This Ain't a Scene [NDE Adventure, R]

[Marcus Cole]

Name: [This Ain't a Scene] - The Adventure Name

Participants: [Jin Yamada, Zeich Yajuu, Hotaru Kuchiki] - Who can participate?

Location: [Look at the Plotline] - 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: [The Underworld is clearly rising. If the invasion of SS by individuals affiliated with the Black Market wasn’t enough, people like Douma and Jin gaining power and influence threw up a red flag. Soul Society decided that it needed to do something to fight the illicit trade. To punch back, Soul Society, it’s forces spread far too thin after multiple invasions, sent the Squad 10 Captain, Hotaru Kuchiki, to reach out to a the ex-Shinigami and current Vizard, Zeich Yajuu in order to cripple the artificial Zanpakuto trade. Squad 9 had narrowed down the majority of artificial zanpakuto sales to West Rukongai District 34. The two were to meet in a tavern and attempt to gather intelligence without giving away their identities.

Douma and Anarchy were pursuing artificial Zanpakuto as well, though for a completely different reason. Anarchy had just sealed his friendship with Kazura, and to help out his old buddy, he called upon his new ally Douma. Kazura needed artificial Zanpakuto to break down the material and recycle them into his new spiritual technology. Therefore, he needed a ton of those little suckers. Luckily, Douma knew just where to get them. He had one himself, and he and Anarchy were going after the mysterious Black Market group that was responsible for the majority of artificial zanpakuto manufactured: the Saints. They were set to meet in South Central Los Angeles in a bowling alley, because why not go bowling?
] - Explain the plot of your adventure.

Estimated Enemy Strength: [4-1] 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: [4ish Pages] - How many pages do you think this adventure will run for until it is over?

Starts: [Now! Hobbey Ho, Let's Go!] - When does the adventure begin?

Special Conditions: [At first, Hotaru and Zeich will have their own posting order while Jin can post whenever he wants. However, the different stories will merge at some point. When they do, we'll get a proper posting order going. For now, just start with intros ] - Any special conditions, limitations, or other things.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru was in her squad barracks, looking over the new routes that she was going to assign for the patrols around Soul Society when she received a messenger. He dropped off his letter and left. She looked down and saw the seal of the First Division. She quickly opened the letter and read it. It seemed that Soul Society was trying to curb the trade of the illegal artifical zanpaktou. She had heard about these fakes, but had never truly seen one, unless they looked so similar to regular zanpaktou she didn't tell the difference. 

She felt Rivu~aiasan warm in his sheathe. She touched the blade to try to calm him, but he was obviously angry that they would make copies of true zanpaktou. She felt the same way, but would understand why fakes would be made. Zanpaktou were powerful weapons, powerful enough that people who didn't have one would want one. This would obviously be the way to get one. She was then told that she was to meet someone in the Rukon District 34 by the name of Zeich Yajuu. It was mentioned that he was a Vizard.

Her eyes had widened at that. She had never met a Vizard before. She only knew that they had hollow powers due to the fact that they were somehow hollowfied, gaining an inner hollow. It had to be hard for him, having something like a hollow inside him when he knows the nature of hollows. She couldn't imagine trying to deal with that kind of situation like he has to be right now. It also said that they couldn't give away their identities, which meant no Captain Haori for her.

She went to her officers and told them what needed to be done, she was called out on a mission. They nodded and went on their way to get everything taken care of. She kept some human clothes in her office, so she took her shinigami uniform off and put on somewhat regular clothes. She put on a pair of black 'yoga pants' as the humans called it, and a gray tank top. She wasn't going to put on shoes and she tied a bandana over her head that was black, in the hopes that she hid her identity well enough.

She then went out, grabbing a black coat that was similar to Asmoskon's, which she held her zanpaktou on the inside. She wasn't going to leave Rivu~aiasan behind. She stopped, and ripped the bandana off. It was a little much, even for her. She made her way towards the District and found the bar that she was going to meet Zeich at. She entered and looked around. She had no idea what he looked like, so she just went to the bar and ordered a drink, sipping on it while waiting for him to arrive.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats/Abilities/Equipment}
Strength - 150 (112) Points.
Speed - 400 (700) Points.
Spiritual Pressure – 400 (300) Points.
Reiatsu Strength – 400 (700) Points.
Instinct - [150] Points.
Senses - [150] Points.
Energy sensory - [50] Points
Healing Expertise - [0] Points

[Weapons: Swords] 3
[Pain Tolerance] 3
[Bleeding Tolerance] 2
[Damage Recovery] 3
[Anti-Pain] 3
[Special: Hoho] 3

Medium Reiatsu Orb
Large Reiatsu Orb (2)
Flame Aura Orb: Shakkaho
Water Aura Orb: Gouzen Demizu
Wind Aura Orb: Surasutoeria
Steel Aura Orb: Tetsu Supaiku
Electrical Aura Orb: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho
Fire Aura Orb: Soukahou
Wind Aura Orb: Aspect of Wind
Water Aura Orb: Aspect of Water
Stone Aura Orb: Asect of Stone
Carrier Belt
Secret Blades
Reiatsu Concealing Cloak

 

[Zeich Yajuu]

I never thought I'd be back again so soon... Zeich mused as he walked along the streets of the Rukongai's District 34, his ears picking up what his eyes could no longer see. Nothing had changed, but why should it? He had only been gone for around a month. In that time, he was considered dead, his body missing in the chaos that had swept around the Primera Espada's descent into Soul Society. However, the Vizard had no doubt that the higher-ups knew far more than the reports would suggest; after all, his Zanpaktou's Bankai was unique in its nature, a cloud of ash that could flood an entire district, burying and destroying all who were within it. Anyone with the slightest skill in analysis would be able to recognize the reports of such a cloud that had wiped out the entirety of the district, and could connect the dots to Zeich.

But the fact that he was a Vizard should have been unknown. Zeich wasn't sure how that information had gotten out; perhaps someone had witnessed his final possession in the fight against Adalo, or perhaps Genjo had reported him. Regardless of why or how, somehow Soul Society's upper echelons had picked up on the fact that not only was Zeich alive, but that he was now a Vizard. Vizards were usually considered anathema in Soul Society, monsters who had given in to the darkness of their souls, accepting and drawing upon the power of Hollowfication. They were not completely wrong, either; Zeich did indeed accept that the creature within his soul was a dark one, a Hollow whose desires reached only to hatred and destruction. Maybe such a thing could be changed, with time, but Zeich doubted that Tsukikage would be willing to be companionable. Well, that was a matter for another time.

Of course, Zeich was well aware of the potential for this to be a trap. Why wouldn't it be? After all, how many lives had been lost in his attack on the Rukongai district that had vanished beneath waves of gray ash? For all he knew, the former Shinigami was going to be attacked the moment he stepped into the tavern designated as a meeting place. He was in the heart of the Gotei's power, second only to Seireitei only, and it would not take much for several of their higher-ranking Captains to swoop in and either capture or, in a more likely scenario, kill him. Vizards were treated with contempt and hatred among the more fanatical of the Shinigami, and it culminated in one name that had always rung through Soul Society due to the head of the family's reputation: Kuchiki. Sozen Kuchiki, the Vizard killer, Captain of Squad 6, and the leader of a family whose name was known for its influence and power. Zeich had every reason to fear any individual bearing that name, Sozen himself most of all. If anyone was to ambush him, then it would be the head of the nobles himself.

Well, what did he have to lose? Zeich had determined that he was going to return to Soul Society, one way or another. He knew that it may be some time before he could be accepted, if ever at all, but responding to this summons for aid from one who had formerly been a member of Squad 7, the Squad in charge of Internal Affairs, might be a step in the right direction. Zeich knew he had a long way to go, but for now, this was a start. If it cost Zeich his life, cost him imprisonment, or harm of any sort, it was a worthwhile price for an opportunity. The Vizard wanted to return to his home, return to the life he knew, the order and stability that had guided him to this point, and he would pay any price in order to do so. Such a risk was not out of the question.

Finally, he had arrived at the tavern, according to directions he had picked up from one of the Pluses in the district. He felt the eyes on him as he stepped through the door, and for good reason; Zeich was not dressed like any normal inhabitant of the Rukongai. No, the Vizard had donned a disguise that he had chosen to use to represent himself with when he did not care to show his face, and it was one that was fairly distinct. A white mask, crafted in the likeness of his own Vizard Mask, covered the majority of his features. While it had no special qualities to it and was made of a plaster that was carved and crafted to look like the bone-white substance that made up a Vizard's mask, few went around bearing the visage of a snarling wolf over their face. The golden eyes that shone through the holes were a perfect match, their gaze fierce. That the golden hues could not see made no difference, as there was no blemish or imperfection visible upon them.

