Ambitious Death I - Joint Training

[Corvus]

Outfit:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

Heavy bass drummed his surroundings as Corvus walked down the spot-lit runway. A dark platform paved the way for his portrayal. This evening, he was wearing Versace as part of a special invitation from the designer. It was part of the winter collection, soon to be out of vogue. Winter was cold, and so was this outfit. Dark black fabrics draped over each other to form trench coats and dress clothes. Gold chains dangled from his waist.

Part of this act was being confident. And that wasn't an act. He felt stunning in this outfit, confident, more than pedestrian. He could feel the eyes of all the top names watching him specifically as he strutted down the stage. He couldn't blame the humans, he was dipping into a little bit of his charms tonight. They'd let him get away with a slight smirk. It wouldn't ruin the outfit. Besides, he was known for that sort of thing anyway.

His hips swayed to each off beat of the music, giving movement and creating new angles on the in-motion clothing. As the song continued, he could recognize the tunes in his head. Heavy Metal Lover, by Lady Gaga. Good choice, he thought as he came upon the end of the stage. Part of being this show's special attraction, was that he essentially got to strike a pose at this point.

Rhythmically with the music, Corvus removed his sunglasses and planted his hand on his hip before jutting it out to the side. A little feminine, but he was known for that anyway. Biting the sunglasses' rims between his teeth, he gave a seductive look towards the audience before he swayed away from them and strutted back towards the dressing room. This would make magazines for sure. Eyes followed him on his way back.

Corvus almost froze when he felt a familiar sense of dread creep up his spine. It was cold, dead, and hungry. But it wasn't him. It was something else, something bad, the things he'd known all through his life, but hundreds of times more intense. It was one of those ghost monsters, it had to be. But he couldn't see it? He hadn't seen it in the audience.

Corvus doubted himself in that moment, but kept on walking. He had undeniably felt something, but maybe he was wrong about its spiritual quality. Could have just been the sushi from earlier in the afternoon. Yeah, more likely just some bad food. If he could feel the ghost's energy that intensely, it would have had to be inches away from him, and yet he couldn't see one at all. Whatever, it wasn't hurting him or the people here, so no harm no foul.

The press had just been eating him up recently. Sure, he's had vogue covers before, but his Instagram had received an uptake. The music was deafened as he walked into the prep room. A petite ginger woman made her way over to him before grabbing him in a shockingly tight grasp. She made a noise of delight and let him go before clapping her hands.

"I'll take that as I've done a good job?"

He already knew the answer to that, but it would sound good coming from her mouth. Before she answered, though, she tossed him a water. Stage lights were hot, after all, and so was this heavy outfit. Unscrewing the lid, he wrapped his lips around before savoring the cold liquid. He was careful to not ruin his makeup, for he was sure press were waiting outside. It's like they were obsessed with him specifically, not that he blamed them of course.

"Yes, Chris, you did great love. Can't wait now to see the media promos from this! Will be great assets for our marketing campaign with Sephora. Stephano was watching online, texted me you did great as well. He's letting you keep the clothes, but not jewelry."

With a laugh, Corvus made an offended gesture as he planted his hand on his chest in mock shock.

"No jewelry? What will I ever do?"

What Corvus did, However, was remove the diamond watch and ring and bring it over to the coordinator. His mind couldn't help but go back to that moment on stage, when he felt that cold pang of overwhelming dread.

[Arcadus]

Sitting in the leather chairs that Maxi had provided the two of them, Arcadus shifted in the seat. It wasn't his idea to go to this show, Maxi had dragged him out of his lab and making a radio broadcaster and receiver to try and socialize with "higher society" in the human world. What passed for high society it seemed was lots of flashing lights and displaying clothes on models, though some outfit looked like they would actually be a good look on him, something Maximillian had made sure he'd noticed with elbow's in his ribs. 

"Look, Ser, you'll enjoy this more if you aren't picking apart every bit and get into the experience, you'll enjoy yourself more. Get into the spirit of it Arcadus, its about the aesthetic and the image, not about the made and material" Elbowing their companion, Maxi leaned forward to get a better view of the models walking down the catwalk. Arcadus crossed his legs, trying to tune out the surface thoughts of these humans and focusing on the event itself. "It is interesting to see what is experimental and what's considered old hat, but I'm curious what you mean by the experience" 

Whispering to Maxi, Arcadus leaned in "I just see people strutting in clothes, nothing special about them, they're just humans wearing clothes. There's some aesthetics here, but I don't get the appeal." Maxi rolled thier eyes, patting him on his chest, "well, sit here, and maybe you'll get that theres more to human life than food and fighting and feeling powerful. The clothes make them feel empowered and strong, that they look better, are more attractive, it lets them engage in celebrity and fame" 

"I think I get it, they're trying to mantle some level of adoration onto themselves, and theres this buzz around the clothes themselves as they're also being sold. So their basically advertising these clothes, and they revel in being the center of attention?" "To an extent yeah, well, I'm gonna go and get the car, since you seem to get a version of the point. Have fun Arcadus." The Espada leaned back further in his chair, watching the next person coming up the line. 

They were blonde, lithe but still sturdy. A black coat flowed behind them like a cloak, and plaid pands and leather shoes came together to make a beautiful machine of motion and shape. Leaning forward, Arcadus sensed out this indicudual, and to look closer. Looking closer, both with eyes and second sight, a beautiful form, fair features and well composed smile, but more so, a soul that radiated confidence and energy, though spiritually weak. 

A smile crept over Arcadu's face. Someone interesting, and certianly not human. There was something different about this creature. Something higher than the meek humans that flocked around them. The control over the aura Arcadus's weilded flickered slightly, to see if there was a reaction, and there was, like a stone cast into a pool of water. It was faint, a flicker, but it didn't lie. Watching them strut down the aisle, Arcadus had forgotten anything about this night, besides them.

Moving out of his chair, Arcadus looked over the crowd, seeing where the crowd parted, those would be the exits or entrances for these models. Moving throught the crowd, Arcadus's gaze bored holes in anyone who met his gaze, backing away, including the pair of girls leaning back against the wall. Moving backstage, Arcadus allowed more of his aura to seep out. He was curious, what manner of creature this person was, who they were, what did they do. 

Following them into the prep room, Arcadus leaned on the door frame, considering what to say. It wouldn't do well to scare them off, but it also wouldn't work to make them think He's some kind of creepy fan. Clearing his throat, "It's alright Corvus, I know you aren't human, neither am I. I was curious, if you have the time, to talk for a bit on who you are, what you do. I'm willing to make it worth your while. I'm Arcadus." Arcadus did his best, which for his level of charisma was an awful lot, to give off a welcoming and calming demeanor. His smile was calm with his brow and eyes relaxed, warm, arms hanging by his sides as he leaned against the doorway, shoulders rolled back. 

[Corvus]

Corvus was staring into his mirror and wiping the beaded sweat with a tissue. It wouldn't do to mess up his makeup just for a strange feeling that had taken him over on the runway. It was almost primal, the way he felt a sudden wrongness as if his fight or flight instinct had flared up out of nowhere. Steeling himself with an iron grip on the halo'd armoire, he stared into his eyes before getting up from the table.

Just as he had managed to calm himself down from the ordeal, another wave of miasma washed over him. It made him freeze in place, like a deer caught in the spotlight. He couldn't ignore it this time. It was one of the ghosts, it felt exactly like them, it had to be. But he couldn't see them? Maybe they were lurking in the basement or right above him on the building's roof. Not a pretty thought, with what he knew these kinds of spirits did with humans. He needed to get his friends away from here.

"Hey, I think we should go, quickly, I'm about to vomit. I'm running to the washroom."

The look on Corvus' face was probably enough to convey that message to his assistant, without a need for questioning. And it was partially true, because his stomach was in knots from the survival instincts and hormones flowing through his veins. Fuck, it was getting closer. He could feel it coming closer and almost enveloping him in a way- smothering his own essence that he had grown used to over his thousand-year life. Running towards the side entrance of the door, he came to spot a man as the feeling reached its climax.

