2nd Chapter: Order in the Court
Summary: And Grimmjow says, ‘I’m filing a complaint against Cuatro Espada.’ Aizen asks, ‘What seems to be the problem?’ Grimmjow glares at Ulquiorra, ‘Sexual harassment, that’s what.’ UlquiGrimm. GrimmUlqui. Extra SzayelStark / StarkSzayel. Ulquiorra's POV
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach; genius Kubo Tite does.
A/N: The lines in bold font are Ulquiorra’s dialogs, meaning he’s saying them aloud. Rated M; Curses everywhere, so minors, stay away. ;)
Chapter I
Chapter 2
--
How puzzling. I couldn’t manage to sleep decently last night. Well, whatever the reason is, it can wait-
“Calling on Grimmjow Jaggerjack and Ulquiorra Scheiffer and their respective attorneys; please proceed to the Justicia Hall immediately.”
I make haste to the basement to fetch Stark, promptly employing my brilliant Sonido. I knock on Stark’s door. There’s no answer. Well, I guess I’ll make do with no attorney. After all, I’ve always stood alone…I stand alone.
I emerge into the Justicia Hall to find Grimmjow and Szayel seated on the prosecutor’s desk. To my utter surprise, Stark is lounging at the defense attorney’s chair. I nod apologetically to express my disapproval of my inexcusable detainment when-
“We shall now commence the hearing. Prosecutor, please state your complaint briefly.” Tousen says. He is the Chief Justice official around here so it only follows that he will be the judge of this case-lawsuit.
The other Espada are occupying the Jury stand. Lieutenant Gin is among the spectators which basically comprise the Fracciones. Aizen-sama is nowhere to be seen.
Szayel stands up and clears his throat before throwing Stark a bemused glare. Well, if he's trying to seduce my attorney-
“I hereby disclose the nature of the complaints of my client, Grimmjow Jaggerjack who is ranked sixth among the Espada, against Ulquiorra Scheiffer, Cuatro Espada, who allegedly performed some malicious, if not exactly hideous, actions towards said client. The major offense, aka final straw, took place two nights prior, according to my client, in said client’s chamber where Cuatro Espada performed the material fulfillment of his sexual urges over him.”
In rare occasions, such derogative statements can veil the truth in certain accusations. In Szayel’s case, he came in rather more ardently than required that his bias thinking manifests fairly transparently-
“Does the defendant plead guilty or not guilty?” Tousen asks.
Stark stares at me. It seems as though he knows not how to answer the question he’s obligated to. Slowly, I become horrified by the realization that Stark and I have made not the slightest of preparations for this hearing. How could I have been so erratic? This is such a menial task that I so mindlessly neglected-
“Not guilty.” Stark says.
“Well then, I am awarding the first interrogation to the prosecutor. Szayel Apollo Grantz, please call on your first witness.”
Szayel conducts himself to the open floor and nods at Lieutenant Tousen. “May I call on Yammy, Ulquiorra Scheiffer’s Fracciones-”
“-when the fuck did I become a Fraccion??” Yammy bursts forth heatedly. Indeed, the information Szayel has spoken out loud was erroneous, perhaps even defamatory. Why, he mistook an Espada for a Fraccion, consequently and instantly marring his own reliability-
“Oh. I’m sorry. My mistake. In any case, please take the witness stand.” Octava says. Yammy occupies the empty seat grudgingly. Szayel speaks again, “Yammy, you are reputed to be quite close with the defendant, Cuatro Espada, can you-”
“-Objection your honor. I don’t believe Yammy and Ulquiorra’s relationship can, in any way, be considered as close. As you all here are very well aware, there’s no bond of friendship or any form attachment that connects us all Espada together.” Stark snips through. Szayel is currently marveling at my lawyer’s execution of reason.
“Sustained.”
Octava grins. The indefatigable moron; just what's so funny-
“Let me rephrase that. Yammy here and Ulquiorra have gone on several missions together. I used the word ‘close’ in a literal sense. Agree? So I will ask you now, Frac-Diez Espada; two nights ago you arrived here in Hueco Mundo from a mission in the human world WITH Ulquiorra Scheiffer, did you or did you not?”
“Yeah.”
“And when you touched down here in Las Noches, where did you go straight to?”
“My room.”
“Would you happen to know where Cuatro Espada went straight to?”
