[BSD-RP] Human World: Naruki City

[Shinigami]

Unfamiliar Territory
The meeting with this man was not one remotely of what was in expectation. A tour or something certainly would have been more... typical. The random appearance in the middle of the city streets was careless as well. It did not matter if she was a normal human or not, there was a risk in either situation. Yayoi narrowed her eyes towards the CEO, never loosening her grasp on the weapon that laid flush against the back of her thigh. A different reaction would have certainly come from her should they have not been in such a public place. Was this what he had planned? Or just a coincidence wrapped around the extension of his olive branch? Either way, it was convenient for sure.
The woman's head leaned slightly to the side as she caught the figure of someone approaching behind the black-clad male. Her focus did not wane from the actions of the latter but she had to be sure numbers weren't being stacked against her. The hold she had on her knife tightened, creating a slightly audible sound. She did not want to escalate the situation but instead simply wanted to preserve her own life.
” You asked to see me yet you aren’t there to greet me -- Who is this?”
Familiar for sure... But to how deep that connection was yet to be seen. There was no opportunity to linger on that thought as the clanking of a bottle meeting the ground broke not only her own gaze but that of the CEO. Something resided within the darkness of the alleyway. A stray cat? Or a mouse? No, it was certainly a person. A person who had a spiritual presence above those that walked the streets around. That power did not seem like anything remarkable but that did not mean much, for even she was shrouding her own potential from those in her company. Yayoi alternated her sight from the alley back to the pair and back again. Hansha looked to be thrown off by the individual in the alley as well. His stare housed something else beyond curiosity however.
”Tachibana-san, bear with me for a moment, you too Sukoshi. We need more privacy.”
"Seriously... What the fu-"
A sudden shift in location broke apart the very words that she began speaking. It was if the very shadows around them had swallowed them and spit them out elsewhere. The transition was swift leaving little to process outside of the change of location.
"-ck is going on."
The words from her mouth trailed into more of a mumble with each passing word. What else more was going to happen? Jarring would be too light of a word to describe the past few moments.
”Drinks anyone? Coffee, juice, water, alcohol? I do not keep soda or sugary drinks in my office so if that is your taste forgive me for not having it in stock.”
Still with the causality? She didn't humor a response to his offer.
”Now, Tachibana-san, originally I wanted to test something, a theory Miss. Stephania and I had about you. Given your ‘talent’ and yes I do not consider playing video games a talent, we suspected you were a Fullbringer. But with your reaction to me and the sudden appearance of that knife it seems our theory has been confirmed fact.”
Yayoi crossed her arms as the man directly addressed her, giving him a look that could cut through steel. Although she now exposed both her hands, the weapon she previously held was nowhere to be seen.
"Well no point bullshitting on that topic, I guess. Yeah. Your assumption was correct. But what gave you the idea remotely that I had this talent? It ain't like I've been playing superhero or shadow stalking prospects. Been rather careful with when and where I use my abilities."
It was obvious that she had higher spiritual power than that of an average human but that alone wasn't a dead giveaway as to what she was. Did this mean she had literally been watched the whole time? Was the deal with her own brand something born completely out of solely this assumption? All these lingering questions only made her impatience grow even more.
”That said, there is something more that Miss. Stephania would like to offer you now, more than just a sponsorship. This is what people like to call an opportunity.”
As her host had finished his remark, he threw out what seemed to be a card towards Yayoi. The object flew along the wind only to be met by the woman's grasp. She examined the monochrome design that had an hourglass-like shape upon its face. Her brow raised at the symbol as it held absolutely no attachment to her personally. She hoped this hourglass meant it was time to humor her inquiries.
"Is this where I get dragged into some yakuza business?"
The crimson haired female didn't necessarily believe that what she said was the case. It was more so some bland sense of humor. Though to be fair, organized crime surely wasn't off the table with someone with such power. She played with the card in her grasp for a bit, her touch causing faint curves and lines to appear along it periodically. Hansha had gone on to exchange some words with the other guy in the room. Discussions about the transferrance of powers and the personal stance they have towards using them. Their conversation wasn't really all that important to her. All she cared about was getting her questions answered, both the ones asked and yet to be. Yayoi's full attention was restored when the walking shadow of a man gave her and this Sukoshi free reign of the building. The oppurtunity to explore such an establishment was eclipsed by this exchange between Fullbringers. The deeper her mind dug the more she wanted to know. And it made her wonder how honest this man would be if she dug her claws in deep enough?
"I have a lot I'd like to discuss before I go making any decisions. And if your boss can shed some light as well then that would be fantastic."
Her words carried mostly monotone but the stating of 'fantastic' had an extra little spice thrown on it. As if to make sure her annoyance with the situation was ever so known. Under normal meeting circumstances, a conversation between her and anyone in this company would be a lot more cordial, but instead, she was just startled and teleported into the man's office. Formalities fell a lot lower on her list of actions.
Yayoi then looked to where the CEO had acquired his drink and back to him.
"I'll take that what you are drinkin'. I'm probably gonna need it."

