Judging the 5th [Yekatarina/Selica]

Yekatarina sat upon her new frozen throne with the moonlight sending small refractions through the glass like ice crystals that made up the now destroyed throne room of Las Noches: A personal renovation by Yekatarina herself. While she had met and adorned her new top three Espada, she still had some house cleaning to do, having killed off the weakest of them already for both lack of ambition and strength. Now it was Selica, the 5th Espada's turn to meet her new Cero King and to see if she was worth keeping around or not.

Letting out a small and relaxed sigh she shifted her glowing blue eyes up to the eternal moonlight sky of Hueco Mundo, reminiscing on the events that had only recently unfolded. Despite her power she was honestly impressed it had all gone so smoothly, although she would've preferred if Graven had simply chosen to serve instead of choosing exile. Normally she would have killed someone for turning down her offer, but she had hope yet he'd return to her and he was a strong asset, his short comings as ruler aside.

"I wonder what this one will be like. I do hope she's more impressive than the Octava was.." She murmured to herself as she awaited Selica to arrive. She had sent out a numerous earlier in the day to fetch her and Yekatarina assumed she wasn't dumb enough to ignore the summons, although she might actually respect a small bit of rebellion. Still, she would have to put her in her place if that was the case.

She had been away for some time taking care of personal matters of her own that didn’t dare apply to any of the other espada. However upon her return, it had been noted that the atmosphere had changed and the sand of Hueco Mundo shifted much different. Traces of fellow arrancar had vanished, but they were the least of her concerns. It seemed that the reiatsu of her king had been swept away and the old sands of Hueco Mundo had sifted far beneath the surface of a new era. The power she felt walking into Las Noches was foreign to her leaving her uneasy, although the welcoming presence of Nakita still remained. As long as she was still around, Selica cared not for the others.

She hadn’t been returned long when a numerous cautiously approached her knowing full well Selica’s capabilities if startled. They delivered a short, brief message with no alternatives attached and no resistance allowed. Why would she? Certainly she didn’t wish to upset her new king. If they were so powerful as to overthrow Graven, then perhaps he deserved it. It was obvious that Selica was loyal to the throne, but never to the individual that sat upon it. While they held the key to her home, she would humbly do as they asked of her, however she would undoubtedly change heart if that very power faltered. For now, this was her new guiding star and she would make her way to the throne room, although not particularly swift as she would have before. She didn’t know this individual and wasn’t as motivated to meet them as others may have been.

After what had taken quite a while, Selica would finally make it to the throne room not bothering to knock and simply using her vines to push the doors open. She wasn’t going to touch those dirty door handles and get the filth of hollow on her palms. As the doors would open, Selica would walts in stopping halfway between the open doors and the throne. “Oh my. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see such a beautiful face seated upon the throne,” Selica would say with a smirk as she would look the woman up and down. The arrancar would bow slightly before she would speak again, “I’ve worked for many men before, but who knows? Maybe I can swing both ways.” Selica was cheeky and didn’t hold back expressing herself. She spoke her mind and was confident in her abilities. She knew she was strong and her attitude was a representation of that. The plant mother would wink at her new Cero, “I am Selica Aciles. At this point, I’m unsure of my position among the Espada, but I’m sure that’s why you’ve requested me here today. I wouldn’t want to offend a gorgeous one such as yourself, but I would like to know who it is I serve now.”

Yekatarina listened to Selica's flatteries fully before bursting out into some laughter. "You know my dear, dick sucking works better on those who have one." A small smile was spread across her lips as she spoke, the words tinged with the fainting traces of laughter before she rose to her feet to greet the Espada properly. While flattery wasn't going to get anyone anywhere with her, it was if nothing else amusing to see someone so versed in it. She had respect and social grace if nothing else.

Walking down from her throne, the glass like ice cracked and reformed under each of her steps, causing the reflected moonlight from Hueco Mundo's sky to shoot off colors across the destroyed dome as it refracted. As Yekatarina came closer to Selica and held out her hand in greeting she would notice the temperature of the already chilled room dropping further as Yekatarina's body radiated intense cold.

"Yekatarina. Tell me Selica, what drives you? Do you hold ambitions or desire power? Are you satisfied with the state of Hueco Mundo currently living peacefully and ignored? Or is it you desire something more for yourself and Hueco Mundo as a whole?" Her voice was calm and polite, though the deep gravely tone that always accompanied her rough voice remained constant. This line of questioning or some variation of it had become standard for Yekatarina at this point. She didn't want allies and Espada who were just powerful, she wanted those who had ambition and drive. Those two things were core to Hollows after all yet many Arrancar seemed to have forgotten it, pleased to simply idol away.

