Bait

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn wasn't a patrolman, nor did he ever aspire to be one. He was the guardian of his country in the sense that he would respond immediately to dire threats but he had never been the man to watch every village one by one and butt his head into every squabble he saw. Despite that, he had a keen eye for trouble and countless thoughts about what justice was supposed to be--so, he tended to intervene in problems when they presented themselves if only because of the fickle nature of what justice looked like to him.

Two farmers were arguing over a fairy mound, claiming ownership over a magic bow that sprung out of it. It had been hovering in the air, moving around on occasion from their perspective. Cu Chulainn, puzzled, wondered if the two men were fools--as there was clearly a man in white attire holding the damned thing. He stepped down from his horse to approach the two in the middle of their quarrel, watching the bowman, who was ignoring them as he read from a thin piece of paper held up in front of him. The two men didn't notice the bowman at all.

The bowman met eyes with Cu Chulainn, perplexed.

"You can see me?"

"Yeah. You can call me Cu Chulainn and... I'm curious. Never seen an archer carry that kind of bow, before."

Their exchange of words was brief, if not polite on Cu Chulainn's end. The farmers backed off immediately when they saw Cu Chulainn speaking to what they presumed was a demented ghost clutching the bow and ran when the bow lifted and fired, trying to take off Cu Chulainn's head from the neck. The young man let out a terse sigh, unstrapping his spear from his back after avoiding the volley before making a bit more effort to close the gap and stride towards him. The dark-haired archer was stunned that his shot hadn't landed and even more so when the following dozen bolts were parried and redirected just as easily. He jumped up and kicked the bowman square in the chest, dropping him to the ground before there had been a few popping sounds.

Strange. It didn't sound like the sound of bones breaking--he didn't think he kicked hard enough to do that. The bowman stumbled back, coughing and wheezing, his eyes bulging open as he buried his hand in his clothing to pull out a vial. The thing had broken in the center and little white tablets fell to the ground, dissolving. The shocked expression he wore spoke more about what happened than whatever he could pull out with his strange accent.

"I--I can't stay here!"

He threw a capsule to the ground, blinding light shining and catching Cu Chulainn off guard. He stepped back, vanishing into a tear in thin air, just as a few more of the tablets landed on the ground where he had been standing. Cu Chulainn rubbed under his eyes before stepping over to the remaining tablets, picking them up with a scowl.

"What a pain--fairy mounds are just troubling these days. Nothing good comes out of the damned things anymore--"

As if proving him right, a dozen or so howling voices rose up in the woods, the town, and the mountains all at once. Screaming farmers and milling people came shortly after, clearly bothered by the owners of those inhuman howls. His irritated scowl deepened and he ran off, away from the mound and towards the sound of trouble, "Speak of the devil... and he'll come crawling right away, huh?"

Comments

[goneonenight]

One moment Yoruichi is chasing a Hollow towards an oddly round hill, and the next she's standing somewhere else entirely. The hill looks the same, but the countryside is completely different.

However, the screams and overwhelming Hollow reiatsu are familiar enough, so she shakes off her unease and follows the energy trail. Launching into shunpo, the land around her blurs, but the trail of the Hollow is as sharp as ever. She slows over a village--people are in a panic, scrambling to get away. To the humans, it looks like the trees and dirt are being knocked about by some invisible force, but Yoruichi can see the monstrous Hollow looming over them, reaching down to wrap a massive hand around a child unlucky enough to stumble into its path.

With a shout, Yoruichi flies forward, unsheathing her short zanpkatou from the small of her back. Her legs flash in her short uniform, and her large eyes are hard above cheeks still rounded with youth.

One backhand slash severs the Hollow's hand, causing the child to fall to the ground with a wail. Without pausing, she changes direction mid-air, landing a vicious slice to the monster's head. Mask broken, it lets out a sonorous death cry, dissolving into nothing even as she lands lightly to the ground behind it.