It was him. Corvus knew this. Whatever this man was, he was the source of this foul energy. Was this what people felt when they described meeting future killers? Was this what it felt like to get a gut feeling that would come true? Immediately, he wanted to push the man out of the way and make a break for it, but the words from his full lips made the Bount stop in his tracks.

This strange man knew his secret. Corvus just blinked up at the guy. How loud had he said it? Did anybody else hear? Millions of thoughts stormed through his mind as his eyes darted left and right. What in the ever-loving fuck was actually happening? Was his identity crumbling? How had he known his true name? Was Corvus just hallucinating this? 

Modern medicine had its benefits. Current therapeutic practices involved grounding. He needed to ground himself right now. Take in what he was seeing before thinking about it. The man blocking his exit was much taller, wider, and blonde. Sexy too, but it was generally hard to focus on that right now with his identity and life of secrecy being shattered in an instant. If it was any other situations, Corvus would have climbed his tree and taken a nibble.

All Corvus could really say to this man, named Arcadus apparently, was yes.

"Yes. Follow me and shut up."

Telling a threatening figure and potential hostile to shut up was probably not adviseable, but it was all his short-circuiting brain could do to try and prevent his colleagues from hearing any of this shit. He didn't feel like having to explain it as anything more than a crazy fan. He just hoped they hadn't heard the random 'man?' use his real name. That'd be harder to explain. What was worse though than telling a hostile to shut up, was pulling him by his fine-suit lapels through a fire exit and out into a damp alleyway.

A stray cat scurried away after the ruckus.

Corvus took another look at the handsome man. The energy was definitely coming from him, but he.. didn't seem threatening, only in his miasma. His words, now that Corvus thought about them, didn't seem hostile. Maybe it was another one of his kind? The thought made his heart flutter from both excitement and nervousness. This was all too much, to be honest.

Suddenly feeling bad for roughing up the man's suit, he adjusted Arcadus' coat and smoothened out its lapels. It made sense, for this strange man to not only know his name, but to also be one of his kind. He guessed it would explain the weird energy, and also explain how he knew his name. Somebody would have had to been ancient to know that name belonged to him. Corvus' breathing slowed and his body slowly came down as he rationalized this situation for himself.

Corvus looked up into the taller man's eyes.

"Okay, now that we're alone, and you won't blow my cover, let's talk about all this. We can start from the top. If you're already one of me, you should already know what I am, right? If we're of the same descent, that shouldn't be a problem. If we're both nightwalkers, that is. What I do? Well, I'm not your average vampire, I've reformed and now just participate in human life. I'm not bothering or harming these people, if that's what you're curious about."

But there was one more thing the handsome man said. Corvus, know that he thought he had a handle on the situation, was feeling a little confident, the opposite end of his rollercoaster of shock. Corvus gave him a slight smirk and crossed his arms in front of the bulky man.

"How are you planning to make this worth my time? I don't normally do favors for fans, but if we really are of the same blood, I wouldn't mind taking a picture with a fan. Maybe following you on Instagram. Just don't scare me like that, okay?"

At this point, Corvus could only sigh at the interaction. He could tell this would be a long ass day.

[Arcadus]

Gods, it was always enjoyable to watch people squirm in between his demeanor and his aura, how they gave people such conflicting feelings and emotions, but this, was something different. The young man in front of him did really stir Arcadus, even if that radiance and confidence was gone. Smiling as the much smaller man tugged him out the door and into the alleyway, and smirking slightly as they fixed his lapel, Arcadus wondered if he should have approached them so suddenly. They did readily state that they were what Arcadus figured, a vampire, but they seemed very concerned about keeping their identity. 

"I'm not exactly what you are, but I assure you I'm not human. And don't worry, you'd be suprised how few normal people either won't notice or won't care if they found out you were a vampire. I'm simply curious, as I haven't met a vampire before, and I wanted to ask you some questions. Let's do that somewhere a bit more, away from those who will notice. Can't ruin the reputation of our model here standing out in the alley can we?" Arcadus pulled out his phone, tapped it a few times, and in time to turn around, a limo had pulled infront of the alley. 

"Well, our ride is here, and we can discuss this in a bit more detail." The limo was clearly rented, but as Arcadus opened the door for Corvus, he figured it wouldn't be worth it to have a permanent limo even if he did live here. How often did he actually drive or ride in cars? Couldn't have been more than a month ago. Normally he just portal'd everywhere with Gargaunta. Returning to the moment at had, Arcadus slid into the vehicle as well, sitting about 4 feet away from Corvus on the long end of the L shaped couch that was aside the on board bar. 

Lights were a nuetral white, but the remote for them had ended up on Corvus's end, where Arcadus had sat when he rode up to the place. Mentally noting to place that on the bar in the event something similar to this happened, Arcadus crossed his legs and, placing his hands on his knee, completely ceased his aura's effects, allowing him to appear as just a normal person, barring his obvious height and physique. "So, you, Corvus, are a vampire, as you've admitted to me, but you're likely wondering what I am."  Arcadus tapped the far glass, and the limo began to move. 

"I am an evolved form of generic "bad spirits", ghosts, spectres, phantoms, etc. Things created out of souls that won't pass on for whatever reason, normally malicious ones. These evil spirits, called hollows, eat the souls of others, and when a hollow eats enough souls and retains enough willpower, they essentially birth a new person, a powerful spirit called an Arrancar. That is what I am." Allowing the information to sink in a bit, Arcadus decided to elaborate further, leaning over to pour himself and Corvus glasses of water. 

"I'm sure you're curious about what the spiritual worlds, or afterlife are like, or what this all means. Arrancar are, indecently, actually very reasonable people if they're allowed to be. They're very different from the near beasts hollows can be. However, I and those like me, are still hunted like hollows. These hunters, are called reapers, in Japanese, shinigami. Where you tie into this, Corvus, is these people hunt vampires as well. I'm not just some researcher out to study you. I'm concerned that, if you grow in power, or prominence, being a model and such, you could attract their attention."

"Arrancar are sometimes thought of as gods or demigods, though in truth we're just very powerful individuals, blessed with a form of heightened spiritual stamina and unique powers. All arrancar have a hole in thier body somewhere, normally in the torso. Mine, is here." Arcadus undid his shirt button to expose a black hole through is body, above his heart and under his pectoral. Flexing slightly, to see how Corvus would react, Arcadus buttoned up his shirt and adjusted his tie and suit coat. 

"Now, this isn't to say my motive's are entirely philanthropic. I personally frequent karakura, and I'd rather not have shinigami snooping around the place looking for easy kills or finds. I was hoping to offer you training, so that you might prove to be a bit more than they were willing to handle. As well, I should admit, I'm not opposed to looking at you a bit closer than from a seat in a show." Arcadus had the slightest blush fade across his face, and shifted a bit, seeming to dig into the upholstery somewhat. 

"I've got a dinner reservation for a resturaunt in town if you want to talk this over more, but by all means, if this is too much we can go our seperate ways and never speak again." It was probably a bit forward of him to explain the major ways and whys of the world, but he wasn't really sure on how to do this, normally the people he talked to were at least aware of the 3 worlds and such. Maybe this was a bad idea. He wasn't great with empathy and calming people down. He preferred to start from a good place and keep going, either pressing people repulsed by his aura into the ground, or those raptured by his charisma he'd befriend and work something out, and someone who was clearly frightened wasn't a great square one.

[Corvus]

This man was certainly interesting. Not only was he not a fellow vampire, but he also had a limo at his beck and call? Corvus wasn't ignorant. He knew, mostly from his own existence and from reading through various history books and living it himself, that there were other things out there in the realm of the spiritual. Was this one of them, maybe? Likely, from how things were going. This course of events reminded him of that popular human movie, where the superheroes get approached in their civilian lives and recruited into a team. 

