The Leaders, Face to Face

Myst, as self-proclaimed Queen of the Reikon Kyuuban race, felt like she was missing something. Sure, there were the ones who came to her for a bit of help controling their powers, or ones who just want to know more about the change, but the problem was, there had to be ones greater than herself, She begain calling herself the Queen to attract the strongest of them all, yet here she was, standing alone in a store buying meat. I just want one of my own kind to challenge me, to make me go beyond what I am, not just take years of enlightenment that should only come with age. she mentally yelled at herself, walking back out into the open streets.

Walking down the opposite side of the street with his face buried in this mornings newspaper was Gengetsu, one of the more unusual members of the Collective Vices. When others were off doing what it was they done best, he was shifting between his three homes to "keep up with the gossip". "Lovely," He thought as he read through the central pages. "My bets beat for another day." Horses never did it for him. The football wasn't much better either. And he couldn't handle his drink, so it was either sit at home and be bored all day long or gamble away the CV's money with a chance of winning some of it back. He crossed the street when the little green man signaled and dumped the paper into the trash can to his right, for now content to peer through the window of the local travel agents. "Wonder how much a week in the sun would cost?"

Myst could feel the spiritual bloodlust that only a Kenpachi or Reikon Kyuuban could give off, and the latter was most likely of the pair. The trick was to keep focused on that feeling in a throng of humans, quite easy to do when the feeling was as strong as this one was. She quickly found the source sitting there, gazing into a window. She carefully walked behind him and knelt down so that her face was just over his shoulder. "You know, so much easier if you just walk in instead of sitting out here." she said with a playful smile.

A casual little grin played across the man's face, his expression fun-loving yet calm. Almost like he saw this as a game of sorts. In a way it was. "Best deals are in the window," He replied with deliberate casualness. You'd have thought he'd known this woman for years. In a way he did. Like him, she too was a Reikon Kyuuban, and a powerful one if his senses were right. He probably understood her better than any of the humans walking past on their way elsewhere ever could. Gengetsu used the excuse of being jostled by a passerby to turn and face this unknown woman, kneeling in front of him. Like him she also had heterochromia, for two different colored eyes met his blue and red. "My names Gengetsu, ma'am." He even inclined his head politely.

Myst's blue and silver eyes met the red and blue. "I'm Myst," she began, standing up, "It's rare to see anyone window shop for travel deals these days. I'm going to ask you a rather personal question, one that if I'm right, means you just might be the one I've been looking for. Are you a terror of the night that goes by many names, a demon who drains the blood of their victim?" Sure, it was a long way of asking if he was a Reikon Kyuuban, but, she wasn't exactly known for taking the easy way out of things.

"Oh ho, and the game takes an interesting little turn! Quite the direct approach there, Myst." Gengetsu thought, his little smile never shifting. He could very well have been admiring the view or enjoying the breeze for all the outward concern he showed. He merely placed his hands in his pockets, leaned back against the wall and nodded his head once then twice. "And you as well, I suppose? Interesting. Nowadays all I see of the others-" It wasn't hard to know who he meant by others "-are mere children at best, not yet grown into their... unique abilities. It does get rather distressing. Especially so when they seek you out for training purposes." But this Myst was another matter entirely. She was matured. She was dangerous.

"So, you know how old it gets when they ask 'What can we do? Teach us!' then. Doesn't help when I start rumors to attract ones like like you, the ones who've been at this for more than a few years." Myst said, still smiling, glad she finally found one who was like her, wanting one like them who understood not just what to do, but deep down, understanding what it means to have this power. "The thing is, I just wonder how our kind can turn others so fast, so carelessly. There's no way so many are Naturals, it just can't be." In her mind, she wondered how Gengetsu could have become one, but it was a very rude question by any standard, let alone coming from one who was likely damned by the same logic.

