I'm starving.

This was pretty much all Hinamori could think. She'd been watching everyone else go through hollowfication for the past three hours, and she hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. She pushed herself up from where she had been leaning back on her elbows and looked over at Aizen. Granted, it wasn't the longest she's ever gone without eating, but they were starting to chase her record from that one mission in the living world back when she was a 23rd seat. She shuddered slightly. I don't even want to think about that fiasco.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, the silver-edged box shattered again and their last seated officer stood up, smiling in her new mask.

"Excellent work, all of you." Aizen called over to where his already hollowfied soldiers were lying around, bored. They had been nervous for their first few comrades, but after a while with no accidents the worry had begun to wear off. The entire officer corps, in fact, had hollowfied without incident after Hinamori's near-catastrophe. Hinamori, for fairness' sake, attributed this to Armin's astonishingly precise report on his battle.

"The non-officers will hollowfy later. In the meantime, I'm sure you're all very hungry."

"You're kidding, sir?" someone with brass balls and a sense of humor called out from the back. Hinamori wasn't alone in giggling. Even Aizen smiled slightly.

"That's good, but there's one more thing I need you to do before you can eat. You need to get out of those." Aizen gestured toward their back Shinigami uniforms. "The Arrancar can be a bit jumpy at times. If you go out looking like that, they'll probably think that we're under attack. I'm sure you'll agree that an unnecessary bloodbath would be a very bad introduction for everyone concerned. Go back to your rooms, your new uniforms should be there by now. I'll have someone show you to the dining hall when you're done."

"Hai." Hinamori bowed and turned back toward the entrance. She nearly tripped over herself in shock as she realized that she had no idea how to get back to the North Tower, but kept walking. As she passed, her friends stood up and walked beside her. Carefully keeping her straight, confident face in place, she whispered, embarrassed, "Does anyone remember the way back?"

Armin groaned. Sasha facepalmed. Arata laughed. "I do." he replied.

"Oh, good, for a minute there I was -" Hinamori began but dropped off as he stopped moving.

"What's the magic word?" Arata asked, shaking his finger and grinning like a villain from a bad American cartoon. I'm gonna have fun with thi-

"ASSHOLE!" Armin yelled as he jumped up and violently smacked the back of his head. "There's your damn 'magic word!' We don't have time for that stupid game, do you want to eat or not?" Being hungry could make anyone irritable, but Armin was clearly taking it to extremes.

"Could you please just tell us where is it?" Hinamori sarcastically pretended to ask politely.

"Shot down again, poor Arata." Sasha mused with obviously fake sympathy.

"Two lefts, a right, and another left, then we just go straight." Grumbled their victim, rubbing the back of his head. "And by the way, you all suck."

They arrived at the tower about five minutes later. The officers flew up to their quarters, while the unranked soldiers took the stairs. Hinamori landed smoothly at the very top and walked inside her room, shutting the door behind her. She saw that her pack had been removed, the supplies therein were probably being put into storage. Instead, there were boxes all over her room, ten on the coffee table and five on the bed, each with a picture resting on top. Wait, we have a choice in our uniforms now? Awesome!

She jumped excitedly over to the coffee table in the middle of the room and picked up one of the pictures on the left. It showed a white hakama under a western style white jacket. It was, essentially, a more feminine version of what Aizen wore. Nah, that jacket looks uncomfortable. If I'm going to choose my own uniform, might as well make it a good one. She put the picture down and picked up the one next to it, but quickly put it down as though toxic. Geez, that one would make Rangiku blush!

Rankigu-san...

Hinamori suddenly turned and grabbed the next picture, examining it with unnatural intensity. She cursed her own cowardice, but she still couldn't face it yet. She couldn't think about the effects her sudden departure was having on her old friends.

The one was of a white Chinese-style double-layered dress with black highlights and detached loose sleeves. It looked like the sleeves were held on to one's upper arms by light blue cloth strings. Now this I could go for! Let's look at the last one anyway, just in case.

