#opaal

[cambion-companion]

Intrigue and Insurgents Part II

Your discussion with the Zabrak insurgent makes you question your allegiances. Meeting with Senator Goru reveals Thrawn's ineptitude for politics. The two of you must work together to stop deadly machinations.

Words: 3,518

It had been relatively easy to crack the Zabrak woman; Sedaa is what she asked you to call her. Though by the tightening of her expression as she introduced herself, you could deduce she was lying. You winced inwardly, Thrawn was rubbing off on you.

At the thought of your Chiss companion you chanced a glance over your shoulder to where he was engaging two men dressed in lurid green clothing in conversation. They seemed quite taken by his appearance, green glasses and all, and you couldn't help but smirk a little.

It took you a little longer than you would've liked to gain information from Sedaa. She wasn't forthcoming at first...not until you posed as someone who sympathized with those plotting against the Empire. What she said next caught you off guard.

"The Empire forced me from my home." She said in a heavily accented voice, her yellow eyes narrowing at the unpleasant memories. "Razing my world for its natural resources, making it unlivable. We lived like slaves for many years. I was able to escape. But my family..." She trailed off and took a moment to collect herself. "My family was made an example of."

"Your heart sunk. You had been sheltered so far during your career in the Imperial Navy. This was the first time someone from the outside had told you what was happening. "You've climbed the ranks well enough by the looks of it." You hedged.

"I have taken advantage of the circumstances I found myself in." Sedaa agreed. "But my vengeance is never far from my mind." Her gaze flicked up to the clock tower atop which dined several important-looking people in familiar uniforms.

There it was. You hesitated a moment, wondering if you should push a little further. "Sounds like you have something planned."

Sedaa's eyes sharpened on your face, you felt the atmosphere shift. "I would suggest you leave this gala before the hands on the clock point together toward the stars." She moved to brush passed you, your nose filling with the smokey scent of her perfume. "Or stay. It matters little."

She seemed to melt into the crowd of colorfully dressed party-goers as she departed. You looked after her a moment before cutting your eyes across to where Thrawn had been before. He and the two men were gone. You cursed under your breath and began walking a little aimlessly while looking for where they'd gone to.

"Mistress Opaal, you seem to have lost your paramour." Your path was interrupted by the great mass of a man Senator Goru, a dribble of wine escaping his mouth to drip off his chin as he grinned and beckoned you closer.

You reluctantly approached, not wanting to anger the one person you might get more information out of. "You haven't seem him have you?" You widened your eyes, feigning an innocent and helpless expression.

Goru simpered just as you had wanted him to. "My dear, you are a pearl among sharks out here. Come with me to my table. Your elusive fiancée joined us already." He led the way through the crown, his sweaty hand grasping you uncomfortably by the upper arm. "I am shocked at the impropriety of Senator Rowaan not retrieving you before joining me to be frank. To leave a gem such as you alone for any amount of time is a faux pas."

You made a noise of assent, not bothering to object to Goru's remark, and half-agreeing with him. Thrawn should've known better....but you'd heard about how he was rather helpless in the face of political maneuvering, brilliant tactician as he seemed to be.

Senator Goru's table was lavish and large, quite like the man himself. Thrawn was standing on the edge of the large circular dance floor, seemingly observing the dancers swirling around to the light music. As you and Goru approached he turned, and his shoulders seemed to relax a little at the sight of you.

"Be careful misplacing such a lovely creature in the future, Senator Rowaan." Goru chastised, seemingly in good spirits as he gave you a genial push towards Thrawn.

Thrawn gave the Senator a rather stiff nod but had the good grace to clasp your elbow as you stumbled a little toward him. "Thank you for retrieving her."

You were tense, your eyes kept flicking to the large clock on the far wall. It was large and elaborate, much like everything else at this party, and you still seemed to have just over an hour before the hands met at the top signifying midnight.

Senator Goru was giving you and Thrawn an odd look as the two of you stood rather awkwardly beside each other, Thrawn's hand still light on your elbow.

His eyes narrowed as he gestured toward the dance floor. "Go on you two, I am not quite ready to entertain guests yet fascinating as you are." He sat heavily upon his chair and shooed you away with impatience. "It would do this old man some good to see a couple so in love as yourselves dancing beneath the stars."

