The Kitotsan Fundraising EXTRAVAGENZA!!!!

[GoldenKitten]

You wake up, today is March 11th. You slept restlessly...or maybe not, hell maybe you never sleep...but you blinked for a moment, who knows? You stand up from where you were with a feeling of apprehension, something feels off, as if someone was just standing behind you. However a quick check shows that nobody is there and you move on with your day. Suddenly out of the sheets of your bed/your shirt-pocket a piece of paper falls to the ground. You know for certain you didn't put it there, after probing it for danger several times you retrieve the folded white sheet and open it. Explosive colors smack you in the face and an accompanying voice seems to be stating the words written in your head with monster truck announcer like glee.

Only it's not just you. It's everyone with the slightest amount of spiritual power worth investigating...except the leaders of the NWO, because they're big poopy-heads who like to...poop on things...the big...poopy...party-poopers.

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Dear Sir and/or Madam (Haha!), You are hereby cordially invited to the first annual:

SUPER, STUPENDOUS, AWESOME, AMAZING -
ALLLLLL~~~ ENCOMPASSING
Kitotsan Fundraising EXTRAVAGENZA!!!!

Would it surprise you, my loyal friend, to know that every year in the pursuit of justice, due to unfortunate deaths with no will to guide the left behinds, or simple careless misplacement; that thousands of useful items are simply discarded? Well we here at Kitotsan (that's me) think these poor lost items shouldn't simply be left to waste in the eternal abyss of time, no sir! We (I) firmly believe that there is a caring home for each of these orphaned children (items) in one of your hearts, and so do I offer them to you in exchange for something of worth.

“But we're spirits Kitotsan! Monetary worth doesn't mean much to most of us!”, I can hear you say.

Quite so, quite so. And that is why dear guest the currency you will come to trade, is knowledge. Think something up, something important, something that you know. And then if you see something you like here at the SUPER, STUPENDOUS, AWE – etc. etc. Kitotsan Fundraising EXTRAVAGENZA!!!! then I'll give it to you, for just a moment of your time.

Central Karakura, March 12th, 2011 – Starting at 8:00AM to 8:00PM.

Yours most graciously, the Kitotsan (me) Fundraising EXTRAVAGENZA!!!! planning party.

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Warning: Note that any hostile acts will be reciprocated in kind ten times their face value. The Kitotsan Fundraising EXTRAVAGENZA!!!! is a family friendly environment where we intend to live peaceably amongst each other. While buying explosive death rays, and other fun things.

Warning 2: No, seriously. We will Fuck. You. Up.

Warning 3: Remember Kitotsan reserves the right to deny you service if the trade item is deemed to exceed the informational value presented. So think up something good.

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SO COME ON DOWN!
And let's make a deal.

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Hana shook and shivered as he eyed the large clock above the train-station for the thousandth time in the past ten minutes. It was cold, way to bloody cold even for this time of year, he had no idea why he had to come so much earlier than the alloted time. With a groggy groan he attempted to nod off while standing up, Hana was not a morning person, but the biting cold wasn't going to let sleep come which just elicited another groan. Of course nobody, least of which was Hana himself, would have admitted he could probably have fixed this by wearing more than a thin shirt...come to think of it, it was probably a good thing no humans could see him or he'd be getting some weird looks wearing that in this weather.

It wasn't early but it wasn't late either, whatever Kitotsan was planning it was going to start just like every other business if that's what it was. That was why Hana was here, Kazu-sama couldn't send a captain out every time something happened, but at the same time Kitotsan warranted enough concern for someone to be dispatched. As one of the few clued in to the fact that he was in fact still alive (being of high rank, being friends with the Commander General and two captains involved with the man, and being the eldest vice-captain) it had thus fallen to Hana. Kazuma had received one of the mans messages (so had a lot of others including Hana, which was worrying, though most had no idea who he was or would draw the connection) and the next thing he had known he was at the 1st Division HQ receiving direct orders while he was still wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

Kitotsan was trustworthy enough...for what he was, after all if he'd wanted to be sneaky he simply wouldn't have sent one to Kazuma, or maybe he actually thought the Commander General might respond. Regardless, though he was being tolerated and erased from the map due to his like-minded personality that didn't stop the fact that he was a rogue element. At any time his motives might become unaligned with those of Soul Society which would make him a threat.

At least, that's what Kazu-sama and Mini-sama had tried to tell Hana before he fell asleep at attention and had to be flicked awake. Honestly, he thought someone else would be better for this, Hana liked everyone but he knew he wasn't always the best choice for dealing with someone wordy like Kitotsan. He personally thought Yunnie would had been a better choice, but when he suggested that Kazu-sama had gotten really strict. As he figured it though Yunnie knew Kitotsan...he should make a name for him...Kitotsan...Kitotsan...Kitoto! So anyway, even though Yunnie knew Kitoto was still around they'd actually never seen each other since his escape from Soul Society and Kazu-sama figured it might end violently if they did.

And so Hana was standing half-asleep, half-naked, and really cold on a random corner in early morning Karakura town, great.

He watched unconcernedly as the second ticked down on the clock, it was ten seconds till 8AM which was the designated time. He'd already decided that if nothing happened within two minutes of that time he'd just go back. It was doubtful Kitotsan would do something like this without reason, but there was also the possibility it was a feint for a foe of his they did not know. If it had been a means of mass confusion then there was little reason to stay around, Kitotsan was not known for being late so if nothing happened then that meant – thhhhaa.... – WHAT THE HOLY BABY COMMANDER GENERALS BEARDED BUTT WAS THAT!?

