Masquerade [Adventure, NDE, Hard, R]

[Nathaniel Tan'O]

Name: [Masquerade] - The Adventure Name

Participants: [At least 1 Shinigami, though their may be more, and three other participants of any race. Four participants max.] - Who can participate?

Location: [Mansion in Beverly Hills] - Where does this take place?

Difficulty Level: [Hard] - Easy, Medium, Hard, Extreme. How difficult is this adventure?

Setting: [NDE] Is this DE or NDE? Death Enabled or Non Death Enabled?

Plotline:- Explain the plot of your adventure.

Estimated Enemy Strength: [This adventure will mostly be social. There will be no direct enemies for the participants to fight.] Estimate the strength of the NPC's people will fight in this adventure. Class 7-1, what is their strength on average?

Estimated Time Until Completion: [3 pages] - How many pages do you think this adventure will run for until it is over?

Starts: [When all participants post their introductions] - When does the adventure begin?

Special Conditions: [None] - Any special conditions, limitations, or other things.[/a][/b][/i]

Note: Keep in mind your character must be wearing a mask to enter the party without drawing attention and getting kicked out.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru Kuchiki heard about a party in the human world, just from overhearing some of her squad mates. They had been stationed in the United States while she was mostly stationed in Japan. They mentioned a few things about this party and she was curious if she could go. She knew only one thing about this party, that you had to wear a mask to be admitted. She also knew that it was somewhere in the United States called 'Beverly Hills.' She did some research on this place and it turns out that it was a very rich area in California. It was known to be the place to hold extravagant parties and the like, so she assumed that this party would be that way.

She assumed that humans would be present, so she would need to find a Gigai to use there. She also needed something to dress the Gigai in besides school clothes. She had an idea on how to fix that though, if it would work. She went down to Tokyo and was able to find a good mask shop. She was looking for one in particular and lucked out and found it. Then, on the night of this party, she made sure she was off. She then, carrying her mask, opened the gates and appeared in Beverly Hills. She had saved some of the money from her job and went into a store to get some clothes. What she ended up with, the sales associate thought it was spectacular.

When she arrived at the house, she was wearing a nice black dress, ending at knee length. It hugged her body, to quote the sales associate, 'in all the right places' and had two straps to keep the dress up. She was wearing silver heels to match the locket she wore around her neck. They were strap-y and gave her an extra two inches in height. She was wearing a purple dragon mask to complete to outfit, as well as a little handbag that was black and silver that she kept the money and her pill in, just in case. The handbag glittered in the light as she walked around the humans. She wondered what was going to happen next.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Mask}

[Deleted]

Vannan took out his phone and looked at the time. He was arriving right on time to this party out in Beverly Hills. An old school mate from high school had posted online on facebook about an awesome party going down and how it sucked for everyone back home because they couldn't come. What a fool, Vannan was a member of the Vandenreich he had the access to the gates which allowed him to travel anywhere in the world, or worlds he wanted to and tonight he used them to get here to this party.

There was one other good thing about being a member of the Vandenreich, the uniform was a bit dressy so all he had to do was wear his favorite teal blue shirt he wore most of the time and he was ready to go. The mask needed he had grabbed off of a costume store in Karakura town. It was a simple white and green mask with golden inlay that covered the upper part of his face leaving his charming smile to be seen by all. It was part of his charm and he wouldn't allow a mask to cover it up, parties were fun and what was more fun than flirting with random strangers while drinking?

Arriving at the party he sensed a familiar reiatsu source. He couldn't pinpoint out where he had sensed it before, however it seemed to be one that he wasn't afraid of. That's when he saw a stunning woman in a black dress walking around the party. She looked as if she was alone. He smiled and walked over to her. Stopping in front of her he winked and said. “So miss are all you Beverley hills girls this amazing or am I speaking to a model?” Her purple dragon mask hid her face so he had no idea that he was speaking to Hotaru.

SPOILER: Click to show

[Ōkami Shihoin]

”I don’t see why he assigned me to attend this. I don’t have time for these things..”

”Hehehe you should get out more. Do more with other Shinigami. Lighten up, will ya?”

”I don’t have time to lighten up with everything that’s at stake right now...”

"I think you need to get out more. Goin’ to these things will help ya make more powerful allies so you can be a more influential head…the same way your father was.”

”….”