The back of your neck prickled as you turned mechanically with Thrawn towards the crowd of dancers.

You took his hand, noticing how his whole arm tensed up. "You're going to have to try harder if you want our cover to remain in one piece." Your voice was heavy with annoyance, even as you tried to mask it.

Thrawn led you onto the dance floor and turned to face you, his other hand resting so lightly on your waist you barely felt it. Even with his eyes covered you could see his expression of grim annoyance. "I believe Senator Goru already suspects us."

You rolled your eyes slightly, your hand gripping Thrawn's as you began moving woodenly together in a sad excuse for dancing. "He certainly isn't buying our cover." You glanced to where Goru sat and saw him deep in conversation with none other than Sedaa. "We have bigger problems. Don't look now but he's talking to the Zabrak I spoke with earlier, she's definitely an insurgent." You told Thrawn the short version of what Sedaa had said to you. "So I suspect something is going to happen at midnight...when the two clock hands reach for the stars..."

"Interesting how Senator Goru suggested we 'dance beneath the stars'." Thrawn mused, seeming to take all this information in stride. "An odd turn of phrase, one would think." He paused. "Though perhaps that is simply an aspect of your language I have yet to learn?"

"No, no." You conceded, trying very hard to not look at Goru's table anymore. "You're right. It's too coincidental to be an accident." You winced as Thrawn tried guiding you left as you pulled towards the right. "I can't fathom how he could tell our cover is bogus. You could try to be a little more relaxed, you know."

"Correct me if I misstep, Captain, but I am almost certain it is up to the tallest dancer to lead. Which, in this case, is myself."

You grimaced, he was right of course. "Well at least you don't seem to be a complete lost cause."

Thrawn frowned slightly. "How do you mean?"

"This entire night you've been acting like I have a bad case of Wookiee-pox." You said a little more tersely than you'd intended. "Definitely not the best image of a newly betrothed couple. You behave like a military man, not a senator."

Thrawn's usually calm voice held a measure of exasperation now. "I admit this subterfuge approach would not have been my choice of action."

"Whose brilliant idea was it?"

He didn't answer, clearly he didn't know either.

You cleared your throat and leaned in closer to him while lowering your voice. "So, we have about an hour before Bantha fodder hits the proverbial fan. Do you have a plan?"

"Indeed." Thrawn nodded, leaning towards you in his turn. "A plan I've already set in motion."

You huffed an annoyed breath. "This isn't a competition, Thrawn."

"Isn't it?" Even through the green of his ridiculous glasses you could see the slight red glow of his eyes as you looked at each other, your noses almost touching at this point. "From the very beginning of this mission you have made it clear how you feel about me."

Your eyes narrowed, you didn't like the sudden swirling sensation in your chest at his proximity. "Have I?" You answered with your own question, you mouth suddenly very dry.

It look a few moments of this foreign tension between you two before you noticed you'd stopped moving altogether. You could feel Senator Goru's eyes boring a hole into your back along with several other onlookers.

Unexpectedly you felt the weight of Thrawn's hand on your lower back as he pulled you closer to him, his mouth at your ear. "Phase one begins at this moment. Are you willing to follow me?"

You had to blink back a sudden distracting haze from your mind at his warm breath on your neck. You chanced a glance at Goru who now wore an expression of more curiosity than suspicion. You ran your own hand up Thrawn's broad back. "I see you took my criticism to heart." You whispered back, leaning your chin on his shoulder.

"I'll admit my weakness in political shades of grey such as these." Thrawn murmured. "I am, however, a quick learner.""

"Clearly."

He pulled back only enough to stare down into your face and, for a wild moment, you thought he was going to kiss you. "Will you follow me?" He asked again.

You nodded and he took your hand again, leading you swiftly off the dance floor and out of Goru's line of sight.

Brisk fresh air washed over your face as Thrawn led the way through a small door at the side of the hall and onto a small balcony awash in silver moonlight. It was blissfully quiet when compared with the revelry from the gala and you closed your eyes, allowing yourself a moment to enjoy the silence as Thrawn closed the door behind you.

