In the Cero King's Palace, in one of the various sitting rooms, lounged an elegant man. His hair was long and pure white, and his eyes were closed as he sipped from a wine glass, a bottle of the deep red liquid sitting on a sleek glass table. The furniture was made of ebony, with white and red cushions, and the hearth was burning, bringing the room to a comfortable temperature. He was barefoot, wearing a simple white yukata as if he had just gotten out of the bath, and was regal even in such a casual state.

A knock on the door drew his attention, even as a young woman was ushered in. He had called for Riko, as she had been the initial spark for his idea, his direction with the Espada. A human soul he had taken pity on for reasons known only to him, he had pulled her Chain of Fate with his own hand and force-fed her the flesh of a Vasto Lorde before pulling her mask off. The process had likely saved her from wasting away as she was, and losing herself amongst the voices she'd eventually begin to hear, but it had taken effort on his part.

Vasto Lordes didn't grow on trees.

Once she had sat on the couch opposite his own, he would pour her a glass from the bottle and hand it to her. The dark liquid, upon further examination, wasn't wine. Any human could recognize the smell of blood, and this had been taken from a particularly strong specimen, one who likely would have gotten the opportunity to join the Shin'o Academy had he passed on. The latent reiatsu still present in the life-giving fluid was guaranteed to peak his young investment's appetite.

As if to goad her darker side even further, Graven spoke in his smooth bass, his monotone barely concealing promise and desire. "Aren't you thirst, kitten? Drink."

a slim figure followed a few Arrancar that actually let her out of that damn liter box that neile called a laboratory. She wasn't sure where she was going or what much was going on other then the one called graven had requested for an audience with her for some reason. why would he need her anyways? She followed the guards to a set of doors. she watched the guards knock on the door before opening the doors to one of the possible many rooms of the cero's own little palace. She followed them in staying still as she watched them leave, leaving her and their leader alone.

she remained standing for a good minute before actually taking a few steps moving to the couch opposite of him. she took a seat enjoying the cold floor against her bare feet before she sat cross-legged hiding her hands in her lap as she watched him silently. her one visible ear twitched some. She wasn't sure why she was called here and why she was even here. She still was trying to accept the fact she is literally dead. a being of massive power took the chain that had attached to her chest only to force-feed her dehydrated Vasto Lorde meat and then rip off her mask making her into who she was today which was....something she wasn't sure.

She watched him pour a glass of red liquid which at first she thought it was wine. she certainly didn't expect a heavy cooper smell to hit her heightened senses so hard "Blood? what are you a vampire now? I get a wet dog smell from your and an airy smell...something like a lot of feathers."She spoked accepting the drink swirling it around slightly in the glass looking down at it. the more human side of her was wanting so much to barf at the smell and drop the glass but the darker hollow side kept a firm but gentle grip on the glass, refusing to let the human side go. She shot him a blank stare from the first words "Kitten...I am NOT a pet nor am I a kitten. I don't know what I am exactly but you and Mr. reconstruct himself says I am very cat-like..."She replied managing to keep herself from allowing her hollow side to sip of the blood

Chuckling, Graven swirled his own glass of blood around, sipping it once more while his amber eyes stared directly into Riko's own. Letting the flavors dance over his tongue, he'd smile playfully, his canines glinting in the light. Stretching himself out with the grace of a predator, he'd end up laying across his couch while listening to the youngest Arrancar, responding when she was done with a teasing tone. "My, you truly don't remember, do you? I pulled your Chain of Fate after giving you an offer, and you spent three days in your Hollowfication before reforming as a cat-based Hollow, hell-bent on devouring anything in sight. In the end, I hunted down a Vasto Lorde for you and fed you by hand, stabilizing the rush of energy and reconstruction of your form myself before breaking your mask and turning you into an Arrancar. You gave me quite a bit of trouble, Kitten. As for the blood..."

Pouring the contents of his glass over his palm, it would solidify into an amorphous sphere instead of pouring all over the high-end furniture. An application of his control over the liquid caused it to take the form of a house cat, climbing back into the glass and popping it's head out, rubbing it's ear with a paw before becoming purely liquid again. "We all have unique abilities. Mine just so happens to be this. The other scent you've caught is my Fraccion, Ana. She is an owl-based Arrancar, and is physically and mentally younger than you, despite her greater age. As your power matures, you'll find that your aging will slow down and eventually stop completely. I myself am over six millennia old. I don't look a day over twenty-four, do I?"

