Election Results

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

This thread is meant for characters to post their reactions to finding out Asmoskon Masurao is now the Mayor of Karakura.


“Damn never thought this would be possible just a couple months ago.”

Asmoskon spoke to himself while standing in front of the tall mirror that showed his full body and what he was currently wearing. Although he couldn’t say it wasn’t good looking, the black suit wasn’t something that he would say fit his style. Normally he was with his favorite long black leather coat along with military pants and a short sleeve shirt. All this extra clothing made him think about the military uniform that he had made and still occasionally used when beneficial to him. Looking at himself right now he felt like he was impersonating Kyomei.

After so many months and yet it still felt that strange to him. Whenever he wore a suit before it was for some sort of special occasion or undercover work. Now though he was doing it for his people and Karakura. “Hmmm only a little bit more and then things can really start to change.” Asmoskon spoke to himself. How funny that the man who’d survived some of the worst things in existence was having a hard time wrapping his head around something as simple as public office. It’d started as something half hearted from a suggestion that one of the young kids had made.

Asmoskon hadn’t realized that his being raised in Karakura combined with his financial success gave him a decent amount of backing. After that all he had to do was research some of the problems the residents had with the current situation. He covered what he wanted to do without telling them what was actually causing so many of the problems. Appealing to the horrible situations of the city being broken, ruined and attacked by nothing so frequently. It almost felt unfair how much his knowledge helped him in gaining the votes necessary.

He’d been asking himself one question for months now though. Since first putting his name down. Was this really a decision that could help his people? Whether or not it would help them all he couldn’t say for sure, but it would give them all the option to live above ground, in the open, ready to accept what they were and use everything he’d been teaching them. So he’d accepted what he did now and was ready to start leading not just his people, but everyone in Karakura as the New Mayor.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Madame, it appears the election results have come in. Would you like to review?"

Shizuka popped her head up from beneath her desk where she had been hiding for about half an hour now. Truthfully, she had been stress-cleaning. There was a lot going on in her life at the moment that she didn't expect to happen all at once, and this was the only outlet she could think of that would be proper. She knew about the new elections for Mayor of Karakura, and while Felicia had tried to urge her boss to run for office, Shizuka politely declined. She was already running a company that was supposed to hide in the shadows even more now after the crazy attack. The building they were in at the moment had undergone an insane amount of renovations, and it was somewhat like an iceberg - the majority was underground.

"I suppose so. I didn't pay attention to it much, though. Honestly, I'm not even sure who was running. I saw a few names here and there on posters in lawns or whatever, but I don't get involved in politics a whole lot."

"You may wish to get involved more now. You seem to be acquainted with the Mayor."

This comment caused Shizuka to raise a brow and sit herself back on her chair. With a more serious look on her face, she leaned forward to show that she was listening very intently. If she was acquainted with this person already, she could only imagine who could have possibly stolen the throne of Mayor from literally anyone else in the town. She had a few names in mind and none of them were good, which made her that much more concerned. Even the way Felicia delivered that line, with a slight hint of sarcasm, was enough to make anyone pause with suspicion. This wasn't going to be good.

"Evidently it's Asmoskon Masurao. Was he not a Gun when you were?"

Interesting. "Yeah, he was. But he quit years ago. Everyone loves to remind me that it's because I succeeded Satsujun. I don't know... I felt like it just made sense at the time. I didn't think it would bother anybody. I haven't spoken to him since then."

"I see. I feel it would be hard to believe that such a grudge could last for this long, but you never know. I think it would be best to make an appearance for the new Mayor. Would you like me to make an appointment?"

"Y'know what? Yeah. I would. Let's go see an old friend of mine."

