Five till Three (Tagz)

[Wanzer]

The sounds of forced labor were still roaring down below on the vast plains of Los Noches's infinite desert. That was the only sound that anyone heard around these parts anymore; anything else was drowned out in the shouts, explosions and stone shaping that was coming from that region. That was all the world of Hueco Mundo and the Arrancar knew under the Horror Vacai now in the weeks and months after the invasion that was so easily pushed back with ease. What did it matter though? They had traded fear for tyrants and dictators, they had traded freedom for secruity. At least that was how it appeared to the Tres Espada, Sojukin Asamoto. Hueco Mundo in his eyes was only a fragment of its former self and even if it was nothing but a blinding field of nothing but white....Damn it, it was HIS blinding field of white. He hefted a sigh through his chest and could feel precisely where the hollow hole was just by the simple act of breathing. Another reminder of his sinful life in the past and just what it meant to be a hollow these days; what did that matter though? He was strong and he was surrounded by other powerful people, yet there was something disturbing about the state the Arrancar found themselve in. Arrancar had never been made to subservent to anyone they were too proud and powerful for that, but now they looked like nothing more than child's playthings in some transcendent beings intergalatic game of chess.

"Death...just what exactly have you done to us? You've turned the minatorial and proud into the laughing stock of the spiritual world. Only the mod souls would be below us now in terms of respect. How far we've fallen just to say that we can now exist underneath your cloak and be shackled to your heel like dogs."

Sojukin turned about, allowing his blond tassels to shift slowly before he grabbed one of the burnt ends and twisted it around his finger. He relished in the sudden lack of blood to the area and then the rush of it returning as he released. Yet his old stand by did not ease his mind. It only blow the problem up out of propotion in his mind, inflating the issue like a balloon until it was ready to pop. Taking in another deep breath of air, the Arrancar left his room in a huff and slammed the door behind him shut as he exited out into the hall.

[Tagz]

Pride and power, this was what cemented the former hierarchy of Las Noches, the home of the Arrancar. The Horror Vacui had both in abundance. They easily commandeered leadership from the royals, slaying them in the process. Admittedly, it was quite impressive how quickly they reformed the disorderly, anarchic Arrancar into a workable and naturally destructive army. Though amazed by this fact, the Cinco Espada felt nothing for her superiors, nor did she feel anything for the world in total. Gramica’s amusement and curiosity lead to most of her decisions. It was also what lead her to Sojukin’s presence.

“Surely it couldn’t be that bad to be the loyal canine shackled to its master’s heel. Besides, if you feel that your pride has taken such a detrimental blow, why not regain it by placing Death’s head on your mantel?”

She egged. It was doubt that the Tres Espada would be able to muster up the gumption required to challenge a man who very well may be the most powerful Arrancar to cross these barren lands. Even if he did, it’d be interesting to see in exactly what fashion Death would choose to “dispose” of this nuisance. And if by some miracle Sojukin succeeds, then Hueco Mundo would merely return to its former, inhospitable nature. Either outcome was perfectly fine.

Why had the flowing dirty-blonde heard the higher Espada’s mini-rant? Simple, she was standing outside his room. With one foot carrying her entire weight and the other planted firmly against the wall, she leaned back, arms folded. Her eyes held an inquisitive look as the man stepped out of his dormitory of sorts and seemed to be in a huff. A playful smile danced across her lips as she awaited his answer. She may have come here for a reason, but flustering him a little beforehand may prove amusing.

[ooc: Repulsively short post, but you gave me literally nothing to work with. Still, sheer laziness had a hand in this and for that I apologize.]

[Wanzer]

The Tres espada's eyes cut back toward Gramica in a slow, belligerent arc until it met the rare female espada. He said nothing for a moment as he analyzed her up and down measure her power and took in her appearance. He knew little about the Cinco Espada and fewer still about many of the others who ranked below him; perhaps that was time to change, he thought to himself. It would not hinder him to gather supporters, but the idle that he strived for most likely could not hold in most of the abecedarian of the Arrancar and hollows in Hueco Mundo so what good would it do him to attempt? His gaze grew frigid for a moment before he shook his head like a school teacher scolding a spoiled child.

