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The Claws That Catch; [Ulquiorra]
Topic Started: Dec 8 2017, 05:55 PM (312 Views)
Andras
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The desert night was dark and clear, the air sharp and cold. The only buffer against the gloom was a handful of fires glowing at the base of a towering plateau, nestled among a small forest of leather tepees. Here and there stood a watchman, swathed in thick layers of leather against the chill.

At the edges of the camp, a single figure sat tending his fire. He was an old man, hunched with years, his skin a sallow, papery shroud that seemed too large for the flesh beneath.

A youth slipped from one of the tepees and joined the old man at the fire. "It is late, Granduncle. How long will you continue to wait?"

The old man chuckled, a soft, raspy sound. "Ah reckon ah'll be here 'till the lady comes back, Barrin."

"But, Granduncle, it's been three days, what if..." Barrin paused, as though listening for some sound in the distance, the continued. "What if she does not intend to return?"

Silence stretched for a moment before the old man said, "We've rolled the dice, Barrin. All we can do now is wait..."

A faint trilling sounded from the edges of the camp and the two turned as one as they recognized the signal for strangers approaching. The old man smiled, the expression oddly twisted on his wrinkled features. "And Ah expect we won't be waitin' long now."
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
Newbie
[ * ]
A portal opened up, depositing Ulquiorra onto the ground into the middle of the night. He stood up and solemnly brushed the dust off of himself before shoving his hands back into his pockets as he looked around. He had appeared to be in some sort of Wasteland. Scanning the horizon once more, he could barely make out some sort of camp, faintly illuminated by a meager fire. Uninterested, he was able to open up a portal when some strange sound was made. Pausing with his hand frozen mid air, he listened as it the unknown sound was made again. Either he had been seen or someone else was approaching the camp. He lowered his hand and placed it back inside its customary place before he silently set off for the camp. While he was somewhat visible due to his clothing, it was still rather dark so he attempted to make his way to the camp unseen and unheard, to see what was going on and observe the situation.
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Andras
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A woman strode into the campfire's light, a large orange reptile at her side. The young man leveled his spear at the creature but the elder pushed it aside.

"Ah told ya, Barrin, she'd be here soon enough." He looked at the woman, taking in her sharp features and sturdy clothing. "Greetins, Esther. Ah reckon yer a might bit late."

The woman neither smiled nor bristled, but merely seated herself across the fire from him. She didn't let it show, but dealing with this man bothered her. Every time she looked at him, saw the corpse-pale skin seemingly ready to slough from his body, her training insisted that she would do better to end him - cull the herd, as it were - and leave the tribe short one unnecessary burden. That insistence bothered her, too, because she'd come to recognize in the man a keen eye and a sharp wit, and an absolute wealth of experience. It was one more thing she could add to the list of flaws in the Shaper ideology."Arrangements took longer that we estimated. Of course, you've brought a lot more people with than we agreed upon as well."

"Well, as to that now, that's a..." another trilling sounded from another direction, cutting the old man's words short.

- - -

The guards eyed Ulquiorra guardedly, but they didn't level their spears at him. They glanced at each other, seeming a bit confused, then one lifted his hands to his mouth and blew a long trilling note - just like the one the Arrancar had heard previously. The other motioned toward him toward the campfire.

- - -

The old man frowned, deepening his wrinkles even further. "Now, Ah'd hate to come across as a nasty, suspicious soul, but you wouldn't happen to have sent a friend around back, would you?"

"No," Esther said quietly, motioning the fyora into the shadow of the tents. "Shall we ask them why they're here, or simply ask them to leave?"

He craned his neck back to gaze at the stars. "It's far too pretty a night for fightin', Ah suppose we'll have to ask him what he wants."
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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[ * ]
Ulquiorra stared back at the guard as he observed their weaponry of choice, which happened to be spears. Perhaps this was a primitive world that he had arrived in. Uninterested, he was about to turn around and make a portal when the guard motioned him towards the campfire after using some sort of horn to signal his presence. The Arrancar then moved towards the campfire in a single step, disappearing and reappearing besides the fire. The light danced off his eyes as he stared at the three people near it. A quick scan of the campsite revealed the presence of some strange creature lurking in the shadows of the nearby tents. He turned his gaze back to the trio. He could discern no visible weapons on the elderly man or woman and dismissed them as threats. The young man however, was similarly armed like the guards. While the spear did have a longer reach than his own sword or hand, he could easily disarm the youth if it came to it. He kept his hands in his pockets as he cleared his throat.

