Skittering Hollow (Bleach/Worm)

[Planeshunter]

Oh, once we're done with the 'Pupa' arc I'll confirm the identities of all the lights. Remind me if I forget, please.

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Heroic Girl

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There's no 'Heroic Girl' option, I'm assuming you mean the Heroic Child. Please change it if you want your vote to be properly recognised by the tally program.

We dont get path to victory.

Weaver doesnt have bug control.

Shards connect based on brain tissue which as hollows we dont have. So we get fortuna the girl willing to leverage everything she has through any means necessary to meet her goal. BUT we do not get a thinler 12 that actually knows how to succeed at any goal. In truth she may well be exceptionally bad at planning since most of her plans were created by her power. Though she should be quite skilled at building mental models of people which is how she worked around her blind spots

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I can neither confirm nor deny this. I'll say this much, though: Well reasoned, but you're operanting with incomplete intel.

Can I double vote for the shy girl I don't care who else is saved I just wanna save the girls who got nommed with Weaver for sure.

Click to shrink...

I'm... pretty sure that doesn't work. But since you're not voting for anyone else, it should still give the shy girl a slight advantage.

I also feel like Fortuna could use some peaceful rest after... everything.

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This is a good point I hadn't really considered before, that's why I love a good discussion.

 

[Arksurek]

[X][Light] The Heroic Child

[X][Light] The Shy Girl

 

[zephyriphoenix]

I can neither confirm nor deny this. I'll say this much, though: Well reasoned, but you're operanting with incomplete intel.

Click to shrink...

Incomplete Intel: the bane of my plans. I have no choice but to model possibilities in an attempt to workaround my blindspots.

Well from all evidence I have seen at the very least contessa wont have her Shard. Assuming she develops some unique ability I suppose a variant on ptv would make sense. Although even if she has her actual shard the afterlife was apparently an unknown to it given her sudden death by hollow. Of course if rather than make some hollow minions we somehow actually create flesh bodies for those we save then contessa probably would get ptv.

Personally even if we get her (I think shes in second place rn but greedy isnt far behind) I hope she doesnt get her power. I cannot see a way to take her power in a subordinate role to weaver in this setting without some major problems or possibly a genre change. Generally it would be either too powerful (able to model afterlife) or too useless (extreme number of blindspots). Some lesser version of her power needing strict requirements for use might be realy fun. Then the drama is attempting to set the stage and ptv is the kill technique. Still what I see is not what an author can do. I look forward to whatever happens.

 

[Zakara]

This is a good point I hadn't really considered before, that's why I love a good discussion.

Click to shrink...

I mean, from what I've been gathering about your interpretation of Hollows and their victims, a soul devoured is never really "gone" gone. Forced into a slumber within the internal oblivion by the stronger souls, yes, but not outright melted down and consumed, never to return again. That's why when a Shinigami purifies a well-fed Hollow, all the souls it devoured are sent on as well. I'm getting the distinct feeling that all the Lights we aren't forcibly extracting from the collective will still be there, slumbering and awaiting another chance to escape.

 

[Shadowoflight]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl

[X][Light] The Greedy Girl

 

[Ljapaubeaves]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl

[X][Light] The Unwanted Girl

Let us see where this leads us...
(Anxiety is mounting...)

 

[Demonlorddraco91]

[X][Light] The Heroic Child
[X][Light] The Shy Girl

 

[spidermonkey]

If a could vote but can not do to my phone being unable to copy paste I go with the pure boy and the heroic child because sadly most of the others minus greedy girl wills do not seem strong enough

 

[ELRue]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Unwanted Girl

 

[darknessfalls]

[X][Light] The Heroic Child

[X][Light] The Shy Girl

 

[CrimsonFate]

Since Weaver can feed off the Moon and maybe possibility feed off on something else as well. And consider how Weaver is spiting out two souls in a effort to save them. Will there ever come a time in which decides that she doesn't want all those Souls be a part of her anymore and decides to vomit them out of herself one day?

Sure eating other souls help her grow to power especially considering what kind of place she in at the moment. But will she ever tired of the fact she has many souls a part her now?

