With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
"Of course it would," Stour nodded. "It's not as if the hollow actually counts as something more than what it was: a weak specimen of anger, but it's perhaps keep your mind more clear," Stour added to that thought, but simply grinned at the borderline hypocrisy in the advice. Half of his skill in battle was an almost blatant mockery of his opponent, even if it was of a different sort.
"Suppose it's more of an organization. Smaller groups among it. You'd be working with me," Stour said, unable to spit out the words 'for me', as he hardly felt suited to a role of leadership, after having spent his entire existence with a subservient mindset. "I, of course, report upwards from there. We are lead by a Vizard, which trust me, is an odd thing to accept. And you'd be following my orders directly. Hatred of any kind as a whole can't be in your blood for you to work out. You sure you can work with Shinigami and Vizard, Quincy?" He added, leaving out hollows, since Toshioni was sitting here, having a civil conversation, he could assume that was something he could do. Odd, since he half expected Toshioni to be rather wrathful of Stour's existence. Perhaps he would fit in with the rest of them.
Our bed becomes a grave before we blow ourselves away!
Toshioni smiled at Stour's advice concerning hollows. This guy was reasonable. It was so odd to meet an Arrancar that he could actually talk to. Perhaps he had been quick to judge them? No. Xuan had been a good example. Perhaps this man was a bad example. Most likely he was odd and all Arrancar were horrid. He still couldn't trust Stour, but he was getting there.
"You sure you can work with Shinigami and Vizard, Quincy?"
"Stour-san, I am a full-blooded Quincy. I am one of the last of my kind. The Shinigami wiped out my whole race save a handful. The likelihood of me meeting any more of my kind other than the one I already met are slim if existent. I'm not the type to instigate fights...but do you really expect me not to resent them for what they did? Vizards I can live with. They were forsaken and have suffered enough. My life was actually saved by a Vizard. From Shinigami I've seen nothing but the past."
Toshioni paced back and forth and shook his head. He looked down below him and saw all the people going about their days. He wished he could be like them and didn't have to deal with everything. Near extinction of his race, that was a bitch. The duty of protecting people from hollows, that was too much to bear. And now this, this was too much.
"Stour san, could you whole-heartedly accept Shinigami? Understanding that without question they would hunt you and try to exterminate you? Could you really accept that as an ally?"
Stour simply listened to Toshioni's explanation. He apparently held no grudge, and that was for the best. It wasn't in the best interest of anyone to recruit angry people. And apparently, he had long since given that rage away. That was good. He needed focused individuals for his group. Not someone who was going to rush headlong into battle. Though, in fairness, Stour himself had torn a few Shinigami apart in his past. It wasn't exactly as if he was rejoining old friends by working with Vizards, Shinigami, and Quincy. They might all hold grudges.
"Accept them? Sure. The reason I'm not a fraccion of the Espada anymore, is I broke a Vizard out of her cage. Now, what we have to wonder, is if they can accept us," Stour ended, with strong emphasis. It was a fair thought, after all. Quincy and Shinigami were never on the same page, and hollows were a whole new chapter. "Now, as far as them trying to hunt and kill me... They haven't been successful, yet. I'm not exactly a priority target, anyways. I keep a low profile."
Stour turned to his side and looked around him. He had to wonder how long he would remain off the radar, anyways. It had been quite a long time, at this point, since he had taken to only a rare excursion to the desert. Earth was now his main residence, hiding out in alleys and skulking around towns. But, at least he was free. And no longer tied to a disproportionately arrogant mad scientist.
Our bed becomes a grave before we blow ourselves away!
Toshioni listened to Stour's explanation. It was so odd to truly hear. This Arrancar was worried about Shinigami accepting him. He had already accepted then despite the fact that he was a beast in their eyes. In their eyes he should be exterminated. Frowning a little, Toshioni really couldn't understand how anyone could accept a group of people so willingly who wanted nothing more than their extermination.
"How did you get past it? How did you get past the truth that they want nothing from you other than for your existence to cease?"
Looking at the ground again, he wondered what it must feel like to be normal. He really didn't know what it would be like not to know about the other world out there. After all, here he was, talking to an Arrancar. He had spent the earlier part of his day hunting a hollow. Normal kids didn't have to worry about shit like that. Why did he? Who got to decide that it was his cross to bear? WHO DAMMIT?! Feeling his face got hotter with anger, his face contorted with anger. This wasn't fair.
Stour smirked as Toshioni asked how he got past his hatred of Shinigami. It really was simple. There was no challenge to it. "I accepted that they had every right to be upset," He said, simplifying his answer. "I was a mindless beast for quite a long time, after all. No reason to assume I've had a sudden change of heart," He added, and then sighed. "Besides, it's not like they were ever successful."
