like I eat my pizzas, slowly and with gusto.
Growling, the Hollow shuddered as its mask now bore a ugly crack that ran from its lower left eye down to its 'mouth'. He tried to attack me again, but I struck it with a hook, forcing its head to slam against the close wall and force it to pull back once more.
"Square up, mutt!" I muttered angrily, and the beast took it as a challenge. As it tackled me on the ground.
The good news is that I smacked it again mid tackle, the bad news is that it got me pinned down as I fought for my dear life by pushing against its mask and keeping those sharp teeth away from my tender flesh. Yet, while I thought I couldn't do much with how vehement it was being, I was surprised to hear a very familiar sizzling noise... except louder. And actually doing something to the hollow much to its growing howls of pain.
My hands were melting through its mask, and they succeeded in cracking it entirely. The very moment that happened, the demi-hollow's form started to glow a faint white light and... vanished in front of me.
Did I just... purge the bad out of the guy's soul? I couldn't tell. All I knew was that I was alive, I wasn't injured, I just melted a demi-hollow's mask and-
"T-Taki!" I almost got tackled down by Tatsuki right as I got off the ground, but the girl succeeded in pulling me in a brief bear hug. "A-Are you hurt? Did the monster wound you or-"
"T-Tsuki, I should be the one concerned. You were the one dealing with that thing for longer," I blurted back, and she paused about it. "H-How are you?"
"...Good. You?"
"I am fine."
"You..." She paused, then frowned. "You knew what it was."
...
"Taki-"
"It's complicated. And not my place to say... ask Rukia."
Ah yes, that was the best way to avoid repercussions-
"YOU WHAT?!"
Rukia was pissed. I suppose my adrenaline-influenced brain had not picked up on this repercussion. Then again, the answer had miffed Tatsuki just for a moment before I explained to her that Rukia was kind of a hunter for this sort of monster. And that she wasn't there to start any romances.
Turns out that it made the tomboy's mood incredibly well- and it made Rukia a devil with how much red in the face she was due to her anger.
"Look, I get it-"
"No, you do not get it," Rukia growled angrily. "What you did was utterly idiotic- and here I thought you were smarter than 'Strawberry'."
Ichigo was not around, he had vacated his room to enjoy a bit of a waiting game by the living room as 'the old couple settled this matter'. A very mature way to be immature - never change, Ichigo.
"Tatsuki would have eventually noticed. I don't see why it is such a big thing to make a fuss about-"
"That's what I am saying. I don't care about Tatsuki because Ichigo told me she could see souls too!" Rukia exploded once again, her angry eyes aimed at me as if she wanted to burn me on the ground where I stood. "What I care is that you hurled yourself at a threat you had no safety net to protect yourself from."
...
"I-"
"Ichigo has the excuse he is a moron with my powers. You? What do you have? Some spiritual power, and? Do you think that's enough to fight-"
"I didn't chose the moment. I intervened because Tatsuki would have died if I didn't," I snapped back at Rukia, her anger hardly breaking at my own, but I knew what to say to take the upper hand on her. "And it's not like you have been honest to me. You say that as a friend you worry that I lie about what I do with what I have, but you definitely stepped on my trust first by lying about your situation."
Rukia stopped, her eyes wide open.
"I- That's not true-"
"I spoke with Urahara. He was the one that told me I should train up to begin with," I muttered quietly, my anger colder compared to the bombastic attitude of the girl. "He told me that you can risk big time, but he didn't tell me what that means. You know, don't you?"
...
"Don't... don't press me on it, Takiji. It's not- it's not a pleasant topic-"
"I know. Which is why I am asking as seriously as for you to tell me so we can help you-"
"You both should not know this. I..." Rukia paused, her eyes closing momentarily. "If the Soul Society ever finds out what I am doing right now, then you two can't stop them. You and Ichigo... you are far from being eligible as Shinigami. Especially you."
"That doesn't mean I will-"
"Takiji, please," She muttered quietly, giving me a tense look. "Let me try and... and don't do anything stupid. Not you."
...
"I will let you do your thing, but understand I am not letting you get hurt or worse for something that isn't your fault. Got it?"
She huffed, then smiled.
"Fine."
"And now that you have... accepted telling Tatsuki the truth without pulling me in any schemes," I smugly affirmed, and Rukia scowled at my words, "How about you and I watch a movie in the living room for the rest of the night?"
She frowned. "We can do that?"
"Yup, I once asked Ichigo if he wanted, but he 'likes to sleep'. And I can't ask that to Yuzu and Karin since Isshin would think I am up to 'no good'. So, wanna?"
...
"Fine."
I grinned.
I didn't tell her the movie I had in mind was The Ring. And it was indeed a 'fun' surprise- not as fun for my hip as Rukia kicked me there a few times between jumpscares.
AN
First W, first deflection, first painful exchange, and... first horror night with Rukia. All is well in the world- oh hi, Uryu.