Not All Treasure is Silver & Gold (DE, R) ❷✗

[Deleted]

The bartender sighed as he cleaned the table, looking at Luke and Kaen with a deadpan stare. It was like he was contemplating on what to say for a moment. The wheels were turning in his head as he contemplated what to say and then he nodded and turned around. He went to fix Luke’s drink albeit slowly. He reached down under the table and grabbed a napkin and passed the two off to the Bount. “Wanted to say I got your drink wrong.” and shrugged. “Didn’t wanna interrupt your ridiculously loud conversation.” he smiled sardonically. “You ordered another drink too, right?” He asked pointing at Kaen. Soon enough, he’d give the shinigami his drink that he 100% did not order and a napkin.

Luke would have his normal iced tea but if he felt the napkin and searched it, he’d see a small little promotional card. Kaen would get the same thing. It was black and lacquered and had two girls holding liquor bottles printed in the front. In larger gold lettering at the top it said “Siren’s Cove.” It was a club. The bartender eyed Luke and Kaen for a moment before he tapped the table for a moment, signaling he was done and moved off to the other customers for the rest of the night.

“Paradiso was fun the last time I went!” Another girl piped up with a smile on her face. At July’s comment, the one that said too much merely rolled her eyes at the flamboyant blonde and grumbled. She mumbled something under her breath and continued to sip on her drink, looking off somewhere. Gabriella and her friends looked at one another for a moment at July’s desire to accompany them to Paradiso, some whispering to one another and others giving him a questioning look. The one girl who was completely unsure about the group blurted out “We don’t even know his name.. He didn’t even tell you when you asked him. He’s gonna bring his friends here too? Gabi I don’t know about this…”

She was skeptical about July and shot him a questioning look. The all looked to July expectantly. After all, this was a stranger her friend bought a drink for. They were girls looking to have a fun night out and July was quite attractive but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t exercise caution. She eyed July with suspicion for a moment but then he gave the puppy eyes and gosh, who could say no to that?! Gabriella would dismiss her friend and shrug. “I’m sure they’re just here for fun like everyone else, Em.” Stupidity sure didn’t stand a chance against good looks it seems. “Sure you and your friends can come along if you want. We’ll leave in about five minutes” When Kaen arrived each of the girls waved and said their hellos. There were six of them. The girl known as “Em” made it extremely clear that she was not okay with this situation but, she’d go along with it.

At Ranth’s request, Bill would comply happily. “He’s a scallywag that one. He ain’t in trouble again is he..?” Bill looked fairly concerned but that washed away quickly. “Ah! He’ll get out of it. He always does. Haha!” He studied Ranth for a moment and laughed. “He might be about your age actually.” He leaned forward slightly in his seat, arms on his table. He reeked of liquor. “Brown hair, bright green eyes and tanned skin.” A description that would fit a fair amount of people… save for the bright green eyes. Shouldn’t be too hard right?!

[Deleted]

Luke was quiet as the bartender replied to them. The Bount would blink when the bartender addressed that he had gotten his drink wrong, making Luke feel like he, might have, assumed the wrong thing was going on. But as the bartender began fixing Luke’s drink he’d notice that the man seemed to grab something from under the bar. Immediately, instincts kicked into action and Luke readied himself for the possibility that he’d have a gun pointed at him. But, seems that was unnecessary. Luke blinked, sheepishly, when the bartender handed Luke his iced tea and a napkin. ”Oh uh...thanks.” Luke replied, his fires put out as he realized that he more than likely got things wrong.

Maybe he was wrong. As Luke wrapped his fingers around the glass cup, he noticed there was something inside the napkin that the bartender had slid him. Blinking, Luke moved the napkin around a little as he took a drink to see the promotional card hidden inside. ”Well well well. Tickle my asshole and call me Shirley. Looks like we’re on. To. Something.” Luke’s thoughts, for the most part, exactly. Putting his glass down and looking at the card Luke read the name to himself. Siren’s Cove. Luke focused for a moment, trying to think if he’d heard that name before. ”Siren’s, eh? I like snake girls better but I don’t mind some fish’n’fuck from time to time.” Luke ignored that.

”What if they’re the bird kind of sirens?” Windstarke was humoring Jager? What was happening?

”Then we smear each other in bird sh-”

”Thanks.” Luke commented, leaving the bartender a very generous tip as Kaen walked off to go join with someone he had noticed. Luke was quiet as he watched over his shoulder. Kaen had gone over to some blonde guy surrounded by ladies. His gaze lowered a little, towards the legs of the chairs, as he contemplated going with Kaen. The firey Shinigami was more than fine having Luke come with him since the Bount having proven his fighting skills. But the anxiety of Kaen getting in trouble for knowing a Bount around was...Luke just wasn’t sure.

He was aware of Soul Societies...opinion...on Bount now. He was aware that they had tried to wipe out the entire species. Species? Were Bount a species? People was a better term for it. Anyways, Luke knew about that. He didn’t let it bother him, as it was something that happened before he was born on top of his own identity issues revolving around him being what he was. While Kaen gave his word he’d be fine, that wasn’t a guarantee. ”It’s not like you’re allies, remember?” Windstarke commented, more or less saying the same thing that Kaen had said to Luke.

