Or maybe this is danger and you just don't know

[ofnoblemind]

Who:  Kuchiki Byakuya (ofnoblemind), Kurosaki Ichigo (savior_n_black), and Shirosaki (holeheart)
What: Byakuya has been chosen by a friendly neighborhood Wraith for fun times. Lack of proper nourishment, sleep, and building insecurities make Byakuya unstable and (even more) dangerous. The Berry Boys need to put him out of his misery.
Where: Somewhere in the city.
When:

Comments

[holeheart]

If Shiro had it his way, he wouldn't pay any attention to the reiatsu signatures swirling around him. No, he wanted to keep track of Rukia, and a few other friends, but other than that? No one else mattered. But they mattered to Ichigo, Ichigo who had absolutely no reiatsu-sense whatsoever.

The monsters seem to be slacking off, if only slightly. They seem to come in patches, in waves, and the two are currently in an empty patch. Shiro, in his shikai Hollow form, is eating the remains of a very large, very dead snake while Ichigo recovered from a quick healing, courtesy of the Hollow. It made the Substitute Shinigami feel nauseated, so they had to make sure they were safe when they did it.

But he stops, lifting his head and looking off in an apparently random direction, his shoulder spikes pushing forward curiously. Blood and gore drip from his mask teeth, but he doesn't seem to notice. Who was that? It was Byakuya... his reiatsu was jumpy, unstable. Which was very strange. Even under extreme stress, that guy was always icy cool and contained.

Narrowing his eyes behind his mask, he jerks his head towards Ichigo.

"Aibou. I don't particularly care much, but I think somethin's up with that flowery asshole. His reiatsu is jumpin' like a grasshopper on crack." He gives the other a look. An "unspoken" (everything is unspoken, these dark nights) question. Do you want to go investigate?

[savior_n_black]

Ichigo had been too busy catching a break keeping a look out from behind while his hollow ate. Shiro was regaining energy, but it was a good thing that the hollow wasn't the least bit squeamish in eating these things, otherwise they both might have been in some serious trouble. In fact, the hollow's been almost gluttonous about it, and by proxy Ichigo was even feeling a little twitchy, and now that he was patched up again, despite no matter how much he hated how it felt when Shiro did that for him, even Ichigo was antsy, and feeling just a little power-drunk...so to speak.

Turning to look in the direction the hollow indicated, Ichigo frowned hard, and exchanged a ( very ) concerned look with Shiro's eyes from behind that monstrous mask.

You're clear for a little longer, so finish what you're eating. I'll be right back.

More like Ichigo was going to cautiously edge closer to Byakuya, and perk a brow once he got close enough for the TENEKA to include Byakuya in it's range of 'hearing'.

Oi...you feeling okay?

[ofnoblemind]

The new voice went unnoticed at first, Byakuya thinking it was just another addition to his growing madness. And that was just what he needed, wasn't it? Some false sympathy to give him hope that things were going to get better. Nothing ever got better in his life. He wouldn't fall for this.

His hand tightened on the hilt of Senbonzakura as he braced himself for any kind of attack, physical or not. If this voice was invading his thoughts, as well, then what did that say for his mental barriers? Dammit, maybe he was weak.

But then for a moment, he thought he felt something familiar behind him. Reiatsu? Or was his mind just playing tricks on him in a new fashion? Hisana's voice kept echoing in his mind, "Weak, weak, weak..."

Without turning around (because he was almost certain that there wouldn't be anything there) he projected his thoughts to whatever would listen. "Have you come to accuse me, as well?" And belatedly, he seemed to recognize just who that voice belonged to.

Which made everything that much worse. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

OOPS! Shiro will tag in right after Ichigo, here.

[savior_n_black]

...Okay, Ichigo was officially confused. Byakuya's reiatsu was all over the scale, even to someone so completely reiatsu-dyslexic as Ichigo was. And from the way the guy was talking...

Tentatively, Ichigo took a couple steps closer, and propped Tensa Zangetsu over one shoulder, just as though he were calm, and almost bored with this whole conversation.

The hell are you talking about?

After all, Byakuya had been a real help in keeping the kidou barriers up around the clinic, and fighting right along with the rest of them.

You're the one over here slashing at thin air. Have you not been drinking enough real water, or something?

[holeheart]

Shiro's meal was done. Nothing was left of the snake but the guts. He sniffs around the corpse before yanking off a large rib bone for the road and putting it in his mouth. Of course, the Hollow doesn't give a half a shit about Byakuya... but his reiatsu is still jittery and now, Ichigo was near him. That meant he could possibly in danger, from whatever it was that was making the captain jumpy.

