Story by Ekroth Ekronicus
Written by Joe D. Mercala
It's a waste not to learn from one's surroundings.
Ulquiorra knew that, and because of it asked himself a question.
What happiness is there to be found in a burger?
Is there some sort of intrinsic satisfaction to some kinds of food people eat? There are a thousand commercials touting that one would love a certain brand's burger, or some kind of pizza or other supposed fast food item…and yet these are the things linked to weight gain and health problems.
Is it like some moral choice, does eating healthy denote a goodness and strength to one's soul while eating unhealthily promotes a taint in one's spirit as one chows down upon super sized meals and supposedly diet soda?
Are you truly what you eat?
Ulquiorra, ever the inhuman creature reborn into a man's body, thought about this as he ate a plain, condimentless burger.
No cheese.
The burger itself was from a large chain restaurant, one that Ulquiorra had seen many a commercial on tv for. He had decided to try out one of their items more or less on a whim rather than sonido home for a quick lunch.
Biting into it, he discovered no secret flavor or grand taste really. In fact, he was extremely certain that cooking meat at home and using spices and such to flavor it would be much more satisfying than the small, thin puck of a burger put upon extremely weak buns.
Then he set his mind upon looking at those around him. The people of the establishment who were also partaking in the food.
The largest population of which seemed to be families with two or more children. The parents looked extremely exhausted, barely being able to pull some fries into their mouth as their children would devour everything like small, soul starved hollows. Ulquiorra could understand their presence. Children, it seemed, could be an incredible handful and sometimes it was simply easier to feed them fast food than take the time to make something for them.
They were not the only ones around though. Another group he could see were obvious workers, construction men and professionals in the middle of their day looking to grab something quick to eat before they could go back to making bank repairing the city from monster attacks. They paid quickly and left quickly, something that Ulquiorra could appreciate. They were the backbone after all, but like the parents they did not seem to be buying this food to make themselves happy.
Among the other scattered groups, there was one or two rare oddities that caught Ulq's eye.
Heroes, who would wait in line with everyone else, get to the front…and pay with change. It wasn't all too surprising at the moment. A Class and above heroes were the ones getting paid well enough, but anything B class or below would probably have more than a little bill trouble.
Though, there was something rather strange that came out of watching the heroes eat. When they sat down Ulq saw something of a quiet desperation to them as they pulled their burgers out. Upon eating them a look of deep satisfaction welled up inside of them and gushed from their faces like wet sobbing tears. It was actually a little disquieting to more than just Ulquiorra himself, as others in the restaurant would look upon the heroes eating as well.
He looked down at his own burger, quirking his brow for a short moment. Perhaps…happiness through food is not obtained through simply eating the food as suggested. Much like medicine, maybe it can only be expected to have its intended effect if someone ingests it during more desperate conditions. The struggle to have such a burger may bring on the happiness all the commercials represent…food for thought at least.
Back when he was a Hollow, food was nothing more than preying on others. It wasn't done for any sort of pleasure, but for survival itself. Ulquiorra had once thought the act was quite decadent when he was reborn. Humans tend to fuss over what they eat quite a bit, judging others and themselves rather than simply eating recommended amounts. There seemed to be no end to opinions about it, but once again he still wondered how it all related to happiness?
Perhaps judging the situation from a Hollow point of view, was in itself empty. No, to satisfy his actual hunger Ulquiorra would have to do what he's done for quite a while in this human body of his…and that was to study other people.
Luckily, today was the absolute perfect chance to do so. The company he worked for had been contacted by three possible clients that all needed what seemed to be some light work done for them. His job was to evaluate each of them quickly today and make sure their needs were taken care of.
However, thanks to this situation it may be prudent for him to use the occasion to probe into the eccentricities of others to decipher the peculiarities of other people under a more scrutinizing eyes as to ascertain their proclivities in choosing certain classifications of sustenance over more deliberately fruitful options…
Or, to put it in a way his brother could understand, he would ask people about food and if it made them happy to see what would happen.
Finishing his plain and simple burger, he made sure to wipe any crumbs off of himself and the table before wiping his mouth with a cheap napkin despite the fact there wasn't anything there to wipe away really. He set his briefcase on the table and spread out each file, making sure that he would be brushed up on each client before they ever sat down.
The that would supposedly come is a relative newcomer to the hero scene. A Mumen Rider, real name Satoru. Quite an interesting individual... to Ulquiorra at least. Like his brother, the young man had carved out a place for himself despite possessing no incredible qualities or powers. He simply rode a bike, wore relatively simple armor and went on patrol much in the same way a policeman would.