 

[Mindofsteel]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Greedy Girl

 

[MrMig]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Unwanted Girl

Is the

green eyed monster

Click to shrink...

A reference to envy(full metal) or is it from the settings where she came from?

 

[Zakara]

Since Weaver can feed off the Moon and maybe possibility feed off on something else as well. And consider how Weaver is spiting out two souls in a effort to save them. Will there ever come a time in which decides that she doesn't want all those Souls be a part of her anymore and decides to vomit them out of herself one day?

Sure eating other souls help her grow to power especially considering what kind of place she in at the moment. But will she ever tired of the fact she has many souls a part her now?

Click to shrink...

Well, maybe. It's been repeatedly hinted that there are two paths for Hollows, the Path of Consumption and the Path of Abstinence. We got the choice way back after Taylor's first feeding frenzy, and again after Anasai taught Taylor the common knowledge of Hecudo Munro. The Path of Consumption is the one everyone takes by default, playing into the basic nature of a Hollow and devouring other beings to fill the hole where the heart used to be. It leads to the Canon Hollow evolutions and subsists of a constant struggle against everything; the struggle to find food, the struggle to hunt the food, and the struggle to remain yourself after eating the food. The Path of Abstinence seems to require the follower to elevate themselves above the cycle of nature and the spiritual ecosystem in a manner similar to Buddhism. We obviously know nothing else about it, but I suspect it involves the Hollow coming to terms with themselves in some manner, filling the Hollow Hole themselves rather than attempting to fill it with others.

However, expelling a soul from the collective of a Hollow seems to require a certain strength of spirit from the escapee. After all, not counting Tatsuki and Chizuru who Taylor is explicitly diving in to rescue, and only just got eaten to boot, there are just eight Lights out of the likely hundreds of souls that are within the collective. Each of them distinct. Each of them special. It doesn't really seem like just any soul can be plucked from the collective, only the contenders, the ones that would have been in control had Taylor not been there.

 

[R.A.G.]

[X][Light] The Pure Boy
[X][Light] The Shy Girl

Wanna save Chizuru, and curious to see what happens if we pick maybeJackSlash.

 

[Babysharkdodo]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl

[X][Light] The Greedy Girl

 

[iambasho]

I must say I'm lost as to why anyone would vote for Taylor to protect Contessa. She was in the middle of, as far as Taylor is aware if she remembers that much, murdering Taylor when they both got eaten and also tried to survive longer as an independent soul when Weaver was consolidating herself by feeding other people to her, which Weaver should definitely remember.

 

[zephyriphoenix]

I must say I'm lost as to why anyone would vote for Taylor to protect Contessa. She was in the middle of, as far as Taylor is aware if she remembers that much, murdering Taylor when they both got eaten and also tried to survive longer as an independent soul when Weaver was consolidating herself by feeding other people to her, which Weaver should definitely remember.

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I must admit I am curious as well. I went back and here is what the few people who voted for contessa and explained said.

X][Light] The Heroic Child

[X][Light] The Pure Boy

Because of course we have to take Contessa and I kinda wanna go for the pure boy, he sounds like he might mesh well with Skitter.

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No real explanation but likes contessa (fair enough)

X][Light] The Heroic Child

Yup, got to be Contessa

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Same

[X][Light] The Heroic Child

[X][Light] The Shy Girl

The heroic child is obviously Contessa. I'm actually a bit sad she got chomped right after Taylor. And there's a good chance that the Shy Girl is actually Chizuru. No idea for the other ones, so I'm going with that.

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Sad to see contessa die and the only other character they recognized (again fair enough, I cant argue with wanting to avoid ocs or characters from fandoms you dont know which can often seem like ocs)

[X][Light] The Heroic Child
Path to victory and dammi that thinker 12+

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Already reaponded to this. See my earlier post if you care.

[X][Light] The Heroic Child
[X][Light] The Shy Girl

<snip>

My votes are mostly due to not knowing about "The Shy Girl", but she does look like Chizuru, and Contessa because I really want to see her in the story, besides she will be different from Canon, just like Taylor, and having companions could mean the world to her, so I don't see her becoming a mass murderer or betraying everyone like some suggest.

