1,038 Posts
0 EP
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Total
18 Years
Female
"Spymaster"
Civilian-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Elise Von Eisenberg on Dec 4, 2019 6:29:25 GMT -4
xX The Shadow of Spymaster Xx | 
| To think her first visit to Nakano would be for a reason like this... It still felt awkward to Elise as she exited the taxi and gazed around the area. It had been a few days since the events that led her in this peculiar situation, but in all honesty, she couldn't complain. After all, this was the foundation of her plan, to make the Nakano Police Department look favorable upon her and gain a trustworthy ally in Deputy Aoi.
It was an awkward situation to say the least. Not only was she forced to take over the torch of her late predecessor way too early to her liking, but as the Spymaster she had a duty to carry out. She had to track down the traitor in the government at any cost. If not the Plutocracy would continue to carry out their wicked schemes, and as such it was up to her to figure out a way to discover the identity of this spy, all while remaining in the shadows. Her first step in this plan had proceeded fairly well, she had been given an opportunity to meet the Deputy, one who according to her mentor Kobayashi Toma was a woman whose sense of justice was second to none, and who if she learned about what had transpired would prove to be an important element in determining whether her plan would end up in success or failure. After all, the power of authority was a strong influence to possess, and for someone who dwelled in the shadows, having an ally like Aniba Aoi would surely be a beneficial boon. But first, she would need to find the means to convince the woman.
It was clear just how serious she was taking this matter. Gone were the usual dresses or girlish clothing, and her trademark smile was absent. Instead, she had chosen to get a proper business suit and her expression was one of neutrality. Too many thoughts were lingering in her mind. The memories of the mission still lingered in her mind, like a phantom haunting her. The loss of Kiryu-sensei's life, the responsibility she was forced to carry after killing Taskmaster, and indeed... the guilt that lingered at the event. And that wasn't all of it either, the loneliness from being separated from Tetsuko, their paths having split once more even if their lives remained intertwined. The difficulties her lover was struggling with still lingered in Elise's mind, a concern that wouldn't fade anytime soon.
No, it was clear that to overcome those troubles they would need to rely on each other, but also come to accept they needed to expand their circle of trust, to find trustworthy allies to rely on in a time like this. Exactly, it was for that reason she had traveled all the way to Nakano.
She remembered there had been a large conflict in the area, something important enough that the school had been cautious about letting students anywhere near the place, but she was no longer a student. No, she was Elise von Eisenberg, the one who carried the responsibilities of the Spymaster.
With a confident stride she marched into the lobby of the police department and gazed around for a moment. Now she thought about it, she had never been inside a place like this before, but this was not the time to be impressed! Stepping toward the reception area she waited a moment to let the receptionist notice her upon which she spoke. "Can you please inform Miss Aniba that I am here to see her? My name is Elise von Eisenberg, I believe she is aware of my visit."
And so it would begin, the very first steps of her plan. To build the foundation of a corrupt-free hero program, but first this meant she had to discover the treacherous spy lurking in the shadows of the government. Not an easy task for sure, but there was no way she would give up. After all, this was the least she could do for Kiryu-sensei, to carry on his legacy, although perhaps in a slightly different way than he would have expected. But it didn't matter, in the end they were both heroes who worked in the shadows.
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Post by DrTentacles on Dec 16, 2019 0:31:29 GMT -4
The Italian Jurist Cesare Beccaria once wrote that “Crimes were more impeccably prevented by the certainty, rather than the severity of the punishment.” If he was correct about that, then Nakano ward should have been a bastion of law-abiding citizens. For in the ward, justice was very, very certain.
Or at least very slow.
The temporary police headquarters, established in the Sun Plaza Hotel, had turned from a military beachhead into a fortress securing a conquered province. Outside, the Plaza still swarmed with ATVs and police, watchful as though a riot might break out at any moment. But though there uniforms were pressed, and gear was polished, the cops on patrol outside walked with the weary cadence of men no longer certain of their purpose. They stared at Elise without hostility, but with curiosity. Hope, even. For these police, duty had turned into obligation--they longer feared an outburst of violence. They longed for it.
The government's swift, victorious public safety campaign had long-since run out of gas.
