BUENOS DÍAS LAS NOCHES

**Date Started:** 14 December, 2021
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Previous Role-Play**:
**Next Role-Play**: N/A
**Users Involved:** User:ComicMaster619, User:Mr.Zeno999, User:Dal101, User:Duck Dominator, User:TheCheeseMeister, User:AbysmalShadows, User:TheGoldenBuddha, User:Sir Ice Man, User:Sekiro of the mist
**Setting:** Hueco Mundo
**Characters Involved**:
* **Arrancar:** Lucia Astarosa, Free Bird, Nikkolas Klause, Sorren Kenzo
* **Hollows:**Thanatos, Gill Gammesh, Raazayel Aranda, Burn
* **Other:** Szallyn Ryuma

## Cena de Bestias

*Ten blades reforged in the distant desert
Duel the thirteen petals in the king's garden
The struggle between men and beasts continues eternally
The victor left undecided*

*Hunger. Solitude. The endless expanse of sand stretching as far as the eye can see. A single Hollow marched to its next meal, its stomach bloated but ready to be filled again. In its endless pursuit to fill the void, it ate and ate, mindlessly drawn to the next morsel it could find. It didn’t matter if it was large or small, how strong or how weak it was, anything that it could touch with its hands would suffice. Whether it knew or not, every bite, every voice that had been snuffed out by it continued to roar in the deepest recesses of its mind, the voices getting louder the more it tried to fill its empty heart, all screaming for the same thing: more. A journey that it could scarcely remember taking, the voices drowned out whatever sense of self it had, only exacerbated the more it consumed. Before it could take another step, the Hollow was outweighed by the pressure of its company, clawing and tearing at the invisible entourage, assaulting whatever it could get its hands on in order to alleviate its suffering.*

*For once it thought, it wanted nothing more than to be left alone. In its vain attempt to quiet the voices, it would silence the one voice it knew it could touch. Cutting. Biting. Pulling. Whatever the cost, it had done everything in its power to kill, bellowing as loud as it could as if to rise above all the other voices, its mask broken and fractured from the pressure of its desperation. Faceless, the Hollow felt more complete than it had ever been, the voices too afraid to speak up, the broken remains of its face carried off to the wind, joined by what it could only assume to be a tribe of one. Alone no longer.*

“Ahhhh-hhaaaaaa,” Lucia exhaled, letting out a loud yawn, just waking up from what felt like a longer nap than normal within the white dunes of Hueco Mundo, sand scattered all across her clothes as she got up from the soft ground. The Reishi, combined with the spectacular view from the Forest of Menos, made it her favorite place in the empty realm of Hollows. So much so, it was the only place with Menos-Class Hollows, her favorite snack due from the sheer number of them that comprise its being. Before she could start the hunt again, a small Garganta opened directly above her, greeted by a swarm of creatures, their body similar to flies, but their head bearing an uncanny resemblance to that of a Hollow. All swarming her from every direction, they converged onto a single fly, breaking down into Reishi that melted back into her body.

“No duh, finally. Oh? And he’s cute too!” Lucia muttered, the small fly resting on her index finger. She leapt up from the sand, dragging her Zanpakutō from the handle, tracing it across the sand. “I can’t be the only one to have all the fun. It's time to invite the other guests.” Running her finger across the sand, Lucia drew a pattern across the surface, activating her Pesquisa to locate and identify the Reiatsu of every Hollow on the outskirts of Las Noches, anyone that picked her interest and was intelligent enough to hear what she had to say. She had already sent several invitations to numerous Hollows, with the rare Arrancar added to the mix, all she had to do was wait for them at the designated location. Using her Sonido, Lucia darted several steps across the vast dunes, heading directly to the fortress of Las Noches. Trailing way behind, she was accompanied by a large group of Hollows, consisting of several low-leveled ones, with the exception of several Gillian, trembling over everything that stood in their way.

Waiting in its deepest recess, it was the first time since its original inhabitants left that anyone filled its halls, signs of the Wandenreich’s invasion still evident from all the destroyed ruins, simply waiting patiently in the throne room for the rest of the guests to arrive. Her reason for such a gathering was to discuss current events, something of which has been drawing her attention more and more from the sudden developments in the Human World and the Soul Society that prompted her to act so out of character for her.

Appearing from a portal of his own creation, the Vasto Lorde Thanatos thought to be dead for thousands of years stepped out of it, reeking enough spiritual power to shake all of Las Noches. "So this is the place, huh?" He said, his voice booming for all of the Gillians and for Lucia to hear.

Many hollows were converging on Los Noches, most intentionally, some less so. Gil Gammesh walked slowly along the dunes, noting the gillians and hollows of all varieties. He had walked this direction for nearly a hundred years, ever since he first saw the massive structure off in the distance. If he had hurried, he could have been here decades ago. But what use was hurrying when one was ageless?

He passed through the massive walls, long since decayed by the savage fights that had occurred in years past. He cared not. He had seen civilizations rise and fall before, more times than he cared to count. He could nearly feel the residents of ages past, powerful souls who had marked the world around him. At least two such beings were here now, albeit one felt off. They didn't give off the aura of a hollow, nor that of a shinigami, but something in between. The ancient king would have to see himself what awaited here.

He walked into the ruined throne room, sand filling the corners of the room among collapsed pillars. Seeking the tallest of these ruined pillars of stone. He sanded off a flat place on top as he walked through the air, sitting down as Gill observed the two beings before him. Though he chose to remain silent for now.

"Yessah, this is th' place. Keep yah voice down, you bastich, dont need everyone in the trina compensate fer their teeny dicks." Came a voice from near Thanatos' portal. The voice resonated from a small, black clad hollow, a black smoke oozing off of his body. Free Bird had been resting in his favorite self created recliner, strumming gently on four thin black tendrils that attatched from his outstretched arm to over the hole in his chest; forming a psuedo-bass guitar.

"Listen, I aint in th' mood from preformin' a concert, so come back later when I actually feel like playin', you dig?" Free Bird spoke ignorantly to the Vasto Lorde, still gently strumming what sounded like the bassline from 'Horse with No Name'. Free Bird really couldnt give a shit about someone encroaching on his personal time, even with the mass of hollows converging on this supposed location.

A gathering of souls from all parts of Hueco Mundo was occuring, the swarms of Hollows clamoring towards the ruins of Los Noches proved that. Nikkolas recalled his invitation he had received from his fellow Arrancar and Espada, Lucia. The invitations' purpose as far as Nikkolas could tell was for a meeting between the more sentient Hollows to discuss something in the wrecked remains of Los Noches. Whatever that something was, Lucia hadn't made quite clear in her invitation to the jolly giant of a man.

Nikkolas raises a hand up towards his mouth, a loud yawn emnating from it as he turns his gaze towards the husk of Los Noches. From his distant perspective it was naught but a minor blip upon the endless horizon that was the expanse of Hueco Mundo's vast deserts. Taking a single great step forward, a thundering **BOOM** suddenly arises from the place where the *Primera*  once was, as his Sonído carried him to a spot directly in front of one of the many demolished walls of the palace.

With the gentle fall of snowflakes heralding his arrival to the derelict that was Los Noches, Nikkolas takes a step through a hole in the wall, peacefully walking among the empty halls towards the throne room where he could sense the gathering of spiritual pressures of Hollows and Arrancar. Stepping into the throne room, Nikkolas looks around the room, intaking all the presences of the assorted spirits. "Ho Ho Ho! Hello everyone! Sorry for being late, hope you don't mind the sudden snow fall, it just seems to follow us around!" With a boisterous laugh, the benevolent baron makes his entrance to the current members of the meeting, his presence would seemingly cause any tensions among those present to lessen by a noticeable amount.

Looking at Nikkolas, Thanatos began to laugh, "Ironic that the only hollow to disrespect me, is the one with my greatest respect at this moment" he says his voice still booming like before, he looked with his eyeless sockets at the disgusting Arrancars in his presence, the fact that they take up the same form as the begins who would rather see them dead and forgotten enraged him.

"Quit talkin' so high 'n mighty you bastich," Free Bird said, holding his middle finger up to Thanatos, "Chris Kringle ovah here aint the only one deservin of yah respect. Look 'round. Yah the ugliest motherfucka here, while *Primera'*s beard is more majestic than you'll evah be." Free Bird paused, trying to think of a good finisher for a moment, he then strummed his dark chords to blast a resounding echo, the echo bouncing one word throughout the surrounding area with the volume of a Jet Plane's engine;

**"Twat."**

Lucia glanced at the arrival of Hollows, her mouth almost agape from Nikkolas, examining her physique from atop the mountain of Hollows she was using as a cushion, resting atop of a Menos Grande. Whether she was conscious of it or not, she hadn’t expected the convergence of so much Reiatsu was having a negative impact on the lesser beings around them, with some of the low-class Hollows she had created dying from the sheer pressure of their combined spiritual power. From the power cord Free Bird was playing, Lucia could listen for hours the way he strummed his guitar, but things were quickly escalating more than she’d like. If it was any other day, she would have liked nothing more than to sit and watch for them to kill each other and have her fun with the victor. But now there was no such occasion. Her attention quickly shifted to Nikkolas, taking note of the “festive” atmosphere his presence brought.

