Session Cero [Social/Semi-Open]

[Ailene Haschiro]

"Just some small finishing touches and....there we go!" The Septima Espada exclaimed with glee. Standing upon an Air Ground of her own creation, Ailene was just finishing up hanging up the banner. Just above the entrance to her personal quarters given to her as a member of the Espada was a banner that read in beautiful cursive, "Las Noches Book Club. All Welcome! Among the Espada, Ailene not only had a penchant for reading, but also for socialization. Frankly, it was time to for her to network with her fellow Espada. She would also find it lovely to network with anyone else who decided to show up. After all, Arrancar were not really known for public events.

She was not sure who would attend, but she would be welcoming of just about anyone. For the past few days she had been circulating flyers around Las Noches as well in the Human World. The flyers simply announced a time, date and location for this unofficial Book Club that Ailene was hosting. The flyers also noted the requirement of a book. Any book would do as long as it provided some form of discussion. In truth, Ailene did not care how others acquired their books. She had an extensive library to choose from. Others may have needed to try a little harder unless they had literature of their own to pick from. Ultimately that was of little relevance. 

Stepping inside her quarters, Ailene wanted to make sure that everything was ready. Located in what could be described as a Grand Library with countless towering bookshelves hugging the walls, a small circle of couches and chairs crowded the center. To the side of what was going to be the forum area was a table topped with a punch, numerous snacks ranging from chips to small sandwiches. Several cups of tea were also set out. All kinds of flavors were available from Pomegranate to Jasmine tea. Each enriched with numerous medicinal herbs to promote good health. The nearby window also provided rather atmospheric lightning. Everything was just about perfect. Now she only needed others to attend. 

Knowing that some may be inclined to attend over others, Ailene was hoping that Orobas would show up. After their last interaction Ailene learned that there were some like her that preferred the more refined activities in life. A good book and a hot cup of tea could provide so much more than needless slaughter. She'd naturally never let any of her comrades hear her say this although it was not a big secret that Ailene was an anomaly among Arrancar. This event would go to even further lengths to display that quite clearly. Not that Ailene cared. Perhaps down the line if she actually knew any of her fellow Espada would she actually care about their view on it.

Having reminisced enough, Ailene headed back out to the entrance to her sanctum. As she sat down in a chair she set out while awaiting any interested candidates, she reached over to the small countertop next to her. Enjoying a private cup of tea, she began to wonder if Rio would attend. After her creation, Ailene had very little recollection of those she had met prior. She could only recall meeting Rio once very early in her career as an Espada. Unfortunately she did not remember the content of the meeting. It was no secret, however, that Rio was the epitome of how the rest of the worlds viewed Arrancar. Overly violent and vulgar. If he did attend, Ailene hoped that he would bring a good book at least. For now she would just wait patiently, happily receiving anyone who showed interest. After all, this could take a while. 

[Deleted]

After having taken numerous days in order to plan out the piece they wanted to bring, Orobas finally found themselves ready to arrive for the Septima Espada's little book club. They were certainly interested in seeing just what was going to occur during the meet, even if not something too outrageous. They hadn't expected any sort of violence to occur, nor were they going to be the type to go out of their way in order to cause violence. No, instead today was simply a day that they were going to take for themselves in order to peacefully spend time learning more about the Espada that they'd been not quite forced, but coerced into allying with for the time being underneath Kouhai.

Knocking on the wall right outside of the entrance to Ailene's personal quarters, Orobas had let out a rather tame shout. "Ailene?" they said with a somewhat playful tone, "it's Maxi, I wanted to know if you're ready to accept guests?" Assuming that they'd be invited inside, Orobas allowed themselves to carefully walk in, making note of the reiatsu in the air in order to guide them around the room. Truth be told, they were incredibly grateful for the fact that Hueco Mundo had been coated in reiatsu, as it allowed them to be able to have a much easier time "seeing" than they would've should they have been in the human world. Energy sensory capabilities were much easier to make use of around there even if it was simply due to the fact that the air was much more dense with reiatsu than the Human World.

Holding their book close to them, Orobas walked over to where the girl had been. "It's been quite a while!" they said cheerfully, "I'm glad to see you're in good health, Ailene. I've brought somewhat of a classic. I'm sure you've read Inferno, yes?" They chuckled. Taking a seat across from Ailene, Orobas simply held their book in their lap and "looked" around. With Ailene in the know about their blindness, they decided to make a joke about the situation. "This is quite the nice little setup you've got here, I love the decorations!" Giving the girl a smile, Orobas placed their hands in their lap. "So, how have you been? Hopefully well since our last encounter?"