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A pretty well thought out reason imo, and while I dont agree necesarily, I dont realy disagree either.

 

[bobbya1]

[X][Light] The Pure Boy
[X][Light] The Shy Girl

 

[Uvigz]

[X][Light] The Heroic Child
[X][Light] The Shy Girl

 

[Matt.Silver]

There is one other Bleach character that we KNOW is in the Gesalt somewhere aside from Chizuru and Taksuki. I'm not sure if souls that Taylor has consumed (indirectly) are allowed as candidates, but Masaki Kurosaki was a powerful Quincy and had a very strong will (if what we saw when Ichigo fought Grandfisher is any indication). And what better way to recruit an overpowered anime protagonist who mother's death was one of the defining moments of his life than to throw said mother at him in Arrancar form? Has there ever been a fanfic where that happened?

Also, Mini Omake:

Weaver: What's your name Baby Shinigami?
Ichigo: Kurosaki Ichigo, and it doesn't mean strawberry.
Weaver: Kurosaki Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo… where have I heard that name before… Ah! That's right, that idiot hollow was shouting your name.
Ichigo: What idiot hollow?
Weaver: Furry, looked like a big hamster, with that weird tentacle thing Anglerfish have on his head.
Ichigo: Grand Fisher!?! You know that bastard?
Weaver: Is that his name? Weird.
Ichigo: Where is he?! I'm going to take him down!
Weaver: Is he your rival or something? Well, sorry kid, but you should choose a better class of rival.
Ichigo: Huh?
Weaver: He was a total idiot. Screaming his head off while he ran straight into my trap. I hadn't even hidden it yet and the moron still managed to get himself captured. It really doesn't say a lot of good things about you if you consider someone like that your rival. Don't worry though, I ate him so you can pretend that embarrassing rivalry never happened. I mean, why did you even care about that idiot?
Ichigo: … He killed my mother… He ate her soul while I hid under her body…
Weaver: … oh… uh… sorry to hear that. That makes things kinda awkward… Wait!
Ichigo: ?
Weaver: You're telling me that I have your mother's soul inside me… and the first time I come to the realm of the living in my life I just so happen to save her daughters out of everyone in the city… I'VE BEEN POSSESSED!
Everyone: …
Weaver: I'm being haunted by an evil spirit!... Wait! I'm an evil spirit! And your mother wasn't evil (I think). So I'm a bad spirit being haunted by a good spirit! That's not how this is supposed to work! WAAAHHH! I'm have an EXISTENSIAL CRISIS RIGHT NOW!
Everyone: …
Weaver: That means I've been indirectly eating human souls. I'm a cannibal!... Oh wait, I'm not human anymore, so I'm not a cannibal. Except I've been eating hollows, so I am a cannibal! That's… a good thing? Huh, being a cannibal makes you less evil if you're a hollow. Crisis averted.
Everyone: …
Weaver: Oh yeah, your mother… It's okay kid, I forgive your mother for possessing me, because I actually like the actions I take when tha- HEY, STOP TRYING TO HIT ME! Disparo Demora!

 

[KuroOkami]

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Greedy Girl

 

[Planeshunter]

Damn I'm sure at least some of you have figured out who the Pure Boy actually is, but are keeping it quiet so the rest don't give him minus votes.

If a could vote but can not do to my phone being unable to copy paste I go with the pure boy and the heroic child because sadly most of the others minus greedy girl wills do not seem strong enough

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Not sure if that'll work, but I can try voting for you.

[X][Light] The Heroic Child
[X][Light] The Greedy Girl

A reference to envy(full metal) or is it from the settings where she came from?

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Not exactly, more than me referencing FMA, it's actually a case of convergent reference. 'The Green Eyed Monster' refers to jealousy or jealousy personified, which is being referenced both by FMA and myself here.

Sure eating other souls help her grow to power especially considering what kind of place she in at the moment. But will she ever tired of the fact she has many souls a part her now?

