Now You Feel Like Number None [Bleach Arrancar Quest]

Andres · Feb 20, 2018

The Sandman said:
So, I can't help but feel like there's another story we could tell, and I'm going to put in a hopeless write-in.

[X] The Tragedy of the Masked Hunter.

The story of a lone warrior from beyond fighting a hopeless eternal war against the world itself, brought down by the whims and games of those beyond him, his last thoughts of those he loved, and his killer having laid the seeds for his own defeat by killing him?

Yes, I think that Ashido Kano would make an excellent subject for an opera.

How does this relate to the Espadas on a personal level?

random_npc · Feb 20, 2018

Omicron said:
Such sorry things. To think you were like that, once. It would be easy to recoil at this thought, to be disgusted at your past weakness, to see them reflection of a past you've discarded. But it is not like you. Instead you feel pain, and compassion.

heh, and nemo recovers. Not only that but she works out roughly how she should act to leave them somewhat at ease with her experience. again, so glad we took flower of propriety.

Omicron said:
You were trying to explain to them the nature of opera, but you trail off; it will take too long to explain this and they are eating their meal, and you don't want to interrupt them. Would they care to share it with you? The Numeros nod tentatively and split some of their food into a new plate, holding it for you. You take it and sniff it - bland stew, bits of mist half-melted in some undefinable gruel, unseasoned. You delicately put the plate on the ground, and smile.

Nemo is trying very hard not to say something uncharitable here. She very enthusiastically embraced the trapping and comforts of civilization, probly because she spent so much of her life without even the crude ones other hollows would sometimes enjoy.

Omicron said:
How would they like to enjoy an Espada's hospitality? As you see fear in their eyes, you hasten to explain that the Espada will not be there. You are her Fraccion, however, and empowered to cater to any guests in her name. You assure them that they will find it much more filling, and satisfying, than whatever they are used to as unbound Numeros. And it comes with no strings attached - you would like to enlist their help with something, but explaining would take time, so offering them a meal and explaining the idea on the way is just good efficiency.

They all look to each other, then a frail-looking woman clears her throat and asks, hesitantly:

"We would just like to ask… You're not a Fraccion of the Noveno, right?"

You burst out laughing.

If you were, you doubt you'd have lasted long enough to invite them to lunch. A few smiles appear on the Numeros' faces. Fear of Aaroniero Arruruerie is something that all below the Espada can relate to, and making light of his rumored feasts is makes you seem that little bit closer to them.

isn't it sad Aaroniero?

Omicron said:
"We don't know, my lady," a male Numero with green-streaked black hair answers. "They've started roaming the corridors again lately, though they don't… do anything. And sometimes they just stand in one place for days on end. This one was here when we came to take lunch, and we gave it a plate. It ate the whole thing without a word and then just sat there. Hasn't said a word or moved an inch."

huh, weird. I wonder if this is because jaklton is trying to jog his brothers into awareness or something? or maybe some of them are slowly becoming people? odd.

Omicron said:
And while you are mildly annoyed that Luppi bailed on you the moment you entered the room, you also have to consider the fact that this may be impossible in his vicinity. You eye him coolly. After a while he lets out a theatrical sigh, eyes rolling, and waves his sleeves.

"Fiiine. I'll give it a shot."

His reiatsu flares slightly - and then enters a strange state of turmoil, as if he were wracked by a chaos of emotion, shifting and squirming around him. Luppi strains visibly, his eyes narrowed, his forehead creasing, a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek. Then his pressure collapses inwards, and disappears again.

"Urgh, that's so uncomfortable," he says in a disgusted tone. "I feel naked as a babe. You feel any different?"

You frown, testing your spiritual awareness, but Luppi's aura was so subtle you'd only noticed it when he flared his reiatsu in front of you. With it suppressed, you wouldn't be able to tell if it's there or not. You'll just have to… Urgh… Trust him.

"Yeah, I don't like it either," he shrugs. "Anyway, let's go before your gang-pressed artists bump into the Sexta and get themselves killed or something."

