[BitPR²] Mortal World V

[Draken]

Argos watches Chuck go. Also watches him arrive.

And then it turns the tablet to Kousaka again.

'I have found a file on you in our archives. My intel dictates that you no longer have an organization you belong to, not in reality, as the quincy war machine has been annihilated by their ill-fated assault on Hueco Mundo.'

Would you be interested in a new job opportunity? The Ghost King is always looking for new talents, and you do not appear to be the usual class of quincy.'

[Nicklance]

[Ikari, Japan]
[Entrance, Kuzonoha Sanctuary]

Chuck doesn't really move.

"That's who you are. Not who you're associated with. But fine, you're playing your cards close to your chest. Two can play at that game. You get no more information from me."

The stack of ofuda begins to blacken and curl at the edges, as if sitting next to a fire.

"So here's how this works, padre. You want to see Torahiko, you hightail it for the next day or two. Then, when we're done taking care of some urgent business, you come knock on the front door, like a decent person. You talk to the proper people, go through the channels, and maybe a diplomatic solution is reached."

A spark of red light flickers along one of his bracelets, before being flicked at the ofuda stack, most likely catching them all on fire.

"You try this ******** again, or any other sort of spy wannabe ****, then you better hope I'm not the one who finds out you're doing it again. Because I guarantee if I do? You're going to regret a lot of things."

Chuck just turns and begins walking back to the entrance of the Sanctuary, as if Kousaka is now beneath his notice or concern.

Argos watches Chuck go. Also watches him arrive.

And then it turns the tablet to Kousaka again.

'I have found a file on you in our archives. My intel dictates that you no longer have an organization you belong to, not in reality, as the quincy war machine has been annihilated by their ill-fated assault on Hueco Mundo.'

Would you be interested in a new job opportunity? The Ghost King is always looking for new talents, and you do not appear to be the usual class of quincy.'

Kousaka smiles. He has the information he needs, when is the proper time to arrive for a diplomatic mission, and who's the guard dog protecting the front gate and how strong is he.

Turning to look at the tablet, he almost frowns. There's a file on me by Hollows? he thinks to himself. The Akiyama clan is decimated yes, but the Blandelli family and the Italian Akiyama house is still around. What does he mean by "no longer have an organization I belong to?" he thinks to himself.

"I do not mind to have a chat over...coffee? I do not think I am anymore welcome in this woods until a day or two is over. Somewhere private. Quite curious about this "file" of mine too."

He turns and slowly makes his way out of the woods, well over the edge of the Sanctuary.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Tamaki's house]

Tamaki stares into his mug and twirls his spoon in it. "Those are good questions. It'll be easier to answer them later. Let's go." He gets up, puts on shoes and a jacket and then beckons Robin to follow him outside.

---

[Later - Beach]

Some distance from the movie studio where Caeyrn Belenus was filming his last film before being caught up in spiritual affairs, there's an empty stretch of beach shielded from view by a row of trees. The trip there was uneventful, Tamaki paid for train tickets to get them out of town and then they walked the rest of the way from some unremarkable trainstop. It took almost two hours and Tamaki didn't say much during it.

But, now they're here. Tamaki takes some distance to Robin. "Stay put, please" he instructs her, then activates his scarf's power. It begins go levitate and swirls around him, seemingly growing in length and obscuring Tamaki from view. When it slows down and settles back on his shoulders, Tamaki is covered from head to toe by his Red Joker armor. He looks like he belongs to some Super Sentai show!

"Transformation complete."

[Draken]

Kousaka smiles. He has the information he needs, when is the proper time to arrive for a diplomatic mission, and who's the guard dog protecting the front gate and how strong is he.

Turning to look at the tablet, he almost frowns. There's a file on me by Hollows? he thinks to himself. The Akiyama clan is decimated yes, but the Blandelli family and the Italian Akiyama house is still around. What does he mean by "no longer have an organization I belong to?" he thinks to himself.

"I do not mind to have a chat over...coffee? I do not think I am anymore welcome in this woods until a day or two is over. Somewhere private. Quite curious about this "file" of mine too."

He turns and slowly makes his way out of the woods, well over the edge of the Sanctuary.

Argos follows along, leaving behind no ripples in the fabric of space despite clearly being linked to a mobile portal.