Click to shrink...

Well, maybe. It's been repeatedly hinted that there are two paths for Hollows, the Path of Consumption and the Path of Abstinence.

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Time and maybe your choices will tell, I think .

I must say I'm lost as to why anyone would vote for Taylor to protect Contessa. She was in the middle of, as far as Taylor is aware if she remembers that much, murdering Taylor when they both got eaten and also tried to survive longer as an independent soul when Weaver was consolidating herself by feeding other people to her, which Weaver should definitely remember.

Click to shrink...

Since I'm about to close the votes, I think I can give my thoughts without influencing anyone. For me, the best reasons to protect Contessa would be both pity and empaty. Pity, since the flashes of insight shows a wreck of a woman held together only by PoV and her sense of duty (a sense of duty no longer appliable at that.) and empaty because... what would she have done in her place? Anyway, it's not an easy answer and there plenty arguments both sides.

Also, Mini Omake:

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Love it! Threadmarked as an extra, non-canon omake.

 

[Planeshunter]

Alright ladies and gents, votes are now closed!

This time's winner is...

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Heroic Child

Spoiler: Vote Tally

Vote Tally : Skittering Hollow (Bleach/Worm) | Page 22 | Questionable Questing [Posts: 653-712]
##### NetTally 2.2.3
Task: Light
[X][Light] The Shy Girl
No. of Votes: 39
[X] edofthesquid
[X] Aerrow
[X] Agmus
[X] Argentis
[X] Arksurek
[X] AzaggThoth
[X] Babysharkdodo
[X] bobbya1
[X] CatOnFire
[X] Damian3057
[X] darknessfalls
[X] Demetric
[X] Demonlorddraco91
[X] ELRue
[X] Fonteius
[X] Harpy81
[X] iambasho
[X] Its_a_cauldron_plot!
[X] Jarrarad
[X] Jubjub3000
[X] Kraotop
[X] KuroOkami
[X] Ljapaubeaves
[X] mattsaber
[X] Mindofsteel
[X] MrMig
[X] Naddakka741
[X] phil503
[X] Prama
[X] R.A.G.
[X] RyubosJ
[X] Shadowoflight
[X] SoldMars
[X] The_Collection
[X] Umbra99
[X] Uvigz
[X] werdzerg13
[X] Zakara
[X] zephyriphoenix
[X][Light] The Heroic Child
No. of Votes: 19
[X] Shaper47
[X] Argentis
[X] Arksurek
[X] darknessfalls
[X] Demetric
[X] Demonlorddraco91
[X] edofthesquid
[X] Flavy02
[X] Fonteius
[X] Harpy81
[X] Its_a_cauldron_plot!
[X] Jarrarad
[X] Jubjub3000
[X] Kraotop
[X] Metoto21
[X] Prama
[X] Ratatoskr
[X] Umbra99
[X] Uvigz
[X][Light] The Greedy Girl
No. of Votes: 15
[X] RyubosJ
[X] Agmus
[X] AzaggThoth
[X] Babysharkdodo
[X] CrimsonFate
[X] iambasho
[X] KuroOkami
[X] Mindofsteel
[X] Naddakka741
[X] phil503
[X] Shadowoflight
[X] The_Collection
[X] werdzerg13
[X] Zakara
[X] zephyriphoenix
[X][Light] The Pure Boy
No. of Votes: 7
[X] Shaper47
[X] Arbitbit39
[X] bobbya1
[X] Metoto21
[X] R.A.G.
[X] Ratatoskr
[X] SoldMars
[X][Light] The Unwanted Girl
No. of Votes: 6
[X] CatOnFire
[X] Aerrow
[X] CrimsonFate
[X] ELRue
[X] Ljapaubeaves
[X] MrMig

Total No. of Voters: 45

Wow, the Greedy Girl got real close there! Now that would've been interesting to see!

Anyway, here, have another interlude while I'm at it.

 

[Planeshunter]

Somewhere in Karakura town, there exists a back alley shop that can only be labeled 'suspicious'. The owner sports an all-too-bright permanent smile that screams fake, and the products it sells range from everyday candy bars to the truly outrageous.