"I'm definitely curious; aren't the Espada very much war-faring individuals? How did you convince the others to agree to a club like this?" With this, they chuckled. "I can only assume that you've used quite a bit of coercion for some of the more... muscle-bound folk, yes? Namely that Quinta Espada, what was his name? Rio I believe? I can't say that I'm not looking forward to meeting that man. Not to mention that Serraph! Ah, I'm certainly quite excited for this!" A genuine, serene smile maintained on Orobas' face; something that was very, very uncharacteristic for him a good majority of the time. For now, though, he was feeling true excitement over the meeting.

[Arcadus]

Drifting out over Los Noches, Arcadus gripped his tome with relative worry. He really didn't want to lose this copy of the Art of war, or the secondary copies he had made for the club. If there was a social event to promote the society of hollows as legitimate, he needed to be there. And, considering it was run by a friendly Espada, likely a good place to make allies. He had also wanted to make something of an entrance, having spent time to learn the basics of sustaining his leaps with shockwaves along with luna paso for adjustments. From what he could tell it was an open event, going by the flyers. Book clubs were normally meant to have everyone read the same book and gather to discuss it. It seemed like this was more an opportunity to gather anyone literate together. 

In either case he had made an effort to re read the relevant chapters of the Art of War, a book which he hoped would encourage those in attendance to think with a bit more strategy. He had considered Paradise Lost or one of his more esoteric tomes, including a recreation of a bible from the Roman era, free of most adaptations and translations, but worried that those were more of a personal indulgence, and that the very broad potential audience wouldn't gain much from their discussion. 

Dropping out of the black sky, halting his fall with small flaring cero's out of his heels, Arcadus stepped onto the the ground with a tak-tak of his shoes, grey and red jacket waving behind him like a half cape, his hair out of sorts as he touched down, though quickly remedied by a ruffle and shake of his head. Strutting up towards the bannered building, "Ailene, how good of you to throw together a helpful little arrangement. I hope we get someone in Hueco Mundo besides the Espada who can read. I brought copies here." Handing out the rough paperback copies made, titled in centered 32 New Times Roman font, The Art of War  "I had hoped we would start with something less contemporary and more basic for our first meeting." 

Turning to the other figure, a younger and certainly more lively, and with a lively aura as well, darting forward slightly from their physical form like a snakes lounge. They seemed nice enough, but a first impression should never be wasted. "I don't believe we've met" Holding out a paperback sheef, "I'm happy to see new faces in the better places of Hueco Mundo. I am Arcadus, the Trecena Espada." The outstreched book also invited a handshake with its slant and reach.  

[Col Arana]

As Arcadus and Orobas made their arrivals, another voice could be heard just beyond the door. It sounded like someone humming, even murmuring a tune as they approached.

”Sorry but you just got in my way~ I promise honey I can feel your pain~” Strange though…. With how close the voice sounded, whoever was singing should have easily been within line of sight when they arrived…. No static sound of Sonido either, and this definitely wasn’t an echo carrying someone’s voice from further away— heck the singer wasn’t even being loud, the voice being soft and quiet.

”And maybe I enjoy it just a little bit, does that make me insane? Haven’t been the same since I expired, doesn’t mean that I plan to retire~” The voice was now right outside the door, and now a slender figure, garbed in the pale white uniform of Las Noches slunk into the room. ”And now I have the power to bathe all of you in entertaining fire~” Col hummed as he entered the room. A cute little song he’d overheard a member of Xcution playing, that he’d taken a peculiar liking to.

”Ah good~ I see I have not arrived late. I believe I saw the signs for some manner of book club?” He inquired with a voice as soft as velvet. ”I dare say it’s quite a pleasure to meet intellectuals amongst my fellow Arrancar. I was beginning to fear my dear comrades were all to succumb to the barbarous nature of the 5th.” Col stated pleasantly. While he spoke the Arrancar probed the spirit energy of the others in the space. Hmm… The woman produced quite minimal power, as did the— Col paused as his eyes flitted over Orobas. Something is strange about that one.  ”My. What curious company my lords Espada keep.” Col mused, his voice honeyed sweet. For his part, Col was keeping his power well suppressed, to that of a Numeros. An above-average Numeros, but still. Unless one was especially talented at sensing reiatsu, Col would only appear to have a reiatsu strength of around 500. High enough, perhaps, to justify his confident attitude before the Espada, but not so great that questions would be raised. Col expected he’d have a far more soured reception we’re it known that a member of the Escudo stood before them.