"Evening. What is this world?"
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Andras
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The two sentries yelped in surprise as their guest vanished from in front of them; the trio around the campfire didn't fare much better. Barrin's spear came down once more, and Esther's hands rose, one half-curled as though holding something up in front of her, the other to the belt at her waist where hung a baton made from a strange amalgamation of flesh across steel. Only a hasty command to the fyora kept the reptile from reflexively spitting a half-aimed gob of fire at the stranger, and she only exerted herself that much in deference to the damage that an uncontrolled fire might cause in the campsite.

The old man seemed the least moved, his hands still resting firmly on his cane as he regarded Ulquiorra's rather spectacular arrival. He glanced at Esther's tense posture. "Not one o' yours, Ah Take it?" The Agent only barely shook her head, but it was enough. "Ah think next time we might want a more precise list than 'whoever ah bring with me,' he said calmly, then turned to the youth. "Barrin!" he said, causing the boy to jump. "Go tell Crissfer an' Daevd to stand down. They sounded mighty surprised by our guest here, an' there's no need for them to wake the camp just yet."

Barrin nodded shakily and trotted off. The elder turned his attention to his unconventionally invited guest. "Well now, if ah was feelin poetic, Ah'd say you'd wandered into the soggy armpit of Hell itself, but you seem like a serious fellow, and that sounded like a serious question, so Ah'll at this instead: Here's what you get when mankind does it's darnedest to kill themselves off with the biggest weapons they can find, and Ma Nature refuses to let them die quiet."

He tapped his cane on the ground and nodded. "Now, Ah hate to be an ungracious host, Neighbor, but Ah'm afraid that neither of us recognizes you from Adam, and we'd be mighty appreciative if you'd be so kind as to tell us your name."
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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[ * ]
Ulquiorra stood still as everyone armed themselves in front of him, the old man's command the only thing stopping him from being attacked. Surprisingly enough, the old man did not seem at all bothered by his arrival. Intriguing. Either his mind was too far gone to recognize that he wasn't human or he had seen enough horrors in his life time not to be surprised. He watched the boy, Barrin, run off to the pair of guards he had slipped by and turned his attention back to the old man.

"I see."

Was all Ulquiorra said in response to his explanation of why the world was the way it was. It seemed that humans in this world were tougher then in his own world. But also more foolish. He also couldn't imagine what kind of weaponry could do this sort of damage to change the world itself into this hell hole of a place to live. He perked up when the man asked for his name, scowling at him and the woman.

"My apologies. I do not know who this Adam is but I am sure that I do not resemble him. As for my name, it is Ulquiorra. I am new to this Multiverse and am a traveler of worlds, interested in learning what I can about humankind and what it is to have a heart."
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Andras
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The wizened figure chuckled a the Agent reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. She said, "A heart is an organ for circulating fluids throughout a body. Either you have one, you don't need one, or you're dead."

This did nothing to diminish the old man's laughter. "You'll have to pardon my associate," he said, "her folk are rather short on metaphor." The Agent glared at him, but he ignored her. "Ah, but where are mah manners. The lovely lady here is Esther, from the castle up yonder cliff, and Ah'm... well, everyone just calls me Granduncle."

"As for havin a heart, Ah'm not usually one to trample a man's search for meaning, but Ah fear it's gettin a mite bit more dangerous 'round here lately than most folk prefer."
Edited by Andras, Mar 5 2018, 07:40 PM.
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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[ * ]
Ulquiorra frowned as the woman explained what a heart was. "I think I have finally found my heart, if that makes sense to you. And I used to be dead."

The Espada knelt on the ground, brushing at the dirt with his hands before he sat down before the fire.

"My name is Ulquiorra." He simply said as the old man introduced himself as Granduncle. And the woman as Esther. He mentally ran the names through his head a few times before he nodded, satisfied that he had their names memorized. He sighed and stretched, enjoying the heat of the fire as he waited for the older man to stop laughing, mostly out of politeness before he spoke.

"Care to explain why it is getting more dangerous around here, Granduncle?"

Now that he said it out loud, he had to admit to himself that the title had a certain charm to it. Not that he understood why humans insisted on giving themselves or each other titles when they could simply refer each other by their given names. It would make communication so much easier. Perhaps he would find out why the old man preferred to let others call him by such a thing.
Edited by Ulquiorra, Feb 23 2018, 02:01 AM.
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Andras
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Esther fixed the stranger with a sideways glance. 'Used to be' and 'dead' went together in her lexicon about as well as metaphor and anatomy. Fascinating. A small, curious sound escaped her throat, but the old man spoke before she could pursue the question.

