It had been a long trip out with Yylfordt and his cadre of hangers on. Szayel had objected to going when he'd been told. After all, he never went out on forays into the wider world with Yylfordt and the rest normally; it was obvious that Nel was just trying to get rid of him while the other Khamja members arrived.

Not that he objected to collecting Arc and returning him to the Palace. One more pleasant face in the building wasn't to be sniffed at, and knowing that he was here with Arc, while Aizen was so unfortunately locked away... well. The imagination just ran riot.

He'd woken at his usual time that morning, but took rather longer in the shower, and then with his collection before he'd prepared himself for seeing the rest of the Palace. The Ragnarok wasn't the most comfortable, or secluded, of lodgings, and while Szayel wasn't shy, others had complained that the walls were thin.

With his hair perfectly done, he'd ventured out. There were others present, of course there were. He didn't know if the meeting had already taken place, or if it was still to occur, but either way, the Palace bristled with new reiatsu signatures.

Two of them were in the kitchen. One of them made Fornicaras uneasy, which Szayel casually ignored because the petulant squirming of his Hollow was beneath his attention.

He entered to find four people seated around the table. One in glasses, one with grey skin, and the other two of little significance to him. The kitchen smelled of cooked food and coffee. Good coffee, like he kept in his workspace in the infirmary.

"I'm here," he declared, shooting Nel a pointed look. She'd been so eager to get rid of him, after all.