High Hopes (JT, R)

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika remained relaxed as she took a look around their destination. The mod soul had brought Lagos to someplace a bit ....inconspicuous. Somwehrre off the beaten path, where say.... sudden flaring tempers wouldn't cause any collateral damage. A nice little cabbin out in the woods surrounding Karakura. Well, technically speaking it was actually outside of the actual Karakura region, she didn't want ANYONE nearby to get hurt. They were way past even the mountains. But if it meant that Lagos and Shizuka could meat without any...complications, then that was good in her book.

The blonde glanced over her shoulder at Lagos whom was, presumably, following along. She trusted that the girl would behave...hopefully. The girl seemed to be behaving thus far, holding true to her promise to obey Hebika after their little fight. In truth, she felt she had a pretty good leash on the girl, metaphorically speaking. Sure Lagos was.....well she was an odd girl. But the fight had taught her that the girl had a considerably decent amount of potential within her. Enough to warrant Hebika even setting this up in the first place.

"She'll be here soon enough. You can relax in the meantime. Go inside, get yourself something to eat. Some energy will do you good." She offered to her subordinate for the time being. All the while Hebika kept her senses alert for Shizuka for whenever the girl saw fit to show up. Truth be told, she supposed that this might be a good little test for everyone. Lagos needed to learn some self control, and to keep her more...unusual comments to herself. And Shizuka needed to show a bit more....moxy.

She would be the first to admit that the girl had drive. But it was another thing to inspire others to do as you say. Hebika had subjugated Lagos. Would Shizuka be able to? How would she handle Lagos's personality? Not only that, but she wanted to see how both of the girls would interact. It had occurred to Hebika that it might be that Shizuka might not have the proper skills for her ambition. Which was fine. Hebika was here to fill in those cracks. But first and foremost, she needed to see in what areas that the blonde fell short. From there, she could help the girl build herself up.

"How are you adjusting to the world of the living, bye the bye? I understand the air has significantly less reishi in it. I hope it isn't effecting you. I admit that I'm not entirely familiar with how often you came here in the past. Well, other than that you have met the girl we'll be meeting today." She had been careful not to tell Lagos who they were meeting. She had simly made it VERY clear that she was to behave. Hopefully that would be enough. But in any case, she woudl finally get some answers as to what the hell happened between the two women.

[Lagos Oscuras]

Lagos felt as if she were being treated like a common dog in the period of time she had been with Hebika, and the metaphorical leash was noted. Hebika for the most part was “stronger” than Lagos, and as she followed her around upon order, she had her arms held behind her back as she walked disciplined, posture straight as she walked far out into the wilderness and then some as her hair blew through the wind, lacking the presence of her Arrancar clothing, instead wearing whatever was provided, not even her proud white jacket which she did so enjoy. So then, she had followed her “master” here for what purpose? To meet someone apparently.

As they entered the region with a single cabin out in the middle of nowhere, she had been told she was able to relax, and ultimately, when she was told she could relax, perhaps find something to eat, she looked at her with a raised eyebrow, as if she were insinuating some sort of racist sentiment just because they were Arrancar. Besides, what the hell was she supposed to eat out here? There was no spiritual presences for miles, and she was outright insulted if Hebika figured she was just going to go and hunt something like some hound. Saying nothing on that comment, she instead was found by another.

When hearing the statement about Reishi, she leaned her left cheek into her extended index finger. “So you know about my preference for an environment with dense spiritual particles, and care about that. Yet...you tell me to eat something when there is nothing so for me to consume. Quite the excellent planner you are my master~” Sarcasm obvious in her voice, she walked forth, resting her palm on the door to the wooden cabin, slowly opening it as it swung open, Lagos gazing inside boredly at the drab accommodations, and immediately found a lack of interest in the decor to say the least.

“So, then. You’ve beaten me. I give you my sword. I’m now the utmost curious on what exactly you’ll be using me for. Not to say I have any morals in particular, but as of now, you are likely aware of my pride...the one that’s been shriveled up and tossed around from master to master and hanging for dear life by a thread…” Seeming to be quite the pessimist, she brought both hands up to her new human made white jacket, flicking the collar up before pointing finger guns at Hebika, gradually lowering, seemingly dazed. “Never mind...I’m going to sleep and imagine myself being tended to by the most buxom of ladies. Aurevoire.”