"Senator Goru is not a reliable contact." Thrawn was all business again, your skin felt cold as he dropped his grip on your hand and strode to the balcony railing.

"How did you reach that conclusion?" You followed him, your eyes sweeping across the sprawling cityscape before you turned to face him. "High Command gave us clear instructions to engage with Senator Goru about the insurgent activity."

Thrawn shook his head. "The men I spoke to confirmed Senator Goru has no fuel lines for insurgents to tamper with."

"He lied to us." You breathed, taking a moment to admire the absence of those awful green goggles Thrawn wore to hide his telltale Chiss eyes.

"He lied to us." Thrawn confirmed. He tilted his head at you slightly, an expression of curiosity creasing his features. "Is there something the matter, Captain?"

You'd been caught. Any modicum of emotion you felt was certain to be noticed by Thrawn. Your face flushed with embarrassment despite yourself, but you shook your head, annoyed at yourself. "I'm just happy you got rid of those glasses for a moment."

"They seem to give you personal affront." Thrawn's voice held humor now and a bit of confusion beneath it. "A subject we will need to revisit after the current threat is dealt with." He shifted gears like a professional pod-racer. "You said the Zabrak you spoke with alluded to midnight being the hour of their vengeance?"

You nodded, happy for the change of topic. "That's what she said."

"Ah." Thrawn seemed pleased. "The pieces fall together."

"Care to share with the class?" You raised your eyebrow and waited for him to explain.

Thrawn opened his mouth to speak just as the door leading to the secluded balcony burst open. "You aren't supposed to be out here!" You recognized Senator Goru's voice, strained with suppressed anger and suspicion.

As soon as the door opened, you acted, taking Thrawn's face in your hands and pulling him close while swiveling your positions so his back was facing the door. Your lips skimmed the side of Thrawn's face as you deftly took his glasses and replaced them on his face, satisfied by the fleeting look of surprise Thrawn gave you at your quick thinking. You pulled away from each other as though caught in an intimate embrace and Thrawn turned to face the Senator and his entourage while you feigned straightening your dress.

"My apologies, Senator." Thrawn smoothly bowed. "I was unaware this zone was off limits."

You grimaced internally at Thrawn's uniform choice of words and smoothly interjected yourself between the two men as Goru gave Thrawn a disbelieving once-over. "I apologize as well, it was my idea to find somewhere...more secluded." You batted your eyes at Goru. "You see, we've been disagreeing often of late and I wanted to go somewhere to...ease some tension."

Goru's face seemed to relax as he bought your story, his stern expression softening on your face. "Of course, I understand now." He chuckled a little unpleasantly. "And here I was thinking...well it's of little importance now. I'll leave you two to it, though don't take long. We still have matters to discuss."

Goru gestured for his guards to follow him back into the hall as he gave you and Thrawn one last lingering look.

When he was gone you let out the breath you'd been holding and turned to face your partner. "Well, that was close."

Thrawn gave you an appraising look. "I applaud your swift actions, however I fear they weren't enough to assuage the insurgent's suspicions."

You couldn't help but pout a little, your brow furrowing. "He seemed to buy it just fine."

"That is where you and I differ, Captain." Thrawn disagreed, striding to the balcony door and peering through for a moment. "By the nature of my species, I am able to see facial temperature differences in those I converse with." He continued speaking in a languid manner as you approached him and had a peek beyond the door as well. "Senator Goru's facial temperature is elevated beyond what I deem normal given the circumstances. He is stressed, alarmed even."

"Couldn't it be because of what he has planned for tonight?" You suggested hopefully. "Which, by the way, we still need to figure out."

"We have already been given all the clues we need, Captain." Thrawn said smoothly, finally looking down at you as he removed his glasses again and stowed them in his pocket. "Think about it." He prompted. "The insurgents want to restrict civilian casualties yet take as many Imperial lives as possible."

"But there aren't Imperials here tonight...aside from us..." You thought hard about what you'd seen and heard, unable to quite connect the dots.

"There are, in fact, several." Thrawn motioned you through the door and into the hallway surrounding the gala. It was secluded enough the two of you could move unnoticed. "Due to the clear threat of insurgent activity, where would they be?"

