Like everyone else in Hueco Mundo of late, Bruno had heard the stories of the most interesting thing to happen there for quite some time. A newcomer had strolled into town, right up to Number 9 and challenged him to a duel. The accounts varied on the particulars from there. Depending on who you talked to it was either a bloody massacre or over with a single blow. Battles over supremacy in Hueco Mundo were common enough that even when Bruno had felt the battle Reaistu of old Number 9 and new number 9, he had barely diverted his attention momentarily from his quest to make the perfect Quesadillas.  

Truth be told Bruno had never been overly fond of the former ninth Espada. He had found him dreadfully boring and had long ago grown bored of vexing him. Perhaps that was why he now struggled to even recall his name. 

I want to say Carter….. Carson……. Brutus? He racked his brain as his body lurched to a sudden halt from a high speed Sonido, flickering into sudden view. Eric? He thought looking about the new Noveno Espada’s headquarters. 

“Oh well….” He sighed as he strolled around in curiosity, only a grin visible beneath his Rauna’s green hood.  “It hardly matters now does it?” What would the new Noveno be like he wondered as he inhaled deeply releasing just enough Reaistu to alert Noveno to his presence and calling out. “Gau!” 

Gau sat on the ledge of the balustrade overlooking the green inner-courtyard, or rather, he reclined. His eyes were closed and he seemed at peace within himself. Visitors already? he thought, however, as the distinct fading blip of Reiatsu produced by Sonído kept nearing. When he opened his eyes, another Arrancar walked in, wearing a green hood and seemingly inquisitive of his surroundings.

He jumped from his ledge and landed deftly on his feet. "You called, sir?" Gau replied to Bruno's calling of his name. He made a graceful bow by setting his right foot back and behind his left and placing his hand on his chest. "Gau Mephistoles, at your service." 

When he righted himself, a sheepish, broad smile ordained his face and his eyes were lively at the prospect of meeting another Espada. For that, he could sense, this man in the green hood certainly was.

A childish giggle escaped Bruno’s lips as he eyed Gau’s polite expression. People tended to have a variety of reactions upon first meeting Bruno (depending upon what they already knew of him). Some of the weaker denizens of Hueco Mundo tended to entertain their fight or flight response, namely their fight response and attack him. Still others reacted with disdain. Few reacted initially with the same pleasant reaction he seemed to be getting now. 

“Bruno, just Bruno at yours.” He said with an overexaggerated swagger, fanning his Rauna out into a dainty curtsey like he had seen humans do in his daytime dramas. 

“You’re certainly much politer then Ditiri was. I do believe he spit at me the first time we met.” He expressed. He found a small table with chairs and sauntered over to it before he bothered to get Gau’s response. 

He often forgot the size of his frame and plopped down with a distinct thud, his hood falling down in the process, revealing his curly black hair and unkempt facial hair. 

“Tell me Gau, do you like to drink?” He questioned pulling a bottle of something known as Tequila that he had procured from the living world out of his rauna.  

"Arrancar are such an interesting lot. I'm glad I did this and came here," Gau replied and tapped his Hollow Mask. He didn't want to dwell on the previous Noveno Espada. 

He was a dull man, this Ditiri, and who couldn't catch Gau's interest in the slightest. Besides, Bruno's recollection of them being quite rude was confirmed by Gau's own memory, last week when he first met the previous Espada. Ditiri kept interrupting his conversation with another Arrancar, and to such a degree that Gau couldn't even catch the name of that other Arrancar! Most unbecoming. He challenged Ditiri to a duel on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history.

Gau stretched out his arms. "Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life!" he replied. He pointed at a bench under the big tree. "Come, come, make yourself at home. Pray tell, which position do you hold and how is life in Las Noches?"

OOC: Sorry for the delay, work was crazy this week. Also, wasn’t trying to name former number 9 for you, Bruno just doesn’t remember his name, so it keeps changing. 

Bruno jolted up from his seated position at the table the tequila in his bottle sloshing around. He strode over to the bench under the big tree and took a deep breath of fresh air as he plopped down with another clink of his bottle. 

“I reside over at the Primera compound..” he paused pulling two shot glasses out of his rauna and setting them down on the table. “I’m the resident story teller, jester and occasionally….” He paused long enough to pour two shots worth of Tequila into the glasses on the table, making sure that they were precisely even. “trash man, if any rif-raf or revolting tumble weeds blow through the place.” 

He motioned towards the shot on the table before downing his quickly. “I’m excited to meet Eric’s successor, he wasn’t too keen on having any fun. How about you Gau? Do you enjoy some fun?” Bruno poured himself another shot and downed it almost as quickly as it filled the glass.  

“Position…” Bruno began to count down on his fingers, then added some back, then counted down once again in a process that continued for about 30 seconds before he finally just extended a lone finger. “I think this is still accurate.”  

Gau took the glass and emptied it in one, quick go. He placed it back and waited for the next shot. His eyes never left Bruno, and he took meticulous care to match the Primera's drinking rhythm. He tilted his head back slightly and made half a nodding gesture. "Well, that depends entirely on your definition of fun. I think we're having fun right now, aren't we?"

He downed the second shot. "You're a story teller, you say? Any stories you don't mind sharing? See, as luck would have it I am a sort of collector of stories. Among other things."

