Angstfest 2011 [ open ]

[saeptuose]

Who: A whole bunch of people.
What: People waiting outside the Unnatural for their loved ones to be revived.
Where: Outside the Unnatural
When: Technically 24th - 26th
Warnings: Angst and sads and gross cute things later, probably. Will update accordingly.
Notes: There are threads for all three days, but you can make your own if you want! Don't

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DAY ONE

[saeptuose]

DAY ONE

[savior_n_black]

[ Ichigo had carried Ace's body here with Shiro. He'd made the hollow stay on the edge while he walked over that muffling threshold of whatever power made the Unnatural what it was. Neither could afford another relapse of Shiro being turned into a small, helpless, basic hollow.
He'd left the pirate in front of the first set of bolted doors he found, arranged the pirate's limbs comfortably ( or would be if Ace still felt anything ) and then turned back.

Rejoining Shiro's side, Ichigo said nothing. He saw the news about Sora...had been the one to tell Lior about it, but he couldn't say who else had fallen. It had been madness, and sheer chaos for days. Ichigo wasn't leaving though. No matter who insisted, or who joined him. He was going to damn well stay here until every single person was back where they belonged; with the people that cared about them. ]

[holeheart]

[Shiro stayed in his Bankai dragon form. He had a few good reasons for it. One, he was big, and gave off heat. He could curl around his charges and keep them warm. Additionally, the Hollow form also kept him... stable. It was strange to say that, but in this form, emotions were so much more simple. Strong, but simple. The world was more black and white, easier to understand, to make decisions. It kept him sane in these times of distress.

Ichigo hadn't really told Shiro about his plan, the one to stay here until every single person returned, but he had picked up on it. Ichigo just gave off this aura of being in it for the long haul. And so would he.]

[savior_n_black]

[ Ichigo said little, only giving the occasional nod, or monosyllable of recognition when someone else would join their growing vigil. It was quiet, though, for the most part. Even people who were talking were doing so in hushed tones.

...And not really caring one way or the other if the 'dreaming' was fixed yet, Ichigo leaned first against Shiro's armored shoulder, then slid down to sit while he focused on 'creating' a lantern. Others seemed to be making small sources of light ( candles, glowing orbs of magic, even small camp fires ) but at least it gave him something to look at for the moment. So he wouldn't have to look up at anyone else, and risk them getting too good a look at the benumbed guilt in his eyes. ]

[snowwhitesoul]

Quietly, a blanket drapes around his shoulders, then Lior's, then a massive one over Shiro. One by one, as the day winded closer to night, Rukia made sure all her loved ones were kept warm. Then, even if she has to take his hands and bodily place them around the cup of hot cocoa and the granola bar, she does so. The same is done for Lior. Then she lays a mixing bowl full of the same drink down for Shiro. You guys will at least eat something while you wait here

[holeheart]

[That guilt hung off Ichigo like clothing, as clear to Shiro as daylight. It made his Hollow Hole ache to see him in so much pain. He knew that every lost life was like a knife through Ichigo's heart. One more person that he couldn't save, one more person who was dead, he thought, because of him

[savior_n_black]

[ Those three lights get little more than a nod from Ichigo...but he doesn't to much else besides fiddle with the cup in his hands. ]

"..Aa. Some people are already taking care of lights themselves."

[ He was just too numb to care. Too numb because he was doing everything he could to not let that guilt threaten him with the despair that had drowned Shiro, and Zangetsu before. With a half-lowered glance, Ichigo shrugged a shoulder to let the blanket all off one side. Leaning back, it felt better to be in physical contact with Shiro...and better still when he reached out to put an arm around Rukia's shoulders. It's a mark of how emotionally drained he is that he made the gesture at all. Still, he just...just wanted to hold onto the two things in this inanity that felt real anymore. ]

[snowwhitesoul]

[Rukia is staring at the three lanterns, three little points of light in the falling dark, when Ichigo puts his arm around her shoulder. She's...startled, resisting at first, but then just gradually scoots over. Then a little more to make him more comfortable. You might just have to pull her down if you want the full-on cuddle here, Ichigo.

But. She does reach up to put her fingers over his, helping keep his hand in place. Yeah. Just to help him out. By squeezing his fingers, too.]

Some, but not all.

[holeheart]

[Shiro makes a noise of contentment when Ichigo leans up against him... it felt good to be in direct contact with his other, and their skin was warm against one another.]

Hrrr. They make own lights. [his long tail curls around, all the way around the other people in his coils, and wraps around Rukia's ankle, tugging. He give her a look out of the corner of his mask] You stay.