Shutting the door behind her, she’d explore before finding the nearest bedroom, plopping herself on it, and throwing herself on it, eyes closed with her arms folded behind her head, but not sleeping. Instead, her head tilted as if looking to the ceiling. No respectable Hollow nor Arrancar would ever rest easily, if at all. They were creatures of the hunt and at the time were eternal prey, and as a result, their instincts and senses were sharper than most. Yet, she fantasized nice ladies to keep her company, relaxed, and some vulgaresque activity they would have in a faux and shique little spa, the slightest of smiles on her cheeks as it was one of the few thoughts that could keep the Arrancar happy nowadays.

Her bitch of a master hadn’t had much for her to do, and as a result, she found herself bored by idle talk of meaningless things such as, “How are you doing.” or “Have you had something to eat yet?” Se wasn't going to respond seriously to something that didn't seem genuine or like some cruel joke. Haha. A good laugh wasn't it? Either that or she was denser than lead. Neither were great to Lagos Oscuras.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka was trying to be nice for the sake of Hebika. She was trying. If Hebika saw promise in this girl, then maybe she was okay. But that was a strong maybe. In fact, it was such a maybe that it was basically a no. The Fullbringer wasn't sure how she felt about dealing with Lagos again. Their first encounter had essentially been the two of them dick-waving and not really going anywhere, but it ended abruptly and didn't give either of them any time to adjust. They couldn't recover from it and try to be friends or anything. Plus, she was an Arrancar. But Shizuka had Santa. There was a chance Santa would want to be an Arrancar and she'd be significantly stronger.

Still, if that didn't happen, Shizuka wasn't going to be one to complain. Santa, on her own, was ridiculously strong. If the two of them were to go all out against each other, there was no guarantee Shizuka would win without some serious master-level deal. She'd need to up her game pretty hard. She may be able to do it, but it would take a lot of energy. Shizuka mentally shook herself. She tried to distract herself with other thoughts that didn't involve Lagos, but that was a waste of time. She needed to prepare herself to whatever she was going to end up dealing with. Any attitude, any sarcasm, all of it.

Hebika would be there, though. That much was okay. The cabin in the woods was definitely a good idea, too. Shizuka could definitely get heated when her temper called for it, but she was mostly a calm human being. She handled herself pretty well for the most part. Very professional. But if she didn't control herself, her frustration became extremely obvious. She didn't do anything to hide it. She never wanted to at that point. She nervously cracked her knuckles as she slowly approached the cabin. She didn't do anything to conceal herself, so she had zero doubt in her mind that these two would somehow notice her presence. Well, Hebika would.

"Okay, girl. You can do this. Just open the door and say hello."

The Fullbringer's fingers gently touched the knob on the door before the rest of her hand followed. She slowly turned the knob and heard the door unlatch, causing her anxiety to skyrocket. What a joy. She could actually feel her heart beating out of her chest. Why was she feeling like this? Why wasn't she confident about the whole meeting? Was it because of Lagos? Well, Shizuka could level the ground with Lagos' head if she felt like it. That wasn't it. Or maybe it was! Who knows? But all she wanted to do was turn around and walk away. Forever. Probably call Hebika every day and whine about how bad of an idea this was. But before she decided, the door opened.

"Oh, uh, hey. Ugh... Lagos."

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika couldn't help but smile calmly as Lagos made it so very clear that they were dissattisfied with how things had been going. Hebika yawned just a little and tilted her head, a brow lifting slightly toward LAgos for just a moment before a gentle smile escaped her. Hebika herself was dressed rather professionally. With a nice set of aviator sunglasses, a business suit, and black leather gloves, Hebika sighed, running her fingers through those light blonde locks. She had been changing her look since the last endeavor, having lost the ponytail and going for a bit of a short-hair look.

