"You okay?" Ikkaku asked his two friends who were starting at the blank screen as Mayrui rewinded to watch more gore. "Hey… Earth to Hanngan and Yylfordt…."
"Woah… Tall guy didn't even…"
"Ikkaku… that… that's how he killed Ciricci. I just know it. I.. I just…"
"More popcorn…" Hanngan was in his own little world, shocked by the gore and the mask cracking stunt. "Anyone?"
He looked up to only see Mayrui sitting next to him with a large grin on his face and Nemu reading a book. "Anyone?"
"Hold up with the tissues." Yylfordt didn't want to disturb Nelliel's sleep. "I'm okay. It's been… about a month now.. It's okay."
"You sure?" Ikkaku's fingers hesitantly hovered over Nelliel's make-shift tissue pillow. "If Yumichika died, I would cry for years. And years. And years."
"No, I am fine. I just… I don't mean this out of disrespect. Ciricci was just another woman in my life. Another who just happened to die. It happens."
"It doesn't just happen!" Ikakku really wanted to slap him across the face for acting like this. "These are people you cared about. And sure there may have been one or two others before Yumichika, but they don't mean less to me. Nor does Yumichkia."
"True… True…" Yylfordt reached up with his sleeve to dry his eyes. "And I guess… I guess I shouldn't blame my brother so much… I… accidentally killed the first one. Isn't that funny?! I think it is."
"Accidentally?" Ikkaku wondered out loud.
"It was nearly a hundred years ago anyhow… so, yeah. I don't know what happened really and who ever I was… I can't even remember what his voice sounded like when it faded away… was so upset… because… this sounds really funny… but… Oh, if only I can stop laughing… long enough… to… tell… I mean, I… I ate her… I ate all of them…. The woman, the boy… and little Susie. I don't know… what I had done… too much pain….but this… you'll love this, Ikkaku, this is after I-oh, I m a hoot! After I pushed my own brother down the steps! Haha… Isn't that funny?! That's what he clams I did anyhow! And… why… why are you not laughing with me."
"Because…" Ikkaku let tears slide down his face. "It is sad. It is so…sad… here I was… thinking you were different. And yet… you… you are all the same. You are all monsters. And I… hate to say this…all the pain you are feeling, you created. You created it by first killing your brother who came back, am I correct? Yes. Yes I am. And now… he… he feels robbed of his life. I won't blame him if he decides to kill you. I… I am sorry, Yylfordt. I really am… but I cannot find it in me to find it in me to pity you. I… I won't be attending Ciricci's burial and I…. I can't talk to you. I am going to tell Kenpachi and we can put you back where you belong."
Ikkaku turned walked out the front doors of the Third Company, leaving the hollow on his own. When he arrived at the Eleventh Company, he found Hanngan covered in popcorn as Mayrui had Nemu dump the large bowl over his head.
"Hey!" Hanngan cried as his superior officer stormed past, obviously upset. "What's up?! Save me from this popcorn mess!"
"Shut up, Hanngan!" Ikkaku yelled, making his way out of the living room and through the court yard to his captain's quarters.
He walked up the wooden steps and gently knocked on the frame of the paper door. "Sir? Are you in there?"
"Yesh… what is it, Ikkaku? Getting my hair done." Kenpachi's grouchy voice said from inside. "And I-ow! Yachiru! Don't-ow! My hair! You ripped that right out my head!"
The small Vice-Captain laughed at her brother. "You are so silly Kenny! If you would stay still, I wouldn't accidentally do this!"
"AHHH! That's a whole… braid!"
"Hahahahaaaa!"
"Sir. Please let me in." Ikkaku begged. Wanting someone to share the weight he held on his shoulders. "I need to talk with you. It…it is a pressing matter I think you-"
The door slid open to reveal a very unhappy Kenpachi and laughing Yachiru. "It's okay Kenny! It will grow back! And Baldy looks sad! What's wrong? Find a wig that fit?!"
Ikkaku picked up the small girl and turned her upside down so all the bubble gum in her pockets fell to the floor. "You wish! You little squirt!"
"You should get a big, big, big, afro!"
"No thanks…" Ikkaku set the girl down and began handing her the gum off the floor. If he didn't look at his captain, it would be easier to talk and he was right as the whole story slipped out. "And I think we… we should maybe return him or lock him up. I…I don't want him to hurt anyone."
"Understood." Kenpachi couldn't believe he forgot about his missing braid for ten whole minutes. "I'll call Torisho to call what's her name."
"Tia Harribel."
"Yeah, her. And we can also get you Yumichika back."
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"Speaking of which, I wonder how he's doing…"
"Hello, Grimm!" Yumichkia cried as Grimmjow turned to leave his room after giving him a dinner of mashed potatoes with a nice silver ring on top. "It gets cold in here! I need another blanket!"
The Espada sighed and disappeared, only to return with a blue blanket a moment later.
"Here." Grimmjow thrust it in Yumichika's hands. "Mine. I don't need it."
"Why thank-dear holy-this smells like fish!" The Soul Reaper held it far away as possible. "Can you not get me a clean blanket?!"