”I take it you are the lord who saw fit to host this gathering?” He inquired of Arcadus, marking him as the individual with the greatest power in the room. The only one Col judged to be of Espada-level strength at a glance.

[Ailene Haschiro]

Waiting patient, Ailene would find  the first visitor to be a rather familiar face. The Akki known as Orobas disguised using one of their bodies. The Espada would be met with a rather cheery greeting. "It's been quite a while!" Ailene simply nodded her head in reply feeling that there was very little else she needed to say. They seemed to continue. "I'm glad to see you're in good health, Ailene. I've brought somewhat of a classic. I'm sure you've read Inferno, yes?" Ailene smiled. "Thank you Maxi. As for Inferno, it has been a while, but I do remember having my own copy of the Divine Comedy stashed somewhere in these countless shelves. Quite a fascinating interpretation of the afterlife." She would chuckle a little. 

Ailene found the Akki to be quite courteous as they spoke highly of the Espada's choices. Yet there was one question or more accurately string of questions that piqued her interest. "I'm definitely curious; aren't the Espada very much war-faring individuals? How did you convince the others to agree to a club like this?" With this, they chuckled. "I can only assume that you've used quite a bit of coercion for some of the more... muscle-bound folk, yes? Namely that Quinta Espada, what was his name? Rio I believe? I can't say that I'm not looking forward to meeting that man. Not to mention that Serraph! Ah, I'm certainly quite excited for this!" 

The Arrancar chuckled for a moment as she stroked her chin a little. "Well. It is true that the Espada have a natural...proclivity to violence. As for any incentives. In truth I had made no arrangements to secure their agreement. I simply hoped that a more cerebral event would pique the interest of the other Esapda. As you yourself have said, Serraph will likely show interest. I have a feeling that Arcadus will also share a common interest. Rio on the other hand may find this less fascinating unless I assume there was someone that he could quarrel with. In truth, I care little of why the others join if at all. I simply wish to create a forum for discussion and to develop closer connections with all involved." 

Ailene smiled a little as she gave her long declaration of her own motives. It seemed as if on queue another participant joined. The Tercera Espada, Arcadus. She would listen calmly to his greeting. "Ailene, how good of you to throw together a helpful little arrangement. I hope we get someone in Hueco Mundo besides the Espada who can read. I brought copies here." As Ailene received her own copy of The Art of War, she chuckled a little. She had her own copy of course, but it she still appreciated the gesture regardless.  "I had hoped we would start with something less contemporary and more basic for our first meeting." She would look down at the book with a giggle.

"Thank you Sir Arcadus. I like to think of myself as the...fun Espada." Her voice radiated with amusement and a teasing nature. "Of course. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Brilliant tactician. This will make a fine addition to the first meeting of this little club." She chuckled briefly as she watched Arcadus attention divert to Orobas. She clicked her tongue a little in amusement as she decided to sit and wait for others to show. In truth, Arcadus and Orobas were already a great start. She would be curious to see just how many other Espada would show or if they would get an even more interesting guest. It seemed that the latter would certainly be the case.

Ailene would clear her mind as she relaxed. That's when she heard it. It sounded almost like...singing. She had picked up on certain parts of the lyrics. ”And now I have the power to bathe all of you in entertaining fire~” Ailene would raise an eyebrow as she began to mutter under her breath. "Curious. Quite a different character from the rest it seems." As Col entered the room, Ailene would take a few moments to study him. A rather slender figure with silver hair and dressed in garments typically found in Hueco Mundo. Despite that she did not recognize who this Arrancar was. Was it someone of her past? Back when she was Kazuna? No...it couldn't be. There was no feeling of deja vu as she saw him. 

”Ah good~ I see I have not arrived late. I believe I saw the signs for some manner of book club? I dare say it’s quite a pleasure to meet intellectuals amongst my fellow Arrancar. I was beginning to fear my dear comrades were all to succumb to the barbarous nature of the 5th.” The Espada chuckled a little as she was already enjoying the company of this one. Not only did he seem to have quite an eloquent tone, but he also recognized the rather violent nature of Rio. Upon closer inspection of his energy, Ailene could not feel anything significant. In truth it did not feel any greater or less than her own. Was he just as weak as her? Was he hiding something else? It wasn't too important, but Ailene was certainly curious.