Pulling his phone from his pocket and punching in the address for Siren’s Cove. Getting up from the bar, Luke hoped he’d be able to get out before Kaen or the others noticed. It was better if he worked alone on this. Uzaki Enterprise and Soul Society weren’t allies, after all. As Luke stepped back out into the sun, however, what he would come to find was a rather...depressing sight. His bike. There were only pieces of it left. The man just stood there, standing over the crime scene and victim, with his eyes covered in shade. He just stood there...in silence...in disbelief.

”Welp. This is why I suggested getting a machine gun turret but you said ‘Noooooooooo that’s so stupid.’ Well who's stupid now?” Jager commented as Luke could feel Windstarke giving the Bount mental pats on the back. Fuck it...come on...we’ve got a club to find..” Luke mentally commented, sounding absolutely miserable and upset, as he began walking the streets.

[July Kasumi'Oji]

”My dear, dear Gabriella, you have it on my word - I’ll keep my friends in check, should they get out of hand~

It is my job after all! As captain of our expedition!”

July’s hand snapped to his forehead in a mock salute, his eyes playful and full of laughter. He had set some of the girls on edge, sure, but they were playing the safe game. Who could fault them? July would simply have to up the ante, pull up his socks, grease his elbows, scrub the decks, tighten the belt, and all the assorted ‘get oneself ready’ tropes. A self-professed Captain should not allow any slack on his boat - certainly not with First Mate Kaen and… hmmm, galley cook Ranth on his side? Perhaps he could he come up with a more flattering role when Ranth came over.

”You have it on my word, and the word of Captain July can go quite far in some high places!”

July took a deep bow, his golden hair falling over his face - hiding his own self-satisfied smile. How delightful it was to serve the truth in small portions, so small that they could be mistaken for small lies. Not that the girls would have any reason to doubt him, however. His acting was superb, almost supernaturally so. Unless he had made a grievous error in overlooking one of their abilities (unlikely, but plausible. Perhaps in one universe in a hundred? Or perhaps .1 universe in a hundred). They should be convinced of his harmlessness, playfulness, and something-ness. British-ness! Kaen would be harder to sell off as a Brit, though. Perhaps he could have picked him up somewhere along their travels?

”So, Mr Youji, what brings you to this bar? Find anything nice? Don’t worry - you don’t need to keep it a secret from your Captain!”

July put an arm around the Vice-Captain’s shoulder, and shot the girls a conspiratorial wink. Were they enjoying it? Perhaps not, but July was already planning the name of his ship.

[Ranth]

Ranth listened intently to the drunk old man and to his credit, he was sober enough to realise that whoever Seba was, he was in trouble. The wrinkle of worry that creased his brows was quickly dispelled however as the man seemed to just shrug it off- literally. The description he gave after that wasn't exactly the most detailed or the most distinctive, but literally anything was better than what they had to go on prior... which was nothing at all. Brown hair, early to mid twenties, tanned skin and green eyes. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Thank you for your help", Ranth excused himself politely as he rose from his chair just in time to see the man Kaen had gone to talk to departing through the front door. For his part, Kaen seemed to have remained at the bar whilst July was engrossed with his conversation with a group of women. Somehow, Ranth found it hard to believe that the Captain was operating in the best interest of the mission, but he'd have sooner shaved his head and run naked through Port Royal than accuse the Captain of not being focused enough.

For now, he figured that the best option would be to regroup with Kaen and hope that July joined them of his own accord, because he dubted very much that either himself or Kaen were capable of making him do anything he didn't feel like doing. How troublesome! "I got a lead on Seba. Seems like he's fairly well known around these parts for getting himself into trouble by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. I got a description too. Brown hair, early twenties, tanned skin and green eyes. It's not much, but it's a start. Have you turned up anything on your end?"

The unspoken question of why Kaen had been drawn to the man who had been sitting at the bar hung between them, but Ranth's eyes moved pointedly to the now empty seat next to Kaen and then back again. If Kaen chose to elaborate, he would listen and if he said nothing he would let the matter go. But either way, the conversation would soon turn to the matter of their 'Captain' as Ranth leaned in to whisper quietly, "I'm not sure if he's gathering information or just flirting... what should we do? It sounds like this Seba guy is probably in trouble of some kind. Could be serious trouble too since we've been called in and humans know who he is, so if we dawdle... " he trailed off, not needing to finish the thought out loud for Kaen to understand what he was getting at.

[Kaen Youji]

(ooc: Short post! Sorry ><)

Kaen found himself disappointed that Luke wasn't coming with him. Very disappointed. But he respected Luke's choice and didn't press the matter further, instead opting to join July. Kaen slipped the card the bartender had sent him into his hand and looked it over briefly. Siren's Cove? Fitting. Well, I look the part at least. But back to matters with July for now. And the mission. Ooo! And Ranth. Shoot. Where was Ranth? Kaen looked around the bar for a moment, before the other Shinigami approached him instead, reporting that he had a lead on Seba. "I did too." Kaen mentioned to Ranth, but didn't say what it was that he found, at least not right away. Ranth gave a basic description of Seba, that was at least somewhat useful. Brown hair, early twenties and green eyes were all good. Tanned skin a little less so. But especially the age and eye color. "Well that helps. He's a young guy, so it narrows our search down to young guy hangouts, you know?" Kaen pointed out to Ranth.