 

[Shinigami]

護廷十三隊
Two Days Later

 

[Shinigami]

Thunderous strikes into the sheet. The sounds of what would appear to be a mauling took place on the final floor of possibly the tallest building in Naruki City. The weather outside was crystal clear, not a single rain cloud in sight but if one neared this building and ignored the sounds of the street, they would hear distant thunder clapping down on the metallic post atop the building. Catching them by surprise, they’d look up in shock and fear only to be reminded of the tender weather the city has been having as of late. What could be the cause of this loud disturbance high in the distant atmosphere? What colossus could create such a menacing sound capable of taking some attention from persons on the street? Taking place atop the seventy story tall was a training session. But what training session or method could create such a loud and far too obnoxious noise? The answer, ironically, was simple.
In the confines of a multiple alloy steel room, surrounded by his best researchers, businessmen and other esteemed colleagues was a man testing the limits of his ability. Silent up until now, he had only been waiting in the wings to finally deploy himself into the phenomenons taking place in both Karakura Town and Naruki City. Inside this room were the employees of the man who in fact owned the property. The sole proprietor of the sounds that could be heard faintly from the ground level on the street. Hooked up to multiple wireless sensor applications to monitor his heart rate, muscle mass, and fat loss among other things to observe when taking one's body into high consideration. He stood there simply delivering blinding speed punches to a specially designed punching bag that was supposed to give over ten tons of resistance to this man's punch. The goal was to see how many inches he could move it in a solid, single hit, and it would seem for the most part he was doing better than anticipated by his scientists.
The man in question was dark of complexion, bald and fairly tall. His build is beyond athletic, his muscles not defined but aren't hidden among his bulky and well cut frame. Shirtless within the hermetically sealed room wearing only his black combat boots and dark cargo pants, he wailed at the industrial punching bag with a blank stare on his face. His body drenched in sweat, a significant showing of how long he had been at this rigorous regimen. His eyes however were the only thing abnormal about this man, glowing flash white as he bore into the bag. One could only imagine what was currently on his mind as he beat and battered at his experiment. What possibly drove this man to continue on his walk on the path of life? The answer, once again was simple.
The answer, was the next mission.
"Hey, Sarge! We've gathered all the information for the time being. I think it's good to take a break. It sure looks like that bag needs one."
A voice on a PA system went off inside the room he was in, he stopped punching once the voice had finished speaking, lowering his hands, his knuckles would be unscathed while he left a Multitude of different dents and incisions on the metallic punching bag. It was slightly bent from the amount of punches he threw at an alarming rate. It was impossible to tell how many were thrown in that session...from their vantage point. He soon walked out of the room as the door was automatically opened for him as the release of turbines and miniature cogs and gears opened the tumblers and finally the locks with a soft hiss. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he was screened by two small women of Asian descent as they handed him a cold water bottle and towel for his extremities, both of which he accepted gracefully. By now his eyes have returned to normal, a rare slate grey which he immediately covers with his signature dark sunglasses that he retrieved from his pocket.
They guided him to the mob of investors and businessmen who were watching the display of raw strength. These were a new special type of military arms dealers. In the last ten years, the market interest in ”enhanced” weaponry and personnel has multiplied greatly since the last incident a decade prior. Naturally those in a position to take advantage monetarily and then eventually leaking out into more sinister avenues could tip the scales in the favor of the wrong person. The tall dark man approached the businessmen and women while effectively towelling himself off of perspiration. The women in the room certainly seemed to be hot and bothered with the sight, and he put his top back on.
“So, whad’ya think? The bag is designed to train physically enhanced beings to stretch their muscle tissues within their hands and harden them against a set amount of force that you can control semi-remotely. With every hit, depending on the varying strength of the individual, the muscle would be torn apart but given the regenerative properties of their tissues, they’d strengthen with swift repetition. It is faster than going through, say, six bags full of sand protected by canvas. It's efficient, but not for everyone. Mainly, the boxers I sponsor use these but on a much smaller scale. The heart rate pods that were attached to my body come free of charge with every purchase. With upfront payment of course.”