The last outfit was pretty much the opposite of the first, white pants with a gi top. Hinamori's head wanted to keep looking at her options, but her stomach was demanding that she hurry up. She decided on the third option, the Chinese dress, and opened its box. The outfit was neatly folded inside, and she took it out. It unfolded itself like a waterfall of white as she held it out at arms length, looking at it more closely. It really is beautiful, isn't it?

"Yea, I like that one too." Tobiume commented.

"You're both dumbasses, the second one was the best." It was that metallic voice again.

"WOAH, SHIT!" Hinamori yelled out loud, then composed herself. Didn't I just kill you? Besides, there's no way in hell I'd wear that one, I've seen less revealing lingerie!

"No, I phased out, remember? Besides, you should be glad that you didn't! If you had killed me before I phased out, your hollowfication would only be half-complete, you would have no control over me, and I'd end up fusing with Tobiume!"

Bullshit. There's no way it would be that bad. She snapped at the voice as she untied her hakama and tossed it over to the dresser in the left corner.

"Wanna bet, Queen? It happened to that Kurosaki kid."

"She's not kidding, Momo-sama. I know because she used to be part of me." Tobiume cut back in, apparently feeling attention-starved. Hinamori started slipping her dress over her head.

Ok, now I know you two are messing with me. If she used to be part of you, then what would be so bad about her going back where she belongs? She spat the last three words more at the Hollow than Tobiume.

"Because I've become a separate entity now. If I'd gone back we'd be two souls trying to fit into one. One of us would have ended up dominating the other, and that NEVER ends well." She pulled a thin pair of white pants out of the box, they probably went under the dress to let her kick during fights without risking embarrassment.

Ok, whatever. But really, why is this important? Asked Hinamori as she pulled them on.

"I don't know, you brought it up!" her hollow retorted. Hinamori pulled one of the detached sleeves out of the box.

Smartass. Now how do I put this on? She held the cloth tube in front of her and rotated it, examining it from every angle. The blue string at the top didn't look like it was meant to be tied. She experimentally put her arm inside it and tugged at the string. To her surprise, it immediately tightened and secured itself on her upper arm.

Well, that's not so hard. She suddenly had an odd thought. Hey, you, what's your name?

"I don't have one."

Hinamori was a bit surprised. Well, you'd better think of one, because I refuse to call you Mumei.

"I hope not! 'Nameless' would be awful!"

Hinamori reached down and grabbed the other sleeve. She was hungry, and not in any mood for her hollow's games Well, you have thirty seconds to think of a name you like or you're "Shiro" from now on.

She felt the hollow start to panic, she couldn't help grinning at her discomfort. She was getting her revenge for their earlier battle and loving every minute of it.

"Not 'Whitey!' Maybe Omom Iromanih..." the hollow randomly spat out, though she wasn't seriously considering it.

NO! Not on your life! My name backwards? Geez, it's uncreative AND it sounds like you're trying to talk through an oversized muffin. Hinamori pulled her second sleeve on and tightened the string.

"Look, I don't have a name, ok?" The hollow's voice approached desperation.

Ok, that's it, you're Shiro. Hinamori turned right and walked into the bathroom to use the mirror.

"Wait, what? You... You can't do that!" Total panic. Hinamori loved it.

I just did. She said as she looked at her reflection. She had to straighten her dress a bit on the left side, but nothing else needed adjustment. There was only one thing she wasn't sure about in her appearance, but she ignored it, walked away from her bathroom and left her room, closing the door behind her.

Hinamori also ignored her hollow, now named Shiro whether she liked it or not, as she/it (I refuse to be thought of as 'it'!) complained without once pausing for breath. She jumped back down from the balcony to the base of the tower, where several other division members were already waiting.

"Ei, nice choice, Hinamori-san." Sasha called from where he had been talking to Armin.

"Not bad yourself, Sasha-san." It looked like Sasha had taken bits and pieces from different outfits and put them together. He had a shirt with a row of black buttons on a black stripe up the middle and loose white pants belted on by a thin yellow sash like Aizen's slightly wider dark red one. They didn't look like they'd come from the same sets, but they still fit together nicely.

