Silent Men [Closed, Social, R]

[Raar Hum Raa´rh]

OOC: This is a social thread and a meeting of two Arrancars, Marcelius Despres and Raar Hum Raar´h. It begins with Raar still in Las Noches, receiving orders to approach Marcelius and try to recruit him into ranks of Exequias, and Marcelius being in White Desert, doing whatever he is doing. Then from that point on, this will take whatever way it takes. Marcelius will have first post.

[Marcelius]

In the behemoth shadow that follows Las Noches wherever the moonlight chose to cast it, a new addition stood alone among the sands. He was not well suited for his status, as he was far from "new" himself. Judging by the fair wrinkles around his eyes, his appearances put him around 40.

His stature was not that of a powerful warrior. He stood just short of six feet, six inches and weighed a hundred and ninety pounds or so. His hair was brightly colored, blonde, and had been trimmed almost to the point of bald. His skin was pale, making him blend quite nicely with the contrast of the landscape. Finally, his brow was adorned with two separate fragments of his former mask. They were similar to ovals, stretching down to very sharp points, which hung over his deep blue eyes.

Marcelius, had come out this far to escape the prying eyes of the palace populace. Since his inclusion into the community, he has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that always seem to be around. To make matters worse, the old Hollow had been locked away from much of his former strength during his rebirth. It was relaxing to be away from possible judgments. Here, amid the quiet dunes, he could ponder the recovery of his lost reservoir of strength.

[Raar Hum Raa´rh]

In the Exequias compound in Las Noches, one of the officers was not amused. He was not happy with his latest assignment he was given. And he was given something that could be regarded as important. It was regarding a newest addition to Las Noches ranks. Marcelius Despres. What was Raar's assignment? He had to go and recruit him, without fighting him, into ranks of Exequias. Orders were specific. He was not allowed to fight or injure Marcelius in any way. That was why it would be a bit difficult. After all, Raar represented Silence, and he was probably the last man you would want to send on such assignment. Yet he had been sent. It seemed that Sonken Kouhai liked toying with him. Sighing, since he knew that he could not defy orders, Raar went to his quarters, and left all of his weaponry there. He knew he might end up in a fight, but then, he figured he was strong enough to hold his ground with just his bare hands and his Reiatsu skills and techniques.

Raar also changed into clean attire, choosing white boots and white baggy pats which were tucked into boots, white hoodie with oversized hood and white coat. He placed hood on and let his hair fall on his chest, over his face. Therefore, his face was obscured, but his vision was not, and Raar could see everything. He was short and skinny, and it was even more evident while he looked as his image in the mirror. Nodding to his image, Raar left the room. He knew that he had to find Marcelius first. Soon he found out that he went out, into White Desert. Which quite eased Raar's work. He quickly extended his awareness, catching all Reiatsu signatures in a wide radius. He quickly singled out only Arrancar's signature that was far enough to be outside of Las Noches. That had to be Marcelius. Raar started walking towards nearest exit out of Las Noches.

Once he was out, he had five minutes walk to the location where he was headed. There, he found a pale man. He was taller than Raar, but was skinny. This must be him... Raar spoke out, in his ordinary, monotone, emotionless, cold voice: "Are you Marcelius Despres?" He made a slight pause, then continued: "I am here to extend to you an offer. You are offered to join Exequias. Possible rank will be decided after you join, should you choose to." It was all that Raar said so far. He never wasted words, and he actually disliked speaking. Damn you, Sonken Kouhai...

[Marcelius]

The solitude of the sands, was quite possibly, the best feature beyond the halls of the palace. Out here, one was not just alone, but could actually feel the isolation. It offered more than walls or portcullis could ever hope to supply. If privacy was pleasure, then this sea without tides...was paradise. For paradise to have a sudden intrusion, was quite a surprise. It had been many days since Despres had made a habit of venturing out into solidarity, and already the routine was facing challenges.

The first sign of company that Marc received, was the sound. It was strange, very powerful, but strange just the same. His visitor was a quiet one, reserved. Before words were even exchanged, Marc was already reading the messengers name, age, strength and personality. The moniker was foreign, one Marc felt hesitant to pronounce allowed. This man had seen many years, but still much his junior. As for his strength, it was almost humbling. Very peculiar that a man such as this, would venture this far into the sands looking for someone like Marc.

