Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 20, 2023 17:10:52 GMT -5
Shinigami seemed more durable than mortals, and if she said she was fine, that was enough. The blood might have been concerning otherwise. But still…she listened quietly, there were dozens of adages about revenge making you feel empty, but Maria didn’t need sayings. Instead, she simply shook her head and gave Maria a small smile, ”If what Virgil told me was not a deception, you already have a path laid out for you. You are a powerful Shinigami, and it sounds like the Gotei 13 has lost some of their leadership.”
Of course, her heart still broke a little bit at Maria’s mourning for her sister; maybe the Val she knew would have been happy to know she’d been avenged. It was not as though Niji knew the real Valentina Tokareva all that well, other than as a nihilistic monster. Would that woman have even cared? It was hard to tell. Gingerly, she picked her way over to the corpse, she didn’t know what his Fullbring focus was; for all she knew, it might have been his literal blood, much like hers was her voice. But she had seen him glance down to that charm on his hand a few times, so Niji pulled it off and pocketed it. If her cousin needed to intimate the remaining Zodiacs, a trophy from the man’s corpse seemed appropriate. Niji glanced upwards, towards Tokyo; she still had no idea how many of the Zodiac Virgil had brought with him, obviously he brought Simone, but there might have been others. All the reiatsu signatures vanished; and she had no idea where the woman had taken them. If they were on Earth, it was Niji’s role to intercede. ”There is more I need to do tonight; Virgil was only part of it. I do not know how the fight has gone for my allies, and they may need my support.”She offered a hand out to the other woman, ”There is more that I should tell you, but I can not spare another moment. Thursday, 10 PM JST, Mount Rysy.”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 21, 2023 5:32:13 GMT -5
Maria Tokareva Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Niji offered for her to lead the Shinigami - quite surprising of her, knowing how bitter she was towards the Gotei 13. Maria didn't say anything in response to that. She had already made it clear how she felt about the prospect of captainhood, or heroism, or saving many more people - it didn't feel deserved. A Captain was someone who would inspire by example and selflessly work for the good of mankind, she couldn't imagine herself being that. She wasn't selfless, or inspiring, or much of a hero. But there was no reason to get the mood down, so she kept all of that to herself. " Right..." she muttered in response to Niji's statement about needing to help Morgan and the others. It was unlikely that Niji would accept her help for the decapitation, and Maria wasn't rushing to do so, either, so she didn't make the offer. She pulled herself to a sitting position. " What, did you reserve that day on your schedule already, thinking I'll give up?" Thursday was when Niji was going to force Maria to meet her in order to get the time to kill Virgil. It didn't really matter now, but she did notice that odd quirk. " Alright. I... dunno if I'd be able to keep my attention to whatever you'll be speaking at this state, either," she finished. " See you soon." It was just in time, too. A text was sent too Niji's phone soon after the conversation - it was from Morgan, and a very faint, suppressed signature of his could once again be felt in Tokyo. Perhaps the speed in which the battle against several Zodiacs at once was concluded, just as quickly as the fight against Virgil, could be of note. Morgan's text was simple: "I'm at the back of the venue. I'm back, but stuff happened. Need to talk, it's important." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 21, 2023 11:18:04 GMT -5
Offering a slight smile, she could tell the Shinigami was not particularly content with her answer; with a slight shrug, she continued, ”I would offer you a position in the Eastern Europe branch, but I do not think you would be particularly interested in charity work.”
”And no, I have a flight out of Osaka at 7 on Thursday; I can not do any official busin–” She shook her head, there was no doubt that Maria gave absolutely no shits about the details of her scheduling or her arrangements to avoid long plane rides, ”Free time is a precious resource I keep careful track of.”