They're not… You didn't press-gang them! Luppi just laughs and walks out of the room, and you hurry on his heels, fuming.

god I love the interaction of Nemo and Luppi. They absolutely hate each other, but it's the kind of hate where they actually help each other out. Luppi disappearing forced Nemo to realize she was the one they where afraid of, and Luppi probably suspected what mistake she'd have made with him in the room. They can barly go a six words without throwing barbs at each other, but I think Luppi likes having someone he can trade barbs who is neither cowed by him, or likely to actually try and kill him. That we can keep up with him is probly the greast feat of Style Nemo has shown to date.

Omicron said:
"Sorry. Food's delicious, but… Nah, I don't believe in anything you just said. If I stayed I'd just end up mooching off you and then disappearing halfway through, and then the Fraccion lady would be angry at me. Better I just leave, eh."

Another Numero nods, saying nothing but seeming to agree with the sentiment. You nod with resignation, they bow, and they depart from the Red Chamber.

You look at those who remain. Ten Numeros in total, watching you with wariness but also anticipation.

You can work with this.

so not everyone, but the fact that Nemo let them walk away with no issues is probably something the ones who stayed noticed. Though if those two disappear soon for unrelated reasons the rumors will be a pain.

Omicron said:
"Could you at least show us the music again?" he tries. "It would help us find the right melody again."

You think about it for a moment, then go pick your zither again. The Numeros all fall silent and watch you with hungry eyes. It would almost be distracting, if you could be distracted from your art. You consider them, their weakness, their fragility, their loneliness even when standing all together, and you begin to play.

It starts out harsh on the ears, a disharmonious sound. Scattered accords that do not blend together, and the Numeros have enough of an ear to realize that something is wrong. You smile faintly and play on, and slowly these accords come together, weave into each other, build something that is greater than the sum of its part. It does not sound like many notes but only a single fluid movement of sound - and at times it splits apart again, but when it does the sounds are still graceful in their isolated harmony, and they come together once again afterwards, seamless and whole.

When you finish, you look up at them, your eyes stern and critical, and they understand. They do not lack for innate talent, their voices are not ugly; they are simply deaf to each other, trying to stand alone.

You motion to the caterpillar Arrancar to pick up the last stretch of your improvised piece, and she stutters in surprise, then clears her throat and begins to sing.

"Ah-ah-ah ah, ah-ah, ah…."

You rub your chin as you listen to her. An imperfect transformation she may be, but her voice is perfect. High-pitched, but never shrill, taking to melodies easily. She will be the centerpiece, you already know it; she will be the loom on which the others become tapestry. A unifying presence.

weirdly adorable. There is just something I find amusing about seeing something straight out of heart warming story about some misfits putting on a grand show, Down to the disfigured/disabled girl having a beautiful voice, when all involved are horrible formerly cannibalistic ghost monsters. They have a fair bit farther to go to learn the true meaning of friendship, and the power of determination than most. But hey, at least there is a none zero chance that the mentor determined to see the best in them will straight up murder (and possibly convert into costumes) whatever band of asshole antagonist shows up to try and "put them in their place." something I think would greatly improve a lot of heartwarming underdog movies.

Omicron said:
The problem you are running into is that you have never been taught how to teach others. You were a recipient of knowledge, never meant to pour it into other vessels. You could emulate Cirucci's teaching style, but it would involve rather more demonstration of force and threatening waving of Polilla. Which would be acceptable if these Numeros were working for true protection under your mistress's name, but you're going for something different here, something that will hopefully make them a better ensemble than mere mercenary goals.

two things here, the first a general observation of hollows and the arrnacar they became, they have no tradition of teaching. few skills a hollow would find useful could be taught, and few hollows would care to do so. Even Nemos mentor seemed to be doing it more on a whim or because he seeks to sharpen his own skills by teaching another. Second, Nemo is totally willing to beat someone bloody to train them to be a servant. one day she will be promoted to head maid, and on that day I shall weep for those she has to beat into shape. I don't really see her having lower standards than her lover.

