[BitPR²] Mortal World V

[Dorizzit]

[Utah]
Uina Mountain Range

Naito looks over at the stranger.

"...'ll be fine."

[Kuroimaken]

[Utah]
Uina Mountain Range

Naito looks over at the stranger.

"...'ll be fine."

"If you say so. I have some Pepto if your stomach is feeling topsy-turvy."

[Dorizzit]

Naito snorts.

"It'll take more than that."

The young Quincy lays one hand over Alpha-1's forehead, eyebrows knitting together.

[Kuroimaken]

"You got a look on your face like this girl brings you all sorts of bad memories. And I'm not just saying that because I saw you being separated by an eldritch monstrosity." The behatted stranger muses.

"You got what you wanted though, right? You're free from her at last. Though to be fair, even the old ghost could use some practice on his stitchwork."

[Dorizzit]

Naito's eyes close for a minute. Eventually, one opens, the other remaining closed. Naito's frown of concentration is still in place, although for once there's no anger in the expression.

"...Backwards."

[Kuroimaken]

"Wait, backwards? What do you mean? Isn't that her in there?"

[Dorizzit]

"She wanted it. Not me."

[Nicklance]

[Akiyama Kousaka - Blandelli-Sponsored Christian Church in Japan (location to be wherever in Japan where most of the action is for convinience)]

Waving away his attendant after the mortal sets down his luggage in his private room at the Church's staff-only dormitory, Kousaka sets up his laptop on his desk and boots it up. Leaning back on his chair as he stares at the spinning Akiyama family crest spinning on the home screen as the machine boots up he idly meditates by chanting and running his fingers over each rosary beat between each stanzas.

Japan clearly has a stronger concentration of reishi, but filled with the mixed scent of Hollow, Shinigami, Quincy and other supernatural beings. Not as pure as the ancestral homes of his family, his formerly diminished family now growing to a more comfortable size.

A beep gently breaks his meditation as his email and programs boot up. His mission lines have fully loaded. Two rescue missions and one search-and-retrieve mission. One in Japan, the loathed Kuzunoha family and another in Las Noches, a location Kousaka has yet to find access to in Japan. The path is very clear. Infiltrate the Kuzunoha and secure the two objectives first. The person he needs to rescue might have clues to get to Las Noches.

Closing the screen of his laptop, Kousaka gets up from his chair stretching. Before all this, he needs to familiarize himself with the city first, the long hours of flight gave his body knots that he wants to loosen up. Given that Hollows are common around the area, a good evening hunt would be great exercise before bed.

Fiddling with his rosary again, Kousaka smiles and leaves the church to roam about.

[Frozen_Feet]

As Kousaka wanders the streets, he might notice a black car trailing him. It has no passengers, just the driver, a stern-looking middle-aged man with black hair, wearing a suit and sunglasses. If Kousaka stops, the driver will pull over and opens a window, beckoning to him to come over and talk.

[Nicklance]

Kousaka smiles to himself as he stops, waiting for the car's next move. Upon finding the vehicle stopping beside him with the driver's window rolled down, Kousaka looks at the old gentleman, keeping a safe distance.

"Good evening kind sir, are you lost? I'm afraid I'm not much help with directions." Kousaka attempts in Japanese, hoping that his Italian accent is light enough to be dismissed. He keeps his senses sharp as he extends his senses to perceive spirit particles to detect any unusual (meaning non-mortal) presences around him.

[Frozen_Feet]

There's no discernible spiritual activity around the man, but from his vantage point Kousaka can see over the man's sunglasses and notice his eyes are bright blue. Peculiar for Japanese.

"It's you who looks to be in need of directions", the man says without a hint of humour. "Name's Akiyama Gorou. I heard of your arrival and decided to come and say hello for the whole family. Or what's left of it."

"Do you want a ride?"

[Nicklance]

Kousaka nods as he gets to the passenger seat beside Gorou.

"It's a nice evening for a ride. Like a family trip" Kousaka gives a small smile.

[Frozen_Feet]

Gorou steers the vehicle back in the traffick. He keeps his eyes on the road even as he speaks with Kousaka. "Let me start by saying you could've hardly picked up a worse time to come here", he says matter-of-factly. "Many of our best are dead and the twin grand-daughters of our late matriarch only recently got back to us. From what I've heard, things aren't any better for the European side of your family. I admit to being curious. On whose orders are you here?"