The clock hit eight and without missing a beat what had been an empty lot under construction three blocks away no longer was such. In its place was a twenty story building with ornate marble pillar like sides, it stood a good ten-stories above anything else in the Karakura district. Calm flea-market style music was playing as a friendly womans voice beckoned you to, “Come and visit, see what we can get for you today!”. Atop the upper stories of the building along each side was a large scrolling electronic board, “The Kitotsan Fundraising EXTRAVAGENZA!!!!” rolling around it. Hana was shook out of his daze and stared at it for a moment, upon looking around it became clearly evident that none of the normal humans going about their days were noticing the giant singing building that had appeared out of thin air.

Standing with his lips pursed while tapping his fingers together nervously Hana considered how to proceed. Was Kitoto serious? Was that message really sent at face value? How to proceed...how to proceed...

Five minutes later Hana walked through the sliding front doors of the building with his hands behind his back.

The front of the building was imposing with the sliding glass doors being almost twenty feet high, and dozens of feet across. The intelligent part of Hana (hey, he was a vice captain!) considered this wasn't actually for show, Kitoto probably expected creatures that needed that kind of room to fit inside...he was known for his positive motives, but he had also done business with people the Shinigami could not condone in the past.

Passing through the doorway was like passing into another world. For starters the music and advertisements playing outside went quiet instantly, instead replaced by calm classical elevator music. More importantly, though it probably should have been expected, was that the building was infinitely bigger inside than out. Even if the entire lower floor of what the building appeared from the outside had been gutted it wouldn't have been a tenth this large, similarly the roof seemed to extend halfway up the building, and the ceiling itself looked like the blue sky outside. It was set-up like a more extravagant warehouse, hundreds of tables placed in rows with uncountable little bobbles of all varieties set upon them. Past them were massive items Hana couldn't even begin to guess the nature of without a closer look and...was that a death-ray?...he actually did have a death-ray, Hana was starting to believe Kitoto was in fact as insane as the letter suggested.

Hana had been so focused on the building that when he finally realized there were people standing in front of him he shirked back, wide-eyed, with his hands 'X'ed across him while making a “Keeeeee!” sound.

A dozen people, six men, six women, all in fine suits were standing on either side of the entrance in rows, “Good morning Madam Senzaikeiro, may we be of assistance?” (Theeeyyy knooowww.)

Hanas eyes flicked back and forth between the monotone, children-of-the-corn (they were actually being nice, this is Hana-vision) living horror movie crazy people as he tried to choose what to do. After an extended period staring contest Hana recollected himself and pointed at the nearest man, “Take me to Kitoto!”

This actually caught the dark haired foreign man off guard and he twisted his head to the side, “Kitoto?...Oh, Monsieur Kitotsan, yes, he suspected you would want to see him.” In the end he had returned to his normal tone and actions, obviously they had been alerted to the mannerisms of some of the visitors, or they were just used to dealing with people like Hana.

Obviously Hana was more than a bit unnerved that this implied Kitoto was actually waiting for him, which implied he knew how Soul Society would respond to his message. And that implied a lot of other scary things...THERE WAS A LOT OF IMPLYING, OK?!!! It was these thoughts that took Hana a full ten seconds to realize he was being left behind as the man trotted off, sparking him to speed up quickly until he fell into step behind. As they moved deeper and deeper into the building it became quite obvious that Kitoto was entirely to well supplied, it didn't matter what he was up to, where in the world did he get all this? The various pieces were innumerable and ranged from the valuable but mundane to some incredibly scary stuff.

If you wanted it chances are it was here, the real question was what would it cost you? And more importantly how did Kitoto expect to keep this place from turning into a battlefield when people realized what he had on hand?

[kensei]

Thor grabbed the black and golden robe of his Prodigum uniform. He had left it inside when he went to do a small work out and help some of the other Arrancar with building the new fortifications as well as work on the last of the rebuild of Los Noches. However when he grabbed the robed he was shocked when a card dropped out of it. He leaned down to pick it up before reading its contents. “Fundraising Extravaganza.” He repeated as he finished the card. He put his black robe on right as Ghale had wandered into his room. “Ghale.. How do you feel about a taking a trip to the human world?” He said as he handed him the card. Ghale took the card and gave it a once over before shrugging. “It could be interesting, but do you actually think there is anything worth while there?” Thor laughed as he opened up a Garganta to the human world. “Perhaps they have a Piano. You know how badly I have wanted one!” Ghale simply rolled his eyes as Thor stepped threw the portal before following him.

Thor looked around at the humans who busied themselves about there daily lives, unaware of the huge gathering of super powered beings about to take place. He often wondered what living a life without any knowledge of the spiritual world was like, but could not ever remember his own. “Ghale, was life satisfying?” He asked as he stared at a small women that walked right past him. “Hell if I know. I can hardly remember a dozen years back, much less something from before I was ever even a hollow.” The long haired arrancar sighed as he scratched the back of his head. “You ready to go Thor? Or are you going to sit here and ponder the meaning of life again?” Thor looked over his shoulder and glared slightly. “You really have no understanding of philosophy do you?” He asked rhetorically before sighing and grabbing the card out of Ghale’s hand and walking down the street. “Central Karakura.” He said to himself as he looked around.

Ghale sighed as he stared at Thor’s back, the damn fool was going to walk there like a human.. He shook his head and flew into the air. “THOR! I found it!” He yelled down before pointing off towards the middle of town. “You know! For once in your life would it kill you to take the long way Ghale? Why does everything have to happen instantly! You know nothing of the joys of life do you?” Thor yelled before taking off into the air. “Can’t you just enjoy a nice walk hm?” He said before using Sonido to close the distance between him and the building.

