Legally Complicated [Shizu/Mateo]

[Smiley]

White winds whispered. Dunes of white sand stretched into the distant horizon, still like waves frozen in time. Only an occasional boulder or dead and twisted tree broke the monotony. A dark blot drudged tirelessly along the pale desert.

Not all who wandered were lost...

But Shizu sure was.

The eerie Arrancar stopped. Slowly, she peered to her right. Then, she turned her attention to the left. A hesitant glance was cast behind her next. Finally, her gaze rose towards the night sky, as if that would somehow help. It didn’t.

In the lost girl’s defense, however, her instructions hadn’t been exactly specific. She had asked Goggles about... a legally complicated matter... The man had given her a strange look and pointed her towards the desert, telling her to seek out... er... an associate? Um... A professional contact...?

...A nutjob. She had been told to find ‘that nutjob in the desert’.

Now, the polite girl wanted to believe that it was a recommendation. After all, her request was a little... O-okay, very unorthodox. So, this was her only hope. If only she had gotten a little more direction than ‘just keep walking in a straight line, you can’t miss it’. What did that even mean???

Shoulders sagging with a solemn sigh, the gloomy goth continued shuffling onward. Or, drifting, rather. Her dark dress barely brushed the soft sands. There were no footprints in her wake. No footsteps either.

However, the grim girl’s approach was far from subtle. Her arrival was heralded by a sinister chill in the air... A creeping sense of dread. Those who were friends with the desert winds could feel the air whispering in warning... Something dangerous was coming.

For some simpler creatures, however, any spark of life was a dinner bell.

Behind the traveler, the ground shifted and bulged. Something burrowed... No, swam through the sand. She glanced over her shoulder, just in time to see a maw full of sharp teeth coming at her face. Fast. Her lips parted...

An ear-splitting scream split the air.

...Immediately followed by a pale, blue beam that in turn split the sand.

Shizu hadn’t even quite seen what had tried to attack her... It startled her and she panicked and and... just... Um... Abandoning the thought, she quickly shuffled off. She dearly hoped that she hadn’t just accidentally blasted someone’s pet.

---

Post 1
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[manic]

El Presidente #1

---

Redecoration of El Palazzo Republique was going swimmingly so far. Yes it had the side effect of turning El Presidente's Palace and a good chunk of the Republic's secured territory into a building site but progress was progress! Also it didn't hurt that even a building site was an improvement over what had been before.

"Be very careful with the cement mixture," Mateo Campos instructed, a Hard Hard pilfered from a human construction site over top of his broken mask while he observed his workers at... well, work "We can never be too sure how the chemicals will interact here so only add the mixture-" he continued only to be interrupted by a loud explosion not too far off from his territory "-Slowly..." he groaned as the shock of the blast had startled the Hollow handling the cement so much he dumped the whole bag in.

"We're under attack!"
"Battle Stations!"
"AAAAAH!" the various Hollows panicked.

"Stay calm, it was likely a Menos hunting in the wastes!" He yelled, trying to maintain some semblance of control "I will investigate personally!" The Dictator of the Desert declared before zooming off, his Sindewinder Sonido allowing him great transversal across the empty sand. Or more specifically: the very much not empty sand as he was greeted by the sight of a Menos with an extra hole from mask to tail and an Arrancar girl moving away from it nervously. 

"Did she..?" El Presidente pondered, what would an Arrancar be doing outside of the fortress Capital of his immortal enemy? She didn't seem like any spy but the best ones never did. Still it fell to him to decide the ideal course of action and perhaps a friendly parlay would do "Ahem!" He coughed loudly, announcing his presence so the waif would not think of him as sneaking up on her. First impressions were important.

[Smiley]

When the stranger announced his presence, the shuffling wanderer froze. There was no response. Not even motion. Only the unnatural chill lingered in the air, growing stronger by the moment.

A couple of seconds passed in unsettling silence...

Suddenly, the ghoul’s head twisted around with a sickening crack. Necks weren’t supposed to bend that far... Wild, squirming hair framed her deathly pale features. Her sunken eyes focused an intense, unblinking stare on the man. Slowly, her thin lips stretched into a grim imitation of a smile. Like a shark trying to seem human. Teeth and all.