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

A luncheon with an old acquaintance wasn't something that Asmoskon would normally drop things to make space for, especially not after the turn his life had taken last night. He’d run for the position of Karakura’s Mayor with no real aspiration of actually being elected into the position. He’d made his points clear and what he would try to do for the citizens. It didn’t take long though for things to suddenly twist and turn and then out of nowhere it seemed like people actually liked what he was saying. He grew up for the most part in Karakura and while it wasn’t always the best he was going to do his best to make it better.

He’d gotten a call late last night, Xcution was looking to meet with him. Asmoskon had about a month before he really stepped into office. It wasn’t a long period of time for him to settle everything he had at his apartment, along with many of his assets overseas and across worlds. That’s why he was already on his way to meet with Shizuka. He had a good guess that it was going to be her that was meeting with him. They knew each other although going beyond acquaintances wasn’t something either had really done.

Walking through Karakura right now was like asking to be stopped at every chance, he didn’t have the easiest of faces to hide due to his eye patch. So for the first time in years Asmoskon actually chose to wear something over his basic clothing besides his leather coat. A pair of black jeans and sneakers were accompanied by a plain black hoodie that hid practically his entire figure. On the outside Asmoskon would appear as just an adult male dressed like a moping teen. He didn’t even bother to wear his eye patch instead keeping his right eye closed.

It was earlish in the day, not quite noon but close enough that it would be lunch instead of brunch. Asmoskon wasn’t sure if getting a meal was the best way to meet with Shizuka, but it was what he tended to do when meeting someone in politics. The only other meeting he set up was usually to play golf, a sport that he didn’t care for and yet politicians flocked to it as if it would save their lives somehow. So sitting down and speaking with Shizuka was the plan instead.

Getting to the restaurant, well his restaurant didn’t take him long. It hadn’t been more than a few months now that most of his free time he’d spent sitting in the back of the seated area thinking over his plans. The restaurant was called the Perfect Broth, a ramen shop that had a fair amount of seats both up at the counter and at tables along the L shape available to customers. Stepping instead Asmoskon just nodded his head down to Ren, one of the two Quincy that he employed as their love of cooking far overtook their skill with a bow.

Sitting down at the back of the seated area like he did before, he now had to wait for Shizuka to arrive. He’d called Xcution shortly after the success of his campaign knowing that it was time to put all his thoughts into action. Thankfully though it seemed Xcution had no issue speaking with him as they agreed to the meeting in a way that told him if he didn’t call they were going too. He had to wonder though, how strong was Xcution really now? Satsujun was gone, the old base ruined, the structure completely redesigned. He’d have to find out just what they were worth now.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Choosing a ramen shop to meet up just seemed incredibly 'Asmoskon' that it made Shizuka smile. It had been years since they spoke, and she didn't have much of a reason for it other than them just falling out of contact. His name had come up here and there in conversations from time to time, but nothing crazy. He'd just been living his life, trying to reach his own goals, and she was doing the same. Interestingly enough, it seemed they both reached at least a couple. For that, she felt this odd sense of pride in him. They may never have been close, and she was certainly a bit cautious about how she was around him, but she appreciated his gusto.

As she approached the shop, she saw a man sitting at the back of the restaurant by himself. He was dressed in black colors with a style of clothes that reminded Shizuka of her high school years. With a lightly entertained smile, she decided not to disturb him just yet and instead just look around. She wasn't quite beyond the entrance, and she waved off someone's invitation for her to find a seat, not wanting to call much attention to herself yet. She didn't doubt that Asmoskon could probably tell she was there, but she also didn't want to look like she was impatiently waiting for him. She'd arrived after him, anyway.

The shop was quaint and not very big, but still felt welcoming. This was how most ramen shops in Japan tended to be, and she wasn't able to find any in any other country that measured up exactly the same. Shizuka enjoyed living in Japan, and since her entire family was here, she felt thankful that her life wasn't necessarily full of endless travels. She loved traveling, but even someone who loved it the way she did could grow tired of it. She supposed it was similar to listening to a song on repeat or eating too much of her favorite food. After a while, it just became more of an annoyance than anything else.