These dullards were the type she had been actively cleansing. It's why she took over. Hueco Mundo was in for a rebirth and return to it's proper status and like a good farmer, she was simply separating the wheat from the chaff. She was hoping Selica's as good with her ambitions as she was with her words, if so then she might have serious potential.

It seemed as thought this new Cero didn't quite understand Selica's intentions and laughed at her attempts at flattery. She didn't expect the woman to notice considering she had never been in the presence of the Espada. "I don't necessarily 'suck dick' I simply call it as I see it. I'm sure you'll understand soon," Selica would say once again speaking her mind shrugging as her arms crossed just under her bust.

Her eyes lingered on the woman before her as the ice from the room changed to her will. It cracked, shattered, and reformed as she walked along the surface creating a mesmersing effect of rainbow light to beam around the room. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before and only added to the grace of such an enchanting being. However as she drew closer, the cold became more unbearable and made it more difficult for the woman of plants to function, although she would stand her ground before the Cero. A bit of a cold chill wasn't going to scare her away for there were even fauna that could grow in the harshest of winters, albeit only a select few. Selica could feel the cold radiating from Yekatarina's skin as she would accept the hand she was given. Frozen. Even her being felt frozen. It was as if every ounce of warmth had been taken from her and left her with a violently empty, cold, frigid existence. Selica took more comfort in this feeling as it represented the embodiment of a hollow's existence to her.

Yekatarina would speak immediately asking Selica what it was she desired, what she strived for, and what she wished for the existence of Hueco Mundo. Selica wouldn't have to waste a moment of time contemplating any of these words as her heart filled with rage. "I desire to protect to my own. My children are everything to me. My friend, my rival, and the only one to truly understand me. I almost watched as everything was taken from me and I won't do it again. I want to watch the shinigami burn and think twice before they ever come into our home again. By my own hand, I want to watch that monster, Kokoro Nashi, die." Her demeanor was fierce and unwavering. "I want that power," the espada would finish taking note that her eyes had been piercing and hostile in her moment of anger.

As quickly as the anger entered her, it had left with no traces other than lingering words. Selica's body would relax and her face would turn from the new Cero. "Forgive me. Such a sudden outburst..." If that wasn't what the new King was looking for, then perhaps this wasn't the place for Selica to be after all.

Yekatarina simply smiles at Selica's retort to her little joke. "Perhaps I shall." Is all she responded as she gave a small yet firm shake once she finally grasped her hand, taking note of the effect her presence held over her plants and the unease it seemed to be causing her, though still she stood her ground. Selica was impressing her more and more. Even more so as she stated the answer to Yekatarina's question, if she was a teacher? A-.

"Why should you apologize? We are hollows, we embody primal emotions, anger among them. Is this not simply part of our nature? We are by our very being rather honest creatures, if not cunning." She spoke as she turned around and returned to her throne, sparing Selica any further exposer: She wasn't trying to intimidate or cause her pain after all, at least not in this immediate case. Once she sat in her throne, a leg crossed the other as her hands folded in her lap, eyes boring into Selica as a notable smile was on her face.

"Your answer is a good one. That drive to grow strong for a clear goal is what keeps us evolving to the next stage, as all hollows should be striving for. Although we have reached the end of our physical evolution, we hold boundless potential. To grow complacient and comfortable shows the end of ones life and potential in Hueco Mundo at which point, you become food for someone else to aid in their evolution. I only hope that should you achieve your goal that you keep that drive instead of faltering." Yekatarina reached into her military styled jacket, pulling out a pre-cut Cigar and a jet lighter to evenly ignite the tip.

After a long, delightful drag she leaned forward slightly as she continued to speak. "As things stand now, I've rearranged our ranks and disposed of those undeserving. Micah is dead." Yekatarina nodded her head to a solid ice statue a few feet to the right of the throne which upon closer inspection was a perfect replica of Micah. Or, more likely it WAS Micah, displayed like a prized hunt's head on a wall. She continued "Rydderch is the new Primera. I'm assuming the friend you spoke of is Nekita? You'll be interested to hear she is now the Trecero. You've impressed me but I know the least about you, so for now I'll have you and Sziercesaal switch rankings. That said.." She took a moment to knock off some ash at the end of the cigar before returning her gaze to Selica.

"If you want to rise up, feel free to challenge anyone at anytime. I encourage it in fact, I won't even complain if someone dies. In the end it's only going to make us stronger. That includes my position of course. I only expect loyalty to Hueco Mundo itself, the strongest should rule, full stop." She turned her head up as she relaxed a bit more in the frozen over throne, staring at the exposed night sky of Hueco Mundo.

"Now, with all that annoying formality out of the way, feel free to ask questions if you have any..if not then I have one of my own. Tell me of this Kokoro. I'm assuming he is strong if you haven't killed him yet, despite your clear hatred. I'm curious."