Unfortunately all favor that this newcomer had gained from Ailene would dissipate rather quickly upon the next comment. ”I take it you are the lord who saw fit to host this gathering?” As Col had notably addressed Arcadus with this, her temper was showing a little. For a moment Ailene had looked as if a vein were to pop from her forehead. Rising from her seat she sighed as she tidied her robes for a moment, deciding to take initiative. "Not quite. Sir Arcadus was not the one to host this gathering for it was my idea." With a careful gait she proceeded to approach Col. Her anger was not flaring too noticeably as she began to calm herself through mental discipline. "Pleased to meet you. I am Lady Ailene Haschiro." Her archaic habits were already on full display. "Who might you be, Sir...?" She would pause for a moment giving Col the opportunity to finish the greeting. 

[Deleted]

Before they had a chance to respond to what the girl had said, Maxi was quickly blindsided by a new face arrive. Seeing Arcadus walk in, Maxi turned their attention to the Tercera. "Ailene, how good of you to throw together a helpful little arrangement. I hope we get someone in Hueco Mundo besides the Espada who can read. I brought copies here." Chuckling to themselves, the Akki in Arrancar clothing watched as Ailene graciously accepted a copy of the Art of War from Arcadus. They maintained their smile, as Arcadus then turned to them and spoke. "I don't believe we've met. I'm happy to see new faces in the better places of Hueco Mundo. I am Arcadus, the Trecena Espada."

Chuckling, the Akki also accepted a copy from Arcadus, and went on to speak. "It's certainly a pleasure to finally be meeting you, Arcadus," they said, "my name is Maximiliano Rascon, Privaron 108. I've heard quite a bit about you, whether it be from Ailene, or simply doing my own research. I'm quite interested to see just how much of that is actually true. Either way, it's great to meet you. So, Mr. Tercera, might I ask if you'd be willing to have a spar of sorts sometime in the future? Naturally not at this moment, but perhaps when the first meeting of Ailene's club is said and done?" Smiling to the Espada, Maxi did what they could in order to read into the man's aura and emotions.

Almost immediately they were overwhelmed with conflicting emotions and traits. To say they were confused was a sort of understatement; there seemed to be far too much going on to befit a single person. Some traces were malevolent, aggressive. Others were more serene, relaxed, traits befitting someone of his position. They'd need to take the time later on to analyze this man, because right now, this was far too much for them to hone in on at once. Perhaps getting him into a separate meeting was going to be optimal? If that was the case, they'd need to press that spar after the club concluded for the day; see what made this Espada tick.

As they finished taking the time to do so, their energy sensory capabilities immediately picked up on a new being. As they did, and as Col walked in, Maxi simply smiled. Well, this was certainly unexpected. And here they thought they were going to be encountering almost exclusively Espada. Seeing another Arrancar walk in that they genuinely had no knowledge on was certainly puzzling, but intriguing. ”Ah good~ I see I have not arrived late. I believe I saw the signs for some manner of book club? I dare say it’s quite a pleasure to meet intellectuals amongst my fellow Arrancar. I was beginning to fear my dear comrades were all to succumb to the barbarous nature of the 5th.”

Maxi simply chuckled at Col's comments. "I can't say you're wrong with that one, the current Quinta seems to be a bit... headstrong, to say the least. Pleasure to meet you, though; I'm Maximiliano. Might I ask your name?" Seeing as Col's attention turned toward them, they simply smiled. ”My. What curious company my lords Espada keep.” The Akki in Arrancar clothing simply nodded in response. As his attention turned to Arcadus, the Akki followed in suit, taking offense to the comment he made. They bit their tongue, holding themselves back from saying anything, but if anyone took note of their face, it'd be filled with visible frustration.

Thankfully, Ailene had decided to speak up and defend herself. "Not quite. Sir Arcadus was not the one to host this gathering for it was my idea." Quietly letting out a sigh, Maxi was glad to hear they need not say anything. It seemed as though Ailene had everything under control, so they simply sat back and watched everything unfold. "Pleased to meet you. I am Lady Ailene Haschiro. Who might you be, Sir...?" This was something that Maxi was interested in as well. Surely they'd be willing to disclose their own information? Only time would truly tell.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Current body for the tread: Maximiliano Rascon}The Third form that Orobas has chosen to consume up to this point is that of an Arrancar. Taking on the persona of Maximiliano Rascon, this form is that of someone who has aged rather gracefully over the years. He stands at 6'2", and weighs in at about 165 lbs. His build is somewhat muscular, but it's by no means nothing spectacular; it's that of what you'd expect from a standard arrancar given the amount of time and dedication toward growing in power across multiple decades.