[Ichigo needs you, now.]

[savior_n_black]

I'll help out with that soon, Shiro. It'll be okay.

[ But being gently smooshed by that tail meant Ichigo, and Rukia were smooshed together too. He didn't mind, and in fact simply took the opportunity to cuddle Rukia a bit closer to his chest.
Get used to it, dear. That big, heavy, lizard-ey tail was making it hard to get up, and far easier for Ichigo to hold on.

Don't go yet. Please, just stay with me...both of you.

Without further comment, Ichigo tries one more time to use that single arm to tuck Rukia tighter against his chest? ]

[snowwhitesoul]

[Rukia looks at Shiro first, then at Ichigo, then at her knees.

Carefully, she shuffles her butt closer to Ichigo before allowing him to cuddle her close to him. Give her some time, boys, this whole... intimate physical touch thing is strange for her outside combat or the occasional face kick. Things are awkward and sad, but she won't resist this. Landing against his shoulder, Rukia leans back bit by bit to keep from tipping Ichigo over. At least that's what she tells herself.

But eventually, she's tucked tight against the shinigami daikou, her arm extending to brush through Shiro's mane, her thumb caressing the edge of his mask.

This was...

...nice.]

We have time till nightfall.

[holeheart]

[With his loved ones on one side, and his nearly comatose charge on the other, Shiro is a happy Hollow. Everyone nearby, where he can watch... where he can protect. And especially his Ichigo... and Rukia. Rukia who had helped him more in the past few days than he thought. He was a Hollow. She was a Shinigami. But she still...

... Without Rukia, he'd still be tiny and weak. He remembered that much from that fuzzy half a day. So he cloaks them both in his warm reiatsu like a blanket. His. These were his.

He purrs aloud when Rukia and Ichigo both pet his mane and mask... it felt so good. He felt so needed and loved in this moment. Even if it took some horrible stuff to get them all here... Shiro was happy.]

[savior_n_black]

[ This whole 'intimate physical touch' thing is just as new to Ichigo too with anyone beyond Shiro. And even then it was either a private moment, or touching the hollow when he was three, or even four times Ichigo's size in that bestial form

[snowwhitesoul]

[In Rukia's mind, she'd done nothing particularly special. She just stayed by their side, made sure that someone was there to mind their backs, even when they believed they didn't need it. Fools, of course they need someone to watch their backs! Tsk. Good thing she was, too or else...

...else she might've been waiting here for them alone.

Between the unseen weight of Shiro's power blanketing over them and Ichigo's quiet cuddling, Rukia decided to make this easier on everyone and shuffled even closer to Shiro until she was able to lean against him, too. Then, it was as simple as pulling Ichigo's arm over into a more comfortable position. There, nobody was twisting their spines around and she could pet Shiro's mane much easier this way.

Pulling the blanket tighter over her shoulder, Rukia stealthily laced her fingers between Ichigo's and dug the others into the white, fluffy roots of Shiro's hair. She's not letting either of you go. No matter what.]

[holeheart]

[Shiro hunkers down, content for at least this moment, with the people he cared about most right there with him, touching him, letting him protect them. It was everything he could want. It was unfortunate that it had taken death, and destruction to get them here, but at least for now, for Shiro, those bad things are temporarily forgotten. All that mattered was Ichigo, and Rukia, who had somehow managed to worm her way into his rotted heart.

He was also proud of Ichigo, in a way. For dropping his guard like that, even if it was just temporary. Even if it was because he was completely overloaded... the hollow snuggles down into the blanket on the ground with a purring growl. Was it time to get some shut eye? Shiro will protect you both. Protect everyone that he had failed to protect before]

Rukia - Come here for your blankets and hot chocolate.

[snowwhitesoul]

Rukia was one of the first to arrive, and she did not arrive empty handed - she brought blankets for the waiting to sit on that she distributed as unobtrusively as possible. She offered hot chocolate and a quiet, sympathetic smile. She'd ask for your name and if you were waiting for anyone in particular. It was necessary as the crowds swelled and the open ground space became more and more scarce. When the revived started to trickle out, it would help keep things organized. If you needed anything - more blankets, more hot chocolate, any kind of help - just ask for her.

And then she's back within the circle of Veles' body, sitting with Ichigo and Shiro and giving Lior quiet support and company. Keeping hands occupied with cups and keeping people warm with more blankets. Keeping everyone talking at least a little, just...the quiet was too much to bear.