July, meanwhile, was handling the introductions for Kaen, to the women, which Kaen made eye contact with, adding in an exaggerated bow. "Pleasure to meet all of you." He told them, before answering July. "I think I might have, yeah. Nice place was recommended to me. Place called Siren's Cove. Apparently it came highly recommended." He commented to July. "And what about you, Cap'n? Anything that you've found that piqued your interest, present company excluded?" Kaen would have winked at the women, but alas, the eyepatch was kind of getting in the way of that. Whoops. Plus, the Empress probably would have killed him for that. "In any case, I'm all for your course of action, Captain. Seems as if our company has some good places in mind as well!"

[Deleted]

Siren’s Cove

Luke would get to Siren’s Cove first and then Kaen and Ranth afterwards. It was also ten minute walk south from Port Royal Lounge. True to its name, it was nightclub with loud music. Dimly lit with the occasional flashing lights to illuminate the inside further. It wasn’t overly packed but that would slowly change with time passing and more people gradually coming in. There was a pretty good party going on with many happy party goers and it. It wasn’t the fanciest or the nicest club but the people here were pretty high spirits and it showed no sign of dying down. Every girl that worked there was the definition of a Siren. Scantily clad with a smile. Hence the name. One girl that passed Luke would stop before him and place a hand on his shoulder. “Do you need help? Can I get you a drink?” she asked kindly as she motioned her head to the bar. Two other girls would look at both shinigami and wave hello, both offering a wink a Ranth and a flirtatious smile at Kaen before walking off to tend to other customers and serve them their drinks.

There were people on the dance floor having the time of their lives. There were people at the bar chatting away happily with a few overworked bartenders. It looked like a normal scene and it was with a single exception. One thing would stand out the most to the Luke and Kaen who, thank god, had points in Energy Sensory. For Luke, he’d know that there was another one here. Another one of his kind. Luke specifically would be able to recognize right away the reiatsu signature of another Bount in here.

If both parties searched the club and let their senses direct them, they’d both find themselves at the VIP area sectioned off into the corner of the club which they could easily see in. Though, they couldn’t get in because of the guard in the front who stopped random people from entering. The furniture here was nicer, there were more drinks and there were more girls in there than usual in there, either seated or dancing. “Seba~! Dance with us!” They were all clamoring around a single male in there who sat in his seat arms sprawled out in a carefree, lazy manner as he happily drank from a bottle of liquor.

---

Paradiso

With a group of six girls and July, getting into Paradiso was a complete cakewalk. Being in a group of girls at an upscale club like this was important. The bouncers in the front were imposing. It seemed as though they didn’t just let any one in. The interior was stylish and the music, while probably not July’s taste, was good. This place was filled with people who were having the time of their lives. Gabriella led the group in and they’d all walk to lounging area in the back, where they’d be seated for a few minutes.

“Guys! Let’s get drinks! Do you want anything July?” The night was just starting for this group and Gabriella was eager to get their night out started. All but one would rise from their seats as they’d prepared to go off in search of something to drink. “I’ll pass.” The other girl from before stated bluntly as she remained seated. “Emily don’t be that way.” Gabriella protested, giving her friend a stern look. She clearly wasn’t comfortable being in here. “I’m fine. I had something already at the Lounge.” Gabriella shrugged and walked off with the other five to the bar in the front of the room. If July stayed back could probably try questioning Emily about Seba but she looked distracted. She was watching something. If July cared to look, he’d see a man leaving a room and locking the door behind him. It was likely the club manager and he was carrying a briefcase. Emily’s eyes followed the man and slowly, she’d shake her head with disgust. She clearly didn’t like him and her mood only seemed to worsen at the sight of him.

[Deleted]

This is the place. Luke thought to himself as he, after confirming the location on his navigation app, slid his phone into his pocket. Looking at the doorway to the club, Luke held back for a moment as he let his Energy Sensory extend outwards a little. He could feel two Shinigami, Kaen and one of the ones he came in with, heading in this direction as well. While Luke had arrived before them it would only be minutes until they arrived as well. While Luke and Kaen had gotten the same tip, Luke was hesitant to work with them. But that was already addressed earlier, so there wasn’t any reason to dig into it again.

Pushing his way into the club, Luke would be greeted with a familiar sight. Siren’s Cove was an appropriate name for this place. Beautiful women in revealing clothes patrolled the club floors looking for patrons to serve. One of them noticed Luke, placing her hand on his shoulder and kindly offering him some assistance. ”Oh, no, but thank you. I just need to use the bathroom real quick!” Luke explained with a smile, letting the waitress go about her day. However, Luke didn’t immediately make a move for the bathroom like he said. He remained standing for a moment, letting his attention shift towards the energy signature he felt.