Thor and Ghale touched down and walked into the building. The large doors reminded Thor in many ways of the large caves of the Menos Forest. It seemed this Kitosan person truly was expecting all sorts of creatures. As soon as they walked in they where greeted by an all too friendly lady. “Welcome to the Kitosan Fundraising Extravaganza! Thank you for coming you can find anything and everything here! Just let me know if I can be of any assistance!” She said as she smiled at the two. Ghale slowly pointed towards a giant cannon. “Is that..” “That is a Railgun made in 1934 by Kruup Steel Corporation. It was believed to be destroyed but in reality the Nazi’s simply hid it. This is the Dora, the second of the two Railguns made by the Germans.” “Have fun looking at pianos Thor.” Ghale said as he walked towards the massive cannon. “Instruments are this way if you will please follow me.” The lady said before walking towards the right of the massive warehouse.

[Wanzer]

Hueco Mundo six a.m: The white hot of the sands has taken its toll on the Arrancar after long days of training and labor. Rest is respected and sleep is never interrupted though no one complains if someone wakes another up; however, there had better be a damn good reason behind it. In the depths of the white core, there rests the third espada, Sojukin Asamoto, his blond locks frayed about his chest and face in his sleep. Vain even in his sleep; Sojukin has one hand pushed against his face as if to cover it from intruders. He twists in his sleep a nightmare of his depraved mind rattling his body; the physical action causes the card in his bed sheets to fall to the ground and explode into the gregarious cacophony; that soon flung the arrancar from his realm of sleep into the word of consciousness. Any of the arrancar that were told to wake him before would inform you only the quietest of awakenings would not cause an instant explosion. Something like this would...well create a rage, which is exactly what it did. The sudden burst of light coupled with the voice of man shouting causes Sojukin to turn over and fall out of his bed; landing face first over the letter with the letters bursting into his face. His eyes open at the sight at which point he covers them and screams.

"MY EYES...AHHHH MY EYES, YOU SON OF A b*%#!" Sojukin roars as he holds both of his hands over his face and attempts to focus on the cause of the disturbance. The sound of the man's voice repeatedly echoing into his cranium, every syllable a source of pain. Growling upward and prancing around the room he finds his pail of water and splashes it over his face; Sojukin gasps from the coldness of the droplets. Sojukin roars again and fires a fireball directly at the letter causing it to set his bed on fire. The voices in his head, which had been conducting the entire affair giggle to themselves and retreat before he can say anything. Letting out a slow sigh, he walks forward and picks up the parcel opening it slowly to read; his eyes are still aching from the blinding flashes of light that were produced earlier, but then again he did need to tame his little mental friends.

"Damn...just one night of peaceful sleep would be nice and a morning where I don't light my bed on fire...I mean It would be enjoyable if I was making my bed that hot with someone beneath the sheets; however replacing the damn thing every other day is not preferable." There is a giggle to let him know the little bastards heard him, but were completely ignoring him. If it wasn't for the fact he had a dream...Sojukin would have killed himself long ago to quit dealing with this bull, but for now he had to put up with it. Reading over the letter and memorizing everything there was to see in it; he moves out of his room slowly half-dressed and crosses the hall way. Similar trips were made every morning, he crosses into another arrancars room, finds them still snoozing peacefully and tosses them from their bed and out a nearby window. Shrugging absently, he yawns and takes the mattress, sheets and pillows and plops them down on his floor before flinging the flaming mattress out and watches it turn to ash and waft away in the wind.

"I'm going to have to make another supply run if this keeps up..." He murmurs to himself before grumbling and heading to clean himself so that this little adventure could begin. A day on the town was needed especially if it was to get out of this infinite white.

In Karukara Town: 7:45A.M: Train Station.
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Sojukin's eyes cut back and forth through the train's crowded corridor and sighs; his miscalculation with the gargunta had plopped him several miles from where he wanted to be. He had already slipped into a Gigai to prevent detection as the last thing he wanted today was any interference. As he grumbles to himself, he notes a man walk near him and sit down. He is an older gentleman by the looks of it, with salt and pepper hair; a charismatic smile and a fit, but not toned body. Sojukin attempts to ignore him, but the follow begins a conversation with him. The pair were hardly alone on the bus, but Sojukin was the only one seated away from others. He merely rolls his eyes before the man says his name.

"Makkuro Shiboo."

A coincidence? No...the appearance matches perfectly with intelligence gathering; this was the Captain of Squad 3...just his luck.

Makkuro gives Sojukin a stiff smile and a small pat on the back and he chuckles to himself.

"Your men didn't do a very good job with your gigai sir Arrancar." Sojukin leans away shoving the hand away from him in aggravation and pretends to have misheard Makkuro. The air is getting thicker with spiritual pressure and it is clear that he hadn't been lying, his gigai was defective and it would be easy for any shinigami around him to notice, but from afar no. Breathing in slowly, he leans his head against the handrail. Makkuro only chuckles again and shakes his head with slow observance and pats his back once more.

"You can relax, I'm not going to do anything. I am here to relax and witness whatever is happening in central Karukara." Makkuro says in his almost sing-song manner and hums to himself as the train thunders down the tracks.

"You can stop that, that is annoying."

"Forgive me Sir, but I tend to do things like such to keep myself occupied. Let us not bicker here after all we are going to the same place no?"

"Perhaps, but I know not what to expect and I certainly don't need some old man holding me back the entire time."

"Oh tush, tush my good man." The train halts and the two hurtle out, surprising the other passengers who had barely risen before the pair were dashing down the street. There was five minutes between them and the opening of whatever the hell this little facade was. "You could at least try to be civil after all, when else will we have a chance to speak as such again?"