Perhaps in talking to him, Ulquiorra could understand the position his brother is in, as both he and this Mumen Rider aspire to be heroic. Perhaps something in his diet as well will lead to a more interesting insight as well, yes…
Zeniru was not much of a surprise. Ulquiorra had seen his name come up for months on the list of tax benefactors the company he worked with served. A rich man with very few scruples whose very name spoke to the amount of pockets he could line.
Knowing what he knew about the situation with the man, it was no surprise that he had come to Ulquiorra. It was after all just a matter of time as he would come down the totem pole…and after all, a man with such riches would always need people like Ulq to keep everything counted and square.
Well, as counted and square as it could be with the rich. It was something of a sad state of affairs that Ulq had to follow. The rules and tax laws gave the rich many more loopholes to jump through and many ways to pay little to almost no taxes in some cases.
Ulq considered the law the law though, and didn't care much for stirring up trouble. Besides, doing anything against one rich man wouldn't save the system for the others out there.
The last of the people he was scheduled to interview was a rather strange case indeed.
Shadow Ring, a B Class hero at the moment that would soon make it to A class in a matter of days. However, the file on Shadow Ring was small, even by the standards of most heroes the form for this particular ninja was rather empty. It was quite strange to see. Without a first or last name to go off of, there was no other information to really gleam off of it other than the fact the hero was a ninja.
At least, that is what they claim to be. Such a distinction can be tricky in the world they happen to live in, though it does make him wonder what even a self proclaimed ninja eats and how that pertains to their own fulfillment?
He supposes all of it will be answered in time, for now he may have to order a new burger. They may bring happiness to come, but god are they not filling.
Bad times hit everyone.
They rain upon the poor and the rich alike, but sometimes one with money has much better chances of scraping through than someone without such resources.
Zeniru had considered himself quite the solid businessman. Just about everyone in F-City knew of him and what he did for a living. His millionaire lifestyle was simply a reward for the work he had done in his field.
What was the field you may ask?
For the moment, clean up.
That's right, this man makes bank off of the monster battles and city destruction going on everywhere. It was actually something of an interesting racket, since all one really had to do was own a fleet of trucks and construction equipment and then suddenly bam, they needed all that to move fifteen destroyed buildings in a district out of the way so that people could go on with their lives.
It was not only a thriving business, but a growing one as well. Almost hard to keep up with in some ways, so much so that there was one aspect that was…hard to deal with.
For whatever reason, some people didn't like the fact that Zeniru made money off of what was essentially misery. They decried his business despite the fact he was offering a legitimate service that needed to be done. Some hated him, and some were just jealous of his wealth no doubt.
Either way, it caused a very bad problem with his accountants, who seemed to end up in "accidents" a fair bit. It wasn't until after his third accountant was dropped down an elevator shaft that he realized his people were having a few problems not being followed and intimidated.
Seeking help, he was recommended the services of one known as Ulquiorra, a man as mysterious as his odd, foreign sounding name he had. The info he was given about him was absolutely abysmal, saying nothing more than that the man was a freelancer that had graduated from a good college. He had no high level clients, no prestige…and yet…
Sitting back, in a lowly chain restaurant, listening to the sounds of children loudly laughing and eating around him, Zeniru could not help but feel a certain…uneasiness sitting across from the man as Ulq himself was looking through a mountain of paperwork.
He seemed to be nothing but an unassuming, dark haired, skinny lad…and yet his eyes had a rather strange intensity to them.
Zeniru never had to deal with anybody close to threatening in his life really. He was a rich man, just about everything was taken care of for him…but like a mouse before a lion, he could sense that he was out of the man's league in some form or way, he just couldn't be sure what it was about him that made him feel this way.
"Your taxes have piled up for a bit." The skinny man spoke after a long while sitting with the mountain of forms. "I will have to take some of it home to cross check your securities and balance accounts, but otherwise there does not seem to be many general issues. I can take care of it all within the week."
"You…there's millions of dollars in those accounts!" The middle aged millionaire declared. "It should take you more than a week to go through everything, I don't want a single cent getting screwed out of my account!"
The gaunt, dark haired once Hollow being stared at the man, presenting no emotion at all on his face. "You already have people stealing money from you."
Zeniru sat in stunned silence as one of the restaurant workers brought over a small platter on which some burgers and fries sat.