Omicron said:
You think about it for a moment, then smile to yourself. You wave to the Numeros to stop singing, then order them to form a circle around you. They comply, and you study their builds, remembering what you know of their vocal range, then quickly order them to form specific pairs, and describe a series of vocal exercise that they must each practice under the other's study, and the signs of mistakes the silent partner must watch for, and how to correct them. This takes you a good half-hour, but once they've gotten the hang of it, you watch for a while and are satisfied to see that they are getting it right. Every quarter hour, they will change partners. This should help serve as a team-building exercise.

and Nemo comes up with a fairly standard training trick. which none the less is still something of a breakthrough in hollow training. I wonder if this is style in play? of being able to muddle through teaching others is the standard feature of a high skill rank?

Omicron said:
It bothers you that Cirucci is not back yet. She's been gone for several hours now, and although you've been distracted, now that you take a step back and just watch the Numeros practice you are starting to feel worried. Could something have happened with Barragan..? No, it's no use thinking that way - you don't know why she was summoned, so you have no idea how long she should be gone anyway.

nemo is super cure when she frets, and it brings up that for all her confidence at the core of who she is she's a fairly skittish person. Which is honestly a pretty great survival trait given where she lives. fortunately we know that Cirucci is just being made to act as fitness instructor to help Barragan get shredded.

Omicron said:
You think back to a project you had, some kind of paired, bonded jewelry that would let you always feel if she's alright, but… Ah, would that be creepy? You have a hard time telling sometimes,

sometimes? someone who casually uses their own blood for dye does not *sometimes* have trouble telling what would or would not be creepy. At some point she's going to make a marna costume, and everyone's going to be weirded out how it's thematically similar to someone Nemo killed.

Omicron said:
"...'s not gonna cut it," Luppi says casually, "it's too pat, too twee, not a Hollow story. It lacks the sting of truth, ya know? That bitterness that makes you think, 'yeah, maybe, just maybe that actually happened.'"

Ren huffs and puffs, his thin antiquarian's patience stretched just far enough that he seems like he might lash out at someone much more powerful than him.

"Not 'pat,' you… You twit! Every Hollow stories are tragedies and this, this one's no different. No happiness for the both of them, no, no, only more pain…"

"Oh puh-lease. She doesn't even eat him! She had the opportunity! Now relationship that end with people eating each other alive, that's real Hollow life. And death, heh."

... did ren seriously just recommend Romeo and Juliet? which I can totally see Luppi dismissing as twee. Everyone dies due to a preexisting feud, and there is no actual betrayal. Just some dumb teens doing dumb things and getting themselves killed.

Omicron said:
"Okay, so, opera is all about being emotional and stuff, right? Dramatic, overblown stories, preferably ones that end in a font of tears for everyone involved and the audience."

You wouldn't exactly put it that way, but that seems to be the idea of it, yes. Of course, knowing Luppi's own love for tragic stories - stated openly as you entered the room, even - the way he talks about it is just his usual surface layer of disdain for everything.

He loves this, and you're not fooled.

Praise style. Otherwise we might not have realized just how much Fun Luppi is having with this. As an aside, if this becomes a regular thing once in a great while, maybe one time in 10 he should put on a happy upbeat story, with loads of things that look symbolic of less obvious themes but mean nothing. Just to fuck with everyone's head. betraying everyones expectations is just as fun as any other sort of betrayal after all.

Omicron said:
"All right, so, first off, there's of course the fall of the Ten Masked Kings," he says, counting on his fingers."A tale of the time before Barragan! An empire gone to dust! Hollows coming together to rule, until they fell apart! We raise the hopes of civilization, shine the bright lights of a true Hollow kingdom, roads and temples and palaces and people coming out of the desert - and then we squash it flat, shatter it, leave nothing but empty ruins sitting under the moon. We're reaching into a deep well of Hollow anxiety and failures, here, the dread that all of this-" he waves at the room around him, and past it at all of Las Noches, "will be for naught."

You boggle. Is he trying to offend Barragan? And Aizen while he's at it?

"Obviously not. Even I have self-preservation instincts, darling. No, we're talking about framing this as the failures of the past, before our messianic figure came along - the one with flesh or the one without, your pick, they have the grin in common anyway. They can both see themselves exalted in the downfall of past losers. It'll please the more melancholy sorts in Las Noches - the former Privarons, the Tercera... It's politics and personal drama and tragedies of failed relationships, though, so Grimmjow will be bored out of his mind. At least we don't have to care about the former Quinta, he'd have hated it too."

