Demon City Bloodlines [NDE, JT]

[Catty Noir ♦]

She was told to approach at night time, though she wondered constantly how appropriate that would be. There was some truth to the rumor that Bounts had a sensitivity to the sun, but it was only during certain circumstances and almost never constant. Abilities existed that made it difficult for any of them to be exposed unless they wanted to burn immediately, but Catty didn't know a single one of those techniques yet. She had planned on learning, but it wasn't meant to be at the moment. She'd have to find some time to pester Luke more, if he'd ever grow up, into training her on more advanced things. There were so many secrets she didn't yet know.

Because of this lack of knowledge, Catty had done some research after her training with Luke. She was informed that other Bounts existed within Karakura, though she didn't know exactly where. She had heard of something called a Covenant that acted as somewhat of a safe haven for people like her. That might be enough if they could tell her what she could do to grow stronger. She felt so much potential inside, so much raw energy, but none of it could be released just yet. Despite that, something inside of her mind kept knocking on a door that seemed to be locked tightly shut, begging for a way to get out. To communicate.

She longed to find a group of others who were like her enough to help her figure out how to fill in the blanks. Luke teased that this was possible and that drove the motivation she felt to find them. She wanted to be a part of something greater than just herself because even she knew there was strength in numbers. That led her to hear of an organization called the Sanguine Syndicate, and there was evidence that the woman she was looking for today was a part of it. Perhaps that would be the catalyst needed. If she could finally make contact with this woman, then there could be hope for her. She didn't want to live her life as a mercenary who was forced to look over her shoulder every second.

Catty sighed and stared up at the massive doors before her. The building was older than she'd expected, but Catty had been warned that this was just a façade. Within these walls was what she had been trying to find for hours now, having left her apartment during the late evening. She even swore to herself that she had passed this street multiple times, not realizing that this place was sitting right under her nose. The woman's bright blue eyes scanned over the details as she prayed that, even in her current state, she would be enough to defend her safety should anything go south. With some gathered courage and a light knock on the door, Catty called out to see if anyone was there.

"Bonjour, il y a quelqu'un?" She paused for a moment before continuing. "I do not wish to scare you, mes amis, but I am not sure where to go. Or if anyone is here."

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

The night came as it always has, inviting those that lingered throughout the day to take shelter, while for those the belong to it roam freely. Clouds sticking to the darkened skies to blanket the stars above, with only the flickering of lights of the town providing the signs of life that was there previously. People wandered about their daily lives without much concern, blatantly unaware to what resided within the shadows, let alone beside them. Even with the bright lights that illuminated Karakura with the festivities of the night life, a shadow would loam over them. A shadow that cascades waiting to devour them all. The children of the night were out. The Bounts were now free.

Aura had left the holdings of the Club to care for some business within Karakura, moving the pawns to the next phase of what will change Karakura forever. The Covenant was growing, and with future plans for increasing their numbers nearly at hand, the ascension of the Bounts in society was put underway. For this Aura had to visit one of the many individual Cells that operated on behalf of the Covenant. Serving now as the head of the Sanguine Syndicate, Aura had more resources, and more individuals that were brought into the fold similar to that of the other gangs. The Syndicates underworld dealings and information network became an ever growing system that dwarfed the Covenants by a long shot as they were individuals that were trained to be organized, unlike training civilans from the ground up. With that said, the black feathers that lines around the womans collar were brushed to the side as orders were provided.

"Good. Once I send word to you as to when to begin, you will initiate the first phase. Collect all that you can and bring them to the designated area for 'repurposing.' They will be of the upmost importance for our future going forward." the woman spoke, resting herself on the red velvet shade couch. Her eyes gleamed with purpose, with authority over those that sat across from her that paled in comparison. Mind controlled individuals lacked the light of individual thought, looking to follow what orders were provided to them. Once the orders were provided, the meeting reached its end. At least, what business should have been dealt with was to end with this visit. "Mi'lady, there is a guest outside that appears to be...lost."

Aura's eyes shifted in their glance, refusing to turn her head to meet with the young male Bounts gaze, for the moment. "Then you may deal with this guest as you see fit, and do be qui- "Mi'lady, this one is one of us."