"Do please eat and I can explain." Ulq offered.
"But…this is peasant food, its-"
"If you do not wish to partake that is your choice, but either way I think it is possible you might feel better hearing all this on a full stomach."
The large, middle aged man sighed, reaching to grab one of the soft bunned hamburgers before tentatively taking a bite, finding the meat and the condiments on the burger a little unrefined, but not exactly…unenjoyable.
"Now, according to your books and what I can glean, your past accountants have been compromised. Apparently they have either been skimming money off the top for themselves, or for someone else. Either way, I would cut off any access to them."
Zeniru was surprised, he hadn't said a thing about his past accountants at all and yet just from looking at his record this young man could tell that not only was he being screwed, but that his past accountants had been compromised as well?
"The company I work for can funnel the work more directly to me, so that I can hammer out your money quickly. However that does not seem to be the only issue. If there are others trying to steal money from you, or see your money in envy, once they find they cannot attack your accountant, they will no doubt simply go to the source and attack you."
Attack him!? The thought of someone coming to hurt him made Zeniru almost choke on the cheap burger, luckily with his large, fat cat throat he was able to swallow it down. "Wait wait wait, would they not still just go after you first?"
Ulq reached over, grabbing a single, crispy french frie. "They have already tried, and failed."
Ever since he had taken the job, many had tried to follow him or corner him, however doing so was an impossible task thanks to Sonido. He kept his business work with him at all times in his briefcase so even searching his apartment would yield a would-be skimmer nothing in return.
In other words, Ulquiorra was the untouchable accountant.
"Now, as I was going to say, since others may find the best way to get to you now…is through you directly, their methods might be quite a fair bit less subtle next time."
"S-Subtle?"
Ulquiorra didn't think he needed to explain what others might do to a rich man, whether it be kidnapping or worse really.
"But…I have bodyguards-"
"Just as useful as the other accountants in this case. They can be intimidated or bought off. No, you need something a bit subtle yourself. An agent that you will no doubt pay handsomely, who won't be visible to anybody trying to get at you and who can deal with threats as they come. Someone like…a ninja, let's say, I actually may have someone I can recommend in this case, but we shall leave that for after."
Zeniru sat back, calmed a little but still a little stressed at even needing someone to protect him like that. The burgers he was eating were a strange comfort though.
"Are you enjoying the food? I thought perhaps you might not like what there was to eat here compared to say, a more expensive meal."
Zeniru sighed, swallowing between bites as he answered the young accountant. "Sometimes it doesn't matter. Sometimes it's better to think while eating…and sometimes you just don't care."
Ulquiorra seemed to consider the words quite carefully before he quickly went over all the papers again, pointing out to the rich man the accountants he would have to fire, where his money was ultimately going and how he might be able to maximize his prophets.
Compared to the usual boring talks he had to sit through day in and out among the corporate world, Zeniru found it oddly refreshing to speak in a chaotic restaurant, eating peasant food while talking about more than just his money, but also his protection.
It was…hmm, what did they call it?
Ah yes…a good change of pace!
"...and that should be about everything, Mister Zeniru sir."
The man smiled, wiping his hands of any errant salt and burger grease before reaching out to shake Ulq's hand. "Very good, this was…an interesting sort of day. Good work young man."
Ulquiorra quirks his brow. Most would be near asleep after all the money talk, but it seems the man was used to it but also liked things being straight forward. It was odd seeing someone enthused about his work and saying he had done a good job at all.
Reaching out, he allowed the man to take his hand, giving a weak shake before Zeniru slipped out of the booth they had both been sitting at.
The young accountant went on to take care of the paperwork for his next client before he might arrive while Zeniru was about to get into a limo, both of them realizing that the man didn't get the info for that supposed ninja that Ulq was possibly going to recommend, but both simply chalked it up to something they would take care of later.
For now, Ulquiorra would get ready for his next client, and Zeniru would consider looking around for something of a ninja for hire.
"I'm not hungry."
"Are you sure? I understand that someone who does strenuous activity such as yourself may need sustenance." Ulq stated.
"I'm fine, I ate some protein bars before I came, speaking of which, sorry I was late."
"It is no issue, I took care of a client before you came.'
Satoru, also known as Mumen Rider. had found the man before him, sitting in the booth looking at the small amount of tax forms before him to be a little…odd. He seemed to have this sort of straight laced aura and little emotion. It made the guy wonder if all accountants were just as humorless and direct.