“What a way with words Free Bird, talk like that and you’ll really get me going,” Lucia muttered, breathing heavily. Using Sonido, Lucia simply took a single step, vanishing from place and appearing across from Free Bird, standing right behind him, running her arms across his shoulders, her fingers gently strunning across his guitar strings, playing the strings one at a time, as if it were her first time touching such a delicate device. “You should take it easier on his type, he is at that age after all,” Lucia whispered, quickly getting up to gauge the room. She saw the large Hollow from across the room, Thanatos obviously a Vasto Lorde, a rarity even in Hueco Mundo, that left her nearly breathless, clasping her hands as she circled him numerous times, examining him like some kind of oddity. Stopping short directly in front of him, the sheer difference in size was laughable, the large Hollow towering over the slender Arrancar. Lucia could only show some kind of twisted sense of amusement from the disparity.

“Respect has nothing to do with being here lord Thanatos, if you’re still displeased after you’ve heard what I have to say, I’ll let you have my head and everyone else's once we’re done,” she said, without a hint of deceit or fear evident in her voice. The tone alone conveyed a very real intention to kill everyone here if he was anything less than satisfied. But she wasn’t stupid to belive she could accomplish such a task, Nikkolas alone would prove obstacle enough. Her sweet, delicate tone quickly switched to a bittersweet tune the moment she finally turned to see the jolly giant.

“Oi, Nikkolas, were you really going to just stand there while the two of them went at it?!” She bellowed out, shooing away the snow piling up across her shoulders, sneezing once as the Hollows converged to her location, creating a make-shift throne for her to sit on. With a few faces here, Lucia was still waiting for a few more to arrive, but the numbers were enough for her to begin her little dissertation.

“As much as I would like nothing more than for us to go back to killing each other, I have to ask you all a simple question: do you know how many humans you’ve eaten?” Her question was cryptic, with almost no basis as to why she had gathered them here, but in her mind, she had a point to prove.

A veil parted revealing the statuesque form of on an advanced Adjuchas Hollow, a midnight carapace and densely muscled body of a man atop while the form of a horse encapsulated his being below. Though he was no Vasto Lorde, his reiatsu was a powerful force that joined the chorus of those in attendance. He strode out of the garganta, his face a mask with empty eyes gazing around the gathered Hollows. Appraising, each and judging accordingly.

Whatever reason the female Arrancar lounging above had called them, it was evident that a truce would be necessary to keep the peace. He paid special attention to the three Vasto Lorde's before him. One who had removed his mask and become an Arrancar, representing one faction of Hollows. Good natured and willing to parley rather than fight and spill blood needlessly. He was looking for those like him who wished to change the status quo that had reigned supreme over the past millenia of Hueco Mundo. Nikkolas Klause. Such a human looking Hollow. A part of him resented him, for being so human when the rest had been forced to give up so much simply to survive.

The other, a vast and old being who saw all other things as prey to be consumed. He was much like Barragan, and in ages past, he could only assume an accord had been struck between the two as they never destroyed the other. Thanatos, a name revered among the weaker Hollows as a supreme being, a veritable god said to have surpassed death itself. He was ruthless without a shred of mercy, killing and consuming to his delight, exalting the existence of Hollows as superior to all other beings.

And lastly, the one who could have been god-king had he simply desired it, yet chose to wander in isolation. Even now with his unrefined spiritual senses he could feel the Vasto Lorde's very essence interwoven with the sands beneath their feet, spreading and reshaping Hueco Mundo in his visage, his power. He might arguably be the strongest given how indestructible he was, that in a battle of attrition Gill Gammesh wins, however whether not Hueco Mundo would survive such a battle? He dared not to ponder the thought any further.

Raazayel wondered what could the likes of the rest of them offer between these giants? Their existences are akin to the reflection of the moon in a puddle to the vast celestial body hovering in the sky. They might as well be a different entity altogether. But he was close, he could feel it, the power churning and growing within him. Should he continue on his course, perhaps he too will see himself transcend his Menos form and become Vasto Lorde.

He moved towards the center of the gathering, his massive frame towering over the others. He inclined his head respectfully to each Vasto Lorde in attendance and had interrupted the Arrancar's question but had nonetheless heard it.

"Is the question... even relevant? None of who stand here today... acquired their strength through the consumption of meagre Human souls. Or... are you asking, if that is what we desire... ?" His voice was deep and low and the way he spoke was ponderous and methodical. Each word carefully delievered as one who respects the spoken language.

"Nah, 's a valid question, because apparently almost ev'ryone in Hueco Mundo has a Murder bonah th' size of a mountain fer eachother. 'Least Lucina somewhat respected th' main man, listenin' to m' music n' all; but on th' topic of human souls..." Free Bird trailed off, the dark chords forming his guitar turning into a puff of the dark smoke falling off of his body, vanishing completely. Free Bird slowly stood up, powdered snow being shaken off of his chest and shoulders. Being one of the smallest hollows in the area, he was completely aware of how little the beings took him for a threat, which didnt upset Free Bird much. His mostly human appearance had some purpose he assumed, the 'bastiches' opinions only mattered to him if they liked his music.

"Th' Main Man doesn't need t' consume anymore. I, and any of you bastiches who wanna listen, can be satiated through m' music alone if I so choose. Humans can listen to concerts n' all, great crowds, compared t' some of the bastiches here, are so empty I'm surprised they havent collapsed in on themselves like a black hole." Free bird finished, now staring at Raazayel, bright blue eyes shining through the dark holes in his leather mask that covered his face, the white skull painted on it, and the black garb in general, made him look like an edgy goth who just got back from Hot Topic. As more black smoke fell off Free Bird, the recliner he had been sitting on dissipated into a poof of smoke.

"In any case... Uhhhh... whatever yah name is, Th' Main Man thinks there's validity t' the question. Let th' murder hobos decide later what happens with th' info, yeah?" Free Bird finished, turning his head to glance at Nikkolas, who he assumed felt the same about humans.

Sitting alone atop a pillar. Hair flowing in the wind as the snow blew calmy. The second strongest Espada surveyed the scene. Taking in the amounts of hollows who came to the fallen palace. Sorren always came to the palace nowadays. Being that the frozen sands of the northern region of Hueco Mundo were klauses territory. The menos forest where he used to call home was also a favorite spot to Lucia.

"One has always been fond of your antics. Although the invitation was heard one has taken up residence here for quite some time." Sorren said to Lucia trying to extend his gratitude. Even now as He sat upon his perch multiple menos below fell into the sands, some even daring to fly up towards him although each who dared make such an attempt. Where met with the sands embrace as they became a part of it. Sorren looked down on free bird. And was reminded of the cursed melodies that he failed to understand.

" So you still indulge in those soulful melodies. One remembers you " Sorren had to admit he held the hollow to a special candle. It was not as if free bird were strong compared to them. But he was among the few hollows who seemed to have a soul.

"As one would say, to be hollow is to be empty," Gill spoke for the first time as he looked down from his pillar above. "A hollow's mask is their heart, ripped from their chest to cover their face. To be hollow is to strive to fill the void inside," He had been observing all of those who had shown up since he arrived at this shattered throne. It was only now that he deigned to speak to those around him. "Though it appears that those who feel more like shinigami than hollow may have a different perspective."

Thanatos looked at his fellow Vasto Lorde, "The opinion of ones that take up the form of there greatest enemy do not matter" he said before looking at Nikkolaus "Especially ones that give happiness and joy to humans"

A man appeared from the shadows in the castle of Las Noches, without any footsteps being audible from his movement as he was undetected. Catching some off the Arrancar assembled off guard especially due to his appearance, he had no hole on his chest, no mask or even a fragment left, and what's worse is that he looked like a human or soul with only one clear difference being the wings sprouting from his back. The hollow were agitated and angered that a mere soul would be invited to the meeting and some called to kick him out. Overhearing all of this, the figure started to introduce himself and state the reason why he was here. "Pardon my intrusion." The man in the deep and ghastly voice said before pausing, "I believe that there is very good reason for you lot to be infuriated right now due to my arrival, but I have come hear to adresss a few topics I have found are essential right now regarding the state of Hueco Mundo. Especially pertaining to you Espada." He says looking at Lucia, Sorren, Free Bird, and Nikkolas

His long orange hair flowing from behind his back as he walks to take a seat in one of the chairs. "First and foremost, my name is Szallyn Ryuma, despite my appearance I'm not a member of the Gotei 13, well to be exact, I was once apart of that organization but I'm no longer associated with such lowers beings." Ryuma said telling them his name, and expressing his disdain towards Shinigami, not just to get on the hollows good side, but because he genuinely hated them due to his superiority complex. "I've came to assist all of you in my new plan that I call Project:Jehovah. That will ensure the rise of Hueco Mundo and add balance that was lost during the Vanishing of the previous rulers. Take my heed and I will give you all opportunities and power beyond anything that you could dare imagine, I'll lead you to prosperity. But first I want to get to know you all personally, so introduce yourselves if you don't mind?" He says as he appears to spawn a sake bottle and cups out of nowhere and places them on the table for everyone to drink.

