A Stroll With Death (Event, Okami/Sziercesaal)

Two Arrancar, both Numeros - useless cannon fodder, not that they knew it - were hiding around a corner, well into the territory of the Quinto Espada, whispering in a hushed tone about their pursuer, and how to defeat him. The first decided to foolishly rush the man, turning the corner only for his cries of rage to turn into pained screams, his mangled body tossed back towards the spacious room his friend was hiding in. The last living Hollow in the area whimpered, turning to run even as a gleaming silver blade pierced his back, straight through his chest where his heart should be, and with a flick of the attacker's wrist the fool was bisected.

Sighing, the Shinigami - black-haired, with a sleeveless Zanpakuto and matching haori marked with the symbol for "5" - flicked his katana a second time to remove the blood, sheathing it as he looked around with eyes the color of brushed steel. The Kido Corps Commander had apparently been kidnapped by the Arrancar, and thus it was their duty to retrieve her. Thus, Okami decided that the easiest way to do so was to simply walk through the halls of Las Noches in the general direction of wherever the reiatsu was heaviest.

The dome was utterly massive and completely unexplored by the Gotei, and thus it was slow going. He had been wandering for about an hour or two, with quite a few weaklings attempting to stop him. The fact that the entirety of the previous hallway, several others, and even a few rooms had been coated in blood were enough of an indicator that it was a bad idea. After all, the Fifth was the only Division meant solely for combat, and as their Captain he had a reputation to maintain. His reputation?

Okami Shiba was the Seireitei's most brutal combatant, a man who stands atop a mountain of corpses.

As the slaughter went on, Sziercesaal was preparing himself for an evening to enjoy himself. Being an Espada afforded him the luxury of indulging himself every now and again, especially when there was no one to challenge him. He danced around the room, placing a cloth over a round table which he pushed directly into the light. He prepared a white chair, giving it just enough space with the table for him to comfortably sit in. Then, his attention turned to the cry of his kettle. His tea was ready.

In the next room, the jarring sight of a man having tea greeted Okami. He sat at a table draped in a pure white cloth, illuminated by the perpetual moonlight which filtered in from the room's one window. It was positioned apparently in such a way that the light shone specifically on the table, the light filtering in allowing the visage of the little particles of Hueco Mundo's quartz sand to shimmer in its rays. The teacup was porcelain with simple but elegant gold embroidering.

"If you pull the arrow toward the bowstring, then it will fire rapidly in the other direction. However, an arrow, if not pulled, does not move." Sziercesaal recited to himself, then drank a sip of tea. "Mortals are immortals and immortals are mortals. One lives the other's death while dying the other's life. What do you think?" Sziercesaal looked up toward his dinner guest.

"That was pretty rude of you, you know. I was going to eat those." Sziercesaal took another sip, then threw his head back. "I may be a monster, but I don't barge into people's homes and ruin their dinner. Well. Go on. Why don't you make yourself comfortable? Sad to say I don't have another chair. I don't normally have guests."

As Okami moved further into the room, he came to the realization that it must have bee some kind of dining room. Of course, the fact that an Arrancar sat at a table, sipping tea and spouting philosophy helped to color that opinion. Lifting an eyebrow at the invitation, the Shinigami strode over to the table, placing a hand under it before lashing out with a kick, snapping the legs and lowering it enough to be comfortable from the floor, while still being accessible and comfortable from a chair. Sitting in a perfect seiza on the opposite side from the Arrancar, Okami would place his Zanpakuto on his left side, blade out - a clear sign of distrust and aggression, as he could draw the blade at any moment. Looking the Arrancar in the eye, the Captain would respond to his words finally. "To be immortal is a curse that I would never wish on someone. To watch those you care for grow old and die, to never be able to join them...There is nothing I can think of that would be worse."

Reaching out and taking the teapot, Okami would lift the lid briefly and sniff appreciatively, before moving to refill the Espada's cup and set it back down. "The duality is an intriguing thing, however. Go back in order to go forward, mortals and immortals jealous of what the other has, even a Hollow and a Shinigami exchanging pleasantries is enough to spark one's interest. So, tell me. What is your name, Espada? I am Okami Shiba, Lord of the Great Noble House of Shiba and Captain of the Fifth Division of the Gotei."

Sziercesaal looked down at the shinigami. "It's not easy to find furniture in Hueco Mundo, you know. Oh well. I'll sand down the edges later. That table wasn't even mine, it belonged to the Espada who was here before me. Before I took his place, that is." The arrancar adjusted himself, trying to accommodate the new size of his table. Fortunately for him, he had long enough arms that he could easily reach down to place his teacup just off the edge. He pushed the empty cup toward Okami.

