[Closed - 12th] Halo Effect

[♠ Saint ♠]

*Note* This is closed to just Mystic Serenade and I. We're doing a little intro piece. The song is "Stairway to Heaven" - Apocalyptica's cover with violin overtures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The stillness of the room was broken as slender fingers drew the bow across fine violin strings, causing a simgle chord to fall perfectly into place.

The room reverberated with the note as it fell into silence.

Eyes lightly lidded, Yugao tried a higher note and sighed with relief as the sweet sound assured her that her instrument was tuned. Taking a breath, she put her back to the door and faced the small artificial garden she kept in the back of her spacious cell. Her fingers adjusted the knob on the climate control as she switched it to the winter night setting. Cool air swept the room, lifting the hem of her kimono as she picked up her violin and let the soft darkness fall around her. The strings of her instrument shimmered in the false light of a fake moon.

The first few notes, powerful to start, thrummed with Yugao's stirring feelings as she poured her essence into her playing. She was alone for once and relished this private time when she could express herself. So curious, these human feelings... these strange notions of sorrow and love and loss that her dear mother had given her by virtue of carrying a part of her DNA. In the same turn, she could say the same for the powerful apathy, anger, and sociopathy gifted to her by a nameless arrancar sire. Normally withdrawn and controlled nearly to the point of cold mechanics, Yugao resisted showing her captors this part of herself that had emotion. Surely, she did show emotion, but quite rarely was it what she was truly feeling. Like the bone tiara that rested on her brow so fine and delicate, she wore her human face just like she wore her arrancar mask.

Her song picked up and she moved to sit on the piled rocks that encircled a small pond in her garden. Her foot tapped in time as she lifted her song, one by Led Zeppelin but reformatted by a symphonic group using violins, cellos, and other string instruments. She preferred this version as it was more... refined. The original song was good, but no.... every song had it's place and every moment had it's music. These moments and this song could only interesect through a symphonic medium, namely the one she had chosen.

Her mind kept to the song through it's loops, her fingers dancing and her form swaying with the rhythm. These precious, song-filled moments were hers and hers alone- thngs that she'd claimed that no one could take from her.

[Mystic Serenade]

It had been a week since Keiji was promoted to Vice Captain status, and he already felt that he eased into the position quite well. Though, that could probably be attributed to the fact that as far as he could remember, there was no vice captain since he joined the division. Thus since he entered as the division’s third seat straight out of the academy, most of the paperwork and other duties required of a vice captain were delegated to him anyhow. Oh well, at least he got an increase in his pay check.

These were the kind of thoughts on his mind as he walked down the corridor to the captain’s office, though he should probably have been wondering why he was called down in the first place without warning.

O well, it wasn’t like he really asks me for anything outside of paperwork and lab related work.

It wasn’t long before he arrived at his captain’s office. A quick knock and an announcement of who he was later, he was inside facing the man he called taichou, “You called for me Hwang-taichou?”

The captain merely responded by throwing a ring of card keys directly at Keiji who caught them with a surprised expression painted on his face. “Back when I was promoted to vice captain, the captain of the time let me in on a peculiar secret that he and the other higher ups had been keeping,” he let out a laugh, “So now its time for you to join the club of members who know of this oh so dark dark secret.”

“Uh…is that all sir? What exactly am I supposed to see?”

“Yea, now go go, first door to the left over there. You’ll see once you get there.”

Always so direct yet cryptic…

That said and done, he reluctantly took up the task asked of him and passed through the first door of five. As he continued down the hall, he noticed that each door was rather secure and probably near impossible to break through. What in the world were they hiding here?

As he reached the final door, a soft yet sad melody flowed into his ears. A violin?

With a final swipe of the last card key, the door slid open to finally reveal to him what he was sent to see.

[♠ Saint ♠]

The faint hiss of the opening door reached her ears but she was too wrapped up in finishing her song to pay her visitor immediate notice. These last few notes were to complete these personally claimed moments and she let nothing impede on that.

The air stilled as the final note fell into place. She paused with the bow poised in the air lowering as the final note faded out. The fine yet simply crafted instrument was lowered to her lap as Yugao turned her face profile to the one at the door behind her, her dark eyes sliding to the corners of her eyes to regard this fresh-faced young man who held the keys to her world so thoughtlessly in his hands. Her lips parted slightly as her chin turned a little more towards him so one eye rested completely on the newcomer.

"A new lieutenant, I presume?" she asked, her voice steel and unamused," Keh."

Her single eye swept his form, the potency of the gaze perhaps a bit vulgar and intimate in a purely nonsexual way... more of an intrusive sort of manner. It was as though she sought to penetrate the core of his being with an askance glance and her posture stood testament to her confidence that she'd accomplished this before.