Getting into the limo with Arcadus probably was not a good idea, but Corvus was confident in his ability to escape. He could just ghost through its confines if he really needed to. It didn't feel like something he wasn't able to phase through, like the walls of a church. It was fair enough that Arcadus wanted to ask him a few questions about being a vampire, for it probably wasn't very likely to run into one, let alone one of his status in society. Corvus had to wonder why this man was so confident nobody would care if they truly knew he was a vampire.

Sure, if he just went around telling everybody, they'd think he was a lunatic, and he was right in that regard. But if this man was somehow capable of proving to the world that Christolfo really was a vampire named Corvus? Yeah, that would be a little bit of a problem. If that happened, he'd likely be kidnapped by the government and experimented on in some sort of dark clandestine facility.

Corvus hesitated before entering into the limo. It's not because he needed permission to enter, it was just a very strange occurrence. He'd be alright. Taking the plunge, he ducked down and entered into the Limo's door to sit away from the man. He didn't want to get close, nor did he really need to. All Corvus generally had to do to seduce men these days was sit in a certain way and bat his eyelashes. But this wasn't that type of visit. He had to keep his guard up, and not distract himself from toying with the well-dressed man.

"Yes I'm wondering what you are. Very astute."

It's not that Corvus was trying to be an asshole, he was just trying to diffuse his own tension through humor. Corvus grabbed a nearby upholstered handle as the car began to move. He wasn't used to these machines. They still sometimes made him feel quite ill. It was nothing like his own flight or his ghost form. Inferior, really. All in all, the limo was nice and fancy, generally what he expected when he was being transported to red carpet events. When the man's intense aura suddenly dropped, it was like Corvus was capable of breathing again. Like a weight had been lifted from his chest. It had been absolutely dreadful.

The concept of spirits and ghosts were not lost on Corvus. He had run into many ghosts during his longg life. They were generally attracted to him and his home, so he had gotten quite used to warding them off through various artifacts and sigils over the years. He had to admit though, that these ghosts looked nothing like they did in media. They were not cute little tablecloth spirits, but rather, black monstrous beings with harsh white masks covering their faces.

It would make sense, then, for this man to be an advanced form of them. The way his energy had felt couldn't be described as anything but an advanced form of that dreadful miasma. Maybe he was like some sort of super ghost that just took the form of a human? But Corvus wasn't sure about that, and would let Arcadus explain himself before interrupting. Corvus took the glass of water and sipped on it. If this guy was as strong as he felt, he wouldn't need drugs to subdue him. It didn't feel like this was what that was anyway.

Hollow? Hollows turned into Arrancar when strong enough? That was the name for it? Corvus appreciated that it was seemingly self-describing, for they could apparently absorb the souls of others. Was he a hollow, then? No, probably not, because he never felt like he was holding the souls he once consumed into himself. From his own experiences, the souls he consumed were digested and converted into energy, much like regular human food. It was not like blood, that would simply enter into his own circulation. 

The idea that Arcadus, a seemingly strong Arrancar, was interested in protecting Corvus from reapers was interesting. It implied a few things. Corvus was always somewhat aware that he kind of had to hide who he was to avoid being detected by the hollows. The reapers, then, seemed to be the logical extension of them. It would explain why the world wasn't overrun with the so-called Hollows, and whenever he was bothered by them they wouldn't be around for too long. 

Corvus had gotten to carefree. He hadn't even been aware of spiritual forces that were capable of hunting him and ending his life. Maybe it was for a reason though, maybe it was because he hadn't used his powers very much? It wouldn't surprise him to know that he had his own general aura about him much like Arcadus and Hollows in general. Through reasonable deduction, Arcadus was probably right, for if he grew stronger somehow, he would be hunted. Would the solution, then, be to not grow any stronger? Or would the solution be to grow strong enough to defend himself. Questions for later, he supposed.

It would make sense that Arrancar could deceive Humanity into appearing as gods. Corvus had thought of it many times, flaunting his powers for reverance. But from what this man had just told him, he was kind of glad he hadn't lest he be hunted by these supposed reapers. Yellow iris' glanced down at Arcadus' hands as they unbuttoned his grey dress shirt. He hadn't expected this outcome so quickly, but he wasn't opposed to it. Corvus wondered how the spirit of an Arrancar would taste, for his partners rarely complained if he nibbled while making love.

His excitement waned, however, as he visible cringed at the sight of a large black hole near Arcadus' chest. It was creepy to look at, almost monolithic in its presence. It drew his eyes in, and Corvus couldn't help but stare. How was he living with such a wound? The vampire listened closely as the Arrancar explained his physical feature. So it was common, then, not unlike how Vampire's had retractable fangs?

Corvus felt the Arrancar's blood pump into his bare muscles as he subtly flexed his toned form. He appreciated the sight and coyly smiled at the display of muscle. Both were enticing, the harsh flow of blood in the Arrancar's body, and the visual of a handsome muscular man undressed before him. All good things come to an end, however, as Arcadus rebuttoned his shirt.

"I haven't been detected by the reapers for at least a millennia. How come?"

But he didn't need an answer, it was more of a rhetorical question. He probably didn't need the Arrancar's help with defending himself, but he'd take it for sure. There was something about him that intrigued the vampire. Perhaps it was the danger of breaking out of his thousand year comfort zone? Yeah, that was likely it.

Corvus liked that Arcadus explained his motives. The vampire was beggining to doubt why the self-proclaimed Arrancar was telling him all of this. It wasn't just for his sex, Corvus knew that, for this man was likely capable of bedding any human he wished. Arcadus just didn't want the commotion caused by his rising stardorm. Perhaps the reapers would research his historical lookalikes and come sniffing. That was entirely possible. 

"Thank you for being honest regarding your motives. It's understandable. I don't want these reapers to come sniffing. I just want to live my life and not bother anybody, yknow? And it's not like I'm harming anybody. I haven't fed on a human in centuries. Would they still come after me?"

Ah, so there was a sexual component to it. Corvus didn't mind, he was generally receptive to that sort of thing. He was honestly accustomed to it after living with humans and their needy bodies for so long. Men were his favorite anyway. So repressed in modern times, but he wasn't sure if that applied to an Arrancar. Corvus could both see and feel the blooding gathering in Arcadus' face. Interesting. Maybe he was a little bit repressed. Wouldn't surprise him. People just needed to let loose in all honesty.

Why not have a little fun, Corvus thought, as he leaned over the middle of the limousine and reached up to brush a stray hair from the Arrancar's face. He was close enough to feel the man's breath tickle his neck. Close enough for the Arrancar to see the slight smattering of freckles down Corvus' nose. Feeling satisfied with his flirtation, he sat back into his seat and held his hands together in his lap. Corvus would feel any effect he had on the Arrancar's blood circulation.

Corvus smirked as he flirted.

"Training? Sounds tantric. You know, I could take a seat and give you a show, since you're that much of a fan. Skipping dinner? But I'm oh so hungry. Never speaking of this again would be no fun. Where are the reservations? I'm sort of new in town. Haven't been to Japan in centuries. Last time I was here, there were no tall buildings."

Corvus took care to visible lick his now extended fang. This had been an interesting turn of events, and he would never turn down a good meal.

[Arcadus]

Seeing Corvus's relatively calm responses, and his smile to his flexing, Arcadus relaxed a bit, and his following what Arcadus was saying put his concerns to rest. The way he seemed to follow along with more basic information and absorb what Arcadus guessed was new information. Displaying his hollow hole had clearly.. unerved was the word, transfixed might have better fit that idea. Though that coy smile flushed Arcadus a bit more, his grin revealing his overly large canines. He liked this man, though his questions prompted a bit more explanation. 

