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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Sept 26, 2022 15:36:03 GMT -5
He probably spent far more time than necessary in the shower that had been made for him, the warm water doing wonders for his bruised and tired muscles, though he didn't want to keep Gaia waiting much longer. Peeking his head out, Lazarus would be delighted to find a pair of pants and a shirt one a small structure just outside the door. He did a double take to make sure nobody was around, knowing Nezuel was still somewhere in Haven, he had to keep on his toes to protect his privacy. Taking the clothes, he'd slink back into the shower to dry off and change, not wanting to be spotted.
After nabbing the clothes and drying off, Lazarus would come out in the fresh attire, hair draped about his shoulders and down his back. He'd take a look around to see if Gaia was still around, or perhaps she had gone back to the main portion of the biome that was Haven. Putting a hand to either side of his mouth, he'd call out to the woman in question.
"Gaia I'm done with the shower! Would be a good idea to keep that around though if this is the official sparring grounds!"
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Sept 27, 2022 20:47:26 GMT -5
Lazarus would not find Niji waiting in the sparring ground, but upon entering the main biosphere he’d find a strange sight. The young woman stood talking to the golden bull-wolf; once again in that strange primordial sounding language, but it wasn’t just her and the shinshi. If the Quincy looked around, he’d notice other wildlife, mostly small woodland critters and various birds, watching her with rapt attention.
She placed a hand on the back of the spiritual creature and turned towards Lazarus with a bemused smile at his question. An official sparring ground was not something she had ever considered; granted, she had also not considered making her underground experiment into a secret laboratory for a rogue Shinigami scientist. It was always difficult to predict how things would end up, the spiritual side of things even more so, ”I will be honest, I had never thought this place would have an official sparring ground. But if the hot spring bath connected to the laboratory is not sufficient, I could make the shower a more permanent fixture, I suppose.”
The fullbringer gave a small shrug, and looked curiously at the man, absentmindedly stroking the large beast as she continued, ”As I said, the shinshi thought you were a worthy foe. If you wish to suggest a name for it, I would take it under advisement.”
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Sept 28, 2022 14:35:10 GMT -5
With a name like Gaia, it came as no great shock to him that some wildlife would flock to the woman, though it did beg the question as to how they got here in the first place. Walking up at a leisurely pace, Lazarus would stand before the beast again, giving a bow of respect.
"Tengoku no shugo-jū, Guardian Beast of Haven if my translation is accurate, a strong name for a strong spirit."
It was something he had considered while showering, and while it might be a bit on the nose, he felt it fit the spirit well. time would tell if it stuck, and even if it didn't it could be a nickname for the beast, a future yet to be seen. It got him thinking of how little he knew of the world, of fullbringers and shinigami, of all the things he needed to find out. He hoped that in time he would find answers to the mysteries of this realm, though he'd likely have to find other avenues to pursue those ends. For now Lazarus would focus on the present, and in doing so he turned to Gaia, motioning to his free flowing hair with a chuckle.
"you wouldn't happen to have a hair tie would you?"
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Oct 1, 2022 5:57:07 GMT -5
Niji gave a faint smile, shaking her head slightly, ”Close enough, I suppose. Haven can be either tengoku or hinansho; though the former is more synonymous with heaven, the latter with shelter. Though, the characters used to spell tengoku literally translate to ‘sky country’ which is entertainingly ironic, given that we are several kilometers underground.”
She tapped her chin, ”Though, do understand, I appreciate the effort to use a Japanese name, but “Guardian Beast of Haven” is more of a title than anything else.”
The fullbringer glanced towards the shinshi, ”What are your thoughts on the matter?”
The creature stretched and looked back to her, looking more like a cat for a brief moment than a bull or a wolf, ”Tenshugo?”
Niji nodded at both of them, ”Tenshugo, then. It lets us keep the irony.”
With that, she walked a few paces away from Tenshugo and Lazarus and placed her hand lightly on a vine, a new offshoot of the plant expanded and circled in on itself, then separated entirely. She tossed the ring to the Quincy, ”My hair is too short to put in a ponytail, but this should suffice.”
The circle of vine would be unbroken, seemingly having grown seamlessly into itself; it was also mildly stretchy, though not as much as a true hair tie would have been.
