You took for granted all the times I never let you down [complete]
Characters: Ichigo and Harlequin
Content: Ohm nom nom souls~
Setting: Winding Way, in the hallway outside Ilya's cabin (who probably hears most of this)
Time: Long Night, after it creeps on Ilya but before it runs into Joshua
Warnings: Creepiness, violence against puppets, dismemberment, language -- standard warnings for hollow!Ichigo. Well, except for the puppet part.
Harlequin made his way quickly down the hall. He was worried. No, he still wasn't over his own issues - would he ever be?! - but . . . he wasn't important. His friend . . . his friend Ichigo! He'd sounded so awful when he responded to Quin's journal. What was wrong?! He'd sounded . . . stressed, strained, in pain even! But . . . not like he was injured. Pain of . . . of a different sort. The little woodenhead wasn't sure he'd comprehend what was wrong - was it a fleshling thing? was it a magical thing? a fighters' thing? - let alone be able to help but . . . but he had to try. He had to! Ichigo was one of those he really felt close to, one of the ones whose image, whose memory, had helped him get through his long ordeal in Scary Man's possession. He had to try.
"Ilya!" a voice down the hall snapped, pounding angrily on a door. "Ilya, open the door, dammit! Open it or I'll rip it down! You little b--" It stopped, hearing shuffling footsteps on the ground. Pitch-black eyes with yellow irises widened in surprise as it saw the newcomer. The mask covered a little over half of Ichigo's face. What was this thing?
Oh, yeah, that little puppet thing. ....?! It was smelling a soul from the kid. Not a powerful one, but it had one. Turning from Ilya's door, the hollow peered at it, leaning down. "The hell are you doing here?"
Harlequin backpedaled at the sight. The anger and threat in Ichigo's voice had been alarming enough, but this-?! Ichigo! W-what's happened?! His chin tucked as his gaze reflexively dropped. "I-I . . . w-was looking for you." He managed to swallow the "sir" that wanted to follow before it escaped. Ichigo didn't want to be called "sir" and had made that clear. Months ago. And friends and family didn't call each other "sir" anyway. E-even when they were alarmed with each other. He peeked up, not quite meeting those alien eyes - was he sick with something?! "What's . . . what's wrong?"
The creature had been scowling before, angry at the barrier in his way, but Harlequin's words made it smile -- a smile that was somehow a million times worse than the rage. "Looking for me?" It laughed. "You're not too bright, are you? If you had any brains in that wooden head, you'd be running right now. But....even something as small as you has a soul?" It leaned down closer and sniffed.
Harlequin would have been upset and offended by the words . . . if he wasn't so scared and trying so hard to convince himself that he wasn't. It wasn't right to be afraid of loved ones, even when they were acting so horribly. Or maybe that was "especially" when that was so, because it meant something was very, very wrong with them, and how could you help them if you were afraid of them?
Still, he found himself cringing back as Ichigo crouched down. "I-I . . . w-well, yes, I s-suppose it c-could be called that. T-the magic that a-animates me. I've n-never really thought about that way but . . . I-I'm sure it's much like a f-fleshling's soul." He met Ichigo's eyes a little more fully, alien and frightening and . . . hungry though they were. "I know I'm not smart but . . . w-why do you think I should run from you?" He didn't want to be afraid. He didn't want to be afraid ever again! And certainly not of his loved ones!
"No reason." It grinned. Ichigo's memories were clear about this puppet. It was small, it was weak, it was nervous, and Ichigo wanted to protect it. How meaningless. "I wonder where you keep it? Your soul," it added, reaching out towards Harlequin. "Maybe if I take you apart, I'll find out!"
Harlequin gulped in spite of himself . . . but he did manage to keep from pulling away, standing his ground instead. He shrugged. "I-I don't know where, to be honest. Y-you might find it, at that. Eheh, n-not like I can't be put back t-together again, right?" He . . . couldn't quite make himself step into (NOT)scary!Ichigo's hand, but he did manage to hold still for his friend.