A playful grin was dancing at his lips even as he lifted the glass to them once more, his perfect facial structure highlighted by the light from the fire dancing on the crystal wine glass. "The hunger you feel is normal for spiritual beings, at least those with power. By forcing your evolution, I've saved you from the all-consuming hunger for souls that plagues the lower levels of our race. Unfortunately, unless we were to suddenly become friends with the Soul Society and open up trade, we are unable to get the nutrients we need from normal food. Thus, we follow our more primal instincts. If you drink, it should help. Otherwise, you may have an incident and attempt to eat one of our fellow Arrancar or even the few Hollows that frequent Las Noches."

His last words were spoken with a hint of genuine concern for her well-being, which might be confusing even after he basically admitted to babysitting her for three days, and feeding her. What was his end game?

Riko watched him stretch out on his couch as if he had no problem claiming it his territory. She listened to him speak of the acid trip that was her few days. "I don't remember much a lot of it feels like one massive dip into a pool of LSD."She said "I don't remember half of anything other than hunger, pain, laughing maybe...and you...Quit calling me kitten. I am not a damn pet. Hell, I only remember waking up this morning in a box and somehow nearly blowing the head of that weirdo you call Neile, from his creepy questions of my chest size. Note. I still think these robes are not my color nor my style but he said it is better fitted for me."She said watching him before taking a deep breath deciding just to take a sip. she was thirsty indeed finishing her glass in one go allowing her tongue to lightly lick up the few streams of blood she managed to not fully consumed in the one go.

She looked at her free hand seeing a few drops on top lightly licking it much like a cat natural would. she soon stopped staring at her hand before it dawned on her of what she just did "Damnit.."She said to herself mentally strangling herself for proving the nickname of kitten. She looked over at graven watching him use a small display of power explaining the odd scents as well as one other who followed him. an Owl? Like a literal bird? how would one deal being a literal bird? She allowed her mind to lose the train of thought as she listened to him explain how it was beneficial to more accept this life and the needs of surviving. she could not really understand the dog eat dog world she was now part of but part of her was itching to kill something. She looked around allowing her ear to twitch as she got up moving to a window looking out at the sea of sand "So why am I here? What is the plan with me since you spent three days ensuring my survival and evolution when you know nothing of me."She said

Graven allowed his eyes to travel across Riko's form as she spoke, a predator sizing her up, even as he took another drink. Watching as she downed the glass of blood in a single gulp, lapping up the droplets she'd missed, the King would give a playful smirk. While Riko stood up and moved to the window, looking out upon the sands illuminated by an artificial sun under the dome, he'd pour her another glass, as it seemed she needed it more than she'd admit. Sighing, a wistful, melancholy look crossing his face, his smirk becoming a small, sad smile as she spoke, questioning his motivations. "Would you believe me if I said it's because you remind me of someone I used to know?"

Finishing his own drink, he'd set the glass on the table and wander over to where she stood, his bare feet padding across the smooth stone. Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, he'd turn Riko around and look down, the eyes of a wolf meeting those of a cat. He cared little for his state of undress, and from this distance she could smell the scent of the forest and ice coming from his soul, and the rose and sakura blossoms that were part of his body wash. His hair was slightly damp still, and looked heavenly soft. "Not every soul gets saved by a being revered as a God. Why do you feel the need to question my actions? Are you scared I'm thinking of turning you into some sort of sex slave?"

Keiko closed her eyes taking in a deep breath. Trying to take in this different world "Remind you of someone...that someone must have been pretty boring and a forgotten face to be reminded when one searches through an attic."she said with a light laugh to herself. Her eyes moved to the left upon hearing graven pouring more blood into a glass, figuring it was her own. She listened to him get up moving over to her side. She allowed him to turn her to face hom having to tilt her head up as she did allowing their eyes to meet for a few seconds before she looked back towards the window "no wonder I smelled wet dog. However, smells aside, nice mixture by the way, uh it depends what you describe as a god. Just the little time out of Neil's lab I smelled different things some fear. Some anger. Some...excitement. and I question cause I ha e barely been able to handle being dead for a few months to being now this and tossed in this world that makes no sense to me in any way let alone trust someone that assisted in all this confusion"she replied

The younger Arrancar, at her words, would be able to see the King's eyes shift through a variety of emotions. Anger, loss, sadness, regret, and loneliness above all. If was as if the stages of grief went through him all at once, just because of her words. "...I'm certain she thought she was forgettable, and yet her face is burned into the space my heart used to be even now, more than four thousand years after her death. Regardless, allow me to assure you of one thing, if nothing else. You can trust me."