"I'm not so foolish as to rush blindly into my own demise. I know Death's power and have experienced it first hand. He need not apply any pressure to crush me like a insect beneath his heel. No right now, he holds the leash and the cattle prong. I can do nothing but what the holder of the leash asks me to or else suffer a brand of heresy against my flesh. The strong will always have that spot, but the dog will grow stronger in its resentment and will eventually become calloused to the wounds which pierce the flesh and damage the soul. In time, in due time I will grow strong and off the corpses of other Arrancar whom have already felt the abrasive yoke of Death's power. The former princess being one of them, but she was a fool and I pity not the wench's own fault. Her passing was but a lesson to those in Hueco Mundo, that Death was not to be trifled with and that we were nothing but his dogs. However, that leads to another course of action for us arrancar. We serve, but we do so begrudgingly and we work and we will grow strong. Even if it takes tens or hundreds of years we will triumph in the end. Otherwise we will be slaves till something obliterates all, then naught will come us, but we shall fade into the darkness of time. We'll fade with a whimper and a laugh knowing that Death's power was still minuscule compared to nature's and that the Horror Vacui were still nothing, but worm food despite their might."

Sojukin said with a level tone, not monotone, but delving into each crevice of his speech like a diver searching for pearls. The ocean was vast and each little crack had to be checked so what else was he to do, but surface when necessary and dive when proper. Now that he was finished, he took a slow breath and looked out a window where the Arrancar were still hard at work while the Horror's supervised in statuesque silence, it was obvious that most of them were gaucherie and could hardly do anything, but be the minatorial beings that they were else what were they? Nothing but dictators in Sojukin's mind whom had recently taking a liking to the rules of a Capitalistic society where every man was responsible for their own being. However, he had studied Marx, Machiavelli and other political theorists much in the same way and could find faults in all of them. It soon began to cease to matter, but still enjoyed the taught of a independent society where all were responsible for their own gain and their own success in life. Moving forward toward Gramica, he slowly outstretched his arm, leaning in closer toward her. He did not pin her so much as made himself a clear presence near her; he sought to make no threat to this woman only to close the gap between them.

"So tell me Gramica...are you so willing to serve Death yourself? Would you not rather be free of all restraints and live as you saw fit with no worries about the espada or Arrancar in general? Maybe you are an altruist and seek to make everything blissful and happy in this lonely plain of infinite white where madness seeps from every orifice like a plague. I could not see you as such nor any arrancar for that matter, but maybe you'll surprise me. You do seem to be of a different breed, much like Garve, but your own personal convictions are none of my business. Lest you would share them so openly with a man whom you know little of aside from his rank. That is, unless you've been keeping track of my actions; then you may no more about than I do about myself. I found out the hard way that Death had been doing such an act to me for quite a while. Perhaps that is common place for the Arrancar today? Knowing one's opposition does have its advantages, but it still strikes me as creepy, if somewhat flattering."

Sojukin allowed a smile to form on his handsome face and met her eyes careful in search of an answer there. He was curious as to what made this particular Arrancar tick; just as he had been curious about Taza when he had first met him and became his rival. Now there was so much more to learn about all those around them and with the advent of information that was pouring through his mind and the idea that they knew more about him, it was time to catch up. So, what better place to start than by asking them himself and directly? They could hide the information from him, but why would they aside from Death who would let no information pass from his lips even if he were being strangled by a being even more powerful than himself, not that, that existed to anyone's knowledge yet.

"What is your take on all of this Gramica?"

Sojukin asked again, with a baiting voice.

[Tagz]

Cinco Espada, Gramica, she was a woman driven mostly by her whims (as mentioned). She cared little for her “people” and little for her standing. She felt nothing for her superiors or her subordinates. She was a proud individual, and despite conforming to her supercilious superiors, she continued to move off of her own accord. The man that stood before her was, more likely than not, the self-driven, self-righteous, rebellious type. His personality may delve deeper than that, however, it was a mere generalization of his character. Given her adroitness in the analytical field, she must’ve been on point. Though his notions petty, he may prove to be of some use. Thus he earned himself some consideration.

On the other hand, Gramica’s motives were far more simplistic (or perhaps more complex from another’s point of view). She wished to find a meaning to their pointless, vain existence. Were they supposed to merely kill, slaughter, and feed themselves until their lives withered out? Was murder, lust, and gluttony all that they would amount to? This may have been fulfilling enough for just about every other Arrancar surrounding her, but Gramica grew bored quick. If she could find no real meaning to their massacre-filled lives, then she would at the least find some way to past the time by.

It was at this point that Sojukin attempted to “display his dominance”. With impeccable focus, the flowing blonde watched as she’d gained the man’s attention. His eyes eased in on her with a show of power. Her own pupils were gazing back at him, indifferent yet unwavering. She watched as he sized her up. It was said that one’s eyes were a window to their innermost thoughts. Gramica gazed through the emerald green shudders as the Tres Espada relapsed into an almost glacial temperament. Soon after, he took on the role of a scolding grade school teacher and began his monologue.