She sensed her cousin’s reiatsu back on the surface, and looked over to Maria. ”Thank you for your help, Miss Tokareva. See you in a few days.”The woman called upon the earth and it swallowed them both before the pocket they were in collapsed. This far from the surface, it likely would barely even register on a seismograph. They emerged from a solid stone wall with some construction signs next to it; the hallway to the auditorium, and her phone pinged as she regained service. She glanced down at her phone, and smiled in relief as she read the text message; there was some complication, apparently, but Ikazuya was alive. And there was “Stuff” that happened. How very vague, but it was not like they could text each other ‘killed 'em, no one will find the body.’ Instead she texted back, ”Back; but I need to change. Meet me in the prep area.”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 21, 2023 12:38:09 GMT -5
Hikari Ikazuya Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Since Niji was going to take some time before she arrived, Morgan sent off his allies and made his way to the prep area alone, where he took a seat on the edge of a table, waiting. There were news reports of a magnitude 5 earthquake in Tokyo, not dangerous on its own, but getting the city police to order evacuations of a handful of buildings in case it got any more tense. If he understood what Niji's plan for Virgil was correctly, that must be them. He didn't bother changing out of his uniform, so he still appeared disheveled and his clothes were partially torn and slashed. More than that, he appeared... exhausted. But who of their team was not, after all that happened? " Hey, how did it go?" Morgan would ask as soon as Niji would arrive to the room, in a very nonchalant tone, more befitting of interest about a relative's work activities than a battle for the fate of the world. He'd give his cousin some time to answer, then continue: " Everything went well from our part. Mostly. There was a... third actor. He appeared out of nowhere right as we ambushed the Zodiacs, and, apparently, he knew me, even though I had never met him. When Simone teleported all of us to Hueco Mundo, he was brought along, and joined our side in the fight... but, in the end, he saved one and did not allow us to deal the finishing blow." Morgan sighed. " He said he knows you, too, and that you will know him. Said he wants to talk to you, and is waiting for you in front of Akai Hasu. Make of that what you will, that's... all I have to say, really. He was really tight-lipped." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 22, 2023 19:56:59 GMT -5
The bloody dress was reduced to a small pile of ash, and she had changed into a near identical piece. It was a small part of the plan, but even it if had just gotten dusty through collapsing earth, it could have been awkward. She shook her head slightly as she looked at the alert texts, that wasn’t her doing, but the force of Maria’s final attack was definitely not subtle. She sent a text to Leon, just a simple heart emoji. Hopefully, the hard part was behind her, and the ‘stuff’ was not going to be particularly dangerous. She moved to the rendezvous location and smiled at the Zodiac. Ikazuya’s clothing didn’t make it intact, but it appeared their healer had dealt with any particularly dangerous injuries. Niji didn’t try to hold back a smile, and she gave her little cousin a quick hug, ”Well enough; that quake was Maria using the bracers; it ended things pretty decisively.”She lifted her hand as she drew back from the hug, the pendant Virgil had been holding onto dangling from her hand, then continued, ”Unfortunately, she performed a soul burial almost immediately after finishing the job. I was not able to intervene fast enough; if you had any lingering doubts about the Director, you can rest assured he was dragged to Jigoku.”From Ikazuya’s description, there was really only one person it could be; she was glad that Maria had left, otherwise this would have gotten very complicated, ”If it is who I think it is, I have been trying to reach him for nearly two years. Why would he return today of all days?”The Fullbringer shook her head, ”I can take us there now, I doubt I will be missed at the gala if they are evacuating due to a potential earthquake.”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 23, 2023 7:38:41 GMT -5
Hikari Ikazuya Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Virgil was dead - that eased Morgan's heart somewhat. Niji complained that Maria gave him a soul burial, but that, honestly, did not matter. There was no chance he'd be pulled to Soul Society from the very beginning, and nobody has managed to escape Hell, yet. The convicts there get grounded into paste before they can. What she followed with was interesting. So that teen was not bullshitting, then. Niji knew about him, and, apparently, she had been searching for him for two years. Between that and the teen's immense power, even dwarfing his own, this made it a... big deal. Yet, once Niji offered to take them both the the Akai Hasu temple, Morgan shook his head and answered: " That Quincy is there for you, not for me. While he didn't seem hostile when we met, I can't quite... read that kid, so I'd rather not risk getting you into trouble, especially if he wants a private conversation with you." Rather taciturn and tight-lipped on who he was, he did not give the air of someone who'd want another person, even one he apparently knew from somewhere before, prying on something important. Granted, that seriousness was the rule rather than the exception for Quincies. " If you're worried about your safety, I can keep track of your Reiatsu from here while you're talking to him. I do have some fast-travel capabilities myself, you know, I will be able to get there and help if something unexpected happens." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 23, 2023 8:16:50 GMT -5
Quincy? She had assumed it was Hibano, but perhaps Yael had finally decided to make a reappearance. That wouldn't explain his professed knowledge though; perhaps he had been doing his own reconnaissance? Curious. She gave him a quick nod, ”I have no intention of fighting him, nor do I assume he has the intention to attack me. I do not think I will be in danger.” Patting her cousin lightly on the shoulder, she continued, ”We did good today, get some rest if you can. But if you would like to keep an eye on my reiatsu, I would not be opposed.”