'We have secured the Moto family's extensive dossiers and expanded upon them since.'

'Regarding your organization. I refer to Der Zerreiben Himmel, which your family was affiliated with, but who are no more, leaving them without the safety of its numbers. In addition, the Soul Society has just vanished and I cannot locate it, thus rendering your group bereft of its prime motivation as well.'

'I know of good places to drink, but do not drink myself.'

There is a very important bit of information in there that is delivered with no tone whatsoever because this is all written on a gadget.

[Nicklance]

Argos follows along, leaving behind no ripples in the fabric of space despite clearly being linked to a mobile portal.

'We have secured the Moto family's extensive dossiers and expanded upon them since.'

'Regarding your organization. I refer to Der Zerreiben Himmel, which your family was affiliated with, but who are no more, leaving them without the safety of its numbers. In addition, the Soul Society has just vanished and I cannot locate it, thus rendering your group bereft of its prime motivation as well.'

'I know of good places to drink, but do not drink myself.'

There is a very important bit of information in there that is delivered with no tone whatsoever because this is all written on a gadget.

Without the need to put on an act since there's nobody around them, Kousaka displays his lack of a facial or emotional response to the important bits of information, as toneless as the device displaying the written messages.

Letting the creature take the lead, Kousaka goes to this "good place to drink" with it, his mind swimming with questions. Once they've settled down in privacy, he will proceed with the asking.

[Draken]

Without the need to put on an act since there's nobody around them, Kousaka displays his lack of a facial or emotional response to the important bits of information, as toneless as the device displaying the written messages.

Letting the creature take the lead, Kousaka goes to this "good place to drink" with it, his mind swimming with questions. Once they've settled down in privacy, he will proceed with the asking.

Kousaka is led to a coffee shop. A faint but pervasive hint of spiritual energy pervades the area. It is likely that a number of spiritually active individuals has been there recently or habitually. But right now there is nobody but the barista and the waitress, who are conversing over the counter. They take notice of him and the woman bring a menu, paying no heed to Argos.

'Well?'

[riccaru]

[Tamaki's house]

Tamaki stares into his mug and twirls his spoon in it. "Those are good questions. It'll be easier to answer them later. Let's go." He gets up, puts on shoes and a jacket and then beckons Robin to follow him outside.

---

[Later - Beach]

Some distance from the movie studio where Caeyrn Belenus was filming his last film before being caught up in spiritual affairs, there's an empty stretch of beach shielded from view by a row of trees. The trip there was uneventful, Tamaki paid for train tickets to get them out of town and then they walked the rest of the way from some unremarkable trainstop. It took almost two hours and Tamaki didn't say much during it.

But, now they're here. Tamaki takes some distance to Robin. "Stay put, please" he instructs her, then activates his scarf's power. It begins go levitate and swirls around him, seemingly growing in length and obscuring Tamaki from view. When it slows down and settles back on his shoulders, Tamaki is covered from head to toe by his Red Joker armor. He looks like he belongs to some Super Sentai show!

"Transformation complete."

Robin takes the queue from Tamaki and remains quiet during the trip, looking at her phone through most of it or absently playing with her lighter. I wonder how far I've gotten myself into... she thinks over the course of their travels. She steals glances at Tamaki, trying to get a read on what he's doing or planning or even what he thinks of everything.

When he tells her to stay a safe distance away she nods shortly, and then takes a few extra steps backward after he has turned away. Then a look of awe crosses her face as she watches the events unfold but is quickly replaced by feigned disinterest. "Can all of us do that!? What else can you do with it?" She asks, trying to hide her excitement but with little success.

[Nicklance]

Kousaka is led to a coffee shop. A faint but pervasive hint of spiritual energy pervades the area. It is likely that a number of spiritually active individuals has been there recently or habitually. But right now there is nobody but the barista and the waitress, who are conversing over the counter. They take notice of him and the woman bring a menu, paying no heed to Argos.

'Well?'

Being Italian, Kousaka is loathe to know how other countries butcher their coffee, but he's willing to explore.

"Expresso."

