Soulful Conversations - Week 1, Ichigo

[killtheanimals]

[It's Wednesday evening and the effects of illness are coming into a full swing. He can't fully quell the feeling of nausea, and throughout the day he's only been able to manage light foods and water.

Their situation is getting dire; after all they've been through so far, he doesn't doubt that voice one bit when it claims they must either kill or die. But they've already been warned, by others who were in a similar situation no less, of what the consequences could be--

He walks the grounds with a frown settled on his face, one hand carrying his staff, one lightly touching his head. The headache, too, seems to be here to stay. This isn't good. He doesn't have time...

It's by luck that he sees a head of bright hair, and it's also by luck that he happens to guess correctly:]

You're... Kurosaki?

Comments

[bladeisme]

[By wednesday, Ichigo is definitely looking a lot worse - his eye has fully hollowfied, and there's a white half horn growing out of the same side his weird eye is on. Not only that, but he feels absolutely terrible - like something's settling in his chest and making it hard to breathe or think.

So when Mitsuru calls out, Ichigo turns around - and blinks, before wiping at his eye and coming over.]

Yeah. You can just call me Ichigo, though. If you call me 'Kurosaki', you'll get Kon mixed up too.

[killtheanimals]

[Mitsuru notes the changes in silence. This is... fine, probably. They're all going to die of whatever they've got if no one kills, so why not a horn and creepy eye, really?

He wonders idly if it's some type of curse.]

Ichigo, then. You... know things about the afterlife, and about souls.

[There's almost a question hanging from that statement, but not quite.]

[bladeisme]

[Both of his eyes have yellow irises, but it's less striking against a white sclera, obviously. And as for it being a curse....well. If it is, it was one he was born with.

He blinks, bringing up a hand to scratch at the back of his head before nodding, slowly.]

...I do.

[He's silent, because...he can guess why Mitsuru is bringing this up now, what with the threat of death looming over them - and Soma having died earlier.

It's...almost nice, to know that this kind of stoic kid might actually be a little afraid about what happens after you die. A little like looking at what he might have been after his mother's death, if he hadn't been able to see spirits.]

What do you want to know?

[killtheanimals]

[He chews softly on his lip, which isn't really helping his image, but - Ichigo's right. There's definitely fear now, a fear that he might not in fact be able to survive this, as frustrating and unfair as it is.]

And souls can be used for various purposes after death. ...And you were able to see spirits, but can't anymore. Correct?

[It's only partially confirmation, and mostly stalling. He'd been willing to wager his life for his wish, but--

Not quite like this.]

[bladeisme]

Yeah. Either it's being blocked, or...there aren't any souls in this area. Which doesn;t make sense, because I should have been able to see Soma, at least.

[Which was not a good sign. At all. And he thinks he might know what Mitsuru's getting at, now.]

...Do you think someone - or something - is taking the souls of the dead?

[killtheanimals]

I don't know. I'm not the expert on souls here.

[It comes out slightly curt.]

--But you are. If we were to die here, what is it that should happen to our souls? Would they just stay here? Or go somewhere else?

[bladeisme]

[He notes that tone, but...it's understandable. Mitsuru is scared, and for good reason.

They all should be, really.

He sucks in a breath, before shaking his head.]

In my world, souls would hang around in the world of the living until a shinigami came to take their souls to Soul Society - the land of the dead, in other words.

[killtheanimals]

But there's none that you can see, either because it's been blocked or because there aren't any for you to see.

[There's growing frustration in his voice, but not much beyond that. His strength is already waning.]

Are there... many cases of souls being used for other purposes? And how easy is it to just take one?

[bladeisme]

...Souls can be eaten by hollows - monsters formed from souls that have stayed too long in the living world. And a bunch of souls can apparently be used to make the 'King's Key', the item that lets someone into the Royal Realm, but...

[He's quiet for a moment, thinking.]

I don't think I've ever heard of someone using a soul for something. As for how easy they are to take, well...

[He scratches the back of his head, looking away.]

They're like normal humans, just in spiritual form - so if you could touch them, then you could grab them and do whatever you wanted.

[killtheanimals]

[His head dips as he mulls this over.]

I have.

[Heard of souls being used, that is.]

Hopefully that isn't the intent here as well.

[He's not sure what the chances of it are, but-- based on his most recent experiences in Vision, he can't help but have it on the mind.]

[bladeisme]

[That catches his attention - and he blinks, faintly alarmed.]

You have? ...What were they used for?

[killtheanimals]

A barrier. To defend an entire world, apparently.