But the air is still heavy with Hollow energy; she keeps her blade ready as her eyes sweep the area.

[red_branch]

The local farmers hadn't usually been so easily frightened--dealing with gods and demons on such a regular basis that they were comfortably neighbors but the idea of an invisible monster plaguing them was something they couldn't exactly fight against. Cu Chulainn was puzzled when he arrived, watching as men and women came out into the open village with swords and spears as the rest of them ushered away the elderly and children to sacred ground and escape.

It was strange that none of them could see what he saw. A dark-skinned woman came down out of thin air and saved a child, just as he was lifting his spear to throw it at the oversized demon. The girl didn't seem to notice the one who saved her--her eyes darting around in confusion. She probably felt the demon's blood on her splash and then dissolve into dust shortly after. The little girl sprinted away without knowing who to thank, immediately after.

Lowering his spear, Cu Chulainn surveyed the damage to the village before striding in the direction of the village. There were more howls coming from the outskirts, driving more terrified cries from the ones being chased. With a snarl, he turned on his heel and threw his spear--the howl cut off before it even finished. His red spear embedded itself halfway into the side of a boulder along the side of the road after punching a hole in the mask and skull of a snake-like hollow that manifested out of thin air and tried to cut off the escaping elders.

Still, his eyes hadn't quite left the young woman who tore through the previous demon, his expression showing much less hostility than he displayed towards the snake-like creature.

"I may keep up these patrols more if women like that show up regularly."

[goneonenight]

There's a man nearby--blue hair and strange armor. But he's the only one beside her not running and screaming, so he'd catch her attention for that, if nothing else.

Not to mention, he's looking at her. He shouldn't be able to see her at all.

With a puzzled frown, she turns away from him just in time to see a red spear streak through the air and impale another Hollow. Her brows raise in surprise, but there are too many other energy signatures to dwell on it.

"Make sure you break the masks. They'll eat everyone here if you don't." Her voice is low and matter of fact, and she's already turned away from him towards the next target. She's not supposed to involve humans in Hollow battles, but he's already killed one, so might as well give him some pointers.

Why are there so many here, anyway? It's odd to see them mass like this. For good measure, she finishes off the Hollow he's speared, making sure the corrupted spirit is cleansed by her zanpakutou before it passes on.

But there's another rumbling its way towards the stragglers. It's squat and hunched like an ape, but surprisingly quick. Without hesitating, she shoots forward, dodging multiple swipes mid-air, almost as if she's dancing. But there's nothing playful about the businesslike way she comes in close, pulverizing its arm with a well-placed kick. As it staggers back, howling in pain and fury, Yoruichi slashes it across the mask with a powerful overhand blow.

With the one the armor guy killed, that's three Hollows in as many minutes. She needs to figure out what's brought so many of them here.

[red_branch]

That was a bit of a surprise. She hadn't just been some wandering warrior. She knew how to hunt the things. That alone was interesting to him. She was invisible like the bowman and yet--her presence was considerably different, not to mention much stronger. With a sneer that was less heroic than it was one that reeked of an exceptional amount of excitement, the spearman lifted his hand and summoned his spear back to his hand with one word--

"Come!"

It snapped back into his palm and he twisted it once--bringing the butt of it down against the head of a hollow that tore out of thin air to his right. It had opened its jaw wide with the impression of a crocodile, looking to snap down on him and bring him to the ground. The mask shattered under tremendous weight and it dissolved in an instant, much to Cu Chulainn's surprise. The young woman fighting before him was quick to follow the attacks from another one of the massive creatures, apparently used to fighting them despite their inconsistent physiology.

For some reason, more and more of the creatures were springing up and heading for him. Scowling more out of irritation than the need to exert himself so suddenly, the spearman turned at the hip and lashed his spear around like a whip, cutting a number of them to shreds and dissolving them all in an instant. The movement itself betrayed the credo of a spearman, treating his spear more like a flail than the way it was traditionally used and it was all done with the irritation that came from seeing someone put way too much effort into chasing him. He reached into his pocket to pull out the tablets he found before--the bait that was dropped by the bowman, to look at them.

