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Post by Takano Hirai on Jun 11, 2019 2:51:37 GMT
Takano had plenty of work ahead of him for the week to come. There had been reports of several bouts of murder with left over Hollow essence, Vayle wished to speak with him about something, and he had quite a few research papers to finish. The first one was a bit out of the ordinary, Hollows typically didn’t wrack up kill counts that large before being stopped. It was either very good at eluding detection or was very powerful… Vayle had seemed pretty distressed since that botched mission of hers. Hopefully he could help her, losing a friend like that is never easy. As for the research papers… Oh well! “Taaaki, focus…”“Sorry. Where were we?” The rain had picked up since he arrived as it usually did. Could there be any research mission that didn’t begin or end in rain? Takano was leaning against a solid brick wall, glancing every so often at a small pawn shop. Rumor was that one of the artifacts which was housed in Roseburn manor had been stolen by a civilian and sold to this pawnshop. Twas the fate of quite a few of those artifacts. Soul society was in full swing trying to collect all they could before they got into the wrong hands. This particular one was a cloak of sorts said to grant it’s wearer the ability to see spirits. What it actually did was boost the Reiryoku of the user. Seeing spirits was simply a side effect of gaining such a high Reiryoku. Prolonged use usually led to terrible strain on the body. “I don’t feel anything. At least we know no one’s put it on yet. You notice anything?” “Something…”“Something?” “Yes…”“Mind telling me?” “Yes…” Looks like Chiyu was wanting to play difficult today. Great... Jeremy Amari
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 11, 2019 19:15:47 GMT
The neon lights of downtown blared as they demanded the attention of passersby, the eternal struggle of advertising giving way to a kaleidoscope of beautiful light. The streets were packed that weekend as people took their little free time partaking in the spectacle of the night and the comfort of others. Once the sun had risen again they might regret their decisions, but in the present game, food, and companionship held above all. Jeremy was there for more pressing reasons, although that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take advantage of the street vendors while he was there. Armed with his civilian clothes and a bag full of waffle fries and buffalo wings from a food truck, the soldier wonders over to his mission. “So where exactly did Granny Kaida say this thing was at?” He asked over his phone. Thankfully, Kaida’s nickname tended to defuse any suspicion people had. Confusion was the default state people assumed with the aging, even if the real Kaida could mentally destroy any witty twenty year old he knew. “Down 6th street, pawn shop called ‘Gail’s’. You were at the meeting, you even commented how weird that was.” Lionel’s voice spoke over the comms. “I know, and it’s still weird.” Jeremy asked back as he ripped a piece of spicy chicken off the bone. “Did she ever say why it was important?” “Something about a dead friend. You know how cryptic she is.” Lionel answers with a groan. The soldier could only agree. As he moved closer to the shop, he could feel a presence nearby. Spiritual pressure bending the area around it. Was it the item they were after, or was something else here? Whichever it was, Jeremy suspected this would not be a simple grab and go. Takano Hirai
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Post by Takano Hirai on Jun 13, 2019 0:15:02 GMT
As Takano reached for a cigarette to help pass the time, he’d take notice of a greater than average Spiritual pressure. It usually wouldn’t be too uncommon in such a bustling part of town, but this time it was different. The artifact he was seeking out would be coveted by many people, some who understood its power and others who didn’t. Plus, Spiritual Pressures could be suppressed. Slowly he would remove the cigarette pack from his left pocket, keeping his eyes down as he removed a cigarette and lit it. “Chiyu” He’d say quietly through clenched teeth. “You could’ve told me earlier” “If you had focused earlier, you would have noticed…” “Don’t get snarky with me. It’s around the Pawn Shop. You able to tell me anything about it?” “He is revenge with a direction…” “Whose giving the directions?” “I don’t know…” Well, it was a guy, working for someone. At least he could gleam that much from Chiyu’s cryptic sayings. He’d raise his eyes and glance over at the Pawn Shop entrance, letting the smoke escape from his mouth. There was actually a pretty simple way to distinguish who this man was amongst the crowd. The Pawn shop saw little to no business today, something Takano made sure to take note of. It anyone happened to enter now, it would be pretty obvious who it was. He could make a move at that point, move in closer, maybe find out why the man is over here. Deep down he hoped that this was just all one big coincidence so he could grab the artifact and go home. But he knew it was never that easy. Jeremy Amari
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 15, 2019 22:56:23 GMT
Jeremy arrived at his destination, weary at the aura that he felt. It was getting stronger as he got closer, leaving him on nerve. Once the pawn shop was in view, he didn’t see anything that stood out among the crowds of weekend enjoyers. If there was something there, it was doing a good job hiding itself. He sighed. No point in hesitating, waiting out here was just asking to draw attention to himself regardless. He stepped up to the door as natural as he could and walked in. The pawn shop wasn’t too dissimilar to any other you’d find. Abandoned instruments, family heirlooms lost to the realities of bills, items of a bygone era that only fit the zeitgeist of that older time. Probably a few stolen goods and the occasional collector’s item from people looking to make a quick buck. Jeremy was sure he could find something he wanted here, but his focus was on the mission. “Hey, Mack!” A voice further inside the build yelled to him “Either get in or leave, you’re blocking the door.” The soldier could guess this was the titular Gail, since an underling would not be so ornery to a potential customer without fear of reprisal. Undaunted, Jeremy moved deeper into the store as he looked for the objective. A piece of clothing, so he was told. “You’ll know when you’ve found it,” Kidra had said. Jeremy just sighed and looked to the proprietor. “Where’s the clothing section?” He asked, and he was so pointed. His sight followed the direction, and his eyes grew wide as he saw the racks on racks of everything from gaudy summer wear to baby clothes. A small whimper left his lips. He might be here a while. Takano Hirai
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Post by Takano Hirai on Jun 16, 2019 21:37:17 GMT