You wince at his off-handed remark regarding Nnoitra's death. And you're not sure how much you trust his skill at framing a story that is fundamentally about the doom hanging over all of Hueco Mundo's kingdoms into something that Barragan will enjoy. You wave him on, and he raises a second finger.

Godamit Luppi. This is literally the opposite of what Nemo wants to do. Her and her boss are all about actually building up an actual society.

Omicron said:
"We could have something about the Shinigami. Aizen's uprising is a bit too recent, but… How about the Coming of the King, hm? The one time in history when Barragan set foot in the living world, the death and horror that followed, the Shinigami's desperate stand against him. We could frame the story from their point of view, framing them as tragic, doomed figures, and the Hollows as embracing the joy of the feast. That's a story full of horrible deaths, ambivalent characters, blood and guts! Epic battles! A buildup to a grand climax! The fight to half the march of death itself! Heroes who are sympathetic, yet whom we all want to see lose because they are, after all, Shinigami! Grimmjow will eat it up, and it'll be a general crowd-pleaser for its grand spectacle. Hell, even Barragan will love it, sitting there and revelling in tales of the day when he ruled. Only ones I can think of not liking it might be Starrk, and the Quattro, who just physically cannot be pleased."

And will the Shinigami like it, you wonder sharply? Sure, they're not invited, but it's not like they won't hear of it - Gin might even crash the gala, for all you know. A story of how Hollows once had the upper hand against them might be taken the wrong way.

"Nah, we'll be fine," Luppi says with a sly grin. You glare at him, and he sighs. "Okay, so, that's actually kind of the point. The Shinigami in this story are sympathetic, don't get me wrong, and you're supposed to be sad to see them die - but sad at the death of worthy opponents. It never insults or dismisses them, but it is a subtle reminder that they are not, well… Us. And neither are Aizen and his goons. We stand apart; and perhaps, just perhaps, we should not be so eager to submit."

Is he completely insane. This is your mistress's grand gala! Her chance to impress all of Las Noches, to finally build ties! ?

oh Godamit this is even worse! this is not just being a Debbie downer, this one is outright seditious. This is the kind of subtle shit that has been used to spread discontent and fan the flames of rebellion, and aizen would be more likely than most to pick up on it. He may not care but he would see it as an opening move to drive his followers into rebellion.

Omicron said:
Can't he - can't he just come up with a story without offensive political subtext

Luppi gives you a flat stare.

"I literally can't. That's what I do, sweetie. It's wired in my blood. And besides, you're looking at this all wrong. You want some kind of political subtext here. You want something that makes the audience feel like they didn't just watch a pretty, empty tale with some nice harmonics. You want them to feel like they've just been part of something. Something big. Something meaningful. Something that connects them through the shared secret of their understanding. Whether that is telling them that all kingdoms come to dust and so might Las Noches, or that the Shinigami are strangers with hidden designs and not kin to Hollows, or that…"

Well he's not wrong, I mean we kinda knew he was going to do this when Nemo brought him in on this. The lure was a chance to insult the entirety of las noches at once. We really should not be surprised he's insisting on being an asshole. Still maybe he could be less of a political asshole?

Omicron said:
Well, there's the Tragedy of the Radiant Eye."

No. Screw that. No one wants to hear about He Who Leers.

"Aw, c'mon, you're no fun. I can definitely point to a few people who would love to hear a story about the black sea, the Horizon Prince, and the thing with many names. All the occult weirdos and those too curious for their own good - Aaroniero, Zommari, the Tres Bestias, even Szayel. Hell, the core of sheer nihilism to it might even appeal to Ulquiorra. And it's not like the others will get upset and walk out of the room."

wait, that big weird monster thing? what's so messed up about it?

Omicron said:
No. No, it's not. But… There's a difference between the cathartic sadness of a tragedy based on something very distant, whether in time or space - and the dread of singing about something that is, quite literally, under your feet right now.

