My Kingdom for a Quincy

Now ever since becoming Captain of Squad Ten Victor has been normally busy trying to get everything set up so that the squad would be ready to work, he already had the new uniforms and logos set up as well as making sure he taught the basics of forging to the members so they can be of help for the more advance forgers of Lindblum. But one thing he been bothered with was a certain little project of his, it revolved around the creation of a weapon called a Spirit gun but there were sight bumps he was dealing with about Spirit Particle control.

Thus he knew of only one place that would be perfect for him to go and that was the Quincy Village.....though he was only able to figure out the General Location of the area and was not able to pinpoint it exactly. Thus he was now wondering around aimlessly trying to find either the Village or a Quincy that would be willing to help him, to help with not causing trouble he did dress up in his normal non-uniform attire as well as keeping his sword hidden away and sealed.

Strangely enough though he had came when it was raining though it was only strange to him due to not knowing how much it rains here, thus he was carrying around a black umbrella with iron cross symbols on it. He really liked that symbol for some reason and couldn't help but use it all the time, but as he looked around for someone to talk to he wondered if it was a lost cause at the moment. He didn't expect anyone to want to be out and about in the rain but then again who knows these days, he soon saw a few lights in the distance and headed toward them not sure if it was the famed Quincy Village or just some small human Village in the mountains.

In the village, a young woman walked down the main street. She held a navy umbrella over her head and was dressed in a navy skirt, shirt and boots along with a white jacket. As she walked slowly, she gazed at those around her, wondering where the one she was to find would be. Hotaru had gone ahead on her own so she hadn't a real clue on where to begin.

"So the shinigami was supposed to be in town here...where though? Maybe I should have waited--ooh I like the look of that."

Her gaze had been taken by one of the store's displays and Hotaru stopped in her tracks, momentarily abandoning her search for the one that the Headmaster had spoken of the day prior. Having spent most of her time at the school lately she was glad to be out and about in the village, despite the ever-present rain.

It took about ten minutes to reach the village that Victor had seen even with him doing some minor burst of speed to help get there faster, even a Shinigami Captain wouldn't enjoy getting rained on for hours while slowly walking toward a place. Also his favorite boots were getting muddy form the road as it wasn't exactly fully paved over or anything, as he entered the area he saw that it was like most other villages one would find a few stores here and there, a nice size group of houses, and a gas station or two to help keep any travelers on their way.

All in all Victor found the place to be rather quaint and enjoyable if it wasn't for the blasted rain pouring down from the heavens, as he walked around he soon happened upon a young woman with a navy umbrella who was wearing a rather...drafty outfit for a rainy day. He figured though he would say hello and approached her till he was three feet away from her and then said with a slight smile "Guten Tag liebchen, I am zorry to be bothering you but could you tell me vhere I am exactly. I zeem to have gotten a bit lost due to the storm...."

While still enamored with the store's display, Hotaru heard a voice behind her. Once she had realized that it was her he was speaking to, she turned around, her amber eyes falling on the man in question.

'Could he be the one? He isn't a local if he's asking such questions and I can just get a trace of reiatsu...He's not a normal person.'

Realizing that she was probably gazing at him for a little too long without a response, Hotaru smiled nervously and responded to his question.

"You're in a pretty secluded village, where it rains pretty often. Are you familiar with people called the Quincy?"

Victor waited patiently for the young woman to respond to his question though her gazing at him for such a period did cause a bit of an....awkward moment, when she then smiled a bit nervously though he figured she was just a shy young woman is all and didn't mind it at all.

When she told him he was in a remote village for the most part and that rain was fairly often part of its weather he sighed and rubbed his head a slight bit, that is until she said Quincy and his fire burst back to life in his eyes.

He looked at the young woman with joy and said "Ja ja I knov of them but I am not familiar with them. I am actually trying to find them for I vish to ask them zome questionz iz all, could you please help me in thiz task?.....Oh vhere are mein mannerz......Mein name iz Victor Dunkelheit, may I knov vhat your name iz?"

As the man answered, Hotaru's smile became warmer. He seemed to be excited about where he had ended up, as evidenced by his response.

"Well you found them."

Since he had introduced himself, she bowed respectfully and gave her own name.

"Dunkelheit-san? My name is Hotaru Nakano."

Righting her posture, she looked at him curiously as she continued the discussion.

"I don't mind helping you but first I have a question, if you don't mind. I was actually in town for a reason today so I was wondering... you wouldn't happen to be a Shinigami would you? The fact that you've heard of Quincies raises the question."