"Apart from the rest of the crowd, that much is obvious." You said, slowly following Thrawn as he skirted around the great hall, drawing nearer to the clock tower. You squinted at the tower. Yes, it was obvious now. There were people milling about at the top of the tall structure, and what looked to be troopers guarding them. Your steps faltered as realization struck. "They're going to blow up the clock tower, aren't they?"

"Not if we get there first." Thrawn's stride was long, and you jogged to keep pace.

"Shouldn't we warn them?" You suggested, panic rising despite your efforts to keep calm.

"We haven't the time."

"Regardless. They won't like you going over their heads like this." You glanced at the large clockface just before you and Thrawn entered the tower, indeed you only had several more minutes before the midnight hour. Thrawn stopped at the entrance and motioned you to go in first, his gaze fixed on something or someone over your shoulder.

"Stop them!" You heard someone shout from behind you.

You instinctively broke out into a run, Thrawn at your heels, sprinting up the stairs of the tower. You heard a massive crash behind you as Thrawn toppled an elaborate bookshelf to hopefully impede your pursuers for a precious few minutes.

At the very top of the clock tower there was a platform just behind the massive gears which turned the clock hands. With many wires and cannisters of what could only be some sort of gas, you saw an elaborate rough-made bomb of sorts, a singular red light blinking steadily as it marked each passing second.

Shouts and curses were heard from below as whoever pursued ran into the toppled bookcase.

"Here is where your area of expertise comes into play, Captain." Thrawn glanced from the explosive to you, slightly breathless. "I trust you know how to dismantle this contraption?"

"How did you...?" You shook your head, now wasn't the time. You knelt beside the heart of the bomb and began rummaging through the wires, looking for the right one as you'd been trained to do before joining the Empire. "Yes. This should be simple enough."

Simple it was. At least for a trained individual such as yourself. How Thrawn knew about your past you were keen to find out, given you survived this ordeal. With a click and mechanical whine the bomb powered down, just in time for several armed men to mount the last stairs, their weapons pointed directly at Thrawn as he moved smoothly to block you with his body.

You mimicked Thrawn's movements and raised your hands in surrender as Senator Goru moved passed his men and joined you on the platform, his face shining with perspiration. Sedaa was just behind him, her yellow eyes narrowing as she took in the sight of the dismantled bomb and your face. "I knew you were trouble."

You felt a twinge of guilt, an unfamiliar feeling. But Thrawn spoke before you got the chance to, drawing the attention off you. "It would be wise of you to surrender now, Senator."

"Me? Surrender?" Senator Goru seemed outraged. "You're the ones about to be executed by my men. You truly thought I bought into your little charade? Two Jawas could've put on a more convincing act."

The clock struck midnight, the sound of the chimes deafening, and despite your confidence you braced yourself.

"I know you are willing to give your lives for your cause." Thrawn continued after the chimes subsided. "That is why we didn't come alone tonight."

"We didn't?" You asked, suprised at this revelation.

"Indeed not, Captain." Thrawn confirmed just as the sound of more footsteps running up the stairs greeted your ears.

A squadron of troopers had arrived on the scene, easily outnumbering the insurgents and from there the standoff was over. It was an easy victory, and yet you couldn't feel the usual satisfaction of another successful mission as you watched Sedaa being roughly pushed back down the tower stairs. Her yellow eyes didn't leave your face, and you recalled all she had told you about what had happened to her and her family at the hands of the Empire.

"You look troubled." Thrawn approached you, glancing back at the bomb as troopers began dismantling the parts in earnest. He seemed to measure your expression and looked to where the Zabrak had disappeared moments before. "I imagine she divulged what prompted her to become an insurgent?" He asked gently.

You nodded, chewing on your bottom lip. "She did, and I didn't like what I heard."

"I imagine not." Thrawn agreed, but didn't push the topic further.

There was a moment of silence before you broke it. "You knew there would be a bomb."

"Yes." Thrawn confirmed, waiting for you to continue, his eyes on your face.

"You requested I accompany you on this mission, didn't you?"

"Yes." He said again.