Lifting his head, when his name was called, the older Hollow turned to greet his guest formally. "Indeed. You're Raar, are you not? Apologies, if my pronunciation was incorrect. Why hav...how can I help you?" Marc was careful with his words, paid respect to the stranger by speaking with a tone equally as soft. Though, in Marcelius' voice, there was a far warmer and pleasant tune. This was the first he had been approached by another, singular, Arrancar. He did not want to ruin his opportunity for real conversation. So with his manners, he coupled a pleasant smile. Arms brought behind his back, clasping hand over wrist to lock them there. Hands kept far from the grip of his blade, which hung by combination of belt and yellow sash from his hip. It seemed a longsword, though it was far broader than the typical katana sported among Arrancar. He did not wish any violence, neither was he the type to conceal his weapon.

[Raar Hum Raa´rh]

Marcelius was clearly not going to fight Raar over the proposition. His body language was calm, peaceful, almost joyous. While he had Zanpakuto, his hands were nowhere near it, and his face was smiling. Even the words he had spoken earlier were spoken kindly, softly. But they were disturbing. How did he know Raar's name? Could he possibly learn it somewhere? No, that was impossible, Raar cleaned up very thoroughly. Nobody except for a handful of people knew who he was. But, how did he know? Did he have ability to somehow read people's minds or something similar? If that was the case, then he would be invaluable to Exequias. It made Raar curious about it. What was that power? How it operated? Raar needed to get more information on his, as well as Marcelius' consent. Which he was out to get at any rate. However, it would be a pain. He would need to use words to get what he wanted. And it was not what Raar's first choice would be.

Regardless, he spoke out. "That is... amusing." His tone was still monotone, cold, as it always was, and most likely, would always be. But he spoke more. It was rare to see Raar speak this much. "How did you learn my name? Was it some ability of yours? If it is, could you explain it a bit more? After that, I will elaborate more on proposition and opportunities you will get if you accept, as well as duties." That was all that Raar said for now. In his head however, he was piecing together something that would be spectacular. Well, not spectacular, since nobody except Marcelius would hear it. But Raar was piecing together a small speech in head! Well, this was duty, and Raar did whatever he could to succeed in line of duty. So he waited to hear what Marcelius wold tell him. Raar would evaluate it then. What exactly was it, and how useful would it be. Raar was authorized to offer ranks higher than ordinary membership in the Exequias.

[Marcelius]

Raising his head from his greeting, his smile remained even after his words had ended. He was certainly nothing of superficial or insincere, and as such, his mood remained unaffected after his salute. He would not disguise his motives behind false affections or untruthful expressions. His eyes peeked from beneath his fractured mask, and from what he observed of Raar's obscured face, this was a view that they shared. Both of them, though for separate reasons, covered their eyes from others. Beyond the outward appearances, there were great similarities between these two. Marcelius' gift, allowed him to peer into the voice of the soul. It told him secrets, it would confess it's strength and it's feelings. From the song of a spirit, Marc could learn how long it had lived, and by what name it came into that life. This man, hooded in white, was already supplying a chorus. What was peculiar, most peculiar at least, was the softness of the melody. It took great concentration to hear his tune, it was little more than a whisper.

All of this, added to Marcelius' surprise. Startled by the sudden words, and haste at which they were spoken. More important to Marc, then the meaning of the words, was the sound of the voice. It complemented the soul from which it came, meaning this man was speaking without lie or uncertainty. This put Despres' heart to ease, as dishonesty destroys all good conversation. Though truthful, it was clear from the irritation in his aura, that this man did not enjoy exchanging many words.

With the barrage of inquiries, the questioned Hollow withdrew a step. It was overwhelming, so many curiosities at once. Chuckling a bit, raising his hands to plead for a pause in which he might respond. The old Arrancar smiled happily, and began, "Yes, yes...it is a gift I have. I have had it all of my life, but I must confess it to be personal. I'm sorry, I simply can not share the details with a man I have only just met. Do understand, I do not mean to be disagreeable. You're tone implies you aren't fond of speaking, so getting to know one another might be difficult. If you start by explaining what the Exequias are, and with that alone as good faith, I'll divulge more on my talents? You can nod your head, whether this is agreeable or not."His palms folded away, arms moving behind his back, giving the conversation back to the man of whispers.