Yammy, the blithering idiot, starts to look around nervously and he seems unable to emit another sound-
“I wouldn’t know.”
“But isn’t your room adjacent to his?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see him enter his room before you entered yours?”
“No. He probably went off inspecting the corridors.”
“But that night was a Tuesday. On Tuesdays, Lieutenant Gin is responsible for corridor patrolling. I’m asking you again, did you or did you not see him enter his room?”
“No.”
“No further questions, your honor.” Szayel curtsies elegantly. He goes back to his chair and there Grimmjow slaps his palm against his; a sort of triumphant gesture. Frankly, I can't quite locate the source of their satisfaction; why, the facts that Yammy has just exposed translate to...nothing.
“Okay. Defendant, would you like to introduce a new witness or would you opt to keep Yammy for further inquiries?” Tousen asks Stark.
Stark scratches his hair, an indication of some inconvenience-
“I’ll ask Yammy to sit tight.”
“Hark.” Diez Espada grunts in dismay. I’d probably do the same if I were asked to remain seated in such an uncompromising position-
“Well, Yammy,” Stark starts, “Since you’ve been dubbed to be in amicable terms with my client here, I’ll ask you, this query is rather subjective since the answer will depend on your personal judgment, do you think Ulquiorra Scheiffer here is capable of possessing, or should I say developing, sexual tendencies?”
Well, if this is meant as an insult to my emotional capacity, I should say it-
“Oh come on, Stark, you can’t be asking me that shit!”
“Answer it now, Undecimo Espada.”
“It’s fucking Diez Espada, dammit! What the hell is wrong with you bastards??”
“Sorry. Now if you please, my question…”
“Cheh. Well, he’s an ice cube; that’s given. I mean, them whores Mila Rose and Lolly and Melony are like practically throwing their bodies at him and he wouldn’t bat a friggin’ eye, know what I mean?”
Mentioned Fracciones blush in their cheeks. I remember these females having asked me on more than ten occasions to join them in their activities. I simply choose not to associate myself with such low-grade species-
“That’s because he’s a freaking faggot.”
It’s Grimmjow Jaggerjack . This is not the first time he’s made a blunder out of himself by proclaiming an atrocious idea. I can’t even say he said that with certainty. For all everyone knows, he’s either lying or is talking nonsense. What’s worse is that once again, the responsibility of correcting him is delegated to me-
“I’m giving you a first warning, Sexta Espada. If you don’t behave accordingly, I will have to acquit Cuatro Espada.” Tousen warns sharply before turning to my lawyer, “Stark, please resume.”
“So Yammy, what you’re trying to say is Cuatro Espada here is an uptight person and is incapable of indecency, and attesting to that is your testimony of his disinclination to temporal pleasures, is that it?”
Diez Espada flinches and glances around guardedly. “As far as I know, he’s just not the type who’d undress anyone coercively unless Aizen-sama orders him to or great necessity calls for it.”
“Good. So now I ask you the one-million dollar question; do you think what Grimmjow's saying is true?”
By all accounts, the answer is ‘no’. It makes me think, why must we undergo this inconvenient necessity when one simple word can decide it all? ‘No’ is the answer-
“Yes.”
There you have it; the bare… pardon me? What exactly is happening? Why did the answer turn out to be a complete reversal of the truth? This is such an abysmal failure to comply with reality; this is neither necessary nor correct. A mistake of such magnitude is not excusable even for one accidental second-
“Pardon me?” Stark asks, looking thoroughly wiped out.
“Yes. I think Grimmjow’s telling the truth.”
“But you have just earlier made affirmative the statement that Ulquiorra Scheiffer is not the type of Arrancar who’d persecute lewd overtures on anyone-”
“-unless Aizen-sama orders him to OR great necessity calls for it. Come on, man, he’s had it goin’ on for Grimmjow for donkey years now. And I think that falls under great necessity.”
Just what is fueling this mass hatred against me? Has the world come down to such degradation? My fellow Espada, the one whom I deem closest to me, has spoken in such a liberally antagonistic fashion against me! This has inconvertibly tainted our formerly sublime relationship-
Stark clears his throat with a strenuous effort, “But these-these donkey years of longing, as you put it-do they all fully account for an accusation of such volume? Is 'harassment' the appropriate term for it??”
“I dunno what ELSE you’d call it, Stark.”