Walking back over to the couch and pouring himself another drink, he'd take a sip, gesturing for her to rejoin him. Once she had, he'd take a moment to collect himself. "I am known as the God of Hollows due to the fact that I am the only remaining Primordial, those who were here at the beginning of Hueco Mundo. Even among those of us from that generation, I was distinct for my raw power. I suppose, however, I should explain a bit further into what has happened to you. The chain that connected to your heart was the Chain of Fate. It connects the soul to the body, and when broken it signifies a human's death. After that point, one of two things happens. The first is that a Shinigami, an agent of balance, is able to perform a ritual to send you to Soul Society, a place where the only thing most people have to worry about is getting water, unless they have spiritual power. Depending on which District you're placed in, it can be pleasant or downright murderous. Your best bet is to have a bit of power to your name and become a Shinigami yourself."

Taking another drink, Graven's eyes - clearly the most expressive part of him, would look at her in a critical manner, to see if she understood what he was about to reveal. "The second is that a Shinigami doesn't get to you in time. After that, you're either eaten by a Hollow or become one yourself. Your Chain of Fate begins to eat away at itself painfully in a process known as encroachment, until it reaches your heart. At that point, the pain and emptiness grows too great, and your body tears it's own heart out and uses it as a mask to hide your identity from the cruelty of the world. it drives most of us insane, and dooms us to an eternal hunger and a drive to evolve, in the hopes that we don't lose ourselves and become mindless. Given that there were no Shinigami in the area you died in, and that my own presence had chased away any Hollows..."

His message was clear enough. She would have become a Hollow, regardless of his interference. He had simply saved her from years of pain and despair, ensuring she didn't have to struggle.

"Trust is hard to allow myself to do for a complete stranger. I barely know what is going on, let alone know how i feel or even what I feel"She replied watching him closely as he turned away back to his seat.

She remained in her spot for a few seconds before following shortly after him retaking her spot on her couch "So either way. I was destined for this...To becoming a hollow's next meal or fall to fate of becoming a mindless killing machine. If i was found by a shinigami and brought to the soul society that i would probably end up worse off there. So either way. You interfering was the possible best option for a newly dead soul that was already starting to feel that pain from my chain." She spoke resting the finger tips of her left hand along her collar bone. She allowed her gold eyes to close part way before opening them again "Why me though. There were other spirits in that area suffering just like me. I don't see why a supposed god takes so much time out of his week for one mere spirit." She spoke.

Graven's perfect lips turned into a lazy smirk as Riko worked her way through the circumstances that lead to her Hollowfication. Lifting his wine glass, filled with the blood of a man who would have been a strong Shinigami, he began to swirl it, admiring the way that the color swirled against the clear crystal. Stopping the motion, he'd take a deep drink, setting the glass down and licking his lips, drawing attention to both his mouth and the canines within, teeth which belonged on a wolf and not a human. "Is there anything I do that doesn't have meaning, kitten? There WERE other souls present, and yet they were weak. They lacked potential, a will to live. If I would have given them the same gifts I gave you, they would flounder and go insane, whether from the pain or their own bloodlust is debatable. As to why I picked you specifically...You interested me."

The simple truth. Nothing more, nothing less. "Don't tell me that you didn't find your old life boring. You longed for something more, to belong, and yet you never felt as if you fit in. Tell me about yourself, and leave nothing out."

Riko watched him listening to every word. Her ears twitched at the word kitten. She is going to try killing him one of these days if that becomes a pet name. She was no one's pet. Maybe he was right. Most of the other spirits ran and hid. scared of possibly dying again maybe? Trapped in their mind of the constant thought of how they possibly died and will die again. She looked down at her reflection in the marbel flooring before crouching down on to the ball of her feet resting her elbows on her knees. She sidnt reconize the being looking back at her. Her ears perkee up as her head followed "My life was...ordinary. I didnt feel the need to exist and make myself known to the world nor did i feel the want to not exist...i was just...kinda there you know. Like most of my life i felt i was just watching a movie. People come and go friends come and go...i never felt the want to cling to what i had..sometimes i felt like my skin was not my own that my life was not my own...its...complicated to convey my life. I was just there to wake eat breakfeast. Go to work eat lunch get off work eat dinner and go to bed...that is it"she said

She sighed allowing her left hand to rub her right forearm in thought "i don't know...life was just life. I never had a prince charming nor did i feel the need to rebel against my parents or the want to do more then just enough. I had friends but at the same time i didn't have friends"she said