If it hadn't been for the mask covering her eyes, it would have been quite obvious how wide in surprise they were, Lucia more than amused that a simple soul was roaming outside, more so since it was a Shinigami of all things, his spirit power catching the attention of her Pesquisa the moment he stepped within the their fortress. At first, she didn't find his entrance at all amusing, if anything, it only turned her off, the man didn't quite meet her "taste" in men, with the Hollows at her disposal salivating and roaring for the chance to jump on the unwelcome quarry. “Oh, a spirit of all things coming in to crash MY party, that’s like, totally hilarious,” Lucia cried hysterically, gripping on one of the Hollows serving as her seat, the pressure increasing until its head was crushed under the palm of her hand, viscera flying all across the floor as she stood up, the Menos Grande all staring down in unison to the stranger.

"You wanna talk? Hmmm, nope, don't want to," with a snap of her fingers, several low-class Hollows burst from her entourage to swarm the newcomer, Lucia simply vanishing from place for a new seat, choosing to sit atop the Menos of a better view. Consisting of a small group of four, the Hollows simply lashed out with their claws and fangs, diving head first to eat and shred him to pieces under orders of Lucia. The dead Hollow she killed was quickly reduced into nothing but Reishi that quickly flew to her mouth, serving as a type of “snack” for her, chewing it several times before swallowing the rest, letting out a satisfied breath. “If he’s still alive, Nikkolas, why not give him some of that ‘hospitality’ that you’re so weird about giving, cause’ he’s not gonna’ get it from us.”

Each of the weaker hollow would find themselves at the pericing point of flat, thin, gunmetal gray Cero blasts, each one targeted to perfectly sever their masks, almost as if the Cero were high pressure water blades, traveling like bullets fired from a railgun. Free Bird had vanished from where he had been standing, now appearing right in front of Szallyn. Four dark orbs were floating in the smoky mass falling off of his body, each one glowing a dark grey in color, eminating very slight pressure. Free Bird himself was also supruised that someone had appeared, but unlike Lucia, he wanted to hear what the sould had to say... on one condition.

**"Ight, First off; Lucia, you twat! Calm th' fuck down, and talk. Th' guy made no effort to attack an' also provided booze. What sorta bastich turns down free Booze?"** Free Bird yelled, the sound akin to a megaphone or speaker system at an actual concert, "None of you attack th' guy 'till we 'least get the gist'a evr'rythin'. Ya dig? I don't feel like havin' or watching a fuckin' battle." Free Bird's cero Orbs were still floating aimlessly in his black, smokey mass.

"Oh, 'nd you," Free Bird said quieter, turning to face Ryuma, "What's yah opinion on Classic Rock?"

Thanatos looked at Szaylln, greatly impressed that a mere lesser being like a Shinigami would intrude in the middle of several captain-class hollows with no feat in his eyes, "State your claims, you mere Shinigami" he says before sitting down.

“I am pretty sure that the every single question asked in this hall has remained, oh, so unanswered,” the growling, pathetic voice of the Adjuchas observing the whole mess. He had entered the hall shortly before Sorren spoke, but had remained inconspicuous. Being able to slip into places to no one's notice was Burn's pride as well as his annoyance. Pride, because he was just fond of being able to psyche others out by appearing out of seemingly nowhere. Annoyance, because it reminded him that he was so insignificant that no one took notice wherever he went. In this case, however, he was not annoyed, for he had no reason to be. The place was filled to the brim with Hollows of all kinds, be they Gillian, Adjuchas, Vasto Lorde… or even Arrancar of Espada caliber. Being able to blend was no chore for him.

Burn had almost decided to pass on this occasion, but the sheer amount of spiritual pressure drew him in like moth to a flame, almost automatically. “To answer one of your questions,” Burn looked at Free Bird, “I did, in fact, once meet a human who refused alcohol of no charge.” His voice was far more boisterious than he had intended it to be.

“Now,” Burn descended, “shall we go along all the questions and then some, one by one?”

"My opinion on classical music?" Said Ryuma as he strokes his chin a little, despite having no semblance of facial hair. "I've heard of it before, I wouldn't say it's bad at all but I prefer the holy sound of gospel music by all means." He replied to Free Bird's question. He then looked towards the bulking figure of Thanatos. "Stay out of this, you mere Vasto Lorde." he says as he's clearly angered by the fact that Thanatos would even dare talk back to him or even call him a shinigami, "Tch." he then ends off with his arms crossed, he then took a look at the newly arrived Burn "Welcome, take your seat, and we shall continue." Ryuma continued on. "I think now that everyone is here, we should discuss the purpose of everyone being summoned, as all of you guys are the strongest hollows in Hueco Mundo right now, I'd like to congradulate you guys for such an achievement." Ryuma said. "And nothing's better than that than A PARTY IN LAS NOCHES!!" Fireworks go off and he reveals multiple hollow servants and maids giving everyone food. "Free Bird. mind if you do a little peformance for us?" He said.

"Did you just call me a lowly Vasto Lorde" Thanatos said gathering up a large amount of reiatsu in his finger tips, "I have been alive longer than you have been alive Shinigami" he said launching several small Ceros at the Shinigami.

"Oh really? I'm actually sextillion years old mind you." Said Ryuma sarcastically, as he sips away at the sake. "If you wanna challenge me you can though, old age has never been a detriment to me." He says willingly letting Thanatos know that he's up for combat anytime and his guard is always on.

Raazayel looked down at the Shinigami. "Enough! You are nothing more than a useless prattler... pretending to be another Aizen. Your flippant nature... hides your rage Shinigami. I see no reason... why Hollows should ally with you... in another campaign to usurp Soul Society. Only to supplant it... with your own twisted utopia."

He stepped forward. "We are here... because we all know that war is coming. Factions, individuals, it matters not... many seek to assert the dominance of their logic... for all Hueco Mundo. At a guess," He said shifting his gaze towards Lucia and Nikkolas Klause. "you wish to establish the Espada... as the governing force of Hueco Mundo. Your numbers however... are lacking. And the philosophy you parade... will not be welcomed by all. Yet one among you... possess strength enough... so perhaps there is hope."

Raazayel regarded the Vasto Lorde Thanatos with caution. Even at this range his body was tense, his spiritual power pooling out of him in preparation in the event of conflict. "You would see Hueco Mundo... and Hollows return to their baser instinct. To kill... consume... evolve. In endless perpetuity. Arrancar and Shinigami defile... what it means to be Hollow in your eyes. Yet that way of thinking... is why Aizen enthralled so many before. Having no conviction beyond to feed... they easily fell under his sway. What would be different... under such rule? The God-King had grown bored... and merely reigned out of having nothing else to do... as time marched forward."

Turning to the rest assembled here he continued, "Peace can only be achieved... when there exists a power to enforce it. The hunger that grips us... robs of us our reason... and compels us to consume cannot be ignored. There will be battle. There will be war. Those in attendence today... are here only to make the case... as to which path we should follow. To seek strength. Answer the question... that is on everyone's minds. Who should we follow... to see our desires made manifest?"

Nikkolas had been observing the situations occuring between all the Hollows from an elaborate and grandiose snow fort he had been building with the snow that naturally accompanied him and his presence. When the arrogant Vasto Lorde known Thanatos who's pride had been scarred by a particularly scathing remark from Ryuma suddenly let loose multiple Ceros in the Shinigami's direction, Nikkolas knew he would have to step in to make sure the meeting didn't derail completely, as although Raazayel had helped, he hadn't quenched the violent tensions that were brewing in the air. And step in he did, as with a single stride the jolly giant manifested between the two spirits, his backed turned towards the Ceros as he faced the cocky Ryuma.

"Now, now, we wouldn't go insulting others no matter how they may act. We came here for peace after all! So let us be peaceful and enjoy others company while we are all gathered! So make sure to keep the fighting to a minimum everyone, unless there be unwanted consequences! Ho Ho Ho!" With a booming laugh to close out his somewhat subtle warning of enforced peace if the others attending the meeting did not relax and cease their bickering.

Thanatos' soaring Ceros struck the back of the *Primera*, causing plumes of dust, sand, and snow to be kicked up, temporarily obscuring Nikkolas from everyone's view, temporarily leaving them wondering about the fate of the benevolent baron. With a loud yawn from within the cloud, Nikkolas spoke, his voice showing no hint of any damage he might have suffered. "**\*Yawn\***. Now that you've had your fun Thanatos, we'll have to ask you from refraining of doing that again. Because while your kind gift of a projectile massage certainly felt pleasant to us, we believe the other guests here might not feel the same way. Ho Ho Ho!"

Walking out of the cloud, Nikkolas brushes a small pile of snow that had accumalated on his shoulders off before staring at the Vasto Lorde, his muscular body looking rather intact for someone that had just withstood numerous Ceros at such a short range. Hoping his display of sheer defense would thwart any other mischief-makers who would want to disrupt the meeting that had been so swiftly sidetracked. However he wouldn't simply just leave the display as his only failsafe, as he his passive negative emotion consumption was kicked up a notch. This would cause the minor effects to suddenly flourish into a boon for the meeting as it would start to drain any will to fight from among those within the palace over the course of half an hour.

