[Log] 17 - A New Charge
Date: 09-06-08
Characters: Aizen, Ulquiorra
Summary: Ulquiorra is summoned for a brief chat after Aizen's formal reception of Alyon into Las Noches.
-=[Tabla del Dios - Las Noches]=------------------------------------------------
Grand and spacious, the sitting room is where Aizen welcomes guests; a place where they might sit in comfort and enjoy charming conversation over tea. Immediately ahead, in the center is a pair of chairs. Constructed with an artisan's flare out of a wood so dark it is nearly black and accented with cushions of dark maroon. Between these chairs sits a small table of equally dark wood atop which rests a tea set of white china and accented in midnight blue.
Against the far wall sits a desk in matching black wood, massive beyond the scale of any normal writing desk; a scale only fitting for the hand of a god. Atop the desk is a calligraphy set and a few sheets of paper bearing Aizen's graceful and elegant writing; the product of centuries of practice.
It had not been long since the woman had left his sitting room as evidenced by the cold tea that remained on the small table. One cup had been emptied, but the other still stood half full, the contents long since cooled.
Beside the unfinished tea sat the Lord of Las Noches who had abandoned it long ago, not yet bothering to replace it. Aizen sat deep in thought with no hot tea to comfort his senses and calm the growing tension in his posture. As he was, someone of lesser intelligence might have thought him distracted, or even asleep if his half lidded eyes were any indication. Yet those who knew him well might have seen the first indications that Aizen was ill at ease. If expression might have been that of a sleeping man if not for the subtle downward crease of his lips and the nearly invisible crease of his brow.
His steps through the previous rooms to enter this one are as he usually tends to take; quiet and evenly spaced. He had bid Alyon no words once she had exited from her meeting, and nor had he any desire to make his lord wait after summoning him to meet.
Ulquiorra stopped at the door, knowing Aizen would be well aware of his arrival. A bow of his head, a hand slipped from his pocket and fisted to set upon his chest- his usual formal greeting. "Aizen-sama," he said in acknowledgment. Aware as Aizen was, he did not wish to play by assumption either. This was merely all out of standard protocol with the ex-captain.
Aizen offered no acknowledgement of that greeting, though he was quite aware of every movement his subordinate made, if not because he was particularly attentive at that moment, but because Ulquiorra was nothing if not proper, obedient, and boringly predictable. However, the Lord's eyes did open fully and fix themselves upon his guest. Perhaps it was acknowledgement, or perhaps Aizen was simply tired of the thoughts that had forced him to become so suddenly introspective.
There was no time wasted on invitations to sit or offers to share cold tea. No doubt Ulquiorra had already guessed the purpose of this summons. "What are your thoughts on this woman, Seika Alyon?"
Such things do not pass Ulquiorra's notice, but he does not speak out of turn for his observations- if anything Aizen knew perfectly well what weighed on his mind, and if he felt it necessary to share them then he would do so without being prompted. The half-helmeted Espada stepped further into the room, remaining a respectable distance from where Aizen sat. Green eyes blinked slowly, not out of surprise, but as though in reminder that blinking was a thing that most beings did.
"Seika Alyon. She is different from most of the others in where her priorities lie. That she has been left unharrassed for so long speaks much for her abilities, and if it is her decision to use such to our benefit, then I do not see that there should be any problems with her, if that is what you have decided." His response was analytical, his conversation spent with the woman but to be counted on one hand. She had made it no secret of her intentions, of what she thought of matters, and what she did not speak was displayed in her careful and delicate demeanor.
The Lord's thoughts would be made clear soon enough, but for the moment it was Ulquiorra's thoughts that held his focus. And those thoughts were typically boring. There was no further insight to add to Aizen's own observations nor was there any indication that Ulquiorra shared his appraisal of the woman. That came as something of a disappointment, if not a surprise.
"I have invited her to join us." No doubt, it came as no surprise. Alyon had stepped away from Aizen's sitting room alive and well. "But she has yet to gain my trust."
Such a statement, simple as it was, meant a great deal more than the words alone would suggest. As a rule, Aizen trusted very few of his children, though he never went to the trouble of saying so out loud. In fact, he thought it far too obvious. Grimmjow was a loose cannon. Nnoitra was impatient. Szayel was wholly self centered. All qualities that produced a very logical mistrust. But Alyon was another matter entirely. A woman so perfectly modest and humble, so thankful, so unthreatening. On the outside the perfect servant.
There was more to say, but here Aizen paused, awaiting Ulquiorra's response. Perhaps those words might prompt something a bit more unpredictable.
His words, while offered in observation, still had purposely been left open for final say on the part of his master. Green eyes once again unblinking, there was neither a flicker nor a twitch of his brow upon Aizen's offered thoughts. The place that Aizen had made for himself was not one built on easy trust and reliance upon others. It went the other way around, but even though you were chosen by the master, it did not mean you were trusted. The adage did say that one kept their friends close and their enemies closer.