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Oct 1, 2022 15:56:04 GMT -5
Her ability to more or less create things from the nature around her was something astonishing to witness, even something as simple as a hair tie left him a bit in awe. Catching the small woven vine like ring, Lazarus would go about putting his hair in what some might consider his signature look, the messy bun. It kept everything up and out of the way, but with enough flare to not look like someone's secretary, leaving the front of his hair alone to more or less provide some level of style.
"We were taught enough to get by if we needed to blend, couldn't even write it out in the proper characters if I really tried."
With his hair taken care of, he'd examine the biome further, taking into consideration the comment about it being underground, which he had thought might be the case. It was likely easier to hide from people and harder to get too than something on the surface built like a building or structure in the middle of nowhere. There was likely some sort of spiritual science that went into explaining how she was able to do all this, but he couldn't be bothered to learn it at the moment, opting for an alternative conversation.
"You mentioned wanting to hear my 'controversial' opinions, is that the topic of conversation or did you have other questions for me? I know Quincy are the least trustworthy of the bunch to most people, so I'd understand if you wanted to get a better idea of who you let in to this place."
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Oct 4, 2022 12:20:19 GMT -5
Niji nodded, ”It is fine; I cheat.” She gave a faint smile, turning towards shinshi, ”Familiarize yourself with this place, Tenshugo, you are to guard it.”
The spirit disappeared into golden motes of light that flew out of sight as Niji once again looked to Lazarus, ”My ability to summon spirits is actually a secondary result of my Fullbring. My power is that I am a true polyglot. I can speak with flora, fauna, and the forgotten. But discussing my gifts is not what either of us are here to discuss.”
She gave him a nod, ”It is not so much about the trustworthiness of the Quincy. I have met a few of your people; and the results have been no more varied than my encounters with Arrancar or Shinigami. Or Fullbringers. I have met three other than yourself; one was a psychopath that I had to deal with personally. Another is a former child soldier turned spy who fell in love with the wrong woman; I do not know where he is now. The last is a young man with a gentle soul and a kind heart.”
The fullbringer frowned, ”To the best of my knowledge, only the psychopath was actively part of the Wandenreich. I do not know if she was a good representation of their principles.”
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Oct 4, 2022 17:07:17 GMT -5
The idea of someone's abilities being tied to speaking with plants and such things appeared on the surface level unimpressive, though given the enormity of her power and what she was capable of creating with it, he would choose to respect the concept on merit of power alone. Unfortunately Lazarus wasn't entirely sure of who those three people were, but that was the price he paid for keeping to his books and spell theory.
"Well if the psychopath was spouting things along the lines of 'all hollows must die' or 'all shinigami must die', or even 'we are the superior race and will one day rule all' then the principles stayed beyond the psychosis. The general consensus of the population of Wandenreich are some variation of those three principles, more so drilled into the soldiers who are recruited into the army."
It wasn't super secret information that only someone amidst their ranks would know, so it wasn't information he felt would harm his reputation thus far to give away. He wasn't entirely sure how she'd react knowing he was a part of said army, though considering he was a nobody in it there wasn't much merit in the fact as a whole. His arms would cross over his chest as he let out a long breathe he hadn't realized he was holding. It wasn't like he was forgetting how to breathe, but more like his mind was so distracted with other things that it just didn't send the signal to let the air back out of his lungs.
"That being said, I've been actively shunned by most all of the communities on the Quincy for playing the devils advocate to the other side of the conversation. I personally believe that it's all just nature at work, and that Quincy are closer to Fullbringer's than shinigami, spiritually aware humans with special abilities. My peers would sooner call me a traitor and kill me outright for harboring such thoughts, but I haven't gone out of my way to do anything that would give them an excuse to end my life. I've run into but one Quincy in the human realm, he seemed mostly indifferent to the struggles of other realms."
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Oct 6, 2022 20:36:59 GMT -5
As Lazarus spoke, Niji realized that she did, of course, know one additional Quincy. The little bastard that put her on the M’s radar in the first place, Vance. She kept forgetting that he was a Quincy; he hadn’t demonstrated any particular capabilities, and had nearly passed out when she had took out some hellhounds with minimal effort. The fullbringer hadn’t seen him since the encounter in Phoenix.
Niji shook her head, offering a slight shrug, ”No, she just tried to kill me after I saved her life. The second and final time I saw her she did not even recognize me, which implied to me that attempted murder was so common in her life that she lost track of her victims.”