The man spoke with a passion. His voice dipped and peaked along with his speech, giving it life and actually made it interesting to follow. She gave her utmost attention as he droned on. In between monologues, he drew closer to the woman. As he stretched his arm out, he “made his presence known”. Her body remained calm and unrestrained as he made his motions. A matured Espada, she held no discomfort when around mere boys attempting to play themselves off as men. And then finally, after what felt like ages, he stopped blathering so that she may get a word in.

“What is your take on all this, Gramica?”

As a single eyebrow rose, she made her reply.

“Well now, do I really seem of a different breed? Different from what, may I inquire?”

Zoning off as though she were lost in thought, she quickly returned with a heartless gaze, piercing the higher Espada.

“Regardless, you do realize that while you grow stronger, as does he? In the spiritual realm, there doesn’t seem to be a cap on the amount of power one individual can gain. A few years ago, one as “omnipotent” as Death couldn't even be fathomed, and yet here he is. Who’s to say that he’s the only one? Or that he’s the top dog? As you forever scurry and try to reach the pinnacle of power, Death will always be leaps and bounds ahead of you. Your decades and centuries of waiting will lead you no where. If you are serious about trying to “overthrow” our almighty ruler, I suggest you defer to a different method.”

Seemingly apathetic, she continued to view through his emerald windows. She needed to know more of this man. His usefulness to her depended heavily on his level of intellect as well as control over his evident pride issues.

[Wanzer]

Sojukin allowed Gramica to speak and followed every word calmly with his eyes kept in a constant state of attention. Nothing was lost to the Espada many called insane and whom was perfectly willing to admit he was; in the faculties of mental health it was clear something had gone horribly wrong, what was hard to determine. He normally measured it out to be nothing but the over abundance of souls drifting around in his belly and his insistent desire to devour more to grow stronger. A hypocritical view considering his long term goal, but a necessary part if what he wished for was to ever be accomplished. However; he had to also think logically which was never a strong point of his and noticed that Gramica had a good point. His work would be futile as Death would more likely than not grow along side of him and with no real ceiling to the amount of power anyone being could hold in the spiritual world that posed a serious problem. Yet would it be worth it to start a full scale rebellion? Such things would require the full cooperation of the entire force of the Arrancar and then some...Vizards and Shinigami would have to be involved as well....He remembered her first question though and smirked with a brief interest in those words above the rest.

"Perhaps, you are different in that unlike most Espada you do possess power if not as much as the upper reaches certainly more than those below. I know nothing of you just as I said before, but you seem to be more willing to admit that the Horror Vacui are much more powerful than most others."

Sojukin's eyes lit up for a moment as a smile formed on his lips and he answered the heartless gaze with one of unbridled amusement at the lower ranked Espada. His entire body shivered for a moment that could usually be taken as fear, but it was excitement and a suppressed laugh that made him shake as he did. Sojukin cocking his head to the side for a moment replied to the second bit with the same animation which he had in his previous monologues.

"I know full well that Death will expand as I do and that I could reach my eternity and never find a branch near Death's perch, but I never intended to do this alone. No...taking down any of the Horrors would require the aid of the entire Espada or the entirety of Hueco Mundo. That would require power to unite them and that power would have to at least be a fraction of Death's...a noticeable fraction at that and not some cheap 1/10000 crap. It would have to be at least twenty to thirty percent to convince the Arrancar alone. Even then, it may not be nearly enough we would most likely have to commit a taboo and ally ourselves with one of the other races or all of them. It is a beautiful idea, but one that could not be obtained with a vast amount of power and an army at one's side. It would no longer be a brawl then, but a war of massive proportions...one that would not need for a very long time in my mind. Things could be circumvented through the use of treachery and through means of foul play such as poisons and the like wise, but such things have already been thought of and such things will most likely fail. Death is far older than us and has probably experienced it all. I doubt it would matter if we tried to slip him something or did something else that would kill anyone else. Old age and power make people paranoid and seeing how Death is far older than anyone, he must have gone crazy in his own paranoia and then sane again."

Sojukin finished and waited for a reply.