Makings his way to the bar confidently, using his sharp sense of hearing to avoid running into people, Zeich rested one hand on the counter to steady himself as he found a seat. His sense of hearing was fantastic for locating people, who made a thousand small noises with everything they did, but that same sense did very little for locating completely motionless items like the stools that were located by the bar's counter. Settling into his spot, the former Shinigami leaned on one arm as he let his eyes casually glance across the room, as though he were looking for someone. In truth he saw nothing, his vision lost in a sea of darkness, but it was all part of the act; no need to let anyone know that he was blind. Weaknesses could be exploited, and Zeich was not one to reveal the few he had.

Well, now, where was his contact? Zeich wasn't sure who he was supposed to be meeting, but he was told that someone would speak to him upon arrival. Given that, he had to assume that they knew his face and his identity. But, given that he was hiding behind a mask, as his face was a death warrant as far as he knew, that might be difficult. Musing over this, Zeich barely noticed the bartender's request for his order, asking for something mild and pushing a few coins onto the table as he thought about how to best proceed. It wouldn't do for him to go around introducing himself; “Oh hello, I'm Zeich Yajuu, a Vizard, and I'm here looking for someone from Soul Society to meet me.” Haiiro might do that out of mischief, but Zeich had no intention of causing trouble.

Hey now, I'm not that bad! Haiiro protested, the Zanpaktou spirit within his second sword giving the mental equivalent of a pout at the jab. Zeich smiled slightly beneath his mask, which calmed the wolf down; Haiiro knew that such expressions were rare from his master, and that it was a sign that he was in relatively good spirits despite the situation. But good spirits did not help him find what he was looking for, and that left only a few options. First, Zeich could summon his Vizard Mask, which allowed him to see through the filter of Tsukikage's vision rather than his own blocked sight, and look around to determine where his contact was. Second, he could summon Haiiro with his Spiritual Projection technique, and have the wolf scout out the room for him. Finally, he could simply ask around in a more discreet way, which in his mind was the best option, saving him energy, trouble from the lupine Zanpaktou Spirit, and potentially letting him leave without drawing too much more attention to himself.

Waving the bartender over by lifting his glass slightly, as if to indicate the need for a refill, Zeich leaned in and spoke quietly. “Have you seen someone that seems to be looking for someone else? I am supposed to be meeting a Shinigami here, but I cannot seem to locate him.” Or her, he corrected himself mentally; there was no way of knowing even the gender of the person who was supposed to be meeting him. “I cannot stay long, so if they aren't here, I may have to try back another time.” The man seemed thoughtful, but tilted his head in some direction—Zeich could hear the rustle of his shirt collar, and assumed that it was what had happened—and spoke back. “There's a young woman about six seats further down. I think she's a Shinigami; her face looks familiar and I've seen her a few times in the Rukongai. She has a look of confidence and alertness you don't normally see in people, as well.”

Zeich nodded and slid a few more coins across the counter in thanks before standing and turning. One hand lightly reached out to brush his seat, and then the one next to it to determine their distance apart as well as their general size, and he made his way towards the woman with a measured, calm pace. The Vizard's eyes remained fixed forward even as he approached, and as he turned to where he estimated the woman in question to be, Zeich turned, his gaze remaining level. He would not lower his eyes to meet the woman's until she spoke, as he had no way of guessing at her height, and the last thing he wanted was another awkward impression in case his gaze fell too low again. It had happened more than once, to Haiiro's amusement, until Zeich had gotten into the habit of looking at others only once they had spoken so that he could roughly meet their eyes, give or take a few inches.

When he spoke, Zeich's voice was quiet, and the “Are you the Shinigami I was sent here to meet? If so, then you know who I am.”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Zeich's Stats}Stats (Rank 2 Mercenary):

Strength - [300] (300) Points

Speed - [400] (400) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [400 x 1.75] (700) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [200 x 0.6] (120) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [200] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Zeich's Skills}Current Skills: (16 SKP)

• [Weapons - Katana] 3
  
  
• [Strength of Will] 2
  
  
• [Martial Arts - Hakuda] 3
  
  
• [Stealth] 2
  
  
• [Calm Mind] 3
  
  
• [Martial Arts - Wing Chun] 1
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] 2

[Jin Yamada]

Stole this from Kento

”Let’s just say, I know a place where zanpakutou fall off of trucks…”

He remembered those words clearly as if they had been said just yesterday. It had been the promise he had made to the CEO of Uzaki Enterprises during their first meeting. A meeting which had resulted in a powerful alliance. He would never forget that day. A day that would mark the beginnings of something great in the spiritual world. It almost reminded him of the day he had allied with Zouma Santeku. As a result of their alliance, the two had been able to develop technology together that would make battling the Shada Hollow much easier. It was a result of their research that R-Weapons had been developed. It was a result of their alliance that the spiritual world had not fallen to King Shada's hollow. And yet, no one would know of this. He only knew because of the ring which he had been given by Future Zouma. Through that ring, he had been able to see Future Jin's memories and had been informed of everything. He was indebted to his future self and to Future Zouma. But no one would know the sacrifice that Future Jin had made to save the world.

It didn't matter though. He didn't need the fame. All that mattered was saving the Bount race. I am their will, their hopes, and their desires. I will give even my body to save them all. That was why he had to do everything he could to save them. That was why he had partnered with the CEO of Uzaki Enterprises, Kazura Uzaki. He and Kazura had similar goals. While Kazura's goal was more broad in terms of saving everyone, he planned on saving all Bount. If he was able to save everyone else living in the Land of the Living along the way, then he was killing two birds with one stone. But at the end of the day, his first priority was his own race, the Bount. And so, he had partnered with Kazura in hopes that their partnership would lead to another breakthrough. In hopes that their partnership would create a new era. An era of peace for the Bount. An era where Bount no longer had to hide from Shinigami. That was what he hoped for.

In essence, Kazura's goal was to make humans and those of the Land of the Living self-sufficient. Kazura disliked the way Shinigami handled situations in this world. He saw them as inefficient. Give the masses tools to save themselves and they would become even more efficient than their former protectors. That had been Kazura's hope. He had been looking into research that would give humans the ability to defeat hollows without causing too much harm to the Soul Cycle. While in theory, humans were already capable of defeating hollows with their Fullbring and Quincy powers, it unbalanced the cycle. And this had led to many confrontations between Kazura and Shinigami. And so, he looked for another way to defeat them without angering the Shinigami. If he could use the same technology that they could to purge hollows and return their souls to the cycle, then he wouldn't have to suffer their wrath. He would also be giving the humans weapons to use in their fight against the hollows. It was a win-win in his eyes. And he agreed. It had also been Death-Sama's dream as well. To give humans the freedom of choice to enter Soul Society and the power to defeat hollows. Maybe the former would come some day, so for now the two of them would focus on the latter of Death-Sama's dreams.

He had known the answer to this problem long before Kazura had figured it out. But both had come to the same conclusion: the Zanpakutou. It was the only way. If they could get their hands on a Shinigami Zanpakutou, then Kazura could analyze it and create weapons which he could supply to his employees and other spiritually active humans. And so, he had set his sights on recovering one for Kazura. For Kazura, who was still new to the spiritual world, obtaining a zanpakutou would be difficult. No Shinigami would willingly to hand over their zanpakutou and to forcefully take one would bring more Shinigami to Kazura, something the Uzaki didn't want. So the only other option was to seek out another means. And he knew just the way to find them. He was of course, a major player in the underground world, in the black market. Drugs, weapons, illegal items. He knew how to get them. And he had heard about artificial zanpakutou being sold in one of these black markets. It wasn't a black market that Humans could buy from of course, but with the right connections, he could get access.

Lo and behold, that access had come in the form of another mercenary, one who dealt a lot in Soul Society's Black Market. Douma, the Angel of Silence, had been the name he had chosen. And he had gotten a chance to meet with the man. Douma had wanted to challenge him, well his alter ego, that is. He had wanted to see how he ranked against the number one mercenary in the underground. That hadn't turned out too well, but in the end, an ally was made out of Douma as well. And that was how he ended up here now. Knowing of Douma's connection to the black market of Soul Society, he had asked him for a favor. Douma knew of some shipments of artificial zanpakutou heading to the Soul Society. So their plan would be simple: steal the shipment for themselves. Douma would have a chance to sell part of the shipments to make money for himself and his alter ego could keep the rest and use them for whatever he wanted. It was quite a fair deal in his eyes. That was why he was here now, in South Los Angeles on the roof of a bowling alley waiting for his ally to make an appearance at the scheduled time.