He beheld as Bruno started counting up and down, requiring it seemed the help of his fingers. "All ten accounted for?"

"For now." He chortled eyeing the Nuveo as he flung the shot glasses against the nearest wall, shattering them. He pulled a second bottle of Tequila from his Ruana and popped the top before sliding it across the table to Gau. 

"I may have a story or two..." he paused to tag a swig from the previously opened bottle. "Maybe one of the current variety that may be of interest, if our ideas of fun line up that is." His green tinted eyes gleamed with a mischievous hue.   

Bruno had heard reports lately of a mysterious creature roaming the Meanos forest feasting on Hollow of all level, leaving swaths of above normal levels of destruction in its path. He had even heard tale of several Arrancar level hollow vanishing off the map, never to be heard from again. Bruno did love a good story but had grown bored of late and was looking for a change of pace.  

"You say you like to collect stories eh? How do you feel about becoming part of them, every now and then?" he questioned before downing the entire rest of the bottle of Tequila from earlier.  

The doors opened, all was silent inside. Gau's footsteps echoed through the empty hallways and reverbed against bare concrete. At the end of the main hall was small plateau surrounded by plants; his "throne". He sat at the round table in the middle of the plateau and contemplated what he would do next.

Today, a new Arrancar arrived and apparently they were assigned to Gau as his Fracción. Another opportunity to meet someone interesting, he thought to himself. He felt on his head to assess the baldness and whether or not it was still properly bald. He wanted to leave a good first impression, after all and nothing ruined a first impression more than unwanted growth. Once satisfied that indeed, no hair was growing on his head he went back to what he was doing; nothing. He sat and stared ahead for a while, a content smile on his face.

"Hooooo!" Through bellowing winds and rising dusts, a gentle voice, quite suppressed, expressed. Through the obscure screen of whirling sands and dust, the silhouette of a lone figure gradually became clear as he journeyed closer. He looked weak and frail, as if the winds could blow him away. His dazzling dark hair, ruffled by the winds, cast a shade over his face, his eyes hidden beneath.

A matter of few metres separated him from the quarters of the new novena espada, there was just a flashing hint of awe when he looked up at the structure before him and it was gone soon after, any impression a fleeting one. This frail youth had walked up ankle-deep white sands, and then through goos and waist-length shrubs just to get here, though a thin skin of reiatsu over his body and dress prevented any dirt whatsoever from sticking.

"Is he strong?"

He muttered beneath his breath, his thoughts currently fixed on the matters of the newly appointed noveno espada he was about to meet. Moving on, he reached his destination.

"A bother, a bother" he let out a soft sigh. 

"Ehem! Numero Xūn Moreno greets the Noveno Espada!" with a cleared throat, he spoke thunderously, his voice echoing into the distance and his tone casual yet respectful.

Gau turned his head and looked at the Arrancar who so adamantly presented themselves before him. His expression hardly changed, he looked content and as always wore that slim hint of a sheepish smile. "Long have you traveled in shadows, would you mind and step into the light?" he asked, a rhetorical question for they were under a skylight and the light shining off his bald head made him look positively vibrant, incandescent even. His hand gestured towards the seat opposite him and to the cups of tea set and steaming.

"Gau Mephistoles, collector of mirrors and memories and now also called Espada," he said and tapped the Hollow mask fragment on his face. The back of his hand had the number 9 tattooed on it. 

With silent casual steps, he walked towards the gestured seat and sat down after a half-bow. Though he was calm and the confident air that lingered around him didn't fade one bit in front of the man before him, he felt the need to pay respect to his superior regardless.

"Dark Sky, Xūn Moreno" he reported, filling up an empty porcelain cup with the still-hot tea, its aroma wafting around. He took a sip and nodded with closed eyes, the mellow taste to his liking. A short while later, he opened his eyes and looked toward the unassuming Espada.

"What do I need to do?" He asked after a deep thought. "To be honest, I'm quite bored after coming here" he concluded

He didn't mean to be rude, though his tone was bereft of respect as he spoke as if talking to an equal, he clearly conveyed his thought, his casualness not quite particularly a good thing given he wasn't aware of this Espada's temper or peculiarities.

"Ah, forgive my tone" he added, apologizing immediately after becoming clearly aware of his wrongs. "You see, I'm used to being this casual, haha" he laughed sheepishly. Though he wasn't particularly being sincere when he could've curbed it.

"Not at all needed," he replied to Xun. "I am not one for formalities myself."

He sipped from his cup. He was only notified a couple of hours before that he had been assigned a Fracción from among the Número. Truthfully, it's only been a week since he ousted the previous Noveno Espada and from he could tell, they were chronically short of Arrancar. Something to do with only a small percentage of Menos being suitable for Shinigamification. He didn't care much for the explanation anyway. 

"Tell me, Xun. What is that you're looking for? What is it you want?"

_{scratching the back of his head, "hmmm~", he pondered. But seemingly not finding an answer to the Espada's question and what he wanted himself, he responded weakly  "no idea".}

"Well, I guess I'd continue lazing around until something comes up, ugh!" he groaned, distress expressed on his shadowed face.

"But is there really nothing fun around here? Spars, games, events or something, or adventures even if I'm tired of going on one" He asked again, clearly unresigned.