メ 02

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

What...

What the hell is this?

What the hell is this?! Where's my mask--?!

[a long time ago, Grimmjow looked like this.

now he's hunched against one of the walls in his townhouse, his hand pressed to his face - a human face, why does he have a human face?!- his eyes flicking around the room wildly. the bedroom is in worse shambles than it was previously, but it was probably his thrashing about that activated the C.A.T. that's been thrown to the floor and tucked in one corner.]

Who did this? Come out! Come out so I can kill you!

[there is a note...somewhere.

and his usual jacket is gone.

but he won't be noticing this any time soon]

Comments

/now with less fail!

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Guess what, Grimmjow? He pretty much knocked the comatose Cissie back into action. She slowly stares at her C.A.T., then back at him, and then just kinda laughs.]

Masks don't do people any good in this world.

... And I wouldn't try killing anyone either. Not if you want to deal with the consequences.

/hugs and such!

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[immediately swings his head around, trying to find the source of the voice] Who the fuck was that? Where are you?!

[shoves to his feet, wobbling - in his mind, it's been years and years since he walked on two legs] I'm dead without that mask!

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

Do you see the small machine? You can hear me from there.

... How so? [this gives her pause] You some kind of supervillain?

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

I don't see any-! [but he does after a second, following the side to the CAT on the other side of the room.

drops to his knees, snatching it up to glare at the small picture, questions momentarily forgotten] Who the hell're you?

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

Cissie. [she shrugs. Feel free to notice the constant pausing and monotone nature in her voice! ... She's pretty much "not all here".]

And you would be...?

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

Grimmjow.

[the speech pattern's not too unusual, not where he's from.

...in some small way, it's marginally calming. at least he's not tearing up anything anymore. he mutters in a low, low voice, his hand running over the fragment on his face] If the mask breaks all the way I'll die.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Huh? She looks genuinely alarmed now.] I... I... Are you sure...?

You look fine to me.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

Of course I'm fucking sure! You want to kill a Hollow, you get rid of the mask! I've done it myself hundreds of times!

[breathes hard after that little outburst, but...

she's got a point.

visibly shaken, he examines his injured shoulder: he doesn't remember anyone cutting his arm off, either. but if they wanted to kill him they obviously would have, they'd have the strength]

...do you know where the hell we are?

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Okay what, she's never heard of something like that before. It must be an alternate universe thing.]

... They call this place Luministi. I don't know much more than that.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[curses under his breath, pounding a fist against a wall - leaving behind a series of cracks which he hardly notices]

Who are you? And what did you mean earlier? [about that 'supervillain' thing]

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

I already told you: my name's Cissie King-Jones. ... About what? Being a supervillain?

Anyone can do whatever they want behind a mask. Villains - those with or without powers - rely on those more than anything.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[but this time he's paying attention.

and in spite of himself, he hunkers down on the floor - more comfortable, far as he's concerned, and leans back against the edge of the bed to listen] Tell me more. What powers? What do they do with 'em?

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

Kill people. Destroy public property. Whatever they feel like doing, really. It's a pain in the butt to stop them. [she laughs cynically]

... Guess it's useless to berate them if I'll be joining them.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[lifts his chin, giving her a slow once-over] ...so what? Sounds like any human.

And you look human to me.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

Can any human fly? Pick up cars with their bare hands? Grow plants rapidly? Run faster than the speed of light? Because last I checked, I couldn't.

... So yes, you're correct. I'm still one of them nevertheless.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

...tch. Never heard of any human capable of that. I think you're full of shit.

And so what if you are? You act like it's a big deal.

1/2

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

Why would I lie about something like that? I have no reason to.

It is a big deal! Dangit, I don't want to be a murderer and one of those girls with those skimpy costumes!

2/2

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

....

If I'm going to be one of "those girls," I'm actually going to have to get cleavage. Why did that never occur to me?

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[...what does she care about more, killing or her tits?

snorts]

Nice priorities, girl.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

[Ack! And she'd just said that out loud too. Certainly, she was making a great first impression.] You're telling me...

But I can't be a hero if it means I go kill people for their crimes.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[actually laughs, though it's not a very nice sound] Hero?

You're startin' to sound like you want to be a shinigami.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

A whatta what? Is that what they call heroes in your world?

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

They're death gods that like to think they're heroes.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

... If I have to die to be a death god, then I think I'll pass.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

...

[oh wow, major points.

she got him to laugh in a non-creepy way] You're smarter than I thought you were, girl!

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

Thanks? I just like being alive.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

Then you'd better try hard to stay that way.

Shinigami'll be waiting for you when you die.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

You know, that's exactly what I wanted for my birthday. [the sarcasm, it is oozing.] ... But yeah, I think I'm sticking with the "alive and well" option.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[he likes a girl with at least some balls] Good luck.

[something a little more serious flickers in his expression, though] Whatever brought us here has to be tough.

[alwaysanarcher.livejournal.com]

And shrewd. If you saw the gift basket, it's like they knew we were coming.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

Gift basket.

[likefedex.livejournal.com]

Whoever took your mask is probably long gone. That's why they left a note.

You did get a note, right?

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[could someone really take it...?]

...what note?

[likefedex.livejournal.com]

[Pulling the one he got out of his pocket]

Maybe it was just me, but I found this note in the hood of my shirt after my backpack vanished! There's a picture on it and, well, it looks like this.

[Holding it up now] It looks like a gentleman thief's calling card.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[......

wordlessly starts to shove through the debris in his room, looking for the note.

it may be a while before he finds it]