"What makes you assume that I want to talk to you at all old man? I have no desire to deal with a shinigami; especially one as annoying as you are!" Sojukin spits out as he walks around the street and stops in front of a construction lot that appears to be deserted and leans against the building next to it. "I wanted a nice, quiet day to myself..no sword fights, no bickering and no shinigami."

"I doubt that if you came here...you were seeking something else undoubtedly." Sojukin stares at Makkuro with his mouth agape, then slams it shut with a snap after having his bluff called so clearly. Shaking his head, he slams his hands against the wall for a moment causing the glass to rattle before looking back at him.

"So what is it you think I want?" The clock strike eight and suddenly the construction zone changes into a skyscraper with the previous ad blaring at the top of it. Sojukin rubs his temples slowly before looking about at Makkruo.

"The man certainly doesn't know how to be subtle, but for now let us enjoy ourselves. I'll treat you to a drink if they have them and we can get to know each other better there. I have no desire to fight only to learn." Sojukin scoffs at Makkuro's sincere idea, but licks his lips at the thought of alcohol.

"Information is not cheap and an exchange of knowledge would be costly wouldn't you agree?"

"What is a gain if something is not given up first? What is a reward if there was not first a journey to obtain it?" Sojukin smiles for the first time and nods as they entire, his face lighting up and for the first time a semblance of warmth appears on his face toward the man.

"Now that, is an answer I can respect."

[Zhiel]

OOC: Surprisingly tough to write this, and I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the way it turned out... Oh well, at least it's a post (Though it's missing Edrian's part... I'll get to that next round)


Among the crowds of people going on about their daily lives stood one whom could at best be described ragged looking however most would probably only see a monster. Half his body appeared to be covered by a white carapace like shell with dark purple creeping markings running across it's surface and where his head was not covered by the fractured or incomplete pieces of a hollow mask, white hair escaped onto his shoulders looking like it had not been properly cared for in a long time, the rest of his appearance were then matched with the intimidating golden eyes that seemed to take in everything going on around him. His only set of clothing was a worn black lower-robe that were held onto his waist by what appeared to be a piece of fabric ripped from the very robe he wore and at his side hung a worn and clearly neglected looking katana. None in the crowds appeared to pay any attention to him, which perhaps was not all too strange given his being a spirit. However even among spirits he was an enigma, a shinigami's body possessed by the mind of a hollow similar yet vastly different from the Vizard and yet there were other factors as well that few other than he himself knew.

The 'man' if he could truly be called as such was Kalverian Kehieleth, a former Vasto Lorde possessing the body of Zhiel Azerin and despite him not hiding in the slightest he was possibly one of the hardest spirits to find within Karakura at this time. Having suppressed his spiritual pressure almost completely he was almost as hard to sense as an individual Plus, it was only possible because of his great experience combined with his current weakness. This did little to stop him from being arrogant about this entire thing however.

Kehieleth was not expecting much of great interest for him at the... Event... He refused to call it by name, as the entire thing seemed ridiculous though with both him and Azerin having wandered the undercurrents of the spiritual world for some time now he seemed to recall hearing of this Kitotsan previously, though they had never met. Still he had little else to keep him occupied at the moment and so he had decided to check it out, even if the event itself proved of no interest it was possible other guests would provide him with amusement, or an opportunity. With these thoughts in mind Kehieleth had spotted Hana standing off in the distance, he had barely noticed the short (and under-dressed) feminine figure due to the crowd, a negative of hiding his own reiatsu so completely was that it made picking up on others tougher. Though he personally did not recognize the individual Azerin's memories told him all he needed to know even if the boy had had little to do with 12th division himself. Kehieleth had not been keeping exact track of the time so when it hit 8 and the building suddenly appeared out of nowhere his head snapped in it's direction, though he had enough self-control not to let his reiatsu flare and instead he turned toward it completely before he began to search his surroundings again with more focus.

Slowly making his way through the crowds he let some of his tight control over his reiatsu go as foreign, or unfamiliar reiatsu began to make themselves apparent around him. Kehieleth watched for a while as familiar and unfamiliar faces entered the establishment, the only one so far that made him raise a brow though was seeing Sojukin in the company of someone who appeared to be a normal human though given the Shinigami's like for faux bodies it was more likely one such, regardless it was an odd sight though there was clearly more to Sojukin than one might suspect at first glance. Either way after watching the entrance for roughly ten minutes Kehieleth decided it was time to enter himself. Leaving the crowds and closing in on the mysterious (if obnoxious) structure the sound of static could be heard as two figures appeared slightly behind Kehieleth, one standing tall and having the figure of a man while the other kneeled and was unmistakably a woman.

The man was almost two meters tall with a slender but still muscular looking build, his skin was darkly tanned and if one looked very closely it looked to almost have a wood-like texture to it. His hair was a flowing green that seemed to be easily moved by the wind while most of it reached down almost all the way to his waist though only a single string of hair fell down over his almost perfect face which were adorned with jade colored eyes. He was dressed up in elegant white clothing with lots of frills while the upper portion of his chest was exposed, while the flowy white trousers he wore were fastened to his waist with a black leather belt, at the back of which a rather short looking katana were attached. Despite looking like a prince from a fairy tale Growth had a distinct sadness over him that seemed to seep out of his very being, as he submissively followed after Kehieleth.

