A brief break [Open to a max of 3 others, no killing]

It had been an instructive time for Crystal. Her sap skill seemed to be working properly, who would have thought it was even possible. To take such tiny amounts of the soul and sustain herself. It had been hard going though, to say the least and she was actually proud of herself for having pulled it off. Still she had yet to figure out one thing, mainly that she had never seen a Hollow like herself. It was strange... She seemed to be A hollow, the same hunger was there and she could turn back into her original rat like self. But, there was something else some level of higher thought she'd never had before. It was all a little confusing for the girl and she needed time to think. She'd spent a good five or more years just running and hiding and trying to exist without killing others, now she felt more comfortable in the humans world. Able to slip amongst them a little better, hiding her spiritual energy so well that nothing seemed to be able to pick her out of a crowd.

She had taken some time to sit in the park. She had drawn some eyes due to her garb but it didn't seem to bother anyone that the girl in the wide brimmed hat and kimono was just here to sit on a small hill and watch the children at play, though she noticed that even now. The mothers were uneasy, either due to having a watcher or her less desirable nature leaking out and affecting them. It was a little disappointing, and she put it down hopefully to the fact she was covering herself up so people couldn't see her face and neck. Still, no matter. She slid back a little and stared at the clouds, lending her some time to think, all she could remember was being a Hollow, of eating and murdering, nothing before that... Was that all she was? Surely there was more to the story, not to mention her new change which was something she sort of attributed to the Shinigami she had eaten... It was defiantly his kimono she wore now and she vaguely registered the sword as being his... or at least looking like his. Beyond that, she had no clue.

Her smile widened slightly as she watched the clouds move. They always formed such interesting shapes as the wind picked up, as it so often had this winter. Though it wasn't quite enough to snow, which was a mixed blessing, it was easier to hide in the snow, the colours made her blend work better. But it was warmer and while it would always be colder in the dark of her home, it was nice having the warmer world to rest in. She was trying to decide just what to do with herself now... Maybe trying to find a Shinigami and trying to talk to them, if she could keep herself human long enough, maybe they would understand and take pity on her now that she wasn't a soul sucking monster... or would they execute her for her old crimes...

Sousuke sighed seeing Crystal sitting there, obviously out of place, while watching the clouds roll by. he moved in and sat near her sighing heavily. "You know most of your kind don't venture out of Hueco Mundo." he said in a hushed tone studying the playing children below. "Fewer still can reach the level you have evolved to." Sousuke looked over to Crystal and smiled. "I'm Sousuke. Don't worry to much." Sousuke pulled the front of his robe open to reveal the large hole in his gut. "I'm not like a soul reaper anymore. I am interested in you though." he said refastening his robe together and laying back. "I'm gathering beings like you. Arrancar. I can offer you protection from soul reapers. A place where you would belong. but first i need something from you." Sousuke smiled at her again. "You're name." he said before looking up into the sky again.

Crystal was startled to say the least, scrambling to her feet and staring in horror at the hole in the man's gut, her head being knocked off in her bluster and being taken by the wind. The pale face and worried green eyes within watching the man warily as he spoke of her kind. She backed away slightly, her hand falling to her sword with some care. But she couldn't help but be curious, he seemed to know what she was, even without her spiritual pressure leaking out. Either he had been watching her, or knew by just a glance alone.

“W...What is an Arrancar?”

She wasn't really sure if she could trust this man, after all, she had learnt to disguise herself as a human, what was to say this wasn't a clever ploy by another to gain her trust. There were too many unknowns for the nervous girl and she was considering just running for it now and saving the hassle.

Sousuke sighed again. "You don't know...sad. Arrancars are hollows. these hollows break their masks to become stronger." Sousuke looked Crystal over once more. "I still would like your name if you have one." he said sitting back and staring at the sky. "I don't bite, hard anyway." he said smiling and patting the ground near him. "To explain an arrancar is simple really. Recently you went through a change. you went from some type of Animal to this form." Sousuke placed his hands behind his head and relaxed slightly. "the question is if you're going to come with me or not." he said looking to her.

Crystal looked worried for a moment or two. There was something off about this, yet what he said seemed to ring so true to what she had been through. She could remember her mask crumbling and falling apart, her change from a rat to something more like a human. What would be the harm of giving her name over? Especially if she didn't give him the name she had now. The Hollow ratface was long since dead to most eyes, vanished over thirty years ago... He couldn't have known her then.

“I...I'm... I was called, Ratface... Now, I'm not so sure.”

She couldn't think about coming with this man, not just yet. There was too much to do, so much to learn here with the humans. She wasn't even sure her sap thing would even work on a Hollow, though considering what they did, eating them would be a mercy instead of a crime. But why was he so interested in her? What was special about her? Save for the fact she had been so powerful as a Hollow? Nothing near that now, if anything the change had made her weaker from her refusal to eat.

“Where do you want me to go? I don't think I could face going back there....”