Ulquiorra nodded once, an almost subtle movement marked by but the smallest incline of his head. "So she will stay where she can be watched." And to observe how the others will react to her. Tension was already thick within the walls of Las Noches. Either Alyon's addition would settle things or be like adding kindling to a fire. At the same time while the possibilities of an uprising are never far from thought what with the temperament of some of the arrancar, it made no sense to be destroying every single one that seemed problematic. There are little others that the Espada trusts, himself, after all. Annoying and dangerous as some can prove to be, they do still have their uses- this he knows.
Aizen smiled. It was always a pleasure when his orders were understood before they were given. There was no one more suited to watching than Ulquiorra, and beyond that, if there were a child he trusted completely, it would be this one. So he said no more about his desire to observe this new arrancar's behavior. Ulquiorra knew what to look for and what to report.
The change was subtle, but the tension had slowly begun to bleed away from Aizen's posture, leaving him looking utterly relaxed as he often did when lounging comfortably in his chair. "She is geisha." This was followed by a smirk that could have been one of amusement. "A geisha's most important duty is to deceive. She hides her true face behind a mask of perfection. A master of saying what you want to hear and doing so with a smile. Of all those who have come to serve me under my roof, she is no doubt the most dangerous."
It was always left to be wondered as to whether Aizen's gestures or words of approval moved this non-existent heart. Ulquiorra had well mastered the mask of neutrality, or perhaps just as Aizen had come to understand his way of things, so too has Ulquiorra come to have an understanding of the thoughts and reasonings of his lord.
The Espada waited. He watched. He remained silent as Aizen spoke again. He had been careful when he had paid visit to the female Privaron's place of dwelling. Even with his words offered in response to the questions she asked, he had taken care with what was said. Caution was a thing always employed when dealing with other arrancar, especially those their predecessors. It was easy to monitor and to gauge the actions of the boisterous and the restless. It was always the quieter ones that were the more dangerous. "Understood," he replied.
So rarely did he hear that response to his orders and know that he was, in fact, completely understood. But in this case, there was no question. Aizen offered a nod, finally acknowledging his Espada, a form of praise so rarely given. "I leave it in your hands, Ulquiorra. See to it."
With the dismissal given, Aizen had already begun to ease himself back in his chair. He'd had enough of these concerns for one day.
The raven-haired Espada bowed his head in response, waiting a beat before he turned to walk back towards the doorway. There was no need to linger; his instructions were clear. His task was nothing new, and one that he did quite well. His coattails flapped with his movement, settling in place as he crossed the rooms and made his way back towards the main hall.
Characters: Aizen, Ulquiorra
Summary: Ulquiorra is summoned for a brief chat after Aizen's formal reception of Alyon into Las Noches.
-=[Tabla del Dios - Las Noches]=------------------------------------------------
Grand and spacious, the sitting room is where Aizen welcomes guests; a place where they might sit in comfort and enjoy charming conversation over tea. Immediately ahead, in the center is a pair of chairs. Constructed with an artisan's flare out of a wood so dark it is nearly black and accented with cushions of dark maroon. Between these chairs sits a small table of equally dark wood atop which rests a tea set of white china and accented in midnight blue.
Against the far wall sits a desk in matching black wood, massive beyond the scale of any normal writing desk; a scale only fitting for the hand of a god. Atop the desk is a calligraphy set and a few sheets of paper bearing Aizen's graceful and elegant writing; the product of centuries of practice.
It had not been long since the woman had left his sitting room as evidenced by the cold tea that remained on the small table. One cup had been emptied, but the other still stood half full, the contents long since cooled.
Beside the unfinished tea sat the Lord of Las Noches who had abandoned it long ago, not yet bothering to replace it. Aizen sat deep in thought with no hot tea to comfort his senses and calm the growing tension in his posture. As he was, someone of lesser intelligence might have thought him distracted, or even asleep if his half lidded eyes were any indication. Yet those who knew him well might have seen the first indications that Aizen was ill at ease. If expression might have been that of a sleeping man if not for the subtle downward crease of his lips and the nearly invisible crease of his brow.
His steps through the previous rooms to enter this one are as he usually tends to take; quiet and evenly spaced. He had bid Alyon no words once she had exited from her meeting, and nor had he any desire to make his lord wait after summoning him to meet.
Ulquiorra stopped at the door, knowing Aizen would be well aware of his arrival. A bow of his head, a hand slipped from his pocket and fisted to set upon his chest- his usual formal greeting. "Aizen-sama," he said in acknowledgment. Aware as Aizen was, he did not wish to play by assumption either. This was merely all out of standard protocol with the ex-captain.
Aizen offered no acknowledgement of that greeting, though he was quite aware of every movement his subordinate made, if not because he was particularly attentive at that moment, but because Ulquiorra was nothing if not proper, obedient, and boringly predictable. However, the Lord's eyes did open fully and fix themselves upon his guest. Perhaps it was acknowledgement, or perhaps Aizen was simply tired of the thoughts that had forced him to become so suddenly introspective.