"They are young," Gengetsu said in reply, his features beginning to show how little he thought of the action. The excuse was used all too often, though it was still very much true. "Age and experience they lack, though that will change in time." Though the cycle would continue, with the sole change being the pieces on the board. While still a game to his mind, this was beginning to grow into more than his typical pursuits. Most were so two-dimensional. Rarely did he meet one of his own who shared some of his beliefs. It was actually quite refreshing. "Shall we continue this conversation elsewhere?" He disliked being out in the open for too long. It was one of the many things being an agent of the Collective Vices did for you. It felt like there were always eyes looking for you always. He offered her his arm, again the facade of politeness worn well.

Myst took his arm. "Where do you want to go?" she asked, never being one to decide anything, just letting life take it's course.

"Preferably somewhere with some shade. This sun is killing me." He'd already been in it long enough to feel his abilities beginning to degrade, though that would soon rectify itself with time. And if this encounter went south quickly he needed to be at his best. It was just one of the many precautions one took when playing a game. "I know this little cafe nearby. Seats in the shade and quiet." What he didn't tell her was that the cafe was actually his. It was one of the few things he'd spent the Collective Vices money on that hadn't been horses.

Myst nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." she said. If this encounter came to blows, she needed everything she had. ''Whoever this guy is, I can't afford mistakes. I mean, I don't know the extent of his power, nor he mine. Always be prepared for the worst case scenario.''

The cafe came into sight as the pair rounded the final street corner. It was a small, two-storied building with various outside tables set under an extended canopy, with a sign reading Welcome to The White Tower. It was supposedly named for the small white granite spire built atop the roof of the second floor. Each table had their own umbrella for when the sun changed its position and always gave at least some measure of protection against those debilitating rays. The entire place was built with a Reikon Kyuuban in mind, as once below the canopy little sun reached within. To make up for it several outside lamps were burning faintly, which gave off a low, yet warm heat and light.

Gengetsu led her to one of the outside tables, seated her before himself and then waved over the waiter. The waiters name was Aurora Black. She wore a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, slightly open due to the heat. Brown bangs framed her face while red eyes watched as though somewhat dazed. She was one of the few Gengetsu had been referring to specifically when he had spoken about "children seeking him out for training purposes." Though she was only recently turned and one of the main reasons why he had frequented this particular region. She... enjoyed the "thrill", she had said, and knew as much about her newfound gifts as Gengetsu had when he was first turned. "Drinks please, Aurora. I'll have my usual." He said. "Certainly, sir. And you, ma'am?" Aurora asked of Myst.

Myst pondered for a second. "I'll just have a coffee please." she said, turning to face Gengetsu. "So, how did you find this little slice of heaven? I mean, it's perfect for...well, people like us."

It wasn't much of a story. He'd simply spent the Collective Vices money on a dilapidated hovel and built it from the ground up, to serve the purpose of sheltering his own kind. "I restored it actually," He said at last. "It used to be nothing more than a two-story hovel. A little money and elbow grease, then this. Auctions are fun, you should give it a try sometime." He accepted his drink - a vibrant red wine - with a bow of his head for Aurora. "So, what brings you here, Myst? People like us tend to travel quite a lot."

Myst nodded her head in thanks as Aurora handed her the coffee. "I told you. I was bored, I wanted to see others like me. Yes, I've turned a few people, but it's like seeing the same faces over and over. Eventually it becomes a occupational hazard of sorts. You lose your mind. So, I set out to see who else was one of us, and... well, I ran into you." she said, taking a quick drink.

"Then I do pity you. Here you were, looking for more of your fellows, yet you run into me." He said in a joking manner. Sipping his wine slowly as to savor the taste, Gengetsu made a mental note not to order it again. Trust Aurora to get his order wrong, again. "But I believe I can help you. You wish to meet others? There are several in the White Towers basement, hidden away until they learn wisdom." He'd be waiting awhile.

"What? There are more here? How come I didn't sense them already?" Myst asked, the fact she couldn't sense them other than Gengetsu confused her greatly. She always kept her senses ready for when others would show themselves inadvertently, which was an unmistakable feeling.

"Nothing at all to do with your senses, I assure you." Gengetsu informed quickly. "After all, what would be the point in sheltering them if others could find them so easily? To the physical or spiritual world, the basement of this cafe doesn't exist. It is much like a secret hidden away in a game; it can be found, but often enough not easily." And Gengetsu prided himself in his ability to play the game.

