Paper Towns [Closed]

[Sieglinde P. Krantz]

Lord, how today was going to be a busy day for the Quincy. After having heard of a new recruit finally working her way into a position of high-ranking authority, Priscilla felt it was time to meet with the new Captain to see just how things were going to be going with her. She'd need to fill out so many different sheets just regarding the girl's promotion that it hadn't even crossed her mind that she wanted to meet with Aia on her own time! The paperwork could wait for the time being; lord knew that even the Supervisor that had promoted the girl in the first place wasn't going to be doing their part with the paperwork, so, per usual, it was to be dumped on her. It wasn't that she minded, but she actually wanted to meet with the girl!

Setting aside her work for the day, Priscilla simply threw a paper airplane out from her office doors. Those stationed around her were going to know immediately that this meant that she was looking for something, or potentially even someone. On that sheet of paper, there was a simply written message; "To our newly-appointed Captain; welcome to the upper echelons within the Vandenreich! In case we haven't met yet, I'm Captain Supervisor Priscilla Krantz. It's a pleasure to be able to meet you, even if it is from a distance at the moment! When you've the time, at your earliest convenience, I'd like to get better acquainted with you. I've set up a sort of 'get-together' for us in my office for the time being, complete with snacks and beverages. When you're ready to report, simply throw this paper airplane, and follow it through the halls!"

As the Quincy began to tear apart her own office in order to make it presentable, Priscilla quickly forced the two chairs she had on the opposite side of her desk to dematerialize into sheets of paper, only to quickly rematerialize into one solid chair, instead. Something that was hopefully going to be much more comfortable for the girl for the time being. Turning her attention toward her own little machines in the corner of her office, Priscilla smiled as a fresh pot of coffee was already beginning to brew. Seemed as though she was on top of that for once. She couldn't complain though, especially with all of the stress she was going through just preparing for this meeting.

As time was beginning to come to a close, the Quincy made sure her desk was completely cleaned off from anything she wasn't going to need for the encounter with Aia. As far as she was concerned, Aia's only needs were exactly what she'd been promised on the note, and any other luxuries Priscilla could've gotten her for the time being. Though, one that was needed to make note of the Captain Supervisor's actions; she wasn't doing it out of desperation toward Aia. Quite the opposite, in fact; the goal in calling Aia to her office was to show her just what the perks of ranking high were, and how she could take advantage of them. After all, the girl was now a member of the greatest organization to ever have hoped to walk the planet.

[Aia Kristal]

She had finally done it. It took time, blood, sweat and tears, but she had done it. Aia had been recognized as a Captain of the Vandenreich by one of her supervisors. In truth she could not be happier. After all not only did it mean that she slowly beginning to gain the trust of her fellow members, but she'd likely get new perks for her position. What those perks were was to be determined, but for now she would take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of rising in the ranks. Normally she would indulge her sick and frankly twisted desires, but she was feeling in a good mood today. It was no secret that among the Vandenreich, Aia was an adept torturer and interrogator. Rumors had been floating around about her having her own personal interrogation chamber within her quarters. Not that Aia would dignify these rumors if they were true. For now, however, she would head to her quarters to relax. 

As she with great care entered her abode, she smiled. There was nothing better for her than the sanctity of home. The privacy it provided. Especially for her more personal endeavors. She had worked hard to get where she was. Perhaps now would be a good time to simply relax. It was then that Aia would look to the side. A door that could be misinterpreted as leading to a closet or even more innocently just another room. Yet a faint glow of red emanated from underneath he door. Aia of course knew what it was. The rumors about her own personal chambers used for interrogation and torture were not falsified. Normally she jump at the opportunity to continue, but her good fortune should be her victims good fortune. She would tend to him later. 

Though just as she was about to relax, a little birdie would fly into her lap. At first the Quincy would find herself puzzled. A paper airplane? It took her a moment to process. She of course had heard about a Captain Supervisor with the ability to fashion paper and control it to her whims. Upon the realization of who this came from, Aia immediately jumped out of her seat and took hold of the airplane. Unfolding it she slowly read over the message. "To our newly-appointed Captain; welcome to the upper echelons within the Vandenreich! In case we haven't met yet, I'm Captain Supervisor Priscilla Krantz. It's a pleasure to be able to meet you, even if it is from a distance at the moment! When you've the time, at your earliest convenience, I'd like to get better acquainted with you. I've set up a sort of 'get-together' for us in my office for the time being, complete with snacks and beverages. When you're ready to report, simply throw this paper airplane, and follow it through the halls!"

