-
Posts
6784 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
4
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Everything posted by Gavin
-
[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/IMG] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/meredyne-avatar.jpg[/img][/CENTER] [indent][size=1]With hands held behind his back, one of which contained Alexander's desperate plea for aid, Daedalus continued to stare forward silently toward Czenovia's horizon. The Sentinel's bridge was a hive of activity, comm. chatter was still flooding in from troops in High Czenoble as they joined the remnants of the RPG in in the assault against the Underdog?s base...but it had all come too late to prevent any real damage, too many good men and women had already lost their lives because one old man had been too slow to get a simple message. ...Dwalish is down there, he thought absently. His son had volunteered to go leave the Sentinel to lead his soldiers personally. For a brief moment Daedalus had been tempted to refuse him, based solely on his selfish desire to protect him, but it would have been completely unfair of him to do so, instead he now stood, ramrod straight, praying that whatever deities actually existed would grant him the selfish wish that his child would return to him unharmed. ?[b]General sir, news from High Czenovia.[/b]? The cry came from a frantic looking ensign. He couldn?t recall the young woman?s name off the top of his head, but it wouldn?t matter, military protocol allowed him the formality of referring to her by rank alone. ?[b]What is it ensign ?[/b]? His voice sounded considerably more tired than he?d realised... how long had it been since he?d last slept ? More than a day at this stage likely. ?[b]Colonel Almagest reports that one of the squads has discovered the body of Gaul Rosier sir, apparently he?d been shot several times at a close range, a real mess.[/b]? For the longest of time, Daedalus was completely unsure how to react to the news. He?d known Gaul Rosier since they were both boys, served with the man his entire life... As much as he?d come to loathe his ideals and practices in recent weeks, he?d never hated the man himself...Rosier... no, Gaul...Gaul had been his friend for as long as he could remember... You could have saved him too old man, if you?d just arrived back a bit sooner, that?s one more person close to you that you let down. The thought came down on Daedalus? shoulders like a weight that threatened to break him. Sighing slowly, he cast his glance back to the horizon. Perhaps it was better this way, for Gaul to go out as a hero trying to defend his men, at least, that?s how it would be portrayed. If he?d lived through the conflict, it was likely he?d have been made the scapegoat for the current troubles and given the option to commit suicide quietly as a courtesy...yes, it was better this way. ?[b]Thank you Ensign.[/b]? He moved to turn before the girl spoke again, her tone significantly more reserved than before. ?[b]General sir, there?s more. One of the surviving RPG troops identified Jack Deacon as having been there with the unidentified woman who murdered Commander Rosier.[/b]? Deacon...Shutting his eyes, Daedalus fought back the fury that threatened to shatter his rigid exterior. His knuckles were already fight and shaking slightly . If it was to be the last thing he ever did, Daedalus would find that boy and make him face justice. ?[b]Ensign, tell Colonel Almagest to have the witness moved immediately to the RPG?s temporary HQ, as well as anyone else who can provide details of the incident. When we bring Deacon in, I want to make sure we have enough to charge him.[/b]? ?[b]I understand sir.[/b]? Her response was less lacklustre this time, apparently he?d boosted her confidence. Nodding energetically, she turned to her station and began to relay his orders. Slowly turning on his heel, Daedalus made for the door leaving the bridge passing Major Gast, whom Daedalus had chosen to fill in for Dwalish after the mission to Rosengard. The man continued to watch over the bridge with a masterful precision, it was entirely possible his son Felix was among the dead, but the Major had yet to consult the comm. officer, duty first. Admirable. ?[b]You?re leaving the bridge sir ?[/b]? He hadn?t even turned, his attention still fixed. ?[b]Yes Major. I think Meredyne Artemis will want to be informed.[/b]? She?d arrived before Daedalus had returned from the coronation, apparently the RPG had arrested her, but their jurisdiction had forced them to have her transferred to the military for interrogation. She?d also taken some punishment from the officers who?d made the arrest, and hadn?t taken at all kindly to the prospect of military questioning. Right now she in the brig, likely still venomous, and only to get worse when Daedalus finally spoke to her face to face. The walk down had been significantly quicker than he?d expected, perhaps because his mind was so occupied. The brig chief had given him a tense salute before unlocking the door, as expected she stood there, a look of cold fury on her face, still bruised from her previous mistreatment. ?