The Shioin Head was silent as he stepped out of the Senkaimon. He stepped out gingerly and gazed upon the expansive mansion standing before him. The size was lacking in comparison to other mansions he had seen in Seireitei. Actually, it wasn’t much compared to the Shihoin mansion. In comparison to the Kuchiki mansion even, it was like a small house. The wealthy here weren’t as wealthy as he thought. Or was it just that the wealthy in Seireitei chose to be more extravagant? Anyway, he remained silent as he stepped out, choosing to ignore his zanpakutou spirit’s last remark.

On the way, he and Kyukyoku no Kasokuki had been having a long debate about why it was important for him to attend events like this. His side of the argument had been that he couldn’t really make allies here that would help him in his role as Head because they weren’t part of Seireitei. Kyukyoku no Kasokuki, on the other hand, thought that he could still benefit. If he could make an ally with some of the more influential humans here in this world, he could have powerful allies to call upon when it came time to address certain matters in the World of the Living. There was always a use for people, and the zanpakutou spirit believed that Okami should take advantage of such an opportunity to make more human allies, especially wealthy ones.

Okami begrudgingly agreed with his zanpakutou spirit but chose not to let the anthropomorphic cheetah know this. Such was the way in which their relationship worked. He touched a hand to his clean shaven head to make sure the Gigai he had ordered didn’t have any hair just the way he liked. He stepped forward in his shiny black dress shoes after confirming this and made his way towards the large mansion. Heads would turn as the Shihoin approached, eyes lingering on his elegant wardrobe. Some would say his appearance was quite dapper. Of course, he didn’t appear as exquisite as the likes of Sozen Kuchiki would have, but the Shihoin Head had a certain uniqueness to his own appearance that made it stand out.

The slim-fitting black suit jacket and pants he wore hugged tightly to his muscles, accentuating those for all to see. It looked almost as if he would bulge out of his suit at any moment, and yet no matter how much he flexed his muscles, the suit was designed in a way that it would hold firm. Such was the perks of being a noble: being able to buy the most exquisite fabrics to create a great suit. Underneath the suit jacket, he wore a slim-fitting powder blue dress shirt with a skinny black tie. He was also wearing the mask that Captain Kawada had briefed him was necessary in order to enter the party. Since he couldn’t wear his goggles, his golden maize eyes could be seen behind the eye holes of the black mask he wore, something he didn’t like very much. Despite this, he didn’t think that he would be recognized by any other Shinigami that he had been told were also on this mission. Having just recently returned to the Soul Society, he wouldn't be very famous within the Gotei 13 despite his being a noble. Although it was true that he wasn't just any ordinary noble but rather the Head of his family, no one other than Tetsuo and a select few Shihoin and Shihoin allies knew that Okami was the true Head. Currently, the public saw Tetsuo as the Head of the family. Publicly, he would be the Head while officially Okami was the actual Head. The ruse was only planned to last until Okami was able to get more settled and regain a Captaincy position.

Anyway, after easily gaining admission, he made his way through the party. As he made his way through the sea of faces, his eyes roamed across each one. His eyes moved from one face to the next, taking in all of them with meticulous detail. Captain Kawada had warned him to be careful and so he remained wary of any and everything. This wasn’t very difficult, given that this was how he normally was. This was what the Onmitsukido had trained him to do. This was his life. He continued wading through the sea of people, ignoring the heads that turned to gaze upon his massive figure. He would continue wading until he ended up finding something that caught his eye.

Well, let the night begin...

Mask

[Rose✿]

[/font]She complimented, taking a sip from one of her drinks as the server left to do his other duties. Oh yea, time to get her drink on.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Dress Reference }

[/ul]

[Nathaniel Tan'O]

SPOILER: Click to show

This party was no high-school rager with beer being passed around and a couple joints being smoked in the corners. No, this party was the epitome of class. It was hosted and attended by some of the richest humans in the area, none if which was worth less than half-a-billion. All the men wore virtually the same thing. They were dressed in custom-tailored black tuxedos with little to know difference between each attendee. Their black suit jacket and pants were matched with the polished dark leather that their shoes and belts consisted of. Over their white, button-down dress shirts were neat bow ties. The only difference was the various masks that each man wore. The woman typically wore long dresses, most of which were strap-less and revealed as much of their skin as possible without loosing their classy nature. The women also wore masks, as required by the theme of the party. The aristocrats typically talked together in small groups, participating in small talk and laughing at the least amusing jokes imaginable. Such was the norm in the world of stuck-up multi billionaires like the owner.

