Engulfed [inv:Theo]

The electric beeping of Theocelese's alarm clock went off several times, the first, until now, we met with an open palm slapping the elongated and thin 'Snooze' button. Gone were the days of waking to Cross barging into his quarters, or Solinex continuously, yet politely, knocking at his door. These past months since he returned to a home that was essentially barren of friends and family, Theocelese went to bed late, and woke up even later. The Arrancar roused fully for an urge to have a cup of coffee and his morning smoke, and after a quick shower and dressing in black, silky smooth pajamas with polar bear slipper, Theocelese finally went downstairs. He'd packed away just about everything from those days into boxes, and moved them into an adjacent room. Photo albums, paintings, notes and the like were all stored there, and perhaps it was some sort of hope that his two favored sons would return to him so that the three of them could go through these things and unbox them together. Part of Theocelese knew and accepted that would never happen. They were gone, and would never come back to him. He died and started a new life as a monster, then waged war against other beings he could call kin, re-united with his wife and then not long after, she was lost to the universe by his own hands. All the others disappeared, their existence in Las Noches that of a simple blink of an eye. Here one moment, gone in the next. Even with recently having lost his daughter, the notion of never sharing another moment with Solinex or Cross hurt far worse, and it would take a considerable amount of time for his silent grieving to end. They were not simple Arrancar who fancied a solitary life of servitude as a soldier, they were his family. They were his only sons, and now they were gone. Others came who held promise of filling in that void, yet they too disappeared. Sooner or later, Theocelese promised himself he'd turn those memories to ash and seek a life outside all of the nonsense being a spiritual being provided. No more wars, no more mingling with others and no more interfering with others.



In the small diner, Theocelese brewed himself a fresh pot of coffee and readied a stack of toast to be buttered and smeared with strawberry jam. It was enough to feed several people happily, though with the craven hunger that came with being a Hollow, exceeding the amount of food a normal human could eat was vast. The Arrancar sat at his usual table with his breakfast as well as a newspaper. The reading material was not from anywhere in Japan, yet from Athens. With a lit cigarette either in between his lips, or held betwixt his left index and middle finger, Theocelese smoked and began putting small dents in the coffee pot and toast. He hadn't been actively looking for others, not with his eyes nor with the capabilities of sensing others. Theocelese didn't care. Even when he felt the close presence of Hidane, heard the outer door open, and the Visored's question, Theocelese showed little to no interest. That is, until there was silence, to which he folded the news paper down, revealing the shoulder-length godly locks of hair he'd grown out since returning to Las Noches and a rather agitated look on his face. A small stream of cancerous smoke puffed out of his nostrils, giving the Arrancar a slight draconian appearance as the grey-blue clouds rose to the roof, dissipating quickly.



"You are interrupting. What do you want?"

Theocelese's gaze continued to linger on Hidane, and it looked as though he were fighting facial spasms that jerked and pulled against the right side of his face. It wasn't just annoyance, it was pure, unadulterated fury that seemed to skyrocket suddenly. The hammering pain on the inside of his skull echoed around his brain, the instinct to immediately call his arms to his person and to rush out at the Visored was all too pleasant. But Theocelese did not do that, and instead his sense of calm overtook everything with one single, yet elongated drag off of his cigarette. The pull was so hard, he felt the filter begin burning not too long after the smoke was taken into his lungs. Theocelese exhaled all the smoke out, and following this, he took yet another long intake but this time of his coffee. As a father who was keeping a temper in check did when folding his newspaper, Theocelese did so slowly and twice. Once to close the reading material, and a second time to make it the appropriate size to set it off to the side.

"Of course it fell apart, not completely, but this place died even after I came back, and like a dog ripe with age and agony, I returned to die with it." Theocelese lit himself up another one of the minty flavored cigarettes. "And you were not the only one to come looking for me. I know there were others, and I assure you I left for a reason any other man would." The hot anger that once flowed in his golden eyes dulled considerably, and his tone became far more soft than before. "Get yourself a cup, come sit across from me, and have breakfast with me. I will answer your question then, in full detail, as well as any others you may have." The first part of his sentence was not so much a suggestion, more so a statement that Hidane was going to do such a thing, whether he really wanted to or not. "To give you an idea of what transpired, right now I will tell you that Fate called me from here. It is a long tale, Hidane. Come, sit, and enjoy the refreshments of this modern age." Even fully knowing what everything was, the part of him that could not fathom the future was still in complete and utter awe. Still, he'd grown somewhat complacent with it all.