[Nicklance]

Kousaka keeps his eyes on the traffic as well, taking in road signs, landmarks and any vehicles that are following his as he replies. "The heads of the Italian Akiyama clan and Blandelli clan have seen fit to reinforce Japan."

Glancing out of the car again, admiring the arrangement of stars on the night sky as the sun disappears entirely Kousaka gives a small sigh. "What are your concerns? Have there been new developments that I am not briefed?"

[Frozen_Feet]

"For starters, you're the last 'Italian Akiyama' left, as far as I know", Gorou states dryly. It's clear from how he says it that he doesn't really consider his distant Italian relatives to be part of Akiyama clan proper. He's always counted that side of the family and the Blandellis as belonging to the Italian branch of Belenus. "At least on Earth."

"To continue, there's nothing really to 'reinforce'. We Akiyamas are going back to hiding. The Andersons aren't even Quincies anymore. The Motos have been decimated by a ploy by Kuzunoha and Andersons, and good riddance if you ask me. The Belenus and... other Europeans. Not a word since they went to Hueco Mundo. I heavily suspect they lost. There are rumours of some of them having returned to Ikari, of all places, but I have no plans to show my face before Kuzunohas again to see if that's really the case."

Gorou stops the car before a small coffee shop. "If I recall right, your side of the family was hardly on friendly terms with the Kuzunoha. So I doubt you'd get a warm welcome either." Gorou looks at Kousaka. "So before you go to war, realize you might be the last one still fighting it." Gorou takes off his seat belt and opens the door to step out.

[Nicklance]

Kousaka takes a few moments to consider the weight of Gorou's words before stepping out of the car as well.

"Mission 1 is to find and rescue Tachibana Torahiko, and he is linked to Mission 2, which is to verify and take Die Totenkreuz with me. Both of these missions involve finding and entering the Kuzunoha Sanctuary. Which I guess is at Ikari?" Kousaka raises an eyebrow.

"The last mission is to enter Las Noches to find Nuala Byrne. So last Italian Akiyama or not, there's the missions and that's why I'm here. If you can help me with information and contacts that would be helpful. And if that relic really works as its reputation says, I wouldn't need to be the Last anymore."

Kousaka looks around as he steps off the car and looks at the small coffee shop. "So..this is one of our safe houses?"

[Frozen_Feet]

Gorou listens intently to Kousaka's explanation. In response to his last question, he lets out a little laugh and shakes his head. "No. This is just a coffee shop." He closes the door and pulls a map out of his chest pocket. "Here's a roadmap of Ikari in the side locker. It has known Kuzunoha safehouses and entrance to their main compound marked on it. My side of the family used to have better relations with them, you see." He hands the map to Kousaka. "Beware, though. All of those are guarded. And you really don't want to get inside their main complex. The charms there inhibit all forms of violence. It would be trivial for them to trap you there."

[Nicklance]

Kousaka smiles gratefully. "Thank you for this tip. I will find my way in." and places the map into his coat pocket, taking out a purple-tinted Ofuda and passing it to Gorou.

"Take this, its inscribed with a spell that allows secure telepathic communication between us whenever you infuse a little reiryoku into it."

[Frozen_Feet]

Gorou looks at the ofuda skeptically, but takes it anyway and stuffs it in his pocket. "Thank you. And good luck." The older man goes to fetch coffee, leaving Kousaka to decise what to do next.

[Nicklance]

"Oh Gorou-san, one more thing. How do I enter Hueco Mundo around here?" Kousaka asks one last question before deciding to leave.

[Frozen_Feet]

The man stops at the doorstep and glancea over his shoulder."You don't", he says matter-of-factly. Then, he steps in.

[Nicklance]

Kousaka nods, gets himself a cup of coffee as well and starts pouring over the map, taking out his mobile phone to Google Map the marked locations and saving them. Next he starts checking the topographical features of the surrounding area, trying to ascertain if these safe houses and the Sanctuary itself is situated in the bottom of a valley, or up the mountains and whether there are rivers around the place.

[Kuroimaken]

"She wanted it. Not me."

"Right... you don't look like you wanted her in your mind either, but let's not quibble over the details.

What are you planning to do now?"