"Yeah, but at least we're not offending anyone or accusing Aizen of ill intentions with that one. We're just reminding them that the world they live in is a fundamentally evil, empty, hungry desert that will swallow us all, and there is no escape, no respite, only the moments we share before the horrible agony of the end."

You stare at him.

"I'll put that one down as a maybe," he shrugs, smirking.

you know what? I'm cool with him being a political asshole. lets be political about this because Jesus Christ this one sounds depressing.

Omicron said:
"Well," he says, pushing himself off the desk and moving with easy grace among rows of trinkets, seeming almost to glide in the dim light, "there is one, but it's a lot smaller in scale. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, of course, it lets us focus on a more personal drama… I was thinking of the Doom that Came to the Hundred-Armed Duke."

so very glade we took the trait that made us unreadable.

Omicron said:
Does he know? Is this a joke at your expense? Does the betrayer want to put to the stage the tale of your greatest betrayal, undeniable evidence that you once left your own allies, your own fellow soldiers to die for the sake of someone you loved, and to tell this story just as it has been made clear to all of Las Noches that there is someone you love more than anything?

so very very glad.

Omicron said:
Can this just be coincidence? How could he possiblyknow?

If he's looking for anything to betray recognition in your features, he will find nothing. Outwardly you are calm, indifferent. After a moment Luppi shrugs, carelessly tossing the dagger behind him (it nonetheless lands perfectly flat on the shelf).

Ren told the story, and mentioned a moth who took her mantis friend and fled, that appears in some versions of the story. Luppi knos exactly one moth, and he knows that she's both sneaky and the kind to make friends. Moths are not super common so he at least suspects. Oh god, if we'd told him the story from the past that day he'd know for sure, sharing a type with a hollow is suspicious, but being able to match two types would clinsich it. Luppi is fishing, so it's a good thing Nemo has no tells. As an aside, that dagger thing is pretty much Luppi in a nutshell. He ave every appearance of being carless and a threat to something precious, but he's actually being super carful and unless Ren makes a grab for the dagger it's perfectly safe.

Omicron said:
"Nah, it's not a good one. It's far too recent to have the mythical grandeur required for an opera. Barragan going to the living world is the most recent I would get, I think. I suppose you could swing Aizen's Rebellion as a 'current events' kind of thing, but that's because it's exotic and mythical to Arrancars, which is what matters. Forget the duke."

and his fishing trip came up empty. So he's moving on. Or it's possible it was just a s story he considered, but it's Luppi. When in doubt assume maximum possible asshole.

Omicron said:
"You have no idea how much trash I had to sift through to help him get down to these four, just these," Ren mumbles at his desk. "And two of them ain't even from me! It's nonsense, all of it, of course - although probably still half true, I s'pose. Hooleer's name makes no sense, for one. Hollow history's a thankless task. Literally. Am I getting some goddamned thanks for helping? Nossir!"

You chuckle and thank Ren for his help, with real sincerity. You should bring him some sweets later, as a token of appeasement. When you turn to look at Luppi, he is lying on top of a shelf, his hands for once out of his sleeves, examining his nails.

oh snap, I think ren might go into shock here. Actual thanks? being appreciated for his work? his body isn't ready for that sort of thing!

final thoughts on this epsidoe. I kind of have to just sorta of stop and stare. The starting point for this quest was an arrancar in aizens army trying to claw it's way up over the bodies of those in it's way. We are now legit putting on an opera with a team of misfits we intend to teach the value of friendship to, and it's still great. Does anyone else here sometimes just take a step back at where this quest ended up and stare for a few minutes? We may have gone flying off the rails, but fortunately Omicron seems to be an accredited pilot because this quest is still great for all that we're reenacting a twee feel good movie.

Kinruush · Feb 20, 2018

The Sandman said:
So, I can't help but feel like there's another story we could tell, and I'm going to put in a hopeless write-in.

[X] The Tragedy of the Masked Hunter.

The story of a lone warrior from beyond fighting a hopeless eternal war against the world itself, brought down by the whims and games of those beyond him, his last thoughts of those he loved, and his killer having laid the seeds for his own defeat by killing him?