Turning his brilliant brown eyes towards Raazayel who had just finished addressing the assorted souls that were currently attending the meeting, the festive Espada crosses an arm over his chest while resting the other one on it, stroking his beard with the free hand. "Ho Ho Ho! How wonderfully worded our equine friend! Thank you for returning the discussion to the topic at hand! It does truly help all those who are interested in peace for someone as keen as you to guide our discussion back to its proper course! We do think that the other assorted Hollows here should respond before we Espada declare our opinions! Ho Ho Ho!"
Naturally punctuating his statement with the hearty laugh that has resounded around the room numerous times already.

Ryuma was clearly baffled by everyone expressing their opinions and bringing out the true question to the surface. He bites his finger for a bit as he seems to be pondering about something in his mind, then he comes back to talking once more adressing what's really on his mind. "I like the voice of your concern, Raazayel. Diplomacy is definitely at key, and this much is why we're all here, not to disagree and argue, but to form meaningful connections and alliances, although some of y'all may find such useless as Hollows of course I don't mind if you don't take this but we'll atleast try to lookout for eachother as combatants how does that sound?." Ryuma then stands from his seat and puts his arms behind his back. "Now I don't think it's any better time to state my plan than now so I might as well go ahead, any objections, or those who want to leave before we start?" He says chuckling, testing to see if the hollows mental fortitude was as strong as they claimed.

Clapping her hands, Lucia made an attempt to catch everyone's attention, “yea yea, you’ll have your say Shinigami, but there are matters I need to scoot along,” snapping her fingers, an Adjuchas-Class Hollow appeared right beside him, standing motionless while it waited for instructions. Stretching out her hand, something was moving along her long sleeve, scurrying along her arm revealed a large maggot, its face adorned with a Hollow mask with a very human-like smile, falling on the ground as it wriggled its way to the center of the room. Smiling in an unnerving way as its eyes began to glow, light escaping from the empty sockets where its eyes would be. It was a Hollow Lucia specifically created for surveillance, it was able to project images and sounds from whatever it saw and send them into the minds of everyone in the room, with the Hollow next to Ryuma providing vivid details. “Cute isn’t it, its told me all kinds of little secrets, some that would surprise you,

“You know what I've learned? It doesn’t matter how many Hollows or Souls you’ve eaten, it's pointless to ask. You wouldn’t count the number of ants you’ve stepped on would you? But let me ask an even harder question, do you know how many Hollows we’ve lost to the Soul Society? And as hard as it is to believe, I do. And do you see the problem here?”

It wasn’t an unnatural occurrence for Hollows to die at the hands of Shinigami, it was the natural course of nature. Just as birds fly and fish swing, Hollows, regardless of form, are meant to do battle with a Shinigami. But it was what had transpired the last couple months that really caught her attention, going so far as to warrant her to call this meeting in the first place. The images broadcast were of recent events taking place in not just the Soul Society, but in the Human World as well. Shinigami using masks to battle Arrancar of all creatures, building devices to capture Hollows of all things was something strange to see, but what caught her attention was Auburn, a Hollow of her calibur, being driven out by various Shinigami. It wasn’t the number of Hollows that were killed that worried her, it was the quality that pushed things out of proportion. It was a clear sign that something had to change.

“It broke my heart, and I was rooting for her too. But with Shinigami like him, hmmm, what did they call him? Ohh, I think he was called…Kamui” Lucia moaned, biting her finger as she couldn’t help but smile, her face flustered as her breathing became more hot and ragged, as her Reiatsu began to rise sharply, killing various Hollows around her as she tried to calm down. “Just thinking about him, Oh, he’s just my type, it’s a shame that he’s got company. And that’s the issue here. Shinigami copying our powers, taking on Arrancar, and here we are fighting each other like total losers.” The last time Hueco Mundo had any sort of military was during Aizen’s regime, a Shinigami that single-handedly drove it to the ground, conditions only worsening after the Wandenreich invasion until it was nonexistent.

“As much as you can you hate us mister Thanatos, you can’t deny that if any one of us decided to go at it alone and they took an interest here, it'd like TOTALLY suck for us.”

Thanatos looked at Lucia and as much as he hated to admit it she was right, at this current state any assualt on Hueco Mundo would be bad for everyone Hollow and Arrancar, "As much as I hate to say this, you are right Arrancar" he says before sitting down. "But we are to assemble a Army I want command over it all."

"Yah an overconfident dipshit." Free Bird mumbled, "You have done nothin here except pick fights, be a pompus prick, and generally make evr'ryone here 'cept maybe horse man n' Gil... prolly Nik too," Free Bird had begun to ramble, shaking his head profusely, getting himself back on track.

"Did ya not just hear Lucia? She said takin an intrest. Ya cant be gung ho about an army that yah too incompitent ta' even run if ya dont wanna draw in attention. First ya attack the man here because your 'Fragile Ego' was marred," Free Bird said Fragile Ego in a high pitched, condecenting tone; "Then you keep insulting all'a us Arrancar, and Considerin it seem like ya intend to keep bein' so hard to fuckin work with, like a child; ***Just shut th' fuck up ya Bastich."*** Free Bird said the last part with an immense gravity, his own Riff almost seeming to personally focus in on, and isolate Thanatos as Free Bird's own voice warped and bounded aroud the skeletal Hollow violently, not even reaching the other hollows there. Free Bird sighed, and turned to face Lucia.

"Yah makin very good points, Lucia, but Nik, I need ta' disagree. I understand the threat th' bastiches like Kamui hold, hell; Soren 'n I even met 'im a while back when he fought this Hollow called Gintakka 're somethin. Th' Main Man dont think an uprising is what we need when we dont even have a full rostah of Espada. Th' Four'a us, plus Gil, aint much to scoff at. No army, nothin' to grab thah attention. If this man is Aizen part two, we just ignore th' plan." Free Bird stopped his speech, and stared upwards, inhaling inwards deeply.

"Yah, Im not th' wisest Hollow, but m' Cartel went belly up once th' Japan feds caught onta m' gig. I lost a lotta good hustlers, Japan was a surprisingly good market. We cant go preparing fer somethin that we dont exactly have, and we cant have incompitent Bastiche's running the few we do have." Free Bird ended his speech with a groan and sat down in a newly created black recliner. He really did understand the wisdom gap between himself and his fellow Espada, and even those like Gilgamesh and the 'Shinigami' present. Free Bird didnt let any of that show, as being a hollow with somewhat complex emotions seemed to be slightly frowned upon, so, he created an acoustic guitar from the black smoke on his body, and simply began to play a slow, gentle rythm, hopefully to calm everyone in the area down, as his power chord went into effect, working to feed all the hollows who listened to his music.

To submit under the rule of a shinigami, the idea was preposterous. Not to mention the shinigami's clear hatred towards his own kind. Perhaps the others did not see past his facade but Sorren had his doughts. finally deciding to fully join the rest. Standing upwards the Espada was gone the instant his body was upright. It was only then the Arrancar appeared behind Ryuma. Walking calmly from the position to face him. His voice was likely to be deterred by the sounds of Free birds playing. This is what Sorren wanted however it would do no good to disrupt the others.

"Do not think us fools Shinigami. You speak of peace, The mind knows your intentions are vastly different. Know this, we hollows stand to cling onto our lives and live fully. A mere shinigami whose goal is vengeance much less domination has no place." Sorren spoke eyeing the shinigami under the first impression he didn't like the man even having more appreciation to the hollow who hated his existence. " One shares no faith that you will uphold your word."

Finishing his statement Sorren began walking towards the others. " Lucia keep your fondness to the reaper down. As for Auburn she is indeed a wise one. Sharing exchanges with her is always an enlightening experience." While he spoke the snows created by Klaus had almost fully covered his hair. Sorren showed no signs of caring about them though. Right no the focus was a matter The lot of them came here for.

" Deciding will be crucial. How we stand on the matter will likely influence the futures of us all. One request we strive for a common ground of peace. The supression of hollows has gone out of balance. Shall we seek to rectivy this matter?"

"All this talk of peace is pointless," The ancient king spoke once more from atop his pillar. The hollow had remained mostly silent as events having gone on. The aggression of Thanatos was to be expected. Beings as old as they rarely changed their ways, and one such as the vasto lorde in front of him likely would brook no challenge without retaliation. "An alliance provides no protection unless the opposition fears one of its members. IF one side has no intention of peace, all that will happen is that they will strike before the alliance is strong enough to defend itself." Gill continued. The ancient hollow spoke from experience, having defended a kingdom from its neighbors all those millenia ago. "If you wish to convince the Shinigami to cease their activities, then the correct alternative is to convince them that further aggression is wasteful. To an intractable foe holding up an olive branch of peace only invites more war. Not less."

"As for the shinigami, you have made claims, but have offered nothing but empty platitudes in return." He added almost as an afterthought. "Unless you have something worth saying, I see no problem with the host deciding an intruder's fate."

" One would expect as much from thanato. you dominated in the times of one of the most volatile civilizations. The era of Greece was filled with bloodshed, the like sustaned by man, shinigami, and hollows. No especially hollows. To make things worse you found your way into that times successor . Rome an even bloodier time."