Victor was shocked that the girl before him was a Quincy and made a mental note that it seems Quincies for the most part are easily able to blend in with normal humans, when she then told him her name he was delighted at how polite she was to him as he always liked politeness.

It was then that she wanted to ask him a question and thus he tilted his head a slight bit like a fox almost, after hearing the question he chuckled and then softly rubbed the back of his head with his gloved hand before saying "Ah vell all fair and all I zuppose Miss Nakano.....zo I zhall answer your question......I am indeed a Zhinigami, though before you vorry I am zimply here for peaceful reasonz. I hope me being vhat I am isn't a problem iz it?"

"It's not a problem at all, I just could sense the reiatsu coming from you to where it was obvious you weren't an actual person. Saying you weren't too familiar with Quincies made it obvious you weren't one. So that would mean you're likely either a Hollow or a Shinigami and I just can't see a hollow in you at all."

Victor didn't seem like a bad person from her first impression of him, although she could trust and be this friendly to most people easily to the point of being almost too naive. She seemed as though she likely could have talked the Shinigami's ear off from how she opened up to him, but after a brief pause Hotaru tried to show a little restraint after laughing softly before continuing.

"Ah I'm just rambling now I suppose. I was actually sent here today to help out the Shinigami that would come. How about we get some tea or coffee and I can help answer what questions you have. You can drink and eat right, Dunkelheit-san?"

Victor rubbed the back of his head and laughed a bit in embarrassment at how easily he was found out even with the Gigai he was inside of, then again his lack of information made his little act easy to see through but still rather humbling. As he listened to Hotaru talk to him in such an open friendly manner he was nearly brought to tears, finally he had found a nice polite person who wasn't insane or very weird like all the others he ran in the past.

When she finished and admitted she was rambling he shook his head softly and said "Nein you vaz zimply trying to be friendly iz all, I am a bit zhocked you figured out vho I am zo easily.....then again it izn't eazy hiding a captain'z level of Zpiritual Pressure no........Oh zome coffee vould be perfect and yez I can ztill eat and drink. But please call me Victor Miss Nakano." Victor waited for the young beauty to lead the way as he was still unsure where things were in this place.

With the okay to go on to get some coffee, Hotaru began to walk down the street. She kept a fairly casual pace as the shop was close by and continued the conversation while walking.

"It's really just how I am. There are times where I can just talk and talk the day away. And you said you're a Captain's level? Isn't that...one of the top ranks for Shinigami? I mean I didn't really sense a reiatsu until you were close to me so really the control is quite good I would think."

Once she had reached the building that housed the coffee shop Hotaru held open the door with her free, gloved hand, the other holding the umbrella.

"The cafe is right in here, Victor-san. And you can call me Hotaru."

Victor was not bothered in the least with walking behind Hotaru as she talked up a storm, when she was done he said "Miss Nakano trust me on thiz.....compared to hov all my other meetingz have been going.......a long conversation zoundz heavenly.....az for my rank...yez...the Captain rank iz only just belov Captain Commander. But I am glad to hear that you couldn't detect me from afar, but I think most of the vork vaz done by the Gigai I am in. Thank you either vay though."

Victor then watched as Hotaru held the door open for him to allow him to enter the building, he gave a grateful smile before entering. After coming inside he closed his black umbrella and gave it a slight shake before turning to look at the young Quincy to say "Thank you and very vell Hotaru it iz, rollz off the tongue too."

Victor waited for Hotaru to come in herself and get ready before he looked around and rubbed his head a bit before asking "Hmmmm.....nov vhat exactly iz thiz place......?" Victor never been to a modern coffee shop or even an old version of it.......he was confused.

Once Victor had entered the building, Hotaru followed suit. She allowed the door to close behind her as she closed her own umbrella, setting it by the door to be taken up only when they would leave. It was easy to hear the confusion in his voice as he asked what the place was, and was rather surprised that he didn't know. She stood beside him and answered with another smile.

"This place is like a restaurant yet not. It's a place to get coffee, tea and little snacks. Surely you've eaten out before haven't you? At this place you just tell the worker what you would like to drink and they'll make it for you. Of course you kind of have to pay normally but that's to be expected."

Hearing what this place was for didn't help him too much as while he knew of coffee, tea, and such he only had them through buying the substances from market places and making it himself. A place that actually does a business of making it for you was......unknown to him as he rubbed the back of his head once more in confusion.