She could not believe it. She was being summoned by a Captain Supervisor? More notably this was not the Captain Supervisor who had promoted her. Aia blinked for a moment as she tried to take this all in. In her mind it would be an utter insult to shoot down the invitation of her direct superior. Moving to the table Aia would with some adeptness refold the paper as she had unfolded it initially. Admittedly she was not the most imaginative type when it came to things like this. Her folds were a little rough around the edges and no where near as pristine as Priscilla would have made it. It would suffice regardless. After a rather gentle throw, Aia would follow this paper construct dutifully. 

It would take a little bit as Aia walked past many Quincy who would give her a salute. A sign of respect due to her new position. Aia would find little time to acknowledge them unfortunately. Her gaze was fixated on this airplane. She would certainly follow it to the very ends of the earth if she needed to. Finally she would find that plane itself descended into a room. Aia could naturally deduce that this would be Priscilla's office. Though before entering Aia would wait a minute. One could consider it a small ritual for whenever she engaged in social situations. Her breathing slowed almost to a halt as she concentrated. The Quincy would bring her hand to her forehead. Moving it down it was almost akin to how a Mime would do so. 

When she was finished, Aia had a smile on her face. Not that she was not excited, but she had almost forgotten to put on her mask. The mask that allowed to her to exist in civil society. The mask that was a façade to cover her darkest and most twisted desires. Having established it, Aia would make her way into the office immediately noticing its tidiness. A chair presumably for her and a table full of delicious treats and beverages. Most of all, Aia would notice the Vandenreich Captain Supervisor Priscilla. One of her fellow Quincy with whom she had been dying to meet after hearing about one of them who had the ability to manipulate paper. With a polite bow of her head Aia would show her respect. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Captain Supervisor Krantz. I am newly appointed Captain Aia Kristal." She would almost be militaristic in how she addressed Priscilla, not entirely sure how she expected subordinates to behave.

[Sieglinde P. Krantz]

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Captain Supervisor Krantz. I am newly appointed Captain Aia Kristal." Priscilla couldn't help but chuckle after Aia finished speaking. "Oh, Aia," she said, her tone full of lightheartedness, "there's no reason to be so formal, dear! Just Priscilla is fine, I promise you. That aside, though, it's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you! I've been more or less following your life like that of a story, if you'd believe it!" She chuckled. "I mean that in the most non-creepy way possible; that's more or less my place within His Majesty's regime. I'm sure you know how it is." For the time, Priscilla had no worry about how she came off to the girl. Any ill-meaning she might've gotten was going to be corrected first chance Priscilla had.

"So," she said, excitedly clapping her hands together, "tell me a little about yourself! I might know of you, but that doesn't mean I know you, if that makes sense. I'd like to figure out just how that mind of yours operates! Well, that, plus why not gather a new acquaintance out of it? You've shown you're certainly reasonable, strong, and all around a force of personality that I'd very much like to make an ally out of, should you be permitting." Taking her time to finish pouring herself a cup of coffee, while adding her own amounts of sugar and creamer; fourteen teaspoons of sugar, and a single tablespoon of creamer. "Could I by chance interest you in any kind of coffee? I've no problem procuring you any kind that could interest you!"

Sitting down at her desk, bringing an extra mug of coffee per Aia's request if she'd wanted one. "If you don't mind," the shorter woman spoke, sliding into her chair (which may or may not have been taller than Aia's, as to put the two of them at a level height), "I'd also like to play a little game with you! Nothing advanced, of course; you're familiar with Chess, right?" As she finished speaking, she waved her hand, allowing for the center of the desk to convert from what looked to be paper into a rather nicely-sized chess board, complete with rather decorative pieces for both parties. Aia held the black pieces, and Priscilla the white. Moving a piece in front of her, Priscilla simply smiled to the girl. Nothing was obligating her to play, but if she was interested, the game was there.

To her left, plates full of various snack foods were laid out for both of them to reach, full of cookies, cakes, and other baked goods. It was by no means anything fancy, but enough to show the sentiment Priscilla looked to convey to the girl. "If you don't mind my asking, what're some of your hobbies, Aia? I'm sure it's no surprise to you that you've become quite the subject of a number of rumors regarding your role within His Majesty's forces, so I can't help but be curious; do you happen to be as... 'attention-grabbing' as those rumors make you out to be?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{The Board}
OOC: So! I'm going to be using Chessify in order to show the board state, I'd highly recommend doing the same if playing along is something you'd want to do~! It's as simple as just snip tooling the board after you've edited it~! Here's the current board state;

[Aia Kristal]

As Aia tried to give Priscilla the proper respect by giving her bow, it was difficult not to pick up on Priscilla's chuckle given how hyper fixated she was upon her superior officer. At first she felt like her blood would freeze over. Would the work she put in be for nothing? What would Priscilla do to her? Punish her? Aia closed her eyes as she resigned to her fate. Yet she would be in for a surprise. "There's no reason to be so formal, dear! Just Priscilla is fine, I promise you. That aside, though, it's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you! I've been more or less following your life like that of a story, if you'd believe it!" Aia's eyes slowly cracked open as she blushed a little. 