"As for why they might not have detected you for nearly a thousand years, its likely you've been using spiritual charms and wards to evade hollows, which can also work on shinigami. But there is a problem. Karakura is arguably the most spiritually dense place on the planet, barring disaster zones like pompei and some parts of the  middle east. It normally has Shinigami entering into the human world from the Rukongai, thats the afterlife, and moving out across the world. "

"As well, they particularly patrol Karakura and if you plan to stay here and have a career here, its very likely they'll find you. Vampires are above hollows on the list, though below Arrancar they can actually dispatch. If I can sense your spiritual energy, so can they, and they won't bother with stopping by after you're off the stage. There are ways to keep living the life you enjoy in the mortal world, but it involves having a means to escape to somewhere else. One of the other spiritual worlds. "

Gods, was he really going to invite Corvus to Hueco Mundo? maybe, or maybe just a spot in the Rukongai that wasn't patrolled. In either case, giving Corvus a doorknob would definitely increase their odds of survival. Plus, if they liked being able to swap between worlds, that was a plus for him. Running up a bounty on himself also didn't really matter since he was sure either, he could talk his way out of bounty hunters or making allies out of anyone who thought they could take him. 

"And to answer why, they'd likely go after you because of what you are, rather than anything you have or might do. I myself haven't done more than many hollows but I'm still considered a very high value target for the reapers. The reason they haven't brought me in, is because fighting me in Karakura means collateral damage, due to me clashing with someone strong enough to bring me in. There's a lot of reasons to hide out in Karakura, but being easy pickings isn't a good idea. Not acting and living like a human isn't likely to buy you more than a few years, but, I can help you grow and develop your powers, the things you apparently have not been experimenting with for a millennia."

It wasn't untrue that Arcadus was up on the target list, but because of his strength, he wasn't exactly targeted by routine patrols unless they were particularly foolish or very brave. Outside of that, it was more if he decided to hunt down a hollow in Karakura that he would encounter them. But it wasn't really a lie to tell Corvus they'd be a target eventually. He would be, and besides getting to know him better, getting a vampire on his side would certainly shift the playing field a bit. 

Arcadus sipped his water. There was all sorts of booze in the little ice box, but right now what he wanted was cold clear water. Besides, spirits were always burning to him, he didn't like them outside of cocktails that hid them, and even then, he had no interest in being intoxicated for something like this. Besides, he figured being drunk would mean he didn't get to size up this hot little thing. "You said you've lived for a long time peacefully, and plan to keep doing so. I wonder, what things have  you done, who were you? Who were your companions, if not other vampires?"

"As for the reservation's it's at Omotesando Uka-Tei. Nice steak house, and I had a private suite and some wine reserved, so that should be just fine for someone of your status." Arcadus sighed. It was nice to be among people who enjoy the finer things in life, though he did think that sometimes the finer things for human felt a little trivial to him. Regardless, he was curious what helping out someone for once could be like. Corvus proved an interesting person, and that confidence had ascerted itself.  Arcadus moved a bit closer as the limo turned, seeming to float over the leather seat. 

Arcadus reached his arm out across the back of the seats, hand resting a few inches from Corvus's neck and Arcadus leaned towards him slightly, breath from his body breezing out. He smelled like rosewater and fresh linen, the red lace choker he wore popping up over his collar more prominently. Voice dropping to a sultry whisper, wafting over the sound of the engine and traffic like fog on ice. "As for a show and a seat, I think we both could do that for each other, and we could be there till dawn. Is it true vampire's weaken under the sun, or is just under roses, like in Dracula? Because we can do either, or both, if you'd like. "

[Corvus]

Of course with Corvus' luck, he had managed to find the one place in the world where his identity was liable to be exposed by reapers. If he had literally settled anywhere else, this wouldn't have been a problem. At least, through his years, he had learned the wide variety of symbols and sigils that had supposedly kept him safe from all of the spiritual aspects of the world around him. Knowing that he had done that for himself, made him feel accomplished and satisfied.

It wasn't a surprise that the afterlife was seemingly a real place. He kinda figured it was given his general supernatural nature. He did believe in heaven given all that he had seen of the world and its inhabitants. It would have been strange for the paranormal to exist without it's major endgame scenario. Corvus had to wonder if he'd even make it there after he eventually did. Had he been too bad? Too good? Corvus wasn't quite sure.

It made sense what the Arrancar was saying. If he was able to be sensed by Arcadus, it would have been incredibly possible for a reaper to come his way and end his life. Not a good thing, Corvus thought. He needed to figure out what to do, and thankfully it seemed like the handsome man was offering him a way to deal with his conundrum. It was interesting to think that there were other spiritual worlds, though it really did make sense. But if he wasn't going to heaven, the Rukongai or whatever that had the reapers, where were they going?

Corvus didn't like the sound of these Shinigami. They really sounded like absolute assholes, apparently being prejudiced enough to punish him for how he was born. He didn't quite remember how he was brought into this world, but he didn't even remember having parents or anything of the sort. It wasn't his fault for being a Vampire. The idea of being killed on sight just for his race was terrifying. This guy wanted to help though, and so Corvus was pretty thankful for that. He seemingly wanted to train him too.

"That's not.. Entirely true? I'm able to do a few spiritual things like phasing through walls and stuff and keep myself clean. So I'm aware of the concept of using my spiritual abilities, I've just been avoiding it because I was afraid it would get me noticed by the other humans back when you were burned at the stake for that. Guess it was just a habit that stuck with me over the years, y'know? To think a spiritual race would want to kill me just because of my nature, I don't like the sound of that. Thank you for letting me know about these things before they came after me."

Corvus liked the idea of being able to grow his powers and abilities. He didn't like the feeling of being a sitting duck, it wasn't helpful to him with his current spiritual surroundings. If he had known a race exists that does not allow his existence, he would have started all of this training business a lot earlier so that his life wouldn't be threatened by simply moving to Karakura town. But he had to wonder, what could he train towards as a vampire? He knew a few of their abilities from his knowledge of history, but nothing was ever concrete or for certain.

"Through history, I've been many people. I've spent years of my life dedicated to specific forms of art. I've been famous poets, authors, singers, painters, designers, florists, all of those sorts of things. I've been royal consorts to famous figures, hell I've been some of the famous figures. It's just some of the things I get up to with all that free time, right? I didn't even know spiritual training was really that much of a thing. The worst things I've done are probably when I was much younger, and had little control over my hunger for blood and souls. I don't do that type of feeding on Humans anymore.

It was sad to know, but Corvus hadn't really known any other vampires for that millenia. They hadn't made themselves known to him, so he wasn't sure how to go about finding them. He wasn't even sure if they'd be friendly, even, so he hadn't wanted to take that risk through his years. Humans were probably much better companions anyway, and he wasn't sure how'd he feel about being friend with someone who absolutely massacred humans to feed, for he was sure that not every Vampire had came to the same conclusion as himself.

"I've had no experience with other Vampires. That's probably for the better. For those hundreds of years, I've mostly had the lovely companionship of humans. They're quite loving little creatures, aren't they? Such room in their hearts for love and adoration. I've fallen in love with many of them, as they have for me. I don't know if it's natural though, or some sort of evolutionary advantage for a Vampire to be able to seduce people for an easy bite."

Corvus smirked as Arcadus grew closer. What he wouldn't give for a taste of that fine muscled specimen. It seemed that the two of them were on the same page romantically. Perfect, that would just make that aspect of things easier. They had a reservation to attend first. Corvus had to wonder how he had one that quickly, but he guessed he had made it on his phone while ordering the ride. It wouldn't surprise Corvus that a rich man was able to sort out something like that. Arcadus' voice was deep and masculine enough to send a shiver down the Vampire's spine. He was exactly Corvus' type.

"It's good to know that you can go all night. I'll keep that in mind. I'll have you know that my thousands of years have given me experience in other aspects of life. Yes, the sun is very irritating to me. My eyes are sensitive to sunlight and so is my skin. It tingles in the sunlight and I can constantly feel it harassing my skin. It's really only a problem after I use any of my abilities, not sure why it does that. But whenever I use my power to phase through walls or some shit, I find that I absolutely cannot bear the sunlight in any capacity. And roses? I'm not weak to those, they're my favorite.

