There's A Hole In the Neighborhood

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Who: Ulquiorra Cifer, OPEN
When: Anytime during the week
Where: About Anatole
Format: Prose or Action, whichever is preferred.
What: The Espada's just trying to get himself more familiarized with the city. Perhaps you can also call it reconnaissance.
Warnings: None at the moment, depends on who he runs into.

Comments

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     The movement had not gone unnoticed, and Ulquiorra cast a glance out of the corner of his eye just in time to see the petite figure dart just out of sight. He figured the Shinigami was wise to conceal herself, although that only made him somewhat suspicious of her actions. Keeping tabs on him, then? Well, he supposed he couldn't blame her. Different a place as this was, old ways and a lack of trust still ran deep.

For a moment longer the small Espada continued to survey things from where he stood. If Rukia had hoped to catch him doing anything else, she'd have to have a matching patience to match his.

Things continued like this for a time, but eventually Ulquiorra deliberately turned his head to look in her direction, if just to let her know that he was well aware of her presence.

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     There was neither a smirk nor a snort at the words that were spoken to bridge the gap of silence between them, even though Ulquiorra found them ridiculous. He remained where he stood for the time being, deciding that moving closer might be seen as some sort of provocation. Shinigami were so cautious.

"Attempted small talk is unnecessary," he replied. There was no sense in hiding the obvious, and the Espada didn't care to waste his breath on meaningless prattle.

He turned his glance away from Rukia to look out at the streets below, but hardly did that mean he'd dismissed her presence completely. "Expecting something?" She would not have been there watching, otherwise.

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     Any of his brethren would have laughed at that response. Ulquiorra offered only the vaguest of shrugs. Rukia could call it what she would; they both knew the ulterior reasons, whether it was intentional or not.

"Should I be?" It was both a question and not. While he was not specifically seeking anything in particular, he was always open to what might come up, especially with the charge that Aizen had mentioned. For now, the Espada was simply picking his way around the city.

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     Ulquiorra had not forgotten the truce that the little Shinigami had mentioned. He hadn't cared too much to question it since he'd figured there would be no reason to resume meaningless squabbles here.

"...I have seen some of the occurrences around the city over the Forges," he offered. "It seems that even here you Shinigami have found something to do to make use of your time." And skills, he refrained to add, but it was implied. "For myself, there has been no trouble so far."

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     The Espada shrugged at that. What the Shinigami put their time and energy into now wasn't really his concern now. He supposed it wasn't impossible that they would eventually butt heads over some matter or another, but for the time being, his hands were clean. Both physically and metaphorically.

"So I have heard." And when it found him, he would just have to deal with it accordingly. Inwardly he was perhaps just the slightest bit curious about what lurked within the city, these strange Mists and even stranger beings from other worlds.

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     You learned a lot from listening and watching, and Ulquiorra was very good at both. Trouble was unavoidable in general, so hardly had the Espada expected that things would be any different here.

"It was difficult not to notice." After all, one of those that had first spoken to him over the Forges shouldn't have been able to see him at all. Bizarre, not so much as annoying, but not impossible to get around. It would just take more effort.

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     As Rukia chose not to offer any further information, Ulquiorra did not expect her to. She had already given him more than what he would have thought any Shinigami would offer an Arrancar when they'd first made contact over the Forges. The feeling was still mutual; hardly were relations between the two sides at friendly levels.

Were he more inclined to, he might have smirked at the Shinigami's observations. Instead he remained indifferent as always that Rukia might as well be making conversation with a marble statue.

Finally he did move, if only to turn his head and his gaze back out towards the city. "...would you say that you remain for the most part, unchanged, or do you think that you will, since coming here?"

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     It was an answer he found acceptable and reasonable. Were the question asked of himself, he would have said the same, though even before being brought to Anatole he had already slowly begun to change, even if he hadn't realized it himself.

"True enough. But the situation has also changed." They were not forcefully pressed on opposing sides for held pawns and positions. That did not mean a game was still not being played.

That vibrant gaze swung back towards Rukia as though it could bore right through her. "Why?" he repeated, considering the question. "Would it make a difference to you?"