"I mean that in the most non-creepy way possible; that's more or less my place within His Majesty's regime. I'm sure you know how it is." Aia simply nodded in response to this. She had her own place in the Emperors' world so she completely understood this idea of Priscilla essentially being a database. A collector and compiler of information. "Tell me a little about yourself! I might know of you, but that doesn't mean I know you, if that makes sense. I'd like to figure out just how that mind of yours operates! Well, that, plus why not gather a new acquaintance out of it? You've shown you're certainly reasonable, strong, and all around a force of personality that I'd very much like to make an ally out of, should you be permitting."

Aia nodded as she would talk in a rather cheery voice. A far cry from how she had just introduced herself to Priscilla. This was a prime example of her mask at work. One side of her appeared to be sweet, kind and just. This could not be farther from the truth, however. The true side that she rarely let others peek into was one of malice. A cruel and despicable villain who knew just how to hide it, only letting it peek through in certain situations. That is who Aia was. Despite her friendly attitude, Priscilla would likely feel a coldness from her. For all of her social skills, Aia could not hide the all of the darkness that crept around inside of her. Despite that she would continue smiling. 

"That makes a lot of sense actually Captai-" She stopped herself as she was about to return to formality. "Pardon me. Priscilla. I'd certainly love to get to know you a little better myself. You know, I've always admired you despite the fact that we've only met today. Since I joined our Majesty's glorious Empire I had heard tales of a Quincy with the ability to manipulate paper. An avid reader. I hold much respect for that, Priscilla. As for myself..." Aia gave a beaming giggle. "I hail from Austria. I love walks through the woods. Literature. Getting familiarized with Silbern has gotten me to appreciate its beauty more and more by the day. Oh! My idols consist of the Sternritter and I would suppose you of course. I would claim our Majesty, but idol to me implies reaching that status. I of course am nothing compared to our Majesty." She would smile once more. 

As Priscilla offered a cup of coffee, Aia raised her hand and gently shook her head as to decline the cup. She was already excited enough due to her recent promotion. For now she would continue to listen to Priscilla as she came back with a cup for herself. "I'd also like to play a little game with you! Nothing advanced, of course; you're familiar with Chess, right?" Aia gave what was likely a genuine smile. Not that she didn't appreciate Priscilla's efforts or company. She simply was not the smiling type, but she knew that others would be more open to her if she feigned warmth via smiling. Aia knew the game of chess well though she had not played in years. She'd simply nod as she became absolutely bedazzled by Priscilla's ability to reconstruct one form into another.

As Priscilla moved her piece, Aia peeked at the board. It was a beautiful carved board for being a construct with elaborately decorated pieces. She was amused over the theatrics behind it. It seemed that she would hold sway over the black pieces. Her train of thought would be interrupted as Priscilla addressed her. "If you don't mind my asking, what're some of your hobbies, Aia? I'm sure it's no surprise to you that you've become quite the subject of a number of rumors regarding your role within His Majesty's forces, so I can't help but be curious; do you happen to be as... 'attention-grabbing' as those rumors make you out to be?"

Aia simply chuckled as she tapped her finger against the desk inquisitively. With a certain degree of joy over getting to play Chess again, she began with a typical opening move. Moving one of her black pawns to E5. As she finished her movement, Aia looked up to answer Priscilla. "By the rumors I assume you mean that I harbor something darker? That I am actually a sick and twisted person who engages in torture simply for my own amusement? I suppose that would imply that I take pleasure in torture." The Quincy would simply smile. "I suppose it is a rather gripping rumor. Full of mystery. I assume you are a fan of mysteries then Priscilla?" 