"So, you have just started working as a hero rather recently, is that correct?"
Satoru nodded as Ulq quickly looked over the young man. His armor seemed to be nothing special really. Mostly being repurposed safety equipment professional bike racers would use turned into more of a generalized costume. Not exactly the kind of thing that screamed out hero. Frankly it just made the man look like he was really into bike riding.
"You just started in C-Class rather recently." Ulquiorra went on. "According to the files you've brought me from the hero association, you've been trying to keep busy dealing with small crime and community problems. I will say that your response time within your own city is actually pretty quick. Most heroes within your class are more of the Friendly Neighborhood types that take care of crime within small areas, but you seem to work fast within your city pretty well thanks to that bike of yours."
Satoru beamed with a bit of pride, looking outside the window upon his bike that had gotten him through half a dozen close scrapes with thugs. Not many saw the small bits of work C-Class heroes did…so it was good to hear about that from someone, even if it was just an accountant.
"However, according to these files, there is also a huge discrepancy with your taxes."
Satoru suddenly began to feel a little uneasy. A feeling that grew as he thought about how this might affect him. He had paid his taxes out well enough every year, and made sure to balance his account with the work he did getting paid as a C-Class, but if he screwed up hard enough…maybe it might end up with him looking like he tried to commit fraud!
"I…well, what kind of discrepancy? Is it so large a problem that we can't just…ignore it?"
The skinny man shakes his head. "No, it's much too large to be ignored. Actually, I think it may be the reason they sent you to speak with me, as I tend to be a very direct person with matters like this."
Matters like this? What did that mean…oh no, was the discrepancy so huge that he would get arrested!? That would ruin his hero career for good and he was trying so goddamn hard to head up further in the ranks! He was even going to buy a brand new bike and helmet so that he could get around even faster and now it's all going down the toilet.
"But…I mean, can we just push back dealing with it for a little bit, because I think I can-"
"I'm sorry, but that can't be done. Looking over your payments and what's owed, we need to execute a plan on this now."
The word execute only pushed Mumen Rider's uneasiness about the situation further as he felt a cold chill up his spine. Was this some sort of a sting? Was that why it was being done in a restaurant? To try to get him not to make a scene before a bunch of heroes burst in to take him and his bike away.
"Please…there's gotta be a way. Just tell me what I have to pay…"
The look on the accountant's face was cold, harsh and unforgiving to dear Satoru. "There is nothing you can pay to fix this situation…"
Feeling all he had worked for was about to shatter, dear Satoru's heart began to twist upon itself as everything he had struggled so hard for began to crumble before him.
"...after all, you're the one who is owed money here."
"Don't I get something for being a hero and saving…wait, what did you say?"
The man known as Mumen Rider looked at the skinny tax worker with deep and utter surprise as Ulquiorra moved to take a sip from a small coffee cup. "According to the forms you've brought, you've been overpaying on your taxes for years. Over about five percent actually, and seven percent when you joined the Hero Association. It seems whoever gave you your tax statements before has been…less than forward with you."
"Wait…so I don't owe…anything?"
"No, in fact the CTC and the Hero Association will no doubt be paying you back for any extra you have paid. Give me a short moment…" Ulquiorra reached out, taking a small calculator out of his briefcase to run some numbers.
Mumen Rider was actually rather impressed by the speed of the man's skinny fingers, pressing down upon the buttons in a flurry of motions before he finishes running up how much the man has been owed after what seems to be more than five years of overpayments.
Turning the device around, he pushes it toward the hero in question. "This is a rough estimate of what they would pay you back."
Satoru gawked at the number he was seeing before he looked back up at the gaunt man. "That…number isn't a joke, right?"
"No, it is not a joke…would you like something to eat now?"
Feeling as if he had been through a washing machine with how his feelings and life had been twisted before him simply by a misunderstanding, the dear young hero did feel a pang in his stomach that could need some filling.
"Yes…please."
Ulquiorra spent the rest of his time with Mumen Rider watching him eat cheap burgers with deep satisfaction, the way a man who just thought his life would be over with the hunger of someone that could have been on his own version of death row would do.
Ninja's are one for pre-planning and cautious strikes…however they are not ones for taxes.
Shadow-Ring had been told to report to someone for an evaluation on such a thing, however she did not like giving out her info to just anyone. She was a ninja after all, and her stealth should be preserved at any cost, even if she was a hero.