She sighed, recalling that encounter on the frozen tundra so many months ago, it had lead to her first real contact with the Shinigami, ”I assumed she just did not care about anyone but herself, but perhaps it was simply that she simply thought any non-Quincy was simply not worth remembering.”
Tapping her chin, Niji considered his words, ”I suppose that is why I have mostly encountered Quincy that have abandoned the Wadenreich, or otherwise disassociated themselves. Those prejudices would likely be mollified quickly in Quincy that spends any amount of time interacting with the denizens of other realms.”
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Oct 6, 2022 22:45:30 GMT -5
From the sound of things they likely just picked up someone with low morality and saw the opportunity to weaponize that, he remembered the line of questioning that got him the low rank he currently held in the army, along with his unwillingness to senselessly slaughter hollows during outings.
"Either of those sounds possible, though I'd lean on the side of psychosis from the description, then again having someone like that in any group ups the threat level based on unpredictability alone. I stumbled upon your group here through my meetings with Nezuel as you know, and I'd have to agree with you on that note, when you look at the other realms there's just so much more to discover. The person I mentioned who didn't seem to care about other realms problems, he worked for some organization here in the human realm, the name escapes me at the moment..."
Still being fairly new to the realm, any knowledge he could gather from Gaia would be useful, needing as much help as he could get to better adjust to the realm and it's rules. Unlike the shinigami and hollows, he was visible and tangible to those around him, that meant he could get into trouble real quick if he pissed off the wrong people.
"It is sad the mentality of those who choose to follow such beliefs in Wandenreich, though I'm sure the shinigami don't all agree with Takano's work, so there appear to be outcasts through all walks of life."
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Oct 8, 2022 9:19:51 GMT -5
Niji laughed softly, considering Lazaru's statement, it was true, despite the drastic change from her initial intention, ”It is…still strange to me what has become of this space. I never had any intention for this space; it was merely a place for me to release built up energy in a safe way. I rescued Mister Hirai from a Vasto Lorde hollow on the surface, and he talked me into offering him refuge and a safe place for his research.”
She smiled warmly, looking at the forest around her, ”If this space is to become a haven for outcasts, I can not say I am opposed to the idea. Mister Hirai’s goal is to find a method to achieve peace between the various spiritual factions.”
An arrancar, a hollow, two shinigami, a fullbringer, and a quincy, it was rather miraculous how many people had come here in such a short time, ”Given the eclectic group that he has already put together, my little place of meditation is turning into a proof of concept.”
She tapped her chin, ”I suppose I should create some food sources and residences outside of the laboratory, not every being that comes here will be a spirit, and they will need sustenance.”
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Oct 8, 2022 14:54:52 GMT -5
"Not a bad idea, unless you don't need food, in which case I'd be the only one who would need food if I were to stay here for any length of time past a day. If that is the case then I'll say wait to see if this group expands any further, if it is just me who needs food I'll just bring it before hand if need be."
He was speaking as if this would be some summer camp for him to visit, but if Takano's work bore any fruit he'd want to see it with his own eyes, plus he agreed to contribute in some way or another. Thankfully he had eaten before coming here, though the idea of some crops of basic vegetables wouldn't be a bad idea.
"A vacant space becomes more like a home when there are people to inhabit it, especially when they share similar principles or beliefs as you. While it might have been pure chance that you happened upon saving him, I can only assume it was for the best, what he's trying to achieve could change everything, the backlash and after effects are always something to deal with though."
A pause of silence would lapse over the area as he thought to himself, debating on whether or not to say what he was going to say next. If it was spoken out loud it was made real, and Lazarus wasn't sure if he was willing to accept it yet. It would also out him as a member of the army itself, but he felt like it was eating away at his very being to keep it to himself, to not have the strength to even admit it to himself. His grip on his arms would tighten a bit, looking away as he decided to speak it into existence.
"I've thought about leaving Wandenreich a lot lately, but I'm not sure if they'd hunt me down as a traitor to their army..."
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Oct 8, 2022 18:34:29 GMT -5
”Fully mortal, I need to eat and breathe just like any normal being.” She gestured at herself, ”I appear to be in my mid twenties because I was born twenty-five years ago.”