Off in the VIP section, sanctioned off by a large security guard, seemed to be the very person that Luke was looking for. He heard the girl call him by name, confirming that at least, and he didn’t seem intent on moving. He seemed to be enjoying himself. But there was a problem. One that Luke wasn’t expecting. One that actually made him pause. The bathroom door closed behind him as Luke secluded himself away for a moment. Leaning against the sink bowl, Luke closed his eyes and took a few, calming, breaths. While he wasn’t freaking out or anything he just needed to clear his mind.

He just had to be a Bount.. Luke said to himself, opening his eyes a little bit as the conflict of emotions rolled around him. Out of everything this guy could have been he had to be the one race that Luke had the most personal problems with. It was weird that someone who was a Bount to have problems with the rest of race. But for Luke, that strangeness was just his reality. Luke was raised as or groomed to understand and accept what he was. The secret of his birth had been kept from him. His parents had taken the secret to their graves. Well, grave singular. His father did pass away...but whatever happened to his mother was still a question that was unanswered.

Discovering what he was wasn’t something he did himself. It took someone recognizing a Doll for what it was to finally end the twenty three year old question of what he was. However, discovering what he was wasn’t a pleasant experience. Everyone looked at him differently. People didn’t see “Luke the person” anymore they only saw “Luke the Bount”. They made assumptions about him. Expectations he didn’t want were put on him. People began to look at him like a monster. “Bount’s feed on the souls of the living and dead” was what he was told. When people looked at Luke it was as if they were antelope looking at a hungry lion. Luke noticed that.

Taka, the owner of the club he once lived at (which was why Siren’s Cove was a bit nostalgic and familiar to him) and revealed to him what he was in the worst way possible. She had shown him the very worst that a Bount could become and basically told him “this could be you”. Aevus, the Shinigami that had trained him to fight had pointed his blade at Luke’s throat when he had learned as well. Luke could still remember the feeling of the blades tip pointed at his throat. There were others as well. It almost became normal that people looked at Luke that way after first meeting him.

At least until Shizuka, anyways. She didn’t care about what he was. When he told her that he was a Bount she didn’t care at all. Luke was Luke no matter what he happened to be, she basically told him. The fact that she was, really, the first person to accept him for what he was, despite what he was, was part of the reason why he had such strong feelings for the woman who was now his girlfriend. Damn, now he missed Shizuka and wanted to see her. He’d make sure to set something up when he was done with this job. Back to the present, though, learning that Seba was, in fact, a Bount made things complicated for Luke. He didn’t usually like other Bount.

Many Bount were fine with eating souls. Luke wasn’t. It went against his moral code and ambitions. He was someone who found purpose in helping the weak and protecting them from the monsters of the spiritual world. Where he placed the Bount, as monsters or people worth protecting, was still unclear. Regardless, he would need to push his problems aside and deal with this. ”You want to talk about it?” Windstarke would quietly asked, concern in his hushed tone. No. No, not right now. Luke replied, looking at his reflection.

”Good, because we all know that talking to you will devolve into you just whining. Go complain about your problems on Tumblr, you walking trigger warning.” Jäger commented, trying to be funny, before adding, ”But for real, if you ever do want to talk me and Articuno are here to listen. I will even make fifty percent less jokes than I usually do.” Luke just shook his head a little. Kaen and the other Shinigami would have arrived by now, or otherwise they’d just be the slowest bastards in the world.

Exiting from the bathroom, Luke chose not to go approach Seba right away. Instead he decided to find a seat at a empty table, just within sight of Seba and his booth, and wait things out a little. See if Seba left, what the Shinigami did, and think about how he should approach the situation.

[July Kasumi'Oji]

”Ooooh, I like the interior! Very… garish!”

July was not convinced. They had promised him paradise, and while this club was a little better than most, it wasn’t particularly remarkable. He would have done the decoration differently, have left behind the spooky men at the door, and perhaps not have left so much… rabble in. At least people looked happy, like they were having the ‘time of their lives’. July sighed. If this was their idea of the best thing that could happen in their lives, he had little hope for or desire to protect humanity. It seemed as though education would have to be his newest role as Squad 8 Captain. Fun-sensei, they would call him.

“Guys! Let’s get drinks! Do you want anything July?”

”Please, my dear Gabriella, surprise me!~”

July stayed back with Emily, he was interested in what perturbed so. What moved her soul so far left of where her friends’ were? Not that this was a bad thing. July was pretty happy that someone saw the shallowness of such an affair, that she was not satisfied on a spiritual level by the offerings before her. July did not say anything for a moment, she did seem distracted after all. But when he discreetly followed her gaze, he was almost as disappointed as he had been in the rest. A man. And a shady one at that, what with his scurrying about with his suitcase. July turned his powers of analysis and modest energy sensory on the man, perhaps he was related to the Seba he was looking for? It would be quite the coincidence after all.

I wonder if Siren’s Cove would have been more exciting…

He must have looked like quite the philanderer to the other two, having flown off in a different direction simply because of the whims of a group of girls. But, y’know, some sacrifices had to be made. July had no doubt that Siren’s Cove was where the red X on the map was, however. If both had come independently to the same location regarding Seba, he had little doubt that the two would find him, or at least evidence of him, there. But they were failing to see the bigger picture. There was something else stirring in Port Royal and, spiritual or not, July wanted to find his way through it. There was no point leaving a puzzle thread hanging, after all.

