The Quelling of Anarchy [Job Thread]

[Lagos Oscuras]

The days were never ending within the confines of Las Noches. The sun was pervasive and it ensured that there was no real notion or understanding of the passage of time. All underneath the dome was before Kouhai's domain, and in the passing months of Lagos' ascension to the Noveno Espada, she had been isolated. Hidden away in her chambers, performing any number of experimentations. Her ties with the other Espada had been nonexistent to say the least, as she was consumed with her research.

The creation and development of Hollows and Arrancar. 

Lagos had come to realize that the Arrancar in general were a loosely organized and largely autonomous group of beings that served under Kouhai under the meritocracy of strength and power. Largely each of those Espada beneath him were largely driven by their own ambitions, motives, goals, and personalities. They had little camaraderie with one another, and it became largely clear that the servants beneath them were equally diverse. There was no consolidated structure of order here. Power was all. 

One could say that loyalty didn't truly exist. For even amongst the Fraccion that Lagos had ascertained, there were many that sought to overpower her and take her position. Every day; there were those that sought to challenge her or her position as the lowest rank Espada besides Cain. Though based on what she understood, all those that challenged Cain were never heard from or seen again. Disturbing. Absolutely disturbing. Worse than that, the Exequias dogs hid within her walls and seemed to study. Observe with every passing moment with a morbid fascination. 

Lagos found that taking in Hollows from around herself, nurturing them to become future Arrancar? It was akin to adopting a child, or at times, indoctrinating upon a pet. Or conquesting a people. There were some Hollows of which were endeared by the prospect of compansionship or protection. Others admiring her strength and desiring to be alongside her. To grow to newer heights of evolution still. What Lagos had found though was that this method was slow. Unreliable. Lagos still did it from time to time, yes, but she'd found herself with a new method. A power that very few could boast; if any within the confines of Las Noches.

Lagos Oscuras held the potential to hasten the process of Hollowfication. Refine it, and subsequently turn even human beings into Hollows. Or at times; turn them into Arrancar. A topic that she'd kept most secret. Something that most Espada may find incredibly interesting. For there may be very few in Las Noches alive that understood to the same extent the intricacies of reirokyu manipulation, its channelings, and the hollowfication process more than her. A valuable asset to Las Noches indeed. 

Outside of Lagos chambers, there were twin marble doors, heavy, and inscribed with the visage of a great fox looking upon its outlookers. Two Arrancar underlings of hers resting before it as they stand before the brightly lit halls. She very rarely got cordial visitors, and she was largely an enigma to her peers. Perhaps it might be time to change the visage. Though; it may be important to note that rumors of her powers were in circulation and abilities have circulated within recent times; especially at Espada meetings as the nature of her power was implicated.

And it was also true that she once nearly defeated the Septima Espada, granted not for their position. 

[Arcadus]

Arcadus strolled through the floors of Los Noches. He was looking for a particular flavor of hollow, something fishy to try and make a mock up of some sushi he'd had in Karakura, something he was going after was trying to actually learn to cook for himself, given that currently the only thing he knew how to do was sear different cuts. Any idea of how to compose an actual dish beyond salting something after throwing it on a hot pan was lost to him.

He considered his tasks he was avoiding, and the constant eventuality on the horizon. He had been infected with a deadly parasite, something he'd picked up in the desert. That awful human notion of compassion and comradery. What a farce, and how it was sustained by the human souls that still survived within his mind, it truly bothered him. It was a weakness that made him consider enemies allies, and made him susceptible to those ideas and tricks he so readily used on others. 

That left him an option he had always considered, and even prepared for. To eventually reform his mask, and revert to a menos, to form his soul once again and burn away these pitiful excuses of headmates. For if he was going to strive to the top, to make it back and better as a true version of what Arrancar could be, he would need to properly have control over this soul. As it stood, he could legitimately be compared to a Gillian in terms of his souls stability. 

What a disgusting idea. Perhaps he should see an expert in creating hollows and coaxing Arrancar into forming, that might give him an idea or two about it. He already knew the rough process to do so, but given that he didn't exactly have the menagerie of hollows that he had intended to have gathered by now, he would have to find ample feeding grounds to use, so that he wouldn't have his metamorphosis interrupted. As for how exactly to do this, he had a few ideas. 

Lagos, they were a possible consultant in this. If it was worth considering it was worth consulting. Arcadus waved his hand, forming a gargaunta to Lagos's abode. Stepping out, he stood right infront of the entrance, huge marble doors bearing a fox's heraldry. Sensing Lagos was actually behind him, Arcadus turned around. "Ser Noveno, how good to see you out and about. I was figuring a visit since I had questions about a matter I've been informed you have expertise in."