The silence that came from the realization of what was uttered to the woman drew her gaze away from the brain dead zombies that were waltzing away, looking to male Bount. She blinked for the moment as the thoughts that ran through her mind were assimilated before becoming a planned encounter. "Let them in, and respectfully guide them towards the couryard. I will examine this one personally." the woman rose from her seat, straightening the wrinkles of her black dress. It was not often that Aura would meet with the individuals due to her schedule, yet there were times that arrived when a Bount with unusual strength would make an appearance. Such times were rare, and such rarity came with some degree of caution that Aura didn't wish to for those under he to put into danger. Besides, she had to lead by example in regards to these unusual cases.

Through the shadows of the hallways, the golden linings of her dress stood out as pale colors that made up the womans ghostly silhouette. The building that Aura resided in was a secondary building that was connected to the luxerous bar setting via a courtyard. The bar was designed to be an exclusive setup, brought in with only invitation that was located off in the alleyways. Lined with designer sofa couches off of one side of the bar and polished wooden stools on the other side that was parallel to the bar itself. The bar itself was long rather than wide, keeping the capacity to holod up to fifty people at once, which did mark its purpose of exclusivity. But of course, this was only a front for one of the Syndicates meeting areas, as beyond the bar and wide courtyard resided the secondary house. A house that was to be used as a store room for supplies, yet possessing the dark basement in which the rooms located below were used for such meetings and gatherings by the members.

It was here that Aura emerged from the double doors leading to the open courtyard.

Nothing fancy in design as potted ceramic pots at the corners and small fountain in the center were all that made the generic area somewhat hospitable to those that wanted to walk around. But, for this night it was closed off by the Bounts, keeping the other bar patrons from moving beyond the bar setting. Only when the door on the other side would open did Aura take the moment to gaze down below to eye the newcomer, with blood red eyes painting over her. "Welcome. I am Aura Kyuketsuki, and the sole proprieter of this establishment. How may I be able to assist you this evening?" she spoke softly.

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{ Clothing Reference}

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{ Courtyard Reference}

[Catty Noir ♦]

There she is.

Aura Kyuketsuki. Next to Luke, she was literally the Bount. And seeing her in all of her beauty, with her lovely black gown that draped gracefully over her body as if it was made specifically for her, had Catty feeling a bit underdressed. The girl dropped her gaze to review her own outfit that she'd chosen for the evening, and since it started getting a bit warm, she was in a simple black T-shirt with a deep V cut around the neck. She had on a pair of white denim shorts with fringe along the openings for the legs, and her two front pockets were intentionally styled to be extra deep so that the fabric peeked out from underneath. Then, of course, she had on a classic pair of white Converse. She was embracing her emo nature.

With a nervous chuckle, she ran her fingers through her bangs and the rest of the hair on top of her head, ruffling it up a bit to restore some of the volume. Her hereditary cat ear-like cowlicks remained standing and would stay that way unless she used some fairly hardcore hair products, so even as she messed with her hair, they stayed put. Yeah, she was definitely underdressed. She didn't realize this was a formal meeting. She was still trying to learn the typical Japanese etiquette, as well, so maybe this was part of all of that.

A few blinks seemed to open up Catty's eyes to the world around her again, and she noticed the courtyard that seemed way more inviting than she originally thought. The nervousness died down over a short amount of time and was replaced by awe. She appreciated the architecture, though simple, and found herself smiling at it all. Something within her felt welcomed for some odd reason even if that was never Aura's intention. It felt familiar, maybe. Calm. Not like the city she lived in. Catty wondered if she'd end up frequenting this place more in the future.

"My name is Catherine Noir, but please call me Catty. I have come here from Paris. I was told you might be able to lead me to others who are more... like us."

The small amount of energy sensory that Catty had was enough for her to at least feel the amount of power coming from Aura. While not at Luke's level, she was still strong and would likely leave Catty begging for her life if she ended up on the wrong side of things. Catty made a mental note of this. Being on guard with someone new was never a bad thing even if Aura meant no harm. Although, if Luke was right, she was going to be one of the best resources this girl could find. That meant she'd need to make a decent impression. So she bowed a bit.

"That, and help me find a place where I might feel more at home."