His name was Wayne Culrin. He was in his prime at the age of fifty-nine, with gray mixed into his short, black hair that he wore brushed to the side over his almond eyes. He was undoubtedly the roundest person at the party. Wayne had a height of five and a half feet, and his width was not far off. If he were to become an Arrancar, his aspect of death would obviously be gluttony. Culrin’s plump cheeks were constantly stuffed with food that he would wash down with wine before replacing. Culrin stood by the center of the ballroom in which the party was centered. He marked his territory as the food table, and his favorite for the night appeared to be the bread and pastries. He just couldn’t get enough, and the man ensured that his plate was always full. Wayne constantly shoved food through the part of his mouth that wasn’t covered by his plain white half mask he wore over the right side of his face.

The table had an assortment of food including shrimp cocktails, oysters, lobster, veil, steak, and most other high-class food. On a side stand, glasses of wine were waiting to be picked up by any who wished. However, if anyone were not as passionate to pursue the food table as their host, they would be able to grab a glass of wine or small taste of caviar on a biscuit from the waiters walking around with silver platters on their hands. Later in the night, they would also offer some desserts from the desert table immediately beside the entrees. Fruit tarts and light cookies and pastries were set out. However, what dwarfed them all was the creamy new york style cheesecake that stood like the statue of liberty in three thick layers stacked on top of one another. It was definitely the richest dessert on the table. The cheesecake itself was a good three feet tall, and it wasn’t a mystery who was going to devour most of it. After all, Wayne had been eyeing it greedily as he munched on his biscuits and indifferently talked amongst his guests.

The vast ballroom that the party was held in consisted of two stories. At the bottom was the dance floor in which some couples shared a dance or anonymously met for the first time to glide along the polished wood floor. Along the sides of the lower level were twin stairs that ran parallel to each other. The second floor was a balcony that bordered the base of the ballroom and over-looked it. A beautiful glass chandelier slightly tainted red and molded in the shape of a rose lit up the room as it stood suspended over the center of the ballroom, just above the food tables. The front door of the mansion opened up to the ballroom. Opposite from the double doors was an Egyptian sarcophagus that seemed slightly out of place. However, it wasn’t uncommon from wealthy collectors to take relics from an auction.

The five-story mansion built in the old English style took up only a small portion of the property Wayne Culrin purchased. His house was surrounded by beautiful gardens filled with brightly colored flowers in full bloom. There were two stone pathways leading up to the mansion that formed a ‘V’ formation. Each path was lined with palm trees on each side, and at the top of the pyramid was an enormous palm that stood ten feet over the other trees. The stone pathes to a long staircase that one might wonder how Wayne Culrin ever managed to climb. Finally, before being granted entry, the tall, muscular gentlemen in front of the door would allow for entrance into the mansion and ensure that no one questionable entered. Welcome to California. Welcome to Beverly Hills.

A tall man, approximately standing at six feet, would approach Hotaru from behind. He wore a traditional black tuxedo that shined in the rose-lit room. Over his face, the man wore a gradient crimson and gold clown mask with blush and red lipstick, framed with a gold lining. The man would tap Hotaru’s shoulder gently, speaking as he did so. “Hello, beautiful. They don’t make them like you where I come from. Let’s have a dance, shall we?” He would then turn his masked face to Vannan and ask almost mockingly, “I’m sorry, is it fine if I steal your sister for a dance? I can’t promise that it will be quick.” The man’s voice resembled a cackle, and it seemed to fit the expression of the clown he wore. Vannan and Hotaru could expect that he was grinning beneath the false face.

Another man wearing the exact same suit that was the same height as the one who addressed Vannan and Hotaru would approach Rose from her front. She would see him gracefully make his way towards her with two tall glasses of fine red wine in his hand. “Good evening, Miss. I couldn’t help but notice you from across the room, and I must say that you are breathtakingly gorgeous. Care for a drink?” The man offered her a glass of wine. He wore a black mask that covered his eyes and hugged the right side of his face in a dark crescent. His mouth formed a curvy grin that flashed his pearly whites. He had the same clown-like voice as his twin talking to the Quincy and other Shinigami across the room.