It wouldn’t take long for someone to reach the front of the Pawnshop, with intent to enter. Takano made sure to take note of him before pursuing any further. Physically, the man was a bit older than Takano with black hair and about as tall as Takano. He was obviously not from the area and seemed pretty observant about things, like he was searching for something… “Bingo. Alright Chiyu, cut the crap, what do you know?” “He’s not as strong as you, but he’s more skilled…”Takano gave a chuckle. Such a statement could easily be seen as an insult by someone else, but Takano had come to trust just about everything his Zanpakuto told him. Now whether or not he acted on it was another matter, something the Zanpakuto found great annoyance with. Takano removed the cigarette from his mouth and dropped it, stepping on it as he walked towards the Pawnshop entrance. He made sure to slow his pace so the man would enter before he did, Entering just a couple of seconds behind him. Quickly he would slink off to the opposite side of the pawnshop to remain unnoticed. Takano’s plan was to originally let the man look for the cape, and follow after him once he found it. But minute by minute, the Shinigami was beginning to realize this man was having quite a bit of trouble looking for it. Eventually, Takano would simply give up on waiting and walk up to the man, glancing at where he was searching. “Hey there, my name’s Takano. I was looking for something around here and was wondering if you had spotted it. It’s a…” Hm, how should he describe it… “...Red blanket embroidered with a golden symbol. You happen to see anything like it around?” Time to see how the man reacted, maybe he’d even leave if he found out there was competition. Jeremy Amari
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 22, 2019 6:25:35 GMT
Jeremy’s searched seem pointless by the time he got through the third or fourth pair of sequin bell bottoms, his attempt to sense out whatever signature this artifact was meant to have drowned out by the other entity. Either this piece of clothing was powerful enough to flood his ability to sense spirit energy, or someone strong was nearby with their own machinations. The sound of footsteps clued him in that someone was moving nearby, the soldier’s intuition told him it was a purposeful movement towards him. This was not some passerby. His muscles tensed as he turned to face this new arrival. After dealing with Revenant, Jeremy knew his limits. Without his armor or weapons, he was particularly weak. If he had to deal with another fighter from the afterlife, his only chance was to play smart. So his expectations seemed overblown and left him disarmed when he saw a man with spiky hair and, not one but two, popped collars. Left a little dumbfounded and blankly staring at Takano as the man asked him a blanket of all things, Jeremy looked around in genuine search for the item as question as he brain rebooted. “I think I saw something like that over…” He stopped for a second, taking the brief pause to feel on with his powers. He confirmed this was the presence he felt, and now he had to ask if they were after the same thing. And it sounded like he knew more about what he was meant to get. He covered his mouth and let out a small belch. That should be a good cover for his hesitation. “Sorry, spicy wings. You know how it is,” he said casually. He looked around in earnest and pointed out, his other hand slipped into a hidden pocket where he kept a few gadgets. “I think I saw it there.” When Takano looked into the direction, he gives the man a slap on the back. A small metallic mite bit into the coat material and gave a small signal for the soldier to track. “Good luck with deal hunting,” he offered, grabbed a few pants, and walked away. Time to see what this guy would do. Takano Hirai
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Post by Takano Hirai on Jun 23, 2019 22:59:21 GMT
The man was obviously confused at Takano, giving him a dumbfounded glance before finally returning to his senses. Was he expecting someone different? Well, to be fair Takano didn’t exactly have an appearance that matched his Reiryoku. Something which had surprisingly grown so much stronger through the various spars and missions he had undertaken. The man let out a belch and excused himself, pointing to where he thought he had seen the artifact. As Takano turned to look, he would get a hearty slap on the back and bid the shinigami farewell. He contemplated following after the man or at least trying to stop him for further question, but decided against it. Better to not cause a scene in public. Takano crossed his arms and watched the man exit. “Well, he seemed nervous. Chiyu, you feel anything?” “No…”“Hm” Takano turned to look at the racks and racks of clothing. “Guess I’d better get searching then…”
After about thirty minutes of digging through old clothing, Takano would FINALLY find what he had been looking for. Walking up to the pawn shop owner, he’d thrust the cape into his arms. “How much you want for it? And If you don’t mind telling, who dropped it off?” The old pawn shop owner thought for a moment, tapping on his pocket which seemed to be holding a small handbook. “Hmmm. I’ll say 10,000 Yen for the cape. An extra 5,000 if you want to know who left it” The man gave a nod before crossing his arms. Stingy old… “Fine” Takano said briskly before removing the funds for the cape and information. The old man gave a smile as he looked over his new profits. “Hrm… Some youngster brought the cape over ere. Bit older lookin than you. Had red hair too” Takano gave a nod. It wasn’t much information, but he could work with it. “Thanks” He’d say before quickly leaving the pawn shop, glancing around to make sure he wasn’t being followed. Jeremy Amari
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jun 30, 2019 23:05:11 GMT
‘So there was more to it than just a coincidence’, Jeremy thought as he overheard the conversation at the main counter. When he moved away from the unknown entity to let them search, the soldier suppressed his signature and hid in the bathroom to wait for anything of note. With the aid of a hearing device, he could eavesdrop on popped collars as the shopkeep offered to tell who had sold him the blanket. The information wasn’t of much use to him, but the fact that there was value behind that information made it more than some rug. Once the man had left, Jeremy followed. With the tracker in place, he didn’t need line of sight to trace his steps. The soldier took to the rooftops once he could, a handy app on his phone gave him the spiky haired stranger’s position and a rough direction. If he was going to get that fabric back, or at least answers, then where he was heading and how to cut him off was crucial. “Alex, you there?” Jeremy called into an earpiece. “I’m going to need a few things.”