Mirth faded from Granduncles features. "And that brings us to the business at hand," he said, then turned his attention to the Agent. "Ah believe we spoke at our last meeting of certain hazards that threatened our herds," he queried.

She pursed her lips, "You mean the nightclaws?"

"Deathclaws. Yes," he corrected. He turned to Ulquiorra again. "They're rather cranky reptiles, stand on two legs about half-again the height of a man." Back to Esther, he continued. "We've always known that there was a pack living nearby, but they tended to keep to themselves. We'd lose a part of our herd every now and again, but for the most part we left each other alone. Not long after our meeting, however, the pack began to raid our herd more fiercely."

He raised a hand to forestall the Agent's budding protest. "Now Ah'm not makin any accusations, just stating fact. It wasn't long after that the herd ran thin, and members of the tribe started disappearing as well." Granduncle's shoulders slumped as the whole weight of his years seemed to settle across them. "Ah know it's bad form to go back on a deal well struck, but Ah've taken care of mah brother's kin for too many years to just let them get picked off one by one."
Edited by Andras, Mar 7 2018, 02:12 AM.
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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[ * ]
Ulquiorra perked up as Esther looked at him, making some sort of sound. It seemed that she wanted to ask him something but was robbed of the opportunity by Granduncle speaking once more. He spoke of some sort of creature that was threatening their herds, whatever it was.

He listened politely as Granduncle described the Deathclaws to him, memorizing the details just in case they would show up. After all, he barely knew anything about this world. He observed the older man as it seemed that the issue of the raids on his tribe and herd seemed to be worsening before he spoke up.

"In exchange for teaching me about this world and sharing this fire with me, perhaps I could lend a hand in exterminating these...things. I do not have whatever it is that you humans in this world use for currency but I could offer up my services, if you would deem that a fair trade?"
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Andras
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Granduncle remained silent for a while, his eyes fixed piercingly on his guest. "That would be mighty generous of you," he said at last, "facin' down an unknown enemy for a little warmth and conversation." He steepled his fingers. "Truth to tell, if we'd've met earlier, Ah'd 've been happy to take you up on the offer; but right now Ah've got mah tribe to consider." The old man gestured toward the many tents of the encampment surrounding them. "Deathclaws aren't just big and nasty, they're clever, too, and Ah suspect there's rather more than one or two in the pack. If we spare the number of men we'd need to be sure we got 'em, we'll be leaving all the rest open for one of 'em to sneak in while we're away."

He looked back at the Agent. "That's why Ah want t' move mah tribe into your castle. Put some walls between us and the critters, and we can do what it takes t' stamp 'em out, or send 'em elsewhere."

Esther pursed her lips. "That sounds... reasonable. I can't guarantee we'll let you stay permanently, but most of the facility is currently unused. I think we can house you long enough to deal with this... inconvenience."

It was as if a load had been removed from the old man's shoulders. His back straightened, his eyes brightened, and some of the many wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth. "Thank you," he said quietly. Then, blinking away what looked suspiciously like tears, he addressed Ulquiorra once again. "Well, young man, if you don't mind spendin' a bit more time with us, once we get ourselves settled we'd be more than happy to have your help."
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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"I would not mind spending more time with you."

Ulquiorra stood up and stretched, looking off into the night. While it was dark, he could easily find his way to the castle they were talking about. The humans on the other hand...might not be able to see as well as he could, despite the fact that the cloudless night and the moon illuminated their surroundings pretty well. They would be better off waiting for daytime to move but if the Deathclaws attacked in the middle of the night, it would be hard to protect the camp in all the chaos. He sighed deeply and turned around, facing Granduncle.

"I was thinking about the situation about moving everyone to the castle and came up with two issues about it."

He quickly voiced his concerns to the old man and then gave him a moment to think about it before speaking again.

"Well, what do you think we should do?"
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Andras
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The old man chuckled. "Ah appreciate the thought. The critters are day-time beasts, for the most part, so we won't have to start worrying about them for a few hours yet. As for finding our way, the younglings may not have the gifts that old Edison gave us, but they've had a fair bit of practice packing in the dark of late, and our gracious hostess," He waved toward Esther, "Should be able to guide us to the lifts without too much trouble."