"We'll see if they can put you back together," it growled, feeling a rush of power. Though it'd rather fight, given the chance, here was something as close to a willing victim as he was going to get, and it was heady. "Well, I will. Maybe. If there are still people here to put you back together -- so, probably not." It drew a hand back, fingers curved like claws, and made to strike at Harlequin's head --
--but the hand stopped six inches away. The creature's face twisted in confusion. "--the hell? No," it said through gritted teeth, suddenly not focused on Harlequin anymore. "No way. I ain't letting you -- stupid -- weak -- nngh!"
The hand not holding Harlequin flew to the creature's face, clawing at the mask.
"Stop!" the creature yowled, dropping Harlequin to the floor and grabbing the rebellious arm. "Dammit! Be quiet, stupid horse! It's my turn--" Its words dissolved into a yell as the mask cracked, coming off Ichigo's face with a snap. His eyes changed, too -- the black began to recede from the right eye, and suddenly, it was Ichigo looking at Harlequin, and Ichigo's voice that hissed, "Run!"
Harlequin yelped at the strike that came at him - Ichigo really was going to hurt him! He squeezed his eyes closed, bracing, but then it was Ichigo who was reacting before he did, or had reason to. Quin looked up to see his friend . . . talking to himself? Arguing with himself?! The hand went to the strange mask . . .
Oh! Quin had heard of something like this! Was it the mask? Like . . . like some kind of demon possession?! Ut-oh! He was a marionette, not a magic-user! This-ACK!
The puppet clattered to the floorboards like a sack of wooden spoons, then looked up at a terrible cracking sound. Pieces of mask clattered to the ground around him, but his gaze was locked on his friend's face, on the eyes that changed colors, went back to normal. He crab-crawled back, eyes saucer-wide within the black field his own domino mask, as the voice that sounded a lot more like Ichigo's than anything before it told him to run. I-if this was some kind of demonic possession, Quin was in WAY over his little wooden head! Someone else would have to break the hold the demon had on Ichigo. But . . . but Quin couldn't just leave him!
"I-ichigo...?" It came out in a small, frightened voice that didn't sound like his even to his own ears.
"Get out of here!" Ichigo gritted out, glaring fiercely at Harlequin. The black had only half-retreated from his eye, and seemed to be pushing back against the white as the hollow struggled to regain control. "Run! Go! Before --"
Ichigo screamed, leaning back, both hands going to his face again, fingers digging into the skin as a white substance came out of his mouth and still-black eye, re-forming the mask.
And then the grin was back. "Wrong," it said. "I'm not Ichigo. I'm nobody. And your little soul is going to give me the power boost I need to make sure he never comes back." He leapt forward and snatched Harlequin off the floor.
Harlequin shrieked in terror as he was grabbed, but then he found himself fighting. "NO! No, you demon! Give Ichigo back! Give me back my brother!" Whether or not he was aware of what he just said was irrelevant - he was not going to help this...this THING!
It threw its head back, howling with laughter. "You think that matters to me?" it said, recovering enough to talk -- though it still couldn't quite suppress its amusement. "He's gotta be really torn up about this one! Okay, I was gonna make this slow, but I can't risk him sticking his neck out again." It prepared to strike Harlequin again: this blow would separate his soul from his body so that it could eat him. "Shame your weak little soul won't do much, but I bet it's gonna taste real interesting."
Quin's fear for Ichigo, and his determination to help, was overriding any terror for himself, at least for the moment. He didn't know what the demon was about to do to him, but he did know that he couldn't let him go through with it. Having no idea where this daring came from, and no time even to question, the little puppet grunted. "Yeah? Well, taste this!" The way not!Ichigo had a hold of him, around the torso, put the thumb of the hand right at his upper chest. Harlequin grabbed the digit, pulled up . . . and bit down as hard as he could.