Out of sight of ordinary people, comfortably away from anyone. Good for an escape, a meeting. Or an ambush. Lead here by the signal, Jeremy had prepared the scene before popped collars arrived. He looked to a figure that stood next to him, before giving it a slap to the back of the head. Inflatable bodies, or as Jeremy liked to call them ‘Instant Friends’, looked human enough from a distance in cover and held enough reishi to confuse a hollow’s senses. A dozen or so of these dummies were scattered in the area, giving the impression of a planned surrounding. Although in truth they were just a gaggle of fakes thrown around to ensure his target couldn’t miss them. With the soldier in his armor, he’d hope all attention would be drawn to him. Once the man was in position, Jeremy sprung his trap. “You’ve arrived,” the soldier spoke, letting himself be covered in shadow. “We’ve been watching you.” His voice was low and measured, and he hoped he hid his nervousness. If he saw through this trick, Jeremy was out-matched. Takano Hirai
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Post by Takano Hirai on Jul 1, 2019 21:45:37 GMT
It would not be more than twenty minutes till Takano started sensing random Reiryoku levels popping up. They certainly weren’t strong, maybe slightly above average, but there was no doubt they seemed to be organizing. What confused him was that they seemed to be popping up out of nowhere. Did they know Hoho, or whatever racial variance he didn’t feel like naming? Takano slunk off to a side wall to try and get a better idea of the situation. “Chiyu, can you tell me anything?” “No…”“I’m needing some serious help right now, just-” “There’s nothing but reiryoku…”“Nothing but Reiryoku?” Takano paused and looked down. What was that supposed to mean? “Is there anything else you can tell?” “The Reiryoku are all the same…”
Takano continued strolling down the road with the cape draped over his shoulder. His hands were placed in his pockets. A voice would echo through-out the block, causing Takano to pause. He’d let the armored man give his speech before taking his hand out of his pocket and throwing the device on the ground. “‘We have been watching yooou’. Jeez, what are you guys the illuminati? I found that little device on my way over here. It was on my back. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone giving out firm back pats around here, would you?” He’d give a grin and crossed his arms. It seemed the man had a small army of identical clones with him. Their levels were low enough to not constitute any real worry, though the man standing in front of him was another story. “Alright then ya Boner head, what are you waiting for? Aren’t you supposed to reveal some big super villain plot, or attack me? I’m waiting” Jeremy Amari
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Post by Jeremy Amari on Jul 16, 2019 1:49:19 GMT
Jeremy was left stunned as he saw the other man found the tracker, throwing it down in front of him as a defiant showing of confidence and a sign that he did not see the soldier as a threat. Jeremy tried to keep his cool, not all was necessarily lost here, but he had to keep his poker face up he was to get anything from this with his limbs attached. He held his ground, waiting for a moment to regain control of the conversation. Then Takano kept talking, and a particular word broke Jeremy’s composure like peanut brittle. “Boner head?” He asked, at first mystified and then incensed “Boner head?” He looks straight at the man, moving out of the shadow to better yell at this spiky haired weirdo. “That's what you came up with, popped collars?” He leans in once the two were close, the face of Jeremy’s helmet almost touching Takano’s. “I set up this whole thing, gave you a chance to show whatever hidden badassery you have. And the best you could up with is Boner head?!” He threw his hands up. He was grateful that no one was actually watching this. The nerve of this man, to give him a nickname like that and then accuse him of being the villain in this situation. “I’m not telling you squat! Tell me about the blanket you got or I’m putting my boot up your ass.” Takano Hirai
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