Hinamori turned and looked at Armin, who was a surprise.

"Well, well. I never thought you'd go the flashy route, Armin-san." He really had gone all out with his uniform, a very military-looking jacket with two rows of gold buttons, white pants like Sasha's with a blue sash, and a white cloak broached on over his right shoulder so that it hid his left arm and sword.

"Well, now that I see it, it does suit you." she smiled. He gave a comically exaggerated bow in response, twirling his cloak in his left hand and bending much too deeply and with an inappropriate grin. She laughed loudly and gave an equally exaggerated curtsy in the time-honored Fifth Division tradition of noble-mocking.

Their impromptu parody session came to an abrupt halt when Arata descended and kicked Armin in the back as he landed, sending his replacement as Hinamori's next-in-command sprawling.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't she!" he cried as he flipped off his kick and landed with arms spread. He had chosen the most simply of everyone she saw, with a very loose white shirt, equally loose white pants, and a wide black sash. All in all, he wouldn't have looked out of place on a classical Pirate ship. Armin got up laughing.

"I'm still the new Third." he whispered in his friend's ear with a triumphant grin. Their switch was one of the very few position changes that had been brought about by the new ranking in order of Reiatsu.

"Bastard." muttered the ex-third, even though Hinamori doubted that he actually cared. He'd never been much of a leader anyway and didn't seem to care much about rank.

"To hell with all that! Let's go eat!" Sasha cried and started off toward the double-doors that lead out of their North Tower.

"Wait, Sasha-san, where's our guide?" Hinamori yelled, but he responded with a confused stare.

"He's right there, Hinamori-san." he pointed to his left, and only then did she notice Erufun standing there, smiling and waving.

She facepalmed, but laughed it off and moved on after Sasha and Erufun. Embarrassment, after all, took second place to hunger in the mind of any sane person.

As they walked, Tobiume's voice finally got her attention.

"Oh my GOD! Momo-sama, will you please make Shiro shut up!"

"...I refuse to be called by any name, let alone 'Whitey,' and GOD DAMN IT, TOBIUME, THAT'S NOT MY FUCKING NAME!"

Then what is? Her question was answered only by sullen silence. Then quit your damn complaining before I come back in there and kick your ass again! Shiro shrank into a pout that would have put most two-year-olds to shame, at least she shut up for now.

Hinamori was careful to remember where she was going this time. They took one left, went straight past five intersections in the corridors, and then took a right down some stairs. At the end of the long stairway, it opened up into one of the largest rooms she'd ever seen. The floors, ceiling, and walls were all white, even the hugely long, thin tables which ran longwise through the room were white. Spread out all along the tables was a huge number of Arrancar, at least five hundred, yet there was still enough room for two Shinigami divisions. Clearly, Aizen was planning vastly increasing his force, and soon. The Arrancar lounged around on their benches, gorging themselves on the feast which was laid out on the tables.

"I suggest you dig in, at the rate they're going it will all be gone in a half-hour." Erufun advised, then dashed over to the nearest table and, as he put it, dug in. Hinamori sat down on his left, and Armin sat on her left. Too hungry to spend time with a napkin, she unceremoniously grabbed a huge breaded drumstick and sank her teeth into it like a wolf. Well I'll be damned, this is way better than the stuff in Seiretei! Las Noches seems to take a personal delight in proving my low expectations wrong.

"Hey, Blondie, you're in my seat!" yelled a light-blue haired male Arrancar with a jawbone mask fragment as he grabbed Armin's shoulder with his left hand.

"There are other seats you can have. If you wanted this particular spot on this particular bench on this particular table, you should have left something here to mark it as your own." Armin responded without looking up from his beef stew.

Hinamori wondered if she should interfere on behalf of her old student, but decided against it. More and more Arrancar and rebels were looking over at the argument, and she decided that the best way to prove themselves to their new Arrancar comrades was to let Armin stand his ground alone.