”An old flame, miss Emily?~ Or just someone we should avoid in the general sense?”

July giggled, his emerald eyes flashing like gems beneath the lights of the nightclub. And what a hook this was! Where would the string go, he wondered?

[Ranth]

Ranth just shrugged in amiable agreement to Kaen's assessment of what kinds of bars attracted what kinds of people. Personally, he'd never had much to do with them outside of occasionally being dragged to them during his time at the Academy, but he'd been well known amongst his peers as not being much of a drinker- both in the sense that he didn't drink often or in any great volume and also in that it didn't take much for him to reach his limit. Kaen seemed like the kind of guy who had been around the block and maybe liked to live a little dangerously, so Ranth was more than happy to follow his lead in traveling to Siren's cove.

July on the other hand seemed to have uncovered an alternate lead and so they tacitly agreed that Kaen and Ranth would check out Siren's Cove, whilst July would *ahem* investigate Paradiso... along with the group of girls who if Ranth remembered his human law classes correctly, shouldn't have legally been allowed to enter an establishment such as this in most continents on earth. At any rate, before long the pair left the Port Royal Lounge and stepped into the brisk night air. "Do you think he'll be...", Ranth started to say before sighing and shaking his head. "Never mind, I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Probably".

Luckily, the card that Kaen had been given gave clear enough directions that even two complete strangers to the area managed to make their way there inside of ten minutes. Getting inside proved quite simple thanks to the fact that both Kaen and Ranth were well above average in terms of looks and once inside, they soon saw exactly why the place was named the way it was. True to its name, it was nightclub with loud music- which Ranth supposed was meant to be the 'sirens song', whilst the actual 'sirens] came in the form of the shockingly under dressed waitresses that stood behind the bar and a handful prowling the floor of the club picking up glasses and flirting with patrons male and female alike.

With no idea where to go, Ranth could only follow along behind Kaen as they made their way through the crowd. It was so loud that communication was all but impossible unless one leaned in and shouted in the ear of someone else, so Ranth could only cross his fingers and hope that Kaen had some kind of plan in regards to searching the place. Before long, they emerged from the crowd and approached a 'quieter' section of the club which seemed to some kind of VIP area judging by all of the flashing signs that were arranged around the place that literally said 'VIP AREA'.

What caught Ranth's attention though, was the gaggle of girls who were seated on the other side of the fenced off area. His attention wasn't drawn by their appearance however, but rather by a single word that carried over the music. Seba. Blinking once, Ranth peered through the haze of artifical smoke and strobe lights to make out a man sitting amidst the women and seemingly having the time of his life. Had he heard correctly? Was this the Seba that they'd been sent to find? Or was it just a common name in these parts? There was only one way to find out. "I think that might actually be him", Ranth said to Kaen- having to lean in and raise his voice in order to be heard clearly as he gestured towards the man and his harem.

He certainly fit the vague description that the old drunk had given him, so what else could he do but approach and ask? Approaching the fenced off area, there was one space where the rope was lowered to allow entry, but a burly security guard stood vigilantly to one side and as Ranth approached, his head swiveled and his eyes locked on Ranth and it was painfully obvious that he was about to block any attempt Ranth made to pass through. At least, he was until Ranth felt a slender arm loop around his left and right arms as two girls appeared out of nowhere and clung to him like flies on honey. "It's okay Antony, he's with us~", they said in unison before half escorting, half dragging Ranth into the VIP section. All Antony could say in response was wow as the trio moved past him without any issues.

At the same time, Seba was being similarly escorted out of the lounge portion of the VIP area and onto the smaller dance floor and so Ranth found himself being danced on by his two new 'companions', rather than dancing with them and he awkardly tried to shuffle away from them and towards the man who may or may not have been Seba. "Are you Seba? Bill sent me to find you. Can we talk somewhere quieter?", Ranth called to him- his words barely managing to reach the man despite being only a meter apart- that space being occupied by two other women who were vigorously grinding their backsides against Seba's hip in a most unseemly fashion.

[Kaen Youji]

Ranth's assessment that Kaen was the party guy was only half-right. Kaen was not the kind of person who regularly attended frat parties. That said, living dangerously? Definitely. And, as a member of Soul Society's nobility, Kaen had-- *sigh* been forced to attend many of those parties. They'd annoyed and bored him, what with the having to watch exactly what he said, and act like he was better than the common peasantry, and having to wear that annoyingly impractical dress apparel-- ugh! It was infuriating! How did the Empress do it!? This pirate get-up made Kaen feel so much at home despite having one of his eyes covered, completely killing his depth perception. The important thing, though, is that while Kaen had certainly visited the odd "normal" party, his expertise was more based on instinct, than practical. Which was proooobably why he was sticking out like such a sore thumb in his pirate get-up.

