[log] Ulquiorra, Zael
Log title: Arrancar Bonding
Characters involved: Ulquiorra (kendraxplague), Zael (evilchiapet)
Timeline: March 7, 2007
Rating: PG
Summary: Zael and Ulquiorra go out to dinner.
It was very late when practice ended, and Zael stayed behind a bit longer than some of the other members to clean his equipment. He could have done it in his apartment, but he didn't necessarily plan on going straight home. Dinner and a few drinks with the band sounded like a more promising idea, but the others had been complaining of hangovers or having other plans before he even broached the subject.
Their new singer also stayed behind longer than usual for some reason. Zael wasn't sure what to make of the younger boy, yet. He had a good, melodic voice, and he was certainly nowhere near as high-maintenance as Cirucci had been. That wasn't to say that Zael had exactly developed a liking towards him, yet. Cirucci was also rather smart and savvy when she wanted to be, and Zael had gotten along with her just fine. Most of the time.
"Ulquiorra," he called out softly when it was finally just the two of them. "I haven't had much of an opportunity to talk to you. We're going to be working closely together from now on…Would it be too much trouble to ask you to join me for dinner afterwards?"
Packing up his gear, Ulquiorra was both surprised and annoyed to find that Grimmjow had left without him. Grimmjow had been the one to bring him here on his motorcycle and now he was stranded, in a place he was unfamiliar with.
He was about to get on the phone and have some sharp words with Grimmjow when he heard a smooth voice behind him. He turned, looking almost surprised at the inquiry.
It was almost a relief, to have someone ask him to go out, to do something social. Although he wasn't very outgoing in nature, he didn't like being alienated, either. Grimmjow, so far, had been the only one to do anything with him, and he liked to get on Ulquiorra's nerves a bit too often.
"No, not at all," he responded. "I would enjoy dinner out. And seeing as Grimmjow took the motorcycle with him, I have no way to return home. Would it be a terrible burden to ask you to drop me off at home afterwards?"
"Not at all," Zael replied, packing the rest of his equipment up once it had all been thoroughly cleaned.
It would probably be a bit awkward to have dinner with just Ulquiorra but no more awkward than it had been those first few nights he had spent alone with Cirucci. He couldn't say even after that that he was close to their former lead singer. They still had kept their personal lives to themselves and had rarely spoke about anything but the band.
He wasn't exactly hoping for an intense friendship with Ulquiorra. That definitely wasn't his intention. He just wanted to develop a more comfortable working relationship where they could communicate easily and effectively with each other. With that in mind, he held the door open and waited for Ulquiorra as he lugged his equipment to his car.
Ulquiorra nodded in thanks. To be honest, he wasn't the most talkative of people. He never had been. But lately, he'd found himself in situations where he was forced to socialise with strangers often. This was the price of fame, and Ulquiorra was getting used to the idea (even if he didn't like it much) of losing some of his privacy and a lot of his personal space.
"Where would you like to go?" he inquired with an arched eyebrow.
Zael continued to lead the way to his car, letting his band mate trail after him. Thankfully, the younger man didn't try to coerce him into idle chatter. He wasn't much of a talker himself. It had been one of the few habits that had driven him insane about Chirucci. She never seemed to keep quiet, always possessing an opinion on anything and everything.
Clicking the button on his keys to unlock his trunk, he pushed the heavy equipment into it then motioned Ulquiorra towards the passenger side. "There is a place nearby. It serves a variety of food for a reasonable price. I hope you do not mind."
Ulquiorra also seemed pleased with Zael's temperament. He seemed laid back, fairly quiet, and intelligent. Ulquiorra admired all three traits, particularly the last.
"I have no objections," he remarked.
Slipping into the driver's seat, Zael waited until Ulquiorra was properly settled in before starting up the car. The young boy was surprisingly quieter than Zael initially suspected; though, the lack of conversation gave Zael ample opportunity to analyze him.
