Bleach Hereafter RPG

Just like the rumours

GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Sept 4, 2022 9:54:50 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:




After what seemed to be a long discussion about the Tensai’s suspicion on traitors lurking within Soul Society, the Vice Captain immediately thought about following up on the new guy. Just inviting him over to the 12th Division Researcher’s place was already a compromise, potentially blowing the cover of their investigation. However, the green-haired shinigami made it more awkward when he came up with an odd excuse, calling for a meeting with the First Division Vice Captain to talk about creating a secret club which, if the new guy was rational, would be found absurd.

Hyakuji sighed heavily. Of course, he wanted to clarify the misunderstanding but even then, he also didn’t want to disclose crucial information to a new individual he just met. Since Cole was a new graduate, he didn’t want to make a bad impression of the organisation they were serving. Besides, the old era was nearly reaching its sunset; and a new one would soon rise on the horizon.

He peeled his eyes on the documents on the encounters with the creatures of hell, thoroughly reviewing and auditing if he had indeed missed the report Tensai submitted. He mentioned he wrote it himself and then gave it to his Vice-Captain. Of course, he couldn’t just interrogate them plainly in their territory, so he had to go back to his office and write a letter to them inquiring about the said document. Bureaucracy has its long process, after all.

Tapping on the blank paper, he couldn’t seem to relax about the rudeness of his host to the new shinigami. He felt he owed him an apology…

Without thinking twice, he stormed out of his office, called forth one of his subordinates and asked him to fetch the man.

He’d wait at the garden inside the First Division headquarters, eyes fixed at the ornamentals which were probably much older than he had been after his death as a human.

Sure he had been here before that, he had been familiar with Soul Society for how many decades now. He always felt at home. Yet, with his current resolve, he knew he was going further and further away from it.

A dissonance, a darkness which seemed to be brewing within.

[378]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

Player

I have nothing to say.

Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Sept 4, 2022 21:48:59 GMT -5

Once again, in the out-of-the-way training, Cole was kitted up in various gear to test the efficacy of different methods of magic. It looked almost like a portable laboratory that you’d see from twelfth division rather than any sort of mysterious arcane practice. A reiryoku valve to give precise control over how much energy he put into a spell, targets outfitted with heat, force, and all other sorts of sensors, both feeding into a laptop and a few spreadsheets to track the results. Cole’s scientific approach to spellcraft had not earned him too many friends in the fifth division; the strength of tradition viewed his advancements in the practice as a direct threat. There were some open minded folk, but they tended to be younger.

The low-ranked officer that entered his training ground looked at the wires and sensors with a barely hidden look of disapproval, ”Unseated Cole Alexander. Vice Captain Hyakuji has requested you. Report to First Division Headquarters immediately.”

”Understood sir, thank you for letting me know.”  He closed the laptop and began bundling up the wires as the officer departed. This was…unexpected. He had tried to get the Vice Captain’s attention for a quick private aside for nearly a week or so now. Maybe the Vice Captain had noticed and decided to just call for him directly. Given his utter failure at trying to be subtle disguising a discussion of a traitor as talking about an anime, maybe the man had just decided to be direct.

Well, no sense in keeping the man waiting, and he had a few things he wanted to discuss since they had last encountered one another. He quickly changed into his robes and arrived at the Headquarters only a few moments after being alerted. The receptionist informed him that the Vice Captain was waiting for him in the garden, and Cole made his way there after getting directions through the large building.

His zanpakuto began to mutter eagerly from the scabbard on his back, a faint sense of excitement and curiosity coming from the blade. The rookie Shinigami stopped at the entrance of the garden, waiting to be officially invited to start the meeting from his superior.  His strange reiatsu would let the man know he was waiting without him having to announce his presence.


GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Sept 9, 2022 3:43:50 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:


“Alexander-san,” the Vice-Captain spoke the moment the unseated shinigami entered the room. He did not need to look back and face him; the footsteps, his reiatsu, they were more than enough signs of the presence of the odd guy.

He’d take a gentle sip from his cup of coffee; perhaps quite an untraditional choice of drink given the Japanese’s love for tea. Then again, it was something he had gotten used to during his past human life which was carried over to this side of heaven.

“Please, sit down with me here,” he said right after, waiting patiently for the man to come over.

“I apologise about Toshiaki-san’s unfavourable attitude towards you the other day. He can get too focused on a single matter at hand and can be a bit insensitive towards others. I know the secret club was a lame and obvious excuse,” the Vice-Captain let out a chuckle, “...I am not comfortable letting it slide, I feel like we owe you an apology. You are among the cream of the crop of this year’s newly graduated shinigami.”