[b]I must say Daedalus, you?ve got some imaginative ways of preventing a business deal from going through.[/b]? She?d practically spat the comment. Bridging the distance between them, he took her glare full on with indifference. ?[b]I just thought you should know Meredyne, Jack?s arrest warrant will now also include the murder of Gaul Rosier.[/b]? Her expression wavered for the briefest moment, before her eyes narrowed again and her lips contorted into a sneer. ?[b]He?s finally done something right then.[/b]? ?[b]I?m glad you approve. Meredyne. I only hope you can be equally glib when his eyes roll back up into his head after the drop from the hangman?s platform.[/b]? He hadn?t meant to let his anger get the better of him, the rebuke had slipped out considerably more callous than intended. Daedalus didn?t even flinch when he felt her small hand smack across his face, her eyes brimming with tears before she took a step back again, head bowed. ?[b]I apologise Meredyne, I shouldn?t have said that.[/b]? ?[b]You were friends with Rosier weren?t you ?[/b]? ?[b]Yeah... [/b]? ?[b]Then, I apologise too, I shouldn?t have said what I did.[/b]? ?[b]Thank you.[/b]? The air between them was less charged now, but far sadder than it had been only a few moments before. ?[b]He?ll get a fair trial, won?t he Daedalus ? I know Jack?s done some stupid, terrible things... but promise me Daedalus, promise me he?ll get a fair trial. Please ?[/b]? He hadn?t expected the out-pouring of emotion from her, but then he didn?t really know Meredyne Artemis personally, and these circumstances were hardly normal. ?[b]I never intended to give him anything less.[/b]? Rapping on the metallic door, Daedalus waited for the chief to open the cell again. ?[b]Chief... I want Ms. Artemis transferred to secure quarters somewhere on the ship. I?m confident she?s not involved with Jack Deacon, but we need to keep her safe from those who might think otherwise. Make sure she gets anything she needs, starting with a bath and a hot meal.[/b]? ?[b]Of course sir.[/b]? Daedalus watched as the man exited back through the sealed doorway, leaving the pair alone again. ?[b]...Thank you Daedalus...I?m grateful, but why are you doing this ?[/b]? ?[b]My daughter...Helen... was killed a few days ago by the Underdogs.[/b]? His expression didn?t change with the admission. ?[b]So I know was it?s like to lose family and I?d rather you not be here in a brig cell if it happens to you.[/b]? Leaving the cell, Daedalus intended to check back up on Harrison before he returned to the bridge, yes, losing family was probably the worst thing that could happen to anyone.[/size][/indent]
-
[quote name='Malkav']My only request is please avoid lopsided-ness. Just cause you're a hero doesn't mean you have an easy time. Not saying you do that, Gavin, but I wanted to get that off of my chest.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Sure Malkav, with the troop deployments down in the city, the Sentinel and the Fleet will be operating with less than usual numbers, though not enough to prove detrimental in the battle, so that should also help balance it out for Jack. Besides, we both know he's going to have two big advantages when he actually gets on-board the Sentinel too. Rest assured I'll be as fair writing Jack as I am with anyone else's character, or my own for that matter. Actually, for my short post, I think I'll write about Daedalus interacting with Meredyne on the Sentinel, there certainly ought to be some interesting dialogue there, for example: "[b]You've got one hell of a way to try to block a business deal Daedalus.[/b]" [/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Solo Tremaine'][COLOR=#503F86]Besides, they've got their own mini storyline with Don Kanonji. I don't think you could recover from that :p[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeesh, don't even start with that, there was one cool bit when Raku the cat-spirit transformed and that was it. Besides, call me crazy, but for the longest while I've had the feeling Kanonji is a Shinigami in disguise, if only for how cool a plot twist it would be if it turned out to be true. As for Tatsuki and Mizuiro, I can se Tatsuki being developed, but of Ichigo's friends, I actually think Asano is the likely one to gain some powers.[/SIZE]
-
[SIZE="1"]Yeesh, poor Ikillion, glad you seem to go mild or at least quick enough when you kill me in these that I don't suffer. ^_^; Still planning to continue this D ?[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='TwistedChick']If Bleach goes on long enough for us to see them developing powers years down the road, I will be beyond surprised, I'll be shocked. Kubo might do some small future arcs, maybe something that would be turned into OVAs, but I see Ichigo still being mid-teens when the series ends. That's why I said what I did about the *twins*. I don't see us seeing them make progress of that kind. It might be revealed to us that it was going to happen, maybe Isshin saying something foreshadowing it, but as for it [I]happening[/I]...I just can't envision it. I mean, will Aizen, or some other evil that rises from the dark, wait 10 years before acting, and then Ichigo and co. will be brought back into the fray, all Naruto time-skip style? Kubo would have to have a reason to drag the story out like that. It would be an interesting twist from what I'm expecting, and maybe it would work out for the better.