And so, Jin Yamada stood atop the roof of that bowling alley. Garbed in black pants, black boots, and a black button up shirt, he blended in easily with the night. Over his face, he wore the white faceless mask with the red letter 'A' etched into the forehead and trailing beneath the eye holes. It was a mask that many had come to fear. It was the mask that he had come to be respected by in the underground world of drugs and illegal items. He slipped on white gloves with blue crosses on the back hand side. And then, he slipped on the hooded black cloak. He slipped it on easily and fastened it closed before leaping down onto a closed dumpster and making his way into the darkness of the alleyway on the side. And then, with both hands reaching behind his head, he slid on the hood, to cover his hair and shroud his face in darkness. Everything was complete now. For now, he was no longer Jin Yamada. Now, he was Anarchy.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats/Skills}Strength - [100 (50)] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400 (1000)] Points

Light Aura - [35] Points

Dark Aura - [65] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [200] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1700] Points


Skills

• [Battle Analysis] {4}
• [Martial Arts: Capoiera] {3}
• [Utility: Charisma/Leadership] {2}
• [Weapons: Yoyo] {4}
• [Strength of Will] {3}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Items}Item Name: JJYAGP01

Item Type: Weapon

Item Description: At first, this appears very similar to JJY006. Simple yoyo held together by a 5 meter long steel string. Unlike its predecessor, however, its color is black with a red button on both disks. When these buttons are pressed, the yoyo enlarges to become two giant two feet wide, one inch tall black circular disks. It looks nothing like the yoyo it once was. With a twitch of the string, blades can also pop out along the two thick disks. With a second twitch of the finger, the two disks can split apart for separate attack, connected together by a hidden steel wire between the disks. This one can also be coated in the user's reiatsu strength by giving up 100 reiatsu.

Price: 10,000 Ryo(x2)

Donated to shop?(Yes or No?): No


Item Name: JJYAGP02

Item Type: Stealth Gear

Item Description: After studying the Quincy ability to draw in spiritual particles, Gatz was able to design this cloak for Anarchy. The cloak itself reaches down past the knees and is completely black with a hood attached to the back. What makes it special is the property it has. When around someone of a different race, the cloak will draw in the ambient reiatsu of the individual giving off any form of reiatsu and cloak the user in this reiatsu so that the reiatsu signature given off by the user becomes that of the individual giving off reiatsu. If no reiatsu is being given off, the cloak can instead use the stored reiatsu from a previous encounter. While the cloak is active, the user should suppress their own reiatsu or the cloak will not function properly. When it comes to using techniques, only general reiatsu techniques can be used; the reiatsu of a race specific release will overpower the cloak's own reiatsu signature. Only those with an energy sensory of more than 200 can detect the actual reiatsu signature of the user.

Price: 100,000 Ryo

Donated to shop?(Yes or No?): No


Item Name: JJYAGP03

Item Type: Stealth Gear

Item Description: A featureless white mask with only eye holes for the user to see through. The mask itself is made of a durable titanium alloy which is quite strong while remaining light-weight. When exposed to high levels of heat, the titanium alloy retains its strength and does not deteriorate. The only other feature on the mask is a large red 'A' within a red circle. This covers the majority of the mask, centering at the forehead. The bottom part of the 'A' is broken up by the eyeholes and continues underneath them, where it joins the red circle outlining the entire letter. The mask itself allows the user, with a touch of a button along the side to switch between normal vision, infrared vision, night vision, and zoom vision for viewing in greater detail. The mask is also equipped with a voice modifier to change the user's voice and a filter for gases.

Price: 100,000 Ryo

Donated to shop?(Yes or No?): No


Item Name: S Grade Coating Ring

Item Ability: [When dragged across the user's weapon to cause friction, an aura of ghostly, transparent (but still colored) reiatsu will materialize around the user's weapon. This allows the weapon to do battle with other weapons that are also using the coating ring, and also gives it an increased amount of cutting ability for striking defenses and cutting attacks. So long as the user has this ring worn, attacks and defenses will be coated in this aura. The aura is equivalent to 100% of the user's reiatsu strength.]

Item Price: [20,000 Ryo]


Item Name: JJY001

Item Type: Weapon

Item Description: This looks like a simple red bladed yoyo with a white smoke cloud design engraved on both sides and held together by a 5 meter long steel string. On the inside of the yoyo are small containers that when heated release a white cloud of smoke that is actually tear gas.

Price: 6500 Ryo(x2)

Donatedtoshop?(Yes or No?): No


Item Name: Portal Scroll
Item Type: Travel Usage
Item Description: It is a normal looking scroll at first glance, however, when opened up, the scroll releases blue flames that rise up in front of the one who opened it. A step into these flames will transport the user to any place they can think of as long as it is a real place.


Item Name: Wire Launcher Gauntlet

Item Type: Projectile Storage Item

Item Description: The wire launcher gauntlet is a piece of equipment for Jin Yamada. It is a metal silver plated arm brace with the Bount symbol etched onto the side facing away from it's wearer when worn. On the side facing towards the wearer, there is a small circular hole, half an inch in diameter, near the wrist area. A brown leather attachment extends from the wrist up to the wearer's middle and ring fingers, wrapping around them. Inside of the gauntlet, 150 feet of steel wire is spooled 75 times around a thin circular disk on the underside. Release of the wire revolves around a complicated launching mechanism activated by varying movements of Jin's middle and ring fingers. The wire ends in a barbed hook, which is designed to connect to the loop on the end of Jin's yoyo. The launcher fires things with 300 strength.

Price: 10,000 Ryo (x2)

Donated to shop?(Yes or No?): No


Item Name: Propulsion Boots

Item Type: Locomotion Item/Weapon

Item Description: These boots were modeled after the gloves Jin once had during the time when C-weapons were around. The boots, however, are much more upgraded and cooler looking than the gloves were. Overall, they look like light armor for his feet. They're black and shiny all over and tall, reaching just below the knee. They're made of some kind of light metal that avoids overheating. There are straps at the top in the front and back to lock the leg in once it's in there snugly. At the sole, there are vents built into five separate locations. There are vents in the front ball of the boot, on both sides, in the back of the heel, and in the center of the foot. Gatz designed the boots in a way so that it absorbs heat from Hitze or the surroundings and uses that to power itself, which prevents any type of reliance on electrical battery power.

The cool thing about the boots is that with a tap of his foot in a certain spot, Jin can release the heat building up in the boots from one of the five vents as bursts of flames which are backed up by his reiatsu strength. The concentrated bursts of flames that the boot releases propels him at twice his speed as a result of concentration and force. When he's using the flames for attack rather than propulsion, the flames shoot out of all five vents to form a burst of flames the size of a Cero! Normally when moving around, the flames only shoot out of the middle vent, which is largest, while the vents on the four sides only allow for change in direction.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru was sitting in the bar, curious as to what the man actually looked like. She drank her drink slowly, keeping her eyes and ears out for anyone that might look somewhat suspicious. It was then that the bar door opened and she glanced to see who it was. She then stopped at stared at the man, controlling herself enough to not let her mouth open slightly. The man walked in, wearing a large bone-white mask. It was similar to what Douma wore, except instead of rings on it, there was a wolf's face. She did admit that the sculptor did a fantastic job on the likeness.

From what she already knew about Zeich, she had an inkling that this was probably him. But, she hated to assume anything about someone from first glance. But, the wolf's mask? It seemed a little too coincidental for her. She turned her head back quickly towards the bar, staring at the same spot she had been and trying to use her peripheral vision to see what he was doing and where he was going. Since she hadn't met him before, she was on alert, in case something did happen. It was a smart maneuver to do for anyone in her position.

She waited and watched as he confidently made his way to the bar, looking around for someone. She assumed that someone was her, but like she said before, she didn't want to assume anything. She barely heard him ask if there was someone here that looked like they were looking for someone else. It was then that she saw the bartender point her way. She took a deep breath, still slowly drinking, keeping her nerves in check. The thing that got her nerves the most was that she knew next to nothing about Vizards and this man in general. She had no idea what he would do.

So, while he made his way towards her, she came up with a gameplan. She would stick to what she did best, only attacking him if he did something that deserved it, but keeping a guard up no matter what. She couldn't just randomly trust this man without proof of his good intentions and proof that he wouldn't harm her but help her when she truly needed it. She nodded to herself when he finally made it up to her. She turned to him and listened to what he said, staring into the golden eyes of the mask, which looked just like the hollow eye color hue.

He leaned against the bar and asked if she was the shinigami that he was supposed to be meeting here. If she was, then she already knew who he was. She patted the seat next to her, an invitation to sit down. She hated someone standing next to her while she was sitting. She would prefer if they were closer to eye level. She spoke quietly as well. "Yes, I know of your...affliction. I can't imagine how you can handle something like that, but you seem to be doing well for yourself. I don't know how much you know about me, but I am the Captain of the Tenth Division, Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao.