Niji smiled and turned towards the garden courtyard; ”See you soon, Ikazuya.”
A moment later she had emerged from the ground not far from Akai Hasu; she hadn't been here...either in two years, or ever, depending on whose perspective you wanted to look at it from. And while the time she had spent here was incredibly brief; it looked much the same as she remembered. She stood there for a moment, reaching out with all of her supernatural senses; while she had shown confidence to her cousin, she wasn't actually sure what to expect. If this was Hibano, and Valentina's soul had gained dominance since they met, there was likely to be a fight. If it was Yael, the man had already been vaguely unstable with his love for Valentina; if he had been on a path of vengeance, he might have been upset that she killed his target. She might have to make a quick escape, as she had no particular intention of fighting either of them. Also, if she was being honest with herself, she was close to exhaustion from the confrontation with Virgil anyway. Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 23, 2023 8:43:33 GMT -5
Hibano Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Two people were already by the entrance of the Akai Hasu temple by the time that Niji emerged from the ground in front of it. One, a woman, was soundly sleeping on the steps that led to the sliding door, there were a few cuts and scratches on her body from the fight before, but she was more or less intact - it was Simone. A Quincy in traditional pure white priest-like garb was sitting next to her, with his back turned towards the Fullbringer. Once he sensed her arrival, he rose up and turned around. It was Hibano. He appeared slightly more mature - two years had passed, after all. The Asauchi that Niji unfortunately got to know intimately before was still attached to his belt, but now a small Quincy Cross was hanging off a chain wrapped around his left hand as well. " Hello, Niji." His tone was a bit more formal and disciplined than it used to be. " Or, I suppose, Gaia, even though you probably think you never told me that." For now, besides that reference to their rolled back time, he kept his cards close to his chest. |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 23, 2023 9:12:53 GMT -5
So for whatever reason, Hibano was a Quincy now. A Quincy Fullbringer that had an unawakened zanpakuto and (potentially, if a solution had not been found) the soul of an nihilistic mad woman riding shotgun in his head. There was a lot to unpack when she thought about that, and frankly, it was unlikely any of that is why he had made an appearance today, ”Good evening, Hibano.”Niji suspected that he had been somehow aware of the reset, there was no real reason for him to have ditched their meeting when she rolled back the clock. Her eyes flicked briefly to Simone; she had no idea what had occurred between the two in that block of time that didn’t happen, but apparently it was enough that Hibano thought she needed to live. Further confirmation he remembered, in case she had any doubts after his comment, the fact that the power had a strong connection to the soul lurking inside of him was her best guess at an explanation for how. Granted, the teen had been unreachable since then, despite her efforts. Her contacts in Schatten Bereich were actually the weakest network considering the various realms; the Quincy she was close to didn’t stay in great touch with their realm. It was entirely possible he had been there the last few years; better than being brainwashed by the Shinigami, she supposed. Hell, perhaps the child soldier program of the Quincy was useful to develop the kid’s discipline and contain the spirit inside him. He certainly spoke more formally than he had before. Waving off the comment about her name, she continued calmly and gently, ”I am glad to see you are well, Morgan told me that you provided timely assistance.” She gave him a formal bow, Thank you.”She straightened up offering a friendly smile, ”My husband has also been worried about you, he will be glad to know you appear to be thriving.”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 23, 2023 14:18:49 GMT -5
Hibano Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive In response to Niji's answer - which was surprisingly soft, the last time Niji would have met him in this timeline would be when he had stabbed her, after all - Hibano nodded. " It is no big deal. When I sensed that you were facing off against the Zodiac, I could tell that I had to be there, or else things might have gotten... rough." It was his memory of the erased time that motivated him to jump in - when Niji ended up left alone against the Zodiac back then, she, as far as he knew, ended up dead. Surprisingly, Morgan was on her side this time... perhaps some things changed a little in those two years after all. " I should thank you as well. When I met you, I was still completely clueless, guided only by the faint whispers of a voice at the back of my mind - and you... were the first to make me hesitate. Reconsider my direction. So, when I discovered my heritage, my past in the Schwarzwald family... I ended up taking that choice - I'm not certain if I would have if I were still just a... clueless, confused child." It wasn't solely Niji's doing, by any means, but the initial push that unveiled the inconsistency in his backstory, or rather, the complete lack of one, did make him give a closer look to the answer given to him by the Emperor of the Quincy. He could still give her some of the credit. Hibano nodded and continued. " And now... I know what I am, and what I must do. After all that time, knowing nothing but a black void in what my past used to be... it's liberating." Suddenly, the Quincy made a step forward. " But that's not what I wanted to meet you for, Niji. I... wanted to ask you for help." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 23, 2023 17:42:10 GMT -5