Corvus was paying close attention the man's bloodflow to see where things were headed. He was pretty good at making men fall in love, hopefully an Arrancar would prove no different. It would be quite useful to have a powerful spirit on his side, and an extremely hot man for that manner of things as well. From what Corvus had seen of his torso, the man was built like a Greek statue, which Corvus had actually seen in person when they were built. Both the steak and the Arrancar seemed incredibly appetizing, so he couldn't help but salivating a little at the prospect of good food and seemingly great romance.

"I wouldn't stop you from taking me under roses, if that's what you're implying. Though it would get a little uncomfortable under sunlight for me, I wouldn't really mind as it probably wouldn't be what I would focus on feeling. This restaurant sounds nice. Haven't had some nice steak in a while, been focused on modelling gigs to get my reputation up. This outing sounds like a lot of fun. Glad I got into the limo with you, Arcadus."

[Arcadus]

Arcadus wasn't suprised that Corvus had some spiritual powers, it would be incredibly odd if they didn't or hadn't developed anything. That said, it was interesting to see that they had decided to take thier life in such a direction, never seeming to wonder what, in the Arrancar's experience, had been something everyone asked. "Where did I come from, why am I here?" Those were so important to so many people, entire systems were created, and those systems used to bring thousands of years of service and workhours together.



Though, fear seemed to be the reasoning, it must have snuffed out the curiousity inside him for quite a long time. Though, perhaps that was a thing Arcadus could ignite again, if they were the kind of person who could be kindled into growth through fear of the shinigami or through Arcadus flexing his own powers, then this wouldn't be too difficult. As for what those powers might be, Arcadus had an idea, but it really was impossible to tell what their individual powers would be. 

"I'd be interested to see what you know in terms of ritual and sigils, I've a passing interest in the thing's my self. I ran an experiment in faith a while ago in the souther United States. Didn't pan out well, but it was enjoyable, though its actually a good example of how the shinigami keep the spiritual world underwraps. Along with keeping people from knowing or dying to hollows and exterminating spiritual creatures they deem a threat, they engage on massive disinformation campaigns about the nature of reality." 


A fun idea crossed Arcadus's mind, training with Corvus could be a bit of a punishment and reward system, though, if this vampire was going to be up to par eventually, even if they were a spiritual fighter, they'd need some physical training. Even Orabas, one of the most spirit focused and physically inept mages he'd ever seen had above normal human athleticism, so time in the gym and dojo was certianly a must for this alluring creature, and they could shape their aesthetics as well, helping them with their modeling career. 

"Its interesting you've always been an artist or artisan of some kind, but never a soldier or spiritual leader. You must have a real affinity for the arts then. I'd love to see your paintings, if they're as old as you've been, they're in museums aren't they? We should go see them sometime, or maybe we can make some art together. I'm something of a smith and mechanic myself, maybe we could do some sculpting, or a metal wrought or cast sculpture?"

"As for feeding on humans, I might know a kind of reprieve. Hollows themselves are masses of souls and soul parts, so they might sate that better than feeding on animals, and you might be able to feed on the ambient energy of Hueco Mundo, the world where I live." If they could, wasn't entirely clear, but if they simply needed soul energy to live, there wasn't any apparent reason for Arcadus to believe Corvus couldn't. As for bringing them there, that would have to be after they'd gained some advancement in their training. It wouldn't be responsible to bring them there as they were. 

"I can't say I'm surprised you haven't met other vampires. From what I've read, they're relatively secretive creatures, so if you've been an artist and in the spotlight constantly, it makes sense they wouldn't have reach out to you and hid from you. Whatever you've done to hide from recognition might not work for them. That said, I am curious how you've passed off living for so long and managing to not be found out or without too much issue. Do people simply assume your a descendant of some famous identity of yours?"

"Interesting that the sun only bothers you, and hurts you while you're using the powers you have. Maybe it has something to do with your spiritual energy and that of the sun. That could explain it, your abilities and body faltering under sunlight, but since the sun is life energy, spiritually at least, then it would follow that the sun shouldn't harm you. Perhaps there's some quality to sunlight that reacts with the spiritual chemistry of vampires."

Arcadus shifted closer to Corvus, arm now resting on his shoulder, hand resting on his far shoulder and pec. "Its something I'm curious about myself, as Arrancar are about as immortal as Vampires, though, at his minute, I'm more curious about you, and about that model body of yours's. Maybe I can get that suite for a bit longer, and we can be left alone for a while there." Arcadus could sense the spiritual flow of Corvus's body swell and stir, and with a satisfied smirk, Arcadus leaned in to kiss Corvus. 

Corvus smelled wonderful, a cologne wafted off of him, giving him a clean, washed smell. Arcadus could tell Corvus had every intention of sticking around for whatever he hand in mind, and he was more than willing to devour this beautiful blond man. So slender and lean, Corvus seemed like he was molded from glass, a beautiful rose of a man, full lips, dazzling eyes, Arcadus could feel the beating of his heart quicken despite himself. That candle light in him where he had felt that companionship with Kitai and Akando flared into a new feeling, something akin to lust's he'd felt with other partners, but new, warmer, softer. 

Pulling away, Arcadus remained seated, thigh to thigh with Corvus. Their hair untangled from them as he sat back against the seat. "I think," Arcadus's smile had taken on the coyness to match Corvus, hand holding onto Corvus's shoulder as the car slowed to a stop outside the hotel. "We are in for some fun for a long time Corvus. But for right now, we have a dinner to eat, and I believe we are right on time. I am happy to have seen you. I wish I could have met you earlier."

Opening the door and holding it open for Corvus, Arcadus walked into the restaurant+, Maximillian waiving from the driver's seat. Arcadus briefly spoke to the valet, and thier waiter guided them to their table, menu's and water set for the both of them. The room had a floor to ceiling window, showing the city lights of karakura, like shining gems on the grid streets of the town. Plush chairs sat aside the table, and as they took thier seats, the wine that was reserved was wheeled in, a wine that over time had made its way over seas from Italy nearly a century ago. 

"I am glad to have company for this dinner, Corvus, especially someone as enticing and gorgeous as yourself. I'm not short of suitor's and partners, but in my time, I've met very few people with your grace, and your beauty. I'm sure you feel the same, and I hope we can enjoy this dinner without tearing each other's outfits. Mine is tailored and yours is literally a runway model, so hopefully the waiter doesn't leave us alone for too long."

[Corvus]

Corvus wasn't quite sure what the Arrancar meant by having performed faith-based experiments in the southern United States, but if it was what Corvus was thinking of, he couldn't help but be a little shocked. He knew exactly what had happened for that event. It was something discussed in the true crime and unsolved mysteries side of the internet, a place he frequented quite often. From what Corvus knew, it was like an angel had descended down unto humanity and literally just killed a man. Corvus had thought it to be fake, but apparently now he had an actual explanation.

When the vampire was asked about his interest in the arts, his eyes light up with the possibilities of what he could talk about. Corvus had seen it all, whether it was classical paintings, original plays, and first renditions of popular folk music. If it was popular at the time, it was entirely possible the vampire had made his way there for its debut. He took a lot of inspiration from those historical works in his own art, usually preferring the gothic and somewhat frightening style of religious art back from medieval time.

"My knowledge of sigils really only amounts to what I've read from books by humans. I'd love to take a look at more spiritual literature if that's available. I find that only a small portion of human knowledge of the arcane is actually true and correct, so most of my sigils don't usually have an effect on these Hollows if that's what I've been warding away. And in terms of my art? I'm in a few museums, usually as an anonymous or unknown artists. I've got a collection of dark paintings in the Louvre. I've never sculpted that much, surprisingly, but I'd love to try."