"Am I not speaking clearly? Get up!" the angry Arrancar yelled, flaring his Reiatsu.

Holy shit! Hinamori almost fell out of her chair. This guy's stronger than most of the Captains, who the hell is he?

"What's your name, Arrancar?" asked an apparently unperturbed Armin as he looked up from his food for the first time. How the hell does he do that? Can't he sense this guy's Reiatsu? He's gonna get his ass kicked!

"Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, Fifth Espada." He leaned in offensively close, despite also wondering what was wrong with this guy. "Get your ass out of my se-"

Grimmjow was too close and too distracted to react quickly enough to avoid Armin's surprise punch to his throat. He flew backward, gasping for air, and Armin jumped out of his seat and flash-stepped in pursuit, not drawing his Zanpakto. Grimmjow pointed his palm at Armin and started charging a cero. Shit! Armin, you'll get yourself killed! Hinamori moved to get up, but Erufun grabbed her wrist.

"Don't interfere." He said calmly with his eyes on the fighting pair. "This is his way of finding out what you're all made of. If he wanted a serious fight, he would have gone after the strongest in your group – you." She reluctantly sat down to watch.

Armin saw the charging cero and quickly donned his mask with his right hand, drawing his straight single-edged short sword with his weaker left hand and flipping it up into fighting position. Grimmjow sneered at his mask, which looked like the face-covering part of an Ancient Greek helmet. It only had cheek plates and a forehead and nose guard, all of which was pure white with no markings.

Grimmjow fired. Hinamori ducked instinctively at the sub-sonic roar, grabbing her shaking plate to keep it from falling off the table. Erufun, however, simply sipped his drink. Armin quickly spun his wrist, drawing a small circle in the air with the tip of his sword. The cerulean trail left by the sword tip's circular motion turned into a cero of that same color only slightly smaller than Grimmjow's.

Wait, how did he do that? Hinamori wondered, she had been prepared for the sub-sonic assault this time. Maybe that's his first-stage hollowfication ability? A quick-charge cero? Come to think of it, I haven't even tested for mine yet!

The two ceros slammed into each other like dueling mountain goats, producing an angry blue flare. Hinamori had to squint because of the sudden flash. Even the two fighters lost sight of each other in the glare of the cero collision. Fuck, where'd he go? thought Grimmjow, readying himself for another clash without drawing his sword. He doubted that this little guy would be able to cut through his Hierro, especially without releasing his sword.

He felt something touch his side, and turned around to where he expected to find Armin. He found two swords, a long one with its tip and a short one with its blade, crossed over his throat instead. What the fuck? He looked down to his side to see an empty sheath, Armin had apparently stolen Pantera right out of its sheath with his right hand while keeping his own Zanpakto in his left.

Armin backed off, lowering the swords. He tossed Pantera back to Grimmjow and started back toward his seat.

"Hey! I'm not done with you yet!" Grimmjow roared as he charged, raising the sword.

"Rediculous." Armin said without turning around. "I can feel Reiatsu better than most, you know. If you actually wanted me dead, you would be mopping the floor with my corpse by now. You were going at me with well under half of what you actually have, and that stunt I pulled only worked because you weren't looking for it." He sat down as Grimmjow stopped and growled.

"You're an odd one... I've never seen anyone with the balls to even think about trying that, but you sound like fucking Ulquiorra! Are you all this bad?" He sat down a few feet away from Armin, stretching his feet out towards him on the bench.

"Please do not use my name in conjunction with profanity." A black-haired Arrancar who had walked over after the fight deadpanned. "And you know that you are not to fire ceros in the Mess Hall. Your opponent probably did not know of the rule and only fired his in response to yours. You, Grimmjow, have no..."

"No excuse for your behavior, yadda-yadda-ya. Aizen-sama will hear of this, blah-blah-blah. I'm sick of you giving the same damn speech!" Grimmjow cut him off, pounding the table. Hinamori snorted into her food, drawing Ulquiorra's attention.