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, if Bleach continues at it's current pace, we probably won't see Yuzu or Karin develop any kind of powers beyond what they already have. That said, Naruto and DBZ both had time-skips, so I wouldn't be overly surprised if Kubo decided to move on a few years in the story at some point.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Shy'][size=1][b]Gavin:[/b] It's really up to you. I know we haven't left much for you to do at the moment, but the larger air battle should be taking place soon. I don't expect to spend a lot of posts with the characters in the tunnels, so things should be wrapping up shortly.[/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Heh no worries, I'll have plenty to write about in the coming air-battle and I already established that the military were in High Czenoble. I suppose I just felt I needed to post something to contribute to the story.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='TwistedChick']Anyone else see her dying? hm?[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]For me, it's a case of when rather than if. I've never really been fond of Tsunade as a character for no real reason, there's just something about her that generates indifferences. Plus, when Lady Slug dies, Kakashi will probably become Hokage, either him or Gai, which would be only too funny. *Imagines Hokage-Style Dynamic Entry* ^_^[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Raiyuu']Where the heck did that come from? If Orochimaru's been searching for it all these centuries or whatever, how come it's never been mentioned before?[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Because Kishi needed a quick way of re-establishing Itachi's eliteness that has been so badly squandered by this fight. Welcome back plot-hole no jutsu. Besides, Orochimaru having two legendary swords and that "Hydra mode" of his would be just incredibly lame, the sort of power-up Sasuke will probably get and we'll be forced to accept at some stage in the future. Wonder what alternate mode Tsunade is hiding ?[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='TwistedChick']My statement is referring to the near future. I don't think she'll overcome her current little kid-ishness enough to be out on the battlefield anytime soon. In 20 years, I could see her resembling Unohana, whereas I see Karin taking steps similar to Ichigo in the next few years, or months even. [/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, maybe I wasn't clear enough in my last post, when I talked about them developing their own powers, I mean at around fifteen or so like Ichigo rather than in the next few months. Actually, Ichigo's powers were actually only activated by Rukia passing her's into him, it's entirely possible that they were meant to be sealed for even longer. I think becoming a Shinigami would actually be better for Yuzu than it would be for Karin. Karin is already fiercely independent, although I actually feel that's to mask her own emotional trauma by just suppressing it, so her becoming a Shinigami would follow a very similar path to Ichigo of developing a resolve and going from there. For some reason, I could see her very at home in the 11th. Heh. Yuzu on the other hand I think needs something to really draw her out of her shell and her self-assumed role of mother to the family. We see nothing of her friends or activities outside of doing housework which constrasts with Karin, so you have to wonder what goes on there. If she were to develop her own powers, I think it would give her a role that is truly "Yuzu's" rather than previously "Masaki's". Maybe I'm wrong, I just have a soft-spot for Yuzu and I'd like to see her developed a bit more. Regarding the maturity of taking on the household as she did TC, yeah I accept that it's normal, I was more so referring back to what Isshin said about when their mother died, both Ichigo and Karin became distant, while Yuzu took on that burden of acting as mother of her own accord, I think that does show a maturity and a resolve. Heh, either way, the twins developing their Shinigami powers is for a plot-arc a long way away from now.[/SIZE]
-