Beneath the eerie exterior, the gloomy goth was frozen in panic. She was already feeling jumpy from the ambush... And now she had to face... A t-total stranger! H-how did first impressions go again...?

Shizu’s mind was frantically racing through the corridor of thoughts. It passed the library of romance novel knowledge and burst into the tiny study of social interaction. Imaginary papers went flying, as she desperately scoured through her notes.

First impressions, first impressions... There! Okay... Um, eye-contact... Check. Friendly smile... C-check? Maybe she needed to smile wider... And next...

What came next?!

...O-oh! Of course!

As the silence grew from unsettling to threatening, the creepy girl’s sharp teeth parted. From the depths of her throat crawled out a raspy growl. Like something from beyond the grave, it scratched the air, before dying with a wheeze.

“HELL... o.”

Goodness, she was parched. Her dry throat felt like this desert...

---

Post 2
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[manic]

El Presidente #2

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Well, that was certainly an introduction that El Presidente wished could be undone. The mouth was too wide and had too many needle-like teeth for the dictator's liking and the hoarse growl forced him to repress a shudder.

It was an unfair assumption, Hollows and Arrancar came in many different sizes and it would not do for his burgeoning state if its ruler was to start discriminating based on appearence. Besides the trek through the Heuco Mundo desert must have been harsh with how the woman turned to wheeze. "Yes. Uh... well met." Mateo coughed, trying not to flee for the safety of the Republic, although with how this woman tore apart the Menos most of the cabinet wouldn't fare better. 

"Let us continue the formalities from the safety of the Republic territory" He suddenly insisted as the gears whirred in his head. This scary visage might be the boon he needed for a certain task if he could convince her to agree. If nothing else she seemed less... well less Orion-esque the Orion. A massive improvement from there alone.

[Smiley]

Quiet relief soothed the skittish soul. Thankfully, there was no screaming... Or running... Not even hurtful accusations. Despite her anxiety, she felt that the first impression went well. Even this polite and clearly trustworthy gentleman said so.

Suddenly, the rest of the pale ghoul’s body twisted in the same direction as her head. If the unnatural motion hurt, she didn’t show it. Her face was frozen in that stiff and strained mockery of a smile.

The invitation got a soft gasp from the creepy girl. “Republic...?” She repeated beneath her breath. This was the first she had heard of it. A mysterious, handsome stranger had appeared out of nowhere and now invited her to his home... J-just like in a romance novel! Her heart fluttered at the thought. Er, well, it would have fluttered, if there had been one in her hollow chest.

With a muffled boom, the eerie Arrancar closed the distance in a blink of an eye. Floating a couple steps above the sands, she loomed ominously over the gentleman. Her intense stare held a peculiar gleam. It could’ve been curiosity... Adoration... Hunger...

However, before they left, there was something the gloomy goth wanted to ask. Leaning closer, she carefully picked her words. Tact was important. “Are you...” She pointed a pale claw at the pierced carcass. “...g-going to eat that...?” It would have been a shame to let a free snack go to waste.

“M-may I...?”

Once the snack matter was settled, the strange traveler was ready to follow along.

---

Post 3
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[manic]

El Presidente #3

---

Mateo looked at the slowly disintegrating mass that was the wannabe predator hollow and the unsettling face of the wanderer who asked the somewhat revolting question "...No." It wasn't as though the hungers had never troubled the esteemed dictator, and he had little problem feeding remnants of a previous cabinet that had earned his displeasure to the next but... there were limits to feasting, especially among what he'd hoped were a more enlightened form of Arrancar. This was practically eating a dead vermin bird off the street without even cooking. Table manners were important.

After a moment where El Presidente politely turned around for the newcomer to... do the necessary, he turned to lead the ghostly girl back to his home base "You will have to forgive me for the state of things, I am er... between palaces." He explained as the building site that was the republic came in to view. The forest of the dead looming in the horizon as the Hollow workers scattered. Why had anyone come here? Ever since that damned King in the castle had undermined Mateo's strategy of 'importing' goods from the real world just as he'd worked out the kinks in his own spiritual anchors, no-one had any reason to pay the fledgling state any mind.

"So, miss..?" He began, finding a decent-ish table and two simple folding chairs for the impromptu meeting "What brings one of us away from King Dantemus' domain?"