He kept tilting his head as well as he did this before he said "Zorry Hotaru but......I really never been out to eat that much and never to a place like thiz.....I fairly zure I did in my......past life but ze zhinigami always forget our past lives....actually most zoulz forget vhen they pass on......I am zorry for being ignorant of thiz."

Victor bowed his head in apology before he then said "I'll just have to give it a go myself at least once though...." Victor made his way into the line and waited he looking rather out of place and a few others were staring at him.......oh boy this would be a rather thrilling day indeed.....

"Really? Well I haven't dealt much with shinigami or souls so I guess such a thing never dawned on me. But to have never experienced this is a bit shocking I'll admit. I can order though if you'd like."

As he went into the line she stood beside him as she would likely have to do the ordering. Noticing the looks that the locals were giving Victor, Hotaru smiled and explained it.

"It's rare that anyone comes by this out of the way village. The village is a place where everyone knows everyone else so a stranger is odd to see. Some of them might be able to tell that you're not just a normal person as well."

Victor was a proud German male and one who was a captain of an entire squad so his pride wouldn't allow him to let Hotaru do the work of all this, so the offer to order for him caused him to shake his head and said "Nien I am thankful for your offer but I must learn to do thiz for myself...just make zure I don't ruin it fully vhen I try."

Then he listened to the young woman explain the staring and he sweat dropped a bit before saying ".....Wunderbar.....just vhat I needed more attention drawn to myself." Victor focused on keeping a low profile and hoped nothing crazy happens.

When it was Victor's turn he looked up at the list of drinks and then said "....Cup of Dark Coffee.....leave the cream and sugar to myself....." it wasn't a perfect run but he did well enough to get the point across, and was now waiting for Hotaru to order as well.

"There won't be any problems, more curiosity than anything, Victor-san."

The girl smiled as though to try to ease his worries at catching the attention of others around. After he had ordered she turned her attention to the counter though and gave her rather simple drink order.

"Cappuccino, please."

Victor figured he would take Hotaru's word for it as he had no reason to think she would be lying to him anyway, thus he simply looked away from the other people in the line and let them stare at him he suppose.

It was then a few moments after Hotaru ordered her drink that they got their cups and Victor said "Allov me to pay for thiz Hotaru, the least I can do for you being kind enough to help me." He pulled out a black wallet from his back pocket that had a single large Iron Cross on the front, he pulled out a few bills and paid the person but then said "Nien nien you can keep the change."

After all was paid for he picked up his cup of dark coffee and headed over to the place were all the sugar and cream was put as well as spoons and what not, he got two packages of sugar and one package of cream before grabbing a spoon. He waited for Hotaru to get her own things before he moved to a nice table for them to sit and drink at, he then asked "Zorry if thiz iz veird but......vhat the devil iz a Cappuccino exactly?" Victor stared at her drink like it was some alien liquid or something....people behind the time are just funny like that.

After she had placed her own order, Hotaru had been reaching into her hand for her wallet, however she stopped as he offered to pay.

"Thank you."

Taking her cup after it was finished she joined him. To her the drink needed nothing else and instead she took a seat at the table he had chosen. When she set her cup down Hotaru saw him eye it curiously as he asked his first question.

"It's like a coffee you could say. Made a little differently though. Foamy milk."

After answering him, Hotaru took a sip of the cappuccino, setting down the cup again to continue the conversation with the Shinigami.

"Now that I've answered that, what exactly did you need to ask, Victor-san?"

Victor listened to Hotaru explain that her drink was just coffee for the most part with foamy milk and nodded his head in understanding, he then opened his packages of sugar and cream before pouring them into the drink and mixing it up.

He took a few sips of his dark coffee and let out a sigh of contentment as he was in a good mood now after having some nice coffee, but soon he heard her ask him what he needed to ask and chuckled a slight bit to himself.

He put his coffee cup down and said "Zeemz it back to business, zorry vaz just enjoying thiz zo much I nearly forgot my reason to be here. I came here to ask your people questionz on zpirit particle manipulation.....I am vorking on a project that requirez zpirit particle manipulation. I vould not be zurprise though if you yourself cannot tell me anything though, I am zure your higher upz vould vant to be involved in thiz."

Victor sighed a slight bit at the thought as he really was coming to warm up to Hotaru, the girl could of actually become a good friend in time.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I'm just curious what you would need to know from the Quincy, Victor-san."