Opening up to lead his business proposal, he felt the room instantly swayed. He was currently advertising a brute force training method to secretive government agencies around the world. They all jotted notes down on their clipboards which were offered to them prior to the demonstration. After a few moments, they all nodded their heads while the tall dark skinned man grinned slyly then bowed to the following applause from his peers. Turning on his heel and twirling his finger in the air to signal his two young female assistants to assist them in purchase of the equipment on display. He was given a thumbs up by his operating scientist from within the booth and was returned with a nod from his boss. He quickly exited the testing chamber through an elevator built directly for him and his personal use. Stepping into it, and scanning his palm on a console, he then spoke to an automated A.I. system for the floor he wanted to go to.
“Penthouse.”
Without a moment's notice, the elevator began its soft ascent to the office, although the ride itself felt smooth and slow, the elevator was significantly faster than the main three for the building. He’d find himself at the penthouse suite within thirty seconds of leaving one of the higher sub-levels below the ground floor. Arriving at his penthouse office, finding a very modern decor with a minimalist approach to the design. Various futuristic pieces of furniture, large windows displaying the outlook of Naruki City. His building was built on the edge of town near the waterfront, his office however he specifically requested to be built to be outlooking the city, rather than the waterbed. He moved towards his desk and clicked a pod that resembled a telephone with a small button as he walked the room to hear his missed messages or business calls. Hearing the usual rabble of appointments, charity events and things of that nature, he poured himself a small glass of bourbon and sat at his lounging couch as the last of his messages played. Once they got to the end, he took a long swing of his drink, effectively finishing it and placing the cup on his black glass coffee table. Snapping his fingers, he turned on the ’digital office membrane’ (referred to as D.O.M.), an artificial intelligence assistant created and used by Han’ei Namari. It would appear nothing about the room changed, until Han spoke aloud seemingly to himself.
“Afternoon D.O.M., What's the report of the string of murders that have been taking place?”
Once he finished speaking, the room lit up with a holographic digital replica, defining the straightest lines in the room and then finally condenses into a large screen taking its place on a designated blank wall with nothing along it or on it. Once the pomp and circumstance was complete, a screen displaying autopsy reports, news videos regarding the deaths, and any other relevant information that may be necessary to the growth and findings of these cases.
“Good afternoon, sir. It would appear as though the local police force has continued to fail in their attempts at apprehending this criminal. His presence has been surely felt with the disappearances and absences of these individuals as the number grows at an alarming rate across the city.”
Intently listening to the debriefing from his computer system, he silently made his way over to his liquor bench to pour another glass as he pondered his next moves. Once the A.I. was complete in its debriefing, he turns on his heel and makes various gestures with his free hand in the air as if he were using a computer mouse on a screen, and having it work to perfection as the holographic screen broke out into various screen representing ‘tabs’ in different areas of the room as he walked and observed them all individually. Taking a small sip as he passed through the displays as he read the police reports of every case. This would take him about twenty minutes as he walked around in silence. Once he was done he made another hand gesture and the displays all vanished and the holograph returned to its original format of a large screen. Han had some instructions for his computer.
“Email Steph. Send her the reports in a summarized document, send her the evidence I’ve also managed to compile along with the subject line; These aren’t ordinary. Set an appointment for later today with her if possible, I’ll have some free time to discuss it in person. You get all that?”
“Sir, if I didn’t get all of that you wouldn’t have created me properly, with all due respect.”
It was about now when he slightly regretted the fact he created the system to be able to interact with it verbally. He never took into account how….well it would respond to him. He shrugged it off and put on his black military flak vest along with a USB drive before making his way back to his personal elevator. Exiting on the ground floor, he is then greeted by three men who are about as tall as him but not nearly as muscular, ironically, this was his personal security detail. Dressed sharply in matching grey suits with blue and white striped ties and black loafers. Two wore sunglasses and one did not. They moved in unison once they caught the eye of their CEO, immediately taking to his side as if he were naked and surrounded him in a special formation carefully chosen and instructed by none other than himself. They would open his doors for him without having to be told or ordered, and acted as an extension of this man's will as he cooly sauntered to the exterior of his building where a black car and driver would wait for him. He entered with one guard entering behind him as the other filed in where there was an available seat. Before long they were off, to whereabouts, no one knew but Han.
“Any specific destination, sir?”
Fearing this would be his only time to relax, he quickly lit up a cigar presented to him in a cylindrical container. The guard on his left lit it for him as well, a perfect cherry of red forming at the end, as the smoke billowed and filled the backseat of the car, forcing the driver to slightly wind the window down so as to properly see the road. After taking in the passing scenery as he enjoyed his smoke, he finally looked at his employee and spoke simply.
“Just drive Archie.”