Aside from not being the talkative type, Ulquiorra was also more docile and obedient than Cirucci ever had been. Perhaps that is what has made Ulquiorra so favorable as the band's front-man. He didn't question any major decisions from their record label, nor did try to take over creative control. Zael was already beginning to accept him more than some of the other band members who were still upset by the loss of their former front-woman.
Ulquiorra buckled himself into the seat as soon as he'd entered the car, shutting the door with a fairly loud click. "I assume," he said, "that many of the band members are quite upset over the loss of Cirucci Thunderwitch?"
That would explain a great deal about why everyone seemed to be so unwilling to speak to him. Grimmjow was the exception, although even he didn't appear particularly enamoured with him.
The car started with a steady whir of the engine, and Zael carefully backed up out of the parking lot and began driving them to a nice, quaint restaurant he frequented often. The question of Cirucci was one that plagued his mind constantly. It was a big loss to the band, but one he couldn’t say he was affected. Though a part of him reasoned that he was better at hiding resentment than the others.
“They are,” Zael replied after a moment. “But they will all get over it the moment CD sales start up, and they witness the benefits of change. Do not assume I have anything against you. I would not make that sort of judgment without knowing you, first.”
"I'm sure," Ulquiorra said with a nod. It was always about money -- when people had it, they were happy, and when people didn't, they were miserable and irritable. Ulquiorra could hardly blame the band for being unhappy at their loss of income.
"I would make no such assumptions, particularly of you," Ulquiorra acknowledged. "You are without a doubt one of the more intelligent people in the group. I am grateful for that, at the very least."
“There are not many high standards for intelligence in the band,” Zael returned. “Grimmjow for instance…”
He still didn’t understand how Ulquiorra could share a living space with their band’s bassist. Grimmjow and he had been at odd ends ever since the ordeal with Cirucci. Even before that, they never particularly liked each other, though did have a habit of trading insults back and forth just to get on each other’s nerves. Zael was well aware Grimmjow’s opinion of him wasn’t even remotely pleasant, but it was amusing teasing the other man.
Ulquiorra smiled faintly, though it was a tense expression rather than one of pleasure. "I concur," he said. "Although to be fair, I moved in with Grimmjow based on his invitation and ... circumstances that drove me from my previous living space."
Had he a choice, Ulquiorra most likely would have rented his own apartment. Or, had that turned out to be too expensive, moved in with a different member of the band. Like Zael, for instance, who seemed to be more than just tolerable.
Zael tilted his head curiously, glancing at Ulquiorra from the corner of his eyes. “Oh?”
There were plenty of things they didn’t say about each other, and Zael wasn’t sure if he really wanted to get into Ulquiorra’s personal life. He’d only meant to make this whole dinner casual. He wasn’t ready to learn of the details that occupied his band mate’s life. Grimmjow had hinted once that it wasn’t exactly pleasant.
“If it ever becomes too much, you can always sleep on my couch I suppose. I know he can be overbearing at times,” he offered.
"I suppose," said Ulquiorra, "that you most likely haven't heard anything about this at all, but several days after Aizen's announcement that I would be the new vocalist of the Arrancar, my apartment was ransacked and destroyed." It wasn't anything he felt the need to keep private. After all, it wasn't embarrassing -- it was just ... something that had, quite unfortunately, happened.
"And Grimmjow isn't so bad," Ulquiorra admitted. "His mannerisms and personality are ... often very abrasive, but it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. He seems to be a decent sort." His issues were more with Di Roy, not with Grimmjow. In fact, he and Grimmjow got along pretty well, regarding their entirely different personalities.
He inclined his head at Zael's remark, a faint smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "Thank you for your offer," he said very politely. "I'll be certain to remember it."
Zael nodded, still unsure how Ulquiorra could stand to live with someone like Grimmjow. Zael himself could barely stand to be around him for longer than a few seconds. Though, he supposed practices were easier to stand now without Grimmjow’s and Cirucci’s conflicting egos in the room.
