Hollow Plot: [open]

[yokeye]

WHO: Ginshu Rikugou, Rex Arany, anyone else who wants to encounter her before he does.
WHAT: Open prompts for Toki's sister hollow wandering around. Prompt for Rex to take her down.
WHEN: January 31st and beyond
WHERE: In Soleil, on the road to Daybreak, on campus

Prompts in comments. Open to anything you want with her pre-Rex, but ultimately she's going to end up an experiment and destroyed. As for who the hollow is likely to go after, that's up in the air.

[VISUAL]

Comments

[heromedal]

[ While the nature of his subject eludes him, encountering strange creatures in the dead of night fits into Rex's plans. It's why he was in the Quad so late. Preparing plans and tricks. ]

Heh.

[ The single syllable laugh is both because of the lie he's seen through and the potential pun. Despite his largely humourless demeanour, he always did like wordplay. (Don't Fear) The Reaper kicks into his playlist, the constant music in his ear further indulging him.

He allows her to walk her path, right until they're side by side. ]

I think you've been late for a while.

[ Rex doesn't need to pull his hands from his pockets to launch his first attack- Two half spheres of crackling blue light forming, aiming to seal together with her in the middle.

If he's lucky, a sudden surprise attack will end things in one go, but he's already leaping backwards to evade potential counter attacks. ]

[yokeye]

[In contrast to her slow and casual speech, she side-steps his attack with great speed. Her features shift into her true form. An echo-y growl emerges from her torn throat. Her arm shoots out to try and grab him by the neck. Her mission would not be deterred. The eye of her wolf mask glows red with her anger.]

[heromedal]

[ She's faster than him that's for certain. His defensive repertoire, however, is varied and often prepared in advance. He has time to get his hands out of his pockets only because he started just after his attack was launched, lifting them both up. One produces a flat, square barrier directly in front of him- the other makes that shift on impact, an attempt to wrap it around her arm after her blow strikes it. Like being wrapped in cling-film, apparently of no hindrance at all. Not yet at least. ]

Oh... Something new.

[ He keeps his emotions as controlled as possible, doing his best to keep his thrill at life and death situations in check. Retreating further always skipping backwards to keep an eye on her.

His beast, on the other hand is uncontrollable. Indrik makes a spirited attempt to headbutt her in the ribs while she's distracted. ]

[yokeye]

[Another growl sounds as the barrier morphs and encases her arm. Not a particularly strong spirit for her kind, she cannot detach the substance before the creature makes impact. It only serves to enrage her. She has things to attend to and these distractions were in the way. Her lower arm bends up to claw at the beast. Finally managing to wrest her other arm free from the former barrier, she reaches for Rex. The arm splits at the elbow, extending forward towards him, attached to the other half by corded tendons like wires.]

Do not. Stop. Me.

[The wolf mask extends to cover more of her face, the fangs elongating.]

[heromedal]

[ The pitiful bellow of Indrik, dispatched in one blow, causes a change in Rex.

He doesn't retreat from the attack, as horrifying as it is, but advances.

She. Hurt. His. Pet.

He doesn't activate it when anyone else can see, but they're totally alone now. The medal he carries in a pocket over his chest shines a golden light, right through his thick coat. Human Power... The medal tells him it grants him superhuman strength based on his strength of spirit and focus. He doesn't trust it, doesn't want people to know about it.

But with all his usually scattered attention zeroed in on the spirit that harmed Indrik, he thinks he can grab her arm and yank her closer to get decked in the face.

It's not the smartest move, but it is a surprising one, he hopes. ]

[yokeye]

[Expecting more magic-oriented attacks, his physical one is indeed surprising. His increased strength is enough to cause a hairline crack in her mask. Red tendrils of wispy smoke leak out from it, drifting upwards. Caught off-guard and distracted by the creature's noise, she hesitates to retaliate quickly enough, leaving an opening.]

[heromedal]

[ There's a spark of horrible, dirty thrill he feels when he gets his hands dirty- his heart pounds and he takes a deep breath that sounds almost like a growl. If that were the end of their altercation, if he was going to seal her up and deliver her to the faculty he could have controlled it.

But the second he sees that red smoke, he recognises her for what she is- at least the basics. It's enough he feels the need to know more. And there's only one way to do that, isn't there? ]

Phantom Smoke.