"Oh, you do have a point. I didn't think like that." Myst conceded that Gengetsu was actually quite correct in that. "So, do you ever regret becoming one, an RK I mean? Doesn't it seem kinda annoying to have to kill to live?"

He was slow to give an answer. It wasn't that the subject made him uncomfortable, not really, it was just one of the many dangers of his occupation. People who opened their mouths without thinking when the CV were involved had a habit of being found stuck in alley with a knife in their ribs. "In my line of work-" He settled for "-killing is sometimes required. I prefer to look at it like this, however. We are simply part of the cycle of life. Everything in this world is simply food for another. Humans eat animals, RK kill humans to ensure our own survival. A bleak outlook, but a sensible one, all the same. But what about you, Myst? Your questions makes me assume you do regret it."

"No, I just hate the fact one wrong step and Shinigami will hunt me down, or worse, my family. The scary part, I know they would. The only saving grace is the fact I have a friend who's very high up in rank and he might be able to get us time to escape." she admitted, not revealing who, therefore keeping her promise of never telling anyone. "Sorry if I seemed kinda forward with that question."

He merely waved it aside. "I can understand that, but about the question? I don't mind. Honestly. Those I help ask their fair share of questions. The only way you could possibly annoy me is by asking the variety of question pertaining to our abilities that we both seem to dislike." So she knew someone is the Gotei 13? A Captain, or perhaps a member of the Central 46? An issue for another time. It really wasn't any of his business anyway.

Myst nodded. "Well, at least you have a good use for your powers. Me, however, I've got nothing. All I do is basically act like the perfect death sentence in prisons all over the place. It's my way of atoning for turning innocent people into food for the longest time."

"You have much more than you imagine," He whispered. "We might complain about it, but think about those you have helped over the years; the deaths you've helped avert by teaching understanding to those who do not understand? You have beauty, you have ideals. And you have inner strength." He was ranting, but he didn't care. "I can tell that and I've only met you. Your a kinder soul than I could ever hope to be. You know restraint and remorse. A rare combination nowadays. Hardly something I would discard as 'nothing'."

Myst blushed lightly. "You mean that? Thanks. You know, you're not a bad soul. Even though we just met, that's what I learned about you. You're helping the small fry control themselves just like I have. You of all people, claim to be unkind, yet in the past five minutes you've shown me more kindness than anyone else."

It was Gengetsu's turn to blush, which he hid slightly by lowering his head further into the shade. "I wouldn't be much of a host if I couldn't accomplish that much, ma'am." He even tipped his non-existent hat to her. "But kind?" He chuckled a little. "Not me, Myst. Definitely not me. I've turned a lot of people, most in that basement in fact." And one sat out in his mind more prominently than others. Shiki Shirono, the 'Whitefield Killer'. "This is the side I show few; mostly just others of our kind." That was mostly just to protect himself, though.

"We've both turned people because it's our way to cover our own loneliness. Gengetsu, if there's one thing I never liked about this power, it'd be the bitter loss that will come with it. I almost lost my brother to my thirst when I was new, and yet he never questioned why I drank his veins dry nightly." Myst said, absentmindedly revealing her past.

The game, at times, did surprise him. He hadn't suspected Myst would share her past, not at all. "My worst experience was a young lad some years ago, name Shiki Shirono. He wanted the power, didn't care how he got it. Thought he could be a tough little man." A somber note entered his tone. "So I turned him. A week later most of his family turned up dead, the kid forever exiled. I only know one who escaped."

"I'm sorry." Myst said, thinking on the ways she once was when it came time to feed. There was a time where her Demonic sibling became her meal, his only saving grace was his immortality, and even that sometimes made it hard on both of them, his blood tasted like sweet nectar at first, and then it'd mess up her system. "So, do you think it was the kid who did it?" she asked, the usual sense of morbid curiosity making her wonder.