[Raar Hum Raa´rh]

Raar was given quite acceptable answer by Marcelius. A good one. If it was anybody different, they would smile at this. But it was Raar. Still, he listened to a whole answer carefully. "Yes, yes...it is a gift I have. I have had it all of my life, but I must confess it to be personal. I'm sorry, I simply can not share the details with a man I have only just met. Do understand, I do not mean to be disagreeable. You're tone implies you aren't fond of speaking, so getting to know one another might be difficult. If you start by explaining what the Exequias are, and with that alone as good faith, I'll divulge more on my talents? You can nod your head, whether this is agreeable or not." It was perfect, almost. Even though it was inverted, so Raar would be the one to get down into explaining first. But actually, Raar was not in a bad mood as he was ordinary when he had to do the talking. He nodded to Marcelius, and got onto it.

"What are Exequias? We are not Espada, nor we are Fraccion. We do not wage wars with pure might, nor do we serve individuals. We are swords in the darkness, silent shadow, secret guardians of Las Noches and all of Hueco Mundo. We do not operate openly. But far away from other eyes to see, we do our work. We search Hueco Mundo for strong Hollows to become Arrancar and join ranks of Hueco Mundo. We monitor Human World, so that we always know what is happening, and so that the Shinigami do not flood it. On occasions, we even infiltrate Soul Society... To assassinate high ranked individuals of Gotei 13. Espada are there, strongest, known by all three worlds. They attack openly, and are considered glorious, greatest for of Las Noches. We are the guardians of shadows. Do not expect honors nor glory. We operate in darkness and silence. But, all of things I said, all of our duties await you as well, should you join. So, first things first, would you join us?"

[Marcelius]

There was zeal in these volley of words. Marcelius' original summation, that his guest did not enjoy the art of speech, was proven to be less than accurate. While Despres stood, patiently listening and processing, he grew fond of the passion by which the other spoke. It was a comfort to hear, that the Kingdom of Hollows, maintained such a skilled force. It proved Hollows were organizing and planning together, and with great cunning as well. Such a shame, that an outfit like the Exequias, was hidden. Though stealth was a clear necessity, these Arrancar were a powerful testament to Las Noches' efficiency. Being caught in the whirlwind of pride for his kin, and this unity, the offer being extended seemed most generous.

When assassination was mentioned, though brief, Marc felt his heart sink from it's newly achieved loft. It made sense now, a well organized group of Hollows was charged the task of ordered murder. Such a shame too, the frequent use of the word guardian was doing so well to hook him on the line. It was not that Marcelius did not want to accept, but could not. Aside from his deficient skills for combat, his Aspect would only prove a nuisance to this cadre of killers. Unlike a few other choice Hollows, Marcelius Aspect defined him mind, body, and soul. He was Guilt, total and irredeemable. Since his ascension to Lor...rather, since his rebirth as Arrancar, he had lost his former bloodlust. Though many duties had been foreshadowed, it took little wisdom to discern Exequias primary vocation was still death. After a sigh of grimace, Marcelius' turn to speak came again.

"I see...you held your end of the bargain, and then some. It is only fair, that I share what I promised. Once I do, you might better understand my answer. I possess, a second sight. It gives me knowledge of those around me, allows me to read their very souls. From the life force, I could learn many things. As you've seen, I can hear a strangers name even before an introduction. I know your age as well, half of my own. I know that you are strong, and how you are strong. I could even guess at you Aspect, might even get it right. All of this, you have told me without knowing. Though I admit, you are far more quiet than the others. I mentioned your Aspect, well...mine is where my gift comes from. I am Remorse, and with that, I am also shame. Because of this, I was blinded as a Hollow, a comfort and protection from condemnation. I had to find another way to see, to survive. Ah, but now I'm rambling. I hope you forgive, I've lived a long life with too few words in it...I indulge whenever I can these days. Either way, and to the point, I do not know of how much use I could be to you and your group. Weakened as I am, I have not the ability...nor desire to kill." Through the course of his monologue, his arms had come forward to help him express his words. His hands returned again, behind his back, respectfully. "I fear I would be a burden."