The Scent of a Pox

[snowman]

The desolate place rustled softly to an empty breeze. The scent it carries is... Awful, disgusting, perhaps. The source of this particular miasma?

CRUNCH.

It hacks away mindlessly at a once lively Hollow carcass. The skinned carapace of the insectoid creature collected and situated into a neat heap next to it. The Thing hums as it uses its scythe-like weapon to peel the body. The voice of the varmint is as contorted as its current action. It suddenly stops mid-hack to examine itself for a moment.

The blood of its new kill drips from its forearms. They were strangely armoured along with the rest of it. It wasn't likely metal unless one knew a metal that constantly oozed slime and coloured fumes. But it did look like metal in a way. It could be mistaken if one wasn't perceptive or curious enough about it.

The Thing continues to hum. The noise is still distorted, like... There wasn't just one voice speaking it. It felt like a chaotic orchestra, in a way, with the extra noises in it, some not even humanoid. Nonetheless, its gaze settles on the new hole in its armour. The crack in its defenses was nailed on its chest.

The distorted melody continues as it selects a medium-sized piece of carapace. The Thing pushes the said piece near the hole, scanning the size of it in relation to the damage. It places the chunk on the ground and proceeds to slash at it. The final product isn't perfect but in the end. It'll do for its purpose.

There's no pause in activity, no sigh of accomplishment, as they casually pick up another piece of bleeding exoskeleton. They crush it into smaller chunks this time. The Thing picks up another piece and repeats the process. It isn't long before a semi-powdered peak forms from the body's efforts.

The motions, once more, come to a sharp halt. Their mucky digits pausing mid-crush. It seemingly stares at... Nothing for a while before it abruptly swings back into motion. It dips a finger within the damage created in the armour, swirling it around before retracting it from the nook.

The extra slimy digit swirls within the pile of the crushed carapace. It continues to do this process several times, sometimes pausing, sometimes going at it with haste. Though, the end product is reached in time.

The disgusting fruit of its labours is a green mush. The Thing, never stopping its hum, spreads this pace over the damaged area of its armour. The cut piece of the carapace was stuck into the hole along with some more paste. The Arrancar gives the area a smooth covering before the attention pauses and snaps back to the corpse.

They begin to hack away again... Just another action for the Blight to complete.

[Ken Shirogane]

The scent Jìnrù detected was far from appealing, but it was the most interesting thing he'd noticed in the past few hours, which made it worth investigating.

What he found was quite the gruesome sight and yet he felt surprisingly unbothered by it. It was strange, feeling as though he should have expected to feel more disgust at the gratuitous display of gore. One monster ripping away at another which had likely been defeated by the one now cutting into it. Or so he expected at least.

He spent a minute simply watching the large armored creature work. It was evident that this creature was trying to create something. It seemed that it was patching it's armor, or perhaps working to complete it? He supposed he didn't know if the creature had been damaged in a battle, or if it had only recently begun working on fixing the armor to itself.

It was also clear that the horrid scent that Jìnrù had detected was coming from the armored monster in question. Still it's actions while strange were filled with purpose. That at least showed it had a level of intelligence the other monsters Jìnrù had come across and defeated lacked. Was this monster like him then? Another sentient creature stronger than many of the feral monsters wandering these deserted wastes?

Only one way to find out he supposed, lifting a hand to plug his nose, trying to breath through his mouth, though the taste of the air was only mildly better than the scent it was carrying from the Thing in question.

"You there, can you speak?" Jìnrù called as he approached and moved around, standing about ten feet in front of the armored creature, not really wanting to get any closer than that. He wasn't sure he could without trying to empty his stomach, which would be pointless since it was already empty. He should probably look for food at some point.

[snowman]

The sounds of tearing and cracking pause as a voice reaches it. The noise meaningless for a moment. The flesh tenses, pressing itself against the sandy floor.

Click.

Their weapon spun with a lackluster flourish. The movements clunky and sluggish but in the end. Their weapon nonetheless points to the fellow Arrancar. Their slitted helmet allowed eyes to peer against each other...