[Smiley]

Ah, such gracious hospitality! Clearly the fine gentleman knew that the way to a girl’s hollow chest hole was through her stomach. The gloomy goth was rather smitten already.

While the polite stranger turned his back, the hungry ghoul pounced on the snack. She scarfed it down, making noises no lady -living or dead- should ever make. The satisfied sigh that followed felt utterly out of place. “Thank you...”

Shizu trailed after the nameless guide. She couldn’t help latching onto a detail that caught her attention. “O-oh? P-palaces? Plural?” The brush of her vivid imagination painted a pretty picture of multiple fancy palaces being built. ...Didn’t match the reality at all, but she didn’t let that detail distract her. “You must be very important, good sir...” She breathed with soft awe.

Relief washed over the shy ghost, as the other strangers gave her plenty of room. She wasn’t good with crowds... Or strangers... So, compared to the crowded capital, this place was like heaven.

Taking a seat, the gloomy goth placed her hands awkwardly in her lap. “S-shizu...” It could’ve easily been mistaken for a sneeze, at least until she clarified. “O-or Banshee, if you prefer... T-that is what the others call me... B-because I scream... A lot...” Which one would this nice gentleman choose...? Her name? Or the mocking nickname...

The question caught the visitor a little off-guard. She had been so enchanted by the chance encounter that she had nearly forgotten. Twiddling her fingers together, she fumbled for words. “Oh, uh... I am l-looking for a... nutjob...?”

After an awkward pause, the shy ghost felt a desperate need to clarify. “Er, I mean... T-there is something, um, unconventional I wish to bring here... F-from the world of the living...” She avoided eye-contact, trying very poorly to conceal a secret. “S-so, the Thing Finders’ Emporium p-pointed me this way... A-and told me to f-find ‘that nutjob in the desert’...” She wiggled her index fingers to add the air quotes. Their words, not hers.

“They... w-were not very specific...”

Trying to find a friendly smile, and failing horrifically, she cocked her head.

“W-would you happen to know where to find him?”

---

Post 4
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[manic]

El Presidente #4

---

Important? Of course he was important! President of the Republic was a very important position, this woman was stating the obvious but the young(?) woman was just trying to be polite about her situation. "Well Miss Shizu, proper introductions are in order," Mateo began politely coughing before launching into the exposition "My name is Mateo Campos and I am El Presidente of the Hollow's Republic Of Lower Hueco Mundo. The first recognized independent nation of Arrancar. It is good to meet you." He lowered his head respectfully... which also helped conceal his twitching eye when Shizu mentioned looking for a 'nutjob'.

"Ah..." he let out, his smile no longer reaching his snake-like eyes "Dantemus' domain does not understand my ambitions and as such the Emporium would refer to me in... less charitable terms," he began "I am very much the Arrancar you are searching for." the dictator of the desert pointed out as he began to plot. So this woman needed something that the King would not approve of did she? Oh there was an opportunity here to be sure "As such, the normal rules that the Espada enforce are not valid in Republic territory. Such as the rules regarding... imports. I'm sure we can come to an agreement." He nodded along.

[Smiley]

Eyes twinkling like tiny stars, the awestruck Arrancar took in the impressive title accompanying the charming name. El Presidente... It left an echo in her ears. All of a sudden, the background turned from a drab desert to a glimmering oasis. A border of black roses grew to frame his handsome features. Somewhere in the distance, a guitar strummed a passionate song. ...Okay, maybe all of that was just her vivid imagination at work.

Still, she was thoroughly intrigued.

However, the mysterious leader did far more than just leave an impression in the gloomy goth’s mind... Rather than simply point her the right way, he went ahead and confirmed that he was indeed the man she was seeking. Her stare turned blank. A quiet and quizzical little sound, just the tiniest squeak, slipped past her lips.

“...eh...?”

Leaving the reality behind, Shizu curled up in a safe, little corner of her mind. Okay, so, she had just committed an awful, terrible, horrific social blunder. Clearly, the proper thing now was to... uh... um... W-what were you supposed to do again...?

It was rather challenging to hear her own thoughts beneath the deafening internal scream. Her shattered self-esteem wasn’t really helping either. The only contribution was a suggestion to hide underneath the table. And maybe cry a little. As a treat.