The fullbringer gave a small shrug, reaching down to pick up a chipmunk scampering around her feet. Absentmindedly, she stroked it softly down the back as it curled up in her hand. ”But the biosphere is mostly self-sufficient at this point, so I could try to add a supplemental area that would provide year-round foraging. I don’t think such a small area could support any livestock beyond chickens, but I suppose if any sort of actual community forms here, I suppose some actual crops could be planted.”
Niji shook her head slightly, a sad smile on her face as she continued, looking down at the chipmunk, ”But this place would never be a home for me; not as Takano, you, or even Nezuel need. As I said, I am a mortal, I will die someday. I am more than happy for it to be a place of safety and security whenever you need it, but I can not be its guardian. I happily offer Tenshugo as a protector, but I have a family and a fiancé; my life is not, can not, be here.”
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Oct 8, 2022 23:07:13 GMT -5
the thought had never occurred to him, that even with such a sheer mass of power, that someone might have something as mundane as a family, a fiancé. Maybe it was the environment he was raised in, or perhaps he hadn't been around anyone as strong as Gaia before, but the idea of family was left to those too weak to forge their own path in their respective realms. That was certainly the case for his own parents, though he wasn't entirely unconvinced their whole marriage had been simply a power grab from one or both sides.
"You know, I can deal with having beings centuries older than me being more powerful than me, but someone younger than me being so far above me in power, now that's a kick in the pants..."
It was said with a chuckle, but there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach at the realization, that same old voice creeping from the recesses of his mind to taunt him for being weak. His eyes swept across the numerous creatures in the area, his mind quelling the self imposed monster in his head, inhaling deeply before letting out a long sigh.
"So, how does someone as powerful as you keep from being the target of the other realms anyway, I can imagine them at least confronting you before you happened to make this place. If the stories are true, the shinigami have a habit of sticking their nose where it doesn't belong, and you don't strike me as the type of person who gets pushed around."
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on Oct 9, 2022 9:51:44 GMT -5
Niji shrugged slightly, there was nothing to be done about his insecurities regarding age and strength, ”I have had my abilities for a little over a decade now, though I would say almost all of my power really developed in the last year. The spiritual world mostly left me alone until I encountered a young woman that could see the future. I think that caused the fates, both literal and metaphorical, to take notice of me."
She smiled wistfully, as if remembering a somewhat fond memory, ”I went from scaring off an occasional hollow that wandered into my land to several struggles where my life or the life of someone I cared about was truly on the line.” The fullbringer placed the sleeping chipmunk back on the ground, where it woke up and scampered off, ”Evolve or die, I suppose...”
The young woman considered Lazarus’s next statement, offering a slight shrug, ”I do not get bothered as much as you might think, the primary reason I created this place was to purge my excess energy so I could pass as a normal mortal in my day-to-day life." She hesitated for a moment, the wistful smile disappearing, replaced by an unreadable expression, "Before…before the Battle of Broken Skies, I mostly kept to myself, and did not really go looking for trouble. In fact, with only a few exceptions, namely the Quincy I mentioned, most of my initial encounters with spiritual beings have been relatively peaceful affairs.”
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Post by Lazarus Jeager on Oct 9, 2022 21:45:45 GMT -5
The air about her appeared to change a bit when she mentioned this battle, something he had no intel on, likely due to his nose being in various books while real events transpired around him. Whatever the case was, it took him out of his own self pity, tilting his head a bit while speaking.
"Battle of Broken Skies? I can't say I've heard of it, but I'm guessing from your words it wasn't a pleasant thing to have been a part of?"
He was no expert in the field of psychology, but he was getting the impression that whatever this battle was left behind not so fond memories for this woman. Given what she told him so far, it sounded like she had been forced into some pretty heavy stuff, both without her own opinion on the matter, and likely at the treat of losing what she held dear. With that in mind, it stood to reason that she might have only one or two people she could talk too about the event, if anyone at all depending on how bad this battle had been. Lazarus shifted from one foot to the other, his heel starting to protest at him leaning most of his weight on the one leg.
"I can offer an ear to listen if you wish to speak on it, though I'd understand if it's something you'd rather keep to yourself..."
He could think of nothing else to offer outside of a sympathetic ear, or at least the option of it in the future if need be. His own demeaner would change as he extended the offer, his arms becoming more lax, shoulders lowering a bit as he let tension leave him. His eyes softened a bit, though to anyone looking close enough they would see the dark circles under his eyes, though the cause of them could be saved for another day.
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