[SIZE="1"]That was an absolutely awesome post Darren, I loved [spoiler]the swordfight between Grants and Alexander, and poor Captain Oref, what a heroic man.[/spoiler] Josh/Sandy, should I write a post invovling the military helping to drive off the Underdogs attack with the RPG ? They're already in the city, and really, won't have a lot to do until the air-battle.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='TwistedChick']Yuzu is just so cute and innocent, I don't know if going in the shinigami direction would be right for her. Even if her power matures, she herself is simply so immature, I don't know if it could really be overcome. [/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I don't know where you get immature out of TC, Yuzu practically assumed the role of mother for the family after Masaki died, that to me anyway shows a lot of maturity. Sure she's an emotional kid sometimes, but at her age and having lost her mother, can you really blame her ? Besides if Yuzu became a Shinigami, she'd definitely be either 4th or 13th Squad, probably more leaning towards the former rather than the latter, I see her as a kind of young Unohana, although Ukitake could probably bring her out of her shell pretty well.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='TwistedChick']Or, Kishi could screw us all and Sasuke will still kill Itachi.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]That's still a definite possibility unfortunately. I have an awful feeling, chakra-depletion or not, if Itachi tries to go for his brother's eyes again, which is what's apparently going to happen in the next chapter, that Sasuke will find some way, like stabbing a pointy rock into his heart to win the fight.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='TwistedChick']But what I [I]really[/I] want to see is, the same as everyone else, Isshin in an extended fight, Ryuken perhaps showing us just how badass a Quincy can actually be, and then Urahara going all out as well, maybe matched up against Gin. They both have that understated threatening power about them, such that it could make for quite an interesting battle. But, who will they really fight? ... It should be good, no matter the match-up.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, that's exactly what I was talking about, we've seen Urahara fight, but never really fight seriously, same with Ryuken and Isshin, seeing as the normal world is their home, obviously they should be the ones fighting for it. Anyone else like to see Karin and Yuzu develop their own Shinigami powers in the future ?[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]Plot advancement in the next chapter... Finally. (hopefully) Maybe I can get a [spoiler]Isshin, Urahara, Aizen [/spoiler] showdown. [spoiler]And perhaps some unrevealed Ban Kai's[/spoiler]. Although I'm not a fan of Nnoitora, some of his harsh comments cracks me up a bit. It's good that Kubo haven't lost that sense of throwing comedy in at the serious moments. I normally don't care for comedy in anime/mangas, but Bleach (manga) does it right. (and it's actually funny)[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting the assault on Karakura town to come quite so soon, seems Aizen has been using the Shinigami's attack as a way to divert attention away from his real goal. Here's hoping as Mem said that we get to see Isshin and Urahara, maybe even Ryuken get involved and see a few of the unrevealed Bankai. Of the three traitor-Captains, I'd like to see Isshin fight Tousen, as they seem to have fairly similar contemplative personalities. [/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]What is Susano suppose to be? In a way, it looks like a summoning type jutsu.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [quote name='Wikipedia']Susanoo creates a massive spiritual warrior resembling a yamabushi, which will fight on Itachi's behalf, weilding a shield in its left hand, and in its right, the legendary Totsuka no Tsurugi (十拳剣, lit. "The Sword Ten Hands Long"?), also known as the Sakenagi Longsword (酒刈太刀, Sakenagi Tachi?, lit. "Sake Cutter Longsword"). The Totsuga no Tsurugi, commonly sheathed in a sake jar held by a third hand growing from Susanoo's right forearm, is an etherial weapon with an enchanted blade capable of sealing anything it pierces in an eternal dream-like illusion, and is described as the perfect counter to Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword[/quote] [SIZE="1"]Guess that explains it, welcome back the Itachi we knew.[/SIZE] [quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]I can't help but laugh at Orochimaru's attempt to come back only to be sealed away. I also can't help but wonder if that's the last time we'll see him.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, poor Oro, he thinks he finally has a chance, assumes what appears to be his most powerful form, and then gets sealed away forever by a blind, chakra-less Itachi. Wonder if this means Sasuke has lost the abilities he gained from Oro too ?[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Kei'][color=darkblue][size=1]I can see Hinata eventually becoming the head of the clan with Neji as her second. We've seen her grow over the course of the story somewhat relative to Naruto's. As long as he keeps developing, so will she. Though with the way things are going now, that won't be for a while...[/color][/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I don't know, there'll have to be an eventual face-off between Hinata and Hanabi over the rulership of the Hyuuga clan for Hinata to succeed cleanly, which would definitely make for a good smaller arc. I can see Neji training her for it and eventually developing a new respect for his cousin, as the failure of the Main Family and the Genius of the Branch, they make an interesting contrast which should be expanded upon.[/SIZE]
-