Grimmjow ripped the blanket out of his hands and pinned the prison to the wall with the other. "Listen here, Diva Reaper. I am this close to blowing your head right off your neck! If you don't want this blanket, too bad because everyone else here is cold too! And you are being treated a whole lot better than the rest of us are. Is that clear?!"
"Un…" Yumichkia choked out, trying to pry Grimmjow's strong hands off his neck. "Let me go… Hollow…"
"Do you understand?!" Grimmjow didn't care if Tia was upset with him for attacking the prisoner. If she caught him, he would never ever have to serve this stuck up thing again. "Reaper, are you listening to me?! Good. Now stop complaining all the damn time and try to do something useful! Like not complaining!"
He removed his hand and Yumichika fell to the ground, gasping for air.
"Want this?" Grimmjow loomed over the poor prisoner.
"Yes!" Yumichika was not going to make this hollow any more upset having been nearly killed by all of the others. One threatened to rip out his eyes, the other wanted to eat him, the other wanted to remove all the organs in his body and the man with a sullen look threatened to puncture his very heart. "I will take the blanket."
Grimmjow toss it to the floor. "Good. Sweet dreams." With that, he turned and left the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. If he was ever going to hear the end of it from Tia, he had no idea. But since he had no blanket on his bed, it was time to go curl up with Tia for the night.
And sadly, Ulquiorra who was already a sleep when Grimmjow arrived at Tia's room. "And what may I ask is he doing here?!"
"He just migrated…" Tia had no real explanation to it all. "Let's go sleep in one of the empty Fracciones rooms…"
Grimmjow glanced at the peacefully sleeping Ulquiorra and agreed. "Or we could go sleep outside…."
"Good idea." Tia took his arm and led him outside into the sands beyond the palace, candle lantern in hand. "I know just the place." She took a step forwards and Grimmjow felt like he was being dragged by a run away horse. (Not like he knew what it would feel like… right?) "And here we are."
Grimmjow stood up and brushed the sand off of his clothes. "Where…" He blinked. He knew he had never seen this cave before. "Are we?"
"What used to be my home." Tia announced, walking inside as if she had just come home with a fresh kill. "Mel-rose, Apache, Sung-sun and I resided here. We protected ourselves and eventually made an agreement with other female hollows to protect our territory. You are one of the few men to enter and will exit alive."
Grimmjow laughed nervously, just noticing he was already halfway into the cave of doom. "Yes. Funny. Who were the others?"
"Let me see, I believe your friend, Shawlong was only let free after we realized he only wished to be reunited with his master. We found so many hollows laying on the sands to die back in the day… So many we just ate. Shawlong however, just kept pleading with us to let him go and insisting he be reunited with you. The women and I found his loyalty quite moving and we allowed him to rest until well.
The other…two was it. One was a Lion Hollow who begged for shelter for the night so he could continue his tireless search for his wife (Who was another hollow at the time), the next morning.
The third… well… It was rather a mistake…"
Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "Mistake? How? You are still here…"
"Yes…" Tia really did not want to remember, but… It already had been mentioned. "In the short, short story… Fornicaras looked rather like a woman…. We found him passed out in the sands and took him home. (I really think it was the long pink hair he had at the time.) Anyhow, after a threatening interrogation, he agreed to a life debt and to leave a soon as possible. Which was sadly a few days as he was in horrible shape."
"Yeah…" Grimmjow wasn't convinced. "And how between Mel-rose, Apache, Sung-sun and you, did you not notice Fornicaras was a man?"
"I don't really know…He was covered in sand and Hollow innards at the time and the women tend to get a little panicked…. Besides, what hollow who was a butterfly would be a man anyhow?"
"….Do you want me to even start?"
"No." Tia replied, sure it was the fact Sung-sun was in a panic at the time. "Anyhow, welcome fourth man of all time. Let us forget all the past disasters, shall we?"
"Yeah…" Grimmjow found himself being swept into a long kiss. "And- hey…"
Tia let him go and stared at him with her deep sea green eyes. "What?"
"I wanted to talk and you wanted to kiss me." He replied.
"Of course I wanted to kiss you. It has been days since I have had any time with you. Being queen is such a busy job…"
"It is." Grimmjow agreed, only to find himself smashed in another kiss. "And you know what?"
"What?' Tia asked, a touch of annoyance in her voice. Why wouldn't he just let her kiss him?!
"Maybe, you are in need of a little help."
"No. Grimmjow. No. This is a one-woman show. I will not allow you to be king as it would be a sign of weakness to the other sexist hollows and Soul Society."
"Well…" Grimmjow sighed, his arms wrapping around her waist. "It was just a thought…"
"It was a nice thought, but no." Tia was not going to let her heart be messed with. "And just how long have we been going out?"
"I don't know. It feels like forever."
"Good." Tia replied, kissing her annoyed man once again. "Because, I don't want to seem like what I am going to do next will be too soon."
Grimmjow paused.
"Wait. Tia?"
"Yes?"
"Did you just say too soon? Tia, are you kidding me? I have dreamed about you ever since I first met you ages ago under the moonlight."
Tia grinned. "Good." With that, she took the top off of the glowing candle lantern and blew out the light. "You won't need to dream anymore."