"Unbelievable." You grunted, giving him a grudging smile.

"Is it?" He tilted his head, his voice holding a teasing edge.

"Not really." You laughed a little, looking over your shoulder at where the bomb had already been completely cleared away.

Thrawn held his arm out to you. "Come, we should get ready for our debriefing."

You hesitated to take his proffered elbow. "You know we don't have to pretend to be our aliases anymore."

Thrawn nodded a little pensively. "I know."

He didn't lower his arm, however, so you took it, feeling a little warm in the face. "I expect command won't be happy with us not following the proper protocol."

"I expect not." Thrawn guided you out of the tower and away from the milling crowd of curious onlookers.

The two of you had reached the far end of the room when the floor seemed to shake a moment, the only warning for what was to come. You felt Thrawn's arm reflexively wrap around your waist just before a massive explosion rocked the building, blowing you off your feet. You screamed, dust filled your lungs, and your vision went white. You were ripped from Thrawn's grip and your body was pushed through the air by a blast of heat. Something heavy hit the side of your head and you barely registered the pain of it before your world went dark.

[rausule]

Hoe die verskynsel van kleure voorkom; kleure bepaal deur strukturele eienskappe

As gevolg van die teenwoordigheid van mikroskopiese interne strukture in minerale, ja

soms verskyn verskynsels van breking, wat kleur produseer. In hierdie verband-

doen, is die sogenaamde 'Tyndall-effek' bekend, vernoem na sy ontdekker, die

Ierse fisikus John Tyndall. Dit vind uit watter grootte deeltjies

mikroskopiese deeltjies kan lig verstrooi en dit in sy verskillende dele afbreek

kleure. Hiervan word rooi gewoonlik geabsorbeer, terwyl blou is

refleks. Hierdie effek is byvoorbeeld te wyte aan die blou kleur van die

baie fyn vesels van chalcedoon kristalle.

Interne krake, vlokkies of onreëlmatighede op die minerale oppervlak kan ook aanleiding gee tot gekleurde refleksies. Die beste voorbeeld word aangebied deur die opaal, wat uit baie klein deeltjies SiO, bestaan. Die lig, wat op hierdie deeltjies reflekteer, verdeel in die kleure wat dit saamstel, wat die opaal sy kenmerkende chromatiese voorkoms gee. Dieselfde verskynsel kom voor in die baie dun lamellêre strukture van maansteen en labradoriet. Selfs in hierdie gevalle word die lig ontbind en weerkaats, wat die verskynsel van veelkleurige refleksies veroorsaak.

[pillowcaseghostie]

Had a great stream this morning for Overwatch 2! Played with a couple of viewers (MVP Mada and Opaal!) and it was a lot of fun! I'll be picking up FF XIV later at 1pm est so look forward to more leveling and questing!

[madhuvangems]

Ethiopian Opal Pear Faceted. Many more shapes and sizes available. For more information DM . #ethopianopal #opal #opalring #opaljewelry #opaljewelrylovers #opalearrings #opalnecklace #opalbracelet #silverjewelry #goldjewelry #designerjewelry #handmadejewelry #gemstonejewelry #bohojewelry #australianjewellery #balijewelry #handmadering #instagramjewelry #israeljewelry #dubaijewelry #ethiopianopal #ethiopianopals #ethiopianopalbeads #opalo #オパール #опал #opale #오팔 #opaal #โอปอล (at Bangkok, Thailand) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpjeH7aSSLQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[gemic-laboratory]

Boulder opal 4.03 ct. Click The link buy now: https://bit.ly/3jZJG1W . . . . #boulderopal #boulder #opal #أوبال #蛋白石 #오팔 #opalo #opale #אוֹפַּל #オパール #opaal #عقیق #opala #опал #โอปอล์  #gemology #gemmologie #fieldgemology #gemmologiste #gemologist #gemeducation #gemtesting #gemshopping #crystalgemstoneshop #gemstone #gemstonesstore #gemshop #gemsstore #rockandgemsstore https://www.instagram.com/p/CVz_46aPlsl/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tsarinatorment]

One released form icon done.  Opaal again, only this time in his released form, which is basically a crocodile man (yes, he has a tail!)  Scales are evil.  I don’t even know how long those scales took me and I’m glad I only did him shoulders up because aside from his chest, shoulders and palms, he is entirely covered by the things...  His ref sheet took me so. long. to draw.