Yes, I think that Ashido Kano would make an excellent subject for an opera.

I love it. I also love that it would involve Omicron making an opera about his own story.

[X] The Tragedy of the Masked Hunter.

Andres · Feb 20, 2018

Kinruush said:
I love it. I also love that it would involve Omicron making an opera about his own story.

[X] The Tragedy of the Masked Hunter.

Again, it's a good story, but what would be the draw? What is it about the story that makes the various members of the gala care? The whole "loved ones" thing is something no one but Starrk and Tier would care about. It's got no big fights to entertain Grimmjow and doesn't stroke Barragan's ego.

dredloki · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming of the King.

omori · Feb 20, 2018

RoninSword said:
I don't think its really sunk into the rest of Las Noches yet that these new Calavera's can disguise themselves as random numerous. I'm sure Aizen is pleased with these new ones, even if Jackleton is (to him), a step down from Ruddbhorn.

Speaking of the Calaveras does anyone feel like their slowly becoming their own being? Because originally they didn't do anything but now they can at least react. Does anyone think they might become more like what aizen thought? A new Ruddbhorn?

Dragontrapper · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming of the King

Since I doubt there's enough time between the Gala and the war for the repercussions to properly manifest.

Kinruush · Feb 20, 2018

Andres110 said:
Again, it's a good story, but what would be the draw? What is it about the story that makes the various members of the gala care? The whole "loved ones" thing is something no one but Starrk and Tier would care about. It's got no big fights to entertain Grimmjow and doesn't stroke Barragan's ego.

It does have a big fight at the end. That's Yammy murdering the shit out of Ashido. There would probably be smaller fights throughout as Ashido engages in his private war. Ulquiorra could well "enjoy" it as, ultimately, everything Ashido does is completely pointless, and he just dies in the end after accomplishing nothing. Or, he could be bothered by the trick Nemo and Cirucci played on Yammy being repurposed into a story so that they can benefit from it yet again.

The Sandman · Feb 20, 2018

Andres110 said:
Again, it's a good story, but what would be the draw? What is it about the story that makes the various members of the gala care? The whole "loved ones" thing is something no one but Starrk and Tier would care about. It's got no big fights to entertain Grimmjow and doesn't stroke Barragan's ego.

The fight at the end, for one. That it's clearly the story of how Yammy fucked up and revealed his Resurreccion. That it's entirely possible that some of the Espada had previously heard about the crazy shinigami haunting the Forest of Menos, and wouldn't have heard the tale of his end.

It being part of the story of the rise of our Mistress doesn't hurt either.

Andres · Feb 20, 2018

The fight at the end was anything but. It was a one-sided slaughter. Grimmjow would enjoy it for a bit but then get bored, same as his fight with Ichigo.

Aside from that, it still doesn't address the other problems with the story. It does nothing for Barragan, Aaroniero, Szayel, and Zommari. It's also very recent, which kind of invalidates it as being opera-worthy. Even the Hundred-Armed Duke was too recent.

Kinruush · Feb 20, 2018

Andres110 said:
The fight at the end was anything but. It was a one-sided slaughter. Grimmjow would enjoy it for a bit but then get bored, same as his fight with Ichigo.

Aside from that, it still doesn't address the other problems with the story. It does nothing for Barragan, Aaroniero, Szayel, and Zommari. It's also very recent, which kind of invalidates it as being opera-worthy. Even the Hundred-Armed Duke was too recent.

First, I don't agree with it being invalidated by its recency. Luppi thinks that there needs to be age to have a mythical grandeur, but that doesn't necessarily make him right or that a good opera can't be constructed from it regardless.

Second, while the outcome of the last fight was inevitable from an objective perspective, this would be written from Ashido's. Even if there's an air of inevitable loss to it, that would just make the fight the culmination of the story as a whole: a desperate, violent struggle against something he can't stop to honor and protect the memory of his comrades. Even if he loses, there's still enough there to be a good, entertaining spectacle, and that's still accounting for only the last fight when there would have to be more beforehand.

Third, true, not everyone would like it. That's fine. There is no possible option that makes everyone happy, and there shouldn't be.