[Lagos Oscuras]

When the Garganata formed before her, she took the liberty to stop and gaze at the figure. Arcadus. The Segunda Espada. Lagos had the habit of wearing thick and large trench coats, and in doing so, it made her look a bit more androgynous in nature. Her turquoise colored blade resting along her side as she stared him head to toe. Frankly, to say that he'd appeared before her was one thing. An interesting thought; for the reasoning he'd approach the lowest echelon was unknown to her. Then he spoke.

"Then feel free to ask." She said rather curtly. "I'm a very busy person, as you could imagine. So please skip the niceties." Her deep cerulean orbs stared into his own. She made no effort to enter into her quarters; not while Arcadus lingered. After all; that was a place of personal privacy, her comfort. Her Fraccion momentarily turn towards her, before then gazing towards Arcadus in turn. They had just most recently learned to utilize the Arrancar's Hierro and were training in Sonido. Lagos had the tendency to disdain incompetency.

When he mentioned some notion of her expertise? She decided to play relatively dumb. Or at least downplay her potential knowledge. Adjusting her spine, she stood straight. Perfectly so, as she questioned what the Segunda would want with someone like her. What kind of dark and twisted questions he might ask. Uncertain about the nature of this enigmatic figure before her. After all. She didn't meddle in the affairs of her fellow Arrancar for the most part and would hope they'd do the same for her.

[Arcadus]

Arcadus looked a little underwhelmed at his peer's reaction to his presence. Well, if that was going to be their additude, he may as well return the favor. "I'm here to discuss something I was told you had some expertise in, which is rearing up hollows into more powerful forms, menos to gillian and so on, and coaxing them into becoming Arrancar.  I am interested in forming a few into fraccion of mine, and I figured you would be willing to help me."

"Besides." Arcadus turned to walk down the stairs towards Lagos, eying the arrancar helpers. "Doesn't it look good to get in helping filling out the ranks, rather than hiding inside your palace for gods know how long? In terms of the other espada around your rank, I'd say you have a lot more potential to grow than someone like, say, Beast. Besides, I'm more just asking to see your research on the matter." Standing over Lagos, he remembered how his fellow Espada despised him for taking out their mentor. 

Shiki seemed like an eternity away from him, but it was such a vivid battle. Hordes of bugs turning to ash and venom stinging from every vein in his body, the pinpoint strikes of Shiki's martial art penetrating the  weight of his hierro. It was such a defining moment for him, and while his fight with cami was certianly his most hard fought battle to date, that one was particularly high up on his list. "What do you think, is a good way to generate hollows you can reliably mold into a suitable arrancar?"

[Lagos Oscuras]

When he mentioned the exact topic? She'd find herself tilting her head with some level of curiosity at his question. "Then you've come to the right place. I'm one of the most astute minds when it comes to that topic of research." Though, when he mentioned assisting him? That part was a little more unknown. "Perhaps." That was the cordial enough response. Though. When he mentioned looking good? To help fill out ranks? As if Lagos cared about swelling the ranks of other Espada.

"My research is generally speaking, for my eyes only, and while you may hold a higher position than me, surely, you don't expect for me to assist you in this endeavor for nothing. Do you?" There would be no incentive. Nothing that would sincerely drive her to work hard on that regard. She didn't care about how she looked, or how others felt about her for the most part, not unless they could benefit her in some form or another. A mutual partnership some might say.

"Generate Hollows you say?..."

She found herself leaning back against the wall, her arms laid flat against it as she did some minor consideration there. "A soul can take a considerable amount of time to turn into a Hollow. A few years at times. Under the assumption the Shinigami do not find them first. Unless one can induce considerable trauma and despair to it to prematurely begin the process of Hollowfication. But those methods?" She did some thought process on that, before she chuckled softly to herself.

"Garish. Rudimentary. Compared to someone such as myself who could make many hollows every day. Either for the purposes of development, or to hasten the process of feeding. What you're looking for is to hasten the process to mask break. Is that it?" A somewhat sensitive topic of discussion one might suppose. She could have taught lectures or the theories of how to advance a Hollow, but the fact of the matter was? They lived that life. They already knew the struggles and intricacies. 

Why not wait to see what the man had to offer her or her services. Perhaps then? They could talk. 

[Arcadus]

Arcadus chuckled as he leaned back from his looming posture over Lagos. Clearly they had eased up from previous encounters. That was good, though whether it was his own charms or simply time that healed wounds, he couldn't tell. "Well, given your reported prowess, I would hope you are. And no, I don't expect you to assist me for nothing, I'm more than willing to lend my own expertise to a task or topic of your choosing. This for that, as it is." 