The release call for his zanpakuto is Cry, Agua d’Wana; in this form he’s physically stronger, faster, and as evidenced by those jaws, has a really nasty bite!  He can move around quadrupedally, although bipedal is still his default.

[leftwizardbarbarian-blog]

Thunderegg, amuletsteen, sterrenagaat

categorie : Sieraden, juwelen, mineralen en edelstenen

    Thunderegg

.

Thundereggs zijn ronde of eivormige mineralen en worden gevormd in gasbellen in lava. Ze bestaan uit een korst van moedergesteente en een kern die uit verschillende mineralen kan bestaan, zoals bijvoorbeeld chalcedoon, agaat, jaspis of opaal. Thunderegg wordt ook wel amulet steen of sterrenagaat genoemd. . . . .

[arinkalinders]

❤️ 21 jaar getrouwd met de liefste ❤️ Bij de 21e trouwdag spreken we van het Opalen huwelijk. Deze trouwdag valt precies op de dag dat het echtpaar 21 jaar geleden elkaar het ja-woord gegeven hadden. Opaal is een mineraal dat helpt de zenuwen te kalmeren en beschermt tegen zorgen, zoals het echtpaar elkaar helpt in zwaardere tijden. #happyanniversary #21yearsofmarriage❤️ #21jaargetrouwd💍❤️ #opaal #opal #loveofmylife #stillcrazyafteralltheseyears (bij Haarlem, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjChWx4Ijcc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[goudsmid-fanny-van-den-heuvel]

[webhopdanielleforrer]

Groene Opaal Bol Nr 8 - Ø 5.98 cm - Madagaskar Prachtige Groene opaal edelsteen gravure in bol vorm, Groene Opaal uit Madagaskar 228.5 gram - Groene opaal is o.a. beschermend en activerend Meer info in de webshop #edelstenen #gemstones #bol #edelstenenbol #sphere #opaal #groeneopaal #beschermend #edelstenenbol #webshopdanielleforrer (bij Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU257HrjbNs/?utm_medium=tumblr

[unmardelagrimas]

[softskribbles]

I’m

Well what do you know!!! It’s my new favorite Fusion!

[multiangz]

[opaalvisions]

[gemic-laboratory]

Fire opal 0.74 ct. Click the link buy now: https://bit.ly/3rB6okc . . . . #fireopal #fire #opal #أوبال #蛋白石 #오팔 #opalo #opale #אוֹפַּל #オパール #opaal #عقیق #opala #опал #โอปอล์  #gemology #gemmologie #fieldgemology #gemmologiste #gemologist #gemeducation #gemtesting #gemshopping #crystalgemstoneshop #gemstone #gemstonesstore #gemshop #gemsstore #rockandgemsstore https://www.instagram.com/p/CY80AoNPrt5/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tsarinatorment]

So. Bleach.

What is it?

And who is Opaal?

Okay, so, short questions with very long answers.  I will do my best to keep things simplified but simplifying Bleach is difficult...

Bleach is a manga by Tite Kubo, with an anime adaptation (which is full of fillers, and stuff, and yeah... manga is better!)  It was a long running one, from 2001-2016, and ended at 698 chapters, so it’s a pretty big time investment at this point (the anime, I believe, got cancelled and therefore isn’t complete).

Very basic overview of the plot is that there’s a teenage boy called Ichigo who can see ghosts and gets attacked by an evil ghost (known as a Hollow).  He’s saved by a Shinigami (’soul reaper’ in English) and through various shenanigans ends up a Shinigami himself, and has to fight Hollows to protect the humans, etc. etc. etc.

There’s a “Soul Society” (alternate plane where the Shinigami live) which is the focus of the first couple of arcs, but then we meet “Hueco Mundo”, which is the plane where the Hollows live.  This is the setting for what is, in my opinion, by far the best part of the series - the Arrancar Arc, where Ichigo&crew have to fight a bunch of super-powered Hollows (Arrancar) to save the world.

