JUDGE, JURY, EXECUTIONER.

lets fight

their body feels ready to crumble apart at any given moment. like a nebulous scattering of new constellations to glint in a looking glass, or perhaps a palace withering into the ocean and taking towers of termites with it. they’re not entirely certain what would happen, if their body were to fail. ulquiorra’d not considered what they would do beyond acquiring it, barely thought it was even a possibility. it was their compelling hunger. in the end, neither participant of the transaction won.

it’s not really their body -- is it? this is ulquiorra’s body, and now they are ulquiorra’s mind, but it is almost as though they’re visiting. different from observing humans across the glimmering shield of the veil, now that they have agency in the movement, in the speech, in the interaction. for now, the body is satisfactory. it is quiet, small, and powerful. they would not be giving themself away by keeping quiet -- balancing strength and poise with a careful tongue.

the body is early.

ulquiorra is early.

another espada would demand of her. with words; with a thunderous shout, with something being broken, with even a weapon if impatience was a drawing curtain so thin. others may even betray every nature of the beast and merely ask, as though it was two humans and a conversation. but ulquiorra has never had conversations -- they have made clear their expectations, and then held firm their expectations. they’ve never given an inch of lead, and never needed to repeat a correctional yank.

they’ve never yet been struck.

so this is an unusual predicament, with unusual methods needed to quell its flames. they distinctly recall the astringent scent of fresh syringes smuggled from the laboratory. just in case.

neglecting to continue their oversight of her would admit lenience. what, as if their ego is so frail that they could not recover from an open palm? they’ve had worse. they’ve done worse. if anyone is to triumph over them, it is to be with a cruelty unlike even that which they’ve dealt. it would be impossible.