Selica wasn’t sure where this woman had come from, but she embodied the very essence and soul that Hueco Mundo once was. She understood the nature of hollows and didn’t dare let Selica apologize for her animalistic rage. The plant arrancar was only focused on vengeance and growing in power. She was a very simple woman with a very simple agenda. However, she always wanted more than what she had, so she would hardly pay attention to the new Cero’s hopes that she would continue to yearn for more and do what was best for Hueco Mundo. Everything she had responded to Selica was basic and obvious. She knew the nature of hollows for she was one and she knew the very distinction between surviving and thriving. It seemed the woman had grown relatively bored of the conversation until talks of the infrastructure was brought up.

Micah was dead? How interesting. She hadn’t actually ever spoken to him, but she knew of his power. The fact that he was dead only led her to believe it was incorrect in assuming that he was anything more than fodder. A primera that couldn’t survive was not worthy of primera at all. Selica would look the ice statue up and down before a smirk would cross her features. What could she say? Selica was always a sucker for art created from the unfortunate. Rydderch? She hadn’t spoken to that Espada before either and couldn’t say she knew very much about him at all. Perhaps, a visit was in order sometime in the future. Nakita. The sound of her name had Selica’s eyes snapping back to the Cero King. Trecera? How strong was she now? It was certainly a large jump from 8 to 3, but she certainly couldn’t be stronger than Selica. No. She couldn’t be. That would have to change.

Selica would be informed some probably German sounding freak was above her on the scale of power. Absolutely not. He may be higher in number, but she wouldn’t believe this for a moment. However, it was brought to her attention that she could fight whoever she wanted and gain their position. A light laugh would escape from Selica’s lips before she would burst into a loud, chaotic sounding laughter. A grin was spread across her features as she would look to the Cero King with wild eyes, “So, you're telling me. I can fight anyone I want and steal their spot. Also, NAKITA is TRECERO. You really did that on purpose didn’t you? That’s hilarious. Don’t expect her there for long, because as soon as we’re done I’m going to take it from her. About that character in the spot above me, if he gets in my way I’m going to kill him. So, expect change to come your way. I promise you that.” Thinking about taking down her old rival had a permanent grin stuck to Selica’s face. She was determined. Nakita would never beat her. She just couldn’t.

Well, her joy was short lived at the mention of a certain, psychotic shinigami. A disgusted look would cross her features in place of the grin she once had. “Crazy Bastard is what he is,” Selica would snarl before taking a moment to remember the occasion in which she had met Kokoro. “The Forest of Menos. The one place that Nakita and I alike fancy and share in a sense. We split it between the two of us. Well, that freak came in slaughtering those that were dear to us. Together, we tried to stop him. The two of us combined couldn’t take him. I snapped his neck. Broke it and he pulled himself back together. Came back to life. It was insanity. I won’t forgive him and I will find a way to kill him. He got away after using a Hadou 90 on us. I will.. kill him.” With her arms crossed, Selica would glare at the Yekatarina almost as if making a promise

Yekatarina simply smiled at Selica's desire to grow in the rankings. It seemed playing things out the way she did was a good call after all, nothing wrong with inspiring a little more rivalry is there?

"That is perfectly fine. If they are weak enough to die then I've no need of them and you grow stronger for it. I'm not worried about our numbers currently. The strong will seek me out." Yekatarina continued on to listen to the story she told, her lips perking into a smirk the further along she got. It seemed there was a rather interesting man among the Shinigami. Yekatarina had a deep desire to make her and the Hollow's mark known again, tired of the laughable state they were viewed in. Without proper conflict, growth becomes slow after all and devouring strong Shinigami is always a good way to grow in power, even her own.

"I see and Lord Graven felt naught to do anything about such a personal attack upon his own dear Espada? No example to be made? Pitiful." Yekatarina put out the tip of her cigar on the side of the throne before returning what was left to her jacket before standing up and look up towards the endless night of Hueco Mundo. "I however will not take such a passive approach. Someone dared to waltz into our territory and made a mockery of us. That cannot go unanswered, don't you agree Selica? I will personally assist you in your vengeance. This embarrassment must be rectified." Turning her cold eyes back down to focus on the girl who was rapidly becoming a personal favorite she would study her reaction before continuing.

"Of course, this will take time. I've much to repair within our ranks. In the meantime, you should grow stronger and gather what intelligence you can about the current Soul Society and this Kokoro. If he is as dangerous as you make him out to be, then I doubt you could do anything against him as you are now." Yekatarina's thought slowly drifted to her own past as she spoke, the events leading up to her becoming an Arrancar. She had unfinished business with the Soul Society as it was anyway, so this was working out rather well.