Corvus had never thought about feeding on what he now knows to be Hollows. It was a good idea, now that he thought about it. They were already dead, so it wasn't as if he was really killing anything, and it seemed like he would be doing humanity a favor by taking out the things that would hunt them down. All in all, it actually seemed like a pretty good idea, all things considered. The idea of feeding on ambient spiritual energy was new to him, something he hadn't actually considered. What was Hueco Mondo like anyway? Was it a world of Hollows and danger?

"I have the ability to slightly modify my appearance when I deem myself old enough to be gaining suspicion. People never assume me to be related, as I usually relocate globally before starting my new life. And if you think about it, there are a lot of celebrity look-alikes and things of that nature, so it's never really been a problem for me. And I tend to change my styles sometimes too. For my past life, when I was a famous movie star, I had short-cropped hair and supposedly died of an overdose. I lived in New York back then, interesting place."

Corvus eyes lit up when the Arrancar spoke on spiritual chemistry. Was that actually a thing? Corvus had been alive for so long now, the idea of new academic fields was exciting to him. And academic fields that would relate to the spiritual, and his own state of being? That sounded like a dream come true. Corvus had to know more, the thought was tantalizing to his knowledge-hungry brain. Maybe if he learned more about spirits and their capabilities, he would learn more about his own powers and maybe learn a few new tricks. That was definitely possible.

When Arcadus put an arm around his shoulder, Corvus couldn't help but lean into the warmth. His own body was cold and relatively dead, so the ability to share warmth like this was something he clung to. It made him feel safe too, even if the Arrancar's energy had been absolutely dreadful when they had first met. He wasn't sure what the man had done to it, but it seemed as if all that negative miasma had just disappeared. Maybe he could control it or something. Yeah, that had to be the case.

From how the Arrancar was acting, Corvus couldn't help but smirk. It seemed as if the strong man was absolutely enamoured by his seductive form. That was part of the package deal of being a vampire, Corvus thought, as it would generally help him feed on other humans if they wanted to bed him. It's not like that's what he would be doing to Arcadus, but it was just a natural side effect of his state of being. Corvus generally thought of himself biologically as some sort of divergent species of human, but he wasn't too sure about that.

When Arcadus kissed him, Corvus felt his cold dead body come to life as his own blood started pumping as it registered what was happening. The vampire returned the kiss, accepting it with his own reciprocated motion of a moan and lip biting. It was brief and chaste, but enough to fire off specific nerves in Corvus' body. He hadn't felt this way in a while. Maybe it had something to do with the spiritual potency of the man he had kissed. Yeah, that was likely it, because he could feel how strong this man's soul was just by being in close proximity to him. 

When they got out of the car, Corvus commented on the academic aspect of the soul. The restaurant seemed like it was in a nice building, with fancy architecture in the well-off part of town. It wasn't some side-hole ramen place, not that he minded those, but it was seemingly a high-society dinner place. He generally tended to like both ends of dining, as he was more in it for the actual food and cooking rather than any other created ambiance. A hole in the wall restaurant was quite capable of curating a better ambiance than a five star restaurant, depending on the owner's tastes of course. But Corvus was looking forward to his meal regardless.

"I always assumed it to be some by product of my eternal life, but now that you mention the prospect of spiritual chemistry, I have to ask if there is spiritual academia performed by other spiritual people like these reapers, or maybe even the Arrancar? Learning more about the soul would be an absolute dream for me, it would be an area of study I have not touched yet, something I haven't had for decades."

It was nice to know that Arcadus was seemingly a gentleman. People usually didn't hold the door open for him anymore, something only done for him in times past. Corvus smiled at the handsome man as he walked into the restaurant. It was a nice place, though the tasteless modern decor didn't really suit his fancy. The waiter lead them to a solitary dining room, one with a large window showcasing the nightscape of Karakura. It was absolutely stunning, for Corvus was not one to deny the beauty beholden by night.

"If i had met you 500 years ago, I would have learned so much by now. But that's alright, what's 500 years to a creature that cannot age? You seem like a proper man, something I can appreciate quite well. I sometimes miss the old-fashioned attitudes from men of my time, I believe chivalry is the word for that. Thank you for your kind words, and I assure you this beauty and grace was achieved through years of refinement, I wasn't always this way."

Corvus couldn't help but smile at the flirtations and innuendo. He was definitely on board with whatever the Arrancar had in mind. He wondered how they were different, what an Arrancar would bring to the table in those type of sensitive situations. There was only one way to find out, however, and Corvus was feeling absolutely curious. But, they were in a high-end restaurant, so of course he'd try and savor the prepared meal before he devoured the meal in front of him.

"As long as you don't rip my clothes, you can do whatever you'd like. I can sense the waiter coming, he seems a little nervous. Poor thing."

As if on queue, the waiter walked into their private dining room before setting down a basket of bread alongside two dishes of herbed butter. Corvus didn't really need to look at the menu to know what he wanted to order. This type of place usually offered steak, and so that was what he would order. Probably blue rare, just so he could drink the meat's blood before consuming the flesh part. Since their room was private, he didn't really have to worry about doing it discretely, he could really savor its taste.

"I'm not sure about my date here, but I'll be ordering your finest steak cooked blue rare. Whatever size is your largest works for me, maybe with some sort of mashed potatoes? I'll take a glass of wine too, if you would. Thanks, doll." Corvus spoke to the waiter politely, as he knew how degrading working these types of jobs could really be. Now towards Arcadus, Corvus spoke while taking a sip of his water. "I can handle my bill. Got a lot saved up after all these years y'know."

[Arcadus]

Arcadus barely noticed the waiter, before ordering the same as the man across from him. He'd been more transfixed by Corvus than to think about a suitable order, and rare steak wasn't a bad choice anyway, so not worth reading the menu. Looking up at Corvus, Arcadus marveled at him. They had similar features, both pale skinned, blonde and sharp features, light colored eyes. Though, thie difference was really in thier build. Arcadus noticed Corvus was a fair bit slimmer, through still lean, a frame that could definetly hold a bit more muscle, and a great deal shorter. 

"Spiritual chemisty is one name for it. Other call it magic, others call it science. Its a method of observing and making conclusions from the reactions of spiritual energies. Most spiritual entities and thier organizations have different kinds of practices and academia, and I'm actually fairly limited in my access to the larger bodies of work. The shinigami have by far the largest amount of research done into any area of spiritual activity, but I'm not able to access it, for obvious reasons."

Arcadus poured himself a glass of wine, and one for Corvus, and looked at decor. Traditional Japanese art, though Arcadus couldn't say he was entirely familiar with them or the manner of them. He'd spwne a lot of time in Karakura and Japan, but rarely engaged with major cultural events or anything beyond a bit of its food and highlife. Maybe he should do more of that with Corvus, it'd be a good opportunity to get to know him better and for them to enjoy each other's company.

"If you had met me 500 years ago, I would have been a man at arms in France, fighting for a spot of muddy farm land. I had a different form then, short, stout, and dreadfully hairy. Chivalry was actually more a set of rules in combat so nobles didn't kill each other or act in ways that would spurn war between princes or lords, only about a quarter is about taking care in how you act around fair damsels, or," Arcadus's hand crept on to Corvus's "Beautiful young men."

While that wasn't entirely untrue, He was Oren, Oren was also a concept/soul/seperate entity in his mind, and he wasn't exactly sure on how or what they actually were. But he could access those memories, so for right now at least, he was Oren, and he had been there in France, fighting and dying for a speck of land under the moon. That same moon reflected in the room, dancing and giving the gold light a clashing silver tone, turning both men's hair to platinum, and washing them both in silver. 