Turning back to look at Argos, he waits for the waitress to leave before speaking. "So where are the remnants of the forces decimated at Las Noches? They can't all be dead,"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Empty shoreline]

"In theory, yes. In practice... no." Tamaki grabs hold of his scarf and pets it affectionately. "I said I'm a Fullbringer. That means I can connect with spirits of all things and bring in full their hidden nature. This armor is a particular power of my scarf. It exists because it's very dear to me. Hence, its powers have come to reflect desires of my heart and soul."

It's a good moment for Robin to think about what kind of desires might make a person into a superhero.

"To my knowledge, every Fullbringer has such object of desire. Some might even have multiple. Such objects serve as a focus for their spiritual powers and give them their unique form."

The air around Tamaki's feet begins glowing green. Then he leaps backwards and two meters up in the air and... doesn't fall down, instead standing there like the green light below his feet is a solid platform. "Some abilities are more widespread than others. The green light you see is called Bringer Light. It is a sign I'm spiritually communing with the air, asking it to support me in ways it normally wouldn't. Lots of... magic tricks like this are possible with practice."

Tamaki jumps down and walks to the waterline - in fact, he walks well past the waterline, standing on water's surface as he kneels and scoops up a handful of water. He walks back to Robin. She might notice not a single drop is slipping past his fingers. The water is keeping a spherical form, as if it was inside a balloon.

"Here. Try." Tamaki opens his palm and offers the sphere of water to Robin.

[Ammutseba]

[Kunlun Mountains]

Fluttering and flickering, a large butterfly emerges from thin air, casting resplendence on the ground in red and silver where the daylight shines through its wings. Antennae tasting the air for those familiar tinglings, it perches almost weightlessly on a mountain flower. It takes off again, pushing itself aloft on the perpetual breezes and gusts this near the peaks of the range.

All but imperceptibly, the scent the jigokucho follows grows steadily stronger. While its destination nears, a ghostly mountain fortress becomes apparent.

[Draken]

Being Italian, Kousaka is loathe to know how other countries butcher their coffee, but he's willing to explore.

"Expresso."

Turning back to look at Argos, he waits for the waitress to leave before speaking. "So where are the remnants of the forces decimated at Las Noches? They can't all be dead,"

Kousaka is treated to an actually pretty good cup of coffee. On a second look, this place's name appears to be Bel Vento. The owner might be italian himself or a descendant at least.

'I saw them in Russia last, siding with some modified Gillian allied to a man who the Ghost King has slain. They fled and I have not been asked to seek them out yet.'

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mountain fortress]

A black, faceless figure sits on a boulder just outside the fortress walls. Its head perks up as it spots the butterfly. It turns its head, as if to follow the insect's movements with its eyes despite having none.

The sound of metal striking metal rings inside the walls. It seems to come from the former dining hall of the castle. The window is open, so the butterfly could fly in. Inside, the bandaged stranger is hammering a white-hot blade with a rune-covered, two handed hammer. A humanoid Hollow in a Quincy uniform is holding the blade in place with tongs.

[Ammutseba]

[Mountain Fortress]

When the fortress looms, the jigokucho seems to lose focus, fluttering about apparently at random for several seconds. Then, it suddenly resumes its course, taking it on a route directly past the boulder-perched Gillian. It bobs in the air as if to say Hello as it passes by.

The butterfly comes to a rest in the makeshift smithy, landing on the lip of the quenching trough. Its wings beat slowly, despite its landing, and its antennae wave about. Somehow, the air around it whistles-- the sound of a thin, shrill wind that was conjured from somewhere else-- announcing its presence, and then goes silent.

[Frozen_Feet]

The silence is broken by an angry hiss as the stranger comes bearing the still-hot blade and sinks it into the through. As the blade cools, he notices the insect and kneels so his eyes are on level with it. "O hi there, little buggy bug. You here for me? From who might I have a message?"

[Kuroimaken]

"Who is she, though? Why is she doing this? And... what about you? what if you get hurt or captured?" Katsuo's pseudo-calm is gradually unraveling, here.

"Best as I can tell, she is Erscheinung Von Geister's daughter. She has some sort of feud with us, though I'm not really sure why - she was the one who unleashed that plague last time.

And I'm not going to get captured or hurt. That much I can promise you. There aren't a whole lot of ways she can get to me at this point, except through the people close to me. She's trying to goad me into making a mistake."

[Nicklance]

Kousaka is treated to an actually pretty good cup of coffee. On a second look, this place's name appears to be Bel Vento. The owner might be italian himself or a descendant at least.