"If you don't mind refilling my drink. It's hard to do so now with your... adjustments." He said, trying to get into a comfortable enough position to talk to the shinigami. It didn't help that he was also slightly taller than the shinigami was. "I'm Sziercesaal. You can call me Seersee, if that makes it easier for you. I understand that you shinigami can be... quite long lived... but you know that you will end eventually. Such is the fate of all things. Well, except me, but let's not go about those trivialities. Even if you don't grow old, your mind will age. You'll forget things, and eventually, someone younger who thinks differently, and isn't so willfully blind will eventually come up and usurp you. That person doesn't even have to be more powerful, per se, just more... clever." Sziercesaal smirked as if he knew something that Okami did not.

"You're here for the girl, aren't you?"

After pushing the refilled teacup back over to Sziercesaal, the Shinigami Captain would sigh, standing up and gripping his Zanpakuto by the sheath. "The end is what makes life worth living. Otherwise, can it truly be called life? To strive for one's goals, one must be capable of failure, and thus true immortality is unreachable. The only way to live forever  is to ensure your name is passed down, and even then most will be forgotten. Of course, as the Captain of the Fifth Division, I can guarantee that I will not be usurped by someone weaker than me."

Taking several steps back and allowing himself a balanced stance, with no openings to speak of and perfect for quickly reacting to an attack, Okami shifted in order to be more comfortable, getting rid of the tension present before every battle with an easy, familiar breath. "The Fifth Division is the dedicated combat squad of the Gotei, and as their leader I am a living, breathing death threat, known as the Attack Dog of the Gotei. I refuse to die to someone who cannot beat me in honorable combat. Now, as you've pointed out, I'm here to rescue one of my fellow Captains. Stand aside, or die. I honestly couldn't care which you choose, but if it's the latter I'll wait until you finish your tea as a courtesy."

"You talk a lot of platitudes," Sziercesaal stated as he reached back over to grab the newly filled cup. He leaned back again, then crossed his legs, placing the teacup between his calf and thigh but still nestled in the palm of his left hand with his right hand on the handle. He could tell that his dinner guest was uneasy. That wasn't a difficult thing to gather, given his new, cautious stance. "Thank you, by the way," Sziercesaal said, taking a sip.

"The idea that life needs an end to have meaning is laughable. We make out own meaning all the time. Honorable is a subjective term, I'm afraid. My definition of honor, as a hollow, differs from yours, shinigami." Sziercesaal explained. "At this moment, I am the youngest of the Espada, and in terms of raw power, I am the weakest. Even if you could defeat me, you would still have six other Espada who are much more capable than I. Now tell me, shinigami. Would you find honor in defeating a foe as pitiful as myself? Perhaps... our ideas of honor are similar after all, mister... Attack Dog." Sziercesaal barely contained a jeering cackle. He washed down his mood with another drink of his tea and put his poker face back on.

"Your friend, the Kido Corp captain is being kept two doors down from here. If you can contain yourself, please do. You wouldn't want to waste your energy if you have to fight the Cero King."

Okami sweat-dropped at the words spoken, as the Arrancar before him merely told him exactly where to find his fellow Captain and was going to let him go without even attempting to hinder his passage. Tucking his katana back into it's usual spot, he would chuckle and shake his head. "You are a strange one, Sziercessal-san. This has been enlightening, to say the least."

Turning to leave, the Shinigami would hesitate before turning back to the Arrancar, an odd look on his face. "There is no difference. Honor is honor. To kill you in combat might be an honorable thing, or it might be nothing more than what happened to those lesser Arrancar. There is, however, honor in duty, and mine is to retrieve Commander Nanashi. Should you have attempted to stop me, then no matter the result the end would be an honorable thing. You have attempted to waylay the destruction caused by an outsider in your own way, and I am attempting to protect a comrade, who are all dear to me in their own ways. That, too, is honorable. As for life..."

Sighing, Okami would run a hand through his hair, giving the Espada a sad smile. "It's true that we give our own lives meaning, and that death does not do so. My question to you is this: What makes one's existence "life" without a definitive end? Whether that end is in days, years, or even centuries, everything will eventually come to one. Is it more enjoyable to live one's days out knowing that you only have so much time, making every action bittersweet and worth so much more, or is it more enjoyable to look out upon an eternity where everyone and everything eventually leaves you, yet have all the time in the world to accomplish everything you desire? You need not give me an answer. Just...think about it."

With that, the Captain turned and left, waving behind his back to his odd conversation partner.

[Thread Exit]