In any case they were operating without a Captain right now, but.... That was fine for Kaen. Afterall, he was just as strong as a Captain was! Well. His strength haaaaaad waned a little bit. But it was still pretty close. Still top tier Vice Captain level! That would probably let him handle any dangers that might crop up. And then, there it was. Siren's Cove. "Gotta love the names for these places, eh?" Kaen laughed, as he entered the night club. Oooo! Everything was so bright and shiny and loud! ....Damnit, is this what the kids were listening to these days? Oh wow that was bad! But the longer Kaen listened, the more in-tune he got with the beat as he worked his way through the night club, looking for someone who fit the description Ranth had given him. Mercifully for Luke, Kaen hadn't noticed him yet. That allowed Kaen to focus entirely on the mission at hand, and finding this Sebas. And it... surprisingly didn't take long. As packed as the place was, it was not hard to find it. Especially since whoever was in here wasn't bothering to hide their reiatsu. It was blaring like a giant signal beam, even to someone like Kaen who only had middling Energy Sensory abilities.

As the two women winked at the girls, Kaen returned the flirtatious smile he was given, even spinning slightly to keep the girl in his view as he passed them, but continued his investigation. Well. He was up until Ranth got dragged to the dance floor by two girls. The sly dog! "Well, look who's mister popular today!" Kaen laughed as Ranth was pulled away. Fortunately, it seemed that the man that was radiating a powerful reiatsu came right out as well. Kaen tagged along after him, staying just close enough to join on the dance floor and keep an eye on him, but not enough to be suspicious. He was squad 7 afterall, and while Kaen was better at pursuit than shadowing, he was still talented enough at it. Kaen stepped onto the dance floor and did his best to keep up, while watching out for Ranth and their mark.

[Deleted]

Siren’s Cove

Life was a party and Seba seemed to carry on without a care in the world. Dancing and drinking straight from a bottle and passing it along to other girls. Though, he wasn’t nearly as focused on his pretty companions as he normally would be. He’d sensed the presence of three very special people who’d entered the club all at once. While that might make others weary or cautious, this particular Bount was taking it in stride. Scary situations were a very normal thing for him. He looked to see who else was coming through to the VIP area and watched Ranth curiously as he was being danced on.

As he begun to speak, Seba leaned closer in an attempt listen and then stared at Ranth blankly for a few moments. It was like there were wheels turning in his head and then something clicked. He smiled warmly at the shinigami and nodded. “That is me! Yes! Of course, my friend! This way!” He slung one arm around Ranth and gestured to the exit of the VIP area and started to move out but not before waving goodbye to the girls that did notice him leaving the VIP area. He paused for a moment tapping a finger to his temple as if trying to recall something. “I know another two of you is here.. Ah! There’s one!” He pointed to Luke and merrily made his way to the Bount who was seated at an empty table with Ranth in tow and placed himself besides Luke. “Brother~! Hello!” he exclaimed overjoyed, hugging Luke tight before finally taking a seat. “Gotta say! I wasn’t expecting you especially!” he said to the other bount. Over here, it wasn’t as loud as it was on the dance floor or in the VIP section with all the girls.

“Yes yes! I am the one and only, handsome, talented and incredibly responsible Seba~!” He gestured to himself. Why he needed to say ‘responsible’ was anyone’s guess. He’d shrug and lean forward on the table, giving a triumphant grin to them all. “Did you like that message I left? It was nice and cryptic don’t you think!? “Port Royal, Seba, missing persons case, oooh.” Hahaha~! I mean I know you’re here but wow! Can’t believe it actually got to Soul Society and Xcution..!” He nudged Luke as he spoke and laughed loudly for a moment. He was definitely surprised his little message actually made it somewhere. He didn’t think anyone would show up and that he’d get written off but people did show up. “I do need your help though.” He’d calm down and look around for a moment before speaking. He could actually get down to business!

“You see, there is someone very important to me who is missing and I need help finding them.” He realized how vague it sounded and suddenly looked quite panicked. That carefree playboy demeanor had dropped as soon as those words had left his mouth. He had help and the thought of losing it scared him. This was his shot. He couldn’t lose it now! Seba was unsure of how to describe his current predicament because in a way, his hands were tied. He scratched his head and looked between Luke and Ranth. “Now!.. Now! I know it doesn't sound majorly important and all and I know you might not feel super into helping me but my friend has been missing for a long, long while and I’ve tried searching and rescuing myself believe me.. I’m out of options. You’re kind of my last hope.” He looked to Ranth guiltily. His smile was sad. “You said Bill sent you. Is he alright? He still complaining about the money I owe him? Hehe. I know I haven’t visited in a while but that’s kinda… Erm. Port Royal isn’t exactly fun or safe right now. Especially not for me. The less people I get involved the better.” He was genuinely concerned over the older man’s welfare. “But you lot seem pretty strong! I’ll try to give you as much details as I can here… But first~! Who are you all?” He questioned, looking at each face curiously.

---

Paradiso

“Ew, July.”

She visibly cringed and looked at him disgusted for a solid minute. The thought! The sound! Hearing the words of something so absurdly despicable soured her mood further. Well, she couldn’t be too mad at his question. What did he know about her own situation? She sighed, deciding to let him in on a little more. “That’s someone we should definitely, without a doubt, one hundred percent avoid but..” she dug into her purse and fished out a credit card before throwing the strap over her shoulder. “I didn’t come out tonight without an agenda.” she said shrugging and giving him a wry smile before looking back at the door down the corridor, seeing that it was still unattended. “That’s Salazar. The scumbag owner of this dumb place.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction. She’d spoken words that normally couldn’t be said freely but July was a fresh face and seemed to follow to the beat of his own drum. She would take a chance on him.