Speaking of multiple decades, Maxi's body is one that takes on a rather attractive appearance, despite the obvious hints toward aging quite a bit. His skin is quite near flawless, holding no blemishes or scars, sans for a tattoo on his lower back marking the identity of a Privaron Espada, with this number being 108. Being an Arrancar, Maxi also has two more defining features, being a mask fragment and that of a hollow hole. The man's mask fragment actually takes an appearance similar to that of hair, matching his since-whitened hair color almost perfectly, and curves down from his hairline almost straight down like a rather thick strand of hair.

In terms of hollow holes, Maxi's appears on his left hand, going directly through the palm. How this appeared there is unknown to Orobas, as fully expected, but that is neither here nor there. Naturally, Maxi dresses in the traditional Arrancar garb, consisting of pure white robes properly covering everything on the man's body up and showing very little skin. The clothes themselves are quite baggy in nature, as expected from that of an Arrancar though. There's very little that stands out in this regard.

The man's eyes are a turquoise in color, with the area around his eyes blackened rather significantly; whether this is some form of makeup or something else entirely Maxi likes to keep a secret where he can. His eyebrows are also somewhat on the thicker side, matching the man's normal hair color. He also has a rather well-kept beard of sorts, resting cleanly atop his rather sharp jawline, with a matching moustache also across his upper lip.

When it comes to weapon, with Maxi being an Arrancar, his weapon of choice naturally emulates that of a Zanpakuto. However, due to not being able to create weapons while in these bodies, Orobas has taken the decision to forgo a weapon of any kind, instead fighting through hand-to-hand combat where appropriate. Naturally Orobas lacks any natural skill in combat this way, but that doesn't stop them nor Maxi as a disguise from somehow making it work where possible.

Maxi naturally has the mark of Privaron Espada on his lower back, noting that of a position of rather interesting amounts of strength. While nothing to scoff at, a Privaron's power is by no means anything outrageous. As such, this disguise is much more humble than Orobas would normally let on, and Maxi's personality tends to emulate this fact quite well. While in Hueco Mundo, Maxi is definitely one of the easier souls to get along with, going out of his way in order to make acquaintances.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Image Reference}

[Col Arana]

When Ailene spoke up as to being the actual host of the meeting, Col was surprised and an expression as such flickered across his face. "Ah. In that case, my Lady Ailene, I offer you my sincerest and most humble apologies." He informed her, with a low bow. "Both for my mistake and my affront, naturally. I mean no offense." At this, it seemed the other arrancar in the room spoke up to him-- Maximiliano so he claimed. "Ah, and it seems my manners are lacking as well. I am Arrancar #36, Kumo Ohmsford." He replied in an eloquent tone. "I pray my mistake will not reflect poorly upon me in our future interactions Lady Ailene. I would hate to have stumbled out of your good graces upon my introduction." He requested, as he found himself a place in the room, finding a seat but standing beside it rather than sitting down. It was, after all, poor manners to seat before the host asked you to be seated. "And if I may, your collection here is quite astonishing." He added.

As he spoke to Ailene and Orobos, Col, however, was digging deeper. His flowery words weren't entirely just for show, he had indeed made a mistake, and he was in the process of identifying the cause. The power he felt from Ailene was not that which he expected from an Espada. It was closer to that of an average Numeros, maybe a little bit above average. Though he didn't let his puzzlement show on his face, he was working through that in his mind, as he focused his senses deeper, past the surface. It was true that not all Espada possessed incredibly high reiatsu. Rio Demoniogalgo and Cierro Muerte had not possessed such power despite their ranks. But it was still unusual for an Espada to have no such radiation of power or authority. Even Col's own mark, Asuka, although known for a personality quite unlike most arrancar, had still possessed great power. This Col did not sense from Ailene, but upon his closer inspection, he saw it. Ah... So that's how it is... Col thought, as he detected the flickering embers of power locked away. Ailene was the sort that greatly suppressed her power, only allowing it to unleash along with her release. Col had faced such individuals before, but they were quite rare. Interesting...

Col gave a patient pause for others to respond, before adding an additional note. "Ah, in any case, do you know if any others will be arriving today my Lords and Ladies?" He inquired. As Col spoke his question, he procured a hardcover book from his jacket, sliding it under his arm, as he waited patiently, the initials E.A. Poe visible in faded, gold lettering along its spine.

[Arcadus]

"Thank you Sir Arcadus. I like to think of myself as the...fun Espada." Her voice radiated with amusement and a teasing nature. "Of course. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Brilliant tactician. This will make a fine addition to the first meeting of this little club." Ailene was her usual bubbly self, definetely amping it up for this though that was too be expected. Honestly it was hard to tell if it was sickly sweet or not, though the teasing kept it from being purely sugary. 