 

[Shinigami]

x

TWO DAYS AGOWith Tsukune in tow, Stephania glides through the hallways of the building in the direction of Hansha's own office, to reunite with him, Sukoshi, her prime model, and the newest addition, Yayoi.
"I have a lot I'd like to discuss before I go making any decisions. And if your boss can shed some light as well then that would be fantastic."
As if on cue, the doors open to reveal the woman with the newest addition to the team. IN an exuberant manner, her hands are thrown up in the air, hearing mention of her, despite the heavy undertones of sarcasm, something she ignored entirely. Her eyes look the crimson haired streamer up and down, her own golden eyes catching every inch and stitching it to memory. It isn't until she catches sight of the effects on the card in the girl's hand that a wide smirk spreads across her face. I see. Not a full reveal of the powers, but a glimpse, a mere peek, enough to confirm for herself what Hansha bore witness to minutes ago.
Having not seen Yayoi in the party downstairs gave the woman the impression Yayoi was elsewhere initially. Which was certainly the case. It being so, being suddenly transported halfway across the city would most certainly be cause for alarm and result in a souring of the mood. She can't help but find amusement in Yayoi's demeanor, as it is something she's become accustomed to witnessing and undergoing herself. Perhaps horrifyingly unnerving to anyone else, placing such levels of trust on such an untrustworthy man.
"I'll take that what you are drinkin'. I'm probably gonna need it."
"Pardon the abrupt invitation, Miss Tachibana, but please, allow me to elaborate."
She takes a second to think, gathering hew words as she takes a breath to explain what they needed to know.
"We are a rare few, scattered; isolated. That puts us at a severe disadvantage with little to no communication between us. Easy pickings for aggressors. What I propose is coming together and working as a team. Hollows are inevitable, we know that, it is how we came about. But we can use that to help the people of our city, protect them from the monsters they can't see. Inadvertently, we are blessed with not only the ability to see them, but to combat them, and we can save so many people. Not just them, the danger of Togabito... is still a looming threat."
She glances over at Tsukune, a look of pain on her face ever brief as she gestures with her hand.
"He's a survivor of the events all those years ago. While I don't remain in the past, I learn to better the future. He didn't have the support then, but all this has changed, and by banding together, we can protect each other and the citizens of our home town. We cannot blindly rely on the Quincy, much less the Shinigami."
Whilst not a slight against the grand business partnership between the Diamante and Stephania brands, Quincy abilities offset the equilibrium of souls by removing them from circulation with each hollow they obliterate. This is something they must prevent, at all costs. Not to help the Shinigami in their quests to maintain the balance of souls between the dimensions, but to ensure more people survive hollow attacks.
Now it is their choice to remain or to return into mundane life, leaving them isolated and with little to no help in the event of an enemy ambush. But that is merely scratching the surface of benefits in choosing to remain a member of Xaltation.