The hollow's eyes went impossibly wide, mouth twisting, as the pain registered. Unfortunately, its body was human, and had human reflexes. The hand around Harlequin's torso uncurled, dropping the puppet for the second time. "You little shit!" it growled, shaking the bitten hand.
Harlequin yelped as he was dropped - again. Thankfully, not!Ichigo was crouched down, so Quin wasn't falling very far. He'd be starting to worry for the integrity of his joints if he had been. He flinched in spite of himself at the tone. "S-sorry, Ichigo!" he squeaked on reflex, but then he remembered, as he looked up, who - or rather, what - he was really talking to, and he frowned. "Not you - I mean the real Ichigo!" Pulling a breath as he climbed quickly to his feet and backed away, he shouted, "Ichigo! I know you can hear me! Fight it! You're strong! I know you are! You can do it!"
A feral growl was the reply Harlequin got. The creature looked like it was about to pounce again, crouched on the ground with one hand bracing itself, but it only got a foot closer to Harlequin before it stopped again.
"Stay out of it!" It glared at Harlequin. "Shut up! Shut the hell up!" It swiped a hand out, making a grasp at Harlequin, but he was too far away.
Harlequin was frightened - make no mistake! - but he was also unwilling to leave Ichigo to deal with this monstrosity alone! He flinched back from the grab even as he registered that it would have missed anyway. "I won't!" he shouted back. "You stay out of it! Get out of it, out of my friend! Ichigo! You can do this! I know you can!" It was the reason the monster hadn't actually lunged for him this time - Quin was sure of it! Ichigo was in there, fighting. If all Harlequin could do was find the courage to face this thing and verbally encourage his friend, his . . . brother? Had he really said that? Well . . . it was true! If Harlequin could support and encourage his brother, then he would do just that! "Fight this demon, Ichigo! You can do it! I believe in you, big brother!"
The thing only growled again, shutting its eyes for a long moment, struggling with itself....
....but then they opened again, as black as ever, and the grin was a gash splitting Ichigo's face. "He can't hear you!" it yelled. "He'll never be able to hear you! He's dead, do you hear me! He's good as dead! Like you're gonna be!" It leapt forward again, clawlike fingers wrapping around one of Harlequin's arms and yanking.
"NOOOO!!!" Harlequin shrieked, bucking back the other way. In his terror, he actually pulled back hard enough to pop his own shoulder joint loose. With a shriek of pain, he fell back to the floorboards . . . his arm still in the demon's grasp. "I-Ichigo! Brother, help me!" he cried in terror, a sob escaping at last.
The hollow looked at the separated limb in his hand, examining it for a moment before tossing it away like it was absolutely worthless. "He can't do shit!" it yelled, moving in on the injured puppet. It was weakened. As long as he was careful not to let it bite him, he shouldn't have a problem. This was easy prey. If he let this little puppet get away, well...that would be flat-out pathetic.
"YES, HE CAN!" the puppet screamed back through his tears, scrambling to his feet and backpedaling fast, clutching at his empty shoulder. "ICHIGO!" He glanced around for a vent he might escape into . . . j-just in case . . .
He didn't want to leave his brother . . . but he was beginning to realize that he might have to.
The sound that came from the hollow could only be described as a roar, bestial and unearthly at the same time. It dived for the puppet, face twisted and contorted behind the mask, fingers curled like claws, grasping for its prey.
The cry froze the Living Marionette to the core and, as the thing in Ichigo's body dove at him, raw, primal survival instincts took over - yes, even constructs have them. Harlequin shrieked in fright and horror again as he threw himself to the side, scrambled to his feet and fled down the corridor! Without consciously thinking about it, he knew that he needed to get some distance between himself and that demon, enough to give him time to get a grate off a vent opening so he could disappear into the ventilation system that had become like a second home to him. If he could manage that, he knew he could get anywhere in the ship he needed to . . . to get help . . . because he was afraid Ichigo was going to need far more than his heartfelt but ultimately weak encouragements could provide!