He blurs into Sonido, easily catching up to Ichigo and crouching behind him, looking at Byakuya curiously from behind his mask and twitching his tail.

"Ksssshhrrr.... there's nothing over here. What's there to be freaked out about?"

But there was something. Something off. It was so diffuse that he couldn't even tell which of his senses were picking up on it. Something in his reiatsu? In his scent? He can't quite tell. The Hollow narrows his glowing yellow eyes suspiciously.

[ofnoblemind]

It may have been a voice in his head, but something was coming closer to Byakuya and he would not let himself be caught off guard again, not like he had the day (night) before. Turning slightly, he saw that Kurosaki was actually there. Maybe he wasn't as insane as he thought.

Insane. Great, now he was labeling himself as such without even trying to fight back.

Frowning, though without as much surety as he usually pulled off, Byakuya raised his sword and pointed it at Kurosaki as a warning. "Stay away." This was, after all, the young man who had defeated him spectacularly on Soukyoku Hill. He would undoubtedly get in the way of what Byakuya needed to do if he stayed. But then another presence arrived and Byakuya, having never seen Shiro in this form, immediately categorized him as a Hollow and a danger.

Dangers needed to be eliminated.

He raised his free hand palm outward toward Shiro and spoke an incantation in his mind. "Hadou #31: Shakkahou."

[savior_n_black]

Ichigo was in the middle of trying to take a step closer, frowning at Byakuya, when the captain drew his sword?!

O-Oi, what's wrong?

But that's not the worst of it. Byakuya looked...well, he looked crazed honestly. Twitchy, and facial expression drawn tight. Even some locks of black hair had fallen forward into his face. But the drawn sword made Ichigo back up hastily in bewilderment.

Byakuya, what the hell is -- WHOA, WATCH IT!

Too late. Byakuya's mastery of kidou meant he was as fast with incantations as he was with shunpo, and since Shiro was crouched just behind Ichigo, the blast of Shakkahou took Ichigo in the chest, slamming both boy, and hollow backwards.

[holeheart]

"Kcch!!"

Shiro doesn't even have time to move, or get in front of Ichigo, or get either of them out of the way. So when the ball of energy slams into his other, the shinigami ricochets into his Hollow counterpart, sending them both tumbling backwards. Shiro recovers, quickly and snarls.

He helps Ichigo back up to his feet, churring his worry at the smoking wound. They had survived worse. So instead he glares at Byakuya. Then he removes his mask, the black skull evaporating into black energy, along with the rest of his form, leaving Shiro in his white shihakushou, with claws on his hands and feet and his slimmer, long tail trailing behind him (and lashing in annoyance). He puts his hand on Zangetsu's hilt over his shoulder and growls at Byakuya.

"You crazy bastard, it's ME! You hit us with that shit again and I'll put you down! Now what is WRONG with you?!"

[ofnoblemind]

Dammit. He didn't like Kurosaki, but he never meant to hurt the other man, even if it appeared that he would recover well enough. Still, he hadn't registered as a danger, not like this Hollow. But why wasn't the Substitute fighting it? Usually he was so eager to protect, to jump into action. So what was stopping him-

But then the Hollow removed its mask and outer shell and...oh. It was Shiro. Or was it? Byakuya couldn't trust anything, after all, and if it were a trick his mind were playing on him, then he had to be careful. Slowly, he lowered Senbonzakura and held the zanpakutou comfortably at his side, but ready to move however he had to in order to defend himself.

At that moment, a voice whispered somewhere in his mind. It wasn't Hisana, or even his father. It was someone or something new. And it told him that these two wanted to kill him.

Byakuya didn't take his eyes off of them as he angled the blade perpendicularly toward the ground, needing only to let go of the hilt should he choose to activate his Bankai. However, he didn't. Kurosaki and Shiro had defeated him before, even when they weren't as powerful as they undoubtedly were now. What chance would Byakuya have, especially with his mind scattered as it was?

But one thing was certain. "You are neither my enemies nor my allies. You may also be thin air or a diversion for an ambush. I cannot trust you."

[savior_n_black]

It's not the worst hit Ichigo's ever taken. Hell, he's even still got and entrance, and exit wound scar on his shoulder where Byakuya hit him with the same kidou at point blank range.

Ichigo straightened, though, and peered at Byakuya all the harder for it. He didn't move to strike, though. Not yet. Instead, he had to focus hard, and use that special bond he shared with his hollow ( thankfully enhanced by the TENEKA ) to 'speak' to Shiro alone.

Remember what happened the last time Kanji, and Rukia attacked us?