As this ask is mostly about Opaal, I’m gonna leave the basic plot explanation there, because Hueco Mundo is where Opaal lives.

I am, however, going to have to mention Hollows and Arrancar in a little more depth for him to make much sense.  So.

Hollows are basically the souls of dead people who did bad things in their lives (mainly murder and the like).  For the most part they don’t have memories of their human lives, but for all intents and purposes they’re a bunch of evil spirits that want to kill and eat you.  They’re called “Hollows” because they have a hole somewhere (usually their chest) which represents the fact that they’ve lost their heart.  Hollows also have “Masks”, which is a bone-like, well, mask, that covers their face and represents them not knowing who they are, etc.

Really quick, but there are four evolution levels of Hollow, from least to most powerful: Hollow, Gilligan, Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde.  Hollows evolve by eating each other (basic Hollows only eat humans and that’s not enough for them to evolve, but if they start cannibalising each other then they get stronger).  Most Gilligan lose their sense of self at that point and go back to terrorising humans, but occasionally they retain it and continue eating each other until they evolve to Adjuchas. Adjuchas is a terrifying state to be because they have to keep eating each other in the hopes they’ll reach Vasto Lorde, otherwise they de-evolve and lose their sense of self.  Vasto Lordes are rare and ridiculously powerful.

Then we have Arrancar.  Some evil mastermind decided to create an army of Hollows with reason, so very long complicated explanation skipped, he broke off their masks and voila, we have Arrancar, more powerful than Hollows and also mimic-Shinigami, in that they have a physical weapon that can power up, although in an Arrancar’s case, it causes them to physically transform into something stronger (think Bruce Banner and the Hulk, except the Hulk keeps Bruce’s mind).  These guys are the best characters in the series (I love them so much), the strongest ten are ranked 1-10 and called “Espada”, and yeah.  Best characters.  You ever see me going on about Ulquiorra or Grimmjow, they’re Espada.

But I’m getting a little off-track...  It was revealed at some point that while the evil mastermind decided to make an army by removing their masks, there are some Hollows who came to that conclusion all by themselves and tore their own masks off.  These Arrancar, known as ‘self-made’ Arrancar, don’t owe their existence to evil mastermind and therefore don’t always serve him.

Hence, Opaal.  This are his ref sheets I drew a couple of years back:

Opaal is a self-made Arrancar who is decidedly not loyal to evil mastermind and actively hates him (like most Hollows do, even the loyal Arrancar, he just happens to be stronger than them and in Hueco Mundo strength is everything).

He was an Adjuchas-level Hollow before he tore his mask off, so one of the ‘fight to evolve not de-evolve’ ones, which makes him reasonably powerful, but compared to the evil mastermind’s Arrancar he’s still weaker and probably couldn’t beat any of them in a fight.  So he just hangs around in Hueco Mundo, fighting and eating Hollows in the eternal desire to be stronger.

He likes goading people, is generally annoying as hell, and has zero qualms about picking on anyone weaker than he is.  On the other hand, he has very highly tuned survival instincts (doesn’t want to be anyone’s lunch himself!) and is normally good at avoiding anyone stronger than he is.  That being said, if he does end up trapped with a stronger Hollow, he’ll fight tooth and nail to not die, and so far is managing to survive pretty well.  There’s another self-made Arrancar he hangs out with sometimes, called Schinn @thetwelvecaesars‘ OC, although really it’s Schinn hanging with him for protection and Opaal deciding he’s not worth eating yet.  Arrancar friendship is so caring...

He’s also stubborn and doesn’t accept help from anyone, although considering ‘accepting help’ basically equates ‘asking to be eaten’ in Hueco Mundo, that’s not a particularly unusual trait for a Hollow/Arrancar.  One of his abilities is to drink water/douse himself in water (when he can - Hueco Mundo is a desert) to revitalise himself and give him the energy to get away, but on the down side as long as he’s using that power his healing is stalled, so it’s a quick escape but then he needs to hunker down somewhere safe to heal, otherwise he’ll end up collapsing because that only works for so long before blood loss becomes a problem.

So that’s a... brief introduction for you.  Hope it explained things rather than made them more confusing...