“I hope you do. I am not that far from where you live, I believe,” he said with a casual shrug then pulled into the parking lot of the small restaurant and parked the car in front of it. “I hope you do not mind Thai food. This place has a very good reputation.”
"Is that so?" asked Ulquiorra, almost surprised. Then again, he probably shouldn't have been. It made sense for the band to live in one concentrated area, after all.
"I like Thai food very much," he said, and though he hadn't had it for quite some time, he remembered this as being true. "Though I've never heard of this establishment."
Opening the car door, Zael stepped out and waited for Ulquiorra to catch up with him, giving him an assuring look. “You will like it,” he promised before walking ahead, greeting the doorman.
Zael’d been to this place enough times that the waiters knew him by name and were well-acquainted with his order. It was comforting to be given the best table in the house and have the owner come greet him personally. He shook hands with the man briefly before sitting down and slipping a menu over to Ulquiorra.
He shut the door, walking in step with his band mate. "I don't doubt it," Ulquiorra stated mildly, glancing at the interior of the building before they were lead to their table.
"Do you come here often?" he inquired, taking note of how well Zael seemed to be acquainted with the wait staff.
Zael studied the menu for a moment, knowing already what he wanted, but it didn’t hurt to observe his other options. He glanced up briefly at the question, smiling slightly, acting every charming and civil to his band mate.
“Of course,” he answered, “I once brought Cirucci with me here, as well. I don’t believe she enjoyed it. She was always difficult to please.”
He nodded slowly. "I've heard she ... is extraordinarily picky about everything. A bit of a diva, really." He shrugged. "Not that I've ever spoken to her more than a few moments. I ... can't say she was very civil."
Ulquiorra had done nothing to deserve her wrath. Well ... aside from taking her occupation away, but she'd chosen to leave. It was hardly his fault that such a thing had occurred. "I can, I supposed, understand her anger towards me." He frowned. "But I certainly don't appreciate her rudeness."
Zael chuckled softly and set his menu aside. Of course, Cirucci was a diva. It was charming when it wasn’t directed at Zael, and they had had some good times here and there. He supposed those good times had started to fade when tension increased between Cirucci and Grimmjow. Zael would have gotten up and quit the band back then, but then he would have fallen in major debt.
It was just as well. They were on the rise again, though, and Ulquiorra was a nice change of pace. “It is nothing you have to concern yourself with anymore. This band was her infant, though, so I understand her anger in losing it.”
"If she felt that strongly about the band," said Ulquiorra, voice and face apathetic, "she would never have left it. I am well aware that Grimmjow can be particularly overbearing, but Thunderwitch could have kicked him out instead."
"No," he said, turning back to the menu, "it's more likely that she was sick of sharing the limelight, and this was her excuse to strike out on her own."
Zael laughed louder, taking the glass of water that was set down in front of him and sipping at it as he eyes Ulquiorra critically. He was well aware the younger man harbored some sympathies towards Grimmjow. It was definitely something he’d look forward to observing in their future interactions.
Setting the glass of water down, he cleared his throat and smiled. “Cirucci did love the attention very much, but Grimmjow wanted his own say in the band. He is deluded into thinking that it is entirely his. Let us just hope he does not get rid of you, as well. Your presence is …definitely a good one.”
Though he'd been praised by Byakuya once, this was the first time that someone inside the band had said anything truly complimentary about him, and made any indication that he was welcome as Cirucci's replacement. His eyes widened in faint surprise, and one corner of his mouth twitched upwards.
"I appreciate your sentiments," he thanked Zael, "though I wish others would say the same." His smile faded quickly, and he frowned in thought, picking up his glass absently. "I think the problem with The Arrancar," he said slowly, "that I noticed even while working to produce your music, is that unlike the Vaizard, the band is incohesive. The Vaizard act as a family. You -- We, now -- act separately, striking out from one another as though it's a competition. That is an issue that's plagued you -- and I believe that it's one of the reasons that the Vaizard are so very popular and have had no drama within their band."
