Re: The Clash of Souls [Arianda]

Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:25 pm

The Clash of Souls - Song - Fade to Black

Fuu gritted her teeth hard, just who the hell was this damnedable woman? She spoke as if she experienced these events herself, as if she knew more about the events that transpired than SHE did! She was trembling with both fear and anger by now, she knew even with all her strength mustered she wouldn't stand a chance and yet... this woman's words were like oil on a fire. "If I was the dog? ASSUMING your words had any truth to them then my feelings would remain the same, those that disturb the balance are to be put down. No matter who they are."

While her twitched with anger, it wasn't true anger until the woman asked her if she'd ever faced death in the face... She had no idea, clearly. "I'm extremely familiar with death! I've stared it in the face when I was alone, the only thing standing between a town's destruction and its salvation! Against a monster that WAS unbeatable if anyone held back! If I held back!" She was really getting frustrating and annoying, and truth be told she was just about to pull both her Zanpakuto's when she noticed the girl start moving at extremely fast speeds, speeds even the wind couldn't touch.

On sheer instinct she began to Shunpo backwards, and yet... for the first time in her life she was stopped nearly instantly, but in a way she wasn't expecting... Both of her wrists grabbed. She expected an attack, yet that wasn't what came? "Do you think I'm not VIVIDLY aware of the difference in our strength? " It was now that black energy fully coated her right hand, the Minor Yin that acted to enhance the strength of that it coated. "Release me. Now. There are more things than just you that would love to see me dead, more than there are even Quincy's alive to this day. You demand I abandon this path of hate without even knowing what put me on it, when you have had a hollow nearly devour the entire squad you were placed in charge of, then you can talk to me about a path of hate. When you fail to protect several of those very same squad members from death, THEN you can talk to me about a path of hate. WHEN YOU'VE LOST YOUR MOTHER BECAUSE OF THE QUINCY'S THEN YOU CAN TELL ME TO DROP MY PATH OF HATE! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THOSE MONSTERS!" She didn't try to pull herself free though, she knew better than to attempt such a thing. Even if she did break free, this woman's speed outpaced her Wind Reading, and at that point it was unlikely she'd be able to release her Shikai in time either.

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:56 pm

Song: Funkyard - By: Arrowhead & Zentra - Word Count: N/A

Who was she? Why, she was Arianda Vael, ex-Archduchess of the second circle of Shadow Fall; who personally knew Mana Asthavon. However, Fuu didn't know that. All she knew was that Ari was a strange being with just as strange energy, even if she may be beginning to guess what Ari could be based around her knowledge alone. Albeit, that knowledge was relatively flawed because of the possibilities that Ari could've experienced the horrors from a different side; and not first hand as part of Shadow Fall. Instead, however, the demon tightened her grip on the woman's wrists. It was painful, truthfully, because Arianda was holding her in such a way that refused to let her go; and such tightness was bound to sting. Her silver eyes continued to glare at the woman as her baleful energy seemed to drip and pour around them. Soon, however, the demon grinned a little evilly.

"So, if you believed yourself to be a threat to your so called balance, would you willing take your own life? Or would you seek out another to crush your skull~? And no, you are not familiar with death. You claim to be, but how can one know what it's like to die when all they have done is killed? Do you know what it does to the survivors whose families you have killed just on your path to force peace? Do you know what eventually happens to those who force their ideals upon those who they claim deserve the subjugation? "

Arianda's grip tightened even further as her eyes went from silver to blood red the second Fuu blinked. And, no matter how much she tried to blink as if trying to fight off a hallucination, Ari's eyes remained that blood red. It was simply unnerving, to be looking at someone with silver eyes and then suddenly find yourself looking into pools of blood that glared back with intensity. Not to mention, the weight of that baleful presence that was Arianda as it poured down upon Fuu. She continued to glare, and she continued to hold onto the woman; refusing to let go unless Fuu was able to give Arianda a very good reason to let go.

"Aware or no, does that prepare you any better? Does that help you in the simplicity of overcoming the odds? Is it as simple to escape from me as it is to say? Is revenge a truly appropriate method to justify killing someone?"

Arianda's eyes were still blood red as she glared at Fuu, pulling the woman closer with that strong grip of hers; glowering at the woman with a surprising amount of anger despite how that face looked like it was capable of such kindness... But now, it was only full of bitter rage thanks to the way the woman was speaking. However, her eyes did soften an infinitesimal amount at hearing she lost her mother to Quincy. Arianda sighed softly, but never took her eyes of Fuu.

"No. I will not release you. Not until I find a way to get into your thick skull. Even if that means I have to make you abandon this hate of yours. Besides, lost mother or no, the only monster I see is YOU! Don't you think the Quincy have lost family members too? Don't you think that they took up arms to retaliate just to survive because the Shinigami MURDERED THEM? Yet, do you see any Quincy actively hunting down Shinigami? Do you see them going out of their way to start another war? There may never be anything but bad blood between the Quincy and the Shinigami, but do you want to be the start of another war just because you still want to kill Quincy? DO YOU WANT TO BE THE REASON PEACE IS BROKEN?"