“...Or so I heard.”

He’d finally meet his eyes with a faint smile.

"Whatever the case, I am certain you won't fall for such absurdity,"

Ironically, most shinigami dreaded meeting him. Despite his kindness and gentleness, there were still some who thoroughly avoided him. Perhaps because of his piercing blue eyes, which seemed to intimidate anyone who meets him. He’d be hopeful, however, that Cole wouldn’t be among them.

[256]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

Player

I have nothing to say.

Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Sept 9, 2022 7:45:38 GMT -5

Cole approached when requested, walking around the man and sitting across from him. The coffee smelled nice, but he always preferred the smell to the taste; his late night studies were more often powered by energy drinks. He listened to the man’s introduction, feeling slightly disappointed; he hadn’t heard from the green-haired Shinigami since he accidentally intercepted his message to the Vice Captain. Frankly, he was kinda hoping the club was real; getting his hands on modern media had been difficult, he had a whole page of notes on the first season of Professor Ice that he wanted to discuss with the man from 12th.

The apology seemed genuine, and he met the man’s eyes without fear. If anything, he showed a of embarrassment. Taking a compliment gracefully was a skill that he had never quite mastered in life. He had gone through the academy in a time rivaling the man in front of him, he hadn’t really considered himself the cream of the crop. Sure; his proficiency with kidō was definitely notable, but any sort of seated position eluded him due to his difficulty with his zanpakuto.

Rather than acknowledging the apology and compliment, he moved forward with what he wanted to discuss, ”Well, actually, on that note, Vice Captain Hyakuji, I wanted to talk to you about that new series you mentioned. I saw some spoilers.”

The rookie pulled what appeared to be a small ball of wax from a satchel on his waist. The man had probably taken measures to ensure this conversation was private, but given how he had unsubtly revealed that there was a traitor in front of Cole, it didn’t hurt to double up. ”By your leave, I can ensure we are not overheard, I wouldn’t want to ruin the plot for anyone who might accidentally overhear us."

GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Sept 12, 2022 0:08:37 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:



The Vice-Captain gave a respectful bow as the man sat across him; judging his facial expressions, it seemed that he was disappointed at the bluff club the 12th Division researcher created. It would not hurt to make it happen, although the kido specialist moved on from the topic by discussing the matters he and Tensai kept from him.

He began speaking about the traitor, disguising it as a new series he seemed to be hyped about.

“Oh?” Hyakuji calmly replied, putting down the cup of his bitter drink, its aroma seeping through his nostrils. Irresistible. Just as the new information he was about to hear from his colleague.

“Carry on. I doubt any of my subordinates has a particular interest in modern entertainment,” He’d glance at the direction of his two loyal subjects, their eyes meeting his; and with a nod, the two started walking out of the room, leaving Hyakuji and his guest alone.

“Don’t worry. Our secrets are safe with them. Besides, I’ve also asked them to help me with this task. But it seems we are looking for a needle in a haystack. We’ve been searching for them for months. I tried to connect it with the disappearance of my mentor and the other shinigami, but theirs were a completely different concern. After all, many of these shinigami who were reported to be missing had already reported back,” The long-maned reaper recalled.

“I am starting to believe that this is an impossible task, and the traitor might be non-existent at all.”

[258]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

Player

I have nothing to say.

Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Sept 12, 2022 21:21:42 GMT -5

Cole raised an eyebrow, then slipped the ball of wax back into the pouch as he watched the other two leave, ”Very well, sir. If you are sure that there is no need for additional caution, I will defer to your judgment.”

It seemed that the Vice Captain was open about the fact that there was a traitor; not bothering with the TV show obfuscation. He gave a small shrug, he wasn’t a big fan of talking in innuendo in the first place. Might as well lay all his cards on the table, ”I’ve been experimenting with other methods of spellcraft--that is to say, alternate forms of spirit energy utilization similar to kidō. Long story short, I have found a way to leave Soul Society without using the Senkaimon. Near as I can tell, it is undetectable, at least if you don’t know what you’re looking for.”

The rookie shook his head, while it might have been shocking, it wasn’t what he was here to discuss, ”I say this to preface that I have made a few jaunts to Hueco Mundo. While there, I encountered an Arrancar who was quite talkative. This Arrancar, who identified himself as Nezuel, used kidō; and revealed he’d been taught, and taught recently, by a Shinigami. Maybe I stumbled upon a sanctioned black project, but it did strike me that it might be the actions of a traitor.”