"Of course, though, had I been adherent to his words, I wouldn't have brought it here if I believed there might be potential enemies." Arcadus laughed, doing his best to match Ailenes amusement and relaxed tone. This was a fun outing he reminded himself, somewhere he should try and unwind, even if it was out of the safety and privacy of his palace. He was too tense, it was time to relax a little bit. It was one of those catch twenty-two situations where being less appealing or domineering would lend him more leverage. 

The young man took the copy from Arcadus, speaking, "It's certainly a pleasure to finally be meeting you, Arcadus," they said, "my name is Maximiliano Rascon, Privaron 108. I've heard quite a bit about you, whether it be from Ailene, or simply doing my own research. I'm quite interested to see just how much of that is actually true. Either way, it's great to meet you. So, Mr. Tercera, might I ask if you'd be willing to have a spar of sorts sometime in the future? Naturally not at this moment, but perhaps when the first meeting of Ailene's club is said and done?" There was an innocence that, perhaps only to Arcadus's ears, felt slightly off, even if by the faintest hue. 

"Mister Trecera, you have got some spunk Privaron," Arcadus practically massaged the phrase, "though if you're on first name basis with Ailene theres no reason to be formal with me. Friends of Ailene are friends of mine, though I hope only good things are reaching your ears. And your own research, I hope you weren't one of those watching my morning balcony!" Arcadus laughed, bubbly and tangy, like oranges in the sun. It was probably good to laugh at his own bad joke, make it look like he doesn't take this seriously. Thats likely what they wanted. Despite not concealing his aura, he knew even without it his name carried enough weight. It was a good idea for all involved to lighten that load. 

"And a spar, you really are bold Maximillian, though if you've heard enough about me to be that confident, I hope you know what you're asking for."  Arcadus did not like being sensed by such a creature, returning the probing in kind. Dark, ink like. He ceased his forays quickly, though Valeron seemed almost in conversation with the creature. His mind felt like it was being wrapped by black paint strokes, something mentally burned away, quickly attempting to shut it out, with a rattling strike against Valeron's cell that sent echoes through out his mind.  And a spar could be fun, but he'd have to learn more about who they really were if he was going to spar to establish himself to this person.

Looking on at this new Fraccion, no, Privaron, he was happy to see more traditional decorum from an underling, though the young man certainly wasn't normal, though, he reminded himself, normalcy isn't exactly common in Los Noches. "Ah, in any case, do you know if any others will be arriving today my Lords and Ladies?" 

"I don't believe so, and if any are arriving late I think we can manage as we begin. Now, if everyone is gathered for the time being, lets head inside and begin."

[Ailene Haschiro]

Having approached Col about her hand in this event, Ailene began to feel a bit better. She became even more elated once she heard Col's words. "Ah. In that case, my Lady Ailene, I offer you my sincerest and most humble apologies." The anger that slowly filled her began to settle as she returned to her regular disposition. It was also at this point that she had received the name of this Arrancar. "Ah, and it seems my manners are lacking as well. I am Arrancar #36, Kumo Ohmsford." Ailene simply nodded as she smiled briefly. "I see. Well Sir Kumo, you are most welcome here. No need to worry about the misunderstanding. I understand that I sometimes don't reflect the qualities most expect of an Espada."

That being said, Ailene peered back at the duo behind them as Ailene could not help, but smirk. Despite the seemingly friendly banter, it appeared that Orobas had shown notable interest in Arcadus. Even asking for a spar. Ailene shared in Arcadus' thoughts. It was a bold request given the guise and alter ego that Orobas decided to take on. Though as their banter began to end, Kumo graced the group with a question. "Ah, in any case, do you know if any others will be arriving today my Lords and Ladies?" Before Ailene had a chance to answer it seemed that Arcadus would take the initiative on that front. "I don't believe so, and if any are arriving late I think we can manage as we begin. Now, if everyone is gathered for the time being, lets head inside and begin."

Ailene could not help, but chuckle. The Septima, at a rather leisurely pace, began to walk towards the tables neighboring the circle of seats that she had erected. Immediately she took in the smell of various baked goods and the smell of tea. Several boxes of different tea bags sat at the edge of the table along with a filled water cooker and multiple empty cups. She fixed herself a plate of goodies along with her Jasmine tea before turning to the group. "Please do indulge yourselves. We have small cakes, donuts, appelflaps just to name a few. As for refreshments there are several assortments of tea. I hope it is all to your liking!" Ailene giggled as she took her plate and cup to one of the seats.