I know the title the Head of my Family takes, but I'm nothing like that and I won't tell him about you. You can believe if you want to or not, makes no difference to me. All I know is that you help me gain some information on the illegal selling of artificial zanpaktou. Once the mission is over, we can part ways and never see each other again, or we can part on good terms and hopefully become friends. I am more partial to the latter, but the decision is completely up to you. I figure we could start from this bar and work out from here, asking around to anyone who might know anything." She grinned towards the end. She was telling the truth and hoped that he wouldn't get to hostile with her. But, it was completely up to him what he would do with the information she just gave him.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zeich fought a grim smile at Hotaru's polite description of his “affliction,” a small splash of his sardonic sense of humor leaking through the cold facade he kept up for appearance's sake. An affliction? Well, yes and no. Zeich did think of it as an affliction in the sense that he was stuck with Tsukikage unwillingly, and that the two of them were in constant disagreement. The pain he had felt, the trouble being a Vizard had caused him, forcing him to leave Soul Society... those were parts of the affliction too, and they drew a mix of regret and anger from deep within his heart. But Zeich pushed those away, buried the negativity; the past was in the past, and there was little he could do to change it now. All he could do was move forward, and make the most of things.

Fortunately, he was not completely of one mind when it came to Tsukikage's presence being an “affliction.” While the Hollow's nature had caused him many difficulties, it had also inspired a vital and necessary change in Zeich, one that had saved him from poisoning himself from the inside out. The Vizard had been forced not only to break through the shell of indifference and anger, but to embrace the positive, the hope and confidence that had been buried beneath his coldness. He had learned to truly live, rather than going through the motions of duty and routine. While Zeich feared his Inner Hollow, and hated the misery that Tsukikage had caused in his life, the man had every reason to thank his companion as well for forcing him to face the darkness in his heart, the one that he himself had put there, and overcome it to find a light that had never existed.

A mixed curse and a blessing, Tsukikage was, though the wolf would probably just growl at Zeich if the man ever suggested such; the Hollow was ever hostile. The Vizard just smiled softly beneath his mask, before focusing on the task ahead again. He was quiet as he waited for the young woman to reply, and his ears caught the sound of rustling cloth. However, Zeich wasn't aware of the fact that that she had patted the seat next to her and simply stood, remaining looming overhead; blindness had its disadvantages, making it easy to miss subtle cues and motions. Instead he just hung to her words as she offered her name and title, and as soon as her last name came out, the world seemed to tilt beneath his feet.

Kuchiki...!

That moment of hesitation, that brief lapse in control, was enough for Tsukikage to notice and react. Zeich's presence began to flare up at the mention of the word “Kuchiki,” his eyes widening almost ferally and his aura becoming dark enough to make most people blanch. Fortunately, no one in the room besides Hotaru could sense spiritual energy, so the panic that could have been caused was minimized. Zeich's hand gripped the counter tightly, too tightly, his fingers starting to press grooves into the wooden surface as he tried to regain control of himself. Briefly he struggled with the Hollow, pressing the darkness back, containing it through sheer force of will; after beating Tsukikage once, Zeich refused to give in to the wolf's presence again, and after a few moments his presence reverted to a neutral, cool one, and his posture relaxed once again. He was in control.

Fortunately, Haiiro had been paying attention to the rest of the woman's speech, and transmitted the information to Zeich once the Vizard was in control. Zeich took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts; how did he feel about Hotaru's words? Could she be trusted? No, talk was cheap, and until the woman proved herself, he would remain suspicious. Old paranoias, distrust, and fear gripped his heart, causing Tsukikage to cackle at the discord, but Zeich pushed the Inner Hollow away, focusing on the here and now. He had to focus, if he wanted to get anywhere! “Forgive me, but I am not known for trusting people. Your name is but part of it, if a large one; even before my... affliction... I was with Squad 7 in Internal Affairs. I grew used to a life of seeing knives in every shadow, in seeing plots in every false word. I cannot trust you, yet... but I will work with you.” It was that simple. He had to work with Hotaru, if he hoped to return to Soul Society some day. Working with his enemy, earning her trust; Zeich knew that these were the first steps to changing the prejudice and misunderstandings about Vizards, the first steps towards returning home, and so he forced himself to remain calm.

However, communication was already beginning to break down on Zeich's part; his social skills were poor, as he was used to working alone and without others, and his somewhat brusque nature made things difficult when it came to diplomacy. This was where Zeich would step out of the conversation, and leave the talking to a more skilled individual... albeit a mischievous one who liked to cause trouble. A brief moment of concentration would have a silver-white mist forming a roughly canine shape behind Zeich, and in a moment it solidified into an actual wolf, startling several individuals in the bar. Haiiro, for the most part, looked amused at the shocked expressions, casually padding over towards the Captain as though he hadn't just materialized from nowhere.

Haiiro was a unique individual, both in personality and his existence. One of Zeich's former Zanpaktou spirits, the wolf had narrowly escaped the fate that most Vizard Zanpaktous meet: consumption at the hands of the Inner Hollow. Bound now to the blade at Zeich's side and no longer able to be called forth for the sake of the Vizard's Release, the lupine still remained a comforting presence, as well as one of Zeich's closest companions. And once his master had learned the Spiritual Projection technique, Haiiro was able to manifest into the real world once it was used, enabling him to serve as Zeich's voice and a reflection of his true thoughts, thoughts that would normally remain buried beneath the cold exterior that the Vizard put out. As a result, Haiiro had been designated the talker of the two, and was often summoned when Zeich's ability to communicate began to hit barriers.

“You'll have to forgive Master; you know that name is enough to make anyone like him jump, and he gets a little sulky when he's startled.” As always, Zeich's glare did nothing to deter the wolf's natural inclination to say too much, an inclination that was all too often more intentional than a slip of the tongue. “Yes, Master, you are sulking whether you want to admit it or not. Take the seat in front of you, and let me talk.” The last bit wasn't a command as much as a gentle prod to inform Zeich that there was indeed a seat in front of him, and the Vizard sighed before seating himself, hoping that Haiiro didn't make this too awkward for him.

“Now, Miss Hotaru—you don't mind if I call you that, do you? I think using your last name too much might make Master cranky—do you have any leads yet? Have you looked into Squad 13's records to see if there are any records of large item shipments in the recent past, or gone through Squad 12's files to see if any such weapons are being produced there? Have you investigated the Black Markets, of both this world and the World of the Living? And finally, do you have one of the weapons for examination, so that we may be able to discern some clues as to where they are being produced?” The questions came rapid-fire, but they were the kind of questions that Zeich would normally make in an interrogation, gathering all of the information he needed in order to open an investigation. “Come now, Miss Hotaru, the clock is ticking and Master is impatient. Being in hostile territory does that to you.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 6600/7000 (-400 for Spiritual Projection (Zanpaktou Spirit))

[Marcus Cole]

Jin would’ve been waiting on the roof of the bowling alley for a minute. Then two minutes. Then five. Jin was on time, after all, but it seemed that the mysterious contact Douma set him up with wasn’t quite on time. After a while, Jin would’ve been waiting another fifteen minutes and no one showed up. Then, thirty minutes passed. Was there a possibility that his “blind date” was standing him up? Was Douma proving to be an unreliable ally?

A little bit after thirty minutes had passed, Jin would feel a decently powerful reiatsu signature flare from instead the bowling ally. It went from being undetectable to suddenly skyrocketing in a split second, so it would be understandable if the Bount jumped a little bit, but that was unlikely. What could be certain, though, was that Jin’s attention would be drawn to the inside of the bowling alley.

Before he would get the chance to explore the new reiatsu signature, he’d hear an obnoxiously loud shout. “MOTHER FUCKER!!!!” The front doors of the bowling alley burst open and let out a scrawny figure that stood not much over five feet tall. Maybe 5’3” at best. “FUCKITY FUCK FUCK FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK?!” And he wasn’t exactly the most pleasant guy either.

Jin wasn’t hiding his reaitsu signature, so after letting a little anger out, he turned to the roof. “Hey you, fuck boy. Come get down here, I’m not exactly walking up.” The strange man would wait for Anarchy to descend before continuing. “Yeah, I know you’re Douma’s friend and all, but before we have this little meeting, ya gotta prove that you’re worth my time. Come with me, fuck boy.” Barely fifteens seconds in and Anarchy already had a nickname. Maybe not one he’d like to keep, but a nickname nonetheless.

The human led Anarchy back into the bowling alley, right past the empty front desk, and by alley number one. It seemed like the entire building was empty, which wouldn’t be a surprise. The place closed a few hours ago. By alley number one, there was a set of seats for spectators waiting their turn. One part of the bench was occupied by a slender, attractive looking woman. At least, she was probably attractive. It was hard to tell when she wore a plain, white mask. The only other hint to her beauty other than her curvy figure was the golden hair that hung freely behind the mask.