Back in the real world, the gloomy goth was just staring at the man, still and silent like a statue. Her mind was still trying to piece together a polite and coherent apology, while her lips started moving on their own. “Y-you... are... nutjob...?” She blurted out the awkward half-question, half-realization. Stupid mouth...!

Finally, akin to dominoes falling after the first push, the social wreck’s thoughts caught up with the present. Visibly flinching, she flailed her hands. “S-sorry! I-I am so sorry f-for offending!” She had gone pale. Er. Paler. If such a thing was even possible.

Since deep breaths were doing nothing, Shizu stopped breathing completely. “Um, agreement, yes, please, thank you...” Her mind was just chaining words together in utter panic. “Uh, money, no have, any, b-but will do anything so please...!” A dangerous choice of words...

For both sides of the negotiation.

---

Post 5
manic

[manic]

El Presidente #5

---

Mateo's fingers drummed on the table, his eye twitched and the man's diplomatic smile got rigid with annoyance as Shizu repeated the accusation of the Arrancar in charge of the greatest post-mortem political experiment of all time was somehow a "Nutjob." What was keeping him unusually calm was the knowledge that the ghost girl had gone through a lot just to get here. The poor woman was starving, dehydrated and numerous other consequences of travelling the expanse without the Garganta shortcuts, she was likely suffering from a reduction in cognition as a result of her ordeal and likely wasn't thinking straight.

That and any escalation carried the risk of Shizu eating him. That was doing a good job at staying his hand. "It... is... fine," he said eventually "Let us resume negotiations." the dictator of the desert sighed "There is a matter I require assistance with," El Presidente suggested at Shizu's prompting. What a perfect opportunity to get something done that he'd needed doing for a while, and with a much more compliant assistant "Nothing major, but a protective accompaniment would not go amiss."

[Smiley]

Fortunately, the skittish soul found the kind man’s patience endless. Clearly he was some manner of a saint in life. And in death. She thanked the darkest void for sending her such an angel.

Easily swayed by the smooth words, the gloomy goth nodded along. “Y-yes, of course...” Now that the torrent of words was no longer pouring from her words, she remembered to breathe again. She wasn’t sure if it was necessary, but she found it relaxing nonetheless.

Like a coin falling behind a couch, the meaning of ‘protective’ fell behind the word ‘accompaniment’. Shizu’s mind grabbed the word, took a running start and leapt beautifully to conclusions. A pink blush painted her pale features. Clearly, the gentleman was asking her for a... D-D-D-DATE!

Nearly swooning, the creepy girl clasped her hands together. “Yes...! I would love to a-a-accompany you.” A spontaneous date under the hopeless sky of the endless desert... How romantic!

Almost lunging over the table, the lovestruck ghost tried to -wanted to- hold the charmer’s hand. Her touch was as cold as the grave. A raspy growl crawled from between her sharp teeth. “I shall protect you... E-especially if it KILLS me~” ...That was her trying to flirt with him.

---

Post 6
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[manic]

El Presidente #6

---

On the surface, Shizu was all El Presidente could desire from a serving Arrancar: Strong enough to slay the beasts or any interlopers, eager to assist and more than willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. However, every word and touch just gave Mateo the creeps and the way she lunged for his hand made the dictator of the desert think that she was getting slightly ahead of herself "It should not come to that." The snakelike Arrancar coughed politely as he retracted the grasped hand from the ghostly girl's clutches.

"I merely wish to reobtain what is rightfully my personal belongings and for that a visit to Switzerland is a necessary detour," he began to explain as he snapped his fingers on the hand that had just been saved from freezing over in Shizu's grip, a servant Hollow dutifily spreading out a detailed map of a town near Zurich on the table between them  "When I was alive as a wise and noble leader of my people, I would often make sure that there was an extra reserve off the island... in case of an emergency you understand and the many bankers in the Alps were more than happy to oblige my actions in the nation's interest, even giving myself a tour to their deposit boxes where the assets were stored! Wonderful, wonderful organizations." El Presidente said wistfully, shaking his head at the memory of a man cut down in his prime, unable to realise his ambitions in one world yet thriving in the next.