That moment passes right at that second, and the chaotic collective paid attention to the now deciphered noise. The response is formulated with a quick debate or a clawing. Either way, the result is...

"We do."

The weapon continues to point itself at the dragon. The distorted melody's foreshadowing proves true. The thing's body has a chaotic and unstable tone of voice. The body puffs up a bit as the grip on the weapon increases.

"Why question."

The question said like a statement. The info delivered without an unreasonable pause this time. The horrible stench softly mixes with the bleeding carcass beside it. The weapon remains pointed in distrust.

The air stays silent in such a moment... Except for the soft winds carrying the body's work away from them.

The wind was ever so lively in stand-offs, wasn't it?

[Ken Shirogane]

Jìnrù tilted his head in slight confusion at the question, which had been phrased as a statement. Not a real question then? But it seemed this creature could speak at least. Intelligent enough to communicate.

"I want to gather more creatures like me. You seem to fit... I think. At the very least you are able to speak. That's more than many of the creatures roaming this world seem able to do." He noted eyeing the blade pointed at him.

He had a sword too, but he didn't reach for it. While he felt he might be somewhat proficient with the blade, he had never drawn it for his battles. His claws had been more than enough, lightly flexing the fingers of his hands in memory of the monster flesh parting beneath the speed and ferocity of his attacks.

"Do you prefer to fight rather than speak? I suppose that's fine if so. I would show me how strong or useful you are. I want strong and useful... People." Were they people? What did it even mean to be a person now? They were intelligent and individual... Well from the way this thing talked perhaps they were multiple individuals in a single body. Their tone was chaotic, with too many tones to sound like a single voice. He wondered what that meant. But he was an individual at least, he had only one voice and one mind. Either way, he was interested in seeing what this Thing was capable of.

[snowman]

The Thing's statue gaze continued to pin on the Arrancar. The scythe lowered down a bit, the gunk upon it sliding a bit down. The armor that stuck to their body still producing that smell. They examined the fellow creature in silence with their productive fumes.

The gears within its mind turn and twist with each bite and claw. There's a side wishing for mortal combat, but yet a more cowardly side took power. The urge to survive was a strong one. That it might've matched the urge to vomit if one was close to him. 

"Reason?"

The Arrancar exhales through the body's lungs. The response likely aimed at the first question. It took another second, another brawl within itself before the throat spat out another statement.

"No."

The answer quick. The distrust easy enough to see within their voices. The guard is still held up. The option for a spar out of reach... For now.


The matters of strength can be held at other times. When one wasn't one battle away from death.

[Ken Shirogane]

A less reasonable person might have pressed the issue or even forced the battle regardless of permission. But luckily for this Thing, while Jìnrù hungered for battle he wasn't a maniac. And while he wished to test his strength he assumed that this Thing had a reason for declining, at least for now.

The stench of the Thing was also quite intrusive. He was not inclined to get closer to it than he had to, which he would have in order to fight the Thing. He supposed he could hold his breath between assaults and retreat between heald breaths, but it was far from optimal. This Thing was appealing to fight in that it was big and seemed strong. But the scent would certainly be a factor in determining Jìnrù from approaching for combat. Though had his challenge been accepted he would have battled regardless.

"I see." He said simply as though pondering the simple reply before shrugging. "Well, I suppose if you are not ready there is some wisdom in refusing. Better to refuse than to make a fool of one's self if the option to do so is there..." He mused.

"Do you have a name? I am Jìnrù." He moved on to new topics, deciding that he was still interested in this Thing even if they declined to display their strength for now. He wanted to collect the strong, but he would settle for useful as well if this Thing could prove itself to be so. At the very least it didn't seem to be berserk despite the rather unstable nature it had displayed thus far in minor ways. Jìnrù was relaxed all the while, though the weapon was pointed at him he didn't take it personally, especially not since the creature had already declined a battle.