Aia thought about it for a moment as she continued tapping her fingers on the Supervisors' desk. "While I know of the rumors, that doesn't mean that I dignify them. In the Vandenreich, I am quite adept in the art of torture and interrogation. That is no secret. That is my duty after all. The one I have been assigned by our Majesty. To deny that position would be an insult to the one who made us who we are." She chuckled for a moment before returning to the topic at hand. "Let's say that if the rumors were true. That I truly am what others claim me to be. I suppose that would make a rather good liar would it not?" She laughed at the notion, attempting to play off any sense that the rumors were true. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chess Board}

[Sieglinde P. Krantz]

"Pardon me. Priscilla. I'd certainly love to get to know you a little better myself. You know, I've always admired you despite the fact that we've only met today. Since I joined our Majesty's glorious Empire I had heard tales of a Quincy with the ability to manipulate paper. An avid reader. I hold much respect for that, Priscilla. As for myself... I hail from Austria. I love walks through the woods. Literature. Getting familiarized with Silbern has gotten me to appreciate its beauty more and more by the day. Oh! My idols consist of the Sternritter and I would suppose you of course. I would claim our Majesty, but idol to me implies reaching that status. I of course am nothing compared to our Majesty."

Priscilla couldn't help but giggle at Aia's words. "I appreciate the flattery," she started, "but there's far from a need for that, dear. I promise you I'm no different from you, or even our late General Amalia. Sure, we may all come from different walks of life, and sure, we've all reached different stations in life, but under the eyes of His Majesty, we're all his children regardless. We all have the potential to reach those heights of ability, much like Mr. Konig had done somewhat recently after becoming one of the first few Sternritter since the most recent Auswählen. I personally hope to one day reach a position like that, but I believe I'm ways off of actually being able to do so."

Upon watching Aia move her piece, Priscilla asked her question. She was quickly met with a response from the girl; one she hadn't exactly expected to hear, but one she was glad to have received nonetheless. "By the rumors I assume you mean that I harbor something darker? That I am actually a sick and twisted person who engages in torture simply for my own amusement? I suppose that would imply that I take pleasure in torture. I suppose it is a rather gripping rumor. Full of mystery. I assume you are a fan of mysteries then Priscilla?" Priscilla once again giggled at Aia's question. "Oh, very much so, dear. It's sort of part of the job. Anything and everything that might grip my attention is investigated not only for the sake of His Majesty, but for my own personal interest. What can I say? I'm a creature of curiosity."

As Aia was moments from continuing to speak, Priscilla decided to make her move. "While I know of the rumors, that doesn't mean that I dignify them. In the Vandenreich, I am quite adept in the art of torture and interrogation. That is no secret. That is my duty after all. The one I have been assigned by our Majesty. To deny that position would be an insult to the one who made us who we are." Priscilla chuckled alongside Aia, fully agreeing with her words for what they were. Something like that would've been considered heretical; something Priscilla vehemently was not. "Let's say that if the rumors were true. That I truly am what others claim me to be. I suppose that would make a rather good liar would it not?"

She smiled. "That it absolutely would," she said, "And if that's the case I must say, I absolutely commend you for being able to do so. It's not every day that we get someone able to get something like that passed underneath the radar with ease, that much is certain. I've got to say, Aia, you're already turning out to be quite the interesting young lady. If you don't mind, after we're done this little game, I'd love to see what you do in action. If you're able to do gather your intel on the fly as effectively as I hope, I may have a rather interesting proposal for you, should you be interested in doing so." Priscilla shot the girl the same smile she'd been maintaining. While she did believe Aia's lies, there was a level of skepticism that came with being as analytical as she was; something that wasn't going to be easily pushed aside if Aia had slipped up in her words.

SPOILER: Click to show

{The Board}

[Aia Kristal]

There was something about the rumors that Aia was amused by. They were of course true, but the Quincy loved to tease others with them. It had given her an aura of mystery and even to some fear to some in the Vandenreich. Though this actually worked to her advantage. She was one of the chief interrogators among the Vandenreich. The knowledge of being sent to Aia was crippling to those who knew her. This, in turn, gave her distinction among her peers. This all worked even better with her mask. The one she wore to fool others into believing that she was benevolent and kind-hearted. It allowed her to wiggle into the hearts of her victims. 

Aia, however, would be rather amused by Priscilla's comment. "Oh, very much so, dear. It's sort of part of the job. Anything and everything that might grip my attention is investigated not only for the sake of His Majesty, but for my own personal interest. What can I say? I'm a creature of curiosity." The Captain could not help, but chuckle as she peered at Priscilla. This Captain Supervisor was worth further study. The Quincy considered the words understanding the implication. Aia had now become an object of personal interest to the Captain Supervisor. This amused her further. Normally she would be the one to extract information. To study others. Now the hunter had become the hunted. This alone intrigued Aia.

