Beginning of the End, Pt. 1 [Cierro]

[Schultz Silverhult]

[OOC: It's time for the Rebellion to begin! Well, the planning stages of it are coming together now, anyway. This is a thread between Schultz and Cierro, planning for the first stages of the Rebellion. The other Espada will be contacted in due time; Cierro is merely the first.]

It was past midnight, at least somewhere in the human world. For the eternal night of Hueco Mundo, there was no real determination of time. Hours could pass, minutes or seconds, but never could one truly say a day or night had passed when the scenery never truly changed. Time seemed to almost stand still, and perhaps it did; who could tell in the unchanging darkness? A glowing moon always hung over the sandy wasteland below, its sickly pale light shining down on the broken land of Hollows. No stars filled the sky, leaving it empty but for the enormous orb whose presence watched over the dark and twisted beings beneath it. Truly this was the land of night, of death, and of darkness.

Schultz stared off into the sands, lost in thought, as he sat at the table within his room that was closest to one of the outer windows. The Septima was planning, but then again, when wasn’t he? As a strategist, Schultz Silverhult was one of the more thoughtful Espada, even if he was one of the weakest. But this time he was plotting something on a far greater level than his usual works; this time, he was planning on bringing down a king. This wasn’t something he could do on his own, however, and it was with that in mind that he was planning on gaining an alliance with the only other beings that could provide enough strength for this endeavor. Unfortunately, there was one problem with his plan:

His allies of choice were the other Espada.

Schultz had thought long and hard about what would be required for this rebellion; tearing Kouhai from his position as the King of Las Noches would not be easy. There were forces that could be potentially called in with a bit of convincing, and there were those who disliked Kouhai and would be willing to jump in immediately. But despite those factors, a Shinigami ruled the Hollows because of his immense power, his abilities that allowed him to simply destroy all that came before him. And that was why the forces Schultz could call up immediately would not be enough to defeat him. Instead, help had to be sought outside his limited resources. In this fight, the oppressor would be met by the oppressed in order to free themselves from his reign.

The Septima sighed as he closed the book that lay open in his lap, unread. He couldn’t concentrate on words right now, not with so many preparations being worked out in his head. Instead, he took the envelope that he had been using as a bookmark and tucked it into his jacket before setting the tome on a table next to him, standing and making his way towards the door. If Schultz was going to begin this rebellion, he had to put the forces in motion, and that meant contacting the other Espada. He hated having to do this for multiple reasons; for one thing, the scholar was antisocial, so he didn’t handle conversation well, especially with intellectual inferiors. Second, he knew so little about many of the other Espada due to non-existent contact.

At least this first phase would deal with the second problem; Schultz planned to address the Espada with more obvious characters and gain information on the more subtle ones from there. That was why his first target was Ceirro Muerte, the Octava Espada; the man’s personality was easy to gauge, and his habits were simple enough. Schultz figured that he could sway the man with a little fast talking and a few hints that would create a strong dislike of Kouhai in his fellow Espada. Of course, if the dislike was already there, then it would be fanned into a roaring flame of hatred, with luck. Schultz was willing to do whatever it took to get the allies that he needed for reasons he did not care to explain.

Within fifteen minutes he had strode through the hallways to the area where the Octava Espada kept his rooms. Approaching the proper door, the scholar took a breath to prepare himself before raising a hand and knocking firmly three times in order to get the occupant’s attention. “Cierro Muerte; it is the Septima. I wish to speak to you about an important matter, if you can spare some time.”

[Cierro Muerte]

*Knock knock knock*

Cierro looked up from his leather couch and swallowed the mouthful of Doritos he’d stuffed in his mouth. On the television screen in Cierro’s room was a fully nude, busty, blonde lady getting pounded in all three of her holes. He was living the stereotypical bachelor life. Chips, porn, and poor hygiene, however the latter didn’t effect him too much due to his ability to change his appearance and scent. Cierro’s black hair was currently in a mess and he wore gray sweatpants stained orange from him wiping the Doritos residue from his fingers on them. The Octavo wasn’t wearing a shirt and there were bags under his slitted eyes. “Who could that be?” wondered the Octavo as he flipped backwards out of his seat on the couch and into the air.