"Peak... physical condition," she pronounced," vice captain level, odd... shikai... and..."

Her lips pressed together as she wetted them in thought. Her irises stabbed at him, probing him from 10 paces, their silver flecks glinting in the light.

"Hollow taints... and the usual human burdens that suppress the full potential until the moment they actually prove themselves," she said finally, her gaze relenting as it rested lovingly on her violin in her lap. "In short, a perfectly healthy shinigami with an interesting twist."

She lifted the violin to her chin and held the bow over the strings.

"Have I sated your curiosity, Lieutenant?"

[Mystic Serenade]

Keiji didn’t quite expect what ended up being on the other side of the door. He was quite flabbergasted actually; the image of a young lady beautifully playing the violin was definitely not something he associated with being found locked away in his division. He merely stood silently as she finished her song. He would have applauded if not for the fact he was met with a rather cold steely stare soon afterwards.

“Yes I’m…” he was about to introduce himself until he found that the girl now appeared to be scrutinizing him, scanning his body with those dark penetrating eyes. He almost felt himself lose his composure from her gaze alone, even more so after she actually voiced her analysis out loud.

Hollow…taints?
He wasn’t even sure what to think about that one.

It appeared that she was about to resume playing, but he still needed to figure out exactly what it was that was going on here. “Uh well,” he scratched the back of his head nervously. “That was pretty interesting I suppose, but I still don’t know who or what you are,” he let out rather sheepishly. “The captain just told me to come here to find about some sort of secret or something, so I’m guessing it has something to do with you yea?”

He put his hand back to his side and attempted to regain his bearings. “Name’s Otowari Keiji by the way.”

[♠ Saint ♠]

"I am the secret that holds a number of secrets that even I have yet to fathom," she replied.

Her gaze regarded him harshly and then relented, lowering the violin to her lap. Sweeping him, she locked her gaze with his own. There was no need to drill or bore into him visually. She could feel his nonaggression and prepared herself for a passive defense. How droll! An opponent that might present a challenge!

"My name is Yugao. Or File #936. But Yugao has a sweeter note to it. It means "Moonflower". My last name is Saetayoru. It means "crisp and cold night". I think they suggest more depth than the more formal "Double Deep 6 of the 12th: File 936", don't you think? One just happens to be a tad more poetic than the other."

Her gaze flashed needles for a moment as she folded her hands in her lap in a very prim and proper manner. She was not hostile, only making her wariness known.

"I have spent all of my years save for 7 locked in this cell. I leave only when a new test has been designed. Three times a year, I am allowed to see the outdoors and breathe fresh air. I have committed no crimes. I have taken no lives save for those who have wronged me," she said slowly, turning towards him a little more," and all because I happen to have a father who has one of these-"

She pushed her obi down a little and grasped the edges of her kimono. The cloth whispered as she pulled it apart to reveal a small, round hole just below her solar plexus and above her navel. It was about 4 inches in diameter and cut neatly into her supple form. As she glanced down at it, she looked back up at him sharply and manifested her mask slowly and in a rather vulgar manner. The skin across her forehead split openas the mask liquid oozed through and took shape over the cut. A thin, simple circlet appeared on her brow, taking form and shimmering faintly.

She searched his face for his reaction, ready to gauge it and see how this newcomer would react to her being one of the forbidden things in this world- a hybrid.

[Mystic Serenade]

Keiji watched in silent surprise as the lady before him not only revealed to him a hole in her stomach, which he definitely did not consider normal, but also manifested what appeared to be part of hollow’s mask as well. In his mind, he immediately drew a conclusion about what she was. He had heard of them, of arrancar, hollow that had removed their masks to gain the powers of shinigami. But what was one doing here, and sitting so calmly in a jail cell at that.

“So, I take it you’re some sort of arrancar?” he asked of her while walking up to her. Once directly in front of her, he kneeled down to examine her hollow hole, grasping her by her sides and feeling the interior of the hole with both thumbs. He had never seen an arrancar before and already regarded her as a fascinating specimen. Despite the arrancar having a more humanistic body, it appeared the hole wasn't that different from any hollow minus the fact it was over her stomach and not her heart. He wondered what kind of research they had already performed and what had learned from them.

“A secret that holds many secrets indeed,” he said while still inspecting the hole.

[♠ Saint ♠]

The intrusion was unwelcome but not exactly one she could or would fight. There would be a day where that would no longer happen but that day was not today. It was not now and was not in the foreseeable future. So quietly, she acquiesced to the intrusion on her person.

"I am something. My father is an arrancar and that is all my mother ever told me of him," she said slowly. She smiled sarcastically," At least, the only true thing about him that she's ever said. My mother is a shinigami from a cadet branch of some noble family. Naturally, it would follow that she'd speak of him in less than glowing terms."