Zael chuckled again, eying Ulquiorra with appraisal. It seemed like he hit the nail on the head. He was an observant one even if he’d only been in the band for such a little time. That meant Zael would have to be more careful of which waters he treaded onto, lest Ulquiorra would find something to use against him. As loyal as he was to Aizen, he did was not naïve to suspect that Ulquiorra didn’t have a few vices of his own and would never backstab another member of the band.
It was the music business. One always had to lookout for himself. The Vaizard were fools to think they could be so trusting towards one another. The idea of the band as a family -that was laughable.
“I am not a very open person, nor do I wish to accept any of the members of the band into that kind of close, personal relationship. I am afraid to disappoint you, but I have no lingering goals to pursue that require music. A life without few attachments is the best one. Just be careful as to who you attach yourself to. Grimmjow is not one to …engage with.”
"I am hardly going to attach myself to anyone," Ulquiorra stated. "That is not my aim. But it would be preferable if the other band members tried working together rather than constantly eying each other as though they're going to be stabbed in the back at any second. It hardly makes for a good working environment."
He paused momentarily to sip the water he'd been handed at the start before speaking again. Zael was a complex individual, unlike Grimmjow who seemed to be almost two-dimensional -- or at least, he did from what Ulquiorra had seen -- but that just made Zael's little paradoxes more interesting.
"You said you have ... what was it, 'no linger goals that require music?'" he inquired, frowning slightly in thought. "Why, then, do you remain in the band?"
Zael barely knew the answer to that himself. He’d thought it over and over, convincing himself that he needed the money. He could hardly be expected to pay off his return to school without the money, and he full intended on a Ph. D then a cozy university job with full access to lab facilities for his personal projects.
The only thing slowing him down was being encased within the music industry. He found it irritating and distasteful, only wishing to leave. With a light shrug, he only smiled enigmatically, thankful the waiter had chosen that moment to interrupt them, so he could order.
Characters involved: Ulquiorra (kendraxplague), Zael (evilchiapet)
Timeline: March 7, 2007
Rating: PG
Summary: Zael and Ulquiorra go out to dinner.
It was very late when practice ended, and Zael stayed behind a bit longer than some of the other members to clean his equipment. He could have done it in his apartment, but he didn't necessarily plan on going straight home. Dinner and a few drinks with the band sounded like a more promising idea, but the others had been complaining of hangovers or having other plans before he even broached the subject.
Their new singer also stayed behind longer than usual for some reason. Zael wasn't sure what to make of the younger boy, yet. He had a good, melodic voice, and he was certainly nowhere near as high-maintenance as Cirucci had been. That wasn't to say that Zael had exactly developed a liking towards him, yet. Cirucci was also rather smart and savvy when she wanted to be, and Zael had gotten along with her just fine. Most of the time.
"Ulquiorra," he called out softly when it was finally just the two of them. "I haven't had much of an opportunity to talk to you. We're going to be working closely together from now on…Would it be too much trouble to ask you to join me for dinner afterwards?"
Packing up his gear, Ulquiorra was both surprised and annoyed to find that Grimmjow had left without him. Grimmjow had been the one to bring him here on his motorcycle and now he was stranded, in a place he was unfamiliar with.
He was about to get on the phone and have some sharp words with Grimmjow when he heard a smooth voice behind him. He turned, looking almost surprised at the inquiry.
It was almost a relief, to have someone ask him to go out, to do something social. Although he wasn't very outgoing in nature, he didn't like being alienated, either. Grimmjow, so far, had been the only one to do anything with him, and he liked to get on Ulquiorra's nerves a bit too often.
"No, not at all," he responded. "I would enjoy dinner out. And seeing as Grimmjow took the motorcycle with him, I have no way to return home. Would it be a terrible burden to ask you to drop me off at home afterwards?"