It took the creature a moment to get traction on the ground again, but as soon as it did, it dashed after the puppet, not quite on all fours but crouched over, snarling. It was quick, deadly quick, twice as fast as a normal person, and caught up to the puppet just as it reached a wall with a grate. It stopped itself by hitting the wall with one hand, a matter of inches away from Harlequin. "Gotcha," it whispered, reaching --
--then its stupid hand stopped again. Snarling, it reached with the other hand, which stopped too. "Chhhh!" it hissed.
Harlequin dropped on instinct into a fetal curl, which actually threw him into a roll that fetched him up hard against the grate he wanted. But then, he recovered his wits, fighting against his long, terrible training to make himself uncurl and sit up, clawing with his one remaining hand at the bolts that held the grate in place, looking up through stinging tears at the monster looming mere inches from him. Some part of his mind knew it was Ichigo, working from inside to hold the demon at bay, but he couldn't afford to stick around any longer. All it would take was one more slip - on either his or Ichigo's part - and the demon would win for good!
Suddenly, the grate came loose from the wall and Harlequin threw himself inside with a sob of fright and relief. "Keep fighting, Brother! I'm not leaving you, I promise! I'm going to get you help!"
The creature dove at the grate, reaching its hand inside and scrabbling around, grasping wildly for the damned thing, howling the cry of an animal deprived of its meal. This was stupid. It wasn't that strong, anyway! There were way stronger souls around here! The puppet didn't matter. He'd find somebody else, someone worth his time. It whirled around and stalked away.
Harlequin bolted back on all fours - w-well, threes - from the violent hand, curling up again as his courage gave out, crying bitterly. He remained like that for some minutes, listening over his own sobs as the demon in his brother's body pulled back and stormed off down the hall and out of earshot. It was a long time before he got a hold of himself again enough to push to his feet and stumble off down the metal corridor, clutching his empty shoulder and fighting down his sobs of grief.
"I-ichig-gooooo....”
Content: Ohm nom nom souls~
Setting: Winding Way, in the hallway outside Ilya's cabin (who probably hears most of this)
Time: Long Night, after it creeps on Ilya but before it runs into Joshua
Warnings: Creepiness, violence against puppets, dismemberment, language -- standard warnings for hollow!Ichigo. Well, except for the puppet part.
Harlequin made his way quickly down the hall. He was worried. No, he still wasn't over his own issues - would he ever be?! - but . . . he wasn't important. His friend . . . his friend Ichigo! He'd sounded so awful when he responded to Quin's journal. What was wrong?! He'd sounded . . . stressed, strained, in pain even! But . . . not like he was injured. Pain of . . . of a different sort. The little woodenhead wasn't sure he'd comprehend what was wrong - was it a fleshling thing? was it a magical thing? a fighters' thing? - let alone be able to help but . . . but he had to try. He had to! Ichigo was one of those he really felt close to, one of the ones whose image, whose memory, had helped him get through his long ordeal in Scary Man's possession. He had to try.
"Ilya!" a voice down the hall snapped, pounding angrily on a door. "Ilya, open the door, dammit! Open it or I'll rip it down! You little b--" It stopped, hearing shuffling footsteps on the ground. Pitch-black eyes with yellow irises widened in surprise as it saw the newcomer. The mask covered a little over half of Ichigo's face. What was this thing?
Oh, yeah, that little puppet thing. ....?! It was smelling a soul from the kid. Not a powerful one, but it had one. Turning from Ilya's door, the hollow peered at it, leaning down. "The hell are you doing here?"
Harlequin backpedaled at the sight. The anger and threat in Ichigo's voice had been alarming enough, but this-?! Ichigo! W-what's happened?! His chin tucked as his gaze reflexively dropped. "I-I . . . w-was looking for you." He managed to swallow the "sir" that wanted to follow before it escaped. Ichigo didn't want to be called "sir" and had made that clear. Months ago. And friends and family didn't call each other "sir" anyway. E-even when they were alarmed with each other. He peeked up, not quite meeting those alien eyes - was he sick with something?! "What's . . . what's wrong?"