"It would seem were both results of a long refinement process, like this wine. Though I'm sure, we'll both taste much better. And 500 years with you, well, I can't think of many things I'd like more, two radiant souls growing intertwined for centuries. You're a poet to be sure Corvus, and if every thing was leading up to meeting you, I wouldn't have changed a thing, if it meant I wouldn't be here, right now." Arcadus leaned over the table, his huge frame casting a shadow over corvus, his blue eyes glowing in that shadow. Resting the crown of his head on Corvus's, Arcadus savored this moment, that warmth in him burning up, his blood roaring in his veins. 

Hearing the steps of the waiter, Arcadus pulled away, a contented smile on his face, his blush from the limo returning. Hearing a tap at the door, Arcadus's "Come In" rumbled out, like a cougar's purr. Twin Wagyu Steaks, practically raw, the barest searing, of them, though still washed in just enough seasoning. Ground horse radish dishes on the left side, and a fair bowl of garlic and chives mashed potatoes was placed in the center. 

Taking a knife, Arcadus began to cut his into smaller pieces, curious as to Corvus's movements. Taking another sip of wine, Arcadus figured they'd go through the bottle before they were both done, and made a note to order another one when they were closer to being done. This was the atmosphere he hadn't even known he craved. That hunger that pervaded his being, to consume, to gain, sated for these moments. It was curious, that hunger he likened to a white hot flame eating into a block of wood, calmed to a simmer, content to char the surface. 

Curious. Was his ambition being snuffed out? No, couldn't be. Perhaps this was the thing that ambition strove for, in his ignorance he'd conquered, killed, eaten, in search for something he seemed fated to meet. Arcadus's warm smile grew, practically giggling to himself as he diced his steak. Perhaps, but perhaps this was just one thing. Though, even as the flame simmered, he wondered what Corvus could become if given the right training, and a hundred some hollows to consume. 

The steak was fantasitic, paired with the wine, it was practically heaven, the horseradish biting into the juice and meat of the steak. Arcadus swayed slightly, the buttery taste of wagyu always reminded him of the best times in his life, but for the present, it kept him here, in awe of the moment he'd created. Closing his eyes, he sensed out Corvus, seeing brief memories of thier long life, thier feelings, that attraction he felt so reciprocated. At peace, might be the words he was looking for. 

[Corvus]

It seemed as if there was always some sort of obstacle in the way of his pursuit of knowledge. Back hundreds of years ago, if Corvus showed any type of interested in the sciences, he was seen as some sort of mystic danger, something that would have gotten him in a little bit of trouble if anybody looked a bit too close to his life and his general behavior. Nowadays, that Corvus had learned the basics of many sciences, he was assumingly unable to study spirituality and the soul, given for the apparent fact that these Shinigami, the ones that would hunt him down, were the ones who kept the knowledge and did most of the spiritual research.

"That's a shame, might make teaching myself a little difficult, but I'm always up for a challenge." Corrvus took the glass of wine and brought it to his lips. Given the general crowdedness of his mouth, when he put his lips over the glass rim, one of his canines peeked out around the edge of the wine glass. Nothing that would give him away, but maybe raise an eye as it was clearly larger than normal. Nobody was here to see though, so he didn't really mind, unless the waiter was somehow one of these Shinigami, then he'd be fucked.

Corvus hadn't thought about it that much, but he guessed it made sense for the Arrancar to have had a past life as a human, if Hollows were really just ghosts. But if he had multiple souls inside of him as a sort of cluster, was he able to remember all of his past lives. Corvus didn't want to pick at that subject, not knowing if it was a sensitive area or just something you didn't ask to an Arrancar. Either way, it really did seem like they had come from similar backgrounds, though with drastically different journeys from that point forward.

"I see you're also a man of knowledge and wisdom. I was mostly referring to the code of conduct towards beautiful women, or as you've so graciously complimented me, beautiful men." After Corvus obliged the hand holding, he couldn't help but give a enamored smile. The wine tasted great, and his date was going perfect so far. Such a turn from what he had expected when that initial feeling of pure despair wash over him not too longer ago, but it's not like he was complaining about the way everything ended up turning out. Corvus could feel the man's heartbeat through his hand, and it was racing much like his own.

Corvus hadn't met such a romantic in more than a hundred years. It was not common these days for men to speak so elegantly in a way that just buttered him up with his sheer generosity of words. Arcadus definitely had that way about him of speaking, the kind of way that made Corvus feel like he was some sort of trophy or prize worthy of admiration. It felt good, honestly, not unlike how being a celebrity made him feel. He could get used to being around his presence, if it meant continuing to be on the receiving end of all of his compliments.

The wine was something the vampire knew he could enjoy, for his undeath brought him great resilience to the effects of human drugs. It was good, great even, and it reminded him of his time spent in European castles surrounded by orchards and vineyards.  He wondered how Italy was doing, it was pretty much his vacation home at this point. Witch each moment they were in physical contact, Corvus could feel what were once human hormones flooding his system. It felt nearly joyous.

He wasn't really sure how to drain the steak's blood demurely, so he didn't really bother. From what Arcadus had described about himself anyway, it didn't seem like he'd mind a little edge. Taking his fork, Corvus cut a large chunk of the steak before bringing it to his mouth. Instead of inserting it and chewing it up, he simply pierced the meat with his fangs before drawing the blood and juices into his mouth. He could feel the life essence returning into his body and it felt almost as amazing as this date. Once bled dry, he put the chunk of meat back onto his plate and ate it like a normal person with bites of his sides and sips of his wine.

"It's been decades since I've been wooed like this on a first date. I'd be proud of myself if I were you. This steak is delicious, but I don't know if I like the sides more. I've got room for both, but I don't know what I want to eat first." Corvus took another sip of the fragrant alcohol, swishing it around silently in his mouth before swallowing. "I've had royalty kill to be in your position right now. This moonlight is absolutely beautiful, it reminds me of my youth spent in eastern Europe. Do you know other Arrancar? Do they form packs or what?"

[Arcadus]

Arcadus sat in his chain, listening to corvus, thinking of how to answer. It was refreshing not having to lie to someone or to dance around anything he might be doing. He made a small prayer that that might continue, though to who he had no clue. For a moment, he fantisized, both of the thing's he'd do to this slim thing after dinner, but of a future. He'd thought about taking on a partner, even partners, but for right now that idea was center in his mind. Him and Corvus, twin lords of Los Noches, beautiful gold gods reigning. 

The sun and moon, him the sun for his flame, and Corvus, the moon for his affinity for the night. What a joyous idea, that one he'd grow with and help grow would come to rule, to be lauded as the gods of that place, to bring prosperity. it simmered in his mind as he came up with his answers for Corvus's questions. Touching him, even as simple as brushing hands, warmed him, he could feel Corvus warming at it too, the surface thoughts of his mind a blaze with similar things. 

"It is sad that the shinigami are so reluctant to share thier knowledge, even with those they don't consider worth exterminating. My guess is leaving it with spiritual humans would lead to people like me being able to worm it out of anyone with the resilience to study several thousand years of esoterica and research notes. I've had to mainly work off of the works of my predecessors, and the limited knowledge of those lives that now make up mind."

"In case you were wondering, Arrancar can remember some of the souls that make up the hollow they used to be, normally the most important and vital to forming that Arrancar's personality. Its an interesting process, but unfortunately one that isn't well researched, and theres little opportunity to. Hollows are ferocious things, especially the largest ones, so its hard to catch one turning into an Arrancar. As well, introspection and examining myself isn't an exactly reliable source."

As for making an effor to examine himself, Arcadus wasn't sure he wanted to. Things were going well right now, and disturbing those waters wasn't exactly something he wanted to do. Making the 3 mad was bad enough, but the potential that the hollow could arise again was an issue. One he needed to confront but maybe when he was, stronger, smarter, and in possession of a few more allies. Thats what Akando was for, but it didn't really matter who. 