As for Okami, he would find Wayne Culrin himself, in all his ball-like, round glory, gesturing him over. The host had made a habit of greeting many of his guests, and Okami was next on the list. Assuming that Okami hadn’t ignored the silent gesture that insisted for him to make his way to the food table beside Wayne, Mr. Culrin would swallow the food in his mouth so that he may speak clearly. “Good evening, sir. My name is Wayne Culrin, as I’m sure you know, for this is my party.” Wayne spoke with a deep voice, rich with arrogance, unsurprisingly. “My apologies if I don’t recognize you, but have we met before? Even with the masks, I have been able to recognize a few of my guests. Maybe the wine is fogging my memory. Har har har~” He released the hearty chuckle just before pouring the remaining wine in his glass down his throat.

Wayne Culrin's Mask

Clown Mask

Second Man's Black Mask

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

While Hotaru was in the middle of the pary, just really wandering around, she watched someone walk up to her. The way the man held himself looked fairly familiar. The way he wore his hair was oddly familiar too. His mask was very nice. A mask that covered the top half of his face, but left the bottom half open. Its color was white and green with gold inlay. It went well with what he was wearing and then she noticed the uniform and knew exactly who it was.

Just to make sure, she waited till he spoke. She didn't have to wait long for that. He asked if all the Beverley Hills girls are this amazing or was he speaking to a model? She smiled at him and knew it was Vannan. She answered. "Well Vannan, you would know that part better than anybody else here. It's been awhile since our date and the tour of your house. It seems like you're doing pretty well for yourself." She lifted her mask to show him and winked.

She chuckled at him and then felt someone coming behind her. She kept her guard up, just in case this person meant harm. She felt the person touch her on the shoulder and when she turned, he said that they don't make them like her where he comes from and if they could have a dance. He then talked to Vannan about borrowing his sister and she laughed out loud at that. If they were related, she was pretty sure that they had done something illegal awhile ago.

Before Vannan could say anything, Hotaru stepped in. "I'm sorry sir, but I promised my non-brother here a dance before you arrived. So, thank you but no thank you right now. Maybe if you try to search me out later, I might be free. Excuse us." She bowed quickly and, if Vannan was following what she said, took his arm and walked with him to the dance floor. His clown mask was weird, covering his entire face, but to each his own. "Sorry I kind of forced you to the dance, but I figured you wouldn't mind."

[Deleted]

He didn't expect for the girl he was hitting on to respond with his name. As she spoke, however he got a better idea as to who she was. The tour of his house and the date, it could only be one person. Hotaru, the female shinigami he had met one day while in town and then they spent the night together. Her lifting her mask to show off the face of the gigai confirmed this. He wondered how a shingami of all people knew about this party it was suppose to be a normal party for the elite of the human world.

Vannan was pleasantly surprised to see her again, not because he wanted to be with her again, but because she was one of the few shingamis who actually asked first before attacking. If he spent this party just talking with her it would be a nice change of pace, but it seemed as if someone had other plans. They rudely interrupted him as he was about to speak to Hotaru and had the gall to ask Hotaru for a dance right in front of him. If it wasn't for Hotaru pulling him away Vannan would of let out a verbal lashing to the man.

Vannan allowed Hotaru to lead him to the dance floor. He took her hand and smiled at her as she spoke. Her words were true, he didn't mind dancing with her. “It's fine sweety, I don't mind dancing with you. So tell me how does someone like you find out about a party like this? Last time we met you had difficulty walking and texting without bumping into people.” Vannan looked back for the man with the clown mask for a brief moment without any luck to see where he had gone. The guy gave off a creepy vibe for some odd reason.

“Oh I forgot to ask how you have been. Anything new in your life or is it the same?” Vannan's right hand now had a new ring on it, it wasn't like the others though. This one was special, he had gotten it form Caesar. Now granted that he disliked the idea of anything given to him by the Vandenreich, however the ring allowed for normal arrows to become ablaze, something that could be very useful to him. His quicny cross that was a necklace drew in reiatsu, Vannan wasn't expecting a fight, however if one did pop up he would like to have plenty of spare reiatsu to use.
(ooc remaining reiatsu 1800/1500 + 300 from cross)

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [150] Points x.33= 50

Speed - [100] Points

Spiritual Pressure – [150] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [250]x2=500Points

Instinct – [150].33=50 Points

Senses – [50]= 50 Points

Energy sensory – [0]x2=0 points

Healing Expertise – [50].33=17 points

900

[Stealth ] [2]