[Dorizzit]

"Stop acting like you get it."

[Kuroimaken]

"Not from a personal perspective, no. But I can't help but get it. It's complicated.

I'm just trying to help, you know?"

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Von Geister Manor)

-Underground-

Renee has left some time ago as the black oily mass that is... was... might still be Felicia floats listlessly in the blight bath. It proliferates much like an oil spill too, as Argos continues to give the Queen updates. But... eventually...

As one of Argos's eye stalks floats boredly over the tub... something grabs at it.

A inky black, oozelike hand.

Its grip is... strong, and burns a little on the touch. But... doesn't harm Argos's delicate eyestalk. It simply holds onto him with a vise like iron as the whole of its form emerges from the bath, a black humanoid shape something approaching the approximate shape of a particular teenage (or at least the appearance of such) girl. And of course, while bubbly and distorted through a mouth that really had no lungs or logical organs to duplicate speech, the voice... was unmistakable.

"Argos. Didn't momma ever tell you it's rude to peek on a lady in the bath?"

She doesn't waste any more time on banter however.

"I'm going to get that Kuzunoha. But... I know how now. So tell me... which of his friends is the strongest?"

She... definitely sounds a bit unhinged. Probably best to give her what she wants.

[Draken]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Von Geister Manor)

-Underground-

Renee has left some time ago as the black oily mass that is... was... might still be Felicia floats listlessly in the blight bath. It proliferates much like an oil spill too, as Argos continues to give the Queen updates. But... eventually...

As one of Argos's eye stalks floats boredly over the tub... something grabs at it.

A inky black, oozelike hand.

Its grip is... strong, and burns a little on the touch. But... doesn't harm Argos's delicate eyestalk. It simply holds onto him with a vise like iron as the whole of its form emerges from the bath, a black humanoid shape something approaching the approximate shape of a particular teenage (or at least the appearance of such) girl. And of course, while bubbly and distorted through a mouth that really had no lungs or logical organs to duplicate speech, the voice... was unmistakable.

"Argos. Didn't momma ever tell you it's rude to peek on a lady in the bath?"

She doesn't waste any more time on banter however.

"I'm going to get that Kuzunoha. But... I know how now. So tell me... which of his friends is the strongest?"

She... definitely sounds a bit unhinged. Probably best to give her what she wants.

Argos answers politely. Well, it answers in written form, which can't be much else.

'No.'

Of course Renee wouldn't tell him not to peek. Peeking is literally the whole purpose of its existence. It is a mass of eyes on tendrils.

'Yamada Katsuo would be the strongest member of the Kuzunoha clique. As far as physical strength alone. Previous observations put him as a relatively even match with master Meyers in his sealed state.'

Argos pauses and starts writing again.

'Would you like to see your parents for a checkup before you depart?'

[Nicklance]

Akiyama Kousaka, Recon Mission

Staying a safe distance, Kousaka spends the next three days verifying visually what was on the map, taking note of various safe houses, entrances and the texture and flavor of the reiatsu in the area. After this round of scouting, Kousaka would now observe comings and goings from the area itself, taking care to make his presence inconspicuous.

All these apart from his "day job" as an assistant priest, which aids him in establishing a series of information sources, particularly housewives who find his pan-Asian yet strong Japanese features dreamy and attractive.

[Dorizzit]

[Utah]
Uina Mountain Range

Naito snorts in derision.

"Is that right? Please. Enlighten me. What do you 'get' about the situation? About us?"

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Von Geister Manor - Underground, Blight Bath)

The blob squeezes slightly. It has no eyes or ears visible, but... it can see and hear both, apparently. Its voice starts to stabilize, but it's still bubbly.

"I'm absolutely fine. So you're going to tell me how to get to Yamada. Now."

[Ikari, Japan]
(Sanctuary)

Torahiko and Shinji will find they're being followed. Not... stealthily, mind you, and not for long. But after they step into the training area, a boy familiar to Torahiko steps in behind them. Though... he doesn't remember Katsuo having hair that long.

Katsuo, on the other hand, gives Torahiko a quizzical look. "...Tachibana-san? Is that you? I haven't seen you in a while... since... before the storm?"

There is probably a reason he followed, likely to do with Shinji over Torahiko, but there's nothing wrong with a meeting between classmates.