"Not at all," Zael replied, packing the rest of his equipment up once it had all been thoroughly cleaned.
It would probably be a bit awkward to have dinner with just Ulquiorra but no more awkward than it had been those first few nights he had spent alone with Cirucci. He couldn't say even after that that he was close to their former lead singer. They still had kept their personal lives to themselves and had rarely spoke about anything but the band.
He wasn't exactly hoping for an intense friendship with Ulquiorra. That definitely wasn't his intention. He just wanted to develop a more comfortable working relationship where they could communicate easily and effectively with each other. With that in mind, he held the door open and waited for Ulquiorra as he lugged his equipment to his car.
Ulquiorra nodded in thanks. To be honest, he wasn't the most talkative of people. He never had been. But lately, he'd found himself in situations where he was forced to socialise with strangers often. This was the price of fame, and Ulquiorra was getting used to the idea (even if he didn't like it much) of losing some of his privacy and a lot of his personal space.
"Where would you like to go?" he inquired with an arched eyebrow.
Zael continued to lead the way to his car, letting his band mate trail after him. Thankfully, the younger man didn't try to coerce him into idle chatter. He wasn't much of a talker himself. It had been one of the few habits that had driven him insane about Chirucci. She never seemed to keep quiet, always possessing an opinion on anything and everything.
Clicking the button on his keys to unlock his trunk, he pushed the heavy equipment into it then motioned Ulquiorra towards the passenger side. "There is a place nearby. It serves a variety of food for a reasonable price. I hope you do not mind."
Ulquiorra also seemed pleased with Zael's temperament. He seemed laid back, fairly quiet, and intelligent. Ulquiorra admired all three traits, particularly the last.
"I have no objections," he remarked.
Slipping into the driver's seat, Zael waited until Ulquiorra was properly settled in before starting up the car. The young boy was surprisingly quieter than Zael initially suspected; though, the lack of conversation gave Zael ample opportunity to analyze him.
Aside from not being the talkative type, Ulquiorra was also more docile and obedient than Cirucci ever had been. Perhaps that is what has made Ulquiorra so favorable as the band's front-man. He didn't question any major decisions from their record label, nor did try to take over creative control. Zael was already beginning to accept him more than some of the other band members who were still upset by the loss of their former front-woman.
Ulquiorra buckled himself into the seat as soon as he'd entered the car, shutting the door with a fairly loud click. "I assume," he said, "that many of the band members are quite upset over the loss of Cirucci Thunderwitch?"
That would explain a great deal about why everyone seemed to be so unwilling to speak to him. Grimmjow was the exception, although even he didn't appear particularly enamoured with him.
The car started with a steady whir of the engine, and Zael carefully backed up out of the parking lot and began driving them to a nice, quaint restaurant he frequented often. The question of Cirucci was one that plagued his mind constantly. It was a big loss to the band, but one he couldn’t say he was affected. Though a part of him reasoned that he was better at hiding resentment than the others.
“They are,” Zael replied after a moment. “But they will all get over it the moment CD sales start up, and they witness the benefits of change. Do not assume I have anything against you. I would not make that sort of judgment without knowing you, first.”
"I'm sure," Ulquiorra said with a nod. It was always about money -- when people had it, they were happy, and when people didn't, they were miserable and irritable. Ulquiorra could hardly blame the band for being unhappy at their loss of income.
"I would make no such assumptions, particularly of you," Ulquiorra acknowledged. "You are without a doubt one of the more intelligent people in the group. I am grateful for that, at the very least."
“There are not many high standards for intelligence in the band,” Zael returned. “Grimmjow for instance…”
He still didn’t understand how Ulquiorra could share a living space with their band’s bassist. Grimmjow and he had been at odd ends ever since the ordeal with Cirucci. Even before that, they never particularly liked each other, though did have a habit of trading insults back and forth just to get on each other’s nerves. Zael was well aware Grimmjow’s opinion of him wasn’t even remotely pleasant, but it was amusing teasing the other man.