To most? And probably to Lagos. Hebika's specific outfits probably had little meaning, and it became abundantly clear with LAgos's attitude that they didn't give a damn what Hebika was wearing. However, Shizuka when she entered the cabin, would be the most likely to recognize. Between the gloves, the glasses, and the layers Hebika was wearing, and knowing that Hebika was not one to wear accessories, she would know right away. Hebika was dressed to fight. Having experienced firsthand what a kick from Hebika wearing shoes could do, as well as what the Criminal Douma had suffered simply by attacking Hebika when she had a hoodie on, she knew that layers of clothing was the closest thing Hebika had to battle attire.

"Oh Lagos....Eating food isn't about survival. It's about enjoyment. It's a bit of a shame that you don't get anything out of it. What with your demeanor, I figured that you would enjoy the little things."She hummed, rebuking her subordinate infront of Shizuka. Sadly, Lagos was shutting the door and leaving when Shizuka actually wound up arriving. Hebika smiled calmly and nodded to Shizuka. "Ah you made it. And jittery at that." She shook her head and sighed, making her way over to Shizuka and putting her arms around them, hugging them tightly and giving them a firm squeeze. "Close your eyes. Relax. Listen to my voice, and take a deep breath." She instructed.

She had figured Shizuka would be on edge, it made sense. She was actually rather lucky that the girl had arrived just as Lagos left and decided to take a nap. Seeing shizuka this bent out of shape might have things go badly. In any case, Hebika would more or less usher Shizuka over to one end of the room near the fireplace, the heat along with the gentle hug from Hebika would hopefully be enough to calm the woman down while Hebika explained.

"As I told you before, Lagos had a lot of potential. She is hardy and headstrong. Honestly when she fought me, she could have done some severe damage. It was her unfamiliarity with my abilities and my abilities, as well as some luck on my end that let me subjugate her. Which, bye the way, will likely be necessary. She was exiled from LAs Noches. I've asked around with some of the hollows in the area. Actually one of our new members who works under you was able to gather some intel from the other hollows." She pointed out, referring to Santa.

"It seems that Lagos attempted to stage a rebellion against King Kouhai. She had been under the impression that it would please her Espada, but as it turned out, he was furious. He killed most of her little rebellion group and exiled her. wI found her and decided to take her under nmy wing. Which well...involved stomping her into the ground. She insisted that I prove my strength. I wound up shooting her eyes out of her head and mauling her. But as it were, she refers to me as master now. Strangly enough." She explained, pausing for a moment and pulling back, rubbing her chin.

"However she had been rather sour. Apparently, since my strength is mostly intellectual instead of raw strength or spirit, she seems somewhat...disrespectful. I've considered physical punishment, but due to her personality type, I think she might enjoy it. Raging lesbian, fyi." She noted with a gentle nod of her head. "She frequently talks about that sort of....thing. Like I said before. Despite her strength and potential she is.....odd. She has almost no social skills at all. Like....zero...zilch. However, that may work to our advantage." She noted and turned to the side.

"She's no leader. In fact, I would very much think that she should begin at my rank or below. She should not be in any high position. Not until she has matured. But I DO think that she would make a good addition. Not only that, but I do think ONLY that, but you're the kind of strong she actually seems to respect. So if you can ...ahm, subjugate her. Then she would be fairly likely to become a useful member of xcution. Plus well....you're bananas attractive. Which may help fortify that loyalty." Hebika pulled no punches in making that clear. And Shizuka was an assassin. She would be no stranger to how easy her looks could make things.

"Of course, life has no guarentees. That said. IF she turns out to be too averse to the idea. Then we will just kill her. I by myself was more than a match for her. The both of us would have no issue obliterating her. And once she's dead, I can simply bring her back to life as one of my entities. Though sadly I don't think that will preserve her abilities. But we'll find out." She shrugged, showing off a bit of that ruthlessness that Shizuka would be so very familiar with. Hebika was definitely not a woman with regrets or hesitation when it came to these things.

True, Lagos had a lot of potential. But as an ally AND an Enemy. If it turned out that the girl was not cooperative, then it was imperative that she be snuffed out on the spot as thoroughly as possible.