Sorren spoke truth the two civilizations, while influential on the rest of the world. Undoubtedly where some of if not the most violent periods. A being like Thanatos who ruled in infamy would be at the head of this. At the point of this Sorren was turning his head towards Thanatos. The red eyes of Sorren looking into the empty sockets of the vasto lorde. He had respect for the hollow. But respect would not get in the way of reason. " the times of kill or be killed have gon on long enough. There times must come to an end. Unfortunately elder king, that included much of your purpose for existence as well.

" one agrees with

Thanatos looked at Sorren, "Wise words Arrancar, there's one problem though and it's the fact that to kill or be killed is ingrained into Hollows themselves instead of trying to override it we should embrace it, build on it" he said looking at all the Hollows, "You think I survived the bloodshed that was the Greek and Roman era by trying to make peace, No I did it by doing what Hollows have been doing for millennium, I feasted" He said ready for the backlash of his statement from the Arrancars.

"But like, weren't you the guys who invented democracy and stuff, if anything, you should get where we're coming from, you guys were all about philosophy n' all that,'' Lucia protested, if he was a Hollow originating from Greece, then cooler minds would prevail, appealing to whatever semblance of ego left in the ancient creature. "No one is saying 'stop killing', and I'm sure as hell ain't suggesting we just turn around and take it either, what I'm suggesting is restructuring Hueco Mundo's military and reintegrate the Espada as the main force." If the each portion of Soul Society's military power was divided by the Gotei 13, it made sense to split it evenly among the 10 Espada for balance, the most important endeavor was to draft as many powerful allies they could find, Thanatos, and much to her disdain, Ryuma, would fall under this camp, due in part to his knowledge.

"As much as I'd LOVE to put you in charge, consider it a safety net, don't want one member getting more attention than the other, it might make people jealous." Considering who and what they were, the moment one member seized more power than the others, all it would bring is unnecesary conflict, more than likely drawing them into battle.

"The innate phisological needs of Hueco Mundo should take priority over any selfish needs or desires of any Hollow, no matter their standing or stature. Desire shouldnt take any place in a debate as such." Free Bird said in perfect, fluent, slang-less English. His eneunciation clear and crystalline.

"Bet that got yah attention didn't it? Let's go over th' business some other time. Th' Main Man is bored." Free Bird rambled, his guitar vanishing into mist as he began packing some Snow on the ground into a ball, then packing another, and another, building a small pyramid of snow-balls. He picked one off the top, studied it slowly, looking it over like a priceless jewel worth millions. He tossed it into the air once, then threw it with little force straight at Lucia, the Snowball whizzing through the air like a professional league baseball.

"Perf'ct." Free Bird said, placing his hands on his hips proudly.

"Wait, since when can yo—," Lucia was so flabbergasted at his change of tone that she didn't see the flying snowball, hitting her straight across her head, landing on the remains of her mask. Taking a moment to process what had transpired, Lucia glanced at what remained of the snow, then back to the owner. Lucia began to smile, her Hollows moving forward as they grabbed Nikkolas' snow. They crushed it between their fingers, hardening and compressing it, making snowballs of her own. Lining up in rows, they all started swinging their arms back, throwing them overhead in rapid succession.

"Cocky bastard," she bellowed, standing directly behind the line of Hollows, a wide rain of ice falling down like hail across Free Bird, if violence was the last thing on the table, this small act of defiance was a perfect substitution. Over all the throwing, one of the snowballs was headed over towards the large Vasto Lorde through sheer coincidence.

the snowballs traveled through the air and just so happened to hit one of the worst possible targets even though given the sheer amount he wouldt be the only one.

Sorren had been sitting on his usual pillar with his eyes clothes. The arrancar did not use the ability pesquisa too often as such he did not sense the ball of snow honing in on him. With a thud the ball hit Sorren smack dab in the face. Sitting there the snowball seemed to be glued to his face. It was then a wave of energy erupted from the espada. Now forcing the snowball to melt off of his face it revealed the hard piercing glare of sorrens red eyes witch seemed to glow.

Getting up Sorren said no words the only indicator would be the sheer volume of his spiritual pressure that would catch at least his fellow espada off guard. The hair on sorrens head began sway as if they where being blown by the wind. Sorren walked down towards one of the Gillian who had not thrown a snowball and picked the orb out of its hand.
looking towards Lucia Sorren knew how playful she was plus the hollows where created by her his target was clear. Taking up a martial arts stance Sorren held the snowball in his hand. Then sending the orb forward Sorren threw the snowball with such force a shockwave was produced. The snowball made a strait beeline towards Lucia. "

The snowball whizzed towards Thanatos, due to not possessing the Pesquisa ability of the Espada the snow ball hit him right in the back, turning around Thanatos released a bit of his spiritual pressure to melt the snow off his body. "I suppose this is another custom you arrancars picked up from Humans and Shingami" he says, standing up in his full 10'0 glory before charging up his spiritual power to create multiple crimson red Ceros before turning his fingers to point the Ceros at the Arrancars.

Raazayel was deep in thought as he mulled over the proceedings. This was... unexpected to say the least. He himself had desired a destiny different from what had befallen the Hollow since the reign of the God-King of Hueco Mundo. To think that change was something that so many others shared as well was... strange. Though this feeling of elation was tempered by the rather off-putting behavior of the Arrancar in attendance.

They did not act like Hollows. Arrancar have been known to exhibit eccentric behaviors before but what he was witnessing was beyond the realm of Hollow-like or even something resembling human. It was as if each one had chosen a character from a human story and endeavored to play the part to their fullest. Perhaps this was a result of their more human forms and lacking a foundation sought out the nearest thing they could remember? Or was this psychosis simply part and parcel of the Arrancar transformation, the unification of a hundred thousand souls compressed into a single will? It would certainly explain the bizzarre characteristics some Arrancar were known to have. So driven to be these characters their thoughts and actions paid little heed to the Hollows in attendance who could only watch in a sort of strange fascination and wonder at what the hell was going on.

Though he was busy with his thoughts, he was not so busy as to not be aware of the escalating fight involving.... snowballs? Looking towards Nikkolas whose grin threatened to split his face and that rather abhorrent form of laughter he was bellowing out, Raazayel found himself at a loss as to what was currently happening. Tilting his head he idly dodged an errant snowball that smacked the face of an Adjuchas flapping about behind him. Unfortunatley said snowball contained quite a bit of force and the Adjuchas was propelled bodily into the wall behind them crashing into it with a resounding boom.

But it was the sudden pressure of a Vasto Lorde which grabbed his attention, pinpricks lighting up across his carapace as raw power flooded the area only to be pushed back by the Primera Espada's own overwhelming presence. It was like standing on the edge between two infinities. Then a torrent of spiritual power erupted as multiple Cero's were released from the outstretched hand of Thanatos and Raazayel moved to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, his powerful legs allowing him to blitz through the space in a flicker of speed. Hovering above the gathered who were busy tossing snowballs or firing spiritual death waves, Raazayel could only wonder if these people were truly the ones to uplift Hollows from their path of destruction.

After Thanatos let the ceros fly Sorren saw one coming straight for him. It was, a powerfull skill. Although in truth to Sorren it wasn't really anything to cause alarm over. Putting up his hand Sorren caught the cero in his hands and studied it it's red energy thrashing to be discharged. Though Sorrens ability to trap the beam withought setting it off was in part to his own special cero

Upon finishing his studies Sorren lost interest in the energy blast and simply threw it behind his back. It was then the true magnitude of the ceros power was revealed. A msssive explosion set off as a dome of red light expanded behind his back. Sorren looked over at the other espada. If one thing was clear all of them had a relatively same idea in *snowball* fight. And that was to pour insane amounts of strength into the throws or overwhelm those who get in the way. There was nothing wrong with it to them even the release of spiritual pressure that had started with Sorren and now seemed to expand to Klaus didn't face the group. Not even Lucia's tactics of sendi mg a death barrage of snow was abnormal.

"Such strange creatures," Gill remisced to no one in particular. "They are hollow in substance, but not in form or spirit. Is something like this one the smiling one had intended for me?" He found the arrancar truly strange. They were neither Hollow nor Shinigami, not anymore. Nor as he watched them pelt each other with snow, barring thanatos mini cero, did they truly seem like a mixture of them. He hadn't talked to a human in so long that he was unsure if they resembled their old existences, or if they represented something new entirely. It was something that he'd have to reflect on in the coming centuries.

Thanatos was what he had come to expect in an Vasto Lorde, an intractable being certain in their own power and uncertain of any way to respond but with power if their worldviews were challenge.

The centaur-like adjuchas bore watching, assuming he lived past any coming conflicts.

"What will the future hold I wonder, for that even my sight does not behold..."

Raising his voice so even those in the middle of snowy combat could hear, he asked simply, "Is this meeting over, or do we have more to continue on?"

"**Over**?" Raazayel's voice cut through the cacophony. "It has barely even *begun*."

His large form hovered ominously in the air as the chatter ceased at his declaration. He continued, "While much has been said... and the positions of the powers that be... have been made... none have offered anything in the way of decisive action."