The creature had been scowling before, angry at the barrier in his way, but Harlequin's words made it smile -- a smile that was somehow a million times worse than the rage. "Looking for me?" It laughed. "You're not too bright, are you? If you had any brains in that wooden head, you'd be running right now. But....even something as small as you has a soul?" It leaned down closer and sniffed.
Harlequin would have been upset and offended by the words . . . if he wasn't so scared and trying so hard to convince himself that he wasn't. It wasn't right to be afraid of loved ones, even when they were acting so horribly. Or maybe that was "especially" when that was so, because it meant something was very, very wrong with them, and how could you help them if you were afraid of them?
Still, he found himself cringing back as Ichigo crouched down. "I-I . . . w-well, yes, I s-suppose it c-could be called that. T-the magic that a-animates me. I've n-never really thought about that way but . . . I-I'm sure it's much like a f-fleshling's soul." He met Ichigo's eyes a little more fully, alien and frightening and . . . hungry though they were. "I know I'm not smart but . . . w-why do you think I should run from you?" He didn't want to be afraid. He didn't want to be afraid ever again! And certainly not of his loved ones!
"No reason." It grinned. Ichigo's memories were clear about this puppet. It was small, it was weak, it was nervous, and Ichigo wanted to protect it. How meaningless. "I wonder where you keep it? Your soul," it added, reaching out towards Harlequin. "Maybe if I take you apart, I'll find out!"
Harlequin gulped in spite of himself . . . but he did manage to keep from pulling away, standing his ground instead. He shrugged. "I-I don't know where, to be honest. Y-you might find it, at that. Eheh, n-not like I can't be put back t-together again, right?" He . . . couldn't quite make himself step into (NOT)scary!Ichigo's hand, but he did manage to hold still for his friend.
"We'll see if they can put you back together," it growled, feeling a rush of power. Though it'd rather fight, given the chance, here was something as close to a willing victim as he was going to get, and it was heady. "Well, I will. Maybe. If there are still people here to put you back together -- so, probably not." It drew a hand back, fingers curved like claws, and made to strike at Harlequin's head --
--but the hand stopped six inches away. The creature's face twisted in confusion. "--the hell? No," it said through gritted teeth, suddenly not focused on Harlequin anymore. "No way. I ain't letting you -- stupid -- weak -- nngh!"
The hand not holding Harlequin flew to the creature's face, clawing at the mask.
"Stop!" the creature yowled, dropping Harlequin to the floor and grabbing the rebellious arm. "Dammit! Be quiet, stupid horse! It's my turn--" Its words dissolved into a yell as the mask cracked, coming off Ichigo's face with a snap. His eyes changed, too -- the black began to recede from the right eye, and suddenly, it was Ichigo looking at Harlequin, and Ichigo's voice that hissed, "Run!"
Harlequin yelped at the strike that came at him - Ichigo really was going to hurt him! He squeezed his eyes closed, bracing, but then it was Ichigo who was reacting before he did, or had reason to. Quin looked up to see his friend . . . talking to himself? Arguing with himself?! The hand went to the strange mask . . .
Oh! Quin had heard of something like this! Was it the mask? Like . . . like some kind of demon possession?! Ut-oh! He was a marionette, not a magic-user! This-ACK!
The puppet clattered to the floorboards like a sack of wooden spoons, then looked up at a terrible cracking sound. Pieces of mask clattered to the ground around him, but his gaze was locked on his friend's face, on the eyes that changed colors, went back to normal. He crab-crawled back, eyes saucer-wide within the black field his own domino mask, as the voice that sounded a lot more like Ichigo's than anything before it told him to run. I-if this was some kind of demonic possession, Quin was in WAY over his little wooden head! Someone else would have to break the hold the demon had on Ichigo. But . . . but Quin couldn't just leave him!