“I made a bet with myself that the rest of your face is as beautiful as your eyes. Do I get to see if I win or lose?” The woman’s eyes danced like pink flames. She was messing with Anarchy. “I’ll take off mine if you take off yours,” she said, clearly talking about their masks. It wasn’t likely that she would succeed in getting Anarchy to expose his identity, but hey, why not give it a go?

“Alright lovebirds, let’s get on with this. Fuck boy, this bitch works for Sir Fucks-a-lot.” Look at that, Douma had a nickname too. And it seemed like this stranger had a favorite word. “But forget about her for a sec, ‘cause you fuckers aren’t getting anything unless you prove that you’re worth my time. Look-ey here.” The strange man pointed down at the alley where two pins still stood. They were each at opposite corners, right by the gutters. It was the impossible shot to make.

“Last time I missed that, I tore down my favorite bowling alley. I’m not looking forward to losing this hang out spot too. If you make that shot, then you get as much info as you want from yours truly, ‘No Hands’ Joe.”

---

Meanwhile, Zeich and Hotaru were getting along. Well, they were trying, which is all that matters. But as they were chit chatting, they forgot where exactly they were. This section of the Rukongai was one of the more dangerous, where much crime went unnoticed, right under the nose of the Shinigami all the way in Seireitei. They couldn’t talk freely, and that was their first mistake.

When Hotaru mentioned her name, some very good listeners picked up on it. Very slowly, the bar began to clear out. It started with just two people, but news spread quickly. People began to whisper to one another, their words staying just out of earshot of Hotaru. If Zeich were listening while he panicked about the Shinigami before him being a Kuchiki, he might hear some of the whispers. Shit, that’s Hotaru Kuchiki, Squad 10 Captain. What’s she doing over here?

By the time Zeich summoned his Zanpakuto spirit, the bar was completely empty except for a very unhappy-looking bartender. Maybe the Shinigami wouldn’t notice the tavern clearing out, but they would certainly notice that it was empty after a few seconds. They would have a minute or two to continue conversing and discussing whatever matters they felt like discussing before the doors would suddenly slam open and a figure would run in.

“Hey, listen to me! I didn’t do jack shit, I swear. Whatever you’re here for, it’s not my fault. They pressured me into it. They’ve got my daughter! And my wife! I just want to protect my family. You can’t throw me into the Senzaikyu! I’ve got vitamin D deficiency, my doctor says so! I need the sun!” This guy was spitting out words like they were bullets and he was a tommy gun. And he seemed scared too. His face was flushed and his hand was shaking quiet noticeably as he fell to his knees before the Shinigami and begged for his life.

“I can help you guys out! I’ll be like one of those undercover agents in the spy movies. Wait, I can be the contact too. You’ll be the badass cops that don’t follow the book exactly but get the job done, and I’ll be the drug dealer that gets you guys info and refuses to sell to kids. I can be a good guy if you’ll let me, just give old Tom Bullets a chance.” Zeich and Hotaru didn’t have very many leads but it seemed a fish jumped into their lap before they lowered the hooks into the water.

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru watched Zeich while she spoke and noticed what happened to him when she said her full name. She expected some sort of reaction, but nothing as like what she received. She saw his fingers press grooves into the bar and feel his aura go dark. She felt the force of it and she was glad that she was working with someone that was strong. But, if he proved untrustworthy, it would be difficult for her to defend herself against him. She would keep these in mind when he started to calm down, hearing him take a deep breath to steady himself.

When she glanced at his hand, she noticed that people were leaving the bar. They must've heard what they were talking about, or noticed what Zeich had done to be leaving. When he spoke, she paid attention to what he said. She wasn't surprised that he wasn't going to trust her. She wasn't going to trust him yet either. You can't when you just meet someone. She also wasn't surprised it was largely in part of her name. She nodded. When she heard he was with the Seventh Division, his untrusting people made a lot more sense. She was just happy that he would be willing to work with her.

She felt a rise in his spiritual pressure, usually meaning that a technique was getting ready to be used. She completely turned around in her barstool now, facing him completely. She didn't know why he would do something like that, then noticed the mist that was starting to form. The mist formed a wolf that started to walk towards her. A wolf coming out of nowhere? Was it his Zanpaktou spirit? Do Vizards even have Zanpaktou spirits? She had no idea about any kind of detail in a Vizard power, but it was an awesome feat that he could manifest his spirit like that.

She looked around and noticed that the bar was now empty. The wolf must've scared them away. While the wolf was walking towards her, she glanced towards Zeich. "Is there anyway you can teach me how you do that? I would love to learn! My spirit would love to be able to traverse in the outside world. He gets very curious about it, only being able to see it through my eyes and not his own." Once the wolf reached her, she looked back at it. She smiled at what the spirit said and was glad that Zeich finally sit down. Hotaru was starting to feel a little more at ease about their meeting now.

She listened to the rapid fire questions that the wolf had. She wanted to address them one at a time. "I am old-fashioned, so I would prefer to be called something else. You can call me Mrs. Masurao or Hotaru-taichou, to avoid the other name if you wish. Now, as to your other questions..." It was then that she was cut off by someone bursting through the doors. Hotaru looked and saw that the man was pretty much in hysterics. He started to speak loudly, saying it wasn't his fault and they took his family.

Hotaru was a little bewildered at what the man said and stood, wondering if she could help in any way. He was trying to protect his family, which she completely understood. It was when he came up to Hotaru and fell to his knees, basically begging with her that she too went down to her knees, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to help, be like an undercover agent, whatever those were. She really didn't get half of what he was talking about, but she did get the feeling that he wanted to help them.

Once he was done, she patted his back gently. "Calm down, calm down. I'm not here to arrest anyone. Arresting people is really the jurisdiction of the Seventh Division anyway. Take a few deep breaths to calm down, Tom was it? How do you know what kind of information that we're looking for? Are you helping with the trade or actually making the illegal artificial zanpaktou? We could appreciate any help that you could give us." She went ahead and told him a little bit of what they were doing here. Telling and asking people were the only way they could find out anything and Hotaru was never one that was tactful in asking questions.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zeich was extremely well aware of the fact that people were exiting the bar; his ears caught the sounds of movement, and the number of voices diminished. Haiiro confirmed that observation, speaking back to his master and informing him of the fact that the room was becoming increasingly empty. Zeich said nothing, however, remaining seated and mostly motionless, his gaze fixed on the counter before him despite his lack of sight. To most, it would appear that he simply did not want to talk, and that any conversation would be an unwelcome intrusion; in truth, his mind was still racing from the revelation that his companion was a Kuchiki. He knew he needed to push it aside, to focus on the mission and not the surname of the woman he would be working with, but such a thing was not an easy task. He had mentally run through a scenario in which he'd encounter Sozen a thousand times over, and each one led to death and a zero percent chance of the man listening. The word Kuchiki was enough to inspire a lack of confidence in him, as a result.

But for now, the Vizard knew he needed to focus on the mission ahead. Haiiro was already asking the primary questions he would have made, simple points to begin the investigation and pursue possible routes for investigation. Each the potential to open up their line of investigation; if there had been a large shipment of items in the last little while, it could be investigated and traced backwards. Even if the items in question were generally innocuous, Soul Society rarely sent things out to the World of the Living, so any moderately large quantity would throw up a red flag. Once traced, Zeich could determine where the false Zanpaktous were being crafted, and they could deal with the problem at one end, drying up the supply. From there, they could look through shipping records or trace the destination to determine where they were going.

And this was just one line to pursue; Squad 12's records would be another valuable asset, one that Zeich wouldn't be able to access on his own. They could have developed a means for creating something along the lines of a pre-packaged Zanpaktou, one that didn't require the adaptation to a user's soul to unlock its powers. By looking into their research records, it would be possible to trace if there was a leak in their Squad, someone who was selling or passing on these illegal “false Zanpaktou” to forces in the Human World. And then finally there were the two Black Markets. Squad Seven had long been aware of the one in in Soul Society, but had left it alone, albeit under tight scrutiny; most of the items had minimal impact, and anything major would be immediately confiscated and dealt with. There was less data on the one in the World of the Living, but Zeich was sure that his Vizard contacts would be able to point him in the right direction.

Haiiro, meanwhile, was responding to Hotaru's request for a more formal name in his usual manner: mischievous. “Yes'm, Miss Hotar—yeoowwch!” Zeich hand had shot out as the wolf had tried once more to prod at the woman, despite her request for something more formal, and the Vizard had caught his companion by the ear, giving a light tug as a warning and halting Haiiro mid-sentence. “Respect, Haiiro.” It was a gentle warning, and though the two of them had made up since Zeich's perceived betrayal by his former Zanpaktou Spirit, the tension was still there, and Haiiro quickly acceded to the request. “My apologies, Mrs. Masurao. I will respect your decision on that matter.”