The smaller person was a woman who also had tanned skin though in her case it looked more like a natural dark skin tone, which contrasted greatly with her snow white hair that hung freely down her back and shoulders, some of it even touching the ground as she kneeled. As Kehieleth continued walking the woman quickly stood up and followed behind him, the plain white fabric wrapped around her waist like a robe or long skirt swaying from the sudden motion while her naked feet pattered against the asphalt beneath them. She seemed to have the same kind of material wrapped around her bust. One would probably not be too far off thinking that her "clothes" might have come straight from a roll of fabric. Most of her features were hidden behind the unruly hair though one could see the unfocused look that filled her blue eyes, almost as if she was lost in thought yet there was the unmistakable feeling that she was aware of her surroundings to a startling degree. Of course another feature that had been hard to see before she stood up was the hollow hole that pierced her stomach where the navel would normally be however the reiatsu she emanated was not that of an Arrancar, nor did she carry any visible weapons on her.

Despite their sudden appearance Kehieleth said nothing as he continued toward the massive sliding doors, apparently having expected their arrival. Slowly coming up in front of the large building he peered inside as the glass doors slid to the side, a frown growing on his face as he immediately noticed the size different between the actual structure and it's inside, either the doors were a form of portal or this Kitotsan was manipulating the bounds of reality... His guess was on a form of pocket dimension, but he'd need to examine it closer to make more than a guess, still this trip already appeared as if it might pay off. With his face returning to a neutral, apathetic look Kehieleth strode inside while glancing at the well-dressed people greeting the guests, if they were startled by his appearance they didn't show it which showed either remarkable informations gathering and preparation on Kitotsan's part, or just how professional these people were, though it didn't occupy his thoughts for long as he walked past them and and gazed out over the massive hall and the people inside it. His two followers had kept following him in silence until then, and though the woman continued to do so she seemed to show genuine interest toward the objects around them, while Growth walked up beside Kehieleth.

"Sir, is it okay if I..." Growth began, his voice was gentle but strained, clearly not being comfortable speaking to Kehieleth. "Go ahead. This is meant to be an enjoyable event and I doubt Hazandar allow you much time of your own." Kehieleth responded before Growth could finish his request though what he had intended to ask was obvious. His response seemed to genuinely surprise Growth though the green haired man knew better than to voice this surprise and he simply bowed respectfully as he began to walk off, a lot of the tension that had been pressing down on him this whole time running off, as he made his way toward the instrument section. Growth was a lover of classical things, in particular fine woodwork and there was little that beat the sound of a well-crafted instrument. Of course he doubted he had the 'currency' to purchase anything worthwhile...

[Wanzer]

Sojukin's head wheeling around in the semi-crowded tower in response to some unsettling glare. He felt eyes following him and something grating around his throat; though that could have just been the insanity kicking in. Regardless, the idea of someone watching him in a place like this was not reassuring; especially, when one considered the nature of this place. Any moment someone could swoop down and attack and swooping was very, very bad. Upon looking around he doesn't feel comfort in the line about don't start anything or we will fuck you up. That might hold true to him, but how strong would those words be against a Horror Vacui or all of the Court Guard if they showed. They had already attracted one member, need another show now? Swiveling motions of his neck over take him while his tag along Makkuro noticed him and looks at him oddly, he doesn't mind the attention, but the shinigami was an annoyance and a concern at the moment. Makkuro only begins to laugh at him as his eyes dilate into slits to adapt to the area they are in. It is just as bright as the coloring on the letters. "Are you laughing at me Shiboo? Are you mocking me, because that is a rather poor idea."

Makkuro shook his head and put up his hands defensively as Sojukin closed the gap between them. The whites of his teeth and eyes now feel closer to him than his own; Makkuro was all for maintaining eye contact, but his personal space was being invaded in a way that was far from copacetic for him. Taking a step back, he shook his head again and looked at Sojukin. "I think maybe you should calm...."
Sojukin doesn't let him finish before he is storming toward the door, by this point both he and Makkuro had disposed of their 'gigai' faux-bodies. The entire place was slowly coming to life, but the buzz of reality was coming into effect. This place was probably going to dissolve into a battlefield before the day ended. Sojukin kept his zanpakuto close at hand for exactly this reason as he headed toward Kehieleth, Growth and some woman. The three were probably the most mismatched of anyone in the area and that was saying something. Several people looking like circus freaks had assembled in the area and Sojukin now with his hands laced through the belts on his hakama stops before the group. Makkuro is close on his heels and bowed toward the three as brushes off his own shinigami attire.

"Ahh...Hello there...you must be friends of Sojukin's! I am Makkuro Shiboo...pleased to make your acquintance!" Shiboo retrieved himself from his bow as Sojukin reached into his pocket and retrieved a reitsu cigerette...a wholesome substitute for spirit weed or the real worlds own cigs. These burn only reitsu and release a spiritual equivalent to nicotine into ones body; no psychological or biological dependencies occur...though one does still need some mouth wash afterwards. Luckily, Sojukin 'relieved' a small child of his mints earlier on his way here. Sojukin held the cigarette in his mouth and created a small fireball between his hands igniting it. He takes a few puffs and blows the smoke away from everyone, before speaking.

"Kehieleth I haven't seen you in a while...I didn't think this place would be your idea of a good time and come to think of it. It doesn't seem like mine either, but what the hell. Nothing ventured, nothing gained right? So tell me what do you expect of this place and who are your friends here? I haven't met either one of them in Hueco Mundo, but I can guess that the large one walking away is Growth. Whats up, big man hope I haven't put you off too much." Sojukin glaced back to Makkuro who is looking at him slightly confused, but obviously intimately interested in the conversation. "This guy has been following me for a while, so I suppose he wants to speak as well for a while."