The Vengeance Children. Those black mist creatures that possessed their friends, and forced them to attack one another made as much sense as anything in this whole ongoing nightmare. Ichigo couldn't see, or even get a sense of one of those mist-things, but with all the other monsters running around, it made a lot more sense than Byakuya randomly going insane. He's trying to fight it off. He's still in there, Shiro.

[holeheart]

Shiro draws his blade, letting the cloth wrapping fall behind him like a ribbon, and bares his fangs. What was with this guy?

But Ichigo's words come into his head, his soul, through their connection.

Those things that possessed them? ... I thought I smelled something strange.

That fleeting sensation he'd gotten earlier, could this be what was causing it?

So what do we do?

[ofnoblemind]

They weren't moving. Byakuya couldn't hear their conversation, but the fact that they weren't taking any action against him either meant they had their own way of communicating or were trying to test his patience until he made the first move again.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes and watched them. Even if he were completely out of his mind, he still had stores of patience. He could wait, gather information with his eyes as he often did, and defend himself. If Kurosaki and Shiro were hallucinations of some sort or not the real things, then he couldn't be confident that he knew their abilities. Lashing out might only seal his fate.

He barely flexed his left hand, keeping it loose in case he had to fire off some more kidou quickly.

[savior_n_black]

I think I've got an idea....just stay here for a second, okay?

Ichigo didn't wait for Shiro to respond. Instead, he scowled hard at Byakuya, fully aware that Senbonzakura was still glinting in one hand, he took a cautious step forward. Just one...

...And then with a slight jerk, leaned down to stab Tensa Zangetsu into the ground beside him. Kurosaki Ichigo, who would have rather lost an arm than lose his sword in battle. Ichigo who always fought everything head-on.
Ichigo, who had to scowl, and split his focus between the shinigami captain in front of him, and 'speaking' in that silent way they shared with Shiro. Look for the mist thing in his reiatsu.. Well, it was that, or Shiro would have to test to see if he was fast enough to distract Byakuya while Ichigo retrieved his sword, and knocked the captain unconscious.

Empty-handed, then, with each hand held out at his side, so Byakuya could see them, Ichigo took another hesitant step forward.

I know you can hear me. So listen to me, Byakuya; we're not figments of your imagination. We're completely real, and I don't know about you, but you've been my ally for a long time now.

Because even if they didn't like each other, they were still both fighting to keep people safe. In this particular case; to keep Rukia safe.

[holeheart]

Eh...

Before he can even answer, Ichigo has moved. Shiro rolls his eyes a little, then puts his non-sword hand in his "pocket". Fine. I'm looking for it.

While Ichigo tried to talk Byakuya down, the Hollow scoured him for anything, any trace of something foreign. Whatever it was, it wasn't as obvious as those black mist things had been. This was much more subtle, and the way Byakuya's reiatsu jumped around was distracting him.

"For the record, I'm real too!" The Hollow piped up.

Dammit... he wasn't going to be able to find that thing unless he upped the ante. But if he did that, Byakuya would notice. ... He had to. He needed to figure out what was wrong.

He narrows his eyes and they glow, brighter than before, as the Hollow sends out tendrils of hot darkness, flowing out from his feet and making at a stop at Ichigo before they tentatively snake up to Byakuya. "Ain't gonna hurt you... just looking for something..."

[ofnoblemind]

Two adversaries meant Byakuya needed to keep a good watch on them both. Kurosaki, having strangely disarmed himself now, continued moving. This could be a distraction for whatever the Hollow would do, but he couldn't completely ignore the substitute, either. Grey eyes flicked between them both, keeping tabs on the two.

Byakuya, however, slowly lifted Senbonzakura from its position for Bankai and held it at his side. Maybe...maybe they were telling the truth. They seemed genuine, but Byakuya couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He wasn't usually this unsure of everything, his confidence winning out in most situations.

So why didn't this sit right with him.

Feeling something change in Shiro's direction, his eyes immediately focused on the ground. Shiro could say that all he wanted, but the Shinigami did not like that sensation of being sought out. Eyes widening, Byakuya quickly side-stepped the tendrils with Shunpo, his fingers wrapped just a little more tightly around the hilt. "Don't."

[savior_n_black]

Ichigo ground his teeth together when Byakuya blurred away. Oh, he could track the captain, yes, but that was not the reaction he was hoping for.

Oi, calm down. Shiro's looking for what's wrong. I swear that's all.

Still keeping his hands held out at his sides, Ichigo started again taking slow steps toward Byakuya. Still unarmed. Still wary, but more worried about Byakuya's mental state than his own physical safety.

You were talking to yourself. Slashing at things that aren't there. You're NOT crazy, Byakuya. Think. This isn't right, is it?