[Tagz]

Slightly off put by the blonde man’s attentiveness, Gramica gave him her thesis. This had been a problem she’d contemplated over and over on many occasions. As it seemed, Sojukin had been pondering over this dilemma for quite some time himself. His displeasure towards the situation was all but discreet, such a boisterous man. As mentioned earlier, if she could not find meaning in their vain existence, that she would find ways to pass the time. While he debated the fruits to be gained from a full scale rebellion, Gramica was almost intent to stir one. Exactly how broad was the gap in might between the Horror Vacui and the whole of the Arrancar? Were they capable of simply exterminating the entirety of their own species? What if the Vizards and the Shinigami joined in the festivities? Would the entire spirit realm fall just short of Death’s feet? An amusing thought

The Horror Vacui had already demonstrated a fraction of their power as well as their leadership skills. Below them, and perhaps below even a few of their more powerful Prodigum, the Espada were recognized as the greatest of the average Arrancar. Among them, Sojukin was considered to be more powerful than about seventy percent of his fellow Espada. This is essentially a roundabout way of saying Sojukin qualified to be the grand bishop within her chess game against their overseers. However, he lacked tact. He seemed to have only now come to a realization she’d thought through carefully long before their conversation was fated to begin. Regardless, she listened considerately and allowed him to ramble on.

Sojukin finished another of his lengthy comments. As he did so, Gramica began by correcting his differentiation between her and the rest of their kin.

“Whether the others are willing to “admit” it is far beyond my realm of concerns. Though they may not declare it to the world, it is a fact well known amongst every Arrancar today. We’ve all folded to their will as our previous leaders perished trying to hold onto their hierarchy. My willingness to acknowledge their superiority is trivial. We’ve all “admitted” to it at one point or another, vocal or otherwise.”

She paused to allow this thought to sink in.

“The thought of using lethal elixirs is an idiotic notion. Even the mortal rulers of times long past have found ways to sidestep such pitiful assassination attempts. They’ve come up with taste-testers and other methods, naturally one as mighty as Death would be able to evade such a daft scheme. As for the more probable of the ideas you’ve suggested yet, the one of power is an interesting idea. And how do you plan to attain such a grand amount? Stand near Death’s side and hope some of his “epic awesomeness” wafts onto you?”

With a light poke at his pride, Gramica waited patiently for his response.


[ooc: Extremely short, but I hope it was worth the wait.]

[Wanzer]

Sojukin pulled his arm back slowly and sat down on a nearby bench as he folded his hands over themselves; locking each individual finger into place with a cold and self satisfied smile. A smile that said nothing pleasant. The Arrancar sat there in this undefined silence for a long time with no actions but shakes that spread around his body. At intervals his arm would twitch slight sending a shock wave through each point of his body before his foot would tremble in a disarray. The once vibrant eyes had grown dull and it was clear that some internal debate was raging within Sojukin's mind. All the possible thoughts that ten thousand hollow could be having were spreading through his mind, arguments were raging and Sojukin was the head of them all. He was a simple mediator, the Ego between the ID and the Superego. He would laugh, shrug and merely shake his head at the weaklings that tried to reign over the body, but he did not suppress. He listened and attempted to find new points of views that could not be found on his own. After all the saying went that two heads was better than one, so how much better than one head could ten thousand be? The color returned to his eyes in a flash leaving no trace of the dim nature that had presided there moments ago.

While it was true he was nothing more than a stepping stone to Death, even a stepping stone could cause a river to falter if it was placed correctly and whats to say that there wouldn't be more like him piling up in one place? The intention was not to gain the indescribable amount of power that was necessary to conquer the being that had bent them to their knees, but rather to gain enough comrades that he would have no hope of swatting them all away at a moments notice. The ideas expressed had deviated from this and he saw clearly his own mistake, though he let out a sickening laugh as his face contorted from the excess of mentalities following through him. His brain could only handle so much and it was destroying itself in the hive mind state it was in, in all haste Sojukin regained control of his mind with a simple shout of Reiatsu from the inside sending out a small wave in the real world which increased the heat of the room before it died down.

"The misconception her is that admitting power is the same as submitting to it. Not all Arrancar have submitted to Death's power, there are rogues and there are those whom are displeased with Death's actions. Still there are others whom wish to be free of all control, but fear Death. What needs to be asked is not how will I gain power, but how will the people gain power and how can they be convinced to go to war. Sun Tzu once said: "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious. " Now is not the time for us to fight, now is the time for us to watch and wait and to become stronger. People are resilient and races will outlast any single being. As Sun Tzu said as well: "Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory. " We must first master the people and muster the grains of hope and bloodlust into their hearts so that they perceive Death to be part of their approaching demise. Our war is not one of power, but of deception and Death is a master of that; however he is also a master of secrets and secrets put off those around them. Death has hidden much from us, his origin, his secrets to power and even his age; these secrets mean more to the people than one would imagine and in this lies his mistake."

Sojukin passed allowing for any reply to be made in this situation as he cracked his fingers several times and merely smirked with satisfaction before adding on.

"After all, the Cold War was nothing more than a guessing game between Russia in the U.S because neither could figure out whom had what."