Arianda growled at the woman, the force held upon Fuu's wrists likely enough to be quite concerning for the woman; but it was a constant reminder that breaking free would be painfully difficult.

"You cry for peace, yet all you want to do is kill, kill, and kill. You know not what peace is, because all you know is hate. You want peace, Fuu? Abandon your hate. Hate is all-consuming, and it will only lead to more war. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW PEACE OTHERWISE!"

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:37 pm

The Clash of Souls - Song - Fade to Black

Take her own life...? Only killed!? Of all the... Fuurinji did her duty as a Shinigami, nothing more! Why couldn't this woman see that? Why was she so gods damned adamant that those who fought to do their duty were so bloodthirsty? Did she not understand all that Fuu strove for?! Subjugation? Why would she want something as useless as subjugation!? "Subjugation is pointless on those who refuse to obey the laws of the Soul King. Preparation is done without knowledge, you prepare for the inevitable that something or someone will challenge the laws that were put in place to maintain the balance of souls! You don't need to be aware of a threat to know they exist!"

The more the woman challenged her, the more she wanted to break free... The more she wanted to slam their heads together quite literally and force them apart. But it was the comment that she was the monster that really got to Fuu, especially when she asked if she saw Quincy hunting her or other Shinigami down. But she didn't stop there, and just as Fuu was about to snap back with her own quip every word in her vocabulary vanished. "DO YOU WANT TO BE THE REASON PEACE IS BROKEN?" Those words made Fuu pause and falter, but she didn't even understand why it did.

But that's when it hit her like a ton of bricks and all of the anger vanished from her voice as she spoke once more. "What do you cherish?" In an extreme stark contrast to how she'd just been acting, her entire demeanor had changed in an instant, the grip on her Zanpakuto's loosened not because of the ever-intensifying grip but as a result of the demeanor shift. "My Mother once told me... You only truly become strong when you wish to protect something you cherish. So what do you cherish?" Did this woman have something she cherished? Something she wished beyond all else to protect? "And what path do you walk, if not one of duty or revenge?"

God what would her Mother say if she saw Fuurinji now? Was she really fighting for peace... No. She couldn't be fighting for peace. She wanted peace, she wanted to protect it yet... If she truly wished to protect it then she would be growing stronger, but she wasn't. She'd stagnated and stayed on the same level as she'd been for a very long time. She'd been fighting for so long on her own, how could she know what peace was? How could she comprehend it if she admired those that never had it?

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:54 pm

Song: Funkyard - By: Arrowhead & Zentra - Word Count: N/A

"To see a threat everywhere is to live in true fear; to force peace upon others is to truly subjugate them..."

That was Arianda's last comment to answer what Fuu had said before the demon's words finally got to her. She smiled softly, even if Fuu couldn't see the smile. Finally, the demon could tell she was getting through to her. Indeed... If she continued upon this desire to kill Quincy just because they were Quincy. Well, it was easy to say that her actions could start a war all of its own. Because, as far as Ari knew, the Gotei and Vandenriech were trying to stay on relatively good terms; but if Fuu obeyed her intense desires for revenge.

Finally getting through to Fuu, the defeated tone in her voice was a little sad, but Arianda didn't relent her grip; albeit it became slightly more gentle as she carefully eased the woman's hands off her two Zanpakuto. Then, gently, she brought them together, where she clasped her hands around Fuu's hands. It was tight, just like the grip before, still intent not to let the woman go; but it was far more comforting. The demon listened to Fuu quietly, the baleful presence receding the tiniest bit, but it still seemed to linger in the background; as if awaiting treachery.

"I cherish the people of this Earth, the planet itself, the forests, the birds that sing in the sky, the fish in the sea, everything about this world, and I especially cherish those who are close to my life; and I also cherish life. I protect it because every person should have the right to live their life, and not be murdered just because of their race; everyone should have that equal opportunity to live. Everyone, Fuu. But to live our lives in hate? That's not the path to take, I promise. It will never lead to peace, only to darkness and suffering..."

Arianda smiled gently and carefully squeezed Fuu's hand. Ari's tone was far gentler than it was before, less harsh, and it seemed like she had regained some modicum of calm. Not to mention, Arianda's hands were so comfortably warm... Her presence was also much more comforting before, which likely all felt quite odd for Fuu.

"Your mother was a wise woman, Fuu. She knew that true strength was born out of protection; not hate. However, the path I walk is a complex one. To put it simply, I walk a path of redemption, Fuu. There is reasons why I know so much first hand, and if you could see that may have become quite obvious why I know so much of the demonic incursion first hand. Regardless, the path I walk is one of redemption because of mistakes I have made in my past. Could I take revenge on those who hurt me during my time of mistakes? Of course. But that hate isn't worth it. Redemption for ones sins is a far better path, because it gives you the opportunity to live your life instead of threatening so much that we all have strived for just to have a measure of peace in this crazy world. I don't know if I can truly help you find peace, Fuu, but I can set you on the right path and help you stay upon it; a path I think your mother would be proud of."