"Ugh, they're desperate! Hey, missy," He called out to Yoruichi, one of the tablets pinched between his fingers. "It's pretty clear you're a fairy or a spirit. Do you sense anythin' coming off of this?"

[goneonenight]

They're no end to them. Luckily, that guy can handle himself, dispatching the gathering Hollows with ease. But why are they gathering around him?

She gathers herself to rush to his aid when he calls out, pulling white tablets out of his pocket with a bemused expression. Yoruichi goes cold with alarm, then hot with anger.

"You idiot!" She growls, taking out one Hollow with nothing more than a seemingly casual backhand. Flipping her zanpakutou, she taps its head with the hilt, performing the soul burial and allowing it to pass on. "What the hell are you doing with Hollow bait?"

He doesn't look like a Quincy, but they're the only ones dumb enough to use that stuff. Between one heartbeat and the next, she's no more than an arm's length away. Despite her small size, she scowls up at him, her hand clenched on the hilt of her short sword as if she'd be happy to attack him next. "Are you trying to get these people killed?"

[red_branch]

Not many people would have taken to meeting a strong spirit the first time the way Cu Chulainn did. Had it been any other knight of Ulster, they would have reacted more callously and defensively than he did. Despite the fact that he truly didn't understand the gravity of what he did, he understood that he was dealing with a strong spirit that clearly knew more than he did about what he was holding. He held it out for Yoruichi to take, smiling pleasantly as if he weren't about to have cold steel driven at his throat if he answered poorly.

"I might be a bit of an idiot but I think it's fairer to assume it's just ignorance that's the problem here," He said nothing as the hollows began to gather again--but by then, the warriors regrouped and they were casting spells. None of the men and women with swords, staves and spears appeared to be terrified anymore. They had gathered what the problem was and began casting spells to deal with spirits. A few of them began to see the shapes that were gathering and bolts of magic and arrows began to assail the hollows, quickly dealing with a number of them. Cu Chulainn's grin widened though he didn't turn his eyes from Yoruichi.

"Whatever these little pieces of chalk are--I snatched them off of a strange bowman that came out of a fairy mound a league or so from this town," Clearly, he had no interest in holding onto them. The hollows were interesting to fight but he didn't want to steal thunder from his clansmen gathering up to defend themselves. He could be heroic but letting the local village maintain its pride and dignity was just as important. The ferocity they were suddenly showing was putting a glimmer in his eye. "But, either way, it looks like the two of us did a fine job watching their backs so they could recover and fight back. You have my thanks for responding so quickly and helping out my clansmen in the interim."

Eloquent speech transitioned quickly into a tone one of the warriors nearby snorted at immediately as if he were in on a recurring joke. By then, he could finally see Yoruichi and realized what Cu Chulainn was doing, "I'm the Hound of Culann--Ulster's guardian. May I have your name, so I can properly address the stunning storm of strength and beauty before me?"

[goneonenight]

His easy acquiescence mollifies her, and her frown shifts from him to the bait as she takes it from his hand. Still young, she often lets her temper get the better of her, and all thoughts of diplomacy fly out the window in the face of the mission.

With this much bait, that stupid Quincy could have gotten a lot of these people killed. But now--

"Hadou 54; Haien." With a short incantation, purple flame rises from her palm, completely obliterating the remaining bait. Crushing it or tossing it would only continue to attract the Hollows--this is the best way to make sure it can't be used again.

"It must have been a Quincy," she says, her voice distracted as she watches the arriving warriors engage with the Hollows. "They use it when they're hunting Hollows, but you see how it can backfire." How could this human village have fighters capable of fighting--much less seeing--so many Hollows? What kind of place had she stumbled on? They're doing well enough disabling the Hollows, but she still needs to finish them off with her zanpakutou. Otherwise, the balance of souls will be jeopardized.