"I-ichigo...?" It came out in a small, frightened voice that didn't sound like his even to his own ears.
"Get out of here!" Ichigo gritted out, glaring fiercely at Harlequin. The black had only half-retreated from his eye, and seemed to be pushing back against the white as the hollow struggled to regain control. "Run! Go! Before --"
Ichigo screamed, leaning back, both hands going to his face again, fingers digging into the skin as a white substance came out of his mouth and still-black eye, re-forming the mask.
And then the grin was back. "Wrong," it said. "I'm not Ichigo. I'm nobody. And your little soul is going to give me the power boost I need to make sure he never comes back." He leapt forward and snatched Harlequin off the floor.
Harlequin shrieked in terror as he was grabbed, but then he found himself fighting. "NO! No, you demon! Give Ichigo back! Give me back my brother!" Whether or not he was aware of what he just said was irrelevant - he was not going to help this...this THING!
It threw its head back, howling with laughter. "You think that matters to me?" it said, recovering enough to talk -- though it still couldn't quite suppress its amusement. "He's gotta be really torn up about this one! Okay, I was gonna make this slow, but I can't risk him sticking his neck out again." It prepared to strike Harlequin again: this blow would separate his soul from his body so that it could eat him. "Shame your weak little soul won't do much, but I bet it's gonna taste real interesting."
Quin's fear for Ichigo, and his determination to help, was overriding any terror for himself, at least for the moment. He didn't know what the demon was about to do to him, but he did know that he couldn't let him go through with it. Having no idea where this daring came from, and no time even to question, the little puppet grunted. "Yeah? Well, taste this!" The way not!Ichigo had a hold of him, around the torso, put the thumb of the hand right at his upper chest. Harlequin grabbed the digit, pulled up . . . and bit down as hard as he could.
The hollow's eyes went impossibly wide, mouth twisting, as the pain registered. Unfortunately, its body was human, and had human reflexes. The hand around Harlequin's torso uncurled, dropping the puppet for the second time. "You little shit!" it growled, shaking the bitten hand.
Harlequin yelped as he was dropped - again. Thankfully, not!Ichigo was crouched down, so Quin wasn't falling very far. He'd be starting to worry for the integrity of his joints if he had been. He flinched in spite of himself at the tone. "S-sorry, Ichigo!" he squeaked on reflex, but then he remembered, as he looked up, who - or rather, what - he was really talking to, and he frowned. "Not you - I mean the real Ichigo!" Pulling a breath as he climbed quickly to his feet and backed away, he shouted, "Ichigo! I know you can hear me! Fight it! You're strong! I know you are! You can do it!"
A feral growl was the reply Harlequin got. The creature looked like it was about to pounce again, crouched on the ground with one hand bracing itself, but it only got a foot closer to Harlequin before it stopped again.
"Stay out of it!" It glared at Harlequin. "Shut up! Shut the hell up!" It swiped a hand out, making a grasp at Harlequin, but he was too far away.
Harlequin was frightened - make no mistake! - but he was also unwilling to leave Ichigo to deal with this monstrosity alone! He flinched back from the grab even as he registered that it would have missed anyway. "I won't!" he shouted back. "You stay out of it! Get out of it, out of my friend! Ichigo! You can do this! I know you can!" It was the reason the monster hadn't actually lunged for him this time - Quin was sure of it! Ichigo was in there, fighting. If all Harlequin could do was find the courage to face this thing and verbally encourage his friend, his . . . brother? Had he really said that? Well . . . it was true! If Harlequin could support and encourage his brother, then he would do just that! "Fight this demon, Ichigo! You can do it! I believe in you, big brother!"
The thing only growled again, shutting its eyes for a long moment, struggling with itself....