Emily turned to him, tapping the edge of the card on the table. “You can’t honestly tell me you want to play babysitter with Gabi and the others when they get four drinks in.” Her eyes quickly darted to the bar where the other girls had been standing around and waiting, as if to see if they weren’t coming back anytime soon. “And… It’s very important that I get into that room. There’s something I need to find and a lookout would be nice. Who knows.. You might actually find it fun? I dunno. I know it beats sitting here.” It was an attempt to sweeten the deal to convince July to come with her but she wouldn’t be too terribly bothered if he did not want to come with her. He could do whatever he wanted! With that, she got up from the table and made her way across the dance floor and into the corridor and begun working on the lock with her credit card. Within moments, she would be in the room.

[Deleted]

”Well, isn’t that fucker good with the ladies.”

Jäger commented in what seemed to be jealousy as, while Luke watched from where he sat, the Shinigami named Ranth was accompanied to the VIP lounge with two ladies in two. In truth, Luke didn’t really care about that. He was a little busy trying to think out the best way to handle this situation. Should he just go up and talk to Seba or wait until he had a more private moment with the other Bount? Part of him wondered if this missing person was also a Bount, but then why would a Bount go to Soul Society if that was the case. Most Shinigami didn’t like the vampiric race very well. However, Luke’s “thinking and waiting” strategy was completely shattered when Sebas suddenly pointed at him.

Luke blinked, surprised, when Sebas suddenly, literally, came up to him. What surprised Luke the most, however, was when he was suddenly hugged and refered to as “Brother~! The Bount sat there, blinking, with pursed lips and eyes full of confusion. ”UH OH!! Sebas didn’t ask for your trigger warnings!” Jäger laughed. ”He’s certainly...friendly than most of the others we’ve met.” Windstarke commented as well. Luke was hesitant for a moment, but he couldn’t help but agree with what the Doll said. Sebas didn’t have the usual attitude that came with most Bount he’d met so far.

”Likewise...I’m surprised as well.” Luke replied in response to Sebas expressing his own surprise at another Bount being here. Seemed neither had been expecting another of their own incredibly small race. As the Bount introduced himself, Luke had to disagree with his enjoyment of sending a cryptic message. He’d have rathered something that was honest and to the point. ”But then it’s not fun!” Luke blinked, again, when Seba suddenly said something about Xcution and gave him a nudge. Huh? Luke looked at him, confused, for a moment. Did Seba think Luke was from Xcution? Did...he know something about Xcution? Luke was...confused.

”Do you think Shizuka passed this along to us?”

That was...actually a good question. Luke was really confused at this point, but he decided to keep listening. When it was finally Luke’s turn to talk, the Bount scratched the back of his head for a moment. Hearing that Seba expected someone from Xcution made him feel a little...awkward. Seems that he’d been hoping for both Soul Society and Xcution to help him out with this. Luke felt a little like a third wheel for some reason. ”Do you feel like a big, ugly, vulture that’s come to pick up some scraps?” Fuck off Jäger. ”I’m Luke Clyburn. Manager and Head of Uzaki Enterprises Help and Rescue Emergency Operations department. We got your call for help and so I’m here, since the job of my department is to lend aid to anyone who comes asking us for help.” Luke explained, making it clear that he wasn’t from Xcution.

”If it’s okay with you I want to get the obvious questions out of the way. Your friend...when was the last time you saw them? Where was the last place you saw them? Who are they and what are they?” The last part of that question might have seemed a bit strange, but all of them should have known that someone’s race was important to know. It could help them narrow down the search or give them a lead. ”You said it’s not safe right now...what do you mean by that? Do you or your friend have any enemies that might have had something to do with this?” Thankfully, Luke had been studying (watching) a lot of cop shows lately and had been picking up the good questions to ask people in situations like this.

[July Kasumi'Oji]

Oooooh, Emily was beginning to turn into quite the femme fatale in July’s eyes. Gabriella had been the introduction to the group, sure, but it seemed Emily had all the sweet goss, and looked like she was itching to let the cat out of the bag. July leaned onto the table, cupping his face in his hands, listening attentively over the roaring music. How disgusted she looked at his insinuations of romance, how typical of those falsely accused of trysts. July almost sighed. How innocent it was. Like a young girl in the schoolyard, disgusted by the very idea of romance. How preciously naive!

”Salazar… Slytherin?~ Nothing good ever came of men named that, if I recall my study correctly.”

July laughed, his laughter like twinkling bells compared to the thudding music of the club. Of course July didn’t want to play babysitter. He had been around long enough, had spent too long trying to entertain and look after the world. It was the world’s turn to start looking after and entertaining him! He had been a gracious host, now it was time to flip the table and play the guest! And what delightful entertainment the world had put in front of him! A tasty, delectable treat indeed. And if his compatriots accused him of going off track… Salazar… Seba.. They sounded the same really! Who could blame him?