Before the rest of the answers could be given, however, the door flew open. Zeich's hand dropped casually to his sword, his left hand grasping the Zanpaktou that normally housed Haiiro's spirit. Even as the man busted in, Zeich was standing, his eyes widening beneath his mask. He didn't need to see, given that the man was speaking rapidly, going into some nonsense; the Vizard didn't need to think hard to suspect that this man was planted in order to discover what they were up to. It was not an uncommon tactic, “confessing” to a vague crime, causing the opposing party to question them. It was a trick Zeich had seen often enough that, when Hotaru started to speak and indeed mentioned illegal Zanpaktou, caused him to act.

The moment that Hotaru said those words, Zeich's aura flared again, and it was enough to press the man down with his Gravitational Pressure, though held back enough to avoid crushing him. In a moment not only was the sword at his right side drawn, but his true Zanpaktou was also unsheathed, leaving him with a sword in both hands. One was pointed at the man's throat, inches away from stabbing through “Tom's” windpipe, while the other had its blade near Hotaru's throat, though kept back a short distance to avoid accidentally misjudging the swing and cutting her. Being blind had its disadvantages, but it did little to dull Zeich's battle instincts, and the Vizard had acted quickly upon those words being spoken, silencing both individuals. He spoke to Hotaru tersely, his eyes angry. “Silence, Kuchiki. He spat the word, and it was obvious that Zeich was not pleased with his companion's decision to talk without thinking. “Let me handle this. It seems that Squad 10's leader isn't up to the task of handling things delicately.”

Leaving his Gravitational Pressure in place, where it would bind the man while leaving Hotaru just mildly uncomfortable, Zeich knelt down, leaning in close to his prisoner. The sword at his companion's throat was lowered and sheathed, but the Vizard kept his other blade at ready, a constant threat to this “Tom” fellow. As he did so, Haiiro leaned in close to Hotaru, whispering quietly. “Oh boy, now you've done it. Master's angry, and he's got a little bit of a temper; Tsukikage's influence tends to get stronger when his emotions get negative, and that leads him to be just a tad more aggressive. Maybe you should have been just a little more tactful, or left it to him in the first place; I just hope he doesn't get blood on my sword.”

His prisoner in place, Zeich spoke quickly, his golden eyes almost seeming to glow with the light's reflection. “Now talk, and answer me quickly; who are you truly, and what is your role here?” The threat was backed by a resurgence of his Gravitational Pressure, which would start to crush the man slightly if he couldn't resist it; it wasn't enough to be fatal, or even crippling, but the pressure was certainly on for the man to speak quickly. “What do you know about us? Why did you approach us?”

[Marcus Cole]

(( OOC: Let’s keep Zeich and Hotaru going for now. Sorry for the wait. ))

Tom looked up at Hotaru with a relieved smile. He seemed like a genuine fool. After all, he ran right into the Shinigami’s hands after assuming they’d been after him. He clearly wasn’t innocent, but hey, he was a lead. Tom knew he was going to like that girl with the weird purple hair. And huh, that was a cute dog. A big dog, but a cute dog. He’d like that one too. And then that other Shinigami guy was there too. But huh, he didn’t seem too happy. Actually, he seemed kinda mad. Dangerously mad. Oh no, this wasn’t good.

Zeich’s reiatsu flared as he attempted to force his gravitational pressure down on Tom and subdue him. He didn’t even give Tom an answer to respond to the nice lady. The man definitely felt Zeich’s spiritual pressure, but he wasn’t strained. He was able to resist it without much trouble. Zeich was the stronger guy. However, he made mistakes. One of them was assuming that a stranger was significantly weaker than he was. With Tom suppressing his reiatsu, Zeich couldn’t even figure out what race the criminal was. He knew nothing about who he was dealing with.

As Zeich began to draw his sword, Tom was already prepared to move. He was at a disadvantage so far. After all, he fell to his knees begging for the Shinigami to give him a “get out of jail” card. Maybe Hotaru was willing to do so but Zeich had other ideas. In fact, they seemed to have polar opposite intentions. Hotaru wanted to work with Tom, Zeich wanted to kill him. Either that or they had a ridiculously convincing good cop bad cop routine. If so, they get a 10/10 for that.

Somehow, Tom was already kneeling by the time Zeich drew his sword. He let the Shinigami point his blade at his neck, but Tom’s hands were up by his neck with his palms facing outward. It was a sign of vulnerability that coincidentally allowed him to respond if Zeich felt like thrusting that blade forward a few inches. Hotaru was in a similar predicament, but she was a big girl. She could handle herself. Tom had to watch out for his own neck after all.

“Hey hey hey, c’mon big guy. I thought we were just starting to get along. I’ve always wanted a best friend, or ya know, a big brother. My old big brother died when I was just a little kid, not even in elementary school or any of that. I don’t remember him enough to find him out here by I love commin’ by Soul Society just to look around for him among doing… uh, ya know. Other stuff. Just things to keep me busy. Nothing sketch. I’m as innocent as a newborn baby, believe me you.”

Tom’s eyes suddenly seemed to light up, like he just remembered something. On the other hand, he seemed to forget Zeich’s question completely. “Hey, Mrs. Hotachu or something like that. Haha, I’m awful with names. But nice, pretty lady, you mentioned something about artificial Zanpakuto. I’ve got on-“ Tom stopped in his tracks. He was speaking so quickly that it took his brain a little while to realize where he was going with the conversation and who he was talking to.

The poor guy did his best to recover, starting with a very forced and very nervous laugh. “Hahaha, yeah, what was I saying? Oh yeah. I got a buddy who got hooked with those damn artificial Zan. Just one is addicting, they say. He started selling them and the noble, glorious, honorable Shinigami like you guys came and took him away to who knows where. I tried to stop him, trust me. Those guys just don’t listen, those. It’s the, uh… the artificial zanpakuto that mess with their mind. Changes ‘em, am I right? I stay away from that stuff as much as I can. Instead, I just volunteer my time at the… homeless shelter! Yeah, right over there down in the world of the living. I’m there every weekend and if you two are feeling mighty generous, we take donation. Just make the check out to old Tom Bullets and I’ll make sure you get some raggedy hobos fat, fed, and happy. So, let’s talk maybe 10,000 Ryo to start? Unless your heart is overflowing with love and wants to go higher, I’ll take as much as you want to give. Er, I mean, the hobos will. For the food. Right.”

[Hotaru Kuchiki-Masurao]

Hotaru was kneeling down with Tom, trying to calm him down from his craziness. She started to speak on their mission, since it made sense to get the word out. Well, get the word out to a few people. Since she planned on asking around this area anyway, it seemed like a good enough reason to actually ask this man if he knew anything about it. In her mind, if they didn't ask at least one person, how were they going to find out anything about artificial zanpaktou? What happened next, however, was something that she wasn't planning on.

Zeich immediately unsheathed both of his swords. He had one of them trained on Tom's neck, to make sure he wouldn't move. The other was a few inches away from hers. Through instinct alone, she grabbed for the hilt of her zanpaktou when she saw the movement. She didn't want to actually hit him, but she would wait to see if he would actually cut her. He didn't. She stared up at the man while he called her Kuchiki, with as much hate in that word as he could muster, saying she wasn't up to handling the task delicately.

She led the defense squad. One of only two squads whose main purpose is to go in and beat the living crap out of everything they see. Why in the hell would she handle anything delicately? She just glared at the man while he sheathed his sword. She never was one to be delicate, trying to be honest and fairly blunt most of the time. She never saw the need to be delicate with anything, so she never practiced it. She heard half of what the wolf was saying, something about a Tsukikage's influence. Knowing about his condition, she assumed that it was the hollow inside him.

So, the hollow made him angrier, or she guessed it would be better to say quicker to anger. It was then that she remembered seeing something from the Human World called 'The Hulk' who had the same issue. The only difference was that he turned green when he got really angry. She was curious if Zeich would get angry enough to actually change a color and if he did, what color would he change into. She thought about this only for a second, since Zeich's voice broke her train of thought. She slowly started to stand, listening to what he said.

He was pretty much asking the same questions as she did, except more vague. She felt his spiritual pressure flare up again and she looked down at Tom. At first, he seemed to be just some kind of regular spirit that ran in here for shinigami help. But, for him to have moved quick enough to get his hands before the blade of Zeich's zanpaktou, and to be able to move fairly freely under the force of someone captain ranked, this Tom person was more than meets the eye. She stood away from Zeich, still wary on what he would do, but she looked down at Tom.