Theocelese waited patiently, sliding his left leg to rest itself upon his right knee. He relaxed into his booth seat more, simultaneously sliding his coffee, ash tray and a few pieces of toast closer to the edge of the table. Hidane took to the coffee, though Theocelese was expecting him to ready a mug of hot tea. This meant there was less waiting time, and frankly, that was for the best. The Arrancar took a drag off of his cigarette again, blowing the smoke off to the side in a more courteous manner than before. Never did his eyes leave the Visored's own, even the the red and white hues shifted away, Theocelese continued looking into them. It was as if he were reading the other man's facial expressions and body language. There was, what he perceived to be, some semblance of submission. Good. If there was one thing Theocelese absolutely abhorred, it was interruption during his breakfast. Though he supposed it was best for someone he knew to seek an audience during this semi-sacred time, rather than someone who was a complete stranger.



"This does not start months ago, but rather has its roots at least two millennia ago, Hidane. I was a soldier who cared for no kings, though I was known to all in my country. There was a great war, one that lasted the span of a decade, and in that decade, many good men died. It started because of two whores, a prince and a queen, they ran off back to the prince's kingdom. I killed his brother, and in turn, this prince--aided by a god, killed me. Fate decided myself, and these three should meet again one day." Theocelese pulled on the cigarette, and let it rest in the half-full glass ash tray before picking up his cup of coffee and taking a drink. The cup was set back down, and the Arrancar resumed.



"Fast forward countless moons, and I was reborn into humanity. My most recent mother said my birth took place alongside a solar eclipse and during this time, several people threw themselves off of old goat paths. My childhood was spent normally, and I carried on a normal and mundane life. Years later, I was married, and my wife and I had a daughter. We owned a little restaurant in Karakura town, and remembering such a time...Life was splendid. However, one night my wife was going to shop down the street. Hours passed, she did not come home, and after phoning the police, I went in search for her. I found her near the river, dead, and three forms of gigantic proportions surrounding her body. Until recently, I could never recall what transpired, but it revived the spark in my soul of who I was, and I suppose you may guess that it awoke the latent powers within my being. I fought these three, I became a monster that night. Cursed by the same god who helped to see me slain, he who carried the sun with his chariot saw to it that I would never have significant power in the daylight hours, and when the sun sunk under the horizon and my power surfaced, it would reflect my great rage those many years ago.



I did not lose this fight, but I did not win, either. I know with numerical superiority as well as spiritual power, I should have died. But I didn't. The last I remember is snapping one of their arms, it...it is still a haze to me. The adrenaline, the rage, it was so great it still clouds my recollection of this event. At some point, I was knocked unconscious, and I awoke in the hospital covered in wounds. By all acounts, any normal person should have been dead and yet I was not. Despite their best efforts, the doctors could not pry my hand open and even if they did, they would not have seen this," The Arrancar paused, sliding a hand into the neck hole of his shirt to reveal a large, sharp tooth tied securely with a thin, leather string to form a necklace. "I took one of their teeth.



From that point on, I dedicated my life to finding those monsters who wronged me and my family. I looked into the fascinating invention of the internet, and found others on a supernatural forum who said they saw ghosts, monsters, and blade-wielding angels who fought these monsters. I gathered as much information as I could, and I readied myself for war. It was during this time, I suppose you could say the very first incarnation of The Alliance was formed, albeit this one was purely nothing more than a human coalition. Almost a year later, we kept Karakura town safe from the threats of the Hollow, and interacted with the Shinigami as best as we could. It was around this time, an Arrancar killed me in my human form. He allowed me to turn into a Hollow, without knowing that I would be able to overpower him in this state and consume him. I entered Hueco Mundo a legend, the youngest and strongest of my kind with the power to wipe out Adjuchas. The Eternal Night was my hunting ground, and everything was my prey.