....but then they opened again, as black as ever, and the grin was a gash splitting Ichigo's face. "He can't hear you!" it yelled. "He'll never be able to hear you! He's dead, do you hear me! He's good as dead! Like you're gonna be!" It leapt forward again, clawlike fingers wrapping around one of Harlequin's arms and yanking.
"NOOOO!!!" Harlequin shrieked, bucking back the other way. In his terror, he actually pulled back hard enough to pop his own shoulder joint loose. With a shriek of pain, he fell back to the floorboards . . . his arm still in the demon's grasp. "I-Ichigo! Brother, help me!" he cried in terror, a sob escaping at last.
The hollow looked at the separated limb in his hand, examining it for a moment before tossing it away like it was absolutely worthless. "He can't do shit!" it yelled, moving in on the injured puppet. It was weakened. As long as he was careful not to let it bite him, he shouldn't have a problem. This was easy prey. If he let this little puppet get away, well...that would be flat-out pathetic.
"YES, HE CAN!" the puppet screamed back through his tears, scrambling to his feet and backpedaling fast, clutching at his empty shoulder. "ICHIGO!" He glanced around for a vent he might escape into . . . j-just in case . . .
He didn't want to leave his brother . . . but he was beginning to realize that he might have to.
The sound that came from the hollow could only be described as a roar, bestial and unearthly at the same time. It dived for the puppet, face twisted and contorted behind the mask, fingers curled like claws, grasping for its prey.
The cry froze the Living Marionette to the core and, as the thing in Ichigo's body dove at him, raw, primal survival instincts took over - yes, even constructs have them. Harlequin shrieked in fright and horror again as he threw himself to the side, scrambled to his feet and fled down the corridor! Without consciously thinking about it, he knew that he needed to get some distance between himself and that demon, enough to give him time to get a grate off a vent opening so he could disappear into the ventilation system that had become like a second home to him. If he could manage that, he knew he could get anywhere in the ship he needed to . . . to get help . . . because he was afraid Ichigo was going to need far more than his heartfelt but ultimately weak encouragements could provide!
It took the creature a moment to get traction on the ground again, but as soon as it did, it dashed after the puppet, not quite on all fours but crouched over, snarling. It was quick, deadly quick, twice as fast as a normal person, and caught up to the puppet just as it reached a wall with a grate. It stopped itself by hitting the wall with one hand, a matter of inches away from Harlequin. "Gotcha," it whispered, reaching --
--then its stupid hand stopped again. Snarling, it reached with the other hand, which stopped too. "Chhhh!" it hissed.
Harlequin dropped on instinct into a fetal curl, which actually threw him into a roll that fetched him up hard against the grate he wanted. But then, he recovered his wits, fighting against his long, terrible training to make himself uncurl and sit up, clawing with his one remaining hand at the bolts that held the grate in place, looking up through stinging tears at the monster looming mere inches from him. Some part of his mind knew it was Ichigo, working from inside to hold the demon at bay, but he couldn't afford to stick around any longer. All it would take was one more slip - on either his or Ichigo's part - and the demon would win for good!
Suddenly, the grate came loose from the wall and Harlequin threw himself inside with a sob of fright and relief. "Keep fighting, Brother! I'm not leaving you, I promise! I'm going to get you help!"
The creature dove at the grate, reaching its hand inside and scrabbling around, grasping wildly for the damned thing, howling the cry of an animal deprived of its meal. This was stupid. It wasn't that strong, anyway! There were way stronger souls around here! The puppet didn't matter. He'd find somebody else, someone worth his time. It whirled around and stalked away.
Harlequin bolted back on all fours - w-well, threes - from the violent hand, curling up again as his courage gave out, crying bitterly. He remained like that for some minutes, listening over his own sobs as the demon in his brother's body pulled back and stormed off down the hall and out of earshot. It was a long time before he got a hold of himself again enough to push to his feet and stumble off down the metal corridor, clutching his empty shoulder and fighting down his sobs of grief.
"I-ichig-gooooo....”