[Archery] [2]

[Acting] [2]

[Sex] [2]

[Focused Eye] [2]


Item Name: The Ring of Icarus

Item Type: [support]

Item Description: The object takes the form of a sun yellow gem placed onto a dark blue ring. What this ring specializes in is that when worn, it imbues the reiatsu of the user with the “Curse of Icarus.” As long as the wearer places the ring onto the hand that draws the bow, the arrow itself will have the properties similar to the story of Icarus. What it does is it gives any generic energy bow one property. That property is where the legend of Icarus comes into place. Like Icarus, who flew too close to the sun ignited and burst into flames. This means when the arrow is exactly 1 feet away from the target, it will ignite and burn at the temperatures equal to the users' RS and has 3 posts to hit the actual target before it will dissipate and burn up. This item can not be used with Release Bows. In order to activate and remain active, the user must pay 50 reiatsu per post.

Price: 35,000

Donatedtoshop?(Yes or No?): [Placed into Caesar's Shop]

[Rose✿]

[/font] She said, her words trailing off as she glanced at the one full glass of champagne that she held in her right hand. Pursing her lips slightly she brought the full glass up to her lips, downing the golden liquid in mere gulps before she turned and set her two empty glasses on the nearest table.

With her attention now turned to the man with the clown like voice, Rose continued where she had left off. "Seems like it's gone now." She said with a more of a joking tone overlaying her voice as she took the glass of wine from the stranger. Yes Rose takes booze from strange men as it seemed. Swishing it around in her left hand slightly Rose paced past the strange masked man and more deeper into the crowd, making her way towards the dance floor. She expected the man to follow her as she didn't feel like standing around when they could both converse and explore at the same time.

Looking over her shoulder back to the man she came to question him. "Now where's the excitement?" she wondered if it was in the ball room or where the refreshments were. Her body tingled as the slight buzz grew and coursed through her from three drinks already being consumed, but lets face it, that was nothing for Rose. The woman had an amazing tolerance after all. She came to taste the wine, neither dry nor tart, but rather sweet in flavor and definitely aged; a rather fine wine indeed. At this rate she would get drunk faster then first anticipated.

[/ul]

[Ōkami Shihoin]

OOC: Sorry for the crappy post. Will get better, but just wanted to keep it moving since I held it up.

IC: The Shihoin head found himself in an audience with the host himself. He was passing through the crowd when his eyes caught the man staring directly at him. Being as cautious as he was, the Shihoin tried looking away. It was too late however. The chubby man that was the host himself was waving his chubby fingers in a gesture that suggested for the Shihoin to join him. It wasn’t something Okami wanted to do. Coming in, he had known he would have to mingle with others in order to learn about the danger of this party, yet somehow he hadn’t expected to have to do it this early on. Mentally groaning, the Shihoin made his way over to the chubby man by the table of food.

"Look at it this way, you’ll have made one new friend after this is over, hehehehe”

Okami made his way towards Wayne Curlin and approached the chubby man cautiously. His eyes looked the man over, his Onmitsukido training instinctively causing him to memorize the man’s appearance for later. As Wayne spoke, and introduced himself, Okami was reading the man’s body language and speech. He could already tell the man was quite conceited and had a similar air to him as the snobby nobles in Seireitei did. Quite a situation he had gotten himself into and now he was forced to talk to the man and introduce himself. He watched as Curlin stuffed his face and sipped on his wine.

”Ah, a pleasure it is to meet you, Mr. Curlin.” he lied. Okami made a bowing gesture towards the man. He addressed Curlin with the proper English title because after all, he was in an English speaking part of the world. When he spoke, he had a noticeable Japanese accent which Wayne Curlin might pick up on. English after all, wasn’t his native language. Japanese was the language he spoke everyday, therefore he was bound to have a Japanese accent with any other languages he spoke. He rose from his bow and spoke once again in that heavy Japanese accent. ”I'm visiting this area for a few days. An acquaintance of mine in Japan told me I should attend this extravagant party of yours and introduce myself. He says you two met at one of these before, but he didn’t say when.” he lied again. He made up a story on the spot, which he thought may be believable. After all, given that Wayne Curlin had just admitted to being a little tipsy from the wine, his memory might already be too foggy that he would have a hard time remembering the business he had conducted with the Shihoin’s imaginary friend even if it had been true. Okami lifted a hand to shake Wayne Curlin’s own and remembered that he hadn't given his name yet. So with a charismatic smile, he told another fib, ”You can call me Kirā.”