I'll spare you of what transpired from then until when my forgotten past came back into the light. I found my wife, she was an Adjuchas, though her mentality was regressing. Stricken with grief, I was unsure of what to do. I searched through the former Eighth Espada's notes to see if he held information regarding this subject, but once started, there was no cure. So I spent time with her until she forget how to speak, and acted more like a faithful dog than anything else. One morning, I came to find a note with instructions on where to go, if I wished to find her again. I followed them, and was led to a faux kingdom far from here. The same three who killed her, who stole her away from me, stole her once again. Only this time, they returned her. They somehow...fixed her. Removed her mask, and she stood as I sit now, an Arrancar, yet they poisoned her mind and I..." For the first time since beginning the tale, Theocelese broke eye contact, dropping his gaze to the table and scanning them left to right rapidly as if unable to think of the words to speak. It did not take a very smart person to realize that now he was not fighting back fury and rage, but tears. Finally, Theocelese's eyes settled on the still lit cigarette and he took another elongated pull from the stick. "I was...forced to kill her. Even worse so, her power was weaker than a Lieutenant in the Gotei 13. She stood no chance, Hidane. Do you understand this humiliation? I ended their control of her with my blade, and I was given mere moments to hold her in my arms before her form turned to ash.



Then the leader of this trio was upon me, ridiculing me and spitting audible salt in my wounded heart. I fought with all of my strength, ever last ounce of power in my being but I was unable to win. Before I could be slain, the Forge Father of Olympus saved me, and reforged the blade I used to kill my nemesis with my own flesh and blood. You recall when I use my released powers, I have wings, yes? No longer. They were ripped from my back, and used to give me the weapon I needed to avenge my wife. Athena, daughter of Zues, then guided me to prepare myself to face against the three who took my Sophia from me not once, but twice. If you do not understand by now, the prince who killed me those years ago, his renegade lover, and the prince's older brother were the conspirators of this.



I fought the duo of whores, the prince and his bitch queen, first. And I killed them without mercy, I wrenched their intestine from their bellies, and I lodged my blade in their breasts. Upon their failure to end me, the prince I killed in a single bout of combat, an honour duel if you will, took their souls to empower himself. Again, we clashed steel, but this time I was tempered for this fight, and I succeeded--barely. The tormentors of my family were slain, and as I saw the twisted and warped visage of what was once a proud and noble man on his knees, hatred burning in his eyes instead of pure disbelief, I once again plummeted my blade and split his heart in twain. The Hollow's Instincts took over, and I consumed the combined entities essence, flooding my system with so much power I was told it could be felt all the way back here. The walls of the faux kingdom crumbled, and I wandered endlessly in Hueco Mundo. My son, Solinex, found me and rushed me back here. Had he not, we would not be speaking. As we both know, this place crumbled as well. The Alliance broke, and during my recovery my favored sons disappeared.



So here we sit now, a short time later...you and I, in yet another kingdom about to tumble and break, just the same as the man who has been nothing but the sole pillar keeping these walls erect. I am a man with two names, two memories, merged into one and thrown into a perpetual state of grievance at what I was forced to do, and knowing everyone I have ever truly loved, are either dead, or gone. I am lost cause. I have accepted it, and if I may speak a somber truth, this table for one has become...bearable. I no longer care about this place, I care little for others. There is no purpose. I barely care for you, but you are deserving of this explaination, and my attention to answer your questions. You may continue to call me Theocelese, but know that man, who we--I, was, is just about dead. If I were to continue as him, I would only be subjecting myself to more misery, and I have suffered enough in the lifetimes I know. Know the next time you come looking for me here, there may not be a Las Noches left to visit.



Now then...ask me what you wish."

"A curious thing, Hidane, is it not? It is almost laughable that everyone you and I have known together are just about all gone. On my end, this is the case....but if I may shed some knowledge from my own personal trials and tribulations, always be ready to say these four words 'Goodbye, I love you'. It is only a matter of time, and beings like ourselves Hidane, all we have is nothing but time." Theocelese let his cigarette rest inside the building corpses of previous cigarettes and finally, took a piece of toast and his cup of coffee. Traces of smeared butter and jam melted in the intense heat of the liquid, but that did not stop the Arrancar from taking his bite and repeating the process until the half-slice of bread was finished. Nor did it stop him from taking a drink, and in two gulp, finish his cup. He refilled the mug and then added in a good dosage of room temperature creamer, giving the coffee a lighter appearance and the flavor of hazelnut. He sipped the drink, then resumed his horrible habit of filling his lungs with smoke.