Ulquiorra smiled faintly, though it was a tense expression rather than one of pleasure. "I concur," he said. "Although to be fair, I moved in with Grimmjow based on his invitation and ... circumstances that drove me from my previous living space."
Had he a choice, Ulquiorra most likely would have rented his own apartment. Or, had that turned out to be too expensive, moved in with a different member of the band. Like Zael, for instance, who seemed to be more than just tolerable.
Zael tilted his head curiously, glancing at Ulquiorra from the corner of his eyes. “Oh?”
There were plenty of things they didn’t say about each other, and Zael wasn’t sure if he really wanted to get into Ulquiorra’s personal life. He’d only meant to make this whole dinner casual. He wasn’t ready to learn of the details that occupied his band mate’s life. Grimmjow had hinted once that it wasn’t exactly pleasant.
“If it ever becomes too much, you can always sleep on my couch I suppose. I know he can be overbearing at times,” he offered.
"I suppose," said Ulquiorra, "that you most likely haven't heard anything about this at all, but several days after Aizen's announcement that I would be the new vocalist of the Arrancar, my apartment was ransacked and destroyed." It wasn't anything he felt the need to keep private. After all, it wasn't embarrassing -- it was just ... something that had, quite unfortunately, happened.
"And Grimmjow isn't so bad," Ulquiorra admitted. "His mannerisms and personality are ... often very abrasive, but it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. He seems to be a decent sort." His issues were more with Di Roy, not with Grimmjow. In fact, he and Grimmjow got along pretty well, regarding their entirely different personalities.
He inclined his head at Zael's remark, a faint smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "Thank you for your offer," he said very politely. "I'll be certain to remember it."
Zael nodded, still unsure how Ulquiorra could stand to live with someone like Grimmjow. Zael himself could barely stand to be around him for longer than a few seconds. Though, he supposed practices were easier to stand now without Grimmjow’s and Cirucci’s conflicting egos in the room.
“I hope you do. I am not that far from where you live, I believe,” he said with a casual shrug then pulled into the parking lot of the small restaurant and parked the car in front of it. “I hope you do not mind Thai food. This place has a very good reputation.”
"Is that so?" asked Ulquiorra, almost surprised. Then again, he probably shouldn't have been. It made sense for the band to live in one concentrated area, after all.
"I like Thai food very much," he said, and though he hadn't had it for quite some time, he remembered this as being true. "Though I've never heard of this establishment."
Opening the car door, Zael stepped out and waited for Ulquiorra to catch up with him, giving him an assuring look. “You will like it,” he promised before walking ahead, greeting the doorman.
Zael’d been to this place enough times that the waiters knew him by name and were well-acquainted with his order. It was comforting to be given the best table in the house and have the owner come greet him personally. He shook hands with the man briefly before sitting down and slipping a menu over to Ulquiorra.
He shut the door, walking in step with his band mate. "I don't doubt it," Ulquiorra stated mildly, glancing at the interior of the building before they were lead to their table.
"Do you come here often?" he inquired, taking note of how well Zael seemed to be acquainted with the wait staff.
Zael studied the menu for a moment, knowing already what he wanted, but it didn’t hurt to observe his other options. He glanced up briefly at the question, smiling slightly, acting every charming and civil to his band mate.
“Of course,” he answered, “I once brought Cirucci with me here, as well. I don’t believe she enjoyed it. She was always difficult to please.”
He nodded slowly. "I've heard she ... is extraordinarily picky about everything. A bit of a diva, really." He shrugged. "Not that I've ever spoken to her more than a few moments. I ... can't say she was very civil."
Ulquiorra had done nothing to deserve her wrath. Well ... aside from taking her occupation away, but she'd chosen to leave. It was hardly his fault that such a thing had occurred. "I can, I supposed, understand her anger towards me." He frowned. "But I certainly don't appreciate her rudeness."