[Galihan]

It felt like such a waste of time, and stupid, and maybe even a trap and Takeshi didn't want anything to do with whatever the hell this was except there was just something particularly... compelling about the whole mystery. As far as he was aware, no other being than himself could possibly open his notebook -- so when he opened it to record whatever the hell that creepy sensation was and suddenly being mauled by a cluster-rape of colour and confusion, he knew that whatever this Kitotsan fellow was was at least intriguing enough to investigate... temporarily. By the time he washed up, dressed, ate breakfast and ran a few errands around the Crypt he had the chance to think the thing over and decide against it, but when it appeared that he wasn't the only person curious about being given the creepy invite -- in fact everybody seemed to to be in the same boat as him -- he had to inquire with the captain just in case. Captain Saigotschuu didn't seem willing to speak about it but neither did he say anything against it, so Takeshi found himself wondering, why the hell not? And had volunteered himself to see if it was worth raising a fuss over.

Of course, by the next morning, he found himself coming in from the chilly air into a Blenz Coffee thinking to himself just how much of a waste of time being here really was. Realizing he might as well try something worth making up for this wasted outing, he ordered himself some cinnamon caramel apple cider to warm up his gigai while waiting outside for a bit longer just in case. It was fairly cold sitting on a park bench, but the sickeningly delicious hot beverage and his winter coat actually made it feel a bit too warm for his liking - when all of a sudden from behind him came the a loud singing voice that caused him to spill most of the drink on his lap from being startled. While a some nearby teenager who appeared to be high was laughing at him, completely unaware of the instant Olympian skyscrapper that had instantly materialized about a half-kilometer away. Takeshi sighed, taking out of his pocket a standard-issue memory replacement device and his Soul Candy -- the 5th-most popular, "Alfred" (how could so many people prefer Chappy the Rabbit or Yuki the Duck over a freaking skull with a top hap was beyond Takeshi's grasp.)

In a puff of smoke and a flash of light, the shinigami stood next to his gigai body, telling "Alfred" to buy some new clothes without blowing what little money he had on him and to stay out of trouble.

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When Hana-chan was nowhere to be found, it seemed pretty obvious to Iko that her love-loving friend was going to be at whatever... this thing... was supposed to be. The Seventh Squad's vicecaptain wasn't around early enough to witness the instant main attraction, but she had a sneaking suspicion given that everybody received that absurdly... lively invitation to whatever this event was supposed to mean, that this had to at least appeared as quickly as it was outlandish. She never heard of this Kitotsan person, just as neither did anyone else she tried to ask about. Daichi-Taicho himself didn't seem to be able to tell her anything about Kitotsan, other than he and the Commander General had decided to send Hana to investigate this rogue element.

Minoru suggested that she go as well, seeing as Iko and Hana worked well as a team and hopefully could accomplish more than whatever that peculiar child (at heart) would on his own -- not that anyone doubted the 800 year old "boy's" talent; but Hana, well... yeah...

The massive glass doors slid open as Iko approached, and she was surprised to see just how much stuff was on display. Many large, savage-looking weapons of antiquity that resembled the released states of Hana's Terminus were what surely caught the eyes of many but there was much more to see as well; aisles upon aisles of spare parts and seemingly salvaged contraptions, various vehicular contraptions of the aerial, locomotive and automotive varieties from both ages old and seemingly futuristic, suits of clunky medieval armour and countless crude cutting and bludgeons implements to match. What appeared to be a thirty-foot tall amp that made Doc Brown's look like a tiny tweeter, wired up to some sort of six rows of ivory keys that curved 180* around where presumably a god of musicians would be positioned to play what music that surely only other gods could describe as orgasm. Or maybe just cause Charlie Sheen's face to melt off as his kid's weep over his exploded body.

While either would be sufficiently spectacular, however Iko was not able to look at the contraption for long before being approached by a creepy man and woman both wearing suits. Apparantly knowing her name, the androgynous duo promptly greeted Iko.

"Madam Chiyo, what a pleasure it is for you to make it to the Kitotsan Fundraising Extravaganza," said the man, while the woman had added a rather cruel, "It's a terrible shame that the better half couldn't make it here today, we would have liked that a lot."

At first, Iko was rather put off that these people knew who she was, but suspected perhaps there was something about this place -- like some sort of alternate or contained dimension in which these beings (or possibly single being, not ruling out that these people were all extentions of this Kitotsan,) can read the minds of everything that enters... perhaps... if that were the case, then was this really just a retardedly hidden trap disguised in its own obviousness? If so, then was it too late to leave? Then, Iko noticed what that woman had said to her, and the air around her just plummeted from somewhere between awkward and creepy on the situational thermometer all the way down into I'll let that pass for now, but talk about Keigo-sama like that again and I'll see you roast alive you scary eunuch bitch territory. Just before Iko could let her anger get the better of her, the woman had once again piped up, stopping her short.

"I would advise against any hostile acts while at this Fundraising Extravaganza. I take it you did read Kitotsan's warning against such, I assure you that we are fully capable of upholding out end of the bargain and that you would only end up being seriously fucked up." Her cold, emotionless smile sent shivers down Iko's spine unlike anything she had ever experienced in recent memory.

Iko took a deep breath of fresh air and brushed on past the creepy doormen and stood tall on her tippytoes, trying to see if she could make out Hana among the crowd.

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"Ah, Sir O'Neil," welcomed a giant of a tall, gray-skinned man with a large rusty mustache and the most camp voice he had ever heard on a man of his muscular stature. "We weren't expecting you to show up for this fine morning. I hope you've been adjusting to your new accommodations smoothly since being assigned to Yun's little dungeon of his, oh what did he name it again I can't remember for the life of meeeee..."