"And yes, I'm interested in the processes that go into hollows transforming into their various forms. I have plans for forming specific Arrancar with specific releases, and while I have the means to produce the appropriate conditions to form enough hollows that are needed to form a powerful gillian or adjuchas, but I am doing my research to learn more of the specifics of the process. Preliminary research to an actual experiment and all that." Arcadus gestured to an invisible desk of tomes texts and other textual materials. 

What he had to offer, besides his good looks, charming personality, excellent sense of decor, impeccable taste in food, penchant for the arcane arts, technical know how and make do skills in electronics and broadcast and broadband internet. On top of his immense physical strength, spiritual prowess and sensory capabilities, he had an incredible ability to intake and analyze data and information as well as his ability to forge damn near anything. He should probably lead with the later. 

"As for what I offer, I am an accomplished smith and powerful artificer, I'm capable in terms of forging weapons meant to supplant one's opponents and exploit their weakness, and forge armor that covers not only one from conventional attacks but covers one's own weaknesses or shortcomings. I'm also a potent soothsayer and someone of potent personage. I'm capable of swaying most anyone on most anything, which I can lend you, in porportion to what you are willing to lend me."

[Lagos Oscuras]

If Lagos had listened to the man's internal dialogue of how he felt towards himself, she would have called him undoubtedly conceited and self absorbed. A narcissist. Then again, he had the skills and talent to back up his self assessment, so perhaps that might have been a bit harsh. Tilting her head to the side, she found herself a little bit more amicable to discussion then regarding the topics he mentioned, considering she found the topic rather rudimentary.

"A hollow's evolution and progression towards becoming what they are is a tenuous one. Aggressive and ferocious in nature. For when a Hollow is first formed, they feel the need to consume any and all souls. However, after a certain point of development, a Hollow will often gain a natural tendency towards cannibalism." She says, as she takes the liberty to close her eyes in reflection. Her studies of the Menos of the Menos Forest.

"In recent times however, due to Kouhai's meddling, it seems as if the mass accumulation of souls within a body are capable of causing this transformation as well, and the Gillian that form from that process are different than those of the Menos Grande; which would normally be formed in the coalesce gathering of hundreds of hollows in a process of rapid cannibalism." Nodding her head, she proceeds to wag her left finger. In this little rant and lecture, she seemed to list everything rather matter of factly, giving him an insight on all of her findings. 

"From there. You might find a number of Menos Grande in either the Menos Forest or within the shadows of the Garganta. There; they lay in a dormant environment, commiting further and larger scales of cannibalism until they become Adjuchas. The accumulation of tens of thousands of souls. If not hundreds of thousands. For creatures such as these; they are more bestial and mindless than their former counterparts as they battle not just externally, but internally as well for dominance. For that reason? They are easy to rear."

"The process of an Adjuchas' development is far more interesting however." Though, she didn't continue on her little series of tell offs for the moment. As she heard what he had to offer, and in turn? Lagos found herself interested in something else. "You seem to be an intellectual, and someone who's more amicable. Your help would be appreciated, but I would like to ask for something more...amicable than transactional." She said it, careful in her word choice to say the least.

"Every day, there are those would be Espada that seek to steal my position; as I am believed to be the weakest of us. Folly as it is, it proves to be an annoyance. I'd like your aid to ensure my position is not so easily usurped. Not that it is, but having assurances and friends in high places is preferred." Giving her thought, she would wave her hand towards him in a pseudo wave off to see if he'd find such terms might be...acceptable.

"Help me with that, and I'd be more than happy to help you in your own ventures." 

[Arcadus]

Lagos seemed to be taking more interest in the topics at hand, which was a plus for him. Getting past her taciturn disposition was his major hurdle, and with her interest at least pulled in his direction, he could make efforts to actually gain from this interaction. They began telling him of the basics of hollow formation, and Arcadus shifted his posture, leaning against one of the statues to his side, shifting forward slightly to listen better. 

Besides the basics of a formation of a hollow,  she also began to address a new and relatively recent topic.  Kouhai's outside interference in the formation of a hollow, the differences between a Menos Grandes and a Gillian, how they were the different results a  a similar process. Lagos did at least have confidence in their findings as her attitude would tell him, but at least he was dealing with someone who was certian in thier findings rather than someone afraid to not have everything in stone. 

Moving on from laying groundwork, and she's definitely trying to appeal to him with the intelectual line. this mean she thinks she has something to gain from doing this, which means she's invested. Atleast they've gotten past that whole problem. That said, the development of Gillians as a creature consumed by the multitudes that exist within them was an idea that both intrigued and disgusted Arcadus, for personal reasons. In terms of what he would prefer, sharing his mind with anymore people horrified him. 