"You are Hinamori Momo, correct?"

"Yep, that's me. Ulquiorra is your...?" She wondered if the Arrancar addressed each other informally.

"Given name. Ulquiorra Schiffer is my full name."

"So Arrancar names are given in western style?" Armin asked. He seemed hopeful, and Hinamori thought she knew why.

"Yes, it would appear so. Why do you ask?" Ulquiorra replied.

"I might change my own name back soon, if that's the case." He went back to his food. I was right!

"What are you talking about, Armin?" Arata cut in from across the table.

"I'll tell you later." He grabbed and attacked a slice of ham.

Ulquiorra ignored him and kept his eyes on Hinamori, starting to unnerve her.

"Is there something I can do for you, Schiffer-san?"

"Yes. Aizen-sama wishes that you come to the meeting room and bring those nine whom you consider to be your most capable officers with you so that he can officially introduce you to the Espada and explain to you your new roles and command structure. I am to guide you to there once you finish eating." His expression never changed while he talked. Along with his catlike green eyes, this gave him a distinctly creepy affect. This guy's like a robot.

"I understand, but why did Aizen-sama feel it necessary to assign us a new guide? Erufun's been doing a fine job -"

"Make way! Make way for the King!" an Arrancar drag-queen (What the fuck is that? yelled Shiro) called out from the other door as he threw it open.

"Why is Aizen being announced? And by that... thing?" Hinamori asked anyone who was listening.

"That isn't Aizen he's announcing. It's Barragan Lusienbarn." Erufun spat and stood up. "He's the First Espada, and he thinks he's still king here. I, personally, refuse to share a room with such filth as Mr. Lusienbarn." Erufun stalked away, and left through the same door they had entered.

"What was that all about? And why does Aizen-sama allow someone else to parade around as a king?" Hinamori pounded her fist on the table. It was beyond her comprehension that anyone would have the nerve, let alone the old fat guy that the other Arrancar were bowing in.

"The hatred between Erufun and Barragan is legendary among Hollows and is older than myself. The fact that Aizen-sama managed to unite them is most likely among his greatest accomplishments to date. Even so, assigning him to guide you to a meeting with the Primera would be unwise." Ulquiorra said calmly. "And as for Barragan calling himself king, Aizen-sama cares very little for his subordinates' megalomaniac fantasies."

"But letting someone else pretend to be the damn King of Las Noches! Why would he allow that, and why do they hate each other so much?" Hinamori asked confusedly as the elderly-looking Espada slouched to a throne-like seat at the end of one of the tables, gazing at her comrades with an infuriating mixture of contempt and disgust. I think I'm starting to see why someone wouldn't like him, come to think of it.

Ulquiorra replied as Grimmjow literally stuffed his face, "I am unaware of the exact circumstances of their meeting, but I do know this: Erufun was the first Vasto Lorde ever to serve Aizen-sama. Barragan is the second, and Tia Hallibel is the third."

Hinamori jumped, "Vasto Lorde!" They were the legendary Greatest Menos, even the Captains spoke of them with a respect bordering on fear. Yet here Aizen had at least three at his command already? And Erufun was one of them? He seemed so pleasant, almost weak.

She was completely shocked, "Are either of you one of them as well?"

Grimmjow laughed, "Fuck no, we're nowhere near that level!" Holy shit... Hinamori was floored. This Grimmjow guy could have killed her strongest officer a minute ago if he so chose, yet the strongest soldiers in Aizen's army were that much more powerful than him? Just how strong IS that Erufun guy?

Hinamori finished her food and stood up. She tapped Armin's shoulder and told him to gather up the rest of their their top ten-seated officers, then walked over to the door with Ulquiorra.

Just to clear up possible confusion concerning the Espada – Starrk hasn't arrived yet, and Neliel is still an Espada at this point.

Also, I used Hinamori's outfit from a Deviant Artist. All credit for that goes to "plangkye." The drawing is on her page.