She didn't bother saying where there was, and probably wouldn't need to. This man knew a lot about her, and could probably tell what she meant when she said there. The land of the Hollows, it just wasn't safe there for her, now that she just couldn't fight as well as she once did, she would likely get picked off as a snack by someone she would have once sneered at. Not to mention a more pressing question kept coming to mind.

“How can I trust you?”

Sousuke chuckled. "Ratface? I can't say i really appreciate the name. such a harsh name for some one so dazzling." he whispered. he watched the clouds shifting around in the sky and realized he remembered this place. if only in the most vague of his dreams. it had been where he once met rose. Sighing, he recalled that day, the same setting when he hunted out her spiritual pressure. At the present, however, he didn't have time to be recalling.

"There? No we have a safe place within Hueco Mundo. A Palace...Las Noches." he whispered. He could still see the large white building. Enormous in stature and larger in girth it was more a city then a palace. "It houses the other's like you. those that gave up feeding long ago. You'd fit in, be welcomed." he said sitting up.

'how can I trust you?' Sousuke looked at Crystal. "Don't trust anyone...anytime. Tolerate them, work with them, never...ever rely or trust them. the second you do they'll kill you." he whispered. Sousuke stood at this point and looked at Crystal. "I would like you to come with me but...if you won't i suppose i'm out of luck. it would have been nice to have such a pretty face around las noches ya know?" Sousuke chuckled softly and turned beginning to walk away.

Crystal gently smiled at the comment of harsh name. While she wasn't exactly proud of what she had been, when dealing with one who knew it didn't hurt to simply be accurate. Not to mention it didn't seem to register with him and it made her amused that she must have been older than him, or he just didn't know what that name entailed.

“Hah, you can thank the Shinigami for that name.”

She tapped the bone on her face softly, making a gentle ding as she did so, the note ringing out cleanly before she chuckled.

“I was a giant rat when I got put on the hit list after all... Back that was, so long ago,”

She ended up frowning though at his comments of safe place, and shook her head sadly. She felt there would never be somewhere safe now. Especially since he was collecting her kind and hiding them away. Whatever for? It couldn't be something good at any rate, so why should she go with him? She was learning here... But then, he knew about her and her kind.

“Why am I different though, answer me this? How can I end up hating what I am... Why did my mask fall off... Oh, and if I shouldn't trust people... I should just leave now and not go with you...”
She stood up, as if to leave though stayed where she was to watch the man over her shoulder. Her hair falling softly to the side and showing the hints of her tattoo on her neck.

Sousuke nodded. "You shouldn't trust me. Work with me though. Stay here and you will be found. the humans already know you aren't like them. these pack animals are fine tuned to any changes and you're registering high on that scale girl." Sousuke looked down at the children and sighed. "Can you honestly say you're happy here? Living in the shadows...leaching off of people...you could be with us. accepted and content..." Sousuke looked back to Crystal and sighed. "It's up to you and i can't force you but i hope you'll come with me." he said beginning to open a Garganta.

Crystal stammered a little before regaining her composure and smiling faintly. Shaking her head softly she felt inclined to distrust this man. Partly cause of what he knew, and partly because he had frankly told her to, and that was worrisome enough as it was. She hadn't been disturbing the humans that much... Well, she thought back to Miku and frowned. She had upset her, without meaning to really and the girl had been interrupted by her presence that whole day.

But she couldn't just up and go with him, it wouldn't be right. She couldn't bring herself to want to go with him and when he opened a way through the Hecuo Mondo, she went even more pale and backed away ever so slightly. Shaking her head again. She wasn't ready, not yet. She wasn't sure what was beyound that gate but she could tell what this man wanted. He wanted the monster she had been, not the compassionate freak she was now. Baacking away softly, she created her own rip into the deserts of the hollow world and said softly.
“I need to think it through... If I decide that you and your palace are what's right for me... I'll seek it out. But.. I want to be alone.”

Sousuke sighed and turned towards the garganta again. "I'll be around if you need me. Don't hesitate to find me." Sousuke stepped into the chaotic threshold and began walking along the pathway back to Las Noches. It was a shame really. Crystal was doomed to be found out by the soul society and slaughtered for being a crossbreed. what a waste sousuke thought as he neared the throne room in the dark and damning tunnel.

Crystal herself had other ideas, taking her own pathway through the twisting and messed up landscape. She had spent some time talking to the human Miku, and reasoned that, she at the very least had to try and find her own way. Even if it didn't work and she ended up dead. She would have at least tried. Something she doubted many of her kind had bothered to do.
She found her way out, though it took her some time. To the endless white desert of Heuco Mondo, and finding herself somewhere quiet and out of the way, sat down to think. It would take her some time to even think of a solution, but find one she would. She had an eternity after all, and could remember all the way back to the the first day her hunger had consumed her, but not what she had been before that.

It was a lot to deal with, she was probably unique in having found a way other than destroying another's soul with which to sustain and feed herself. Maybe that was the starting point, find out what it was she needed about the souls of others and try and find herself a substitute food. From there she could at least approach the Shinigami as something other than a monster.