Blinking, she looks back at Cu Chulainn, flustered by his sudden flirtation. By his appreciative look, he's no longer worried about the nearby monsters, instead having found a different focus. Even if reinforcements have arrived, mid-battle seems an odd time for this.

"...Yoruichi." Huffing out an annoyed breath, she smooths out her expression from shock to wariness, belatedly remembering her manners. "Shihouin Yoruichi, of Seiretei. I was on a scouting mission when I wound up here."

[red_branch]

The flutter of fire in Yoruichi's hand didn't go unnoticed but it wasn't all that irregular to Cu Chulainn. A different form of magic, maybe, but still magic. Still, the casual use of it was an indicator of talent, so he did Yoruichi a favor and didn't bother her about what it was. At that rate, it would just sound annoying to chat with her about something clearly inconsequential. It was still noted and remembered.

If anything, his nature was simple. Clearly, he was much more interested in the flutter of her eyes and the, admittedly brief, nature Yoruichi's stunned look. Cu Chulainn gave her a wink in return to let her know he noticed but he still did nothing to actually capitalize on it.

"Scouting from Seiretei? You're pretty far from that 'Eastern Realm of the Dead'," He commented offhandedly, turning to watch as the villagers assembled stones and runes to create a barrier and blockade from another swarm of hollows. The warriors circled to try and batter the remaining hollows against the barrier--pincering them. Cu Chulainn didn't seem interested in helping rather than watch on with a growing, pleased grin. "That's all the way around the world, isn't it? Not that I've ever been there."

He had been to other realms in his eccentric adventures and heard of the various planes but had no real interest in going to them. All the interesting people tended to be alive--though Yoruichi had made a compelling reason to convince him otherwise in a short amount of time and, seemingly, without any real effort. A magic-using monster-slayer coming out a fairy mound seemed like they would hardly be anything remotely resembling dull--none the less a young woman with a sharp eye that Cu Chulainn clearly liked.

"Those warriors--among them are a few of my knights druids. I've told them to teach one another magic. In no time, those monsters won't be anything worth worrying about."

He turned to grin at Yoruichi--not with any intent to impress her. The tilt in his head was angled back towards the villagers as if he thought she should compliment them on a job well done.

[goneonenight]

His wink gets a scowl in response. It's rare that anyone is so blatantly forward with her, and while she might not mind in other circumstances, he reminds her too much of those men who think any woman who catches their interest is simply theirs for the taking. Her small size and beauty have caused more than one person to condescend to her--and just as many to later regret it.

But he surprises her with his next words. "I don't even know where I am, so I don't know if I'm around the world or not. I chased the Hollow towards a little hill, and we wound up here." It hadn't felt like the sort of portal to the living world that she's used to, but it's the only way to explain all these humans. But she hadn't heard of so many of them being able to use magic. Maybe things are different in this place.

A tension she hadn't known she was carrying lifts from her shoulders; if these Hollows had gotten away from her and destroyed a human village, she'd have felt deeply guilty. Despite what her teachers and the elders say, she does have a sense of duty, and a kind heart.

"They're doing better than I'd thought," she admits. "I still need to purify them, though." She turns back to Cu Chulainn, her earlier anger forgotten in the light of the earnestness shining from her face. "Things will get out of balance otherwise."

[red_branch]

"Well... Fairy mounds never cease to amaze," She didn't deny it. Of course, she was annoyed but that was something to be expected. Cu Chulainn was neither blind nor delusional--he knew he grated others and persisted simply because he was eager to be friendly, regardless. In the end, he usually wore people down and they came to like him, so it always worked out. "I didn't think I'd get it right, though."