[SIZE="1"]Heh, seems Fonty has some sense, as little interest as Daedalus has in running Magitech, he's made it pretty clear to his nephew how he feels about selling the company. I can't wait to write how he reacts to this. ^_~[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Solo Tremaine'][COLOR=#503f86]The problem with putting Neji in now is that he hasn't got much plot to drive him. Where before he had the whole destiny/fate thing going on, he's past that and as a secondary character there's little else he has, except fighting. And Byakugan can only entartain so much. I'm much more interested to see Hinata break out of her shell.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, it seems when Naruto relieved Neji of his destiny angst he also took away his entire plot, heh. ^_^; I suppose Neji's story could continue with his efforts to change the Hyuuga for the better, but really, it would have been far more interesting for him to snap and repeat the Uchiha massacre for Konoha's remaining doujutsu clan.[/SIZE]
-
[SIZE="1"]Josh, I understand that Leonhart's children would have stock in Magitech, but wouldn't Catherine and Daedalus also have their own shares from their parents ? I know that Leonhart was running Magitech, but did that automatically equate to him owning all the shares in the company ? It doesn't make any difference to me or my characters, I'm just a little confused.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="#8B0000"][SIZE="1"]Neji's limited amount a time he's been shown since the time leap. When he was shown, he (nor Lee) did nothing spectacular to show any type of improvement. Yet Shikimaru gets ample amount of time... (No Neji development Kishi?)[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, I have to admit, I was expecting a lot more from Neji than has been shown so far, I mean we know he's made Jounin but yet there's nothing there that really shows how he earned the rank. Neji was established as a sort of pre-massacre Itachi character, I want to see what that potential has developed into that doesn't just include refining the techniques he already has. It's the same again with Lee, but then, his whole lack of chakra does limit his character potential. [/SIZE]
-
[SIZE="1"]Wow, I really didn't think two posts from me would generate so much debate on the cannon, heh, my bad there. ^_^; Yeah, obviously my skills in subtle writing need improvement, but then Daedalus has known about the weapon a lot longer than anyone else. In regard to the traitor within the Air-Fleet, really I thought it made a lot of sense, as how else would something so guarded as the cannon go missing. I mean seriously, I doubt neither Mideus nor Daedalus were stupid enough to just believe the doomsday device could just sit there unmolested in tunnels everyone and their mothers seem to use. Litheway I really just introduced as Daedalus' predecessor, then realised I needed a traitor and he seemed to fit the bill. I imagine by nature he's an territorially-aggressive man who believes the cannon is Czenovia's birthright to use to expand their kingdom. How he's ended up working with the Underdogs ? Honestly, I've no idea. Perhaps he's a non-noble who had to work his way up in the military by skill alone, and believes every Czenovian should have that right. More importantly, Litheway is the leader of a rather small faction in the military, in fact, tiny might be a better word. Obviously the military is highly loyal, almost fanatically loyal to the Dynasts, so Litheway's troops, those whom he positioned to guard the cannon, number no more than maybe a hundred altogether. This compared to the tens of thousands in the military is a mere drop in the ocean, but enough to cause immense problems. I have to say, Princess Augustine's death seemed to come right out of left-field, to borrow an American colloquialism. I had assumed that Prince Augustus had been dispatched in a similar method to his elder siblings, imagine my surprise he was still alive. The ignoble death of the Princess was not undeserved, but a little sudden. Also, make it three in support of killing Donner. In fact, I volunteer to have Daedalus do it Die Hard style. ^_~[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Personally, I tend to look more for traits such as honesty, a good sense of humor and at least some similar tastes as mine and yet differences too. Something you both like and the fun of introducing each other to new things.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I think this covers a lot of I look for out of relationships pretty well. Like you Rach, I like to not only have some common-ground with a girlfriend, but also to be able to have some new experiences while I'm with them, it's always nice to be introduced to something you didn't know you'd enjoy. Persona wise, I'm pretty open, I've dated very out-going girls and very quiet ones, it all depends on the mix really. Obviously stuff like honesty and loyalty are prerequisites. While I don't think someone with pre-defined ideas of what they're physically attracted to is shallow, it's not something I give a great deal of thought to. Obviously there are some things I find more attractive than others, i.e. I find multiple piercings and tattoos to be off-putting, because it's just not my thing. I find it a hell of a lot easier to be put off my someone's personality than I do by their physical appearance.