[snowman]

The Thing stared, much like before, brawling out a reply within itself. The miasma once more dispersed by the empty winds of Hueco Mundo. Their protection stripped, but they don't remain defenseless. The Scythe softly lowered a bit more, anxiety forming farther away from the majority.

The armor, indeed, was big, perhaps a bit of a detriment to its speed. After all, that flesh isn't originally from it. The corpse rotting beside it can attest to the origin of it. It wasn't large per se, but it wasn't small in any way. But what it was didn't matter anymore... Well, to the thing, it didn't matter.

The collective only sought survival, not to answer silly muses and curiosity unless it benefitted them.

Though... The opportunity of a name.

"Unimportant."

The throat vocalized. The breath of its own product seemingly unaffecting it. How lucky for itself...

"Jinrú."

It said next. The voice felt more like a test than a calling of his name. The word did roll off the tongue...

Did it have a tongue?

The thought was crushed under their own collaborative weight. No time for such things.

[Ken Shirogane]

"Oh, I don't know about that. Assuming you went through something similar to me I think that identity might be one of the few things we have left to us. Names are an important feature of identity..." He cocked his head at the thought, peering at the Thing with curiosity. "Perhaps that's why you don't have a name? Or at least don't consider it important. Because you don't have an identity." It was idle speculation he had no real proof for. Frankly, he had no idea what was going on in this Thing's head. Perhaps he was reading too much into the tone of the voice under all that armor. It was just that it didn't sound like one person to Jìnrù. And if that assumption was correct then it was no wonder this Thing could not even ponder a name or begin to explore an identity. It would have been antithetical to the multiple minds within it.

"Hm, then again my own mind is rather hazy... I only know that I wasn't always like this." He lifted his scaled hands peering down at them, flexing his fingers, admiring his claws. "But I woke knowing what my name would be at least. It felt important to me." It was likely useless information to the creature he was speaking to, but he felt a sudden sort of melancholy. His body felt good, yet his mind was troubled by the fact that so much had been forgotten or lost.

[snowman]

The creatures stared at Jinrú, his idle musings failing to reach any deeper than an idle thought or two. The concepts brewing within are unneeded for the prime terminus. The Scythe remained held, lowered a bit more as tense seconds inside drew unfounded. The collective's thoughts pulled elsewhere at the non-aggression of the other Arrancar.

The loud inquires Jinrú focused on little as the Thing itself concentrated more on the physical aspects of their potential competition. The body's eyes scanned his form. The body was lithe and presumably agility-focused. It suggested lackluster long-term stamina but didn't prove it. Those unique scales could also prove an issue in combat, possibly making a cripple hard to execute on the limbs that budded them.

They always liked to cripple their opponents' ability to move if they had the chance. But alas...

The calculative sizing up arrived at a stop at the silence. There was another spat held within itself to determine a fruitful deviation. The silence stretched a bit longer before the throat followed another order signaled to it. The lungs exhale with the throat constricting upon the exiting air. The tongue twirls and twists as the noise escapes the maw and enters the world.

"Ok."

They didn't really listen to what he said at all.

[Ken Shirogane]

There was a long pause as Jìnrù waited to get something more out of the brute but it seemed they had little in the way of commentary. No thoughts or concerns to share. It made Jìnrù click his tongue with a hint of frustration at the lack of participation from the other Arrancar.

"I had hoped to get more out of you than just "ok"." He noted with a snort. "But whatever. Should I take that to mean you don't particularly care to engage with me then? If you'd prefer I go so you can get back to carving up that corpse then I'll leave you to it." It would hardly be a satisfying conclusion to the conversation for Jìnrù, but then this Thing wasn't doing much to participate. Or so he felt at least. And though Jìnrù did love the sound of his voice, he wasn't here to admire himself.

Whatever the case he supposed it was good to know that there were other intelligent creatures like them. He just hoped to find one or two that had a desire to communicate a bit more. In fact, thinking about it, this Thing had likely not even said ten words in total yet.

He'd hoped to collect a strong or useful person that would work him towards his goal, but that might be a lost cause with this one. From the way they acted they might actually have more instinct than reason. And if that was the case then it would make working with them harder anyway. Would it even be worth the effort to attempt?

