Characters: Neliel, Harribel
Summary: Neliel and Harribel, on the subject of Nnoitra, approval, and impressive feats. Onesided Nnoitra x Neliel.
Pairings: Onesided Nnoitra x Neliel
Warnings/Spoilers: General spoilers
Timeline: Pre-manga; while Neliel is still the third Espada
Author's Note: Obviously, this is from when Neliel and Nnoitra are the third and eighth Espada, respectively. Harribel is an Espada as well (the fifth, which is purely speculative), and Ulquiorra has just been introduced into Las Noches.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Las Espadas de Las Noches, the superior soldiers directly subordinate to Aizen Sousuke were a select, elite group of Hollow. Most were originally from the Adjuchas-class Menos, but some were actually former Vasto Lordes, though they took great care to hide such a fact, for reasons of security.

But the lower, baser instincts of Hollows unaltered by Aizen's experimentations still remained, Neliel thought with a grimace, as she surveyed the destruction Nnoitra had wrought across the scarred landscape inside of Las Noches.

For the life of her, Neliel had no idea what had set Nnoitra off. She never did know what compelled him to seek combat, to become the tormentor of the Números who resided in Las Noches. The blood scattering against the walls was proof of Nnoitra's bloody work that day; he seemed incapable of curbing his bloodier impulses.

Nnoitra had, of course, stormed off when Neliel called an end to the conflict, hazes of discontent and fury about him and anger and resentment that she had not needed even to draw her sword to cow him into backing down. After a few barked, obscene words, he left. He was his normal self, belligerent, bloody, violent, and ignorant. Wanting her approval, and seeking it through all the wrong avenues.

Nnoitra's victims, with blood slipping from their footsteps, limped off in the opposite direction of the eighth Espada, while Neliel watched silently, white-lipped and pale.

Neliel's fine, gloved hand clenched in and out around the hilt of her zanpakuto, tense and unhappy. For once, she wished for the frothy brew of ignorance to swallow her up.

"I'm surprised to see you hear alone." A calm, quiet voice sounded behind Neliel, and she turned, and smiled slightly, as Tia Harribel came and stood beside her. The fifth Espada was, as ever, in possession of her composure. A welcome change from the cacophony and turmoil of Nnoitra Jiruga. "You are rarely without your fracción by your side."

The taller of the two women nodded in acknowledgement to Harribel's astute observation. "I could say the same of you, Harribel-san. Where are your fracción?"

Harribel replied a ready answer, green eyes surveying with somewhat detached interest the crimson blood smearing the walls of the hall they stood in. "Apache, Mila-Rose and Sun-Sun fought hard in training today, and exhausted themselves. I thought it best to allow them to rest."

Neliel and Harribel were on a basis of distant friendship. They were of relatively similar personalities, held combat in the same light, and viewed each other as allies. They were not what anyone would call bosom friends, were not particularly close, but could speak freely when in each other's presence.

Vivid green eyes took on a hint of black amusement as they settled on a blood pool on the floor. "I take it Nnoitra has been through here?"

Smiling weakly and holding a hand to her forehead, Neliel asked, feebly, "How did you know?"

"Whenever violence occurs amongst the Arrancar of Las Noches and it's not due to an outsider, all the trouble can usually be traced back to Nnoitra Jiruga. He's a walking incitant to riot. So—" Harribel's voice was unusually level, even for her "—where did your Nnoitra slouch off to to sulk?"

An uncomfortable pricking washed over the back of Neliel's neck. "He's not my Nnoitra, Harribel-san."

Harribel shrugged, long strands of blonde hair rustling as a result of the disquiet; she folded her arms against her chest. "He follows you everywhere," she deigned to point out. "And you do the same. It's become accepted doctrine that wherever Nnoitra is, you usually aren't far behind him."

Neliel shot a vaguely unappreciative look at Harribel; she was always plainspoken, but did she have to be plainspoken right now? "Nnoitra is constantly finding trouble for himself. As his superior, I consider it my duty to see that he comes to no harm from his foolhardy actions."

"I suppose so." Harribel's tone was distinctively skeptical. Then, more softly, she added, "He's doing it to impress you. Surely you know that."

Yes, she did know. Neliel was uncomfortably aware of Nnoitra's motivations, misguided though they may be. Despite knowing that she was not, it made Neliel feel responsible for her younger comrade among the Espada, knowing that her conscience would give her pangs if she did not. She also knew that by following Nnoitra around, by breaking up his fights, she was only adding fuel to the fire.

"Well, if you see Nnoitra—" Neliel sounded strained and high-strung, neither typical sensations for her, jarring with her smooth voice "—will you please tell him that I remain distinctly unimpressed?"

This provoked a harsh laugh from Harribel.

Seeking to change the subject, Neliel turned hazel eyes on her comrade and asked, "Did you see the new arrival when Aizen-sama brought him in?"

"Yes. His name is Ulquiorra. He's to join us in the ranks of Espada. The rumor goes that he is one of the Vasto Lordes." A shiver of something like irritation went through Harribel. "My fracción and I were watching from one of the walls as Aizen-sama brought him inside. Apache seems to think he's—ahem—cute." Harribel dripped sarcasm at the word "cute". "Thankfully, Sun-Sun and Mila-Rose profess themselves indifferent."

Neliel remembered seeing Ulquiorra from high up on the wall too. She had had a good view of him. A figure, much smaller than Aizen, with large, arched bat wings sculpted of bone. "I can not say with any certainty whether or not Ulquiorra-san is a Vasto Lorde," Neliel admitted, "but I did meet him briefly, and I must admit, I found him to be "off-putting"."

Harribel nodded. "I," she muttered, just a little testily, "am not letting my fracción anywhere near this newcomer until I have the measure of him, regardless of whether Apache finds him attractive."

Always, Harribel's protectiveness of her fracción did her credit in a place where superiors often abused the loyalty of their subordinates.

Then, the smaller of the two Arrancar, stiffened and seemed to be preparing herself to walk away. "I'll have to take my leave, Neliel-san—forgive me? The three—" for that was how she often referred to her fracción "—are rarely happy to discover that I have gone and left them alone while they sleep."

Neliel nodded her acknowledgement. "Another time, then." As they began to walk away, in opposite directions, Harribel called after her.

"You can not ignore Nnoitra, you know. And there is no solution to him—if you allow him free reign, he will continue to wreak havoc, but if you curtail his efforts, you will have his resentment and hatred until the end of your days." Harribel didn't need to tell Neliel that she already had Nnoitra's resentment.

Neliel stopped, and sighed. Then, she started to go and look for Nnoitra.

She needed to try to make him see, that this was not the right path.

Even if she knew that all her attempts were futile, and doomed to failure.