It was nice to get a smile out of her, at least. Cu Chulainn was confident he could make any woman smile--even if they were trying to take off his head. It wasn't quite a smile from her but her eagerness to get her job done and show that she was somewhat impressed was enough. It was clear that she was the sort of woman who wasn't easily impressed and while this wasn't probably earning her best marks, it was clear she didn't expect that much at all.

"I'm not sure what you mean but it's tough to not believe you. Someone as strong and talented as you are, willing to chase monsters like these, would have to know plenty about them," It was said without much of a flighty tone behind it. Cu Chulainn tended to throw compliments around but speaking the truth was something unnervingly easy for him. He lifted his spear and tapped the butt of it in the dirt, beginning to drag it through the dirt as he walked away from Yoruichi, towards the hollows. Letters carved themselves in the dirt after the butt of his spear, lifting and wrapping around any hollow he passed. They froze up, unable to move, watching helplessly. It was clear the magic only worked on them because they weren't particularly strong--anything bigger than them wouldn't likely be held so easily.

"As thanks for your help, the least we can do is make your job a little easier. Is that much alright by you?"

[goneonenight]

She looks incredulous. "Gods above, do you ever stop?" He reminds her of Shunsui, with his relentless cheer and constant compliments. But she's known Shunsui her whole life and knows he doesn't mean anything by it--it's not the same coming from someone she doesn't know.

She shakes her head, stepping towards the now-bound Hollows. The technique isn't like any she's seen before, but it's clearly holding the spirits easily enough. It's just as well that they're not particularly strong, especially in these numbers. But she is impressed despite herself. Who are these people?

Time enough to satisfy her curiosity later. She begins cleansing the Hollows, their snarls and howls fading with their purified bodies. The final one flinches back as she reaches it, and a moment later she sees why--its mask falls off and the monstrous body fades, revealing the terrified form of a boy no more than 5 or 6 years old. She can't imagine what emotion would have driven a child so young to become a Hollow, but now that she's seen his face, she hesitates.

It's exactly why they're taught to kill them with a strike to the mask--to avoid seeing the spirit from which the Hollow was born. But these villagers would have no way of knowing that.

Yoruichi softens, and she kneels down so she's closer to the boy's level. "Hi," she says, flashing the first smile she's worn all day. It's warm and genuine and completely unlike her earlier brisk annoyance. "It's okay, I promise. We won't hurt you."

She then turns, raking the surrounding warriors with a glare that dares them to prove her wrong. The child still needs to pass on, but she can at least take a few moments to soothe him before he goes.

[red_branch]

"I don't see any reason to," Cu Chulainn responded curtly, though maintaining the same cheer that was clearly grating on Yoruichi. He knew he wasn't being rude yet--mostly just pushy. He'd understand if he went too far but even then, it was mild to state that he was very easily entranced by Yoruichi's demeanor and presence.

He followed, watching on carefully when Yoruichi brandished her sword to cleanse the monster. He had opened his mouth to ring praise for her until he saw what bled out of the form of the gigantic Hollow she had just purified. The face of the child among the hollows was much more relaxed than the rest of them were--even Cu Chulainn. The smile he had been wielding like a shield against the whole world managed to bleed away and he, like the rest of the villagers who could even see them, took on a darker expression. For a moment, it looked as if they would defy Yoruichi's warning until Cu Chulainn spoke up.

"These things--they're damned spirits?"

The boy, beginning to dissipate, smiled warmly at them all with the sort of fondness that came from familiarity. They all knew who he was.

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi doesn't bother to answer at first, staying between the little boy and the rest of the villagers. Despite his earlier raging as a Hollow, the boy looks at peace now, seemingly happy to pass on.

"Go on now," she says, her voice soft. "You won't be hungry anymore." With a last quiet sigh, the little boy fades away, and Yoruichi slowly sheathes her zanpakutou at the small of her back. Taking a deep breath, she rises.