He wouldn't give Wayne Curlin his actual name. He didn't know what enemies were around or whether or not Wayne Curlin himself would become an enemy. So, he gave a fake name. Something relating to his own job in the Onmitsukido. For the night, for this party he would be Kira. That was the identity he would use with anyone he met tonight.

[Nathaniel Tan'O]

SPOILER: Click to show

The man in the clown mask wasn’t too pleased, though Vannan and Hotaru wouldn’t be able to tell. The overly cheerful smile featured in his mask would stand in place of any true emotion the man felt. However, it wasn’t far off. He was amused with the Soul Reaper and Quincy just from their reactions to his approach. The Vandenreich officer ignored him completely, but Hotaru was more in control and easily wore the pants in the relationship. Her body language showed obvious signs of attraction toward Vannan by the way she initiated contact by grabbing his arm. She also dragged him to the dance floor without his consent, though Vannan didn’t seem to mind. He was relaxed, as hinted by his low shoulders and regular breathing pattern. They way he spoke to Hotaru as well as his move to hit on her before hand were evidence of his affection toward her.

The man in the clown suit analyzed all this in seconds as he stood with both hands at his hips. He exaggerated the motion of tapping his foot in wait to make it obvious to Hotaru and Vannan if they happened to look his way. However, another man with height and attire identical to the other three in the party would approach the couple as they danced on polished hardwood. However, this one wore a black, raven mask with a long hooked nose that almost poked Vannan’s cheek when he reached in to tap the Quincy’s shoulder. The man spoke into Vannan’s ear. “Um, Pal, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but that guy over there is giving you the eye.” His voice was identical to that of clown masked gentleman. His exposed mask formed a curved, toothy smile that went from one end of his face all the way to the other.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your little dance, but I just didn’t want to see any fighintg break out and ruin the party, ya know~” Vannan and Hotaru may be able to pick up on a few hints in his voice that suggested that he knew something that they didn’t, and he was having too much fun exploiting their ignorance. “That ring could be pretty dangerous, and the last thing we need is for your girlfriend to grab her sword.” The man knew who Hotaru and Vannan were, that became very clear. However, they hadn’t the slightest clue about him. His reiatsu was suppressed so they couldn’t even be sure that he was human. “I hear that things are supposed to get exciting soon.”

---

The third mysterious figure was having the most enjoyable time of them all. Rose definitely in the party spirit and didn’t hesitate before letting go of her professional restraints and embracing the liquor. The man’s eyes noticed the subtle outline of a pouch at Rose’s thigh, and based off the hint of marijuana he easily detected in her aroma, the man could only assume that alcohol wasn’t satisfying enough. She sought other methods of ‘release’ as many who submit to their free side at parties do. She also revealed more than enough skin and cleavage, suggesting that she didn’t mind catching the eyes of any lustful men nearby. The masked man was definitely attracted, but he wasn’t enchanted. He was too smart for that.

As Rose spoke to him, the man merely nodded in acknowledgement, maintaining his wide grin. He kindly let her accept the second wine in his hand, watching silently as she gave it a taste. So far, all he had been doing was observe. He listened to the sound of her heart beating, storing the tempo in his memory. It would help him notice if she were lying or not, for that almost always caused one’s breathing or heart rate to fluctuate. No matter how minuscule the shift of her pattern, the man would notice.

“Now where’s the excitement?” For once, the man decided to open his mouth and initiate some friendly conversation with the beautiful head of the Fourth Division. “Trust me, it’ll start soon,” he began, his words sounding more like an omen than casual conversation. However, he didn’t let the ominous, foreboding mood linger for long before continuing, “If you want, we can relax as we wait for things to finally get interesting. The bathroom would be a great place to light one of those joints you’ve got. And if you’re in the mood for something even more fun, we’d get some nice privacy in there.”