"However due to my untimely passing the contents were never used and as they were under my personal name and not that of the Island's executor they should be unclaimed. Thus, aided by your... abilities... and my own memory of the bank we will go in person and collect what is mine! It is technically a bank robbery but seeing as the assets were mine to begin with, that is merely an ancillary detail."

"And by assets, in particular I am meaning bullion. Ingots. Gold, my dear Shizu." Mateo hissed out, his eyes lighting up the more he talked about being reunited with his old slush fund. Oh the things he could do once he regained the ability to start paying the living to do his dirty work again.

[Smiley]

Much to the lovestruck ghoul’s dismay, her best flirting fell flat. The handsome man politely slithered away from her affections. Her frigid digits twitched feebly, before retreating. Failure tasted bitter. So very bitter.

Rejected and dejected, the gloomy goth slid down in her seat like a lifeless ragdoll. Her head drooped. The empty eyes stared dead ahead, at nothing in particular. It was like her very soul hastily fled the hollow husk. Ah, but no, this was fine... Everything was fine...

So she assured herself, like repeating an empty mantra.

At moments like these, Shizu wondered how it was even possible for an empty hole to ache this badly... She couldn’t fathom what she had done wrong. Perhaps she had been too obtuse about her romantic intentions...? She had only wanted to pull him close, wrap her arms around him and sink her teeth-er, lock lips with him. Was that too much to ask?

Desperate to find any distraction, the lonely ghost gave the map her undivided attention. She offered an occasional nod to show that she was listening. Understanding, on the other hand, well... Er, she was listening, at least.

Nevertheless, the story stirred Shizu’s soul. She too had been forced to leave behind something very dear, when her life had been taken. In that way, they were kindred spirits. She saw nothing wrong with going back to reclaim what was rightfully his.

The hungry monster blinked at the peculiar words. “B-bullion...? Ingots...?” She repeated, before finally catching on. “Ah, gold... Yes... I remember...” Blurry memories of a satchel filled with glittering coins flashed before her eyes. “Such a pretty shine it has... Tastes horrible, though.” She mused.

Studying the map, the puzzled ghost tried to wrap her head around the plan. “Um, s-so... If I help you get this gold... T-then you will help me bring something important to this realm...?” Of course, she had already agreed to help and wouldn’t go back on her word. She just sought... clarification.

---

Post 7
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[manic]

El Presidente #7

---

At least she was keeping her hands to herself now, the gloomy Arrancar could have pulled a layer of skin off with how hard she was clutching onto his hand. But now she seemed to be focused on the task in hand... even though her comments about gold tasting awful were a little worrying "There may be more edible treasures inside, it is Switzerland after all." A detour for chocolate, so long as they were fast wouldn't be the worst. There might even be invested wine and whiskey bottles there of valuable vintages.

"Of course I will assist your request in turn. In fact it will be a-" Mateo nodded, about to continue his explanation before realizing that the context was probably not the best thing to add. His own spiritual anchors, while portable and much more flexible than the massive machines that held the portals and did the converting in the fortress, were not exactly in a reliable state. A practice run was required and gold on top of everything made a good test subject due to its many properties. He just had to hope that Shizu didn't want to bring in anything fragile "-It will be a demonstration so you understand you can trust the process!" He quickly ad-libbed. Yes, that should do.

[Smiley]

The word ‘edible treasures’ chimed more beautifully than any bell. It was the second most beautiful combination of words the gloomy goth had ever heard. Equal parts surprise and eagerness brightened her pensive features. “T-truly...?” She imagined glimmering coins that tasted like chocolate... Wait, no, like souls! Chocolate souls...

A girl could dream!

Shizu leaned closer, her spiral eyes practically gleaming with relief. Or at least some ghastly imitation of relief... “Oh, thank the moon...” She clasped her hands together. “You were my last hope... I... do not know what I would have done if...” She trailed off. Perhaps it was better that she left the grim thought at that.

Nodding eagerly, the creepy girl clung to the charmer’s every word. “So very kind of you, Sir Campos. Thank you.” Her tone carried gratitude, but... The toothy smile that accompanied it carried creeps. Like looking at a hungry beast.

Getting up, the creepy girl shuffled around the table. “Please, lead the way, good sir...” She was ready to follow him like a shadow. “I-if anything... or anyone... bothers you, please let me know... I shall devour it post-haste.” In fact, she would do her very best.

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Post 8
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