"Yeah," she replies, turning to face Cu Chulainn. "Hollows are just spirits who get corrupted by their own negative emotions. It keeps them here, and all they want to do is feed on other souls."

The mood has darkened, understandably, and the tension is becoming uncomfortable. "I purified them all, so they can pass on." Nerves make her voice sharper than she means it to be. She doesn't know these people, or how they'll react to the news. "They're not trapped anymore."

[red_branch]

"We understand," It was an easy enough response. The villagers were used to spirits and the like but, strangely enough, never had to deal with malevolent ones. After all--

"We've never had to deal with them," He spoke up, reaching into his armor to find a pouch. He fished a small pendant out--a knotted design which appeared to be carved out of bone. It was looped into a leather braid so it could be used as a necklace. "Our druids are supposed to take care so spirits can pass. So, someone has to be sent to the capital to figure out exactly why spirits have been allowed to get to this state."

Yoruichi had been tense at a handful of moments but nothing she said or did gave Cu Chulainn the inclination that she was the cause of the problem. There were conmen druids who would create illnesses just to cure them and grift unknowing villagers from time to time but no one was brazen enough to forge an attack that dangerous just to end it. Not to mention the fact that she was from a spiritual world linked to foreign lands--it was unlikely anyone would go through that kind of effort.

The real problem was that it took several warriors to restrain the creature that manifested from a child who had no aptitude for combat or magic at all. If it had been one of the warriors or even one of their sages or druids in training--

"But, you and I should focus on immediate concerns," His expression solidified into something resembling determination and focus. Cu Chulainn straightened his back and went in the direction everyone really should have expected, "Lady Yoruichi, please become my wife."

[goneonenight]

Yoriuchi's shoulders relax when it seems that no one is going to attack her for the revelation. It'd be understandable if they were upset to find out they'd been fighting people they'd known, the dead they'd assumed had passed peacefully on. But like Cu Chulainn, the villagers look perplexed rather than accusing, likely wondering how this had gotten past their own people.

She blinks at the abrupt change in subject, frowning at the way Cu Chulainn's expression sharpens as he draws himself up. This business with the druid people failing sounds serious, so it's no surprise he'd--

For a moment, she's caught off guard, not believing her ears. She looks at the villagers as if to make sure she's not going crazy. By the varied amusement, exasperation and boredom on their faces, this is hardly the first time this has happened.

"No," she finally manages, her voice climbing. "What--" she breaks off, sputtering for a moment. "Why would you--no."

[red_branch]

"Setanta!" One of the elders bellowed from the edge of camp, red from exertion and exasperation with the young warrior. Cu Chulainn responded with a grimace--cut off before he could protest Yoruichi's swift denial. "We don't have time for--"

"Hey! I'm having an important conversation!" The complaint in his voice was apparent--so, it was clearly apparent that he wasn't treating things to the correct order of importance or at least he wasn't according to the rest of the villagers.

"Like hell you are! You don't need to get married this instant!"

Whatever veneer of heroism and princely pride he had been wearing before evaporated immediately as he dug his heels in and went in hard, looking back to Yoruichi. She had gone from tense for one reason to tense for a totally different one.

"Are you certain? I've never met a woman as beautiful or courageous as you. If I didn't ask you now--wouldn't I regret it for the rest of my life?"

More than anything, he understood why people were put off by his haste and urgency. Everything in his life had to be fast and he couldn't stand slowing down for even a moment.

[goneonenight]

At least she's not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous. Yoruichi is starting to feel bad for the people who are stuck living with this crazy person. She gives him another incredulous look, then shakes her head.

"That's not my problem. I don't even know you." Her voice is flat, his newest compliments simply rolling off her back. Marriage is a distant concept, one Yoruichi is happy to put off for another few centuries--some compulsive flirt from the living world isn't going to tempt her otherwise.

Turning away from Cu Chulainn, she addresses the man who'd just been chastising him.