There was so much that Takeshi would both have demanded be explained and yet pray never to speak of again with this encounter. Rather than utter some subtle bad attitude-charged dismissal of the individual as he was often accustomed to doing towards people he decided weren't worth his effort like usual, Takeshi was genuinely confused and concerned with everything happening. He simply smiled and nodded briefly and moved past the burly, girly man hoping to never see him ever again, ever. Unless it came down to him being allowed to strike him down at swordpoint but this was supposed to be a peaceful event, whatever the hell was happening here. Looking around, he Takeshi noticed other shinigami present, such as that really lively and cute girl with the silver hair that Captain Daichi was always plagued with, as well as hollow-like beings, arrancar, and other things unlike he had ever known to exist.

While he was so terribly inclined to want to insist that this was a terrible trap and that he was going to regret wasting his time here... was that... yes, that IS a death ray! Takeshi was both fascinated and on high alert for any sign of this event being something that the captain should be concerned with. Then again, considering that he just met somebody who knew much more about him or Squad Ten than any stranger should have ever known, Looking around, he wasn't able to find any trace of the large strange man, much to his relief and paranoia.

[Zhiel]

Edrian or Edrivian Adalwolf as was his full name had been quite surprised when he had rolled out of his bed that morning to find a letter on the floor, then had to squint his eyes while reading the painful cavalcade of colors and bombastic size differentiation that it was, all the while scratching the side of his head wondering just what the heck went through Kitotsan's mind.

Edrian had only met with Kitotsan on a few occasions but he had a decent grasp of the mans capabilities, both in battle and as an informations broker however he had never expected him to do something like this... Where the vizard got all the stuff for this "fundraising" event was the least of his worries though as Edrian glanced around at the vast array of... Individuals... Who had gathered within the first fifteen minutes or so with more arriving all the time, everything from humans with a bit of spirit power to hulking hollow that probably had to fight the urge to eat each delicious spirit they saw... Just how was that madman expecting this to work!?

Having walked around the place looking at the numerous objects on display Edrian had been on the lookout for Kitotsan himself, wanting a word with the man regarding both this event and some developments in the world at large though neither were urgent just yet so he decided to take his time for now and see if he could enjoy himself. He had to admit there were quite a few antiquities and other less... mundane... Pieces present.

---

Though the place was beginning to be filled with the typical buzz of a crowd after more people began to arrive in droves Kehieleth had no trouble picking up on the rapid footsteps coming his way, of course he had no way of knowing their owner was going for him or not but instinct and experience made sure he didn't let his guard down. Looking up from the display case he had been observing, this particular one having something that according to the plate beside it was a cellphone and spirit radar that (among other things) was customizable to detect almost all kinds of reiatsu frequencies. The last part had been what interested Kehieleth and though it was hardly something he required it had warranted a few minutes attention at least since it was rare to see these kinds of tools outside of Shinigami care.

Returning to the approaching source of the footsteps Kehieleth's eyes focused on Sojukin who had now shed his gigai body and had what appeared to be a Shinigami Captain just behind him, probably the man he had seen the Espada with previously. Going by the Arrancar looking straight at him while heading in his direction Kehieleth had to simply assume the duo was heading for him which made Kehieleth wonder why. Kehieleth and Sojukin had not spoken much and none of the occasions had been particularly friendly, mostly due to Kehieleth's dislike over power-craving Arrancar. He had an understanding for those who had 'turned' accidentally like Hazandar or Shirakarite, and even those who wished to become more human like one of Torre's rogue Fraccion, and probably Growth. But those who became Arrancar primarily for the power it would give them in the short term utterly disgusted him, and if it was up to him they should all be wiped from existence. Of course this didn't mean he had to act on this, he was smarter than that and knew that in his current state he could not stand up to an Espada on his own and while he trusted his "bodyguards" could protect him for now he'd rather avoid unnecessary confrontations.

With his guard up but staying visibly neutral toward the two who had now stopped in front of him Kehieleth was a bit surprised as the Shinigami bowed slightly before him and his 'companion' while Sojukin rooted through one of his pockets before pulling out what looked to be a cigarette of some kind. "Ahh...Hello there...you must be friends of Sojukin's! I am Makkuro Shiboo...pleased to make your acquintance!" The Shinigami greeted them, the name sounded familiar to Kehieleth though he knew it was through Azerin's memories as he did not recognize this man himself. "Allies would be a more proper term, and likewise I'm sure..." Kehieleth responded a bit dryly while Sojukin was busy acting important (or wasting his time), if he intended to say more was hard to say as Sojukin began to speak shortly after however.


A few meters away Growth was standing half-turned toward Kehieleth and his group, either being concerned for his 'masters' well being or maybe he was just interested in what was going on between them. He was close enough to hear what Kehieleth would most likely consider pointless blather, sounding almost like if he was trying to justify himself being there though when it was made clear it wasn't more than a "friendly greeting" from Las Noches resident pyromaniac Growth decided it was time to move on though that's when he was directly addressed and seemed a bit alarmed. Being an Arrancar whos hiero had properties almost identical to wood (except being made of spirit particles and being spiritually charged of course) Growth had an instinctive reaction to avoid fire and Sojukin wasn't known for being the most stable Espada in the history of Las Noches. Sure it was probably him overreacting but better safe than sorry.


Meanwhile the white haired woman looked as apathetic as ever, staring into empty space now that Sojukin and Makkuro occupied the space between her and the object of her interest, occasionally her eyes would shift to 'focus' on something else though it seemed more as if she saw something that wasn't there, or no one else saw. It was actually rather creepy... Well unless you didn't seem to notice or care about it like Kehieleth, the former Vasto Lorde let out a light sigh once Sojukin was finished speaking and replied with a cold but slightly irritated tone.

