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 Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2024 4:56 pm
 Calm seas lapped at Shingen’s personal shores. A private key off the coast of Nicaragua, halfway to Jamaica and part of the Seranilla Bank. Something he had bought using his saving across his BoM career and utilizing the large promotion bonus he received as Captain of I.A. It was one of three homes Shingen had but the only one he had personally bought out of pocket. The other two were leased by the BoM for staff. Shingen spent far less time at the others in fear of bugged walls and the like. He knew who he was working for after all.
The home itself was of contemporary design, very much to Shingen’s liking. He had it built to accommodate all of his passions and even created spaces to host guests whenever his marooning felt too lonely. The pool facilitated most of the soirees he threw and was where he currently sat. Laid back in a pool chair, Shingen fiddled around with his laptop on a small table beside him while a young woman in scrubs took his vitals to his left. There was a video feed of the auction hall’s roof and a reticle over it labelled by a series of numbers likely being a phone number. Beside the video feed was an audio processing feed fluctuating with the various sounds coming through.
Beside the laptop was a blue mixed drink, complete with a small umbrella, which he picked up and took a sip from. Shingen’s earpiece picked up sounds of gunfire and screams of terror. Shingen shook his head wondering just how ugly it was getting in there and if any of the voices sounded familiar. Lowering the volume he turned to the nurse who had finished with basic vitals and moved on to drawing blood. As she began to wrap his with a rubber band, the noise had died down and after a few stray gunshots, the feed was nearly quiet except for the owner of the phone who he had tapped into. It was then that he pulled on the mouse pad to click on the word “call.”
A man on the other end answered. “Hello?” Clearly distressed. ”Listen to me. You’re going to be alright if you do exactly what I say. I need to talk to someone in there. Can you get him?” Shingen explained, wondering if the guy was even listening as he interrupted him hallway through. “I don’t understa-, I can’t…” ”Listen, you’re going to die if I don’t talk to him, you understand?” Shingen said forcefully. ”Ask for the cursed swordsman.” He finished before bringing up his drink for a sip again, watching the screen.
The nurse had since cleaned the area on his arm with an alcohol pad and prepared the needle when Shingen finally hailed Zenith. ”Is this your idea of laying low?” The sharp sting of the needle pushing through caused Shingen to turn his face to the nurse who only glanced up for a second before returning her focus on her work. Resting his head back against the chair, he looked out at the shimmering horizon. ” Look, I know you’re working and the last thing I want to do is get in your way but if I’m going to be your Bureau guardian angel, I have to look out for you. The company’s collected enough intel on your M.O. to make you on your alias. Now, I’d be a liar if I told you I didn’t like to draw a little blood once in a while but nothing leaves a signature like the wounds that blade of yours leaves behind.” Shingen took another sip from his quickly depleting glass, smirking as he shot the nurse a look over the blood draw comment. She shook her head, smiling as she switched vials.” I figured I’d let you know. I’ll have a cleaning crew in there to sterilize the place when you’re done there, just try not to grow your legend any bigger than it already is. Oh, and give Aella a squeeze for me. Hasta luego.”
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Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2024 5:05 pm
  Shingen ended the call and moved to hold the gauze over the blood draw point until the nurse had wrapped it. She smiled and bowed quickly before leaving in the direction of a docked vessel near the far end of the island. The audio feed from the phone still came through and Shingen listened as he opened another window on his laptop and began entering text on a word prompt. It was his request for the crew he had mentioned, tapping into the more subtle BoM assets standing by in the Barcelona area. Things like cause of death arrangement and evidence placement were listed in the request. Anything witness-side of the incident would require different channels.
Sending the request, Shingen closed his laptop and stood up. He set his earpiece down as he walked past the small table which also held the phone that Zenith had given him. Shingen took off his shirt and threw off his sandals before getting a running start. He dove in, enjoying the cool water already cooling him off as he surfaced. He knew that if Zenith wanted to talk to him, he could likely have Milo ping the phone’s coordinated and teleport to where he was. There few persons that could do that, actually.
After doing a couple of laps, Shingen let all his air out and settled at the bottom of the pool. Manifesting a tube over the water, he left the bottom side out and lowered it until it reached him. Some of the water spilled from the edges of the pool but now Shingen sat in perfect silence. Crossing his legs and closing his eyes, he began to meditate, training himself to lengthen the time he could sit there before his oxygen was depleted.
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Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2024 5:47 pm
Time seemed to slip on by without Shingen noticing. The sun began to set and the stars began to peek out of the black with only the light of the inner lighting of the house to pollute. Flashes of the battle at Sandelli’s and the way Zenith moved had been images he’d reviewed time and time again but no matter how many times he meditated on that fight, he could not deduce a link to anything he had learned from his time at the temple. It was possible that he had left far too early to enter into additional training but as far as he knew, he had graduated early from his training, like his father had. Taking a deep breath, Shingen let his thought drift to his father. His stern demeanor and cold way of barely acknowledging him made Shingen seek after him even more. When he died, Shingen was only seven years old and he would never be allowed to gain his approval. Even now, after everything, he missed him and the way they used to go fishing.
There was a faint hissing sound that Shingen first thought was from his own spiritual ears when it began to get louder and more jarring. He opened his eyes slowly to see something beginning to appear in front of him as if coming out of the water and through his barrier, which shouldn’t be possible. The silhouette resembled what would be a person and Shingen quickly got to his feet defensively but soon there was a voice followed by opening eyes of blue fire. “Do not be afraid.” It said calmly and as if he was coming through headphones directly into his ears. Shingen couldn’t make out anything like a mouth but it was certainly humanoid.
”Who are you? Shingen asked, looking him over with uncertainty. “I’ve been chosen as a messenger. Listen closely.” It spoke slowly but deliberately as if it had to pick and choose it’s words or it was a tiring feat to speak. Shingen remained quiet in order to let him continue. “You will meet someone soon. They will have great power and will try to bring forth the creature inside of you. You must resist.” Shingen stared on in disbelief. There were no other parties that were aware of the contract unless this person was of the spiritual plane. Things appeared much more differently on the overlapping spiritual dimension. There were exorcists that had the ability to see into the spiritual realm, something outside of Shingen’s reach although every exorcist knew of this sub dimension and understood that it was where demons and the like dwelled until they had a way into their world.
”What do you know about Alduin? Where does it come from? How can I control it?" Shingen started to ask questions but the man remained still until he was finished. Shingen assumed it was a man, anyway, judging by the voice. “You mustn't rely on that creature. If he is freed once more, the seal will be broken.” He spoke one last time before he began to fade away the same way he had faded in. Shingen rubbed his eyes and looked up out of his mana box he had created in the middle of the pool. Maybe the lack of oxygen is actually getting to me. I’m seeing damn ghosts now.
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