"Elder, apparently I got here through some kind of fairy mound. Do you know how I can get back to it?" While not servile, her voice is more respectful than it had been with Cu Chulainn, showing she at least has manners when she chooses to use them.

If all the Hollows here are taken care of, Yoruichi really should be getting back. If nothing else, Seireitei will be interested to know there's another group of spiritually aware humans besides the Quincy.

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn whistled when Yoruichi turned away from him sharply. That was a serious rejection. When it was done and said, he couldn't quite press her any harder than that without spoiling the graces of someone who helped his country quite a bit in such a short amount of time. Giving her a little nod, even if she didn't bother to look back at him, he let it roll off of him as he turned to stride off and look for his horse.

"As far as rejections go, that one's going to hurt for a while," At the very least though, he had to admit that his disappointment was still fairly strong. He had been worried that he would grow numb to rejection after Emer and Scathach--so, the fact that it still made his stomach swim uneasily was actually a relief. Even so, he found himself stopping mid-stride after a little while, tapping his one foot in thought. He scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out if Yoruichi just didn't see anything compelling about him.

The elder, huffing as he strode over to Yoruichi, looked more and more disheveled by the hot sun overhead and the amount of work he still had to do in the day.

"A fairy mound, yound lady?" He looked irritated but given the dispassionate looks from the other villagers--it was apparent that this was just how he looked all the time. "Fairy mounds are volatile and unpredictable."

The elder continued on after clearing his throat, an apologetic look dregged up suddenly when he glanced at Cu Chulainn.

"Those things just look like normal hills and grassy knolls. They're gateways to the world of the Sidhe--powerful elemental creatures," There was a brief wipe at his brow as he turned his gaze to the sky. Clouds came to block the sun, which had been a brief respite for him, "They probably dragged yourself and that monster here out of irritation that you passed into their realm. Unfortunately for you, our overly-energetic prince here is the only one who knows Sidhe tricks and can deal with their illusions. The boys only gotten weirder after he got back from the Realm of the Dead..."

[goneonenight]

The elder looks disgruntled, but answers her politely enough. But it's her turn to frown again when it turns out her best guide is her alleged suitor, now standing off to one side looking poleaxed at her refusal.

Serves him right. Who does he think he is?

Huffing in annoyance, she turns to Cu Chulainn. He's already halfway towards his horse, apparently having decided there's nothing keeping him there now that his impulsive marriage proposal has fallen through.

"Will you help me, then?" Her tone is civil rather than friendly; she needs the help, but she's not going to encourage his interest. If these beings are as powerful as the elder implies, she'd rather not go through one of their portals with no information.

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn stared at his horse and his horse stared back, wondering if he should have just finished approaching his master. Cu Chulainn was spacing out, running through things he could have said or adjustments he could have made to his posture to bolster his image. His shoulders hung as he managed to feel a twinge of disappointment--realizing he didn't want to abandon that proposal even if the rejection was as close to 'never' as a 'no' could get. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose hard, only stopping when he caught the last word out of Yoruichi when she came up from behind him.

He turned, a little surprised that she was bothering to speak with him again. Lowering his hand from his face, he looked down at her with that look of confusion still apparent--gesturing for Duban with his free hand. The horse began to trot over, albeit lazily.

"Help you with what? Sorry, I was thinking over a few things. Rejections like that are pretty rough on me."

His response was somewhat familiar as if it were clear that he realized he made a slip-up and had no qualms with admitting to it. Even so, it was clear that his mind was still somewhat elsewhere by the glance he made back to his horse.

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi knows better, but the question comes out before she can stop it. "If you keep getting rejected, then why don't you--" She cuts herself off. It doesn't matter why he doesn't stop or at least figure out a better way to do it. She has other things to worry about.

"The elder said you were the best one to help me with the fairy mound," she says. "So will you? I need to get home." Seiretei will certainly want to know what's happened today. Hollows showing up halfway around the world are an issue. Not to mention the fact that these Sidhe apparently have a way to get into Soul Society that she bets no one knows about. That's a potential threat that needs to be monitored.