Why is everyone forging alliances with imbecility? Since when did the truth become a negligible idea? Stark starts to pace up and down the floor. His thinking seems to be clogged by heavy worries. If a good counter attack ever makes its way to his mind, I must say he truly is deserving of being (insert value here) Espada. Bad luck has rounded on me quite abundantly and-
“Fuck this.”
...
I've said it aloud. They're staring at me, stunned.
Tousen clears his throat before saying, “I'm giving you a first warning, Cuatro Espada; do not interrupt. Now, Stark, please go ahead.”
“Donkey years, you say, Yammy?” my lawyer appears to have regained his former mood.
“Yeah. Goes back way beyond last year…and the year before that…and the year before that one…and, nah, you get my drift, don’t ya?”
Here is Yammy again, speaking with so complete an absence of regard for propriety. I have about as much anger in me now as I am entitled to feel and I can just employ my Cero skills at Diez Espada. I feel as though all he seeks to gain at the moment is my abhorrence and my indignity. But now Stark is rubbing his chin in an inhibited fascination. And then he sinks under the tide of his amusement and begins to smile as if what Yammy has just said parallels with something altogether inconsequential and inadequate-
“Conventionally speaking, these plain facts suggest that there has been a long-running issue between Sexta and my client here. If that is indeed the case, isn’t all this reconciliatory to the idea, if not the fact, that Grimmjow had overstepped his own patience by taking too long to report the alleged trespassing? But Sexta Espada and patience don’t quite get along. In fact, he’s more inclined to resort to violence than to have his troubles sorted out in a formal manner.” Stark pauses and retracts his gaze to the set of jury. He continues, “Can you now see the truth that I have just made out of my assumption? If not, well then; patience has NO place in mischief. Yes, it is true that two nights ago something out of the ordinary happened in Grimmjow Jaggerjack’s private chamber. And that something, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, was consensual sexual intercourse.”
Stark tilts his head to Sexta’s direction. His austerity soothes me. His confidence is something you won’t witness in one lifetime. His intelligence has hitherto revealed the limitations of mere commonsense. His reverence further diversifies the reactions of the crowd; some look up at him in awe, some eye him fearfully…
...but someone’s stare defies description…
“Stark. You can just fucking die now.”
Grimmjow Jaggerjack has risen to his feet with murderous intents channeling through him.
TBC
A/N: I'm no law student so I dunno a shit about courtroom ethics and the rest of the general procedures. Let's just say this is how they do it in Las Noches.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach; genius Kubo Tite does.
A/N: The lines in bold font are Ulquiorra’s dialogs, meaning he’s saying them aloud. Rated M; Curses everywhere, so minors, stay away. ;)
Chapter I
Chapter 2
--
How puzzling. I couldn’t manage to sleep decently last night. Well, whatever the reason is, it can wait-
“Calling on Grimmjow Jaggerjack and Ulquiorra Scheiffer and their respective attorneys; please proceed to the Justicia Hall immediately.”
I make haste to the basement to fetch Stark, promptly employing my brilliant Sonido. I knock on Stark’s door. There’s no answer. Well, I guess I’ll make do with no attorney. After all, I’ve always stood alone…I stand alone.
I emerge into the Justicia Hall to find Grimmjow and Szayel seated on the prosecutor’s desk. To my utter surprise, Stark is lounging at the defense attorney’s chair. I nod apologetically to express my disapproval of my inexcusable detainment when-
“We shall now commence the hearing. Prosecutor, please state your complaint briefly.” Tousen says. He is the Chief Justice official around here so it only follows that he will be the judge of this case-lawsuit.
The other Espada are occupying the Jury stand. Lieutenant Gin is among the spectators which basically comprise the Fracciones. Aizen-sama is nowhere to be seen.
Szayel stands up and clears his throat before throwing Stark a bemused glare. Well, if he's trying to seduce my attorney-
“I hereby disclose the nature of the complaints of my client, Grimmjow Jaggerjack who is ranked sixth among the Espada, against Ulquiorra Scheiffer, Cuatro Espada, who allegedly performed some malicious, if not exactly hideous, actions towards said client. The major offense, aka final straw, took place two nights prior, according to my client, in said client’s chamber where Cuatro Espada performed the material fulfillment of his sexual urges over him.”
In rare occasions, such derogative statements can veil the truth in certain accusations. In Szayel’s case, he came in rather more ardently than required that his bias thinking manifests fairly transparently-
“Does the defendant plead guilty or not guilty?” Tousen asks.