PRESENT DAY: EARLY MORNING
The day begins earlier than normal, or rather, the previous day has yet to end for the woman. Having skipped on sleep as she spent the night in the sub-levels of the Altation Tower, fueled endlessly by her caffeine addiction. While in adjacent rooms to the one she resides in, several request of hers are on the verge of being completed by scientists of the company, with assistance from engineers from the S.A.F.E. Agency. Not only was the company able to upgrade their entire security system for the company, adding further real-time surveillance to the entire city of Naruki, allowing the group to move at a moments notice, but also develop a handsfree communicator, able to display information to the wearer inches from their face, without obscuring their vision. Detailing anything from temperature, distance between the wearer and any object, information collected from an enemy, even access the internet from such a device, without the need to lift so much as a finger. With a small operable camera housed on the frontal surface of this device, this device is capable of capturing live footage of the scene, and sending it to a database, stored securely in deeper levels of the building, in an effort to compile information on any dangerous individual or group that may come their way. Now undergoing finishing touches to appeal to each of the future wearers.
The second object, something far simpler in design, a circular object meant to hold reiryoku and steadily release it, able to be preset to release a certain amount until its' contents are exhausted, dubbed Chikara Kaihō (力 解放, Lit. Energy Releaser Bomb). She has dozens of these made, using her own reiryoku to test the device's capabilities as it was being built in secrecy., to increase it's durability, while the empty ones are sent to each member of Xaltation.

In the meantime, she is in her own secluded room, working away to create the new wardrobe for not only Yayoi, but Tsukune as well. With no sewing machine in sight, it is through her own fullbring ability that each energy resistant thread dances and sways in the air around her as it moves and weaves itself into place at her behest. Tightly condensed, not only do they strongly resist damage from spiritual energy, but are even bullet proof, signifying the clothing's reliability and resilience against slashing or piercing attacks. From her own glove, she plucks two slivers of thread, one for each set, and entangles it within the thousands of threads, granting it the ability to self restore within seconds of damage, thusly adding to the item's defensive capabilities.
With these completed, she exits her workshop, and has the newly made outfits gift wrapped and sent to her office, along with several energy releasers, as she heads to her office for the first time in days. Latching the final prototype of the communication device carefully on her ear, she presses a button on the side, activating it, causing several lights to flicker and soft beeps to resonate as it boots up. Working properly so far, she requests an update as she enters the staircase to begin her ascent to her in-house quarters.
"A report on hollow attacks, and unsolved attacks."
Step by step, floor by floor, she walks as the information becomes displayed inches from her face. Listing names, dates and times, even whether the victim survived such an attack, or perished at the hands of their aggressor.

"There has been an increase in unknown attacks, which can most likely be credited to hollows. 
Confirmed hollow attacks have also been on the rise. For an unknown reason, 
they are targeting the female population at a 25% higher rate than the male population."

"Also, send notice to Tsukune, Yayoi, and Sukoshi to come to my office."
Satisfied with the information she has received, Stephania silences the device, and focuses on her impromptu training session as she makes her way up the countless flights of stairs. Something that would have taken a normal person nearly an hour to climb, she manages in a fraction of the time through a combination of her pristine physical condition, stamina, and fullbring manipulation of the floor at her feet. Changing its elasticity to hurdle her forward the moment her foot touches the surface, skipping steps and lunging forward on the leveled platforms between floors.
With time to spare before the elevator reaches the same floor the woman has in a fraction of the time, she takes the opportunity to refresh herself.