Before his feet connected with the ground, the eighth espada’s hair was neat and in his trademark ponytail. The sweatpants he’d been wearing were gone and instead they were replaced with white, loose-fitting trousers typical of many arrancar. He now wore a shirt with a three inch collar and a V-neck that reached just below the base of his neck. The shirt had long sleeves and two shirttails that nearly reached the floor. If someone had seen Cierro a few seconds before they would have never guessed that he could be made presentable in such a short amount of time. The Octavo walked to the door with a smug grin. He didn’t even bother to switch off the hardcore pornography on his television as he opened his room to the Septima espada.

Cierro had never met Schultz before, but the Octavo knew all about him. The eighth was perhaps the only arrancar in Las Noches better at information gathering than the Septima. In fact, infiltration was what Cierro specialized in. He knew what Schultz’s release could do and was fully aware of the seventh’s illusionary capabilities because they’d both fought Kuroi Naito, the Segunda. During Cierro’s fight with the second espada he’d attained a drop of his blood with which he absorbed all of Kuroi’s memories, including the ones involving his fight with Schultz. Everything that Schultz had shown Kuroi, Cierro had also seen. Every word that he’d spoken to Kuroi, Cierro also heard and remembered. Their entire conflict was laid bare in front of the Octavo and he’d already examined what Kuroi had done to deal with such powers. With all the information that he’d gathered over the years, Cierro was difficult to beat when it came to preparation.

“Cierro Muerte; it is the Septima. I wish to speak to you about an important matter, if you can spare some time,” said the seventh espada as Cierro opened the door. “Ahhh! Ahhh! I’m cumming!” came a seductive voice from the television as the Octavo stood there listening to his comrade whom he’d never had the pleasure of meeting in person before. “Oh, Schultz Silverhult, nice to finally meet you. Come on in,” said the espada as he let the other arrancar in and walked to his fridge. “Can I offer you a drink? I have beer, some wine coolers, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and um...” Cierro lifted a carton to his nose and smelled the contents before finishing his sentence, “...milk.”

The Octavo’s room was an absolute mess. Aside from the half-eaten bags of chips surrounding Cierro’s couch, there were used tissues spilling onto the floor from the garbage can nearby. Schultz could only imagine what they’d been used for judging by what was playing on his plasma-screen TV. It looked like Cierro had been set up with some nice facilities if one looked past the mess he’d made. After getting a Dr. Pepper for himself and whatever drink Schultz wanted, Cierro dove back on the couch or the lounger, depending on which one the other arrancar didn’t take. Giving the Septima his drink, Cierro turned down the volume on his TV and spoke, “So what is it that you came to talk to me about, Schultz?”

[Schultz Silverhult]

The Octavo’s room was just as expected, from what little Schultz had heard of the man in his description. Pornography with unclad women, trash everywhere… what a slovenly mess Cierro was. The Septima managed to keep disgust from showing on his face, but he was glad that he was getting this out of the way now; it was best to take the bitterest medicine first. Instead he forced a calm look of nonchalance and took two strides into the room, letting the door close behind him. It was a gesture of politeness that made him do so, which he felt would be proper in dealing with another Espada before talks of rebellion. Of course, politeness was already strained judging by the way Cierro kept his room.

At the offer of a drink, Schultz declined. “I don’t want anything, thank you. I don’t expect to be here long enough for it to matter. I have other meetings to attend to today.” This much was true; the Septima intended to visit at least one of the other Espada today if possible, and look around to see what other rebellious elements existed within the walls of Las Noches. But that wasn’t the only reason he declined a drink; though he didn’t have enough reason to suspect Cierro of anything, the scholar had a hard time trusting anyone, and natural paranoia suggested that any drink offered might be spiked or tainted in some way. To avoid this, he simply declined.