She shifted and made sure to keep herself obscured as much as possible save for the hole. It was just below a rather sensitive chest area but he'd seemed to not notice. This told her a few things about him and opened a few clues to him. Likely, he was just another that liked to study and prod her. If so, fine. Anything else... hopefully not. She hated when those situations arose.

[Mystic Serenade]

"Fascinating," he said in a rather non-attentive response as he was still preoccupied with his thoughts about this hybrid, too absorbed even to realize how close he actually was. Though then again, the thought that this girl had feelings or emotion of any kind were quite far from his mind at the moment. It was something new for him, never heard of a shinigami bearing the child of an arrancar before. Guess that meant they were capable of procreation as well, and with them no less.

He stood up again and poked at the circlet that formed across her forehead. "So never met your dad huh. Understandable I suppose, probably would have killed him or something if we confronted him."

[♠ Saint ♠]

Her eyes narrowed nearly to slits as he poked her in the forehead. Her temper stayed in check as she slowly reached up and grasped his hand. Her slender fingers curled around it as she brought her face close to his to ensure that he was paying attention to her. There would be no surpris attack from her, just... the same understanding she gave to all who saw her.

"You find me intriguing, yes? Two breeds that are so different and yet, can still reproduce together to make creatures like me," Yugao whispered harshly," Fascinating, amazing, unbelievable, worthy of study..."

Each syllable flowed and was enunciated for pointedness. Her tone was low and husky, bordering on inappropriate but that was her intention. She found that men nearly always picked up on things of a remotely sexual nature so therein lay the means to assure her of his attentiveness to her words.

"Would you find it fascinating if I told you that I could lance your hand with a blade without removing my hand from yours?" she said, tilting her head to the side just a fraction," Does that interest you?"

[Mystic Serenade]

Keiji's eyes had opened in momentary surprise as he quickly found himself face to face with Yugao. He didn't really quite expect that reaction, though it did make him realize a bit that this thing was probably not just some sort of doll he could play with.

"Hmm why yes, quite interesting indeed," he replied rather matter-of-factly. He scratched his head with his free hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Makes me sort of think of how a donkey and horse mate to produce a mule which holds benefits over both its parents. I wonder if you're the same."

He glanced over at his hand as she made the other statement about what might interests him. "I'm guessing that would be one of the special abilities you have as a result of you being what you are?"

[♠ Saint ♠]

"Call it the "mule", if you must," she said dryly," but yes, it is a special ability."

She looked him over again and pulled his wrist closer to her, thereby bringing her face within 6 inches of his. Her gaze was unblinking, unaccusing, but carried the smoke of a distant warning.

"There are secrets that any imbecile with a microscope and scalpel can find. Any degenerate can observe something to learn about it. But the greater secrets are discovered by stepping outside the usual pace and looking deeper... and further... and becoming quite... familiar with the subject..."

His captured hand was placed over her chest where her heart should be. No beat could be detected beneath their twined fingers as she pressed his fingers into her cool skin.

"No beat that is noticeable on the surface," she whispered," but something pushes blood through my body and keeps my skin at least somewhat warm. You can poke and prod all you want, Otowari-fukutaichou, but you will never find the reason if you keep looking as you are now."

[Mystic Serenade]

As she took hold of his hand and placed it above her chest he returned her gaze, looking into her eyes. In them he saw something different from any hollow he had faced and brought down and at times captured so he could experiment upon them. The moment she revealed what she was, he automatically associated her with them, and believed her to be like them.

But, perhaps he had been wrong in thinking that. Perhaps there was more to this girl than he originally perceived there to be. "I see my apologies then, I look forward to getting to know you for who and not what you are then."

[♠ Saint ♠]

Her hand slackened and the ice returned over her visage. His hand dropped away as she leaned slowly back, rearranging her kimono properly. Her circlet crumbled and fell away, the dust twinkling faintly on the air as she dismissed her mask. Her back aligned straight as she resumed her reserved yet regal stance.

"There is hope yet, for you," she said simply.

It was as close to an acceptance of the apology as he would likely get from her. She lifted her violin and nestled it under her chin. Her eyes lidded in silent dismissal as she laid the bow atop the strings. The first few notes to test the strings and then she began a slow rendition of the Fur Elise. The deep tone of the well-made violin echoed through the air.

[Mystic Serenade]

Heh, interesting how she says that like I'm the only lost one

As Yugao had started to resume the playing of her violin, he got up and lingered for a moment before deciding to leave. As he walked out the room, the mechanical door shut tightly behind him.

Walking back down the hall he entered from, he rose up his hand that had been over her "heart".

We'll see I suppose, we'll see...