There was more to tell, but if this was just a secret Shinigami project, then there were other things to discuss about the Arrancar.


Last Edit: Sept 12, 2022 21:22:40 GMT -5 by Cole

GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Sept 22, 2022 7:50:16 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:


The pleasing aroma of the caffeine in between his hands did not distract him from listening attentively to what the other shinigami had to say. A news about a traitor, albeit one different from his expectations. Based on their previous investigations, it seemed that the rumoured traitor had something to do with the missing death gods, which apparently was just shinigami deciding to abandon their duty and becoming rogues instead. His first few encounters were merely a bunch of blokes forming a playhouse, though recent developments suggested there were others who were connected with a smith responsible for creating parasitic weapons, the bakkoto, as Tensai called it.

The Vice-Captain sipped from the devil’s brew once more before reacting to what his comrade had just revealed, “That’s an interesting revelation, Alexander-san,” Hyakuji remarked. His brows furrowed deep analysing Cole’s statement in comparison to their previous case studies, “Although, this one’s quite a deviation from what Tensai and I are looking into, honestly. Our previous investigations suggest that the traitor might be involved in missing death gods, which apparently were rebels connected with a swordsmith who creates a parasitic weapon. But this one clearly is different. However, I will not dismiss your suspicion too. Can you tell me more about this arrancar? Or the shinigami who taught him?”

Of course, it wasn’t guarantee that the dots would connect. But it is always beneficial to gather as much information as possible.

[243]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

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Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Sept 22, 2022 17:44:36 GMT -5

Welp, apparently he was now in the inner circle of this particular conspiracy hunt. Cole was expecting to just provide information to the Vice Captain then be dismissed, not be informed of the rest of what they knew of a traitor.  Just like the rumors, if you got involved with the prodigy that was Muimina Hyakuji, you were going to be dragged into adventure whether you wanted it or not.  (And frankly, adventure sounded like a nice change of pace.) But, there was more to tell, so he nodded and continued, ”To be frank, I don’t know much about Shinigami that taught him. The only thing he really told me was that it was a woman; he had apparently kissed her once, and she refused to give him another kiss. He was upset about that.”

Cole chuckled slightly, it was an odd detail, but there was only so much he knew about the mysterious Shinigami. Honestly, the mysterious teacher would be revealed fairly quickly if they followed up on the next bit of information, ”Nezuel challenged me to a fight because he wanted to let off some steam after being rejected. He’d obviously been taught some kidō basics, a few low numbered spells. There was some degree of talent there, I will admit; particularly with how recently it seemed his whole interaction with this mysterious Shinigami occurred.”

The rookie gave a slight smirk, no harm in doing a little bit of bragging while he laid out the rest of the information, ”When it was clear to both of us that I was going to win, I offered to just declare it a tie. But as the bout was winding down, he…” Cole leaned forward conspiratorially, mostly for emphasis more than any actual desire to keep it secret, ”...he told me he was interested in leaving Hueco Mundo and joining the ranks of the Shinigami.”


Last Edit: Sept 22, 2022 17:46:04 GMT -5 by Cole

GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Sept 28, 2022 23:55:15 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:



“Well, that is indeed odd,” the Vice-Captain remarked, rubbing his chin in contemplation at the report that the arrancar wanted to join the shinigami. It was the first time he learned about races actually wanting to join the organisation. A few months before, a death god by the name of Hagane Shida actively recruited fullbringers, but based on his investigations, he wasn’t successful with the said attempt. Nobody has heard about it anymore, and it had never been brought up to Gotei 13 except for Yukari’s trial, which he also attested to.

“First, why would some shinigami teach an arrancar about kido? Unless, they have ulterior motives which they could potentially use against them…” If it was indeed Irisa, it was possible that she’d go as far as that.

As for this Nezuel, do you think… he’s sincere?” Hyakuji asked his comrade, “Does he truly want to ally with the shinigami, or is he just using this to get something out of it. An ulterior motive…” by this time, the coffee from his cup had already ran out. And he would’ve asked for more if his staff were here with them. However, such things are top secret conversations, and his subordinates made it clear they were not one to eavesdrop even though the Vice-Captain fully trusted them.

“If he’s just chasing our shinigami comrade for affection, I admit that is not a worthy reason to let him join in… and I would not dare use somebody’s feelings to our advantage. It may backfire on us in the long run.”