Inside this shop, there's a basement where space twists on itself like a pretzel, being far, far bigger on the inside. The dream of a real estate agent, and the nightmare of any architect. There are things in that basement that make the 'truly outrageous' things in the shop look like everyday commodities.

Amongst them, there's a room that has no doors or windows, takes no space and cannot be seen. The actual logistics of the place are a mystery, but it's speculated the creator made the laws of physics throw their hands in defeats and leave to get drunk.

Inside this impossible room, the proud owner of Urahara Shōten studies a wide screen showing the most fascinating Hollow he's ever encountered.

"I don't belong in the world of the living. As soon as I figure out a way to get back into Hueco Mundo, I'll take it."

The surveillance system replays Weavers words, and the man who used to carry the title of 'brightest genius in Soul Society' smiles wider, even if he actually feels more like frowning.

"A kind Hollow." His dear friend comments from behind, hiding her wonder behind her usual nonchalance well enough… to anyone who hasn't known her for so long, anyway. "Will the wonders ever cease?"

"This 'Miss Weaver' is certainly a surprise, but it's not its… or maybe 'hers' existence that bothers me right now." Some quick taps at the keyboard have those words 'I don't belong in the world of the living.' replay again. "What if we don't know Hollows at all, Yoruichi? What if there's an entire society out there in their own world, and we only know the outlaws and madmen who go out of their way to antagonise the living?"

That's what truly bothers him. Out of all the Gotei 13 propaganda, the part about Hollows being unnatural existences in need of purging was one of the few parts he's never seen the need to doubt. But if they can be civilized beings…

On one hand, since the Hollows they meet are indeed aggressive sadistic predators, the shinigami official stance isn't actually wrong, or needs to change overly much. On the other hand, if there's actually 'kind' Hollows out there, living in a society they don't know of, there should be some sort of first contact protocols ready, and the engagement strategy should change from 'stab as fast and hard as you can' to 'make sure first you're not killing some poor guy sightseeing'.

Also, if the high number of Hollows that are fought off everyday are just the rare outliers of an unknown civilization… How numerous are they?

"Have you forgotten most Hollows are born in the Human World?" His friend argues, divining his thoughts as easily as he reads hers. "They aren't exactly paragons of civility!"

"Yeah, sure. But that might be a temporary state. As you said, they're just newborns, after all. And then again we don't know enough to jump to conclusions. Like, you know, we've been doing for centuries."

Cat eyes widen in understanding, once she takes the possibility seriously enough to actually poner on it.

"If Hollows are actually more than mindless abominations threatening the cycle. One of the basic tenets of the Gotei 13 is actually a bald-faced lie." It never fails to amuse the man how his friend feels the need to shift forms just to be physically capable of pinching the bridge of her nose. "But what are we going to do with that knowledge? It's not like Soul Society will listen to us given our status. Actually, I doubt they'd listen to us on this no matter what."

"Yes, military dictatorships don't usually take kindly on people poking holes at their justifications after all, no matter how benevolent they like to portrait themselves as." Even at its best, the powers of Souls Society won't take kindly on someone shaking the status quo. "They would need to be poked in the eye with the facts. Insistently at that."

"Are you planning on stirring the hornet's nest?" His friend asks with tired exasperation. She really knows him too well. "That's a mess we don't need on top of Aizen's plans, and you know it."

"No, no, that would be stupid." With a flick of the wrist, he opens his fan to cover his face, so his friend doesn't actually see him laughing at her facevault. "But I think it would be prudent to prepare for the possibility. If nothing else, I wouldn't mind having this 'Miss Weaver' on our side."

"One of these days, Kisuke… You'll piss off someone you cannot talk out of beating the crap out of you for it."

Well yes, of course that'll happen sooner or later. It's happened multiple times already, actually. But what's the point of living life if you can't get a bit of fun out of it?

 

[Zakara]

Well, choosing Chizuru was never in doubt, but it was pretty close between Fortuna and Marisa. I still think retrieving Marisa just as Taylor learns Cero would be the obvious choice, but it seems Fortuna has another chance to make everything up to Taylor.

