Curate, connect, and discover
had he possessed a heart, ulquiorra would resent him. perhaps even hate him, feel anything akin to the negative emotions that always drove human souls astray and kept them prisoner in this barren land. what he can sense instead is distaste, that alone was too much power over him. drawing his sword isn’t necessary, spiritual pressure being enough to crush the fingers clasping his wrist until it’s freed out of the grip. warmth veils him, unfamiliar, foreign.
‘ that you suggest blind obedience as a discipline case yourself is beyond my understanding. wonder all you want. power is the only rule that matters in hueco mundo. or have you forgotten the meaning behind those numbers engraved into our bodies? shall i remind you? ’
teeth and claws of nameless hollows surrender like this, that’s what his eyes have seen time and time again before his recruitment and arrival to the palace. this ploy, however, garners more than merely a display of intangible energy. ulquiorra steps forward, until the released energy slithers and devours grimmjow whole: he aims for the knees, the shoulders, any part of his body that can bend in a way that will break not the bones but his pride, so painstakingly secured. he awaits for groans, sharp threats, baseless confidence; in a way he’s developed a hunger of his own, too.
‘ this is how it should be — obedience goes in tandem with submission. you who stands two steps below on the ladder speak too loudly for what you're worth. ’ it occurs to him, belatedly, that perhaps this is what he wanted. rebellion craves violence, and violence’s nature is to be subdued, by any force or means necessary. his right hand finds its way back to grimmjow’s exposed torso, steadies the body about to rise on its own and pushes him down to his knees, fingertips sharp and whetted appetite. if he had a heart. though the absence is ever-present in his chest, what he does have is a stomach, an ego, the self. his foot manages to kick one of grimmjow’s legs to the side and spreads just enough of his limbs to dig a heel unnervingly deep and firm to grimmjow’s groin, drawing something just short of a gasp out of the beast.
grimmjow could probably get off like this - no, he definitely could, and the thought itself is horrifically unsatisfying enough to make him ponder the attention, reminding him where the limits lay. in the midst of all their bloodshed, he finds that he wants it. wants it just as much as he despises it.
‘ stop squirming. stay still or fight it, it’s all the the same to me. fact remains that you’ll have to submit to one thing or the other. which will it be, grimmjow? ’
con't - @einshi
DEFEAT BURNS THROUGH HIM LIKE RANCID WINE - heady on his tongue and thick in the sands that adorn hueco mundo's never ending drifts. for a creature that coveted carnage and battle, the 6th was dissonant - ripe with his rage and wearing it the same way he always did : like armor. loss wasn't something grimmjow suffered - loss wasn't something he took lightly, and while the curl of mottled flesh across his 'skin' would be an ever present reminder of a near deathblow at the hands of that self-righteous idiot, what stung the most was ulquiorra's patient, verdant gaze - and the caress of claws across his nearly bare chest.
the feral part of his brain screamed 'danger! danger! danger!' before souring once again. ulquiorra, of course, did not think like grimmjow did - did not think that the taking of a fellow espada's life would mean a notch in the belt of power. he didn't have anything to prove because grimmjow wasn't a threat. as dark claws skim over the area, he bares his teeth - a sharp match the mask at the side of his face - and snarls.
but it's halfhearted. if he truly wanted the bastard gone, he had his ways.
❝ 'm not ashamed that i have it. ❞ he drawls, aggravation quieting for a moment, ❝ do i have to explain why to you or do you think that rational little skull of yours can churn it out, cuatro? ❞ perhaps were he to utilize his resurrección, that nuisance of a tail would've been flicking back and forth in thought. instead, his fellow espada is only granted grimmjow's stare - catlike and curious, the deep turquoise of his eyes almost glowing in the perpetual dim. frankly - he hopes he doesn't have to explain, because having philosophical discussions with anyone, let alone ulquiorra, sounds about as appealing as wiping aizen's ass - perhaps even less so.
nostrils flare, looking away from the other to instead track caressing fingertips. it's not... unpleasant. and despite the bastard's frigid existence, his touch is... warm, leaving behind tendrils of heat as he palms and skates lethal digits over grimmjow's hide. as the action persists - the espada finds himself easing just slightly, and though he never quite relaxes, long lashes bat over his cheek, the tension in his jaw easing, and he shifts his chest forward, just a slight inch, the same moment hands drop away.
grimmjow is quick - lightning fast - his own dark claws curling about a strong but delicate wrist, sharp canines bared again in a savage smirk as he grips tight, ❝ yeah yeah, of course. 'aizen's orders.' ❞ honorific ignored, and it's a distinctly good impression, actually. ❝ ulquiorra. ❞ there's his drawl again, low and lazy and lit back with a cat's growl, ❝ are ya capable of independent thinking, or you prefer blind obedience? ❞ hand discarded then - tossed to the side as he leans downwards, spirit pressure swelling with challenge. ❝ just wonderin'. ❞