[snowman]

The silence only occupied the air. The weapon still held with the same grip. All seemed ready to go the exact way too. Their eyes hidden behind the helm stare with intensity. The urge within still the same... But the conflict still brewed with increasing intensity. 

The silence only provided an answer to the Arrancar. That is... Until it spoke once more. The internal brawl came to a strange deviation. The will of many crushed under a majority. How strange, but the body was uncaring to such question. The body will gurgled out whatever response it received.

"Why question? Why wonder?"

The creature took a step forward. The stench grew heavier as the source approached ever so slightly to him. The weapon raised and pointed boldly at the opposing Arrancar. The creature's eyes burned with the same intensity. 

"Why go?"

The instincts within proved strong but in the end. It still held a soul, however malformed it was... The wonders and curiosity held by the strong, able to afford it, leaked into the pool.

The public opinion had been rigged by the powerful, corruption at its finest.

[Ken Shirogane]

"What a strange bunch of questions." He noted covering his nose again as the Thing came closer.

"It's only natural to question and to wonder. The answers are the only way I can determine their value." He chuckled. "And I might go if the conversation ceases to be productive. If I am wasting my time, then there is no reason to continue talking. And I am not sure you have anything I want." He explained.

"You're like me in that we are neither entirely monster nor man. We are something more than both those things... Or at least I am. You might be, though it's hard to tell." He mused with a little hum.

"There are things I want to do, and I can't do them if I stay here. I have to keep moving forward. I need to chase my goal. I'm not sure what it is I feel this desire, but it feels right. I want to be something more, a king, an emperor, a ruler, and perhaps even a god if it's possible for me to attain such power. Only time will tell."

[snowman]

The thing stared, much like before, but this time. The lungs inhaled and exhaled their own air. The response escaped its maw magnitudes faster.

"We."

The correction was made swiftly as the weapon's bottom dug into the earth. The time for careful calculation came to an end, it seems. There was more to gain with being bold.

The answers stirred within the collective. The throat ushered another massage from them.

"Chase. You will trip."

It could be worded more tactfully, but it was hard enough to push out a response with all of them squirming.

"Watch. Much to gain."

The weapon slung over its shoulder. The carcass was seemingly left behind to rot. The body walks with heavy thuds following each step.

"Curious. Grow."

The words cryptic as they stares. It seems he had a buddy now... Or buddies.

[Ken Shirogane]

Well, this was quite the turn of events. He wasn't sure what made this thing decide it wished to pursue, but if it wished to follow he would not deny it.

Although it was frankly very hard to make out the Things intentions. The words gave some hint, but it was far from clear. "Well, I may trip. But nothing worth having is easy to obtain. If I fall I shall just have to pick myself up to keep fighting." He stated simply.

"We have a lot to gain, but if we get that far we will also have much to lose." He chuckled at the thought.

"Well then if you are coming there are two things we should do. Look for more like us, and look for a place where we can base ourselves. From there it will just be a matter of expanding and claiming territory." He said before looking around to consider their surroundings and pointing to a massive shape in the distance. "Let's go there first. Perhaps we can make out base there, or at least climb up to get a good look at everything within sight." He said before turning to walk in the direction of the large shape. A mountain perhaps?

[snowman]

The Thing huffed as muscles twitched and pulled. Their steps heavy but the stench heavier than their body and armor. The greed within overcame the fear and hesitation that brewed in many. It walked all the same, making progress with the Arrancar.

The time of words for it has seemingly ceased. Their eyes stare at the sides and back. It made sure to stay behind Jinrú, trust not yet proving fruitful to walk with him. Though in time... Their attention diverts as the boring walk proves to be. Well, boring.

The body's gaze switched to the small hill looking for more details. After all... They were marching over there.

The thought of conquering sloshed with frenzy within them. It felt like a natural calling, in a way, to consume and control, the calling ancient and deep within its instincts. Those said feelings never escaped his maw.

The body kept his silence in the trek.