So, when Sai saw someone approaching her secluded home from out in the shadows where she had trained during the night, she moved in quickly to get an upper hand. Seeing nothing much more than a skinny man in business attire she thought to move in behind him with her assassin-like speed and interrogate him.
However, the moment she slipped behind him…he disappeared.
"I assume you are Shadow-Ring, is that correct?" His voice damn near freaks her out as it comes in from behind her. She jumps away, moving again to try to get on his side before he disappears again out of her sight. Sai feels something grab at her hood, pulling it back to reveal her face and stopping her from moving.
"Ah, you are female, that was not in your file.'
Trying to strike at him, she swung her fists and attacked with everything she had, unleashing every bit of training she had against him…only for it to fail. He simply kept moving out of the way, barely looked like he had even moved his body at all like he was simply teleporting about.
"Again, are you Shadow-Ring miss?" He asked again as she started breaking a sweat trying to catch him, finally her frustration gave in and she damn near screamed out at him.
"Yes! I am Shadow-Ring, are you happy now!?"
His face doesn't change at all, he simply gives her a small bow that just ends up confusing her. "My name is Ulquiorra. May I come inside for a moment? It will make it easier for me to help work with you inside rather than out here in the dark."
"Huh?"
Sai's ninja training had been passed down throughout her family for generations. Supposedly her clan had been part of one of many ninja villages that had existed back in the day, however they split off, mostly going into civilian life as the world didn't seem to really need ninja all that much.
However the training was still kept very much alive down the line almost for traditions sake alone. In fact, many things were given out of tradition, like Sai living in her grandma's home after she had passed. It was a bit bigger than one would expect, but she lived a humble life there all the same while she trained.
It was strange to have a man like Ulquiorra in it though, looking around the place and inspecting it like a detective, making her wonder just what sort of tax accountant he was?
"Uh…do you really need the full tour here?"
"Not exactly, mostly looking over the items you have and what could possibly be written off. You have quite a few weapons that must require servicing, sharpening and repair after use. Your house is large and rather spartan, but ultimately it's not bereft of personality. It appears that like your ninja persona, even how you decorate seems to be an effort to hide yourself."
"It's not just a persona." She states, narrowing her eyeshadow laden eyes at him. "I am a ninja, trained by even greater ninja."
Ulquiorra simply seems to shrug. "To me you seem normal. Though you seem to have a larger body fat percentage. With the hood on some one could think that perhaps you were a more muscular male, much like I did not but a few moments ago."
The woman blushed for the first time in a long time while crossing her arms. She didn't like being ogled and frankly wanted to put her hood back on…but to her at this point it would almost seem like admitting defeat in some way.
"Enough about me for a second. I don't know what you did back there, but you moved faster than any person without training should. It might be a speed that could put you in A-Class or above with some heroes in comparison…so what the hell are you?"
Ulquiorra stopped looking around, pausing for a moment before looking upward at the ceiling.
"My full name is Ulquiorra Cifer. I am an otherworldly malevolent spirit that had once been one of the strongest of my kind, fighting against a society of spiritual hunters of my kind. I followed our leader, once one of the members of said hunters, and fought a fifteen year old spirit reaper who used the power of my own people against me, killing me in an effort to save a girl that was his friend, but did not seem intimate with him at the time. After dying, I was reborn into a human body and I have been using my time to study humans in an effort to-"
"Okay okay! I get it, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She finally interrupts, sick of the rambling, incoherent story. "I understand, secrets of the trade and all that…let's just get down to the taxes if you don't mind, please?"
Ulquiorra Cifer wonders if anybody will ever truly take his story seriously before he gives the ninja girl a nod and they get to work.
How does someone measure awkward tension?
Apparently, one can cut the tension in a room with a knife when it gets thick enough. Awkwardness tends to rise up however, like water.
Sai was wondering how the damn man sitting before her couldn't understand how awkward he was being after asking her more than half a dozen questions that she knew had nothing to do with taxes.
He asked about her eating habits, about her family, her home. What made her happy, what made her fulfilled as a human being and why she was a hero. It got even more awkward when, with a straight emotionless face he would ask about her clothes! He wanted to know how many panties and bras she bought per year and how much she wore them! There had to be some sort of sexual harassment rule against that right?
"I hope you don't mind, but might I ask a more personal question?"
Wait, none of those questions before were personal at all? What the hell?
"I don't know, I guess you can…" She replied, hoping to get him out of the place sooner rather than later.