Carefully setting down the plate and cup at the local coffee table, Ailene would proceed to pick up a small green book with the words, Welcome to the Monkey House, written in a black elegant font. As of late, Ailene had garnered an interest in dystopian science fiction. This is how she came across Kurt Vonnegut and his works. Welcome to the Monkey House was a collection of short stories and the one she was most interested in so far was the story of Harrison Bergeron. A fascinating story about forced equality which she would be happy to share, but first she needed to start with the niceties. Setting the book down on the shoulder of her chair, she rose as everyone began to settle in.

She would speak in a clear tone. "Now that everyone is ready, I wanted to formally welcome and thank all of you to attending the first session of the Las Noches Book Club. It seems that some of our fellow Espada may not be attending, but this was something I expected." She paused for a moment to sigh before continuing. "I see that we all have books that we would like to share which is great! Now with the formalities out of the way, would anyone like to start? You can give a brief description of the contents if you so desire and we can proceed to discuss anything of note. Now would anyone like to volunteer to start?" Ailene had a feeling on who would start, but she would leave the floor open for anyone to start as she had a sip of her tea. It was time for the Las Noches Book Club to officially begin!

[Deleted]

"Ah, and it seems my manners are lacking as well. I am Arrancar #36, Kumo Ohmsford." Kumo Ohmsford. This was a name that Orobas was going to commit to memory, alongside that face of his. Whether or not they meant it, insulting someone so close to the Akki, whether intentional or not, wasn't something they were going to stand for. As such, instead of causing a scene, they prepared to treat the Arrancar with a rather healthy amount of passive-aggressiveness. Later on, if they felt the need, they'd speak up, but for the time being, they'd at the very least try to keep their cool. Upsetting Ailene was also not their goal.

As this Kumo person went on to compliment Ailene's collection, Orobas went on to say what they did to Arcadus, showing interest in a potential fight with the Espada. "I'd certainly like to think so, they said with a chuckle, "I'll be the first to admit, that even despite my somewhat... frail body, I do very much enjoy a good fight. It's been that way long before, and even since that Ciero replaced me all those years ago." A modicum of frustration began to show across "Maxi"'s face, growing alongside their slowly flaring reiatsu. "I'll be the first to admit on that front, should I ever see him again, I promise from the very bottom of my heart that I'll- Ahem!" Clearing their throat after a slight shift to their own voice, seemingly overlaying with itself, Orobas simply smiled. "Apologies on that front, I can't say I meant to get that frustrated."

Directing their attention back to Kumo, Orobas listened in as he spoke about others, and continued to listen as Arcadus displayed quite the interest in starting. Turning their attention to Ailene, Orobas followed in suit as Ailene began to walk, following not tightly, but close behind the girl. "Please do indulge yourselves. We have small cakes, donuts, appelflaps just to name a few. As for refreshments there are several assortments of tea. I hope it is all to your liking!" Chuckling in suit, Orobas paid close attention to the girl's actions, following her reiatsu signature in order to keep up with her movements, and sitting down adjacently with the seat in which Ailene placed her cup and plate at.

"Now that everyone is ready, I wanted to formally welcome and thank all of you to attending the first session of the Las Noches Book Club. It seems that some of our fellow Espada may not be attending, but this was something I expected. I see that we all have books that we would like to share which is great! Now with the formalities out of the way, would anyone like to start? You can give a brief description of the contents if you so desire and we can proceed to discuss anything of note. Now would anyone like to volunteer to start?" Reaching for their copy of Inferno, Orobas simply turned their head to feign looking toward the other two members of the group. They were generally one to start something like this, but instead, they waited to see just what the other two were going to say.

For one, Kumo seemed to be a rather headstrong individual, from the minimal interaction that Orobas had with them. Not quite full of himself, but certainly had a bit of a condescending aura to him that Orobas couldn't quite pick through at current. Alas, that's what the rest of the meeting was going to be for. Arcadus, on the other hand, was a very, very vibrant individual. He seemed like someone that was proud; something they'd have to see if they could exploit somewhere down the line. For now, though, this was about books. They made a mental guess as to who between the two was likely to speak first, and simply went on with the rest of the club meeting.

[Arcadus]

As Arcadus sauntered into the library, taking a seat, into a leather armchair, one of several that Ailene had placed out, and upon glancing, a few too many for the attending guests. The thought touched him, a brief note of sadness. It was a kind of emptiness to the room, too many chairs, despite the enthusiasm. Ailene was truly trying to pull together a group of individuals, to, and glancing at the halls of books that so reminded Arcadus of his own palace, of a passion of hers. Further, she wanted to use this passion to sift and sieve through the chaff that Heuco Mundo's endless fields of grain.