“You’re expected. Floor eight. Please leave any weapons at the checkpoint.” The receptionist informed Elise after inspecting her ID for a long, tense moment. She barely looked out of high-school herself, a young, sharply groomed woman in a police cadet’s uniform. She motioned toward the elevator, which was blocked off by a heavy security checkpoint, complete with a metal detector, and two men on duty.
Elise was ushered through the checkpoint, and forced to remove anything metallic. One of the officers explained curtly that she wouldn’t be the first agent sent by the Inagwaro family to kill Aniba.
The elevator let out a low hum as it ascended, floor after floor, the soft hum of elevator muzak filtering through cheerily. One had to wonder how much this was costing the government. All of the officers on duty, the cost to the hotel for renting out rooms, plus covering lost business...it had to be several fortunes of tax dollars.
At what point did they call it a loss, and bury it under the rug? Or call it a victory, and claim securing the heart of the district, and leaving the mall to the Yakuza was what they’d intended all along?
The doors chimed open to the eight floor, letting Elise out.
After the dull roar of the lobby and square below, and even the elevator, it was like stepping into a graveyard. The hotel floor-turned-command-center was eerily quiet. On either side of Elise stretched row after row of wall light, a bright carpet walking down the hall to infinity. Like she’d stepped into a different world, removed from the singed chaos of below.
Deputy Aoi’s office was at the end of the hall. As she walked, the impression struck Elise that it was an intimidation tactic--forcing people to put in effort to walk to her, so they’d arrive exhausted, and breathless. Or perhaps she simply enjoyed the view.
Nevertheless, there it was, a heavy oak door with a neat paper sign that had never intended to be used for months. Closed, of course.
“Deputy Aoi Aniba: Commander, Nakano Task Force”
When Elise knocked, a voice came from inside:
“Enter.”
The office was spartan and bare. A pair of conference rooms, really, meant for business meetings at the hotel, both nestled into the corner of the hotel, with giant glass windows that overlooked the square below. The first--the one Elise entered--was an empty room with a giant round table, surrounded by chairs, a meeting room. In the corner there was a bubbling water cooler, and on the near wall was a small break-room counter and kitchen setup, with a microwave, automatic kettle, and coffee machine. The second room, adjoining the first, was the office proper.
Aoi Aniba sat at an oak desk in the middle of the room, her back to the giant window. The cold morning sun filtered through the blinds, casting long shadows through the office. Her desk was neat as an operating table, filled with stacks of paper set into neat little segregated piles. There were no portraits of family, or anything personal on it. In fact, there was nothing on the cabinets that lined the walls of the room either. The closest things to “flair” in the room at all were: a well-worn copy of the japanese constitution, on the far corner of the desk, a ceremonial sheathed katana on a table in front of the window, and a tea set.
A tea set for two, already set.
Aoi Aniba clicked shut a pocket watch sitting on the desk next to the tea set, and stood, stepping around the desk. She was a tall, broad-shouldered woman with light skin, and hair, unmistakably japanese, but unmistakably part western as well. Not young--the light wrinkles said she was past thirty, but if she was anything less than in peak physical condition, Elise couldn’t tell at a glance. Tall for japanese, features sharp, and icy, wearing a navy-blue pantsuit. The words that came to mind were ones like “imperious” or “intimidating.”
She held out a hand for Elise to shake.
Her grip was firm, hand calloused. Elise could see a webwork of pale scars, the sort you got from frequent fistfights on her knuckles.
“It’s good to meet you, Miss Von Eisenberg. Sit, and have tea. How trip to Nakano?”
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1,038 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
18 Years
Female
"Spymaster"
Civilian-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Elise Von Eisenberg on Dec 16, 2019 1:19:37 GMT -4
xX The Shadow of Spymaster Xx |
| It was a fascinating sight to behold, she had read about it before, heard the rumors that rather than a classic police department building, her destination had been a hotel, although perhaps only in name. Just a glimpse outside showed that this was a conquered asset, a fortress in the middle of a captured territory that served as a symbol of hope for the people of Nakano, that in the end justice might still prevail. Indeed, Nakano was akin to a warzone if one was to describe it, the tension, the threat that loomed outside the secured areas...