If there was a familial connection, it would have been with the Tokarevas, she was sure of it. But looking at him in the Quincy uniform; she could see him as some combination of Yael and Valentina, but that seemed impossible. He was the same age as the one Schwarzwald she knew, and… Several things clicked into place, and she didn’t like the picture it painted. Last time she had given her theories to the boy, he had attacked her, so she held her tongue until she knew exactly where he was going with this. He continued, and damn if he wasn’t sounding particularly ominous, particularly given the context of what might still be living in his head. Hell, the way he was talking sounded extremely similar to the way that she had spoken. Instinctively she took a step back and began to gathered her reiatsu as Hibano moved, but it wasn’t a sudden attack. She let the reiatsu dissipate as he continued talking, instead asking for her aid. The Fullbringer didn’t quite let out a sigh of relief, but nodded slightly; she wasn’t about to give him a blank check of assistance, but there was no reason not to hear him out. ”I see. And what exactly have you determined?”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 24, 2023 3:12:21 GMT -5
Hibano Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive Niji was concerned, that was not difficult to tell. Her step backwards and request to clarify his belief indicated as much. Noticing this, Hibano slid his foot back to reduce the pressure. She may have been concerned about him, and it was true that he had endangered her life the last time they met from her perspective, but he was not here to fight her. Questioned about his purpose, Hibano briefly glanced to the side, before focusing on Niji once more. " I learned a lot about our history in my new home. What happened to my ancestors. That we were here since time immemorial to protect people and keep them safe, and yet... the Shinigami brutally slaughtered us, and dwindled our race to a handful. And while we suffer isolation and are hunted, nobody who conducted that genocide has received any repercussions, or feels any remorse." They were hardly even human. How could you claim to be human when you lived for millennia, losing any memory of mankind and establishing yourself as no more than a tyrant ruling over sheep? " If they are not stopped, we will head to a grim, dark future. I... don't want to allow that. With my ability, I always felt like... I could do some good to the world. And the Shinigami deserve to pay the price for what they did, in kind. Thoroughly, so not even a single one can escape, plot and strike back." Slowly, he held out his hand, towards Niji - the gesture, perhaps, would be familiar. " That's... what I wanted to ask your help for. I can tell that you despise the Shinigami. When we first met, you told me that they were monsters. They can't be reasoned with, they will seek to exterminate your kind just like they did mine. And you're... powerful, and you clearly have more influence in the spiritual world than you may say. I wanted to ask... if you would help me with this quest. To bring forth a world without Shinigami." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 24, 2023 18:33:15 GMT -5
Okay, perhaps the discipline of the Quincy wasn’t the right approach to making sure the young man didn’t descend into madness. How much of this was Valentina messing with his head and how much was Quincy doctrine was unclear. The teen she had met was unexpectedly violent when Valentina was taking control, but he had actually tried to stop conflict at other times. Whatever gentleness there had been seemed to be gone. Out of an abundance of caution, Niji did not approach within sword striking range, though she knew how fast Hibano could be; probably faster now that he had time to train. She remained where she stood, ”Unfortunately, the Shinigami are like worms or fungi. We may not like them, but they are a critical part of the ecosystem.”The Fullbringer held up a finger, trying to intercept any objections before Hibano launched a possible attack at the rejection, ”However, we need not conflate all Shinigami with the Gotei 13. The Gotei 13 is a rotten organization that deserves to be dismantled from the top down. Their leadership is composed of bureaucrats that have been ruling for millennia, men and women that hold back humanity if advancement does not match their goals.”Shaking her head again, she continued, ”But the answer to genocide should not be another genocide, it should be holding those that are responsible accountable.”She hesitated again, as if wondering if she should even speak what she was about to say next. There was a risk, of course, it could set the boy off; but there was the distinct risk of Hibano being captured by the Shinigami and making it all worse. ”There is…another potential risk for you. You, specifically. Did you manage to separate the extra soul inside of you?”Hibano |
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GAME MASTER
Wandenreich - Soldat
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken...