'I saw them in Russia last, siding with some modified Gillian allied to a man who the Ghost King has slain. They fled and I have not been asked to seek them out yet.'

While the coffee is good, the information is not so good. If the heads in Italy have theoretically lost their authority and power, and he is effectively the last Italian Akiyama left, then where is he in the grand scheme of things?

Setting the coffee cup down, Kousaka looks back at Argos. "Do you know of my missions? I presume your intelligence networks are good enough to know that. And if they aren't relevant anymore, what does your Ghost King require of me?"

[Ammutseba]

[Mountain Fortress]

The jigokucho does not move from its landing as the blade is quenched. Though its difficult to tell with its compound eyes, the movements of its body suggest it might be keeping a watch on the blade as the smith works.

When the stranger kneels down onto its level, the hell butterfly waves is antennae meaningfully, but the meaning is lost. After a brief pause, the butterfly launches itself daintily from the lip of the trough, and touches one long antenna against the stranger's brow.

Spoiler: For the stranger

Show

The sound of Nuala's voice speaks through the jigokucho, very light on her accent, and read with a polite tone, as though the messenger were somehow reciting her words from a page.

"Good morning, mister Petrov-Yi.

"This fullbring will accompany and assist you until I am either in the library or at a suitable secondary location. Due to the tension between yourselves and the Espada, I would prefer a blind exchange. Our bike will be waiting for you at the drop point. In exchange, I would appreciate my zanpakuto, if you please.

"I hope this message finds you well, my friend. I look forward to seeing you again. Someday soon, with any fortune."

[strawberryman]

"Best as I can tell, she is Erscheinung Von Geister's daughter. She has some sort of feud with us, though I'm not really sure why - she was the one who unleashed that plague last time.

And I'm not going to get captured or hurt. That much I can promise you. There aren't a whole lot of ways she can get to me at this point, except through the people close to me. She's trying to goad me into making a mistake."

"That cult? The same one that is trying to cause problems for you? And this person caused a plague?" Katsuo gives a grimace as he thinks back to it.

"And you're bringing Chuck. If you have a back way... why can't you just let me? I just..." His words hitch in his throat. He knows it's unreasonable, and that it's probably the best shot, but...

[Kuroimaken]

"They're bigger than that. They're a problem for everybody, even if the Shinigami are their primary target.

The reason I'm sending you through the back door is because you're the best shot your aunt has. No one here can break through their defenses from the inside like you can, not even me. I'm the big, flashy distraction."

[strawberryman]

Katsuo is silent for a few moments, clenching and unclenching his fists. "...you have to both come back. I can't lose anyone else."

He closes his eyes, trying to breathe and gain control of himself. It's of questionable efficacy. "...I have to save her. We need to go now."

[riccaru]

[Empty shoreline]

"In theory, yes. In practice... no." Tamaki grabs hold of his scarf and pets it affectionately. "I said I'm a Fullbringer. That means I can connect with spirits of all things and bring in full their hidden nature. This armor is a particular power of my scarf. It exists because it's very dear to me. Hence, its powers have come to reflect desires of my heart and soul."

It's a good moment for Robin to think about what kind of desires might make a person into a superhero.

"To my knowledge, every Fullbringer has such object of desire. Some might even have multiple. Such objects serve as a focus for their spiritual powers and give them their unique form."

The air around Tamaki's feet begins glowing green. Then he leaps backwards and two meters up in the air and... doesn't fall down, instead standing there like the green light below his feet is a solid platform. "Some abilities are more widespread than others. The green light you see is called Bringer Light. It is a sign I'm spiritually communing with the air, asking it to support me in ways it normally wouldn't. Lots of... magic tricks like this are possible with practice."

Tamaki jumps down and walks to the waterline - in fact, he walks well past the waterline, standing on water's surface as he kneels and scoops up a handful of water. He walks back to Robin. She might notice not a single drop is slipping past his fingers. The water is keeping a spherical form, as if it was inside a balloon.

"Here. Try." Tamaki opens his palm and offers the sphere of water to Robin.