She nodded her head quietly as the receptionist commented on her leaving aside any weaponry she might had in her possession, and approaching the elevator. It was an understandable precaution, but one that in the end was somewhat futile. In the end, her Quirk was the weapon she wielded, but there was something... Reaching for her belt, she removed the pouch strapped on top of it and handed it over to the guard. "Please make sure not to lose it, it's a memento of my mentor." the girl spoke quietly, it might had been uncomfortable for her to leave it behind, even if temporarily, but in the end, it was a needed decision should she want to succeed in her goal.
Once the elevator arrived and she stepped inside, she took a short moment to focus her thoughts. This was the first step in her plan to discover the whereabouts of the traitor she was hunting, and in order to succeed with her plan she needed someone powerful and influential, but most importantly someone with the right sense of justice, one who wouldn't be compromised by the same corruption that led to her master's death.
Still, to think things had been this bad in Nakano, was it merely the yakuza, or was there actual involvement from villains? Perhaps the Kobayashi clan sought to increase their influence here? Just working on what ifs would get her nowhere, she needed information first.
Finally she arrived at the eight floor, her destination and already Elise felt like the eerie silence was meant to have some sort of purpose. It reminded her of some of her master's teachings, the way she walked along the path highlighted by the bright carpet, the otherworldly tranquility of the command center, even as she walked Elise couldn't help but feel it was some sort of intimidation tactic, or perhaps there was more to it. Maybe one could say that it might had been one of the mysterious aspects of the rumored Deputy that she had yet to figure out, at least based on the rumors.
The paper sign made it clear she was at the right address, a light knock on the door and a voice beckoning her inside. Her gaze instinctively took in the room, wanting to make certain she was not going to be caught off-guard. Indeed, the office seemed spartan and empty, the duo of conference rooms, the grandiose view outside, but perhaps equally impressive was the one who claimed ownership of the office. The tall broad-shouldered woman made Elise's gaze shift upwards to her face. Even if she held her ground, and her body didn't show it, the inexperience made her feel slightly restless. Not scared, no fear of something like this had been numbed after the events that led to her master's death, but at the same time, an instinctive feeling told her just how powerful and dangerous this woman was. She had clearly not chosen wrong.
As Elise shook her the deputy's hand, she would no doubt notice the difference physically. Elise's skin was soft, her grip light but fairly sturdy, but it was clear she was not a fighter in the classic sense, no callouses or bruises visible on her, no scars, aside from one well-hidden and mostly healed one. Yet it was in the girl's eyes that it was evident that she was different from the average teenager. A certain depth in her eyes, one which betrayed the horrifying experiences she had been forced to experience, and the lingering determination born from them.
"It's a pleasure to finally get the opportunity to meet you Deputy Aniba, thank you for the courtesy, some tea will be pleasant after the detours we had to make." She smiled briefly, and as Aniba beckoned her to take a seat she did so, the question on how the trip to Nakano had been earning a weak smile from her. "It was quite a difficult trip. As you can imagine, cautious needed to be exercised for this meeting."
She gazed straight at the Deputy's face, whether she was gauging her reaction or trying to be polite and look her in the eye remained open for debate. "After all, it would be problematic if one were to realize that the Commander of the Nakano Police Force were to have a meeting with someone presumed to be dead." She smiled briefly, a hand sliding inside the pocket of her jacket as she withdrew what appeared to be a chunk of hardened pink slime. "Forgive me for sneaking this past your security, but I had to make certain this would reach your hands." She placed her hand on the hardened slime, allowing it to slowly leech back into her hand upon which a small black dongle, perhaps an usb stick of sorts was left behind. "A gift of sorts from the Spymaster, or perhaps one should call it a tribute to help earn your cooperation."
She shifted it over to the woman's side of the desk. "But before we discuss the contents further, could you please be so kind as to tell me a bit more about the current state of Nakano? Although I have heard rumors and news reports, it is important for one to get knowledge from a trustworthy source, and the media... can be quite lacking when it comes to that." She smiled briefly, her hands reaching for the cup of tea while she awaited the deputy's response.
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Post by DrTentacles on Jan 9, 2020 22:56:28 GMT -4
Aniba was a hard one to get a read on. She had the “ice queen” game down pat. Even so, Elise might have imagined she could see emotions flicker through the policewoman’s eyes. Sympathy. Curiosity, perhaps. Too quick to call, subtle shifts in the deep, still grey pools of her eyes.
“Is Elise Von Eisenberg dead?” Aniba mused, as though it were news to her. “I hope not. I worry for UA’s children.”
That might have been a joke.