[266]
Last Edit: Sept 28, 2022 23:56:16 GMT -5 by Muimina Hyakuji

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

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Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Oct 1, 2022 6:17:41 GMT -5

Cole nodded, ”I don’t know what the purpose would be. Arrancar are a fairly new threat to the realms, aren’t they? Some of the folks I’ve met in 12th just seem to think they’re a new classification of Hollow; somewhere between an adjuchas and a vasto lorde. Maybe this mystery Shinigami is trying to figure out the extent of their capabilities. They do seem significantly more intelligent, not to mention less bloodthirsty…soulthirsty? Than a normal hollow.”

He gave a small shrug, ”As to Nezuel’s motives, I had been thinking on that already. Admittedly, I am no expert reading people’s intentions; but I don’t need to be.”

The rookie shinigami grinned, he had clearly thought about this already, ”Are you familiar with the Phoenix Hall and its proprietress? I could contact Nezuel, arrange to meet at the spa, ostensibly neutral ground of the world of the living, and see if he’d submit to being under the effects of Miss Hoshinomiya’s shikai.”

”Easy peasy.” He gave a quick clap, and brushed his hands off each other, ”You can’t lie under the effects of her zanpakuto. Well, I mean, you can, but when you start grunting in pain after you make an untrue statement, it’s going to be pretty telling. If he refuses, well; then clearly he’s not that sincere; and we’ll deal with him however you see fit.”

GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Oct 8, 2022 6:18:29 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:




“Arrancars do have their own personalities… it seems,” the Vice-Captain contemplated. Of his few encounters with these sentient hollows, one seemed sensible enough not acting too hostile with him. In fact, he helped him many times during his trip with his lover in Africa. Although, their last meeting was not quite what he expected. The male arrancar intercepted him while he was dealing with a vasto lorde, which the shinigami in-training had bumped into during one of their missions. These shinigami were transported into Hueco Mundo and when he followed them, half of the death gods already succumbed to death.

Another meeting was with a short arrancar named Rao. He was cocky and quite ambitious, but not threatening. In fact, he found a way to even made his acquaintance, if not friendship. Although, he'd consider him one.

“I’ve encountered a few of them. I don’t think it’s safe to assume they are all dangerous. Some seemed to be friendly… or at least, civil with other factions. If anything, I guess it would be their leaders who are dangerous. I’ve fought one… and I can say, she’s pretty lunatic.”

It was the time when he met with Hideki to obtain the shard in Hueco Mundo. Thanks to Irisa, he managed to stay alive, though, the thought of her bullying and teasing him passed his mind. You really never know what’s inside that old lady’s thoughts. Much as she looks, her behaviour towards anyone can be deceiving. You wouldn’t know when she’d stab your back.

ANyway, Cole made an offer to arrange a meet-up with this Nezuel… at the… spa? Which apparently had a proprietress who was a shinigami. He once visited an onsen with Tensai to investigate on the rumoured traitor, but he was sure it was not Phoenix Hall.

“Phoenix Hall? And the proprietress is a shinigami?” He repeated to clarify, and if it was indeed true, well, certainly they can use her skills to their advantage.

“Well, sure. That sounds like a plan. Just contact me after you’ve arranged it. I’ll make sure to accommodate it in my schedule.”


[361]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

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Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Oct 8, 2022 7:08:41 GMT -5

Enfermizo, Nezuel, and Milo; they were three very different Arrancars, faux friendly, aggressively flirty, and, well, just plain pleasant. That being said, all of them had at least a veneer of civility, and weren’t going to jump you. The rookie smiled faintly, ”From what they’ve told me, that sounds pretty accurate. It may be a dog eat dog world in Hueco Mundo, but some of them understand that fighting isn’t always needed to survive.”

Cole hesitated, the fact that the Vice Captain didn’t know of the Phoenix Hall was somewhat worrying. The mission with Rekka had been to find a few missing Shinigami, but it turned out they were just relaxing at the spa owned by the man’s old mentor. While he might probably make a spell to teleport to the spa directly, it would probably be better to get the proprietor’s blessing for the plan, particularly if they were bringing an Arrancar along.

‘Well sure’ did not sound like the greatest vote of confidence, but at least that counted as having the backing of a Vice Captain for the next step. He did want to help Nezuel, as long as the man was being sincere, and this seemed like a fine way to establish it. ”I’ll need to reach out to Rek–Third Seat Hagashi of the ninth division. I won’t mention anything about the potential traitor, but I guess Miss Hoshinomiya’s is his old mentor. The spa seems to be a somewhat magically protected location that moves around in the real world; so hopefully he has an easy way to get in touch with her and I won’t need to come up with something."