Robin watches in awe as Tamaki continues his display, especially interested in what seems to be him flying. "Desires of the heart, huh? What does that make you?" She manages to snap out during the pause before she concentrates fully on the water orb, trying to will the surface tension to stay as it is. She holds out her hands with a grimace on her face and manages to hold the form in shape for a few brief moments. In a short time it begins undulating slowly, then more rapidly, and then splashes onto her shirt as it loses shape. She stamps her foot into the sand with little effect and mutters under her breath. "Anyway what were you saying about a spirit world? And ...Hollows? Hueco Mundo?" She asks as she tries to pick up more water with the power, holding it for a bit longer than before but with similar results.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mountain Fortress]

The bandaged stranger listens to the message, absent-mindedly drawing the blade out of the trough. Then he puts the sword down on an anvil, takes the insect on his palm and goes out to the courtyard. He whistles sharply and yells: "Here, doggy doggy doggy!"

A wolf-masked Hollow who was lazing on top of the curtain walls stands up, stretches its limbs and walks down sloooowly, stopping to sniff flower on the way, before getting to the stranger.

"D'awww, it knows its name!", the stranger coos, feigning excitement.

"Woof", the Hollow says in the most deadpan, least dog-like voice. "You need me for something?"

The stranger points at the insect. "You still have that excess sword? I need you to get it to some drop-off point for a blind exchange"

The Hollow crosses its arms. "Lemme guess. To get your bike back."

"To get my bike back. Yeah."

The wolf-masked Hollow thinks, then nods. "Okay, so where is this drop-off point?"

"I have no clue!" the stranger exclaims cheerfully. He offers the bug towards the Hollow. "I was hoping buggy bug here will show you."

"... 'kay." The Hollow does its best to lure the creature on its palm without damaging the fragile creature. Once successful, it turns to leave.

"That's a good boy!", the stranger cheers.

The Hollow stops, glances over its shoulder, and... wags its bottom for a second. "Woof."

And then it walks out.

---

[Empty Shoreline]

Tamaki smiles behind his visor. The girl almost got it on the first try. It's funny how unimpressive even genuine supernatural powers can look like on a low level.

... after a while Tamaki decides he's probably spending too much time looking at Robin's wet bustline and decides to stop. Which harder than it sounds without looking away from the girl entirely. Height difference makes things awkward sometimes.

In response to Robin's question. "Those are a bit outside my ability to demonstrate right away. Also, dangerous. If you have never been attacked by a Hollow, consider yourself lucky. They've been crawling all over Ikari for past nine months. Probably because there are so many people with powers here. Normally, their interest in humans and this world is highly limited. Mikael-san, who we talked about earlier, met no Hollows and no other spiritually gifted people for four years."

Tamaki dismisses his armor. His scarf whirls around him for a moment again and then his armor has vanished, leaving just his normal clothes in place. "But to get back to your question... you know ghost stories, right? Poltergeists and the like? Spirits of people who can't move on due to unfinished business and start taking their frustrations out on the living?"

"The stories are basically right. That's what Hollows are. You'll know them by the masks they wear."

"As for afterlife? You've heard of Heaven and Hell, right? Again, the stories are basically right. Hueco Mundo is... it's the place for people who don't make it to either of the two mentioned. Namely, Hollows. Las Noches is a city of humanoid Hollows who have taken off their masks. We call them Arrancar. They... they're people. Not very good people, but people still."

[Ammutseba]

The moment the jigokucho lands on the wolf-masked Hollow's hand, it conveys another message, and then awaits a response.

In the mean time, the butterfly turns back to face the stranger, and dips its head down, as if bowing a Goodbye to the smith. It waves its antennae about, in a different set of movements than before. Unfortunately, no one seems to speak "butterfly sign language."

Spoiler: For the wolf Hollow

Show

"Good morning, Sword-Bearer Lobo.

"If you have received this message in the stead of Mister Petrov-Yi, please give him my regards when you see him again. I need my zanpakuto, if you would not mind. I prefer a blind exchange at the drop point my fullbring will bring you to, where the smith's bike will be waiting. If you agree to this arrangement, please inform the flutterby that you will "Take charge." My jigokucho will remain with and assist you until I am in the library of Las Noches or a safe location, then lead you to the drop point.

"Thank you for your time, Lobo. I hope I'm not interrupting any important business."