There was a moment of silence as he considered the best way to start, but a certain film that Cierro had been… enjoying… was starting to become irritating. After a moment, the sounds from the television annoyed Schultz, and so he simply lifted a hand towards the screen and released a simple Bala, the energy blast simply rocketing across the room and slamming into the monitor. The screen cracked, and then shattered, under the attack that hit it. Though Schultz was trying his best to be polite, his calm was being strained. Cierro would be compensated later; the Septima had a small fortune squirreled away from his short visit to Las Vegas on a previous mission, one that he could draw upon with ease. Humans were so easy to deceive and understand that Schultz had turned a small sum of fifty dollars into a fair stash of over a million dollars in United States currency. It would cover a replacement for the Octavo with ease.

“Now that that’s out of the way… let’s get down to business.” Schultz leaned against the doorway, adjusting his glasses before he continued. If Cierro looked closely, he’d see that the scholar’s snakelike pupils were incredibly narrow, a sign of high emotional stress that no one within Las Noches really knew about. Between his anger at the conditions of the room, his frustration in having to deal with someone of apparently low intellect, and the rising madness that always lurked within his mind, the Septima’s emotional state was fragile. One wrong word could send his bipolar personality off on another swing in who knew what direction. Hopefully Cierro would not be that trigger.

“Let us be blunt. Few, if any of the Arrancar and Hollows within Las Noches appreciate being ruled by a Shinigami. Many of us have reason to dislike Kouhai, and few reasons to like him. Hopefully you follow my line of thought by this point, but if not I’ll spell it out for you: I would prefer him removed from power. It is my intention to gather strength before confronting him, of course. That is why I am appealing to each of the Espada first, though I understand the potential for someone to simply run to Kouhai and report my actions. I do this knowing that risk. But simply put, none of the Espada seem to particularly favor Kouhai, and with enough momentum, we can likely get them to rally behind us.”

The Septima’s eyes stared into Cierro’s, the burning crimson eyes boring into his gaze. “My question is simple, Cierro: Will you join us? You know Kouhai’s ruthlessness, and judging by the sheer evil that surrounds his person, you know he is capable of unmentionable deeds. I don’t honestly expect that to appeal to you as a means of convincing you, of course.” This would be where Schultz pulled out the only weakness he knew that the Octavo had; he hadn’t had much time to research the man. “That is why I ask, how many women do you think Kouhai has killed, and how many more will he? Yes, I know of your dislike towards those who would harm those that humans would refer to as the ‘fairer sex.’ I don’t see you as the type to ‘protect’ them, but I see you as the type to prevent their harm for your own purposes. So I’ll ask one more time, and no more: Will you join in a cause meant to dethrone this man?”

At this point, Schultz would have offered a hand to shake in a gesture of camaraderie; however, knowing Cierro, the man was filthy. There was no way that he would make contact with the perverted Espada, even with his gloves on. Instead, the Espada waited for acceptance or declination, his arms crossed before him. His pupils were as narrow as ever, hardly visible in the crimson irises, but he waited quietly. The first step had been taken, and there was no turning back; now that the germ of an idea had been planted, it could only grow, or be stamped out by Kouhai. What would happen was up to Schultz at this point.

[OOC: Not bothering with a Reiatsu count, as this is meant to be a brief social thread. If it becomes an issue I can edit previous posts accordingly as it comes up.]

[Cierro Muerte]

“I don’t want anything, thank you. I don’t expect to be here long enough for it to matter. I have other meetings to attend to today,” said Schultz, declining Cierro’s offer for a drink. The Octavo shrugged, got himself a Dr. Pepper, and was in the middle of returning to his living room when he witnessed Schultz committing the most frightening act he’d ever beheld. With a quick fire of a bala, Schultz stopped Cierro’s television from playing in the most primitive, basic way possible. By blowing a huge hole in the middle of it! Cierro stood in the threshold between his kitchen and his lounge with a surprised, yet regulated expression on his face. He could only stand there and watch his TV smolder as the Septima didn’t even seem to acknowledge what he just did.