Zael chuckled softly and set his menu aside. Of course, Cirucci was a diva. It was charming when it wasn’t directed at Zael, and they had had some good times here and there. He supposed those good times had started to fade when tension increased between Cirucci and Grimmjow. Zael would have gotten up and quit the band back then, but then he would have fallen in major debt.
It was just as well. They were on the rise again, though, and Ulquiorra was a nice change of pace. “It is nothing you have to concern yourself with anymore. This band was her infant, though, so I understand her anger in losing it.”
"If she felt that strongly about the band," said Ulquiorra, voice and face apathetic, "she would never have left it. I am well aware that Grimmjow can be particularly overbearing, but Thunderwitch could have kicked him out instead."
"No," he said, turning back to the menu, "it's more likely that she was sick of sharing the limelight, and this was her excuse to strike out on her own."
Zael laughed louder, taking the glass of water that was set down in front of him and sipping at it as he eyes Ulquiorra critically. He was well aware the younger man harbored some sympathies towards Grimmjow. It was definitely something he’d look forward to observing in their future interactions.
Setting the glass of water down, he cleared his throat and smiled. “Cirucci did love the attention very much, but Grimmjow wanted his own say in the band. He is deluded into thinking that it is entirely his. Let us just hope he does not get rid of you, as well. Your presence is …definitely a good one.”
Though he'd been praised by Byakuya once, this was the first time that someone inside the band had said anything truly complimentary about him, and made any indication that he was welcome as Cirucci's replacement. His eyes widened in faint surprise, and one corner of his mouth twitched upwards.
"I appreciate your sentiments," he thanked Zael, "though I wish others would say the same." His smile faded quickly, and he frowned in thought, picking up his glass absently. "I think the problem with The Arrancar," he said slowly, "that I noticed even while working to produce your music, is that unlike the Vaizard, the band is incohesive. The Vaizard act as a family. You -- We, now -- act separately, striking out from one another as though it's a competition. That is an issue that's plagued you -- and I believe that it's one of the reasons that the Vaizard are so very popular and have had no drama within their band."
Zael chuckled again, eying Ulquiorra with appraisal. It seemed like he hit the nail on the head. He was an observant one even if he’d only been in the band for such a little time. That meant Zael would have to be more careful of which waters he treaded onto, lest Ulquiorra would find something to use against him. As loyal as he was to Aizen, he did was not naïve to suspect that Ulquiorra didn’t have a few vices of his own and would never backstab another member of the band.
It was the music business. One always had to lookout for himself. The Vaizard were fools to think they could be so trusting towards one another. The idea of the band as a family -that was laughable.
“I am not a very open person, nor do I wish to accept any of the members of the band into that kind of close, personal relationship. I am afraid to disappoint you, but I have no lingering goals to pursue that require music. A life without few attachments is the best one. Just be careful as to who you attach yourself to. Grimmjow is not one to …engage with.”
"I am hardly going to attach myself to anyone," Ulquiorra stated. "That is not my aim. But it would be preferable if the other band members tried working together rather than constantly eying each other as though they're going to be stabbed in the back at any second. It hardly makes for a good working environment."
He paused momentarily to sip the water he'd been handed at the start before speaking again. Zael was a complex individual, unlike Grimmjow who seemed to be almost two-dimensional -- or at least, he did from what Ulquiorra had seen -- but that just made Zael's little paradoxes more interesting.
"You said you have ... what was it, 'no linger goals that require music?'" he inquired, frowning slightly in thought. "Why, then, do you remain in the band?"
Zael barely knew the answer to that himself. He’d thought it over and over, convincing himself that he needed the money. He could hardly be expected to pay off his return to school without the money, and he full intended on a Ph. D then a cozy university job with full access to lab facilities for his personal projects.
The only thing slowing him down was being encased within the music industry. He found it irritating and distasteful, only wishing to leave. With a light shrug, he only smiled enigmatically, thankful the waiter had chosen that moment to interrupt them, so he could order.