---

The well-rounded aristocrat tilted his head in slight confusion as he tried to place his guest’s accent. “Eh~ you’re one of the Chinamen, aren’t you? I once met the Dali Lama several years back. Yes, yes, he was a wonderful man…” His voice trailed off as he prepared to stuff a whole butter-coated loaf of white bread into his mouth, which would of course be too much for him to handle at once without another glass of wine. Oh, how convenient it was that another was lying around. He grabbed the next glass, replacing it with his empty one as Jin clarified his origins and explained his background. “Ah, yes. The Japanese~ Was it perhaps Mr. Uzaki that suggested that you attend my modest party?” Wayne asked with half his mouth still full of food. “Har, har, har~” Ah, it was so like the rich to amuse themselves with their own dimwitted wordplay. At least Wayne Culrin was that type of man.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mister Kira,” Wayne said, shaking the man’s hand quickly out of mere politeness and nothing more. Not when the hand could be at better use gathering himself more food. “Kira is an exotic name, if you don’t mind me saying so. We don’t get many Kiras in this area, har har har~” Culrin took a large gulp of his wine, draining half the glass with one go. It was clear that he wouldn’t be able to stay on his feet for much longer if he continued giving into his gluttony at the rate that he was going. “I’m a fan of exotic items myself, if I do say so. Yes, that Egyptian coffin over there is an example of my high taste in ancient artifacts.” Wayne Culrin gestured to the coffin. “Yes, it held the body of an ancient Egyptian Pharoh. The poor lad died at the age of 22. He never got to enjoy life in his prime condition as I do now. Har, har, har~” As Wayne Culrin laughed once again, Okami might take note of the irony of his loose fat on his chest and even face flapping as he shook up and down in laughter.

“Tell me, Mister Kira, what brings you all the way to southern California? Other than the surfing and the women. Har, har, har~”

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

The first things Vannan said after she dragged him out on the dance floor was that he didn't mind dancing with her. She figured as much, but she said that just to make sure. He then asked her how she was able to find out about the party, since the last time they met, she had problems walking and texting without her bumping into people, which was true. He also asked her how she was, if anything major had changed in her life.

She took a breath and thought about her answers to the questions he raised. The first one was an easy answer. The second one, however, she didn't know how to respond to. Her personal life was complicated and she considered Vannan a friend, but she didn't think that he really needed to know that much detail about her life. Especially with the complication involved with the only Quincy, she knew of, that was still free.

"Well, I heard about this party through the grapevine in my squad actually. Even though my squad is mostly males, the few females that are there that have been stationed here in the Unites States of America heard about this party one way or the other. I figured that I could check it out since I had free time. I also don't socialize like this very often, if at all, so it was a nice change of pace for me.

As for other things, I actually got a promotion. I'm the third highest ranked in my squad, so I'm pretty proud of that. You have anything particularly interesting to share with me?" While they danced around the floor, she scanned the crowd. After a quick scan, she saw the man in the clown mask again. She didn't know what it was about that man, but there was just something inherently creepy about him that she couldn't shake.

The man was tapping his foot on the hardwood floor, just staring at them. It looked like he was just waiting for their dance to end so that he could jump in and dance with her. She whispers just loud enough that Vannan can hear her, "Just so you know, the man in the clown mask is looking this way and not too pleased." She kept her eyes on him until their dance took her gaze away from the man. She hoped that the man would be gone soon.

Then, another man came over to them with a raven mask on his face. Hotaru watched the man lean in and whisper to Vannan something. Vannan continued the dance, but now Hotaru was watching Vannan's face, trying to figure out what this man was telling him. Was it something bad? Something good? She hated the waiting to find out. But, she would try to keep the worry off of her face while she danced with Vannan, hoping that he would fill her in on what's going on soon.

[Deleted]

Vannan, just kept the same smile he always had on as he listened to Hotaru speak about the new things in her life. It was a plesent suprise to hear that she out of everyone got a promotion. He didn't know how those things worked in the SS, but in the Vandenreich it was the strong and loyal who were promoted. If the same could be said about the way shinigami ranks worked then that meant that Hotaru was much stronger than he had assumed. Given that in the fight with Mobias he really didn't see her as that strong. A chilly night that was to say the least, but it was nice to see the twins and Hotaru, even if they had to deal with those annoying kangaroos.

That's when she returned the question wondering if there was anything that he should tell her. He could tell her about the woman he met, that ravishing beauty that captured his eyes and his heart, or about the promotion he had gotten in the Vandenreich. Both things had happened recently and were important, but should he let that information slip to her? Yes she was a friend but at the end of the day they were foes that would one day have to fight one another and when that day came he didn't want her to have too much any information about himself. “No nothing real of importance Hotaru. Just the same old things.”