[Kuroimaken]

Katsuo is silent for a few moments, clenching and unclenching his fists. "...you have to both come back. I can't lose anyone else."

He closes his eyes, trying to breathe and gain control of himself. It's of questionable efficacy. "...I have to save her. We need to go now."

"Focus on getting your aunt out of there. Chuck and I will handle the rest."

Right, they're at the entrance now.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Kunlun mountains]

The wolf-masked Hollow listens to the message as it rapidly descends the slope. "Lobo? Well that's a name I could almost accept being called with", it speaks to the butterfly. "And if it wasn't already obvious, I'm large and in charge! The top dog! The god-damned Alpha!"

"... and I have no option but to follow you around like a puppy on a leash. Okay. Lead the way, bug."

. . .

"Woof."

[riccaru]

Ikari Beach

Robin nods as Tamaki continues speaking and smiles at him. "So where does that leave people like us? Good, bad, or somewhere in between? And if hollows are the bad guys does that mean the spirit world is full of good people? Who goes to hell if Hueco Mundo is the not-so-good? " She asks him eager for all the information Tamaki can muster.

[KnightDisciple]

[Ikari, Japan]
[Entrance, Kuzonoha Sanctuary]

Chuck was leaning against the doorframe, his gaze switching between the chunk of Argos that was floating there, and the horizon. When Shinji and Katsuo came up, he moved to stand next to Shinji and leaned over to speak softly in the other teen's ear. Katsuo might still hear; it was more a way to indicate it was important but not strictly related to the matter at hand.

"Found a creeper nearby. Tried to pass himself off as a "priest". Had a ton of ofuda, thought I was stupid enough to fall for the "oops dropped it I'll pick that up later" trick. Scared him off, but he was asking about Torahiko. Might want to warn everyone else to stay frosty while we go deal with more important matters."

After that, he stepped back and to one side, arms crossed over his chest, glowing red lenses staring at Argos for lack of a better target for his wrath.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Empty shoreline]

"We're human. Where we fall depends on what we choose to do", Tamaki says, looking nearly comically serious. It's not a smiling matter to him. "Hell is for people who committed severe crimes in life. Unrepentent murderers, thieves, frauds, and so on. Hollows... I can talk about that on the return trip. You wanted to see more spiritual powers, yes?"

[Kuroimaken]

[Ikari, Japan]
[Entrance, Kuzonoha Sanctuary]

Chuck was leaning against the doorframe, his gaze switching between the chunk of Argos that was floating there, and the horizon. When Shinji and Katsuo came up, he moved to stand next to Shinji and leaned over to speak softly in the other teen's ear. Katsuo might still hear; it was more a way to indicate it was important but not strictly related to the matter at hand.

"Found a creeper nearby. Tried to pass himself off as a "priest". Had a ton of ofuda, thought I was stupid enough to fall for the "oops dropped it I'll pick that up later" trick. Scared him off, but he was asking about Torahiko. Might want to warn everyone else to stay frosty while we go deal with more important matters."

After that, he stepped back and to one side, arms crossed over his chest, glowing red lenses staring at Argos for lack of a better target for his wrath.

Another onmyouji? Shinji's family wasn't the only one practicing in the country, sure, but they knew pretty much every other, and they were on cordial terms with practically all of them.

Unfortunately, he had bigger things to worry about right now.

"Gotcha. Thanks, Chuck."

[Draken]

While the coffee is good, the information is not so good. If the heads in Italy have theoretically lost their authority and power, and he is effectively the last Italian Akiyama left, then where is he in the grand scheme of things?

Setting the coffee cup down, Kousaka looks back at Argos. "Do you know of my missions? I presume your intelligence networks are good enough to know that. And if they aren't relevant anymore, what does your Ghost King require of me?"

'From our previous conversation, I know you want to recover the boy, Tachibana Torahiko. I also know you want to reclaim the quincy artifact that is with him. I have not been keeping track of you before this, so I know of no further goals you might personally have.'

Argos is probably making an educated guess regarding the artifact, given it saw the thing before.

'As for what the Ghost King would need of you, I cannot specify any particular missions, those who follow his design have great latitude in how they can go about bringing it to the fore. But I can tell from sight that he would be interested in as much as simply evaluating you and your powers, it is an interesting quincy mutation. Sparing him some time could be worth a great many gifts.'