Stark stares at me. It seems as though he knows not how to answer the question he’s obligated to. Slowly, I become horrified by the realization that Stark and I have made not the slightest of preparations for this hearing. How could I have been so erratic? This is such a menial task that I so mindlessly neglected-
“Not guilty.” Stark says.
“Well then, I am awarding the first interrogation to the prosecutor. Szayel Apollo Grantz, please call on your first witness.”
Szayel conducts himself to the open floor and nods at Lieutenant Tousen. “May I call on Yammy, Ulquiorra Scheiffer’s Fracciones-”
“-when the fuck did I become a Fraccion??” Yammy bursts forth heatedly. Indeed, the information Szayel has spoken out loud was erroneous, perhaps even defamatory. Why, he mistook an Espada for a Fraccion, consequently and instantly marring his own reliability-
“Oh. I’m sorry. My mistake. In any case, please take the witness stand.” Octava says. Yammy occupies the empty seat grudgingly. Szayel speaks again, “Yammy, you are reputed to be quite close with the defendant, Cuatro Espada, can you-”
“-Objection your honor. I don’t believe Yammy and Ulquiorra’s relationship can, in any way, be considered as close. As you all here are very well aware, there’s no bond of friendship or any form attachment that connects us all Espada together.” Stark snips through. Szayel is currently marveling at my lawyer’s execution of reason.
“Sustained.”
Octava grins. The indefatigable moron; just what's so funny-
“Let me rephrase that. Yammy here and Ulquiorra have gone on several missions together. I used the word ‘close’ in a literal sense. Agree? So I will ask you now, Frac-Diez Espada; two nights ago you arrived here in Hueco Mundo from a mission in the human world WITH Ulquiorra Scheiffer, did you or did you not?”
“Yeah.”
“And when you touched down here in Las Noches, where did you go straight to?”
“My room.”
“Would you happen to know where Cuatro Espada went straight to?”
Yammy, the blithering idiot, starts to look around nervously and he seems unable to emit another sound-
“I wouldn’t know.”
“But isn’t your room adjacent to his?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see him enter his room before you entered yours?”
“No. He probably went off inspecting the corridors.”
“But that night was a Tuesday. On Tuesdays, Lieutenant Gin is responsible for corridor patrolling. I’m asking you again, did you or did you not see him enter his room?”
“No.”
“No further questions, your honor.” Szayel curtsies elegantly. He goes back to his chair and there Grimmjow slaps his palm against his; a sort of triumphant gesture. Frankly, I can't quite locate the source of their satisfaction; why, the facts that Yammy has just exposed translate to...nothing.
“Okay. Defendant, would you like to introduce a new witness or would you opt to keep Yammy for further inquiries?” Tousen asks Stark.
Stark scratches his hair, an indication of some inconvenience-
“I’ll ask Yammy to sit tight.”
“Hark.” Diez Espada grunts in dismay. I’d probably do the same if I were asked to remain seated in such an uncompromising position-
“Well, Yammy,” Stark starts, “Since you’ve been dubbed to be in amicable terms with my client here, I’ll ask you, this query is rather subjective since the answer will depend on your personal judgment, do you think Ulquiorra Scheiffer here is capable of possessing, or should I say developing, sexual tendencies?”
Well, if this is meant as an insult to my emotional capacity, I should say it-
“Oh come on, Stark, you can’t be asking me that shit!”
“Answer it now, Undecimo Espada.”
“It’s fucking Diez Espada, dammit! What the hell is wrong with you bastards??”
“Sorry. Now if you please, my question…”
“Cheh. Well, he’s an ice cube; that’s given. I mean, them whores Mila Rose and Lolly and Melony are like practically throwing their bodies at him and he wouldn’t bat a friggin’ eye, know what I mean?”
Mentioned Fracciones blush in their cheeks. I remember these females having asked me on more than ten occasions to join them in their activities. I simply choose not to associate myself with such low-grade species-
“That’s because he’s a freaking faggot.”
It’s Grimmjow Jaggerjack . This is not the first time he’s made a blunder out of himself by proclaiming an atrocious idea. I can’t even say he said that with certainty. For all everyone knows, he’s either lying or is talking nonsense. What’s worse is that once again, the responsibility of correcting him is delegated to me-
“I’m giving you a first warning, Sexta Espada. If you don’t behave accordingly, I will have to acquit Cuatro Espada.” Tousen warns sharply before turning to my lawyer, “Stark, please resume.”