She would simply nod at Priscilla with a smile on her face. It seemed that her mask was holding firm. Aia much preferred it this way. Not to say that Priscilla knowing her true nature was detrimental. Though it would spoil the mystery of it all. Aia was cruel, but she was not prepared to rob Priscilla of this little mystery surrounding her. Aia would peer at the Chess board as she chuckled. There were so many options. Different strategies. Avenues of advancement. She would relax back into her chair as she tapped her chin with amusement. Even as Priscilla spoke, she would look amused. It seemed that the Captain Supervisor had more in store for her.

"And if that's the case I must say, I absolutely commend you for being able to do so. It's not every day that we get someone able to get something like that passed underneath the radar with ease, that much is certain. I've got to say, Aia, you're already turning out to be quite the interesting young lady. If you don't mind, after we're done this little game, I'd love to see what you do in action. If you're able to do gather your intel on the fly as effectively as I hope, I may have a rather interesting proposal for you, should you be interested in doing so." She could not help, but chuckle once more as she placed her fingers upon one of her knights.

As she moved it, her voice would become rather cheery. "A curious thing. To be commended for the potential of being a good liar. Normally it is frowned upon. Reviled. Yet you see it as an asset." The Captain could not help, but blush visibly at being complemented by her direct superior. This one was surely charming and Aia recognized it. She would continue to speak. "Why thank you Priscilla. You surely are quite the interesting individual yourself. You intrigue me." As Priscilla spoke of a little test, Aia became even more intrigued. She wanted to see her expertise in gathering information first hand? This both excited the Quincy, but also made her joy crumble for a moment. 

If she were to show Priscilla her capability in interrogation, she would likely witness Aia's true nature. Perhaps she could conduct the interrogation in secret? No that wouldn't do. For now she simply acquiesced. "I would be honored to present a live demonstration to my superior. Though I feel I must inquire.." Aia closed her eyes and sighed. "This little experiment if you will would require a victim of some sort. How are you planning on going determining a worthy target of my methods?" Aia was certainly intrigued in the prospect of getting to show what she was capable of. Though whoever it was needed to likely be subdued first. Who would it be? Their victim?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chess Board}

[Sieglinde P. Krantz]

As Aia made her move on the board in front of them, Priscilla quickly followed in suit with her own, almost mimicking the girl's actions by moving the opposite Knight in the same fashion. As she finished making her move, Aia began to speak. "A curious thing. To be commended for the potential of being a good liar. Normally it is frowned upon. Reviled. Yet you see it as an asset."  "Of course," she said, "You'll quickly see just how far deceit will get you within the Vandenreich. Those who maintain a cutthroat mindset against those they need to are those that get ahead. That goes for both other members of His Majesty's forces, and for outsiders as well. Having a silver tongue is something that will easily place you one step ahead of your peers; especially if you're looking to pass blame for something."

Sighing, Priscilla began to speak again. "Granted, I'm not condoning the act of throwing others under the bus for your own personal benefit. Depending on who you wrong, that could potentially end very, very poorly for you. I'm sure you're already aware of that, though." Giggling to herself, Priscilla allowed the girl to speak once more. "Why thank you Priscilla. You surely are quite the interesting individual yourself. You intrigue me." Almost immediately, her face lit up as though she was a child entering a candy store. "Ah, I'm delighted to hear that! I strive to interest, dear."

Going on to speak about Aia's interrogative abilities, Priscilla didn't change her words much at all, and kept them to what she'd originally planned to say. As she finished, she took note of any detail she could in the girl's response and body language. "I would be honored to present a live demonstration to my superior. Though I feel I must inquire... This little experiment if you will would require a victim of some sort. How are you planning on going determining a worthy target of my methods?" Aia was right. This was definitely something she'd need to ponder on; just who could be subjected to this girl's apparently vile methods? Perhaps killing two birds with one stone was the best option here?

"I'm delighted you asked," she said, standing up, As she did, Priscilla's body quickly rippled and changed shape as different sheets of paper flew around her, giving her a completely new outfit in the process; that of a Shinigami's Shihakusho. "You're a fairly good actor, no? I'd like to think that comes with the deceitfulness. If that is the case, though, perhaps we could accomplish two goals at the same time!" Clapping her hands together, Priscilla smiled as the chess board lifted itself into the air, completely unfazed by the fact that it was now, well, in the air. "I'd like to see what we can do to make our way into Soul Society. 'Backdoor' our way in, so to speak. I can personally throw up a nigh-impenetrable guise for us, so reasonably speaking, we should be able to do so quite effectively. That is, if you're on board with the idea of doing so. I'm not going to demand anything of you, especially something this potentially dangerous, just to have a bit of fun."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chess Board}

[Aia Kristal]

"You'll quickly see just how far deceit will get you within the Vandenreich. Those who maintain a cutthroat mindset against those they need to are those that get ahead. That goes for both other members of His Majesty's forces, and for outsiders as well. Having a silver tongue is something that will easily place you one step ahead of your peers; especially if you're looking to pass blame for something." Aia had to admit that she was amused by Priscilla. She had imagined that a Captain Supervisor like herself would be more stoic. That she would consider rules to be absolute. Yet this discussion that they were having led Aia to recognize how laid back she was. A truly free spirit. Aia had a lot of respect for that even if her true self was a little stoic. 