Esther sighed. "Getting to the lifts should be easy enough; getting everyone up, however..." She trailed off.

"Second thoughts already?" Granduncle's question was impish but tinged with concern.

"First thoughts," The Agent said, pursing her lips, "logistics. We can run the lifts as many times as we need, but they're only wide enough for ten, maybe fifteen people at a time and they take maybe] half an hour to go from base to crown and just as much the other way. Given how long it will take us just to reach the plateau, I don't think we're going to be able to get everyone up before the sun. Anyone who's left at that point can take the Stairway, but that'll leave them exposed to pursuit."

"Then Ah suppose I'll have to apologize to young Barrin. Ah'm thinking it might just be time to rouse the camp after all." He grinned over at Ulquiorra and he hefted himself to his feet. "Ah'll just leave the two of you alone to figure out the little details."

Esther snapped her fingers once to summon the fyora to her, then glanced toward Ulquiorra and sighed.
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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Ulquiorra nodded as the older man answered his concerns. He tilted his head as Granduncle waved at her and he focused on her as she in turn explained the problem with the lifts. He shifted his eyes back to the old man as he got up and he waved at him as he walked away to wake up the camp.

The Espada looked down at the fyora as it went over to Esther. He then glanced at her, matching her gaze with his own as she sighed before he spoke.

"I have a solution but it isn't exactly ideal. We should make haste to the lifts and get as many people transported as we can before the Sun rises. The rest will have to take this Stairway that you have mentioned and we will just have to do our best to defend them. I can handle myself if it comes to it but we should ask Granduncle if there are people that can fight."

Ulquiorra scrutinized the woman, eyeing the strange baton that hung at her side.

"I assume that thing isn't for show. Can you fight?"
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Andras
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Esther smiled faintly, her eyes distant with a thoughtful gleam. "Indeed, though if my experience is anything to go by you'll find no shortage of volunteers amongst this tribe. The hard part will be in deciding who not to bring along. They're tenacious to the point of being foolhardy, they are. It's almost admirable."

The Agent scoffed the impertinent question. "Only a fool wears a weapon they're not prepared to use," she said. She rolled her shoulders, then locked her fingers together a stretched her arms out in front of her. "That said, this is only a backup. My primary focus is in spellcasting; physiological and mental manipulation with a touch of elemental manifestation." She flicked her fingers and a single tongue of flame plumed into the air above her hand. The sudden glow caught the fyora's attention, and the small therapod prowled over to press itself against the caster's leg. Esther shook her hand and the wisp of flame dissolved into the night as she reached down to pat the reptile. "And of course we will have access to whatever creations Andras chooses to spare for our aid."

Quietly, almost subtly the camp began to rouse, not with fanfare but with rustling as the occupants of each tent in turn began to stir. Soon there were many of the tribe milling about, some yawning and others bright-eyed, dropping tents and stowing them or chewing on various forms of travel-ready food.
You cannot unring a bell.

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Ulquiorra
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Ulquiorra nodded at Esther and then turned his head towards the camp, his heightened senses picking up that people were beginning to wake up. He turned back around as the woman scoffed before holding out her hands out in front of her. His usually dead eyes shined with interest as she explained what she could do before she summoned a small flame.

She extinguished the flame before he could ask her more about as the people from the tribe emerged from their tents and started to walk around and packing up their stuff for the journey. He ignored them and moved out of their way, stepping closer to Esther, tilting his head down to look her in the eyes.

"Creations? And who is this Andras?"
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Andras
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Esther looked down at the fyora as she caressed the creature's head, eliciting a soft croon from the reptile. "She is beautiful, is she not? The sheen of her scales, the tautness of her muscles? And yet she was neither born nor hatched, but created. Every fiber of her being was shaped out of the raw essence of life, strand by strand, to make her as she is." The Agent looked back to Ulquiorra. "Durable, potent, and utterly loyal." An accurate depiction, if something of an oversimplification, but she wasn't prepared to give an outsider such as he any more technical details than necessary.

"As for Andras," she shook her head, "he's the builder, owner, and master of the facility we're approaching. It is his magic that shaped most of the creations who live there, including this one. Should you meet him - which is far too likely in this circumstance - I recommend you avoid drawing his attention; he's as proud as a dozen men, and does not take kindly to rejection of his authority."

"But that can wait for another time. For now, tell me of yourself; If we're to be fighting together soon it would be best if I had some idea beforehand as to your skills."
You cannot unring a bell.

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