“That was a 70-inch... Plasma screen TV...” said Cierro both sarcastic and condescending as if Schultz didn’t know what the object was. His eyes scanned the broken device hoping that he wasn’t seeing it correctly, but alas he was. The Octavo then closed his eyes and went deep in thought for a moment with a sigh before completely changing his demeanor. The next second a smile was across Cierro’s face and he looked absolutely delighted to see Schultz, deciding to forget about the TV apparently. “So, how can I help you?” came the Octavo’s voice without a care in the world. “Now that that’s out of the way... let’s get down to business,” said Schultz as Cierro opened his Dr. Pepper can and began chugging the sweet nectar of the gods.

Cierro listened intently as Schultz began to state his case. He was bothered by the fact arrancar and hollow were following a shinigami as their leader. He didn’t like how evil Sonken Kouhai appeared and how malicious he was to his subordinates. The Septima went on to appeal to Cierro’s love for women, which was odd considering he’d never met the arrancar before. There was no way he’d know what types of things rallied Cierro to action. But regardless, he’d hit the nail right on the head. “Will you join in a cause meant to dethrone this man?” said Schultz finally getting to the point. He needed Cierro’s help if he was to attempt such a Coup.

Cierro burped incredibly loudly as he finished his drink and he tossed the empty can on the ground next to all the other trash that crowded his floor. However, Cierro’s belch did not seem to ruin the tension for Cierro. His face was stern as he sat deep in thought. His mind was likely thinking of all the hot women that could be killed if Sonken Kouhai ever got his way. “Is this a test?” asked Cierro, looking up suspiciously at the one who held the rank above him. After receiving an adequate answer the espada stood up from his couch started pacing around the cluttered lounge. “Not a test, huh? In that case, you’re going to need more espada on your side... More espada for a rebellion... Me and you couldn’t dream of accomplishing something on this grand of a scale. You’re going to need the high tier espada, the exequias, hell, even the privaron if you can manage... You’re going to need sufficient backing and... and someone on the inside.”

Cierro rambled on about what would be required for such a grand endeavor quickly and efficiently. It was as if Cierro was a master of such operations and could ensure that everything would go without a hitch with him as Schultz’s strategic coordinator. “Me... I... I don’t see any other way... It has to be me...” said Cierro quickly changing gears, “You’re going to need a spy, someone to gather information for you and only strike when the time is right. Someone who can convince Sonken Kouhai that he has nothing to worry about. Someone like me...” Cierro had kicked all the trash to the side of his floor at this point and had paced back and forth a few times. “Count me in...” said Cierro, “It’s probably best if we don’t speak directly until it’s time to act. In fact, this meeting never happened...”

[Schultz Silverhult]

Negotiations had begun, and Schultz knew that he would have to be careful around Cierro already, more so than he had already been. Immediately the Octavo Espada began speaking on a much more equal level of intelligence when it came to tactical suggestions and other means of furthering the rebellion, making the Septima’s eyes narrow. As much as he was pleased to have someone willing to do his job and join the cause to remove Kouhai from his throne atop the Arrancar, he didn’t like how overeager Cierro presented himself. Though the Octavo appeared slovenly and unrefined, there was something beneath the surface that made Schultz wonder if this man would truly be on his side.

Schultz’s eyes narrowed further as he contemplated the other Espada, reaching into his pocket and pulling forth the note. He had laid several plans with many possibilities in place, and it seemed that Cierro was wandering down one of the many paths laid before him as planned. This was more of a contingency plan if suspicions were to be placed upon any of the others who were unusually willing to join him without a good reason. Cierro had fallen into this category, eager to join and eager to be the “man on the inside,” one who could falsely take Kouhai’s side and strike when the rebellion did… or warn the King of Las Noches so that it could be stamped out before it even began. Schultz did not like taking chances; his life was already on the line by even beginning this rebellion. Any additional risk was not an option, and so he had to take thingsvery carefully.

After a moment, the Septima took a few steps into the room and placed the envelope on the first clean surface he could find, whether it was a tabletop or a counter. Regardless of where it was, he placed it down without hesitation and then retreated to the doorway again, unwilling to remain within the filth when he could avoid it. Cierro was probably curious about what the envelope contained, and Schultz couldn’t blame him, but first matters had to be dealt with. What was in the letter would not be for the Octavo’s eyes anyway; he might read it after the task that would be assigned to him, but that was not Schultz’s concern. What mattered was that the letter made it to the ones that needed to read it, and that they sent a reply that hopefully didn’t include the messenger’s head on a pole.