The Vandenreich Captain continued to listen to Priscilla as she discussed the role of deception within the Vandenreich and its consequences. "Granted, I'm not condoning the act of throwing others under the bus for your own personal benefit. Depending on who you wrong, that could potentially end very, very poorly for you. I'm sure you're already aware of that, though." The Quincy chuckled for a moment as she spoke. "Well that is certainly an interesting way to look at it. I would guess that a woman of your stature shouldn't be crossed?" Aia simply smiled as she punctuated her comment. After all she wanted to ease the possible tension that had just been built between the two of them. 

Regardless of that, Aia waited patient as she was asked a peculiar question by the Supervisor in response to her inquiry about their target. "You're a fairly good actor, no? I'd like to think that comes with the deceitfulness. If that is the case, though, perhaps we could accomplish two goals at the same time!" Aia's hands were en route to the Chess Board as it ominously lifted into the air, simply levitating there. The Quincy silently huffed in response to this. Her expression regardless returned to one of amusement as the Quincy before her now appeared akin to a Shinigami. Perhaps it was just her facade or even just her true opinion, but Aia clapped in response to this. She appeared rather pleased. 

It seemed that Priscilla had a little more to add to her little expedition. "I'd like to see what we can do to make our way into Soul Society. 'Backdoor' our way in, so to speak. I can personally throw up a nigh-impenetrable guise for us, so reasonably speaking, we should be able to do so quite effectively. That is, if you're on board with the idea of doing so. I'm not going to demand anything of you, especially something this potentially dangerous, just to have a bit of fun." Now this was becoming considerably more interesting. A backdoor into the Soul Society? This could prove to be a marvelous advantage for the Vandenreich. Besides. It would allow Aia to play with more Shinigami. 

Her smile was unchanging as she spoke in a rather sweet tone of voice. "Well. That certainly is a neat trick you possess. I'm sure that it comes with perks. Appearing radiant would be one of them." Aia chuckled as she paused. She would let the compliment sink in. She was rather adept in social interactions after all. A natural charmer even if her true personality was hidden behind layers of insincere kindness and honeyed words. Though despite that she was being partly genuine with her superior. After all, she was a Quincy like her. One of the Emperors' children. Not just that, but she had only been kind to her from the moment she arrived. She would continue as the pause had now grown.

"A way into the Soul Society huh? That is certainly a provocative offer. To learn more of our natural enemy." As Aia spoke of the Shinigami, her mask faded a little as a smirk arose on her face. For a few moments, Priscilla would likely only feel a cruel aura emanate from Aia. It would likely feel chilling and dispassionate. As the feeling would likely fade, Aia smile again. "As for acting. I hold a few social charms though I would not say that I am a stellar actor. I can certainly charm others. These disguises that you claim you can fashion will likely be of greater value than my social skills." As she stood up, she had a momentary glance at the state of the floating board.

With adept fingers she would cautiously move another pawn to join her other in the center. After moving her piece, she tapped her finger on her chin. "Though I will say that I accept your proposal to infiltrate the Soul Society. I think it would be a great way to christen our new friendship. That is if I'm not too bold to call us friends." She giggled a little as she stretched. Sitting like this for elongated periods of them was always something that Aia hated. She liked to be out and about. Doing whatever she could to further solidify her devotion to the Emperor. Of course she had her own agenda, but she liked to prioritize the needs of the Vandenreich until her urges became too much to bear.

As she mused over their plan, she chuckled. "Though if we are to go through with this, I suppose that I would need to be covered in your paper as well?" Regardless of Priscilla's answer she would give a bit of a wink to the Captain Supervisor. Her demeanor had changed to one of informality as she had assessed that Priscilla likely preferred it this way. She continued to tap her chin, pondering on the nature of their infiltration. "Though this does make me wonder. I have no doubt of your skills in combat Priscilla and I would never question them. That being said, what if this goes south? Do we have a contingency in place besides fighting our way out?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Chess Board}

[Sieglinde P. Krantz]

"Well that is certainly an interesting way to look at it. I would guess that a woman of your stature shouldn't be crossed?" Priscilla lightly chuckled as Aia spoke. "While I'm not going to say I don't like the sound of that," she said, gently tapping her chin, "I'd like to think I'm quite a bit more... forgiving than most of the other individuals that make up His Majesty's empire. For one, I'm not quick to act should someone cross me. If something like that were to unfurl, I'd likely need to take some time to handle myself emotionally before doing something in retaliation. I'm not someone that likes to retaliate where unnecessary, and as such, I'm very unlikely to do so unless His Majesty directly calls for it."