"Directly responsible? Yes, he killed them. Indirectly? No." He replied after a small amount of time to think. "Some of his family were bullying him, I think. You know how young boys are. Shiki had had enough of being pushed around. Hence his hunt for power. Too bad he found me, at the time blind by my own, and not really caring what he did with his newfound gifts. Now there's a family dead, brothers, sisters, cousins, mothers, aunts, uncles, infants... and all because of my mistake. Was it Shiki? No. He killed them, but it may as well have been me."

"We all make mistakes Gengetsu. It's human nature, and by extension, Reikon Kyuuban nature, to mess up every now and then." Myst said, trying to cheer up the man sitting across from her. After speaking, she drank deeply from her coffee, enjoying the brief moment where her desire to drink blood wasn't forcing her to feed on humans.

It was quite surprising to find someone who happened to understand his position. But then, she could just as quickly be controlling those emotions. "Mess up every now and then? My dear Myst, very few mistakes end up leaving close to an entire family dead, but thank you. You're meaning is took." He emptied what remained of his wine before setting it aside. "But enough of such things. Kills the atmosphere, I think."

Myst nodded. "Agreed. It's depressing to always think of death and chaos at every turn. What else would you like to speak of?"

"The future," the male Reikon Kyuuban said. Oh how he loved playing games. His eyes gleamed like they often did when the subject turned to his defining trait... as well as his definitive vice. "I have enjoyed our talk and would like to make a habit of it, providing you have no objection. You would be surprised how difficult it is to find someone who understands someones circumstances, racial or otherwise, especially when ours go beyond the norm."

"Sure. I'd love to make a habit of this. It'd give me a reason to come out to this world again, and besides, I'm always alone in that overgrown house of mine. I enjoyed today, for many reasons." Myst replied with a slight smile.

"Then it is settled!" He declared with a clap of his hands. "But believe me, Myst, when I say that the world has a nice way of surprising you. I wouldn't shut myself away from it. If I had I wouldn't be enjoying your company now, would I?" He made motion to drink from his glass then noticed that it, save a few drops at the bottom, empty. "I think there is something wrong with this scene."

"Oh yes. Very wrong. I think you either need another bottle or some actual food." she replied, before noticing her own cup was dry. "Dang. I'm in the same boat this time."

He then became acutely aware of his rumbling stomach, which was only half faked. "It's quite amazing, isn't it? I pay these people and my cup remains dry! Fantastic. But I heard food and, I'm sure you gathered from my stomach, I'm quite hungry. Perhaps you'll allow me to treat you to dinner?"

"That sounds lovely." she answered quickly. She was having too much fun just being outside, not to mention with another of her kind who actually understood what they were, and the day wearing away only served to heighten her energy.

Leaving the White Tower behind, the pair of Reikon Kyuuban set off at a leisurely pace towards a restaurant Gengetsu had bigged up the moment they'd got off their seats, talking all-the-while. The day was growing into evening with the sun dipping down past the larger skyscrapers farther into Akabira City, the sky already beginning to glow with the colors of the setting sun. People were beginning to become scarcer as they walked towards their destination. Even the streets, earlier filled with cars, was beginning to empty. It wouldn't be long however until the night life began. But, for now, it was temporary peace which Gengetsu found rather comforting.

Myst smiled, enjoying the evening air and the sights that came with it. To her, the sky seemed to truly be aflame, the orange and reds danced endlessly amid the still blue heavens that had yet to be touched by the setting of the sun. She may have had the power for years now, but still, time never dulled her rapture.

"Always thought the view in this city was great," he had many homes scattered throughout the world, most of which were in rural areas that were mostly off the radar. Yet this was his favorite location of all. "No matter where you are, or the skyscrapers near you, you always have a good view of the sun." Of course he very rarely got to enjoy it. He was either working for the CV or preventing his Reikon Kyuuban going on a killing spree. Then there were always the Hollow. Oh, how that species irritated him.

Myst walked beside him, wondering where they were headed, but still feeling too excited to finally be away from her lonely existance to really worry. Today's been the best day of my life. she thought happily, unaware of a spot where the sidewalk was uneven. She almost fell, but her supernatural reflexes prevented her from slamming to the ground.