Hibano
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Post by Hibano on May 25, 2023 7:22:42 GMT -5
Hibano Location: Tokyo
Status: Alive When push came to shove for Niji to accept the natural conclusion of her hatred of the Shinigami, she refused, and bounced back several excuses at Hibano about how the Shinigami were necessary to exist and all that she wanted was to hold the Gotei 13 accountable. It deflated the appeal of recruiting Niji considerably. But maybe it wasn't over yet. " You don't have to repeat the story told to you by the Shinigami anymore," Hibano replied, his tone turning judgmental. " The idea that there's some sort of natural order, a hierarchy where they're necessary to "balance" souls or to police the world... it was invented by them. Humanity lived just fine before the first Shinigami appeared a thousand years ago - and it will be just fine after they're gone, because humanity can protect itself." That's why Quincies and Fullbringers have existed since the beginning of time - they were fated to be the protectors of humanity from harm, while the Shinigami were merely usurpers of that title for their own gain. " They're not a fungus, Niji, they're a disease. All of them, Captain, ranked or not, they are monsters who seek to lord over humanity for their own gain." The woman, however, turned the conversation to an entirely different direction, though an entirely expected one. She suddenly inquired about the soul inside of him, describing it as a "potential risk" once more. Back when they met before, she appeared quite certain that he was being controlled by his mother - which was tiresome back then and he certainly did not wish to get back to that old conversation now. " My mother is still in there. I will still find a way to free her, but I... still need her strength, for some time." She needed more convincing. Hibano suddenly made a step forward. " Niji, if you don't do anything, they are going to slaughter you and all of the Fullbringers just like they did my ancestors. I'm sure you've thought of the possibility - it's real and it can happen, as soon as the Shinigami feel threatened enough. This isn't an enemy you can reason with, or hold accountable. If you don't help me, you'll be complicit in that massacre." |
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Player
Fullbringer
I have nothing to say.
Niji
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Post by Niji on May 25, 2023 17:01:22 GMT -5
The earth around her feet rippled slightly as Hibano made another sudden move towards her. Theoretically this man was less of a psychopath than the woman that was inside him, but it was distinctly possible that trait only grew as the generations advanced. She was on edge, and wasn’t really bothering to hide it, she was still exhausted from the encounter with Virgil. But gods; this conversation again. Well, she knew what arguments didn’t work on his (unfortunately increasingly likely) mother, hopefully he wasn’t quite as bloodthirsty as the woman. She forced her voice to hold a calm she did not feel, ”I do not even mean the balance, you are not the first person to claim it is a Shinigami farce. You might not have spent much time on the mortal plane, but they do serve a role here. Without Shinigami, every soul in the world has two options, find some way to move on from their life, or undergo an extremely painful transformation into a monster that can and likely will kill others.”She shot a look at Hibano that spoke of frustration, ”But perhaps that does not bother the Quincy, comfortable in their secret realm, separate from the world that the rest of us have to deal with.”The Fullbringer shook her head, if he was truly a Schwarzwald and it wasn’t some gambit by the Quincy, (which frankly, seemed unlikely) then he probably had determined who exactly his mother was. ”I have to assume that if you found your father’s family line then you know by now who your mother truly is. Are you even aware of the unique danger you pose to the spiritual realms, Quincy included, by letting the Shinigami know where you are?”Hibano |
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