"I was nearby and had nothing better to do for the moment, does one need more of a reason?" He didn't give Sojukin time to respond to this however though it wasn't really posed as a question either way "I am not expecting much from this... Event... Still I deemed it worth the time invested. And yes that is Growth, he asked to come and I see no reason to deny him. As for her..." Kehieleth explained, pausing while nodding his head ever so slightly to the woman slightly behind him before continuing. "I recruited her on my latest venture, she has a few unique talents that I look forward to seeing in action." There were a bit of silence after this, while Kehieleth seemed to be looking for some kind of reaction in Makkuro though when it became clear there'd be none he simply continued again "I am certain you're aware of where Las Noches and Seireitei stand, which makes me curious why you would associate with a Shinigami." Though there was no 'grand wisdom' to be found in anything Kehieleth said, the way he spoke either implied him being obscenely arrogant or perhaps very old given he didn't seem to be bothered by the gap in power between him and Sojukin, something Makkuro would no doubt have noticed by now and while he could probably sense the reiatsu of the woman as well she seemed to be equal properties Shinigami and Hollow, with her reiatsu potential not being discernible due to what appeared a great turmoil inside her.

---

Elsewhere Richard was looking at the NWO HQ's mainframe computer while trying to figure out how a large number of spirits of varying power simply kept disappearing around a certain area of Karakura. He was considering dispatching an HK squadron to investigate when an emergency message from the Second Karakura Outpost was patched through to him through the Combat Division's channels. Apparently a structure of unknown origin had appeared out of nowhere at exactly 08:00, which both spirits and humans, or human-like creatures, had entered, at which point their radar array lost sight of them. Due to the abnormality of the situation the Outpost's Captain had decided it was best to contact High Command before taking action, something Richard would have to applaud the man for later as even he was at a loss of words of what to make of this... He decided to go for the safe approach for now.

[Wanzer]

Sojukin felt nothing as Kehieleth and his little entourage made their little show. Why should he? Kehieleth meant nothing to him and he had never been anything to him; Sojukin gave him a smidegon of respect due to his age, but beyond that nothing. All he sensed now was a man over-compensating for his lost power and it seemed laughable. A great vasto lorde now reduced down to gather an group of members more powerful for himself. Sojukin found himself with a wicked smirk as he noticed just how much of a wuss Growth was. A little spark is all it takes to frighten him? That will be useful to me later down the road, but for now I need to focus on the present. Such things will come with time and advancement will come with that..., then from the ashes of their deaths my dream of a lush Hueco Mundo will be fulfilled. Sojukin's train of thought is derailed in an instant by Kehieleth's reply to him which he took with a mild sting and then apathy as usual. It was hard to get upset with the Arrancar or hollows anymore. After all they were all too self-righteous and power hungry with no direction. They only sought to strengthen themselves, but what did they plan to do with it? Nothing, nothing at all and it seemed to him to be a senseless waste of time.

"You're far too kind to me Kehieleth if you had only spoken in only a few octaves higher and with a hint of light on your face....Well I might have considered your speech to be friendly. You're sleeping in your old age Kehieleth. It would be wise to tighten yourself or else a certain Horror will see through your paper thin veil. Neither of us would want that now would we? Such things are far too idiotic to die over, especially when there is sooo much to be done and so little time to do it. You are aging Kehieleth and I am too green for my own good in the matters of diplomacy. You have a gift for it, if you would but escape from your little mental prison of traditions and age; not all shinigami need be our enemies...and not all hollows need be our allies. Think upon that Kehieleth before you next open your mouth on socially acceptable relationships. Everyone knows the one you currently maintain is the grandest taboo of our world. Your synergy is quite the talk around the water cooler...you would be surprised at the....'interest' surrounding the event."

Makkuro's eyebrow slowly rose itself at Sojukin's words. The young captain now with hand placed over hilt of his zanpakuto; however, he quickly removed his hand once he noticed several of the staff looking toward the group. Any confrontation here would lead to a beat down, that much he was sure of. Makkuro stared at Kehieleth at Sojukin's words trying to make sense of them, he could see no taboo where...only a hollow. Unable to make sense of it, he takes the conversation make the previous comment. Though the statements had louged themselve into his brain. Just what is this taboo? Should I have known of it already or perhaps it is something only the hollows know of? I do not wish to pry, but I fear my curiosity will gain the better of me. Makkuro averted his eyes from Sojukin then made eye contact with Kehieleth. He found himself oddly intimated by the man, yet..he knew that they were on a level playing field for battle; however, he couldn't shake the feeling that this hollow could see through him easily. His salt and pepper hair shifted as he ran his fingers through it, he noticed everything in the area now. The guady room, the women next to Kehieleth and Growth retreating from them...people were bustling about and nothing seemed to be sacred here anymore. Arrancar, Hollows and Shinigami along with the occassional spiritual human moved about heedless of each other. A crowd was beginning to form and several young girls, some appearing to be in high school had made a few passing glances shivered, then fled. This filled Makkuro with a great deal of ire, he had no control over what he was, why should they be prejudiced against because of how they were born?

"I agree with Sojukin's statement about allies and enemies. We can never know a person's true intentions, but we exist and we all have the right to pursue our goals. Shinigami and Hollows may be the complete opposites of each other, but there need not be such animosity between us. Yes, hollows exist to feed on lost souls and gather them and Shinigami exist to make sure that the balance of reincarnation is kept in place. Lest armaggedon break loose."

Makkuro finishes his speal, then bites his lip and blushes. He figured that would flow better, but now he wanted to run and follow Growth. It dawns on him that Sojukin, Kehieleth and the young woman probably wanted nothing to do with him at the moment. Kehieleth had been polite enough with the woman being silent and Sojukin tolerating his presence, but he could feel that he did not belong with them.