[ This was the culmination of Rex's research into spirits thus far- Phantom Smoke produced something akin to the paradoxical spiritual matter that allowed her and Indrik to interact with the world. He had yet to understand how to give it true 'form' and 'life' yet. All it could do was cling to other spiritual beings. Flowing from his fingertips, the smokey black force flowed around his prey. It was thin and wispy in appearance. That belayed the power it carried. Dense. Heavy. Getting heavier every second as he poured more of it out.

Waiting until she couldn't stand, but wasn't in danger of being crushed. ]

[yokeye]

[Her failure to react allowed him time to use this unknown magic. Seemingly innocuous, the black smoke encircles her. The atmosphere grows dense, her belated attempt to attack slow and weak. Too much force is needed to move in any timely manner to strike efficiently. Despite her best efforts, the heaviness of the smoke forces her onto her knee and elbow. The crack in her masked widens as she growls deeply, enraged at having nothing to prevent her downfall.]

[heromedal]

Ah... That's good. I thought this may end up being useful.

[ With his foe apparently no longer a threat, Rex strides over to Indrik, checking him over slowly and carefully. His thick hard seems scratched by nothing deep enough to draw blood. ]

I'm quite fortunate that you're pretty weak. It's an excellent opportunity to learn more...

[ Talking to himself via her, trying to calm down so that wild, wicked heart of his doesn't get any faster. ]

But I'm not able to do that without destroying you.

[ He continues to run fingers through Indrik's fiery mane. He's developed the method already. But the only available subject was Indrik. And didn't he just, mere seconds ago, get upgraded from subject to pet? He can't. He couldn't anyway. ]

You had someone you wanted to meet right? Who?

[ He asks it without looking at her. He does have to do this. He wants to. He has to keep saying that to himself. ]

[yokeye]

[She may be weak, but not complacent. If he intends to ask her questions, he will not be 'destroying' her at this moment. There will be opportunities to escape. She growls again, not wishing to engage him in conversation when he is not part of her plan. Though speaking with him grants her more time to analyze her situation and understand his power.]

We could... learn about each other...

[Her voice is guttural and low-pitched, calm for she will escape; she has no doubts.]

I am meeting... my brother... You do not know him...

[She knows he doesn't. She can feel no connection.]

[heromedal]

Don't waste your time trying. There's nothing you want to know about me and you don't have much time left.

[ He turns to face her, squatting down. Just outside of the range of her physical reach, just in case. Already he had begun the process. The smoke clinging to her began to slowly, piece by piece, dissolve her. From the feet up. As she came apart, the data of how she was held together in the first is saved into a small sphere that it coalesced into.

At the very least, it was painless. He actually wonders when she'll even notice. ]

And what do you want with your brother?

[ He swallows, more heavily than he intended. ]

Because I will, if you so wish, pass on your last words.

[ It was almost literally the least he could do. But he had to do something or he'd go insane. ]

[yokeye]

[He was speaking as though she were dying at this very moment. She had been wrong; he was not waiting. She felt nothing, but looking down at the smoke, she seemed to be fading into it, becoming part of it? Her anger was lessening with the knowledge she was at her end. The wolf mask splits entirely, a piece falling silently into the smoke. She looks at him with slightly more focused eyes, tinged with anguish and sadness.]

Tell him... there was nothing... he could have... done... and that... I am at peace...

[The second was a lie, though she expects he knows this. The least she could do was make him regret his choices.]

You... will not be... forgiven...

[heromedal]

I know.

[ He honestly does seem to accept that. He doesn't deserve to be. He doesn't believe there's any justice in the world, but if there were... he would receive it.

There isn't and if he's smart, sticks to the shadows, he won't. ]

What's his name?

[ And after an extra second- ]

What's your name?

[yokeye]

[The sadness in her eyes is replaced with a blank stare once again. She has accepted her fate.]

His name... is Toki... I... am Ginshu...

[heromedal]

Ginshu.

[ He repeats it and nods. It's committed to memory. As well as that of her brother.

He will complete his self-imposed task, even if he knows it's a lie.

The process is approaching its end now. Not much time left. ]

Thanks to you, the world is going to be safer. If that helps.

[ It probably doesn't. He just has to confirm it in words. With the knowledge he'll gain, he'll be stronger. He'll be more able to avert the encroaching Nightfall. Anything is worth that, surely. ]

[yokeye]

[Though it is ultimately rather quick, it seems an eternity to her, waiting. It is not at all like her first death; there is no pain, no fear, only nothingness and void. His last words are lost in the smoke at the moment of her demise.]