As the two of them continued their conversation, Priscilla's face began to glow as she received yet another compliment from the girl. "Well. That certainly is a neat trick you possess. I'm sure that it comes with perks. Appearing radiant would be one of them." She couldn't help but smile. "Your words are very much appreciated, Aia," she said, "It's certainly had its fair share of aid throughout the time I've spent under His Majesty, that much is fact. Though, I've the need to say, I'm very interested to see what it is you're capable of. I can't say that I'm not curious as to how you've been blessed by His Majesty."

As she continued to speak, discussing her own plans about potentially making their arrival within Soul Society, she began to hear Aia out regarding the plan. "A way into the Soul Society huh? That is certainly a provocative offer. To learn more of our natural enemy." Within a few short moments after speaking, Priscilla noticed the girl's smile, and a chill immediately went down her spine. Something felt... off, about her. As though a wave of nothing but natural cruelty seemed to emanate from the woman. She couldn't say she wasn't interested in the matter, but something definitely felt unlike what she'd seen from the girl before. Just as quickly as it had arrived, though, that aura had vanished.

This was definitely something she'd need to ask about later. For now, though, this conversation needed to continue. "As for acting. I hold a few social charms though I would not say that I am a stellar actor. I can certainly charm others. These disguises that you claim you can fashion will likely be of greater value than my social skills." Well, it seemed as though she'd found her answer. Priscilla simply chuckled before speaking as Aia stood up.  "There's no need to humble yourself, dear," she said, standing up as well, "You seem to know your way around words and emotions quite well at a glance. I'm certainly interested to see how that plays out in a more practical situation."

As the Quincy made her move on the chess board, Priscilla took a moment to quickly run through her options. One had presented itself rather nicely, and as the girl moved her hand away from the board, Priscilla took the opportunity to move a bishop into a somewhat advantageous position. Primarily speaking, she was going to take this opportunity to see just how the girl was going to react to this. "Though I will say that I accept your proposal to infiltrate the Soul Society. I think it would be a great way to christen our new friendship. That is if I'm not too bold to call us friends."

Quickly pulling herself out of the game and back into the conversation as Aia spoke, Priscilla smiled once more. "You're perfectly all right," she said, "I'd like to think of us as friends myself. And dare I say, you're quite right about this little excursion being the prime opportunity to cement this newfound relationship of ours." "Though if we are to go through with this, I suppose that I would need to be covered in your paper as well?" Priscilla gave the woman a simple nod as she herself decided to stretch as well. After she was finished, she simply snapped her fingers, and across her entire body, she seemed to 'ripple'.

Sheets of paper began to flip and turn about, changing shape and color all the while keeping her reiatsu signature fairly muted for the time being. After the dust (and paper for that matter) had settled, Priscilla looked absolutely nothing like her original self. Instead, she assumed the appearance of a taller, green-haired Shinigami she'd met not too long ago. As she spoke, even her voice seemed to change as well. "I promise you that you won't even notice any of these sheets on your body; I can't say I've ever really noticed them, and the same has been said for those that I've taken on excursions with me. I'd like to think my disguises are relatively comfortable." As she finished speaking, she blinked once, and her eyes reverted back to their original pink and brown colors.

"Though this does make me wonder. I have no doubt of your skills in combat Priscilla and I would never question them. That being said, what if this goes south? Do we have a contingency in place besides fighting our way out?" Placing her hand back to her chin, Priscilla thought to herself. "You're not wrong to question that," she said, her voice back to normal even if the disguise was still up, "I can't say I haven't come prepared, though. We'll have a few contacts enter Soul Society alongside us, as to make sure that we can secure a way out of that dreaded place should things turn sour. Ultimately, though, this is more of a stealth mission; even taking one higher-up Shinigami captive is a serious success for us. From there, we have the option to return to avoid making any sort of risky mistakes while over there. The last thing I want is for either of us to overextend like that and be taken down."