Holding Corvus's gaze, Arcadus swallowed and cleared his throat. "I'm very proud of my ability to woo and charm those around me, I count it as one of my best talents, and it's gotten me out of more close calls than I would like to think. As for royalty, and your question about other Arrancar. A flicker of smugness dropped into Arcadus's smile, like a drop of mint into clear water. Arrancar organize themselves however they please, forming communities, communes, villages, even kingdoms, but one group stands above them all, Los Noches, and Souken Kouhai. He is the King of Los Noches, and the founder of the Espada, a collection of the most powerful Arrancar in existance."

"There are 10 Espada, 1 to 10, of which I am the third, though we are missing a one and two. I'm the closest thing to royalty the Arrancar have, though it is a hotly contested and fought for position. You see, Arrancar can fall prey to a very simple trick of philosphy, that might does make right, but only individual might. That numbers nor reason matter to what is real, the strength of the individual. Admittedly it is a view I used to hold, but I've matured in my rule."

"I've been working to make the Espada more a council of rulers as well as powerful warriors, but I've been having difficulty. Most of the Espada are solitary, content to hide away in their corner of Los Noches and I've not the patience nor the numbers to search for them. Some of the Espada I have reached are more sociable, and one is even thinking of opening a tea shop here in Karakura, an Arrancar by the name of Ailene. She's a kinder soul than most Arrancar, but she's also a special case."

As the words left his lips, Arcadus found himself saddened at that thought. The Espada, were practically reduced to him and Ailene, and if Rio or Beast could bother, him as well. Kouhai was an absentee king, doing whatever things concerned him within the confines of his palace. While it was a relatively blank canvas for him to work with, it washed over him like a cold wave, that he was practically alone in Los Noches. Though, maybe not for long, with the mod souls coming a long, fullbringers from that church, and now potentially corvus, he may well have quite the entourage. That idea perked him up again. 

Having finished his meal, Arcadus pulled his chair out, and stood up, walking over to the door. Whispering to a passing staff member, Arcadus moved the cart inside and set it infront of the door. Corvus could see that he hadn't bothered to roll it, but instead had lifted the cart up and set it back down. leaving his hands at his sides, Arcadus rolled his shoulders back, allowing his suit, and unbuttoned shirt, to fall to the ground, leaving him topless. 

Aside from the intensely muscled and well sculpted back and shoulders flexing and rolling as Arcadus streched, looking like a sea of strength and physical power, Corvus would notice as his eyes strayed to his left shoulder, a black number three tattoo'd onto his trapezius. Arcadus dimmed the lights to a glow, and turning back around, is eyes glowed a brilliant blue. Stretching again, his chest heaved, abs like they could grind stone, biceps likely bigger than Corvus's head. "Sorry, I've been stuffed into that suit for the last 12 hours, and Maxi always makes them for when I'm relaxed, and not when I'm using these guns."

imgur.com/gallery/N7Aaov9

[Corvus]

The idea that an Arrancar could only remember a little bit from their absorbed souls was interesting. Arcadus had mentioned something about it being related to how dominant the spirit is in their personality in contribution to the Arrancar's. Corvus wasn't really sure what to make of that, but it's not like he couldn't say the same. When he was feeding on a soul, he could taste its memories in a way, play them out in his mind's eye in a way that was fascinating and not something he understood. As he grew to love Humanity, though, he grew distasteful for the process, as it almost served as a reminder towards everything he had taken from them. 

Corvus desired nothing more than to begin his academic journey towards researching souls and the arcane. He wanted to know the extend of both their and his own power. He wanted to know more about himself too. Corvus made short work of his meal, practically scarfing it down in a way that remained somewhat courteous. He didn't want to look like a slob in front of his impromptu date, now would he? After downing the last of his wine, he began to sip at his cold water, using it as a sort of pallet cleanser from the potent aromatics of the red wine he drank with dinner.

"Oh, bad subject? I'll avoid it- talking about your own hollow-ness and past anyway. I'm just curious from an academic standpoints, that's all. I'm so curious about all these new things I'm learning. Part of me thinks you're bullshitting, but you did show me the hole in your body, and I really could feel for myself that your energy was not unlike that of a Hollow. I'm still getting used to thinking about them as that instead of just ghosts, because that's really just what I thought they were, Weird spirit creatures."

Corvus nodded at the Arrancar. It seemed that the both of them were inclined towards social seduction. Probably for different reasons, but Corvus always thought that he was naturally inclined as a biological advantage that would let him prey on humans with ease. And the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If he really was as violent as he had been as a young Vampire, he would have no problems satiating his thirst with whatever fan or weak-minded human came his way.

Before he had walked that stage, if you were to have told him he would be discussing spirit politics with a strong ghost man, Corvus would have laughed at you. But here he was, learning the fine intricacies of Las Noches, the apparent home of Hollows and their kind. Corvus had to wonder what role the reapers played in them. If Arrancar were seemingly collections of Hollows, and with time they eventually came together somehow- maybe through feeding- is that what the reapers were trying to prevent? It made sense to think about it, as Shinigami were both protecting humans but also their own asses at the same time if hollows would eventually grow up into Arrancar that could challenge them in strength. It seemed like an interesting life cycle that the Bount was very interested in studying.

From what Arcadus had told him, Corvus was seemingly dining with an apex predator in terms of Arrancar. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but he had to admit it was a little bit attractive, even if the Arrancar was exaggerating with his position or important. Regardless of where this blonde man placed in Las Noches or whatever world he resided, Corvus had truly felt the touch of that man's power during that fashion show, and Corvus wanted to feel more of it. Perhaps this was unwise, but the vampire had been living a life of safety and routine for the past thousand of years, he wanted a little excitement, and this man was providing just that.

Corvus smiled knowingly before toying with the empty wine glass on the table.

"You know, I believe in cyclical history, one of those strange human theories they create to explain the oddities and anomalies of the world around them. Because I've lived through things like this before- dining with kings, powerful people, beautiful people. It's almost like destiny, in a way. I've been around humanity for so long I've seen its highs and its lows. It was like that for humans back in the day too- monarchies fought and kingdoms raged war over might being right. I've grown beyond that, I think. I don't desire power, strength, or anything like that really. I just desire knowledge, peace, and all of those fuzzy things. Strange, I know, but these people- humanity- they've turned me soft. I care about them, but I'm rambling now, sorry about that. Must be the wine."

It was an interesting prospect, that these other Arrancar varied so differently in terms of personality and habits. From what Arcadus was describing, some were very civilized like himself, but others were essentially feral. Perhaps it was dependent upon the Arrancar's strength, or maybe it was dependent on the quality of souls it consumed. Corvus didn't know, but he'd love to eventually find out. Documenting these things was very important for overall development of culture and advancement of history and science. He knew that from a fact, witnessing modern day humans misinterpreting history due to false or faulty documentation left by bad actors throughout history.

The girl Arcadus mentioned, Ailene, sounded interesting. Corvus would love to talk to her if that was possible or even advisable. Getting different viewpoints was imperative towards developing a perspective on Arrancar and their biology. He wondered what made the powerful spirit want to create a tea shop in the supposedly auspicious town of Karakura. He hadn't felt anything where about the place, but maybe that's why he had shown up here, maybe he had been drawn by its natural spiritual affinity. That was definitely possible, if not for fate itself bringing him here into town.

If not for Corvus' ability to sense living blood, he would have been concerned over the Man's sudden undressing. It would have put him into a weird spot to be walked in on with a half-naked man. Not that Corvus really cared, but having been reared with Humanity taught him a few things about social standards, and public nudity was not one of them. For now though, he enjoyed the view before him and sipped at his water as he thought about enjoying the man's muscular body. For as long as he could not sense any would be-interrupters, Corvus would oblige the man before him. It really had been a while. Corvus took note of the man's tattoo, denoting his apparent position within Arrancar society. He wondered why there were no people within number one and two, because from how Arcadus had described it, those were essentially empty seats.

The vampire slowly unbuttoned his top with a slight smile.

"You know, this isn't even the strangest place I've bedded before. Can you imagine that?"

[Kitai Yoru]

150 paragraphs, 750 TP awarded