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='chibi-master']Well, Gavin and Memphis, you're both right about Naruto and his stupidity. After hearing all this I have now lost any care about Naruto whatsoever. Oh well. Although, Memphis, I still have to stick to my wish for a Tobi title...[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Maybe I went a little over-board. Even if Naruto is still rather immature, I have to admit, I like him as a character. He has several qualities, completely aside from his strength, his capability as a fighter or his status as the main character, which make an audience root for him. He's got a lot of guts, heart and determination, and he's got one hell of a mark on him which has given him a very ****** life. At least Sasuke knows who his parents are, Naruto has always had to question why he was the one picked to carry the burden of the Kyuubi, and why the villagers hated him for it. He's been alone his entire life, and yet he's not a complete emo, in fact, it's given him a lot of depth as he never judges other people straight off as he's been so often. Naruto's also been side-stepped by teachers for various reasons, even Kakashi, his supposed Jounin instructor always favoured Sasuke above Naruto, and the same with Sakura. In reality, Jiraiya has always been Naruto's most influential teacher, and now he's lost him as well. The biggest problem for Naruto is really when we see him in conversation now, we see his depth, but the moment he fights, it all vanishes and the audience suddenly sees pre-Shippuuden Naruto again. He needs to prove he's learned more, and we already know he can learn at a rate two-thousand times that of a normal shinobi. Really, Naruto, if he went about it the right way could probably catch up to Sasuke a lot faster than would seem possible. So yeah, I may not like his lack of development as a fighter, but I still like him now as a character.[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Raiyuu']If by helpful you mean super dull and robbing the series of all subtlety :p[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Heh maybe, but at least then we wouldn't be confused. ^_^;[/SIZE]
-
[quote name='Raiyuu']On the Vasto Lorde flashback issue: no one said Neriel and Nnoitra were out to fight a Vasto Lorde. Their mission was to recruit. If the Vasto Lorde is kind of the ultimate form a Hollow can attain without becoming an Arrancar, we can assume they're capable of rational behaviour. In all likelihood, if the duo met a Vasto Lorde and he/she reacted to their offer with hostility, they'd be minced. But they weren't planning to start a scrap. I try to avoid power comparisons because they make my head hurt. Example here: becoming an Arrancar is a huge increase in power, because it adds an element of Shinigami power, plus the added advantage of reason and more control over their raw Hollow power. So it's entirely possible that a hybridised Adjuchas (which, for the sake of argument, is what I'm assuming Neriel and Nnoitra are) would be more powerful than a pre-hybridisation Vasto Lorde. But then, released Nnoitra couldn't beat Kenpachi, but Hitsugaya said an unhybridised Vasto Lorde was more powerful than a Shinigami Captain. So surely Nnoitra is less powerful than a raw Vasto Lorde. Except that Kenpachi isn't a typical Captain, and Nnoitra fought him in an idiotic way. And in the flashback, even if they'd had to fight, it would have been two against one.[/quote] [SIZE="1"]Yeah it was obviously a diplomatic mission as despite Nnoitra being apparently over-eager to fight a Vasto Lorde, it was pretty clear from what Neliel hinted at that he'd get massacred by one if he decided to fight. Becoming an Arrancar gives a Hollow access to Shinigami style powers as well as a more human form, which obviously has it's benefits in terms of combat, compared to some Hollow's forms, D-Roy comes to mind. As Vasto Lorde's are already human-shaped roughly, all they get is the Shinigami powers as well as I'm assuming some kind of power boost like all Arrancar. That said, it seems to be that only an Vasto Lorde class Arrancar can stand against another Vasto Lorde. I'm also guessing due to her high rank within the Espada, Neliel was a Vasto Lorde before she became an Arrancar, as people seem to move up in the ranks rather than down, with a few exceptions. We know that the transformation from Hollow to Arrancar has similar effects as Shinigami to Vaizard, the gaining of opposing powers. But really, we have no idea how big or small a relative power boost comes from that transformation. Until we do, we just can't say with any kind of certainty whether an Adjuchas Arrancar could defeat a Vasto Lorde, although my gut says no.[/SIZE] [quote name='Raiyuu']There are just too many factors to judge. This isn't DBZ, where you have numbered levels and level 2 is categorically stronger than level 1.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]That really would be helpful though, wouldn't it ?[/SIZE]