After only a short moment, she decided it was finally time to sit with the man. Feeling a bit nervous, she took smaller steps toward the table where Asmoskon sat, unsure of how to greet him. She went over several scenarios in her mind and found it humorous that even someone like her was feeling a bit overwhelmed in his presence. She'd never say that to his face, obviously, but she felt it. Shizuka could make friends with the strongest strangers in the world, but eating ramen with Asmoskon Masurao, the Mayor of Karakura Town, was something she found to be quite intimidating. With a heavy sigh, she tried to calm herself by the time she reached the back of a chair across from his spot at the table.

"I never thought I'd be able to meet the actual Mayor at such a place!" Her voice was hushed, not wanting to cause a commotion. Even Shizuka could tell that his clothing choice was intentional. "Or maybe you just like the nostalgia of it all. Places like these tend to scream 'I come here all the time!' to me."

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Shizuka coming in through the front was something that Asmoskon expected although she didn’t really do anything to take the view off her. Asmoskon was wearing a hoodie while keeping his eye patch off in order to actually avoid others looking at him. He was the Mayor of the city now which meant that whenever he was outside there was a good chance someone was going to spot him then come over and start talking. Sure he had his security staff, but in actuality those that had been sort of the team during the last Mayor’s tenure were now gone. Only a handful remained and those that now could claim to be on his security staff served him in a more important way.

Shizuka didn’t come over to the booth right away even though it was obvious she saw him. The two of them knew what each other looked like and based on the strength and influence of each other wouldn’t do anything as disrespectful as forgetting the other. When Shizuka did come over to the booth and began speaking, she actually managed to get a small smile from the normally stoic Quincy. “Well I have to be here quite a bit. I am the owner after all.” Asmoskon turned his head over making sure that Rin could see him from behind the counter as she worked with the noodles.

A simple downward nod was all the signal that she would need to know he was ready to eat. In the table were two small tablets designed for customers to order. Asmoskon grabbed one and handed it over to Shizuka. Ren and Rin knew what he preferred to eat so they’d have no issue making it up for him without him even asking. “Order whatever you want, it’s on me.” At this point he’d just try and relax while Shizuka looked over the menu and made her choice.

“So what does Xcution want to speak with me about?”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka blinked a few times in confusion. She didn't realize he actually owned a ramen shop and found it pretty interesting. She was a real estate giant in the town with the money she'd invested since working at Xcution, and Asmoskon had grown to become the Mayor and a restaurant owner. It made her wonder how many other locations he owned. It was rare for people like the two of them to solely own a single property, but not impossible. Maybe this was his baby, so to speak. He probably put a lot of time and effort into it, especially judging by the decor and accessories used. Plus, it smelled fantastic. This place was probably very successful.

Taking the tablet from the man, Shizuka glanced over her options and finally keyed something in. It was light. Just a small bowl of miso pork ramen. And some water, of course. Even though he offered to pay, she felt guilty ordering something expensive. It's not like the two of them were close, and she could barely call them acquaintances. That was probably her fault, though. She destroyed his motorcycle years ago and never replaced it. Although, she made more money now. He likely had a new one, but she could try to make up for what she'd done. When Asmoskon asked what Xcution wanted with him, she raised a brow. Why did he think it was the whole company?

"What brand of motorcycle is your favorite?" Shizuka started, placing the tablet back down since she was done with it. "Also, it's not quite... like that. I wanted to congratulate you on your win! I don't really have much to do with politics. And it's been a very long time since we've last spoken. I don't know anything about you anymore."

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

A question right out of left field, that was how Shizuka started the conversation once she was done making her order. Soon remembered what had happened to his most sentimental possession some years ago now. Shizuka and him had been doing little more than sparring against one another in the street for reasons that he couldn’t remember. During that exchange though she’d dumped quite a heavy amount of molten lava on his motorcycle.