She stood there and listened to what he said, about a friend being in the trade. The only problem was, said friend was now gone off to who knows where. When he mentioned artificial zanpaktou actually affecting the user, it piqued her interest. She had never heard of that side effect before. She definitely needed to find that out now. But, after he was done rambling, she only believed the first few words he said. "First off, it's either Hotaru-taichou or Mrs. Masurao. You were close. Second, all of your information would be second-hand. Not as reliable as first hand accounts." She then walked closer to Zeich and whispered loud enough so only he could hear. "We need to talk about that stunt once you've calmed down."

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zeich might not have been able to see, but he didn't need to; he had another set of eyes in the room that was keeping an eye on Tom. Haiiro watched, and noted that the man didn't seem particularly affected by Zeich's Gravitational Pressure, and sent a small note of worry through the mental bond that connected them. If Tom wasn't feeling pressured, wasn't pushed against the floor immediately by Zeich's spiritual presence, then the man was at least the equivalent of a mid-tier Vice Captain. Despite his unassuming appearance and bumbling attitude, this man was worth some degree of caution. That was why, though he let his Gravitational Pressure drop, Zeich's sword remained fixed on Tom's throat. In a heartbeat, he could release Tsukikage's ash without even speaking vocally, and the man standing before them would be dead before he could take another breath. The Vizard was ready to act decisively, and the moment that his captive made a false move, the man would die.

There was another matter to attend to, that of the Kuchiki fool standing behind him, but that could be put off later. A cautionary tell of emotions from Haiiro drew Zeich's attention to his own thoughts, and he realized with a start that Tsukikage's influence was starting to get the better of him, forcing him to act angrily and rashly. He could hear his Hollow chuckling to himself, the dark wolf taking a grim pleasure in tormenting his host, but the Vizard pushed it away, taking a slow breath to relax himself. His hand never wavered, his stance didn't shift, yet in a way he calmed and lowered the tension in the room, his aura fading back into more of a neutral gray, if it could be described in colors. Before it had begun to fall into a flame-licked black, a sign that his anger was getting the better of him.

Zeich fought a sigh, and mentally revised his thoughts. Hotaru, the woman behind him, had acted recklessly. Captain of the Defense Squad or not, her goal as a leader was to be a person who thought things through, who led and guided her squad in a manner that would save as many lives as possible while working towards utmost effectiveness. Sometimes the two goals did not meet, and decisions had to be made, but most of the time one would expect a Captain, particularly of such a risky squad, to have some common sense. The fact that Hotaru knew nothing about subtlety, about hiding their mission from the man before them, only served to frustrate Zeich. What sort of Captains were they accepting into the Gotei these days? Were they really so hard off after the Vandenreich invasion? Certainly Captains had come a long way from the refined nature of Enma, Okami Shihoin, and yes, even Sozen Kuchiki. Zeich may not have liked the self-proclaimed “Vizard Killer,” but he could respect the man's skill and expertise in his job. Hotaru had none of these traits.

And then there was the man before him. Zeich could say, without a doubt, that this man was planted. He was not just a man attempting to save his own neck, but he was trying to mislead them in a number of ways. There were several vocal cues that had the Vizard concerned; the first was that the man had slipped, nearly stating that he owned an Artificial Zanpaktou. There was two possibilities with this statement: the man had truly slipped up in his haste to convince the two of them that he was on their side, or more likely, it was an intentional slip that he expected them to catch, pursuing it and finding themselves stepping directly into a trap. It didn't help that the rest of his speech was riddled with almost impossibly moronic missteps and false information, and by the sheer around of foolishness that this Tom character showed, Zeich imagined that they were there to help draw attention to that misstep.

It was very possible that he was overthinking it, Zeich conceded, but in a world where one's life was constantly on the line, it was better to be too careful than to risk sticking your neck out at an inopportune moment. That was why he took another breath, planning his words out carefully before he spoke. His blade remained steady, pointed at Tom's throat, and in a heartbeat it could be out as necessary. Zeich was absolutely prepared to kill, and it would be a quick and efficient attack that would end things in a moment. He expected no less from himself in combat, after all. His eyes almost seemed to glow golden, hidden behind his mask, as he stared down at Tom; his blindness made it so that he could not actually see the man, but it did nothing to veil the discs of burnished gold seemingly glaring a hole right through his captive.

“I will give you a chance, just this one, and if your answer is unsatisfactory, then your life is forfeit.” Straight and to the point; Zeich made sure his captive knew exactly what the stakes were here. “You are not in the least who you appear to be. Few people are as foolish as you are, and even if by chance you were one of those few, I still would not trust you as far as I can reach.” His Gravitational Pressure picked up again, but this time it wasn't as dark as before, wasn't as intimidating or overpowering. Instead of pushing downwards, it loomed over them, a sense of foreboding like a wave rising up overhead, about to crest and crash down on those below. It was a warning not to make a poor decision, lest Tom be crushed under the weight of his mistakes.

“I am not in a position to arrest you, nor am I in a position to detain you in the name of the law. If you have broken the law, it is not my business to judge you nor act upon it; I am here to complete an objective, and that is it. I am, however, in a position to capture you for my own sake, and to execute you on the spot should I deem you a threat. I take lying about a severe matter such as this, especially when you are very obviously attempting to play the fool for us, as a threat. Am I clear?” Zeich would give Tom long enough to give a yes or no, and cut him off before the babbling could continue. “One chance. You will tell us about your involvement with this matter. I know you are involved, because of your slip; if you had done so on purpose, you would have had knowledge of our objective beforehand and come with the intent to deceive us. If you had done so by accident, you still would have knowledge, and you would just be a fool besides. So this is your only opportunity to show us your hand, and with minimal risk to yourself. So, start talking.”

[Jin Yamada]

”You must be Douma’s contact…” Anarchy said in that modified synthetic voice of his, choosing to ignore the nickname he had been given by the man. From up above, the man didn’t seem like much. But it seemed that he had a talent for shouting. So, Anarchy took a step off of that roof and let himself down slowly. He took his time getting down, to purposefully annoy the man that had insulted him. Using airground, he descended one slow step after another towards the man below him. Upon finally planting both feet onto the pavement, he found that he was still looking down at the man. With his six foot height, he towered over the man before him, acting his dark shadow over the man’s entire body. Jin found that commenting on this difference in their heights would only serve to increase the man’s anger. So, he remained mute as the man led him into the bowling alley. ”Please, call me Anarchy.”

As the two walked in and past the empty front desk, Jin could only wonder what the purpose of this bowling alley was. Clearly it wasn’t being used as just a bowling alley. At a time when it should be populated with people, it was empty. This hinted towards a second purpose for the bowling alley, one relating to Douma’s extracurricular activities. At least, this was what the Bount mercenary surmised from his observation of the place. It was a reasonable assumption, actually. Someone who worked in Douma’s line of business always needed fronts. Fronts that made money themselves but also hid the owner’s true means of profit. Anyway, enough about the bowling alley.

When the two stopped, Anarchy found himself before a woman in a mask. While any man would have fawned over the slender attractive figure of the woman, Jin had long given up those bodily pleasures. His body was only reserved for furthering the future of his race. Nothing more. Nothing less. He could not indulge in any pleasantries while the Bount were still suffering as they were. But, even if he couldn’t indulge in those pleasures, that didn’t mean that he still couldn’t flirt. At the comment about taking off her mask if he took off his own, the Bount chose to take her insinuation to the next level. ”After I remove mine, you’ll take off more than just your mask.” he said with a smile, hidden beneath his mask. His own brown eyes gazed into her pink ones, watching for any signs of arousal from his comment. Oh, if she only knew the things he could do. He would make that a reality if she got on his bad side. With Verteiten, she would stand no chance at trying to disobey his commands.

At that moment, the man who had escorted him in interrupted them. Speaking of, he still hadn’t introduced himself. That was quite rude. Maybe he wanted it to be a secret. Probably. The least Jin knew about him, the less likely he would be able to come after him as Anarchy if he was hired to. Well either way, the man was saying something again, so Jin had to listen up. But when he did, he found that the man was seriously doubting him. He was going to test them by having them knock over some pins? Really? What a waste of his time, though Jin wouldn’t say this aloud. Instead, he would take on the man’s challenge. Oh, he finally introduced himself too. He would take on ‘No Hands’ Joe’s challenge.

”Ladies first…” he said in that modified voice as he bowed towards the woman. He wanted her to go first, to see how she would perform. He had an idea of how he would hit the pins, but first he wanted to see how the woman would do so. He wanted to know if she would use any other means besides just bowling skill to knock them down. If she just used her skill at bowling, then Jin would look more deceptive if he tried to use anything else besides skill to knock them down. He wasn’t sure what exactly Joe wanted to see in them using this test, so he wasn’t sure if Joe would find the deception commendable. So for now, he would see how the masked woman bowled.