[Lagos Oscuras]

No response to her master as she left. The Arrancar ultimately heard the door open in the next room, and immediately did she get up to eavesdrop on all that was being said about her. Ultimately, it was pretty standard and to be expected. They were expecting her to be obedient and listen to what had to be said, and to watch her actions, lest she be hunted like a dog. So be it then. Changing her demeanor, Lagos Oscuras gradually opened the door to the main room, gazing with a neutral expression towards the both of them, heading forward, giving a light bow with an arm sweeping over her chest in a flourish, before then presenting herself to the Fullbringer and Mod Soul respectively.

“I had sensed that we were all finally here, so I found it appropriate to make my appearance. Lagos Oscuras. It’s a ‘pleasure’ to make your acquaintance.” Looking over to Hebika for a moment, she’d lift a finger and wag it slowly. “Now now. You think so lowly of me. You forget that once I was Fraccion to the most polite and gentle mannered of the Espada. Surely you wouldn’t think I would remain in that position for the centuries I have without some manner of grace~” Crossing her arms under her chest, she simply gazed at both of them, alternating the view of their eyes.

“Oh...and no. I’d rather not get into another fight. I’m still worn out. I’m already a loyal dog, so no need to beat me when I’m down.” Closing her eyes with a slight curve upward of the lips, she showed a single longer fang. She didn’t bother to correct or say anything opposed to their ideas, but some things were off. It was true she preferred the effeminate qualities for more physical relations, but there was...no, is one man she still had such a desire for. Her savior, her messiah, and yet at the same time her Lucifer. The man who put her through overwhelming agony and sadness every moment he rejected her.

She hated him. Yet she loved him. She wanted him, and yet also wanted to reject him. At times she could think about him for hours on end with adoration, and yet, also wretch at the words he said to her before he banished her. She blamed herself, and yet also blamed him for everything. However, that was behind her, at least for the moment. For now, Lagos had a job interview and she had to appeal to some teenager looking girl and her current owner. She wasn’t on edge, because whether if she died or lived in these next few instances? It was destined and fated as if by some divine interventionary force. Perhaps it was Shikihitsuko cursing her and wishing for her suffering right now. What a charming little thought.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka felt like an idiot, especially because she didn't think to look around much before making mention of the Arrancar. She would have noticed earlier on that Lagos wasn't actually in the room and Hebika was left alone. Her heart immediately started slowing down as she sighed a breath of relief. She wasn't necessarily anxious or stressed out, but she didn't want to talk to this woman all that much. Shizuka had her chance with Lagos ages ago. She didn't want to go through that kind of a thing again. This time would be different, sure. Shizuka was stronger. More durable. Confident. But she didn't want to deal with the mess that was Lagos' attitude.

Actually, the Fullbringer had recalled some mess within the spiritual world regarding some uproar amongst the Arrancar. She didn't know too many details and hadn't cared to find out, but the beans were spilled anyway. She recognized the name Kouhai and had become familiar with him, but she was honestly very happy to never have met the guy. He didn't sound like someone she'd have a lot of fun talking to. Aside from him, at least there was one Arrancar smart enough to exact punishment when necessary. This one must not have been anything like the mess of a creature she had briefly come into contact with.

"Hebika, I hope you're right. I'll also take that 'bananas attractive' comment as a compliment, so thank you! I always appreciate your kind words. As for Lagos, I'm only going to be on board with this if you took her on. You're a Lance, so I'd expect her to come in as a Sword and work for you like how Santa works with me. I'll trust your judgment when it comes to promoting her, but all I'd ask is that you let me know. As for your idea to reanimate her, for whatever reason, I just really like how you said that."

Shizuka gave Hebika a playful smirk as she made her final comment. It wasn't that she liked experimentation or violence against humans and human-like beings, but certain people made it somewhat enjoyable. That fun feeling, unfortunately, was cut short by Lagos entering the room. Shizuka jumped and squeaked in surprise, instinctively clutching at her heart as she turned to face the Arrancar. Embarrassing as that was, she couldn't stop it. The words were somewhat sudden and unexpected, so Shizuka's "fight or flight" response was activated rather unnecessarily. She calmed down quickly after grabbing on to the side of Hebika's shirt.