PRESENT DAY: NOW
Reenergized by the steaming hot bath from earlier that day, she promptly returns to work, excited in her own way to hand the boxed gifts to the intended recipients. The creative director sits at her desk, a freshly brewed cup of coffee making it's way to her lips as she eyes the multitude of electronic mails in her inbox. One stands out, sent from Han'ei Namari, curiously, she taps the screen of the desktop. The golden eyes quickly scan the information, the hundreds of pictures, the autopsy reports, even police reports. Separate from her own compiled hollow/unkown report of attacks, this one piques her interest. Exactly who or what was causing these senseless attacks? She continues reading, coming across a request for an appointment. Without hesitation, she has her later appointments rescheduled, granting the veteran his request to meet.
Now her attention shifts to the social media of the company, a chance to see what the masses are currently entertained by. For a moment, she freezes, staring at the screen as pictures flood the brand's tagging page with pictures of a mystery man. Not only pixtagram, flutter, even chatsnap, and anywhere the company holds a domain. It is obvious the masses assume he is a model for her label, but they are wrong. She has never met this man before in her life. Excited, before she even realizes, Stephania is on her feet, face close against the screen as she scrutinizes the details from the pictures. The outfit itself, his height, arm length, reach, any detail she can gather from the pictures uploaded to the internet. It is obvious to even the most dense person around he's not a local. Where was this gem hidden for all these years?! She needs to sign him to her label before any other company gets their disgusting clutches on the man!
Scrambling to reach the desk phone, her hand slaps the button for her assistant.
"Send my personal vehicle, offer him an invitation to the tower, and don't take n-- That's not good enough! I'll go myself! Have my car ready! I shouldn't be long!"
In a matter of minutes, the woman is at the entrance, refusing to leave her coffee to chill in her office, she finishes every single drop, and lightly spritzes herself her signature fragrance. She climbs into her own car, which seldom sees use, much less by her very own hand at the wheel. Already running and conditioned for her temperature requirements, she latches the safety belt and shifts gears, taking off full speed to personally greet the newcomer. Most images uploaded to the web were fairly recent, she's certain to be the first to come across him, impossible to miss the tall foreigner.

The Ferrari glides through the asphalt as she speeds through the roads, scanning the surroundings looking for familiar buildings that lay in the background of the pictures of the mystery male. It isn't long before she is able to spot the towering stranger surrounded by the growing crowd of people. Her heel slams the breaks, causing the car to drift as she twists the steering wheel to manipulate the drift until the passenger's side stops before the man, the sudden screeching sound tears the attention of the crowd to the car as it comes to it's halt. The tinted windows roll down, revealing the red haired seamstress.
"Let me be the first to officially welcome you to Naruki. I'm Stephania, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Shinigami]

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From Hueco Mundo
Stroll of a King
Men and women followed Max as he walked through the streets of Naruki, taking pictures and recording him. People were certain, without a shadow of a doubt that this man was someone important. He didn’t mind the attention at all, there wasn’t a single ounce of annoyance that emanated from this man and it is probably why people felt so comfortable approaching him. He walked with a smile on his face, not saying a word, people assumed he didn’t understand their language so some played their messages for him on their phones with the use of a translator. He pressed on, in silence not paying no mind to the messages. He thinks to himself why a Hollow would ever hunt and eat such curious and delightful creatures? Their souls are too weak and fragile to be of any value or to help growth. He understands who would, the weak, those too weak to survive in Hueco Mundo feast on these quaint beings.
Maximiliano views humans as delightful and charming creatures much like how a human views a pet cat or dog. No matter how much they respect or feel bad for the pet they will always view themselves as superior to the pet. This is why he can’t get annoyed with them, they don’t know any better. He stops walking as a car is speeding down the street towards them, the car drifts and turns as it nears the man. Everyone else scatters and runs off while Max doesn’t even bother to move. Something moving at this speed cannot harm him, something made of such light material cannot hope to injure him. He stands tall and ready for the vehicle to collide with him before it comes to a halt, the tinted windows rolling down to reveal a curious person within, a Fullbringer. This walk was getting quite interesting indeed.
"Let me be the first to officially welcome you to Naruki. I'm Stephania, and it is a pleasure to meet you."
”Ah, the pleasure is mine. I am Maximiliano. This is... quite the welcome.
His spanish accent is very much apparent, even a few by standards who were still close heard it and were even more intrigued by it. He pays them no mind as his attention stays locked on Stephania.
”So, mind showing me around town, Señorita Stephania?”
The God King has all the time in existence to hang around, maybe he can end up striking a bargain or deal with the Fullbringers once he reveals who he really is. Until then they will only see him as a Fullbringer as well.