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 7:16 pm

The Clash of Souls - Song - Fade to Black

Fuu listened in complete silence as she spoke, intent on hearing everything word for word. Maybe how she carried herself now-a-days was a product of the path she'd chosen to walk and not that which she was shown to walk. It didn't excuse what happened, to not just her or the Quincy's, but to everyone. She used to be always happy and cheerful, gods what would her former Taicho say if he saw her acting.... acting like Tosen. She felt herself choke up as that thought hit her, he chose a path of revenge despite saying it was justice... and here she was, taking that exact same path.

She'd started this whole conversation by saying Rogue Shinigami were those of Aizen's ilk and here she was walking a nearly identical path that one of his ilk had taken. She could see just how Komamura and her Mother would react if they saw the path she walked now... Her mother would be so disappointed, and Komamura would do exactly what this woman was doing... Forcing her to stand down until she saw reason. She used to say that Komamura was her biggest inspiration inside the Gotei, a gentle and peace-loving giant of a Shinigami. Utterly dedicated to peace above all else, treating even his worst enemy with kindness. "I... need to leave. Please let me go." She truthfully wasn't sure what she'd even do when she left, she just knew she needed to think far away from this conflict... far away from fighting.

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 7:29 pm

Song: Funkyard - By: Arrowhead & Zentra - Word Count: N/A

Arianda was quite happy that she had finally gotten through to the woman. She had seemingly taken in every single one of Ari's words as if her life depended on it; which it did, in a sense. Arianda smiled gently, still holding the woman's hands as she just... listened. Listened and reflected on what Ari said. The demon had no true idea what she was thinking, but she could feel the woman's emotions, and they were in complete turmoil. She probably shouldn't be alone right now. Some people were unable to handle such raw emotions when they were alone. So, when Fuu requested, kindly this time Arianda was only slightly reluctant, her grip briefly tightening in a worried way. However, the demon gave Fuu's hands one last squeeze before she suddenly, and this probably surprised Fuu extremely, hugged her.

It was a warm embrace, and a tight one. Not to mention, Fuu likely realized just how small Arianda was in comparison to the presence she bore; and just how warm she was. It was a soothing warmth, one that seemed to carry both a mother's love, in an odd way, and the comfort of understanding. It went on probably longer than Fuu would have enjoyed, but during that embrace, she would likely feel a foreign presence carefully invade upon her mind, asking permission; projecting a brief image of what the demon who was now hugging her looked like. After a little bit, Arianda gave Fuu one last squeeze in the hug before she drew back; her hands on Fuu's shoulders. It really was a shame she was blind... there was so much to see in the world.

"I'd prefer not to leave you alone now, after all you just endured... Well, I know I wouldn't wish to be alone. But, I'm a bit of an oddball. Just... I want you to promise me to come and see me after, okay? I can give you directions to my house; it's in the Sierra Nevada in America, on a mountain, around California. Remember my voice and my presence, okay? At least one will guide you if you decide to come back. So again, promise me. You need not walk alone."

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 7:39 pm

The Clash of Souls - Song - Fade to Black

Fuu's hands fell to her sides like rocks when they were released, missing the two Zanpakuto's almost on purpose as they now hung there and sure enough the embrace caught her off guard. But her mind was guarded, closed off perhaps to even Fuu herself right now. She wasn't sure how she should move forward, how she should proceed with her life... But she that was what she now knew, that she didn't know. She did listen to Ari's words this last time, but when they were finished she disappeared from the spot with a Shunpo, reappearing several meters away and facing away from her.

She wanted to say something but truth be told she wasn't sure what she should or even could say, so instead she knelt down to the ground and began to trace slowly what would eventually come to resemble a mountain peak of some kind, though not one in America. No if Arianda knew her geography, she'd recognize it as what some might call the Seat of the Gods, or as the majority knew it, Mount Olympus. As soon as it was done, Fumiri's shunpo was used again and again, leading her away from Arianda and, likely, towards Greece... Towards Mount Olympus.

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Sun Mar 05, 2023 7:50 pm

Song: Funkyard - By: Arrowhead & Zentra - Word Count: N/A

Ah... her mind was well guarded. It was a little unfortunate, because Arianda really did want the woman to know what she looked like. Oh well! That could wait for another time. Arianda watched as Fuu used a shunpo to gain distance between them. Arianda carefully walked the distance, hiding her energy basically completely as she looked over Fuu's shoulder as she drew upon the ground with a finger. She tilted her head, studying it a bit before she blinked in surprise at what she saw... The seat of the gods. Damn, why was this girl going to mount Olympus? Whatever the case, Arianda watched as she moved away before smiling gently and mumbling mostly to herself.

"I did say I didn't want you to be alone, Fuu...~"

Arianda couldn't help but giggle to herself before she decided to follow Fuu at a respectable distance, making sure she never lost track of the woman, quietly picking up that little bracelet she threw aside before leaving to follow Fuu. Of course, she would give her the space she needed... But she wouldn't let a lost woman remain alone in a time like this. Besides, Ari would love to see Mount Olympus! She knew Amphilogiai used to live in Greece once... It would be like coming home.

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