[Marcus Cole]

(( OOC: Sorry this took so long. School gets less bad pretty soon so I should be able to post more. ))

Tom Bullets was pretty scared of Zeich. Then again, he was scared of most people that tried to scare him. He was like a 5-year-old trapped in an adult’s body, and that pressure Zeich was exerting was pretty terrifying. Tom had to look away from the man’s dark, unfocussed eyes and find relief in Hotaru. Zeich talked and talked, but Tom didn’t get most of it. Some stuff abou Zeich wanting to kill him. More stuff about wanting to know about the artificial zanpakuto. In fact, he really only had those two points, and his long wordiness wasn’t helping him get his message across.

“Erm, Shinigami sir. I want to help you, aight? I really do, but you’re gonna have to be more straight forward. You lost me there for a second.” If Zeich didn’t kill him yet, Tom would continue, though this time, he was addressing Hotaru. “Look, I came to you guys to take me away for a bit. I’m in deep with bad business. These guys came up to me one day, tell’in me we were friends and all that. Sayin’ we were family. It was really great, and I was doing a good job too. One of the best they’d had in a while. Said I was macho and stronk and everything, so it was all good. But then things started getting dangerous. People started not coming back. I heard some rumors about ‘tightening my leash’ or something, and it’s getting scary. I need help, and if you ain’t busy or nothing, I need help now.”

The underworld is a dangerous place to get involved, and Tom was in over his head. Sure he was strong, but he wasn’t too bright. He was far too trusting. It’s almost funny how an innocent guy like Tom had so much blood on his hands and got involved in such an evil business. “I’m a smuggler. I smuggle stuff. Bad stuff. artificial zanapkuto mostly, so I need your help. After today, my last mission… things aren’t looking good for me, and I’m scared. I need you to take me away and lock me up somewhere nice and safe and away from some of the bad guys.”

That decision would be out of Zeich’s hands. After all, Tom wasn’t a complete idiot. He understood that Zeich didn’t have the power to arrest for whatever reason. Maybe they could get him in touc with people who could? He was desperate, and they looked like they might be able to give him a hand. “If I’m gonna meet them, I need to meet them soon. I’ll show you where they are, and right afterward, please send me off to prison or whatever. What do ya say?”

Before Zeich or Hotaru could respond, a black butterfly would flutter its wings over to the captain of the tenth division and project the voice of the Squad 6 Vice Captain. “Hotaru, this is Himitsu. I heard about your mission. Other than Kimiko Shihoin and Taiho Kasumi’oji, who are otherwise occupied, I’ve got the most intel on illicit trade in Soul Society. Be careful. I’ve got a team on standby to provide back up if you need it. Be careful and keep me posted.”

Himitsu didn’t know about Zeich, so someone had made an effort to keep that information secret. However, it would be reassuring for the two to know that they had Soul Society on their side if things escalated too much. Now, there was the question of how they wanted to proceed and whether or not they trusted Tom.

---

The blonde woman was surely smiling under her mask. However, she didn’t grace Anarchy with a response. Instead, Joe brought them back to business. They had an opportunity to prove themselves, and it was a pretty silly opportunity too. Bowling? Is that all Joe cared about? Oh well, whatever floats his boat. The blonde woman expected Anarchy to step up to the plate and take care of the heavy lifting. Instead, he handed the baton to the woman.

“Ladies first.”

“What a gentleman.” She made her way to the alley where the remaining two pins waited for her. She selected one of the lighter bowling balls, only 10 pounds so that her hand fit comfortably over the holes. With graceful ease, she swung the ball forward, letting it take its time to reach the pins. It was heading straight through the middle. If she missed both pins, that’d just be downright embarrassing. However, just before the bowling ball reached the end of its path, there was a tiny, nearly unnoticeable movement on Gold’s end. Anarchy and Joe were likely more focussed on the ball and wouldn’t notice the miniscule blur from her index finger and ring fingers. They released a very focused shockwave, each taking out on of the pins. While the men weren’t likely to see anything, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they heard her fingers suddenly break the sound barrier and felt a light gust of wind flow past them.

“Fuckin cheater…” grumbled Joe. It was his fault for not setting any ground rules that prevented Gold from doing as she had done. Still, he was salty, but he’d stay true to his word. “I already know what ya want, so ya can save your questions. Artificial zanpakuto aren’t hard to come by, really. You can go snooping around and buy some up. I’m buessing that you’re comin to me because you’re less interested in buying one and more interested in stealing a few hundred. Those things don’t sell in mass bundles. So here’s what I’ll do for you fuckers. I’ll give you two options: save your fuckin money and spend some time finding all the sellers you can over a few months or a year to get your hundred or so artificial zanpakuto. Your other option is going on a suicide mission and trying to take out the Saints, the largest smugglers of artificial zanpakuto. If you find where they store their fucking goods and get out alive, you’re set. I can only help you get in though. I ain’t going in there with you fuckers, I like my fuckin ass alive.”

Gold didn’t respond. After all, this wasn’t her mission. It was all about Anarchy. He was the one who would make the decision, and she’d follow. However, Anarchy didn’t seem like the type who would back down. She knew he’d say yes. Joe had figured that out already too. Before Anarchy even responded, he continued. “You’ll be heading all the way into Hueco Mundo, somewhere in that big-ass forest. The hollows there are their friends too. I got a portal that can teleport ya in, and fit’s not reusable, so ya gotta give me some compensation. Assuming ya get out alive.”

[Jin Yamada]

Looks like we had the same idea in mind…

There was a small smirk that formed on the mercenaries face after the woman had bowled. Jin had kept his eyes on both the ball and the woman. His whole point of letting her go first was to see whether or not she would try anything “out of the ordinary” in order to hit those two pins. While he didn’t fully see her fingers move, his incredible battle analysis and instincts told him that there had been something else which allowed her to knock down those two pins. It seemed that Joe had also noticed it too, given that he called the woman a cheater. It had been good for him to let her go first. He had been able to test Joe’s reaction to using more than just skill to knock down those pins. And he had also been able to avoid revealing anything about himself by trying to knock down those pins. Jin preferred this Anarchy identity to remain ambiguous. Anything that people generally knew about him were from rumors told by those that survived their encounters with him. Of course, he had to leave some alive to tell stories about him, right?

Anyway, it was time to get to the business which Douma had brought him here for. And Joe didn’t disappoint either. Of course he knew it would be an incredibly difficult mission. Of course he knew he would practically be heading to his own grave. But what Joe didn’t know was that Anarchy was more powerful than legends had told. What Joe didn’t know was the behind the mask, Anarchy was a legend among Bount. Behind the mask, Jin Yamada was rumored to be as strong as Kassen Oro himself before his disappearance, before he had gotten those Ogatago powers. That was how powerful Jin was. He was powerful enough to protect all the Bount of Japan and Europe by just his name and reputation alone. A suicide mission? Joe didn’t realize who he was talking to.

Play This

”Helping us to get in is fine. After that, I can take care of the rest on my own. Just point me in the right direction.” Anarchy’s modulated voice said confidently. He wasn’t kidding either. With Hitze on his side, he already had enough of a team to get in and out with the shipments of Artificial zanpakutou. And if Gold was going to assist as well, he had even better odds. That is, unless he ended up running into a mercenary on the same caliber as himself. But did the Saints even have enough money to hire a mercenary on that level? He only knew of 5 or 6 other mercenaries with the same level of power and prestige he had. Whether or not the Saints had hired any of those 5 or 6 to protect their shipments would be something he would determine once he found them.

”No thank you, I have my own way in and out. But, I can compensate you for the information you’ve given me if that’s what you’re looking for…” Anarchy said boldly. He wasn’t going to pay Joe for getting them there when he could do it himself, courtesy of his Portal Scroll. The word on the street was that Mr. Hat & Clogs no longer sold the item, which meant that he was among the few owners of it. Joe was probably wondering how exactly Anarchy would get in and out, but this wasn’t information the mercenary was willing to give him. ”So, what would you like for the information? Two thousand Ryo should suffice, correct?” The way he said it, wasn’t as if he was asking. It was as if he was telling Joe what he would pay him.

Suddenly, Gold and Joe would feel Anarchy’s dark presence seeping out and weighing down on them. It would be a sickening dark aura that neither of them may have ever felt before. It was like their whole bodies were being held down by an ocean of reiatsu pouring out of Anarchy. But, that feeling would only last for a moment before lifting. When they got themselves together again, Anarchy was already holding 2,000 Ryo in his hand and handing it to Joe. Given the aura Anarchy had just released, it would be in Joe’s favor not to ask for more than that. Anarchy was after all, being quite generous. With the amount of drugs and weapons he smuggled and the number of people who hired him for his mercenary skill, he had enough to throw away 2000 Ryo for some simple information. ”Spend it wisely…” he said with a voice full of mirth. Joe would note the amusement lacing the mercenary’s modulated voice and feel almost as if Anarchy was grinning at him behind that mask of his.