It was true. While the Espada and the Vasto Lordes had entertained notions of what ifs and what could be's nothing of substance had been laid out. No course of action had been decided.

"Those who would shoulder the burden of leadership... remain hesitant to commit to any one path. Even the strongest among you..."

Raazayel's gaze shifted pointedly between the Primera Espada, Thanatos and Gil Gammesh.

"-would rather play as human children would... then confront the difficulty we all face."

Lowering himself to the ground to stand on equal level with the gathered Hollows and Arrancar Raazayel's move would unconsciously shift from one speaking above them to one who is speaking with them, no through them as he gave voice to their thoughts.

"I wondered... if on this auspicious gathering of Hollows... under the banner of neutrality... a new path would open up before us. Yet all I see... is uncertanity in the face of the unknowable."

Raazayel swept his gaze across the factions, the Arrancar and the Vasto Lordes. "It was foolish of me... to have the *audacity* to **hope**. Aizen may have been a Shinigami... but it was not just his power... that allowed him to lead his army of Arrancar and Hollows. He was one who understood... that putting purpose to action... is what determined whether one was qualified to be ***King***."

"I ask you the Espada... and the Vasto Lordes in attendence... but one question. For the laws of Hueco Mundo... remain unchanged. For we can trust... only in our strength. Do you have the strength of will... to sit upon this Hollow Throne?"

"Strength, Strength, STRENGTH! God, why d'ya bastiches always feel like strength'a power is th' only way to be a good leader? There's a human who died a while ago named Mr. Rogers, 'f th' Main Man remembers; He was a kind, quiet, gentle 'nd soft spoken bein', he led by example, not domination." Free Bird began talking as he slowly stood off, having been buried by Snowballs from Lucia's Prior assault. He shook the remainder of the white powder off of his body before continuing;

"While It'd be borin' and fuckin' stupid as all hell t' be good little angles, 'nd I have no intention t' lead as such, I have more'n enough willpower t' be a beacon fer all th' empty souls in the god-fersaken wasteland. But 't be brutally honest, Anothah Aizen," Free Bird gestured to Ryuma, "Wouldn't be good for any 'Action' We need t' take, which th' Main Man already mentioned. We need ta build up th' Hueco Mundo before we start recklessly decidin' leaders 're kings. Also, th' fuck you mean 'None have offered', where've ya been the last twenty minutes?"

For the first time since the meeting began Raazayel locked gazes with Free Bird. His eyes glowed with a ghastly azure light.

"You."

**"Have."**

***"Forgotten!"***

Those were no mere words. His voice penetrated past all the bluster, the frivilous ineptitude of spoken language and slammed deep into the mind. There was such fury behind those three words, such torment and frustation.

"The unending... pain of hunger. The ceaseless starvation... of the soul. The void within us... that is so voracious in its appetite... it robs of us reason... of empathy... of mercy! Even now... here among fellow Hollows... I do not see brethren! I see prey! Bountiful morsels of energy... begging to be consumed! Lest you forget... Arrancar... as an Adjuchas... we must constantly feed this demon... or see our minds shredded... and turned into nothing! All in attendance... know this! Feel this.... even now.... as I speak!"

Raazayel's spiritual power erupted, far higher than it had ever been shown before. Free Bird's response had triggered something in Raazayel. There was more than raw bitter anger in his spiritual pressure, there was such anguish and sorrow. His eyes narrowed and his body tensed as if ready to pounce.

"Kindness?" He ground out. "Gentleness?" His voice was thick with emotion. "Strength... is how we manifest will. Will... is how we stave off... the creeping darkness... that would consume us!"

"You. Have Forgotten." He reiterated again to punctuate his message. "You are unfit... to shoulder any burden... if you cannot remember ***that***!"

"Y' dont need ta get all riled up like a Twitter user 'cause of a conflicting opinion. Th' Main Man remembers th' hunger just's well as any other empty bastich here. Th' Mr. Roger's bit was 'n Example, to get across that it aint always the best route to be a jackass 'nd rule as such!" Free Bird's own tone became deeper, a vicious scratchyness becoming inlaiden with the jumbled slang.

"I remember eatin' my right hand man, I got lured inta the sweet smell of genuine friendship. Each memory th' Main Man had was buried deep, deep down because'a that lust." Free Bird's gravely tone dropped for a moment, as his left fist was clenched so hard that the sound could be audible, his teeth were grinding hard enough to make sparks, which wouldnt even be visible under his mask. "Each'a us have done terrible, terrible things. It aint about brotherhood 're that 'I care', Yah hungry? With just a strum'a my guitar ya could be satiated like never before!" Free Bird said with a deep conviction. He truly believed hollows could become better, could change, and not be unfeeling man-killers anymore.

**"Yet here you sit, Bein' fuckin philosofical, and sayin that ev'ryone's yah enemy. If ya really are m' enemy I can kill ya right now and get this shit over with. Ya can break th' fuckin cycle, ya Equine bastich."**

"***Enough.***"
Gill spoke but a single word to those who filled this hall. He never raised his voice, never poured his power into the air to back up his presence, but his single word hung heavy over the room just the same. No explosion, pile of snow, nor argument would prevent it from filling the minds of those in attendance and reverberating throughout the air.

The ancient king's patience had finally reached its end. Gilgamesh was the King of Heroes, one of the first lights that had led mankind out of the darkness of savagery to civiliation. He raised the walls of Uruk, one of the ancient roses among the desert sands of the old world. He had subdued man, beast, and gods with nought but his pure might. And he would no longer be ignored.

The Vasto Lorde finally shifted off his pillar, sliding into the open air with a slow fall is if even gravity itself were afraid to grab ahold of him. His feet touched the ground with nary a noise as sand flowed into his right hand, eventually taking the shape of an ancient Khopesh.

"If there are those who blood is boiling, I will be happy to freeze if for you," He spoke succintly, not threatening but promising. "But a meeting was called to solve a problem. People have talked but no one has said anything. Though the Adjuchas understood my meaning, he did not understand my intentions. A plan without action is but a dream. A dream without substance is just a vision. A vision without meaning is nothing. So far this meeting has produced nothing." He continued admonishing the entire room before stating, "If anyone has something worth saying, say it. Otherwise I will see where my feet take me once more."

"My fellow Vasto Lorde is right, I came here for a meeting and all I have come across are questions, who will do what?But even by my own admission I am guilty of this" Thanatos stated while looking at every Hollow present, "So let's get thing meeting started" he said.

Burn woke up after a very, very long nap. Was he knocked out cold by the sheer amount of spiritual pressure in the room? Was he just plain bored? He did not know. What he did know was that he anticipated diplomacy, despite the fact that he had no reason to, for he had walked into a den of Hollows. He had missed out on most of the conversation and could anticipate that the room ran wild with unanswered questions and a lot of tension. Explicable, for he had walked into a den of Hollows.

“Alright, somebody catch me up to speed as to what is going on. Which questions are answered? Which remain unanswered? Also, on a side-note, for I know no one cares, but I feel hungry and I feel sleepy.”

Amidst all the arguing and shouting, a bright and vibrant light erupted into the sky. It was blue in color and ripped through the snow and clouds that accompanied the meeting area. It was a cero, and a giant one at that had it been pointed at any of the hollows who where not at the level of vasto lorde or one of the ancient kings present. There would be nothing left of their existence.

Sorren stood in the center of the room now lowering his finger from witch the cero originated. " Enough of this senseless arguing. It is shameful how those who resort to violence are all idiots." Walking around Sorren spoke in a calm tone even graceful as his voice was controlled and precise despite their situation.

Sorren bushed off snow from Lucia as apologies for his earlier actions. And proceeded to bring his arm down on free bird with incredible force the sound of the slap echoing in the silence that befell them upon the cero being fired. " calm yourself most of all. There is nothing to be gained from killing one such as that hollow who is too week to even hold a conversation withought giving into his instincts." Finnaly Sorren came to the middle of the room once again.

"One would like to extend his apologies towards those gathered. Lucia is not the best at explaination, as such that part was mine: how shameful that one observed such behavior from some of us. Matters of strength do not always rule things take klaus for example he is too kind of a soul to resort to much seriousness. The ancient kings are not in tune with newer views though they still wish to endulge. The premise of this gathering is to find a path towards our future, the hollows future not some vengeful shinigami who merely wishes to use us. Balance is on the verge of collapse yet here we are doing nothing. Shinigami begin to recover their numbers, humans form packs yet what do hollows do. Strand themselves to the corners of a mindless dream. " sorrens words where not directed to any one hollow they where for all ears.

" Those of us who live within the sandy folds of the universe. Who must rely on their own kinds consumption to gain any sense of self. Have no place among the others. That is how others view us. Barbaric mindless beast who are incapable of sentient thought. Shall we prove them right yet again or will things finnaly focus on the goal of renewal.

“Y’act as if I was actually gonna kill him,” Free Bird said with a sigh, having seemed mostly unfazed by the slap, though it did bring him back to reality in a sense of knocking said sense back into him.