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{Chess Board}

[Aia Kristal]

As Aia and Priscilla were having their little chat, the captain began listen to Priscilla's response to her previous comment on her skillset. "It's certainly had its fair share of aid throughout the time I've spent under His Majesty, that much is fact. Though, I've the need to say, I'm very interested to see what it is you're capable of. I can't say that I'm not curious as to how you've been blessed by His Majesty."  Aia could not help but smile as Priscilla showed a keen interest in her capabilities. It was weird since Aia could tell that Priscilla was astute. She seemed like the kind of woman that didn't just let minutiae fly under her radar without investigating it. She had to be careful around this one.

This was further shown once Priscilla began to reply to each one her little observations. For now, Aia would simply have to play along. She did like Priscilla, but such a keen eye and mind was certainly dangerous. "You seem to know your way around words and emotions quite well at a glance. I'm certainly interested to see how that plays out in a more practical situation." She nodded and as her lips curled into a slight smirk. "Well, in your downtime, if you are every interested to see how I operate after this little excursion of ours, you should come visit the Interrogation Room. I could use a charming soul such as yourself at some point." She giggled softly, looking at the chess board as Priscilla made her move.

It was certainly an interesting and aggressive play, but also an illegal play. She looked at Priscilla, giving her a knowing smirk as she decided to let it go for now. Was Priscilla trying to gauge her reactions? To test her? Aia was not sure, but she would certainly play her little game. As retribution for the illegal move, however, Aia decided to make an aggressive play of her own. With adept fingers she picked up her bishop, moving it into position before placing it down calmly. She continued to smirk as she spoke slyly. "Check~" With that, she continued listening to Priscilla as she was curious to see how her superior would react to this play. 

Though before that, Aia's heart was certainly put at ease as she heard Priscilla reciprocate the feelings of comradery. "I'd like to think of us as friends myself. And dare I say, you're quite right about this little excursion being the prime opportunity to cement this newfound relationship of ours." Aia certainly saw advantage in being on good terms with Priscilla. Especially after having wanted to meet her for so long. Though the Captain Supervisors' next course of action made Aia blink a little. Her skin began to ripple and almost peel. Sheets of paper began to flip over neatly as Priscilla was suddenly replaced by a peculiar, green-haired Shinigami. 

Even as Priscilla continued to speak, her voice was not her own. Aia simply deduced that this was the voice of the Shinigami, but she waited for Priscilla to say what she needed to say. "I promise you that you won't even notice any of these sheets on your body; I can't say I've ever really noticed them, and the same has been said for those that I've taken on excursions with me. I'd like to think my disguises are relatively comfortable." Her eyes shifting back to her regular color, Aia was certainly impressed. In truth, she would not know that this Shinigami was a disguise had Priscilla not shown her before her very eyes. The captain chuckled and clapped for a moment to show how impressed she was. 

Aia listened especially closely once Priscilla began to respond to her question on the topic of contingencies. "I can't say I haven't come prepared, though. We'll have a few contacts enter Soul Society alongside us, as to make sure that we can secure a way out of that dreaded place should things turn sour. Ultimately, though, this is more of a stealth mission; even taking one higher-up Shinigami captive is a serious success for us. From there, we have the option to return to avoid making any sort of risky mistakes while over there. The last thing I want is for either of us to overextend like that and be taken down." This did indeed sound like a competent plan, but Aia was not surprised given who hatched it. 

The Quincy began to tap her lip as she chuckled and spoke. "I can see that you've given this much thought. I imagine that this is not a spur of the moment decision of yours given your preparations..." Aia was beginning to slip into the mindset of an interrogator. Such was her duty after all. She would be fascinated in hearing all that Priscilla had done to get to this moment, but she knew better than to treat her superior like a suspect. Instead, she began to digress into her own skill set given that she thought it was only fair. "Well, if we are to go through with this, I feel it is best that you know about your partner in crime so that we may improvise where needed." 

With that, Aia rose from her seat as she focused her reiatsu. She chuckled as she her hand before her, the palm of the hand facing her. Within a few moments, a large greatsword formed in her hand as the other hand came to clasp over the original. Upon closer inspection, Priscilla would likely take note that it appeared to be 4 ft in length and 1 ft in width making it rather imposing as it was decorated with symbols of death including skulls. With little effort, Aia began to flip the greatsword within her hand, chuckling. She would then rest the tip upon the ground. "I've to admit that I'm not usually one for stealth so I am glad that we have your expertise on that front. This greatsword that you see before you does not merely cut flesh. It rends the soul as well. My victims lose the will to fight which as you can guess proves incredibly useful in interrogations." As she spoke, Aia's smile would appear awfully insidious, mimicking that same spine-chilling feeling from before as her true nature revealed itself somewhat. 

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{Chess Board}