The bike had been a final gift from his parents before their unjust murders. The bike had in fact played a role in his life as a Quincy really taking off from the starting line. He’d been driving it to the high school here in Karakura, his senior year. When Kazura had spotted him passing by the link that he’d been sitting in. That small moment that couldn’t have lasted more than a moment had been when Kazura took notice, Asmoskon had been hired by UE, he became friends with Kazura. It had been the start to his career in war.

Since then he hadn’t really made any attachment to anything that he hadn’t built himself or found to be incredibly useful in battle. If he had to really choose an object as his favorite now it’d probably be his bracelet. The singular black band of metal was something he never removed. Perhaps the most useful piece of equipment he possessed and something he couldn’t see himself giving away. “I haven’t driven any in quite some time. The position I’ve just acquired won’t really allow me to either. Thank you for the thought though.”

“You may not know much personally Shizuka, but I hope your spys are keeping you up to date on events. Xcution isn’t what it once was without Satsujun, but you’ve held it together well enough. Apologies on the destruction of the base last month. I assume the construction of its replacement has been moving along smoothly.” Asmoskon caught a hand movement from Rin in the back. Based on how she was moving and mouthing Asmoskon just nodded his head yes. Always double checking how much spice he wanted in his ramen. “I’ve got a few things to discuss with you about Xcution staying in Karakura town now that it’s under my protection.”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Alright, so he couldn't be bought. Shizuka laughed a bit awkwardly when Asmoskon rejected her gift idea and played with her hair a bit, noticing it had grown entirely too long. He kept speaking, though, and that put the Fullbringer on edge. He claimed that Xcution wasn't what it once was without Satsujun, their former leader. She wanted to groan. Of course it wasn't anything like those days. For one thing, they allowed practically anybody to join as long as they were strong or showed promise. For another, their goals are totally different now. Not even Asmoskon's back-handed compliment about how she's held it together well enough made her feel better. What a salty guy...

"Yeah. It's been going fine."

Shizuka's response when he mentioned the new construction was short and not very polite. This was meant to be a somewhat casual meeting, but the blonde couldn't help her internal cursing at her assistant, Felicia, for setting it up. Shizuka was reminded every moment of why she and Asmoskon didn't talk much over the years. They never had a friendship. He barely respected her when she'd first been hired as a Gun. She lit his motorcycle on fire with some lava out of spite. So maybe she deserved the attitude for that much, but she couldn't believe he'd hold a grudge after so many years. If he was really that mad, why not try to kill her?

Then he mentioned something she really didn't like the sound of. "Hold it right there, Masurao. I already got all the necessary provisions and contracts. We're here legally. And if you even think about selling any of that information to anyone, you'll have a massive lawsuit on your hands. You might be the Mayor, but you can't defend yourself against my best lawyers. Not only that, but my organization is extremely strong. We would never go anywhere without a fight. You would lose. So choose what you want to say next very carefully."

She felt heated. The thought that she was taking this to the extreme did cross her mind, but not long enough for her to think rationally about it. She saw everyone as a threat. Even his words were threatening whether he meant for them to be or not. Shizuka's informants never kept close tabs on Asmoskon simply because she didn't care to tell them to, but she certainly knew of him. She just didn't know every single detail. She knew he was strong and going against him one-on-one might be a bit of a challenge, but her team would rip him apart and she was absolutely certain of it. Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't playing around anymore.

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

Asmoskon was ready to start discussing things that he believed would help secure Karakura’s safety. He’d thought up a few different methods that he could use as the Mayor now to make sure that the normal citizens along with the body of the city itself didn’t suffer quite as much due to Hollows and others constantly attacking. What he hadn’t been expecting was for Shizuka to immediately shift gears, what had been a neutral good start to a hidden meeting turned into a display of authority and power against him. In turn Asmoskon was ready to cut her throat, burn her skull and send her corpse back to Xcution. . . . No, that’s who he was, not who he needed to become.