 

[Argentis]

Alright ladies and gents, votes are now closed!

This time's winner is...

[X][Light] The Shy Girl
[X][Light] The Heroic Child

Spoiler: Vote Tally

Vote Tally : Skittering Hollow (Bleach/Worm) | Page 22 | Questionable Questing [Posts: 653-712]
##### NetTally 2.2.3
Task: Light
[X][Light] The Shy Girl
No. of Votes: 39
[X] edofthesquid
[X] Aerrow
[X] Agmus
[X] Argentis
[X] Arksurek
[X] AzaggThoth
[X] Babysharkdodo
[X] bobbya1
[X] CatOnFire
[X] Damian3057
[X] darknessfalls
[X] Demetric
[X] Demonlorddraco91
[X] ELRue
[X] Fonteius
[X] Harpy81
[X] iambasho
[X] Its_a_cauldron_plot!
[X] Jarrarad
[X] Jubjub3000
[X] Kraotop
[X] KuroOkami
[X] Ljapaubeaves
[X] mattsaber
[X] Mindofsteel
[X] MrMig
[X] Naddakka741
[X] phil503
[X] Prama
[X] R.A.G.
[X] RyubosJ
[X] Shadowoflight
[X] SoldMars
[X] The_Collection
[X] Umbra99
[X] Uvigz
[X] werdzerg13
[X] Zakara
[X] zephyriphoenix
[X][Light] The Heroic Child
No. of Votes: 19
[X] Shaper47
[X] Argentis
[X] Arksurek
[X] darknessfalls
[X] Demetric
[X] Demonlorddraco91
[X] edofthesquid
[X] Flavy02
[X] Fonteius
[X] Harpy81
[X] Its_a_cauldron_plot!
[X] Jarrarad
[X] Jubjub3000
[X] Kraotop
[X] Metoto21
[X] Prama
[X] Ratatoskr
[X] Umbra99
[X] Uvigz
[X][Light] The Greedy Girl
No. of Votes: 15
[X] RyubosJ
[X] Agmus
[X] AzaggThoth
[X] Babysharkdodo
[X] CrimsonFate
[X] iambasho
[X] KuroOkami
[X] Mindofsteel
[X] Naddakka741
[X] phil503
[X] Shadowoflight
[X] The_Collection
[X] werdzerg13
[X] Zakara
[X] zephyriphoenix
[X][Light] The Pure Boy
No. of Votes: 7
[X] Shaper47
[X] Arbitbit39
[X] bobbya1
[X] Metoto21
[X] R.A.G.
[X] Ratatoskr
[X] SoldMars
[X][Light] The Unwanted Girl
No. of Votes: 6
[X] CatOnFire
[X] Aerrow
[X] CrimsonFate
[X] ELRue
[X] Ljapaubeaves
[X] MrMig

Total No. of Voters: 45

Wow, the Greedy Girl got real close there! Now that would've been interesting to see!

Anyway, here, have another interlude while I'm at it.

Click to shrink...

yeah but who were they?
Shy girl and heroic girl, are Chizuru and Fortuna.
Pure boy is Jack slash, but who are greedy and unwanted?

 

[Planeshunter]

yeah but who were they?
Shy girl and heroic girl, are Chizuru and Fortuna.
Pure boy is Jack slash, but who are greedy and unwanted?

Click to shrink...

I can't answer that yet, because reasons.

Once we're done with the 'Pupa' arc I'll publish an extra about them.

 

[Zakara]

yeah but who were they?
Shy girl and heroic girl, are Chizuru and Fortuna.
Pure boy is Jack slash, but who are greedy and unwanted?

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Shy and Heroic are fairly obviously Chizuru and Fortuna.
Pure is maybe Jack Slash, maybe Hachiman.
Greedy is probably Marisa, maybe Akko.
And no-one knows who Unwanted is.

 

[Argentis]

Greedy is probably Marisa

Click to shrink...

Marisa as in Sundancer?