As he continued to dance someone in an odd mask approached him and started to talk about things that a normal human shouldn't know about, making him uneasy. Making mention of Hotaru having a blade, he figured that it was her zanpakuto what made him more uneasy was the mention about the ring of Icarus. No one should know about the ring, it was a new thing that was just given to him, he didn't even have a chance to use it yet. Who was this person that seemed to know what him and Hotaru were? His last words sent a shiver down his spine. Things are to get exciting soon? What in the world did that mean? Were the two of them lured into a trap? “Oh I don't plan on anything, except for having some fun with my girlfriend here.”

Vannan didn't want to stand there and find out what the man was talking about, taking Hotaru's hand he pulled her away from the man and towards a wall. As he pulled her the smile across his face was gone replaced by nothing except for a worried look that Hotaru could easily see. As they reached the wall he pulled her close to him and pushed her gently against the wall. He leaned in so that his lips were next to her ears. “Sorry about this, but keep a smile across your face and pretend I'm saying sweet things. That guy knew what we were. There's something off about him.... keep an eye out for his mask.”

[Ōkami Shihoin]

Okami didn’t take too highly to the host of the party. He was self-absorbed and very ignorant. This was evident by his first assumption that Okami was from China. To Curin, the two accents probably sounded very similar to one another, but they were in fact different. Okami scowled slightly, and this may have been noticed by Curlin. He wanted to say something, but Wayne Curlin made a statement that piqued his interest.

Uzaki? Does he mean Kazura Uzaki? Isn’t that the wanted fullbringer?

Okami remembered reading the reports. He had had lots to catch up on when he returned. Reading up on the Most Wanted List had been one of his many priorities, given that he was in the division that carried out the assassinations of those on that list. Kazura didn’t seem very dangerous to him, but he figured that the man had to have done something to have earned a spot on the list. Either way, he would question the man himself when the day came for them to meet face-to-face. For now, he would make it seem as if he had some kind of contact with Mr. Uzaki, in order for his story to work.

”Ah yes, Mr Uzaki invited me. I’m here in his stead, if that’s okay with you.” Okami lied. He didn’t say Kazura Uzaki because he wasn’t sure if that was the same Uzaki that Wayne Curlin was referring to. Okami had no idea whether or not there was more than one Uzaki of rich status in the World of the Living. ”It has been a pleasure, Mr Curlin. Mr. Uzaki told me good things about you.” he lied again, trying to make the man feel even better about himself than he already was. After that, Okami tried not to listen. He didn’t care to indulge further in any more of the man’s self-absorbed banter. He faked a half-smile to show that he was still paying attention despite ignoring everything else the man had said. But then Curlin asked him a direct question.

He faked another smile at the man’s awful joke before answering, ”I’m here on business. I was tasked by my company with surveying things here in California.” This one was actually truth. Well, a half-truth. It was the only thing close enough to a truth that he had told all night. He didn’t want to go into anymore detail than that and so before Curlin could ask a follow-up question, Okami asked one of his own. ”Is there anyone here you suggest I make it a priority to meet?” he asked. He wanted to know whether there was anyone Curlin had met tonight that was interesting in some way. Curlin had been greeting guests all night before Okami had run into him, so he must have met at least someone who seemed more interesting than any of the others here. If he could find that out from Curlin, he might have a lead on who specifically he should be looking into or getting information from.

[Rose✿]

[/font]She admitted, simply shrugging her shoulders as her eyes glances around the crowd, seeing where the most traffic in the crowd was. It wouldn't take long with a simple gander to figure out where these bathrooms are. "Lets go." she said simply, sipping back more of the wine every time the taste faded from her tongue. It wouldn't take long for the two to come across what looked like the bathroom. Well, it seemed oversize and overly fancy. Pushing through Rose scoped out the room, hearing only the sound of the fan above. It didn't take long for the captain to do her thing and make herself comfortable.

Popping herself up to sit on the edge of one of the counters in the large room Rose came to hike up the skirt of her dress to reveal the pouch, from there she retrieved three things; a lighter, a small dime bag, and a joint. Not caring if the door got locked or not Rose lit up the joint to start things off. Taking some puffs and holding the smoke within her lungs to get a more intense effect, Rose had fized her dress with her free hand. Now for that other fun she was talking about involved that dime bag. Within it were contents of cocaine. Though she would then hand the joint over to the man, seeing if he'd accept dear ol mary jane.[/ul]