Stour raised an eyebrow. He could tell the kid was getting angry. It was all over his face. Lots of rage in that little human body. "Calm down. Nobody's well-served by anger. What in the world got you so angry so fast, anyways? I feel as if I've been fairly decent," he said with a slight smirk. It's not as if most people looked at a hollow and thought 'Hey, this guy'd be a good hostage negotiator.' People skills weren't exactly his number one ability. He was more on the spectrum of getting rid of people.
Our bed becomes a grave before we blow ourselves away!
He paced as Stour told him about how he was able to forgive the Shinigami. It was damned logical. There was almost no emotion in it. Toshioni figured it was a good thing. A reasonable Arrancar. How quaint. Looking up at him, Toshioni cracked a genuine smile.
"Your reasons are so logical. It's refreshing to find someone who can objectify things like that and not take it so personally. The people I know should try that. Shit, I should try that."
Stour noticed that he had gotten upset. With a look of surprise Toshioni got a little embarrassed. Looking down, he scratched the back of his head and kicked his feet nervously. The young Quincy had known that he had gotten upset but he hadn't known how he had really shown it. Apparently, now he did. It had been apparent enough for Stour to see it.
"It's not you Stour-san; it really isn't. I just...I don't know. Sometimes I wish I didn't have this power. I just wonder what it would be like to be normal. To not feel so separated from everyone around you. To not have to bear the burden of power. Sorry for the confusion."
"There is nothing but logic and reason," Stour said, still trapped in his old ways, though perhaps slightly less evil about it. "Without rationality, the world may as well stop functioning."
Stour sighed, as he thought about all the poor little humans he'd consumed. Undoubtedly vast amounts to get to where he was. He felt a pang of guilt, but shook it off. He wasn't even in control of himself until far into his development as a Gillian. And then he was just the embodiment of anger and hunger. It took a long time to shake that off, and longer to shake off what he became after.
Toshioni explained himself, but Stour simply laughed. "You'd probably be dead," he said, matter-of-factly. "I mean, how many times have you run into a hollow, or even any being with spiritual pressure. One of them could have been a fluke enough to happen, even if you weren't calling attention to yourself with your reiatsu. You wouldn't have been able to defend yourself. This town isn't exactly safe for people without pressure. I mean, think about being one of those people down there, if you didn't have powers. They'd all be dead. Shinigami can't save everyone."
Our bed becomes a grave before we blow ourselves away!
Nodding to Stour, Toshioni obviously agreed with what he had said. Logic and reason really should dictate a lot of things. The young Quincy had been known to flirt on girls often. This didn't mean that he was just lusting after girl after girl. No, there was a logical reason behind it. He wanted some. That was logical enough.
Then, however, Stour went on to tell him that without his powers he would be dead. Frowning, Toshioni thought about. His powers had saved him in the past. It was true, without his powers a hollow would have consumed him long ago. Being a Quincy had kept him alive all this time. Then again, it had kept him separated from others. His powers had kept him alone all this time.
"You know, Stour-san, I believe you're right. Without my powers a hollow could've disposed of me a long time ago. However, my powers have isolated me. I'm still human but I have so much bearing down on me. I've been a Quincy for as long as I can remember. I've never been around people like me. In my mind there's always been the distinction that I know about the other world and no one around me does."
"Well, I'm here to present the opportunity to be around people like you. Or, similar enough," Stour said with a smirk. "It lays before you, for you to choose to become a part of it."
He looked at the ground below him, and thought how similar his perspective to humans was to humans viewing ants. It was absolutely true, those humans below him with no Reiatsu could all be wiped out with little more than a flexing of muscles. The Quincy truly didn't understand how lucky he was to be greater than them. He wouldn't say that out loud, of course. But the point remained the same. Power was power, and those without envy those with. When those with power wish to be weak, they lose the ability to grow. Growing was important.
"Never wish to be weak. Always wish to be stronger, to be better. Don't dwell on the insignificant life you could have had. Focus on the reality of things," Stour said, closing his eyes. "Dreaming is important, but never dream to be ignorant."
Our bed becomes a grave before we blow ourselves away!
Thinking about it, Toshioni wore a face of indecision. It was a catch twenty-two. If he joined stuff would happen. Yes, that was the only real thing he could come up with. He had no clue how something like this would function. As such, he really couldn't come up with a problem with it. If he joined, he would be surrounded by people who understood him. That would be great. He was going to join. The young Quincy could benefit from some company.
"Stour-san, I'll join."
He then listened to Stour tell then to never wish to be weaker. He should only wish to get stronger such that he didn't have this problem. Pondering for a second, he figured that if he got stronger he wouldn't have to worry about this crisis of faith. At some point, Toshioni would be strong enough such that he could not have to worry about an Arrancar. With a small smile, he shot a glance at Stour.