“He’s in th’ same room as so many’a us higher Hollows. Centaur deserves more respect’n anythin’, Don’t think you c’n just up’n kill him.” Free Bird said firmly, glancing at Raa. He did feel a glimmer of respect appear for the centaur, something faint, but ever present.

Thanatos stood up ready to speak, "As one of the oldest and most powerful Hollows here, I can assure a democracy is something that is not going work and based on the beings here a Monarchy is not gonna work either. So I propose that the most powerful of us Hollows present map out there territory and when the time is right we can all come together for the sake of Hueco Mundo." He said now waiting for the response of the other Hollows.

"Leaders, leaders, leaders, if you fell so strongly about it, then let's decide then." Lucia jumped off the Hollow she was perched up on, standing at the center of the meeting with a few Hollows of various different sizes. "Then it'll be the 'ay''s versus the 'nay's, those who feel like we need someone to boss us around raise you're right hand. And those that think the Espada should share the power, raise the other damn hand." Lucia, along with the large group of Hollows following her all raised their left hand in unision, almost to raise the point further. With such strong opinions out in the open, the best way she thought to solve the sheer divide was let them settle it themsleves. A decision made through majority vote would silence the minority, any discpute made afterwards would only result to oppose the winners and the newly formed group, regardless of the winner, and if it did, it wouldn't be very hard to decide what to do with the outsider.

Burn scoffed. One vote meant nothing in an assembly where Espada dominated a large number of Hollows. He raised both of his hands, if for nothing else, just to be done with it.

Thanatos rose his right hand, he figured he was gonna be out numbered on this one but at this point arguing wouldn't do anything of worth.

Around 40 black left hands erputed from the smoke covering Free Bird's body, as he slowly raised his own left hand. He shook his head slowly, a tight lipped smile was underneath his cloaked mask, as he tried to restrain his laughter.

"A house divided against itself can not stand," Gill noted as he let the sandsword fall apart to dust. "But an action is an action." He said as he raised his right hand. "Let us see where it leads."

Raazayel looked at the gathered Hollows, Arrancar and Vasto Lordes voting to decide the fate of Hueco Mundo. He could understand the desire, truly he could but something about this simply did not sit right with him. He desired peace between Shinigami, that much was true. But to ignore the flaws of Hollows, the cycle of consumption and evolution which was apart of their very being was in his eyes foolish.

He had hoped to find something in this meeting, that would assauge his own uncertainty, but alas he was left with more questions than answers. It appeared he would have to forge his own path and make his own destiny. Having found his resolution, Raazayel spoke once more.

"This democracy... is but the fledgling dream of *humans*... and it has a place... in the *Human World*."

The emphasis on those last words was obvious. They were no longer humans. They were Hollows. The natural laws that molded humanity and guided them would not work here. For the differences between them were not merely superficial. The Arrancar in attendance might try to believe otherwise, but everyone knew the undeniable truth. The Espada, and the Arrancar who voiced this, were undoubtably more powerful than the majority in attendance. Such lofty ideals were a luxury of the strong.

"Here... in Hueco Mundo... our existence is tied to our strength. To survive.... we consume. To grow stronger... we consume. To evolve.... we consume. This is our axiom... of what it means to be Hollow. Therefore... if none here have the will to lead... then I shall seek strength on my own. Come what may... I will find a path... so that others may follow."

Sorren stood with his eyes closed and hands crossed. They now were at the crossroads of their destinies. The choice would undoubtedly be a hard one. Instincts, which are viewed as laws of the hollows call for a hierarchy, someone in power to bring them under control but at the same time that was a way of the past. Scores of hollows were becoming more sentient in their ways. Even those who were at the bottom of the totem were smarter. craftier with how they hunt prey.

Even looking back on his time as an adjuchas. The long weeks he would go searching for a hollow to satiate his hunger to the point where he would starve. The last hollow he encountered was the one who propelled Sorren to the Vasto Lorde stage. Yet he needed more, this caused him to rip off the mask that held him down. But even with all of this Sorren felt there was some sliver of hope. Even if hollows needed to attain a certain amount of strength before they could contribute to the plan.

Sorren was willing to take the chance. Reluctantly he raised the left hand signifying where he stood on the matters. " One is uncertain how this will play out. However, the momentum of the realm is shifting as is much of the universe as we know it. Absolute rulers have sat by and done almost nothing to the vast numbers in the past. only focusing on those they deem strong. perhaps a strategy like this will allow us to recover."

"A shame, we had hoped we wouldn't have any neutral votes, but we've already had two which is somewhat disheartening. However the meeting must go on regardless of what others do. Ho! Ho! Ho!" Nikkolas exclaims with a hearty laugh that always seems to leave his mouth, regardless of what his opinion on the current situation may be. His joyful mask upon his features making it almost impossible for the fellow Hollows nearby to glean his true feelings on how the others voted.

"We suppose that we should probably vote on the matter, and vote we shall!" Raising his left hand slowly, a frown breaks the mirthful mask of the Espada as his hand pauses halfway and starts trembling, almost as if he were trying to push against the weight of the world with just one hand. Suddenly, the cheerful resting position of his face returns as his hand pushes through whatever barrier had halted it in the first place. "We do hope that our vote hasn't disrupted anything too much. Ho Ho Ho!" The jolly giant laughing the situation off as if nothing had happened at all.

Seeing that the votes had went towards the Espada, Thanatos stood and created a portal that will take him back to his 'territory' seeing as he had no place in the ruling body of Hueco Mundo, walking towards his portal before stopping and saying his final words to the Arrancars, "I hope you Arrancars know what you're doing" he said before turning around and walking towards his portal.

"Catch ya on the flip side ya Twat." Free Bird said with a non-chalant wave towards Thanatos. Free Bird was then hit with a sudden idea, using a Sonído to nearly teleport over to Raazayel, he appeared before the hulking centaurian, looking upwards to make eye contact.

"Equine. I have'n offer, Just 'cause something you said spoke t'th' Main Man. Would ya like to work with me? I don'mean you be my servant'r follower. Th' Main Man means, Ya seem to need satiation, n' I need wisdom ta help Hueco Mundo trive. Y' dont have ta' isolate yahself, cause 'tween you'n th' Main Man," Free Bird's voice lowered to a whisper, so quiet even the shifting in the sand around them seemed magnified in it's sound. "I have, and s'metimes, rarely, hunger as much as any other bastich here. Gettin' De-masked wasnt th' complete end of it. Th' Main Man is still hollow."

Free Bird dropped the whisper, returning to a normal tone. "'F ya ever wanna find th' Main Man; There's a place where th' sand is loud, where jagged red plateus dot th' landscape. In th' dead center is a' concert stage along th' rocks. Dont feel like ya gotta give'n answer right away. Take s'me time ta think." Free Bird finished, still gazing at Raazayel. Looking the Adjuchas up and down, sighing afterwards. "Wouldnt wanna waste m' time killin ya anyways." He added with a slight cackle, his laugh sounding hoarse and rigid, like a fissure with stalagtites jutting out from the walls.

Raazayel's gaze shifted down as he peered at the Arrancar Free Bird. His opinion of the Arrancar was not unfavorable. Far from it. But he could discern that Free Bird had somehow spent little time as a Hollow, having catapulted himself to his current position very rapidly. How he had become an Adjuchas and for that matter an Arrancar so swiftly was astonishing. A part of him was envious. To not have had to suffer under the yoke of the void's hunger for so long.

For one such as him who has had to bear the burden of it for over two centuries, their perspectives on what it meant to be Hollow were as different as heaven and earth. His naivete aside, Free Bird's offer felt sincere, and his desire to help was no less genuine. Still, he was a Hollow, and he already resolved himself to his path even knowing it would be a difficult one. Others will no doubt take the succor offered by Free Bird, to alleivate this unbearable pain but for now he would not... *could not* do it.

"I must... decline. The path you walk... and the path... I walk... lead to different ends. However... that does not... preclude us... from meeting... once more. Your offer... is noted... and appreciated. But my resolve.... shall not waiver. I must forge ahead... and move forward. When next we meet... it is my hope.... it is... as allies... and equals." Bowing his head forward in a show of respect to Free Bird and then casting one last sweeping gaze towards the assembled Hollows, Arrancar, and Espada, Raazayel gripped the sky with his hand and parted it like a curtain. The torrential void yawned open and Raazyel stepped in, leaving the gathering, the curtain closing behind him. He had made his choice. He would have no say in the upcoming changes to Hueco Mundo as they struggled to form some semblence of governance in the wake of the coming tides. He was determined to walk his own path and make his own destiny.

With the vote for the Espada to remain the sole majority holders of the power in Hueco Mundo, the first major hurdle was now out of the way. And the real purpose of the council was about to begin, for this gathering wasn't just a traditional meeting: it was a war council. Having gone far and wide across their world, using Pesquisa to look for allies, there weren't many that fit her criteria, which was a major issue concerning the quality of Hueco Mundo's Hollows. Aside from the one's she could create, they weren't anything to write home about, which was a problem considering they needed an army with considerable power to stand up to any invasion should they come knocking on their doorstep. What they needed now was much less of a homefield team, and more of a "draft" to recruit more Hollows, and luckily find a few diamonds in the ruff, hopefully a few she could call Espada too. As much as it pained her to lose the support of Thanatos and Raazayel, she couldn't dwindle too long on it, as she didn't have the luxury of time to waste.