"Olympus. It is where the gods reside, Hidane. Well...I thought them to be gods during my earliest known life. With how the universe unfolded, it turns out these gods are just extremely powerful humans. I only know the existence of three, Athena and Hephaestus are who aided me during my conflict against the now-dead Hector, Paris and Helen. I have inquired about...Apollo. Before I submit to the Hollow's Instincts in a more permanent fashion, I'll end him, even if it means throwing my own lasso across the sun and pulling him from the heavens to do so. Forgive me, I digress." Theocelese puffed at the stick, finally letting his raised foot fall against the floor lightly. "No doubt you may have heard of...another Olympus making itself known. Do not confuse these two, and do not mistake my involvement with this imitation. I once fought against a man like yourself, and Matrium." There was the slightest of pauses. Saying that name caused a painful stabbing sensation in the back of his mind. Outside of his sons, Theocelese grieved over Matrium's disappearance the most. Their friendly rivalry formed a brotherhood that none have ever forged with him. All the times shared at the bar, and around the dinner table. He was Alexandra's favorite "uncle", and the amount of times Matrium went to Theocelese's former home in the Human World at the most random hours of the day to take care of any Hollow who ventured too near was far too many to count on both hands and feet.

"He was...disturbed, and his intentions were wrought with chaos and destruction, but he was an honorable man. We shared many things in common, though the one that binds me to this new Olympus is our family. He has a daughter, just as I had one. It is the oath of brotherhood that I make sure his daughter, who dons the title Athena, comes to no harm. His name was Kisho, and like many others, he has disappeared. If on my deathbed, I grasped Kisho's forearm and asked him to protect my daughter, he would. And he would not break such an oath to myself, just as I will never break an oath to him. That is one of the few things keeping me from..." From what? Theocelese finally asked himself in a stern fashion. Walk off into the sunset, find some nice little island in the middle of the ocean and become a recluse forever? "Keeping me intact, if you will. If I may be honest, I am unsure how long it will last. Sometimes the pain is constant, and never ending until I go find someone to maim and kill. What a wondrous and terrifying thing consistent loss will do to you."

For the time being, Theocelese would seem to have avoided the last question asked by Hidane. He leaned against the booth's back, and his arms rose to rest along the topside of it. His head tilted in a curious fashion, like a cat would when something caught its attention out of the corner of its eye. Both index fingers began to tap against the wood they rested upon, and a look of contemplation became evident on his face. As to what the Arrancar was thinking of, Hidane would more than likely not be able to tell, but his words may have been some clue. "You think this place can flourish once again. I am highly skeptical. I gave the vast majority of the people who lived here a cause to fight for, I killed Szayel Aporro Grantz so there was one less brutish Espada around, one less person who not only cared nothing for them, but experimented on them as well. Aizen left, and we took Las Noches for our home. Some left willingly, some were taken down. Together, we refurbished Las Noches, and through the former Eighth Espada's endless supply of research, turned the interior into a thriving scene of greenery. Plants grew, healthy and strong. It rained, it snowed, it was a complete and perfect mimicry of weather patterns in the human realm." His voice was stern, and cold. The look in his eyes remained deadened, and finally, he looked away.

"There is no one left to help me rebuild...except for you, Seran, and a few of his miscreants. This would be," Theocelese paused briefly. "Quite the challenge. I will consider it, Hidane, This will mean I need to go and find others who would agree with our original cause." His arms then lowered to cross over his chest. Now his right leg began to move as his foot tapped against the floor silently. It would have appeared that Hidane may have broken through to him. "I cannot let such a challenge go unconquered. I will need your aid in this endeavor, however." The Arrancar took his first drink from the coffee in what seemed like a long time to him, and the hazelnut flavor tasted a bit sweeter than before. He didn't mind.

"I think I may have answered your question, my friend. I do miss our many guests and friends, and I do grieve of the massive losses I've suffered...but you've planted the seed of progress in my mind. Though I must also share with you information regarding a task I will need allies for. I have found the blind prophet Tiresias, and after giving him the proper sacrifices, he has given to me his revelations of a society of Hollow that dwell deep within the confines of this realm. This particular society is governed by an ancient Hollow in a most tyrannical fashion. I was told that should this old creature meet its demise...these tribes of Hollow could be appropriated. It would bolster numbers here, that should be obvious, but I am concerned more so with having more hands to aid in the efforts of reconstruction. What say you, when the time comes to find the path to this hidden place, will you join me?"