It was an ambition, and something he'd have to reciprocate. If they were willing to risk that kind of personal shame, of failure, then he'd have to support them. That was the least he could do. Seeing that oneone had stood to speak, and none were preparing or filing through notes for something, Arcadus rose out of the armchair and patted his own leather-bound cover. "Well, to start off, as the person who decided to bring copies out for everyone, I suppose I should start us off. Firstly some context, the thirteen chapters contained within this text all cover specific skills of warfare, and are attributed to Sun Tzu from 5th century China."

Arcadus, not wanting to stand awkwardly in the center, began to turn to face each member as he spoke. Shifting his gaze to try and pronounce and enforce the words spoken, occassionally tapping the book for added emphasis. He knew that this was as much a performance as it was him trying to inform the others on the contents. That was in conjunction with the permanent performance he'd trapped himself in. Even here among people ready to be friends, he was the Trecera. Gods what a horrid affair. 

"Each chapter, as previously stated, explains and elaborates on a different military tactic and the methods to utilize them in conjunction with the other 12. It has been touted as the foremost guidance on military doctrine for the majority of the nation's history, and I feel that many of its lessons and wisdom is of use even in more conventional affairs, as it is less about war itself, and more about making the most out of the environment and resources you find yourself in and with. "

"It is a relatively short read, being a few hours for speedier readers and a day for slower readers. While its lessons can be abstracted to handle other problems it requires one to abstract the problem itself, and not every tactic is applicable, hence why understanding their essence is  important to its applications. I recommend looking over other military history in context to gain a better understanding of it if the lessons prove to be difficult to actualize." Turning to swipe his gaze over the gathered members, Arcadus seemed to be peering for any cracks, any curiosities in those present. "With that, are there any questions?"

[Col Arana]

Col politely inclined his head towards Ailene. "Your understanding is greatly appreciated, my lady." He replied. "Not that the appreciation of a Numeros is of much importance to you, I'm sure." He added with a note of humility in his tone. One that would have greatly clashed with Col's ego. But right now, he wasn't Col afterall. He was Kumo Ohmsford. To be a successful spy, one had to fully embrace their role, however they could. Col's ego could survive a minor hit like that.

And with that, Arcadus seemed to take the initiative and declare the event to have begun. How lovely. Col took a seat at the table corner, eyeing the delectables Ailene had taken the liberty of preparing. Kumo or Col, his ravenous hunger wasn't something he could hide easily, and his excitement at the prospect of food was plain to see-- impossible to hide. True, confectionaries like this would hardly sate his hunger. Still it gave him the illusion of doing so, and he could at least pretend for awhile that he wasn't truly the monster that dwelled within his rotten, black heart. Still, Col aimed to maintain the air of civility that he desperately cultivated over the decades, and tried to wait until someone else partook before he did, in an attempt to practice basic manners.

The former Escudo picked up murmurs of conversation between Arcadus and Orobas, but was unable to catch the specifics, without looking like he was eavesdropping-- only the vague basics. A challenge between arrancar. How very typical. Not that Col was one to talk-- something even he readily acknowledged in his mind. It was after-all quite enjoyable to exert ones' strength over another, and determine dominance. At least if you were the one exerting the dominance over the other. Less so if you were the one overcome-- though if you survived the encounter there was still yet things to learn from that as well. In fact, speaking of learning from ones' enemies, it seemed that Arcadus had picked quite an appropriate work off of that thought.

"Sun Tzu is it? An intriguing choice my lord, and quite practical." Col agreed. "It has been quite an age since I perused his work, and could much use a refresher in any case. Seeing how we are at war, reviewing his teachings seems wonderfully pragmatic." He noted-- and for once, not a word of it was a lie. Besides which the choice of volume did more than that. It taught Col about Arcadus as well. Everything someone did told you something about them. Which, of course, was why Col was focused on maintaining his own servile mannerisms-- such that those who might be seeking out weaknesses or such traits in him, might be misled regarding his character. Afterall. As the very book Arcadus presented taught; "All warfare is based on deception".

However, in response, Col did not offer any questions himself. His grip tightened slightly on the spine of his own tome, as if contemplating whether to be bold enough to try to follow Arcadus's lead, or simply wait his turn, and/or to be addressed.

[Jeff Franklin]

I count 18 paragraphs from Ailene giving a 10% bonus, 15 paragraphs from Orobas giving a 10% bonus, 15 paragraphs from Arcadus giving a 10% bonus, and 11 paragraphs from Col giving a 10% bonus.