"Surely you aren't speaking of Myza?"

A light jab, but no one had seen or heard of Myza in a long time. It appeared as though she went MIA in the world of the Espada. Shizuka wasn't one to care too much about that, though. It was fairly irrelevant. The good news was that Lagos didn't seem interested in a fight. That wasn't bad. A two versus one wasn't going to yield a desirable outcome. So here they all were. No fighting. Not yet, anyway. But they could talk. That would be okay. And Shizuka could stop fidgeting as she finally remembered to let go of Hebika's clothing. She had been gripping it pretty hard and honestly forgot about it, but she gave the serpentine woman a shy, apologetic look before glaring back at Lagos.

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika lifted a brow slightly, smiling slyly at Shizuka's reply. " Of course. After all, I'm almost always right. And in regards to your bananas, absolutely." She leaned in and lightly bumped her forehead against Shizuka's own. "It was a compliment. But a tame one, my dearest Sunset. Surely you did not think that I have done everything I have for you simply out of the kindness of my own heart?" She noted somewhat playfully. Until her attention shifted to Lagos as they entered the room. Hebika remained fairly relaxed for the time being and tilted her head.

"On the contrary, no I do not. While I have been able to glean this and that. You have not told me anything about your previous employer, much less what kind of Espada he or she was. And given the way you have behaved to me, and to Shizuka, I was under the assumption that he/she had horrible manners, or a lack of care in instilling them into his/her subordinates. So I'm afraid that your surprise is unfounded. You should have expected that my opinion of you would be this low." She noted flatly. Though her eyes did stray for a moment when she felt Shizuka clutching at the front of her shirt.

She paused. Or what was a pause for Hebika. A few fractions of a second. Enjoying the fact that Shizuka still physically sought comfort from her. In less than a second, her arm slipped around Shizuka's shoulders and she slightly adjusted her stance, slightly placing herself between the woman and Lagos. She paused, her head tilting. As admittedly, Hebika had never heard of Myza, and it showed on her face when she glanced at the blonde, but then turned her attention back to her subordinate. "And truth be told. Your manners don't matter. Xcution is not the Espada. Thankfully. It's not about airs, or number. Or anything of the sort. Whatever fantasies you had for the espada should be abandoned as the insipid childish dreams they were." She noted, her voice still so very flat, matter-of-factly.

"Honestly, for as long as the espada have been around, I always wondered why the shinigami never seemed to actually bite it, or vanish altogether. But after picking you up, I did some digging. And honestly. They're a joke." She hummed, removing her shades and clipping them into her neckline, and then producing a sheet of paper from her breast pocket. "Ten espada. Ranked from one to ten. From strongest to weakest. Their fraccion, having no number, and are simply subordinate, having....zero qualifications. Other than that the espada chose them. And of course the..." She raised the first page,. showing a second page with...two sentences on it. "Nonexistent, Exequias. The 'enforcers' to keep invaders, and the arrancar, under control." She murmured, and then tore the paper in half and tossed it to the side.

"Honestly, based on my research, the organization isn't worth the paper I printed it's information on. But when I found out that it's run by a shinigami. It all made sense. It's just a trap." She noted dismissively, brushing off her shoulder of a few microscopic scraps of shredded paper before looking to Lagos. " 'Most 'polite and well mannered' among dogs in a pit is not very high. The entire organization hinges entirely on the espada. And are they promoted based on laurels? Accomplishments? Campaigns against the shinigami? No. It's based on who is the strongest. Not against an enemy. But against eachother. A system based on fighting one another, scrounging to be number one. If I were to guess, I imagine the organization was created solely for the purpose of gathering the strongest of the arrancar, and having them destroy eachother. The Fraccion, the second highest rank in the organization, is based solely upon whoever an espada LIKES. They could be unable to manifest a cero and still make the cut" She noted, shrugging for a moment and rolling her eyes at the very idea.