[red_branch]

"Life is short," Cu Chulain answered Yoruichi, even if she caught herself in the end. He could have guessed what the entire question was but he had an answer for what he thought it was. He smiled in the end, offering her a shrug. "Especially for me."

Though, his smile managed to diminish just a little bit when he decided to take the topic a bit more seriously. It wasn't hard to tell why Yoruichi wanted to leave. She was on duty and disappeared into a foreign land. Maybe she had family or not but even if not she likely still had work to do. Given how driven she clearly was, it was unlikely that she was pressing him for social reasons. She had to get home quickly.

Still, his change in expression went from disappointment to concern. Wait--she didn't have her return figured out?

"Actually, I thought you could handle it yourself at first. If you don't know about them, we should move quickly--but not too quickly," He turned, beginning to walk swiftly in the direction of the fairy mound Yoruichi had come from. It was just outside the village, close to the border of two farms. He hadn't really considered her problem immediately, figuring she had been exposed to them before. "Don't move too fast or you'll scare it off."

He was rummaging through his armor, finding a bag of reagents. Twigs, leaves, mushrooms, and bits of bone. It looked like garbage but he seemed to be sorting through it intently as he sped up his stride just a touch.

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi shakes her head. "I hadn't planned on coming to the Living World, so I didn't bring anything to get back." She easily keeps pace with him. "I didn't know I was going through a portal until it was done."

For the first time, a chill goes over her. She'd been caught up in the adrenaline of the mission, but what if this fairy mound won't let her back home?

She bites her lip, frowning. "Are you sure you know how to work these things? The elder said they're unpredictable."

[red_branch]

It took some effort for Cu Chulainn to really see Yoruichi's perspective. His sense of wanderlust tended to keep him far from home so often that the word was almost meaningless to him. The only thing that kept him home for any span of time was his vow to protect--something he sometimes forgot ever since his fellow knights grew strong enough to help him do the job with time to spare.

So, the fact that Yoruichi's mood seemed to fall was something that took a bit for him to wrap his head around. Even so, it didn't take much for his confidence to show. Fairy mounds were unpredictable but he had a knack for dealing with the unnerving things that came out of them.

"It might take some time but I can definitely get you through," He wasn't confident it would be perfect, given he sure they would be dealing with fairies that loved to make insane deals and play cruel tricks Cu Chulainn made big promises with hesitation. One crestfallen look from the hero who had come to help his clan had been enough to spark it in him.

"My word is bond."

He bowed his head, his expression grave--as he threw the handful of grit he carried into the ground. Muttering a word, he drew up a waypoint in the shape of molded light. Little, yellow sparks of light rose up from the grass and bent the air, gradually forming an arch that led into darkness. The bent light reflected light back on Cu Chulain and Yoruichi, taking on the appearance of a mirror.

"You'll have to go first, though. Ready?"

[goneonenight]

Had she come here on purpose, or if she knew how to get home on her own, Yoruichi's may well have given in to curiosity and stayed to look around some. But the thought of being trapped anywhere is alarming, so getting back to Soul Society is her top priority.

Whatever bits and pieces he'd been gathering apparently work, because a portal soon appears in front of them, as smooth as a still pond. Part of her balks at going first--she doesn't know him, and it's hard to put that sort of trust into a stranger. But she's already trusting him to get her home, so there's no sense turning back now.

Face firming, she takes a step forward, one hand out to test the fairy mound gate. But her fingertips are repelled, and she steps back in shock. She tries again, pressing her palm against the surface, but it's as unforgiving as stone.

"What's happening?" She turns to Setanta, her hand still touching the gate as her voice rises in distress. "Why won't it let me--ow!"

She snatches her hand back, smarting from the shock she'd been given. It seems she's not going to be allowed through after all.