“Do not be so eager, Octavo. Kouhai has no reason beyond the usual scheming of us Espada to worry that we might rebel. We are always plotting in some way, and as a result he has no reason to fear us. Do not try and do anything unusual, as it is likely to draw more attention than deflect it.” The words were cold, without emotion or worry, but Schultz’s eyes were getting very narrow indeed. His temper was starting to get to a breaking point, as much as he tried to conceal it. “Besides, I have another task for you. After that, we will see where you will be in the most suitable role for one of your abilities.”

With that, Schultz pointed towards the envelope he had laid down, drawing attention to it once more. “This is a dangerous assignment, one that I myself cannot take due to my comparative weakness to the other Espada. I am sending out three of these envelopes with three different carriers. One of the carriers is meant to be expendable; the other two are those who I feel can carry out the task and return safely. You will be one of the three carriers. You will be taking this to another rebellious element that I know would prefer to see Las Noches under complete Arrancar control. Whether or not you are the expendable one or not depends on your actions; return, and prove to me which you are.”

“You will be delivering this to the Escudo, personally. I hope that statement alone should make you realize just how serious this rebellion will be.”

[Cierro Muerte]

Cierro watched as Schultz left his room, placing an envelope on a stack of dirty magazines. Cierro gazed at him with slitted eyes and an eerie smile befitting of a true creep. The Octavo wasn’t aware of Kouhai’s plans to harm defenseless women until now. Surely he wouldn’t allow any harm to come to the opposite gender, right? “Do not be so eager, Octavo. Kouhai has no reason beyond the usual scheming of us Espada to worry that we might rebel. We are always plotting in some way, and as a result he has no reason to fear us. Do not try and do anything unusual, as it is likely to draw more attention than deflect it,” replied the Septima in response to Cierro’s enthusiasm, “Besides, I have another task for you. After that, we will see where you will be in the most suitable role for one of your abilities.” Cierro looked questioningly at the envelope. Schultz would not be aware of Cierro’s abilities, so it was only natural to give him a mission that tested him.

“What do you want me to do with this?” asked Cierro walking over to the envelope and picking it up. “This is a dangerous assignment, one that I myself cannot take due to my comparative weakness to the other Espada. I am sending out three of these envelopes with three different carriers. One of the carriers is meant to be expendable; the other two are those who I feel can carry out the task and return safely. You will be one of the three carriers. You will be taking this to another rebellious element that I know would prefer to see Las Noches under complete Arrancar control. Whether or not you are the expendable one or not depends on your actions; return, and prove to me which you are. You will be delivering this to the Escudo, personally. I hope that statement alone should make you realize just how serious this rebellion will be,” replied Schultz without skipping a beat. “Whoa whoa whoa whoa... So you’re saying I have a one in three chance of dying? Dude! What the fuck! I’ve personally fought the leader of the Escudo, and lemme tell you, son... He’s serious fuckin’ business,” said Cierro with panic in his voice, “Can’t you just send some Numeros or something? I mean... I’ll do it...” Cierro quickly changed his train of thought. Perhaps it was because he thought of a way to deliver it without being caught or perhaps it was because her realized they all had to take chances in this rebellion.

“I’ll deliver your stupid letter... I just hope it’s worth it. If the Escudo join our cause then we’ll definitely stand a chance against Sonken Kouhai.” It was at this point that Cierro quickly closed the distance between him and Schultz, quickly grabbing his shirt and pulling it closer to his face. “But if you bring harm to a single woman as a result of this rebellion, you can consider our partnership dissolved...” he said with a serious tone unbefitting of the light-hearted Octavo. The eighth’s serious face quickly dissolved and he was left with his typical carefree smile, “Okay! Well, now that we’ve got that straightened out, have a good day! I hope you have good luck making more friends!” Cierro waved goodbye at Schultz as the Septima left and was immediately tempted to open the envelope and read it, but he resisted the temptation as best he could.

[Schultz Silverhult]

[OOC: Thread ended at this point.]