“So Yammy, what you’re trying to say is Cuatro Espada here is an uptight person and is incapable of indecency, and attesting to that is your testimony of his disinclination to temporal pleasures, is that it?”
Diez Espada flinches and glances around guardedly. “As far as I know, he’s just not the type who’d undress anyone coercively unless Aizen-sama orders him to or great necessity calls for it.”
“Good. So now I ask you the one-million dollar question; do you think what Grimmjow's saying is true?”
By all accounts, the answer is ‘no’. It makes me think, why must we undergo this inconvenient necessity when one simple word can decide it all? ‘No’ is the answer-
“Yes.”
There you have it; the bare… pardon me? What exactly is happening? Why did the answer turn out to be a complete reversal of the truth? This is such an abysmal failure to comply with reality; this is neither necessary nor correct. A mistake of such magnitude is not excusable even for one accidental second-
“Pardon me?” Stark asks, looking thoroughly wiped out.
“Yes. I think Grimmjow’s telling the truth.”
“But you have just earlier made affirmative the statement that Ulquiorra Scheiffer is not the type of Arrancar who’d persecute lewd overtures on anyone-”
“-unless Aizen-sama orders him to OR great necessity calls for it. Come on, man, he’s had it goin’ on for Grimmjow for donkey years now. And I think that falls under great necessity.”
Just what is fueling this mass hatred against me? Has the world come down to such degradation? My fellow Espada, the one whom I deem closest to me, has spoken in such a liberally antagonistic fashion against me! This has inconvertibly tainted our formerly sublime relationship-
Stark clears his throat with a strenuous effort, “But these-these donkey years of longing, as you put it-do they all fully account for an accusation of such volume? Is 'harassment' the appropriate term for it??”
“I dunno what ELSE you’d call it, Stark.”
Why is everyone forging alliances with imbecility? Since when did the truth become a negligible idea? Stark starts to pace up and down the floor. His thinking seems to be clogged by heavy worries. If a good counter attack ever makes its way to his mind, I must say he truly is deserving of being (insert value here) Espada. Bad luck has rounded on me quite abundantly and-
“Fuck this.”
...
I've said it aloud. They're staring at me, stunned.
Tousen clears his throat before saying, “I'm giving you a first warning, Cuatro Espada; do not interrupt. Now, Stark, please go ahead.”
“Donkey years, you say, Yammy?” my lawyer appears to have regained his former mood.
“Yeah. Goes back way beyond last year…and the year before that…and the year before that one…and, nah, you get my drift, don’t ya?”
Here is Yammy again, speaking with so complete an absence of regard for propriety. I have about as much anger in me now as I am entitled to feel and I can just employ my Cero skills at Diez Espada. I feel as though all he seeks to gain at the moment is my abhorrence and my indignity. But now Stark is rubbing his chin in an inhibited fascination. And then he sinks under the tide of his amusement and begins to smile as if what Yammy has just said parallels with something altogether inconsequential and inadequate-
“Conventionally speaking, these plain facts suggest that there has been a long-running issue between Sexta and my client here. If that is indeed the case, isn’t all this reconciliatory to the idea, if not the fact, that Grimmjow had overstepped his own patience by taking too long to report the alleged trespassing? But Sexta Espada and patience don’t quite get along. In fact, he’s more inclined to resort to violence than to have his troubles sorted out in a formal manner.” Stark pauses and retracts his gaze to the set of jury. He continues, “Can you now see the truth that I have just made out of my assumption? If not, well then; patience has NO place in mischief. Yes, it is true that two nights ago something out of the ordinary happened in Grimmjow Jaggerjack’s private chamber. And that something, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, was consensual sexual intercourse.”
Stark tilts his head to Sexta’s direction. His austerity soothes me. His confidence is something you won’t witness in one lifetime. His intelligence has hitherto revealed the limitations of mere commonsense. His reverence further diversifies the reactions of the crowd; some look up at him in awe, some eye him fearfully…
...but someone’s stare defies description…
“Stark. You can just fucking die now.”
Grimmjow Jaggerjack has risen to his feet with murderous intents channeling through him.
TBC
A/N: I'm no law student so I dunno a shit about courtroom ethics and the rest of the general procedures. Let's just say this is how they do it in Las Noches.