Krecart · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming of the King.

Wind-Up Citrus · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming of the King.
This opera is gonna be killer in every sense of the word.

omori · Feb 20, 2018

Question if the coming of the king wins do you all think Barragan might take this as more motivation for him to become stronger? Cause he's most likely getting some training from Cirucci and is about to get a performance about some of his glory days.

PurposefulZephyr · Feb 20, 2018

So... it looks like Nemo is going to make a Michael Bay orchestra?
Now I wonder what kind of tune will be played...

"My name is Barragan Louisenbairn.
We are autonomous spiritual organisms from realm of Hueco Mundo.
But you can call us Arrancars for short."

Just, you know... more evil and gloomy and dark.

TenfoldShields · Feb 20, 2018

ngl i am tempted by the idea of the Tragedy of the Radiant Eye just 'cause it's straight up Nemo Tells A Ghost Story to the espada (possibly complete with *moth walks onto stage. smacks a flickering flashlight into her palm a few times and puts it under her chin*) and i am super down with that bbbuuuuuuttt

it's a party yo. telling your guests "btw you're gonna fuck up and die and some horrible marshmallow hellblob is under your feet this very moment waiting for the day fyi" is a bit of a bummer and even if it gets Ulquiorra going a future where we have Sadbat Citizen Kane clapping from a box is a grim one.

[X] The Coming of the King.

To be honest even if Starrk doesn't enjoy the performance itself there's something special about being a part of an audience that's really into whatever it is they're seeing, getting caught up in the energy, in the same way you can go to the theater with friends and have a good time or have fun watching the game with family even if you don't really care about football. But beyond that: pop trash works. It's popular for a reason and it appeals.

Besides, how can we prompt a counter-culture theater movement in Las Noches if we go all edgy and experimental right out of the gate? The backlash will be pop culture trash! It'll be madness!

Omicron said:
Insofar as opera can be pop culture trash, this is the pop trash opera.

team opera:

nemo and luppi, by their powers of explosions and cynicism combined they make one full michael bay

PurposefulZephyr · Feb 20, 2018

... Coming to think of it, Nemo will have to keep her spiritual senses shut down, otherwise she'll get drowned in high-powered sensations.
Though I guess everyone on the gala will be polite and keep it down- we wouldn't want to suffocate/crush/severely discomfort our dear players, now would we?
Still, it's a massive opportunity to get troves of information on everyone.

Cetashwayo · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming of the King.

Andres · Feb 20, 2018

I think we should take advantage of the fact that art can be interpreted in different ways.

What if the story was about a Menos whose specialty was in projecting spiritual pressure. He makes a kingdom, gets a bunch of followers and gives them purpose, makes friends, and then he and his kingdom go to war with Barragan. Starrk, Tier, and the ex-Privarons will like the friendship. Grimmjow will like the fights. Barragan will like the glorification of his power and the interpreted message of "you beat a guy with high spiritual pressure before, you can do it again". The rest will relate to the loss of purpose the kingdom's collapse represented and Aizen's glory, who defeated Barragan and created purpose that cannot be destroyed.

ChildishChimera · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming of the King.

Arcus · Feb 20, 2018

The Las Noches Phantom Opera proudly presents:

[X] The Coming of the King.

I mean, we're talking about Hollows, who are not exactly known for being culturally sophisticated. Start with the popcorn flick, and we can gradually work our way up from there.

Hyvelic · Feb 20, 2018

My Only contribution For the Entire Thread MY CALLING COMES

Undead-Spaceman · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Coming Of The King

dukezinnia · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Tragedy of the Radiant Eye.
This is definitely my choice because Lovecraft will make an impression on everyone... and I am curious.

Cirina · Feb 20, 2018

[X] The Tragedy of the Masked Hunter.

I like this write in.

Now You Feel Like Number None [Bleach Arrancar Quest]

Who?

Homeless Draconis

Who?

So Zetta Slowpoke

Who?

Not for throwing.

Lounging on a Hoard of Words

Lord of Ten Thousand Years

A umbran summon

Slightly Insane Tactical Genius

Skeleton Supreme