A little embarrassed that she had forced the topic to change though they weren't really discussing anything of importance until now, Hotaru played with the cream at the top of her drink with her index finger absentmindedly. Once she realized it was probably bad manners to do so though she stopped and licked the bit of foam from her finger before addressing the matter at hand.

"I'm still a student and definitely not the most versed on such matters. One of the senseis would probably be able to answer things better than I could. I was pretty sure I was meant to meet you with a sensei but I kind of left on my own. There's no telling if he will be around so I'll just have to do my best here won't I?"

Smiling, Hotaru paused to take another drink of her cappuccino before raising her next question.

"Do you mind if I ask just why you need to know about such a thing? I mean I'd have thought Shinigami were versed in it to some extent as well..."

"Nein nein it perfectly fine Hotaru, I'm zure that if I vaz in your position I vould be curiouz az vell." said Victor with a slight smile as he drank a bit more of his coffee as he watched Hotaru cutely play with the cream of her drink for a little bit, when she stopped and licked her finger clean and talked once more he re-focused his attention yet again.

"Oh don't be too vorried about it liebchen, any information iz valuable and at the very least I have made a potential friend by meeting you. Though may I ask....these zenseiz of yourz.......they are not pompouz people like zome of the captainz I knov I hope....forgive me if vhat I zaid iz insulting in any vay. Az for you doing your best......vell I think you are doing quite vell, I feel velcomed and I have an even greater desire to learn more about your people." Said Victor with a smile as he took another drink of his coffee enjoying the slightly bitter taste.

It was then that she brought up the subject of why he was doing this and sighed slightly as he wasn't suppose to share that type of info freely, but considering how polite and helpful Hotaru was being and how he liked her he figured there was no harm in sharing the info. He then said "I am vorking on a device that vill help Zhinigami fight hollowz at a distance......we Zhinigami are painfully underdeveloped in ranged veaponry. I call it a zpirit gun to be exact....I can't zhare detailz here though......too many eyez and earz."

"I wouldn't call them pompous. There may be one or two that are that way but that's out of a number. And thank you, at least I'm succeeding in my goal to help you to some extent, Victor-san."

At his compliment the girl smiled warmly at the Shinigami. When he went on to talk about the reason he sought a Quincy she listened with curiosity. In truth she was learning a bit about Shinigami through this as well, which interested her the more she came across them. Though he didn't mention anything specific about his plans she got the general idea and nodded.

"That sounds like an interesting idea. It makes sense hearing that why you're seeking a Quincy since we try to keep our distance from Hollows."

Victor was rather relieved to hear that for the most part the higher ups of the Quincy order were not going to be a pain to deal with, he went back to drinking the rest of his coffee as he mentally smiled at how well all this was going as it normally awkward when two different groups of people meet.

It was then that he heard Hotaru actually approve of the idea and understood his reasoning for wanting such a thing, he smiled a bit and then said "Thank you for understanding, also for zome reason I feel a ztrange love of range veaponz.....I don't knov vhy.......I could of used them a lot in my past life I zuppose...Nov to be fair and also to zhov my trust, iz there anything about my race you vish to ask? Just...don't ask anything that might be too......classified for me to zhare."

"It's not a problem at all..."

At his offer to answer a question, Hotaru thought for a moment as she gazed out the window. As she did so she took another drink of her beverage before setting it down. When she looked back at him she finally responded.

"I guess the first thing I'm curious about is what Soul Society is like. I'm sure that's not classified information. Though I've met Shinigami before this is the first time I've had this opportunity to ask so I guess I'm a little curious."

Victor had to think for a moment on how to answer Hotaru's question due to how large a subject such a thing was before he said "Vell you got a rather broad question there......zo I vill be talking a bit longer than I normally vould....firstly the Zoul Zociety could best be explained az a world more or less based on Earth just........less advance for the most part. The place vhere most of the people live in iz centralized around the place we Zhinigami are ztationed..the place iz called the Zeireitei."

Victor stopped for a moment and thought for a bit longer then said "But the place vhere normal zoulz and people live iz called the Rukongai, it is broken up into 4 major partz and those partz are broken down into numberz. The higher the number the farther away it iz from the Zeireitei......and the vorse the area iz......get a certain distance from the center and you zhall zee poverty and crime......it just one extremely large city to me......not a paradise like zome vould like people to believe. But it iz a good place to live if one haz a good zkill or craft. Did that answer your question?"