”Consider me in, Emily dear~”

July was inconspicuous, remarkably so, given his standout appearance. To a casual observer, it would not have even looked like he was moving with Emily towards the room. And when he got there, it was an easy case of simply dancing casually at the corridor entrance - at the fringe of the dance floor - using his extensive analysis and instinct to keep an eye out for any potential intruders. And if any of them were to cross his path - then they would get a double dose of the July’s Acting Special Sur-preeze. A foolproof way of keeping watch that July could only hope would be outsmarted. Wouldn’t that be fun!

[Ranth]

Ranth didn't have time to protest as the man who answered to the name Seba boisterously seized him by the arm and before the Shinigami could even blink, he found himself being led out of the VIP section and towards the biker that Ranth found himself recognising as the man Kaen had gone out of his way to speak to earlier. Speaking of Kaen, Ranth could only cast him a helpless and confused look as he was dragged more or less right past his fellow Shinigami and towards the table where Seba bade him to sit before addressing the man in the biker jacket as his brother and sitting beside him- opposite Ranth. if things had been confusing up to this point, what happened next moved the situation into alarming territory.

Excution? Bounts!? Of course Ranth knew what both of these things were, it was the most basic of basics within the Academy that every student understood the motivations, history and alignment of the various organisations and races that populated both the living and spirit realms. It had to be said that Xcution was more of a footnote in the textbooks that Ranth had read, as Uzaki Enterprises- or UE as it was more commonly known- held the monopoly on the Soul society's attention as far as influence and threat level went. Still, Ranth never would have expected to run across a member of Xcut-

Before the thought could even finish, Ranth had to stifle a grin as the biker introduced himself as Luke- a member of UE. It seemed that the only time Xcution got any attention was by accident. Just like the textbooks said. All joked aside though, Ranth sudden't felt supremely uncomfortable in this situation as he was sitting across the room from a fairly high ranking member of a questionably aligned organisation- tensions between the two groups ran high on occasion. However, with no signs of hostility being shown, Ranth felt it prudent to keep calm and not freak out... at least until Kaen and possibly July were present as well.

"Ah, my name is Ranth Amanite", Ranth said by way of introduction. Since Seba already seemed to have known and announced that he was part of the Soul Society, further details seemed necessary at this point. "Bill is... very drunk, but otherwise fine. He said he was worried that you were mixed up with something really bad and... well... it sounds like you are", Ranth replied politely. There wasn't much need for him to say anything else, because at that point Luke spoke up and asked pretty much every question that Ranth could have thought to ask anyway plus a couple of extra. He certainly seemed to know his stuff!

[Kaen Youji]

Well, things seemed to be going relatively smoothly so far. Kaen hadn't even had to intervene yet and already Ranth had been pulled out of the VIP section and taken to a table by Seb, who seemed very amiable. As for Kaen, despite his best efforts it seemed like Seb was the only other spiritually aware being in the bar. Well, that worked out fine for Kaen. The packed club was perfect for disappearing, even in Kaen's ridiculous get-up and he slid along through the crowds after Ranth and Seb, carefully positioning himself to keep himself in earshot. Which was.... admittedly pretty difficult. Kaen's senses were near the peak human range, which was pretty good. But still very difficult to hear over the music and the crowds in the club. But he did recognize the other Bount sitting at the table that Seb dragged Ranth over to. Kaen tried to make eye contact with Luke through the crowd and gave the Bount a nod of the head to signify a quick greeting.

Kaen was putting his analytical abilities into hard drive to read the situation. Seb had been pretty friendly so far. Well and good. There were no other openly spiritually aware people in the bar. Fine. He hadn't actually tracked Kaen down yet, which meant his own spiritual senses probably weren't particularly honed, since Kaen hadn't been far from Ranth this whole time. Then again, Ranth was quite potent so perhaps he was drowning out Kaen's own decent, but still only average reiatsu strength. As far as Luke was concerned, he seemed very uncomfortable with the whole affair. Damnit. Had Kaen really soured Luke's view of Shinigami that hard by their first meeting? He.... would really have to make amends sometime soon. Or was he made uncomfortable at being outed by a Bount in front of another Shinigami? Kaen's eyes flickered to Ranth, intending to stop him from making relations worse, but Ranth seemed appropriately reasonable at the moment. Non-judgmental and for that, Kaen breathed a sigh of relief. Good. It was still hard to hear what Seb was saying though, but Kaen had wormed his way a bit closer, to listen in, and picked up enough to find a point to interject. As Sebas, Ranth and Luke finished, Kaen pulled up a chair and sat at the table. "G'day mates." He said cheerfully, and in his best pirate accent he could manage, to go with his image.

"So your friend went missin' and you decided to call out to Soul Society over a missin' person's case?" Kaen asked, slightly incredulous. "I mean person'ly I'm happy t'help, but that seems a little extreme." He said, interjecting as if he'd been involved in the conversation the whole time. "Kaen Youji, Squad 7 third officer." He informed Seba. He was vaguely aware that his name had turned up in a few black market bounty posters, although that had been as a Vice Captain, the demotion might come as a surprise to anyone familiar with him before. "So tell us the details~ Where do we start? Ya pulled us all out here, may as well get some use outta us while we're here, amirite?" Kaen offered cheerfully, sitting back in his chair.