There was no time wasted on invitations to sit or offers to share cold tea. No doubt Ulquiorra had already guessed the purpose of this summons. "What are your thoughts on this woman, Seika Alyon?"
Such things do not pass Ulquiorra's notice, but he does not speak out of turn for his observations- if anything Aizen knew perfectly well what weighed on his mind, and if he felt it necessary to share them then he would do so without being prompted. The half-helmeted Espada stepped further into the room, remaining a respectable distance from where Aizen sat. Green eyes blinked slowly, not out of surprise, but as though in reminder that blinking was a thing that most beings did.
"Seika Alyon. She is different from most of the others in where her priorities lie. That she has been left unharrassed for so long speaks much for her abilities, and if it is her decision to use such to our benefit, then I do not see that there should be any problems with her, if that is what you have decided." His response was analytical, his conversation spent with the woman but to be counted on one hand. She had made it no secret of her intentions, of what she thought of matters, and what she did not speak was displayed in her careful and delicate demeanor.
The Lord's thoughts would be made clear soon enough, but for the moment it was Ulquiorra's thoughts that held his focus. And those thoughts were typically boring. There was no further insight to add to Aizen's own observations nor was there any indication that Ulquiorra shared his appraisal of the woman. That came as something of a disappointment, if not a surprise.
"I have invited her to join us." No doubt, it came as no surprise. Alyon had stepped away from Aizen's sitting room alive and well. "But she has yet to gain my trust."
Such a statement, simple as it was, meant a great deal more than the words alone would suggest. As a rule, Aizen trusted very few of his children, though he never went to the trouble of saying so out loud. In fact, he thought it far too obvious. Grimmjow was a loose cannon. Nnoitra was impatient. Szayel was wholly self centered. All qualities that produced a very logical mistrust. But Alyon was another matter entirely. A woman so perfectly modest and humble, so thankful, so unthreatening. On the outside the perfect servant.
There was more to say, but here Aizen paused, awaiting Ulquiorra's response. Perhaps those words might prompt something a bit more unpredictable.
His words, while offered in observation, still had purposely been left open for final say on the part of his master. Green eyes once again unblinking, there was neither a flicker nor a twitch of his brow upon Aizen's offered thoughts. The place that Aizen had made for himself was not one built on easy trust and reliance upon others. It went the other way around, but even though you were chosen by the master, it did not mean you were trusted. The adage did say that one kept their friends close and their enemies closer.
Ulquiorra nodded once, an almost subtle movement marked by but the smallest incline of his head. "So she will stay where she can be watched." And to observe how the others will react to her. Tension was already thick within the walls of Las Noches. Either Alyon's addition would settle things or be like adding kindling to a fire. At the same time while the possibilities of an uprising are never far from thought what with the temperament of some of the arrancar, it made no sense to be destroying every single one that seemed problematic. There are little others that the Espada trusts, himself, after all. Annoying and dangerous as some can prove to be, they do still have their uses- this he knows.
Aizen smiled. It was always a pleasure when his orders were understood before they were given. There was no one more suited to watching than Ulquiorra, and beyond that, if there were a child he trusted completely, it would be this one. So he said no more about his desire to observe this new arrancar's behavior. Ulquiorra knew what to look for and what to report.
The change was subtle, but the tension had slowly begun to bleed away from Aizen's posture, leaving him looking utterly relaxed as he often did when lounging comfortably in his chair. "She is geisha." This was followed by a smirk that could have been one of amusement. "A geisha's most important duty is to deceive. She hides her true face behind a mask of perfection. A master of saying what you want to hear and doing so with a smile. Of all those who have come to serve me under my roof, she is no doubt the most dangerous."
It was always left to be wondered as to whether Aizen's gestures or words of approval moved this non-existent heart. Ulquiorra had well mastered the mask of neutrality, or perhaps just as Aizen had come to understand his way of things, so too has Ulquiorra come to have an understanding of the thoughts and reasonings of his lord.
The Espada waited. He watched. He remained silent as Aizen spoke again. He had been careful when he had paid visit to the female Privaron's place of dwelling. Even with his words offered in response to the questions she asked, he had taken care with what was said. Caution was a thing always employed when dealing with other arrancar, especially those their predecessors. It was easy to monitor and to gauge the actions of the boisterous and the restless. It was always the quieter ones that were the more dangerous. "Understood," he replied.
So rarely did he hear that response to his orders and know that he was, in fact, completely understood. But in this case, there was no question. Aizen offered a nod, finally acknowledging his Espada, a form of praise so rarely given. "I leave it in your hands, Ulquiorra. See to it."
With the dismissal given, Aizen had already begun to ease himself back in his chair. He'd had enough of these concerns for one day.
The raven-haired Espada bowed his head in response, waiting a beat before he turned to walk back towards the doorway. There was no need to linger; his instructions were clear. His task was nothing new, and one that he did quite well. His coattails flapped with his movement, settling in place as he crossed the rooms and made his way back towards the main hall.