It sounded like the Vice Captain was done with him, but the man had called him here; it was possible that it was just for the apology that started the conversation, but he remained seated for the moment to be polite. The voices from his zanpakuto in the back of his head began to increase in volume as he gave Hyakuji a nod, ”Was there anything else, Vice Captain Muimina?”


GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Oct 15, 2022 7:39:32 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:



“Oh… so Hageshi-san knew about it?”

To be fair, his clan was still a bit influential, despite their seeming worry about it, so it was only natural for Rekka to know more people than he does. Besides, he was usually confined to paper works, and a few missions on earth to verify or audit some reports and investigations. Not to mention, his own personal ones.

“That would be fine.Although, I am fine with meeting this suspicious arrancar anywhere,” he could potentially disguise as human and interact with him in a subtle way… or, he could meet him in his shinigami form. It really didn’t matter whether he would act in hostility, he had countermeasures for that.

Yet of course, if he would try to join the shinigami as he claimed, then for sure, he’d act civil towards any death god. Except perhaps for whoever rejected him.

Silence filled the garden for a bit. His coffee was done, and there seemed nothing else to talk about. He intentionally met up with the man to apologise for being rude to him the last time, and while this news seemed to progress their investigation on the traitor, they wouldn’t know for sure until they dig deeper.

“Have you met other arrancar? What are your thoughts on those you’ve encountered in particular? Do you think it’s possible to achieve peace with them?”

[234]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.

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I have nothing to say.

Cole Avatar

Cole

Post by Cole on Oct 15, 2022 15:32:46 GMT -5

”Yeah, he brought me along there to check on some of his squadmates and take a brief vacation. Kind of a weird situation involving his zanpakuto spirit, but it was nice of him to bring me along.” His own zanpakuto was still mumbling quietly in the back of his head, but that was easy enough to tune out.

He considered the Vice Captain’s words and patted the satchel on his waist, ”I was going to cobble together a spell to send him a message with an invitation, but if you don’t want to get Third Seat Hageshi involved, or wanted to try and meet him when he’s not ready for it…” He thought for a moment, ”Yeah, I think if you can give me a few days, I could do some artificy instead and whip up a trinket that let you track him down as long as you’re in the same plane as him.”

As for other Arrancar, Enfermizo and Milo were very different individuals, just as Nezuel was different from those two. But Cole held up three fingers with a sly smile, ”A small sample size, but the other two were also cordial encounters. Hell, Nezuel’s the only one who even challenged me to a fight, and that was relatively friendly.”

He gave a small shrug, ”But like you said, they all have their own personalities. I don’t know if that’s enough to make any sort of assessment of them as a whole.  Maybe Nezuel would have some insight into that.”



Last Edit: Oct 15, 2022 15:33:38 GMT -5 by Cole

GAME MASTER

13th Division Captain

Partake the cup of my wrath

Muimina Hyakuji Avatar

Muimina Hyakuji

Post by Muimina Hyakuji on Oct 26, 2022 8:30:03 GMT -5


無意味な 百事
護廷十三隊 - 1st DIVISION
Location:First Division HQ

𝖳𝖠𝖦𝖲:



“I see…”

Guess it was not that surprising for the Ninth Division Third Seat to be friendly with other shinigami in the division. Hyakuji knew he was talkative and very extroverted, so it was not really a surprise how the quirky weeb death god roped the lonesome guy into one of his shenanigans.

“I guess, it will depend on the schedule. I am quite busy with some preparations with the First Division about an upcoming festival. Hopefully, we meet him the soonest, to confirm whether they are real threats or not. The last thing I want for this realm is to be robbed of its peace again.”

Indeed, it was always a struggle to keep things in order, to keep everything stable. He was just beginning to gain influence and power in Soul Society, and it would be a long journey further achieving the harmony he and Yukari so desired. It would require all realms to unite, which Hyakuji knew would be a life-long and arduous struggle.

Muimina glanced at his colleague, briefly noticing the discomfort in his expression. Whatever the reason, he could not dismiss that the guy was probably not feeling well, “Are you alright? Alexander-san? You seemed unwell. Is there anything we can do to help?”

Perhaps he was simply tired. Hyakuji understood the exhaustion any death god could feel, as he himself, being second in command to the Captain Commander, was no foreign to a mountain of responsibilities. He probably even had more on his plate, but that should not invalidate the fatigue even the lowest rank of shinigami could experience.

“I don’t mind if you want to rest for now. I simply wanted to apologise for the trouble at Toshiaki-san’s place. But you have given me more information that I could have expected. Arigatou gozaimasu, Alexander-san.”


[303]

Shadows still hunt us in broad daylight.