"Our first order of business, we need more hands on deck, and from what I've seen, can't say I'm impressed." Lucia said nonchalantly, looking at her nails from the unimpressed results of her search. “While I was out on my milk run, I played with all kinds of things on my way here. Imagine my surprise when I broke all my toys before I got to finish,” Lucia muttered bashfully, disappointed that none of them fit the “type” of playmate she was looking for. If none of them could provide sufficient enough “entertainment” for her, it was doubtful they had the talent or evolutionary potential to produce anything substantial even past Gillian, and they couldn’t simply wait around for nature to run its course and give them more talent to work with when they needed it now. They needed to rush things along, give the natural flow of things a little push in the right direction.

Opening up a screen, images began to sprout in the air, depicting the Human World and various towns, her main interest being the humans that filled them to the brim with possible candidates for their army. If a Vasto Lorde was something that was decided before one becomes a Hollow, then the “one-in-a-million chance” of encountering one such human with that level latent potential was worth the trouble of going through several hoops. And if they failed to produce anything of worth, they’d be soldiers at the least. It was a win-win situation.

“The way I see it, we’ve hit the bottom of the barrel. So I say we scout for any new talent in the Human World, I’m sure one of those humans is a keeper. Even if it means I keep biting, and biting until I get to the creamy center, I’m sure I’ll find a prize somewhere in-between.” Biting her finger, the thought brought its own attraction, for all she knew, they could run into Shinigami if they got lucky, in her own twisted way, she’d find some manner of entertainment regardless to keep her distracted.

"Had territory in Houston, y'know, th' USA? Th' Main Man heard stories'a mass amounts'a power coming from Houston specifically. We could just up'n tear a portal, go, 'Recruit' then come back. They've 'sposedly got nice instruments down there too." Free Bird said, practically drooling over getting the chance to get his hands on an actual electric guitar. He didnt really care much for an Army, but he had lobbied for the building up of Hueco Mundo's forces, and as such, he was a catalyst for his own begrudging help.

"Lucia, y'know quality better'n th' Main Man knows, 'cause I'd prolly just judge it based off'a weather they like m' music'r not. But what're we goin' off of? Your 'entertainment' standards? Doesnt sound too... refined." Free Bird finished, turning his head to the ground. He was still a little down that Raazayel had refused his offer, but at the same time, completely understood the Hollow's need to be a loner. Free Bird wondered if the Human world would offer anything other than a new Guitar.

"But th' Main Man isnt a planner, that's for ya Bastiches." He finished, running his fingers through his spiky blonde hair. How he had missed hair. Being masked, and inhuman, he had missed the feeling his hair gave him, simply the humanity of only having mass amounts of hair on one's head.

not knowing what to make of the situation. Sorren gazed the sky, of course they had been spying on humans searching for people. The arrancar now wher me different. " what thoughts have been within the minds of yours." Sorren hadn't even marked out a territory of his own. Nor did he considered looking for souls who could be recruited.

"Lucia, what do you suggest one does? It shall be done to the best of one's ability"

Opening the Garganta, Lucia gave the rest of their group a small nod, gauging the room before giving them an answer. "Well now that you mention it, we, ugh, kill as many humans as we can without tipping the scales too much, and take as many souvenirs as we can back home before anyone notices they're gone." Although Lucia gave an overly simplified answer, the sheer detail behind the plan had much more thought put into it. If they were going to scout for potential allies, they needed to attack as many souls as they could after they were separated from their physical bodies, either severing their Chain of Fate or devouring them to accelerate their Hollowfication by a substantial degree. From there, they'd have to drag them back to Hueco Mundo. Hopefully from among the rabble, they'd find someone of interest, with the main point being to find anyone that could fill the vacuum of power from among the Espada. Although it was a lot easier said than done, with their presence alone, it would raise all kinds of alarms, so time would be of the essence. No doubt they would draw the attention of a few Shinigami surveilling the area. But to Lucia, it was what gave her the most thrill the more she thought about it.

Free Bird's enthusiasm wasn't lost on her, if he said it was a good place to scrounge up high quality souls, Houstan was worth the trip. "Free Bird, if the local celebrity is vouching for it, how can I refuse. You're the resident artist, why not give us a tour," Lucia proclaimed, moving to the side in favor of her fellow Arrancar.

"Local Celebrity? Th' Main Man is flattered, but 'm not much of a... well known musician." Free Bird coughed twice into a closed fist, as there was something of his well known in Texas. "Jus' things I heard. But recruitment'd be easier. Ever heard'a Fullbringers? Had t' deal with a few'a th' Bastiches who had a problem with m' drug trade, a Hollow imprints on a human'r somethin' like that. The Human gains powers, they're better canidates." Free Bird paused, realizing he was talking to Lucia, who knew Hollows and Hollow-kind like the back of her hand.

"S'we setup a stage, say it's a talent show fer Ten Thousan' USD, draw in th' rednecks with th' bait. I go on stage, steal th' show, then ya take it from there. Ya Dig?" He asked, opening his hands to the other three Espada, trying to garner an idea, or at least a general reception to his improvised idea; which he had completely pulled out of his ass.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! A tour sounds absolutely joyous this time of year! We can't wait to visit Texas, although if our memory serves correctly, its warm during this time of year, correct?" Nikkolas poses his question to the assembled Hollows, all though directed at no one soul in particular. Somewhat concerned about the idea of how the warm Texan weather would adversely affect his naturally accompaning snow before an ornament of realization flickers on in his head. His snow needs not concern itself with such mild temperatures, as its composition is something most unnatural in origin.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! We think your idea would be absolutely wonderful! If we were to offer free food and warmth during the snowstorm that is bound to occur with our arrival, why we could most certainly pack your theater! We'll even give out gifts to all the children if you let us choose the music you play! Ho! Ho! Ho!" Clasping his hands together, the small grin that was on the jolly giant's face grows into a hole-warming smile from ear-to-ear as the excitement of going to the Human World with other Hollows fills the Primera with a large sense of glee. The large smile, although not unusual on his face, would signal to those gathered that he approved of the idea.

"The its settled, a round trip to the Human World, in and out before we completely destroy everything," she said gingerly, clasping both hands as she snapped her fingers, a massive flood of Hollows walked into the Garganta, with her several Menos Grande staying behind if they should need the support. Given their relative strength, they couldn't stay too long in the Human World, their Reitsu alone would destroy more souls than they could take, and it wouldn't be long before the full brunt of the Soul Society fell down on their heads. With all the preparations done, the only thing she had to contend with were these "Fullbringers" if they did indeed show up, but it wasn't a sure thing she thought, if they did offer any kind of resistance, it was neither here nor there. With nothing left to discuss, Lucia leapt on top of the Gillian, riding it through the portal, its arms gripping it from both sides to make the Garganata larger for itself, its arms stretched from both corners, being careful not to knock the small Arrancar off its head.

*When was the last time I was here? Who Am I going to see? Who am I going to kill?* This and many other questions raced through her head on their way through the Garganta, a black void with nothing but empty space for as far as the eye could see. With the size of her spiritual power, it was easy enough to create a massive bridge of Reishi for not just herself, but all the Hollows she was bringing with her, alongside her fellow Espada. With the gate reaching its destination, the sky ripped open, unveiling the Human World in its full splendor. The loud ruckus from the streets made it evident it was full of life, the structures and buildings completely foreign from what she had seen when she was here last time. There were so many new things to look and see, but she could sightsee after, once they did what they came here to do. As numerous Hollows began to arrive from the Garganta, they all lined up shrieking and wailing, waiting for permission from Lucia to begin.

With the decision to descend on Texas made. Sorren thought about how they shall best use the plan. Pondering for many moments before he turned his head toward Klause. It was when he actually came to face the primera however, that sorrens eyes grew wide. If the grin on his face wasn’t enough to through off Sorren. The increase in the wind blowing through his hair and the snow that followed, caused Sorren to look around to make sure nothing would fold onto them.

After he was sure all was fine, the second espada spoke to Klause. His voice carrying over the wind like a calm echo. “Klause, one is sure you know many of us cannot encroach onto the mortal realm at a time. Perhaps for the moment we shall leave the first wave to Lucia and her entourage.” Pausing for a moment Sorren looked out at the decimated ruins of their predecessors. Thinking to him about the vanished queen of hueco mundo. (“Lord Harribel, I wonder how it was during her time. Would she approve of this course of action”). Sorren had the gaze of a dragon painted on his face. Due to his time spent in the castles ruins. He found glimmers of leftover information on the inhabitants. Even brief glimmers of reiastu in places he had no idea how they came into existence. Like the roof of las notches, the power felt vaguely familiar despite his relative short time spent within the realm.

Sorren let out a sigh before turning swiftly. The motion causing his garb to flutter along the path of movement. Along with the sweeping of snow near him. Now beginning to walk off in his composed manner. The arrancar finished his speech. “For now perhaps it will be best we return to our territories. Prepare to welcome our new members. Any thoughts?” He said to Klause.