“Shizuka don’t assume the worst. I’m not going to push Xcution out of Karakura without some major issue that I hope doesn’t happen. What I have in mind I believe to be beneficial for both of us.” Asmoskon was being upfront with Shizuka and although he didn’t plan on getting right to what he had planned it seemed that would be the best way to keep the situation from escalating even further. “How often do you believe a Hollow, Arrancar, some idiot Shinigami or an over excited and under trained human causes damage or injury in Karakura? It happens so often that the city is believed to be haunted.”

“We may be able to walk in the sky or jump from the rooftops if need be, how frustrating is it when you lose power because a wire or pole is destroyed. Your favorite coffee shop is ruined, you find out your car is crushed.” Asmoskon didn’t really like public speaking or convincing others like this. Despite forming leading the Xcution military and training a large portion of the spiritual members years ago, rousing speeches wasn’t his forte. “Xcution’s new building is near the shopping district. I’m willing to make a deal with you, if some of your members, trusted ones, handle spiritual situations in the shopping district. Then we can work something out in your favor.”

Asmoskon wasn’t sure if Shizuka would care enough about not paying property tax on the building, or perhaps getting identities for some of her more inhuman members made and approved by the city. Asmoskon was certain he had something that could benefit her. What he needed was Xcution on board for what he had planned in order to turn Karakura from the haunted playground of destruction into a heavily fortified fortress that would put a stop to spiritual problems the moment they started. Shizuka believed she had the manpower to handle Asmoskon, alone she was more than likely correct, with all his Quincy though. . . He wouldn’t make that bet as only the Vandenreich would win.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

With the reassurance that he wasn't actually threatening Xcution, Shizuka felt her muscles relax. She didn't even notice she had tensed up so much until everything went limp again and her heart rate dropped back to normal. She really did get fired up, it seemed. And what exactly was it that he wanted from her, anyway? He wasn't specific enough. The Fullbringer raised a perfectly-shaped brow at Asmoskon and placed her chin in her left hand, her elbow resting atop the table as the perfect stand between her head and the wood beneath. She was listening more intently now, but she was suddenly reminded of why these two hadn't become friends back in the day.

Still, he had a point. A lot happened that destroyed the city quite frequently, and she could easily bet that Asmoskon had his hands full with repairs and everything. Plenty of these repairs could have been her fault to begin with, but she hadn't seen much action lately outside of her fight with Celes. That had led to a completely different town, too. That place experienced some turmoil, but at least it wasn't Karakura. Frankly, so long as Shizuka's home was safe and sound, she didn't think much about anyone else's. It was easy to forget that there was more to this world than just this town where she resided.

"You should know by now that we're a 'pay to play' kind of organization, Masurao. You're not going to win me over with blanket promises I may never see. We're also not really the 'guardian' types, you see. Whatever you want in exchange for our services need to be worth our while."

[✠Asmoskon Masurao✠]

"Worth it huh. Xcution may not be filled with the guardian types, how would you all feel though if everything of convenience in Karakura is just gone? You just spent quite a large sum to get that new building after what happened to the last one. Not something you can just move or leave. If you want some compensation or exchange between us, then I'm willing to work something out. The factions in the spiritual worlds have gotten far more aggressive as of late. I can't allow what happened to New York or Moscow to repeat here. If you need papers for your spiritual members to live better lives, birth certificate, licenses, that's easy enough."

Asmoskon as willing to give Xcution some advantages in order to secure their aid in protecting Karakura, but if Shizuka overstepped or viewed the group and herself as above it all then the meeting would ultimately be rocky and its purpose put into question. Shizuka or rather Xcution had been the one to reach out for this meeting she claimed that she just wanted to see him after so long, but was that truly the reason or was something else behind it. Asmoskon didn't have many trusted friends, honestly he could count the remaining one's alive as most either betrayed him or ended up dead. He could smell the ramen that was getting prepared and knew based on what he was smelling and how often Rin and Ren cooked his food that it would only be another minute before his tattooed follower brought the meals to the table.