"You have hid yourself, down to even your gender. I know it goes with your ninja heritage, however you are not some cold assassin. You are, for all intents and purposes, a hero. Why do you do what you do if not for some kind of recognition and adoration?"
Feeling tired, she decides to answer in a rather non-committal way. "I don't know…I had skills, and jobs for actual ninja stuff don't really exist as much. It was the best way to use what I knew for…something."
"Strange, you seem like a rather normal girl. Why not do something else with your time?"
"Because…I'm good at this. Maybe not the best but…that's sort of part of the fun, trying to do it all better than before. Becoming stronger is all part of life's struggles, ya know?"
Ulq writes that down for himself to ponder later, but before he can ask another question she jumps at the chance to pre-empt him. "What about you? You have the ability to move even faster than I can and who knows what else, why aren't you out there being a hero, or heck, even a villain, why be…just an accountant?"
The once Hollow man sits back for a moment, before he answers. "When I was a spiritual creature, I longed to be stronger. Gaining enough strength, I joined others with comparable power, and yet there were things that still eluded me. Strength had not brought me what I desired, and neither did fighting in the end…so when I was reborn, I decided to try to find a different answer…and to do that, I would get into a job where I would get a view into people's lives. You would be surprised how much you can tell about someone from how they spend their money, like how you tend to buy sweets."
"W-What? How the heck do you know that! That's not in my statements at all!" She exclaimed.
Ulq pulls up a certain paper. "No, but you pull out a small amount of cash at a specific store, always in the smallest denomination. That store is right next to one that sells candy, and since I hear now change in your pockets as you move, nor any other items in or around your house that can be explained, I simply took a chance and gambled that you eat candy. Besides, I have learned from games that many girls seem to have a sweet tooth."
He learned from…games? Sai was loath to ask what games he could possibly be learning from, and instead wanted nothing more than an out to this conversation.
Talking like this simply wasn't her style, it was too open and awkward as all hell for the ninja to take. Not to say she didn't like a little self reflection or to talk to others, but it would be on her terms and not with mister "Reborn Evil Spirit" guy.
Luckily for Sai, she spied a ticket right behind the man on the counter. Her friend, Twin Tail had left it for her so that she might come to see her show whenever she wasn't busy. Sai had a hard time finding time for anything like that, but had planned to go…but maybe the ticket itself could serve another purpose.
"Well, now that everything is done uh…I want to give you a reward." She says awkwardly, pointing out the ticket behind him. "My friend gave me a ticket to a show of hers, but dear me…I cannot go, for I have…heroic duties! Ya, so…you can have it if you want."
Ulquiorra turned, grabbing the thin ticket and regarding it with blank curiosity for a moment. "Are you sure that's-"
As he turned to ask, he saw that the ninja girl had disappeared completely. Which would have been utterly rude to others, but Ulquiorra simply took it as a sign that everything that needed to be said was said.
Tucking the ticket into his briefcase, he left the home, closing the door behind him as he walked off the grounds.
Shadow-Ring sits out on a tree in the dark, watching him with curious eyes. Wondering, if for just a moment, perhaps he could be telling the truth. The idea however is so ludicrous her mind just sort of throws it to the back of her thoughts before she wonders how he might like Twin Tail's show.
Our dear ninja heroine gets back to training, set to get back into her rhythm with a bit of invigoration now that she sees there are much higher limits to reach after seeing Ulquiorra's sonido, but even then she could not help voicing her feelings to herself.
"Jeez, what a weird guy."
Speaking of sonido, it was not long before the once Hollow used it to get atop the rooftops once again.
Three people had come to him today, and all three of them had been enlightening in their own way. Zeniru showed a bit of fear but also a strange appreciation for the work Ulq did. Satoru also had a bit of nervousness to him before being utterly grateful for the money Ulq saved him…and now, after Sai, he had been given a ticket to see a show.
Ulquiorra had never done this job thinking he would get much appreciation out of it. In fact, the first day at work he was told most people would either hate him or think him utterly boring for it. However it was strange to have others show an appreciation for it…perhaps this is what a lot of heroes go through everyday? Getting adoration from the people they help?
It was something to consider at the least while the thin tax accountant looked out into the darkness of night, dragging his eyes across all the stars while he considered his next outing, and whether he would use the ticket given to him for the show.
After all, it would be a waste not to learn from one's surroundings, especially in what could be a place of entertainment.