"Honestly, it's somewhat reminiscent of the Guns positions. But unlike Las Noches, Xcution has purpose. Which is what I'm offering you, Lagos. An actual purpose. Not a brick wall called 'shinigami' to throw yourself at over and over. I know you're probably used to rampaging, killing whoever you like and claiming it's for your 'glorious' lord kouhai. And honestly I don't care. There are maybe one or two humans I care about. If being a murderous psychopath is your heart's desire, then do you, girl. she spoked, and loosened her grip as she beg an walking slowly toward Lagos. Her grip lessend on shizuka, giving the girl the option to stay behind as a slow, insidious smile crept across Hebika's face.

"Working for Xcution is different. All that matters is the objective. I spent quite a bit of time behind a desk in the past. But every now and then I got to spread my wings. A few shinigami here. Some arrancar there. A vandereich stern ritter whose soul I felt like tearing out of her body. After all, they got in the way of my objective. And in Xcution? The means don't matter. Only the results." She would intend to close in on Lagos and reach up, gently grasping the woman's chin. At which point, she would bring her glove/sleeve to life. And over 1000 strength would suddenly grip onto Lago's jawline, holding her savagely, forcing them to look her in the eyes.

"This isn't Kouhai's make-believe. This is a job. Outside of showing respect to Shizuka. I really don't care how you conduct yourself. All. I. Care. .... is that when you get a mission. You do it. Because I'm not going to be your master. I'm not going to be your friend. Your parent. And if you decide to ignore my lessons, I don't even care if I'm not your teacher. First . And Foremost. I will be the one who kills you if you don't do your job. the one who will take you apart, piece by piece. Take that special thing that makes you you...and then stomp it out. And not only will Lagos Oscuras be dead, but your body will be a mindless drone I use for whatever I decide it's good for. Am. I. Clear?"

[Lagos Oscuras]

Ultimately, they were poking fun at her, making fun of her, and degrading her former status. Hebika called her a brute, a savage, they openly talked about killing her, and obviously didn't know shit about her based off the fact they assumed so much. Worst of all, they insulted Shikihitsuko, the person who saved her in her past, and brought her some semblance in this shit filled existence. When Hebika lowered her gloved hand, Lagos could have easily avoided such, but she let herself be grabbed, and with it, Lagos with cold dead eyes stared into Hebika's own. "Crystal. Bitch. If that's the case, shut the fuck up and give me my assignment. Otherwise...fuck off. I don't like you, and you don't understand shit about me." 

Simply glaring up at her, after they talked all this shit in front of her face and behind her back, that was the most restraint she had ever shown in her being of the afterlife. She seemed completely serious now, no more frivolous niceties as she if allowed would just stand up, press her back against the wall, and would glare with as much, if not greater hatred than Kouhai. She claimed to say that they were different, but in reality, they were equally as bad. Just looking for some opportunity to get the fuck out of this room and blow some steam off was what she wanted. What she was basically told was, "I don't give a fuck about you. I'm just going to kill you if you don't do what you're told and succeed." Yes, an excellent way to make Lagos happy.

The sarcasm was evident, and taking a deep breath inward, she spoke. "Now if you're done fucking threatening me, let's move on." She could feel her anger slowly subsiding, not even bothering to look at Shizuka and Hebika any further. They called her disresprectful, and it was true. Sure. She felt like these fuckers in this room with her were people she didn't want to associate her with, because so far, all they've done was treat her like shit and hope that she'd be okay with that. She wasn't. Yet, she'd tolerate it. She'd tolerate it and pray to whatever God that would listen that these ladies would die terrible and painful deaths, and if they ever would, she would cheer in happiness and dance, singing nonsense. 

Lagos however, was not intimidated if that was what Hebika was hoping she would accomplish. She was sour. She was sour and her whole mood was ruined. However, considering Lagos was well...Lagos, her reaction was rather tame. Lagos responded to hostility normally with greater hostility, and if perhaps she didn't have a small sliver of hope that life might be worth something, she might have used Cero Hojas right there to cut off Hebika's arm. Mumbling under her breath, her eyes averted, she'd say, "Fucking mean..." It then became clear what Lagos was doing. She was sulking. Sulking because she'd been told off when she was down, and if they were going to continue their little talk of "What they'd do to her." Well, she'd walk the fuck out. 