She nodded toward the tea set on the table.
“Would you pour for us?”
For some reason, it sounded like a test. In the Japanese tea ceremony, it was traditional that the youngest person pour for their elders, but was there more involved?
Before Elise could begin, Aniba took the flash drive, nodding impassively, but staring down at the little electronic device with an intensity that suggested she couldn’t wait to tear into it.
“If you slipped it through, the fault lies with my security. I hope you’ll instruct them on how to do better.”
She stepped across the desk taking a seat on her own chair, and leaned back, setting the thumb drive between them, right next to the tea set.
“Now...Nakano. You’re either being polite, or are naive to assume I am a more trustworthy source than the media. After all, if I claim this as a success, my department gets more influence. And calling it a failure might get us more funding.” She didn’t smile, and her words didn’t sound like she was joking. She was just laying out the facts. “...I don’t like that sort of politicking.”
Her lip twitched. She was being honest.
“Its neither, of course. A stalemate, a cease fire, the break before a long-term peace or the second salvo of the war, call it any or all of those.” Aniba explained brusquely. “We’re angling for advantage.”
Her lips pressed together, and she stopped talking for a moment, though she likely could say much more about Nakano. After all, Elise was here for a reason--Aniba wanted something from her, not just a meeting to formalize the handover of the “Spymaster” role.
“I think it's my turn, however--what are you looking for?"
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1,038 Posts
0 EP
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Total
18 Years
Female
"Spymaster"
Civilian-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Elise Von Eisenberg on Jan 10, 2020 0:19:33 GMT -4
Elise shook her head lightly in response to Aniba's musings. "Fortunately Elise von Eisenberg is still very much alive, unfortunately the same can't be said of the one whose responsibilities she inherited." However, curiously enough Aniba's sudden request made her pause for a moment. "Of course~" She might had not been of Japanese origin, but she did know that among the Japanese people respect had to be earned, and that something like pouring the tea for her elders might had been a tradition, yet she doubted Aniba had requested it just for that. Perhaps there was more to it? Carefully she scooped up the tea pot that Aniba had prepared earlier, the experiences gained from her pinpoint surgeries and the nimbeless of her body making it event the Eisenberg's approach was focused, graceful in a certain manner but very precise to ensure not a single droplet was to be spilled.
Elise shook her head in return to Aniba's statement, explaining the reason behind her question shortly afterwards. "I'm afraid it is neither Aniba-san, consider it a test of sorts. If you were to claim it was a success, it would possibly show overconfidence, after all I seen what awaits us outside, and did my fair share of looking into matters before my arrival. In a way I was testing your honesty, I apologize for such impoliteness."
She bowed her head slightly in an apologetic gesture. "As you have assumed already, I came here for a reason, because I am in need of something, or rather someone." She took her seat after having poured the tea and paused for a moment. "I'm certain you are aware of the recent involvement of a crime syndicate called the Plutocracy and the auction they tried to hold in Shinagawa." She waited a moment for Aniba to confirm before she continued. "It was during those hours that I and my mentor Nobuyuki Kiryu went on a secret mission to rescue a missing engineer who had been in the hands of the Plutocracy. It was during the mission we obtained some sensitive information in one of the safehouses of the Plutocracy, intel which came at a severe price when my teacher perished during the mission."
She went quiet for a moment, her expression clearly betraying the hint of sorrow at those memories as she finally steeled herself and continued to speak. "We discovered the existence of a spy, a member of the Plutocracy that had infiltrated into the ranks of the government. Unfortunately, there aren't many details yet about this person's identity, but the fact he or she possessed knowledge of both the mission me and my mentor were assigned to, and was able to alert the Plutocracy of the raid on their auction, makes it clear this person is somewhere up high."
She grimaced for a moment, her eyes focusing on Aniba as she spoke once more. "There is still a lot of information I got to gather before I can expose this person's identity, but in the end I lack the power of authority to arrest them once I got all the pieces of this puzzle. This is what I came for Aniba-san. I came here in search of an ally, someone who is unflinching when it comes to her sense of justice, someone that won't fall to the corrupting influence of the enemy, but above all: Someone I can trust, after all I might be Spymaster, but my role is in the shadows, and if I was to make any bold moves on my own, I worry that the enemy will realize that my mentor had an apprentice that was with him on the mission."
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