It was subtle, but Arcadus could notice that there seemed to be some things said that played more off of what he had thought, than what he said. She may well be reading his mind, and if so, it was time for radio silence. He'd had conversations between mindreaders before and it was awful, given his propensity to think about the conversation through and analyze meticulously. Well, regardless, it wasn't like he was plotting anything, he was just keeping track of the progressing situation. 

Excited by the information given, Arcadus responded "I would be very willing to lend his aid to your projects if you'll do the same for mine. Protecting your position was quite likely to be simple work for me, given I expect the majority of your challengers to be relative fodder, and while I've no doubt you can handle them, its a matter of convenience. I'll lend my influence to see to it that the Espada as a group is not so easily approached." Arcadus breathed in as he considered his words. 

"So, as for my help on your projects, may we go inside, or is there a more practical demonstration you have? I'd love to get started sooner rather than later, and I'm sure we both have other projects and schedules to keep. Oh, and I am glad you've decided this to be a more amicable working enviorment than purely transactional. We Espada need to work together, otherwise we'll have the same stagnant warlords ruling over the same fiefs as we've had for centuries." 

[Lagos Oscuras]

He said he was willing to lend his aid. "You're not incorrect in your assumption. Most foes I can ward off just fine. Often fresh Arrancar that come, believing themselves to be great enough to take the position of Espada immediately from their birth. Some of them could, if they were not so ambitious as to seek higher positions than the lowest rung." Regardless of the exact situation, she'd clap her hands at his declaration. "Very good. Very good." However, when he mentioned the matter of help on the project?

A more practical demonstration? She'd find herself slowly thinking on that regard. Before slowly pushing open the set of double doors to her room. Where if he'd follow after her, the doors would shut automatically. Where inside, he would see lines of test tubes. Filled with varying samples of peoples. Humans in some, hollows suspended in some mysterious amniotic fluid, perhaps acting like a womb. "You wanted an example. Of how I produce soldiers. How I produce Hollows." She proclaims.

"Isn't that right?" She mused, slowly rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, as if to rub the dust from them. "It isn't a particularly pretty process. I'd let you know. And I've since discovered better methods. But...I've learned at times, I can create a few anomalies." She notes, before slowly gesturing to the tanks which held the humans within them. "I believe these are what are called...Fullbringers. Humans that wield hollow powers."

"At times, I've created Arrancar directly. Hollows that immediately seemed to shatter their masks upon their creation. It's all such an odd and fascinating process." She says with a slight twist of her head. "I'm just so curious on it all. It's like playing pachinko. I'm never exactly certain when I'll get an interesting new subject. Though I always do appreciate more research material." [/font]

[Arcadus]

Smile, excited that he's still charming and intelligent enough. He'd been concerned with Camilla turning on him, but at least he was able to still amicably work with other espada. Considering that he was likely going to be entrusting some amount of his life to this person, that was good. As well, he knew that he needed to work on something focused to this ritual and getting his affairs in order besides sequestering his armory. 

He sympathized with the idea of being targetted, but inversely. Being the strongest Espada for quite some time, he'd had his share of challengers. Generally they were well out of their depth, going after the strongest espada was something the foolhardy, the stupid, or the truly powerful go after. He had his close calls, but besides Charlotte, he'd never really had a loss besides... Her. That quincy girl. But regardless, he understood Lagos's plight. 

Following Lagos inside, Arcadus marveled at the test tubes and their contents. Being practically out of a science fiction graphic novel, Arcadus couldn't help but want some.  That, and the auto closing doors are nifty, while he had some spring systems installed in some of the doors in his palace, he needed something a little smoother, like this. It was a nice place, albiet a bit dark. In either case, Arcadus listened intently while Lagos spoke.  

Producing Arrancar directly certianly seemed interesting, and making hollows and fullbringers was certianly an idea with merit, but he'd seen some of the fruits of that. His cult in the United States was proof of that, given that he'd created a number of fullbringers through raw rieatsu exposure. A dozen of them had properly developed into proper fullbringers, while the rest had certianly risen on thier spiritual awareness, from a 1 on average to maybe a 4, with 10 being those dozen Fullbringers. 

"I'm not so much scared of any kind of process involved. I've had my share of pain and horror, for what I'm intending, I can certianly endure a little more. I've had my own experience making Fullbringers, and as I understand it, the nature of one's release is due to the temperament of one's soul." Arcadus picked up his pace a bit to shift from following Lagos to walking beside them. "I'm interested in developing specific powers in individuals."

Concerned that its somewhat random. He'd never been particularly good at gambling, as much as one person can be at random games like Pachinko. "If it is like Pachinko, I understand we'd not so much be painting a picture as much as we are knapping a spear head. More about having lots of material to work with and taking away till what remains is to your liking." That concept didn't fill him with enthusiasm, considering that the stone they would be knapping would be himself.