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka pretty much just let Hebika talk, but she could tell Lagos was feeling some type of way about this whole thing. Could she be blamed? No, not really. But she was also being kind of rude. Okay, so yeah, she was actively being threatened. That was probably really uncomfortable for her to deal with. That may explain why she was mouthing off so much or rolling her eyes or being sarcastic and whatever else she felt like was an appropriate response even if it wasn't. While what Hebika was saying wasn't wrong, it was a bit harsh. That much could be argued. But Hebika was also very matter-of-fact and tended to explain things in black and white. Lagos needed to accept that.

"Lagos, what she's saying isn't untrue. You can be upset all you want and you can turn around to walk out that door. What we're doing, though, is offering you a sense of protection. If you're a part of Xcution, you're a part of the family. You're one of us and we protect you. But if you're not, then what happens to you is irrelevant to us. And that might involve you being killed. This is not necessarily us threatening you. This is us telling you what your possible future is."

The Fullbringer attempted to cease her reservations and come off a bit more confidently. She wasn't really afraid of Lagos, but she was suspicious of her. There was no reason for either Xcution members to trust this Arrancar just yet, but if she joined, then Hebika could essentially have control over her fate, so to speak. Hebika probably knew that. It was better that those two were paired rather than Shizuka dealing with Lagos directly. The blonde stifled a sigh and did her best to be polite. She knew Lagos was feeling defensive and was somewhat sympathetic, but that didn't mean she was going to let this girl get away with anything.

"At the end of the day, it's your choice."

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika shook her head lightly at that and closed her eyes. She sighed lightly, and even more, she frowned just a little as Shizuka interjected. At the very least the girl was taking the initiative. That much was a pleasant surprise, as admittedly she had been very aware that shizuka might play hands-off for the encounter given her differences with Lagos. She was glad to see Shizuka overcoming that. That said, there was still a bit more that needed to be said. Turning her attention to Lagos, she shook her head. "It's not a threat, Lagos. That is the point of this conversation. I admit that my candor can come off as callous from time to time. But this is important. Yes, we will need to get along, or at least things will work better if we do." She conceded.

However she looked squarely at Lagos, and cleared her throat, indicating that the woman should look at her as she spoke. "My words are not intended to be a threat. They are for the purpose of informing you. Yes, it might cajole you into compliance if I were to be more sugarcoated and round-about. But it is important for you to be aware that this is not just a job. Yes, you will have considerably more freedom than you had from Las Noches. We don't have any particular mission, and even if we are taking up a group job or task, you're not obligated to participate or contribute. So long as you work, what that work is is not important. So long as it is not a negative to the company. We have fewer rules, Lagos. But if you break them. You will not be Exiled, Lagos. You will be removed. I understand that that's not pleasant to hear. But we don't wish to deceive you or make you believe this will be some sort of loving circle of hugs, senpais, and ....whatever honorific-laced interactions are holed up in Hueco Mundo. I don't mean to be mean. I just mean for you to understand what this entails. We are strict. But we are also honest with our employees." She clarified.

She tool a moment to glance at Shizuka, to see how she was taking all this in, before looking back to Lagos. Truth be told, Lagos would liekly always find Hebika rude. With the exception of Shizuka, there really weren't any individuals, living or otherwise, that she had really come to care for or respect. So sadly, that wasn't liable to change. Which was why she wanted Shizuka involved. If all went well, then perhaps Shizuka could act as a buffer. Someone at least that Lagos would feel comfortable and able to connect on some level with, to make her employment at least somewhat enjoyable. Though, in that vein...
"Ah, and also. On another note. I normally don't say this, however given my....experience with you. I should inform you that we also do not tolerate sexual harassment. So you will need to tone down that particular facet of yours. Your personal endeavors and comments are to be kept to yourself around your other employees." She added calmly. More than aware of Lagos's.....quirk. Something that she probably had nothing to worry about. But Shizuka and a few of their other employees may very well need to deal with.

"Do you have any other questions?"

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

So I'm going to report this to see if we can get anything out of it because Dan hasn't posted at all and doesn't seem interested. We can always make a new thread and pick up from there.

[Kazura Uzaki]

52 paragraphs. 260 TP to participants.