While the meeting wasn't going the best Asmoskon was certain that regardless of the outcome he could be certain of one thing. The individuals that he wanted to see his victory likely did and some of them knew that things were going to change now. Kazura was on the list although his best friend really had nothing to worry about. Uzaki Enterprises would be offered a deal just the same as Xcution although he was certain Kazura would have no problem helping out. Beyond him there were a few spiritual individuals with no allegiance, who could likely be recruited or bought off. Finally the Bount group that was hiding in the shower like typical creatures of the night. Shizuka was the first one to contact him and so Xcution was the first on the list. Asmoskon truly wanted to forge an unbreakable defense of Karakura, which would only be harder if Xcution wasn't on board.

Although he had to stand his ground he really believed that forming some sort of alliance with at least Shizuka wasn't just the best option for Karakura, but for the Human World. He was back on course with his goal, his purpose and dream which meant that sooner or later the Vandenreich wasn't going to just send one or two of their Ritters. Knowledge of his leadership over the town would reach them soon enough and he didn't put it beyond some of them to come attack. In his eyes they were more petty, more dangerous than the random Hollow that sought out those that tasted good. Asmoskon had joined Xcution originally with the promise that Satsujun would help him kill the Emperor, there was no reason a simpler deal couldn't be reached with Shizuka.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

He was trying to offer some kind of safe haven. Commendable, but that wasn't exactly what she was looking for. The only thing Asmoskon had here was that Shizuka didn't want anything to happen to her home. Her family and friends lived here. Luke lived here. She didn't want to sacrifice any of that, which was part of why she worked with Kitai to build the new Headquarters. Everything seemed to be in order, and Xcution was already strong. She didn't have to worry about any of them being threatened. Asmoskon was the one who was asking her for help, not the other way around. She had the leverage.

"I see."

Shizuka pondered for a minute and ran her finger along the lip of the glass of water that had appeared in front of her. She didn't notice when it'd been placed, but was happy to see it nonetheless. After taking a sip, she lightly sighed and closed her eyes for a second just to have a moment to herself to think. She didn't like the fact that she was sitting in front of the world's strongest Quincy and felt as if he was trying to abuse her organization and the services they provided, but he was also completely missing the point. Rather than try to make some sort of deal, Xcution was a business. What was it that businesses operated for? She wasn't doing any of this for free. Her clients paid.

"Asmoskon, I don't want my home to get destroyed. I don't want to risk any of that. Xcution is fully capable of handling threats on our own without being asked by you. Yet here you are, specifically requesting my services and you haven't even mentioned any type of payment for them. I don't know how many hints I have to throw at you before you get it, but when I said 'pay to play,' I meant that literally. You used to work for us. Don't you remember?"

It had been so long. Maybe he didn't remember. Maybe he tried to get those thoughts as far out of his mind as possible after all this time, focusing on his own life and his other goals. Shizuka didn't know a single thing about him on a personal level and never cared to. She understood completely that a lot of the tension between the two of them came from things she'd done in the past, and maybe he wasn't a huge fan of how Shizuka was as a CEO, but that wasn't any of her concern. At this time, in this moment, they were nothing more than negotiators trying to come to a conclusion on what would work best for them both.

Taking another sip of water, she let the fluid briefly linger on her top lip. It was cold. She wasn't even actively drinking but it certainly looked like she was just by how the glass was positioned. She had been a bit lost in thought and was staring out into space, paying hardly any attention to the man across the table from her. Once her thoughts had concluded, she actually took a real sip of water and set the glass back down, contemplating asking the waiter to box her food up and excuse herself from this meeting. Eventually, she figured escaping wouldn't be the most attractive thing she'd ever done, especially not in front of the mayor, so she stayed where she was. Maybe he'd say something more compelling.