Breaking the Mold [Private/Rawk] [Kokuto/Ninsianna]

ENTER THE WANDERING DEVIL

Artist: SilvaGunner - Song: Hip Shop

Spoiler:

Kokuto had spent every moment of the time he had sent the letter to the Vandenreich rethinking and rewriting every word that he put out. Of course, only then was it when he thought it was time to be a perfectionist. But, after many moments of rethinking, word, and passage changes, he had finally been satisfied with the final product. However, one thing that he hadn't been expecting was the near-immediate response time.

It was a bit of a relief, he wouldn't have to worry about the lingering anxiety of waiting. With little to no wasted time, Kokuto got himself prepared for the meeting, dressing in more formal clothes than the casual, somewhat tattered attire that he usually wore. But, there was nothing that he could do about the rest of his rather stand-out trait -- namely, the lesions and burns that littered his body. Well, it couldn't be helped.

He had made sure to include in his letter a few things, the first of which being that he was a demon, noting that if they felt the need to restrain him because they didn't trust him, that he wouldn't resist. But, he also included that he was not involved with Shadow Fall, at any point.

Thus, Kokuto straightened his clothes out, took a deep breath, and opened a portal that would lead him to the Vandenreich's base of operations: the City of Lights. Kokuto took a deep breath and stepped through, arriving where he was designated to meet with, well, whoever was meant to meet with him, ready for any possible precautions that might be taken.

He was here peacefully, but he was fully aware of the reputation that demonkind had, and he was here to, hopefully, take a step to remedy that.

Breaking the Mold [Private/Rawk] [Kokuto/Ninsianna] N45YBc3

NINSIANNA KISHAR

Ninsianna was not fond of her own kind. That was a truth she held rather deeply, and perhaps more strongly than nearly anyone else. Many hated demons, but few, she suspected, could begin to fathom the depths of her reason for feeling such disdain. However, such hatred was, in a word, unprofessional. She could not, and would not, allow it to interfere in the work she had undertaken.

So, naturally, she greeted the inbound demon with a cordial nod, clipboard in hand, and allowed not one single iota of her disdain to leak through. It was not relevant, after all.

"A pleasure to meet you. Ninsianna Kishar, secretary to the Grandmaster. My sincerest apologies that he is unable to meet you in person, but matters at present are quite pressing. I, however, speak with his full authority on all matters."

For the Danava of Bureaucracy, even absolute hatred could scarcely even hope to change her tone of voice. If the agony of a world two centuries deep in turmoil had not ruined her, then surely a bit of deep-seated spite could barely even begin to change her demeanor.

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ENTER THE WANDERING DEMON

Artist: SilvaGunner - Song: Hip Shop

With a cordial nod of her head and a small greeting as he entered the office of Ninsianna, Kokuto found himself blinking a few times, falling silent for a moment -- a bit surprised at sensing that Ninsianna was a demon, a Danava at that. But, he took in a breath, quietly exhaling as he stepped forward, returning the nod as he rested his hands in his pockets.

"Ah...sorry. I would have sent it sooner, but I learned the Vandenreich were dispatched to deal with rogue demons and Hollows in America, so I'd thought it was better to wait a little longer. I'm Kokuto, a pleasure to meet ya too. "

He was hardly surprised that he wasn't going to speak to this "Grandmaster" on the matter, but he merely shook his head, offering a warm smile as he quietly sat down on a nearby chair, placing his hands in his lap.

"Honestly, I'm glad I got a response at all. It's no trouble to me if I don't speak to the Grandmaster, I wasn't really expectin' to anyway. Thank you for havin' me in the first place."

The demon's head soon dipped softly, gazing at his hands for a moment, before raising to look at Ninsianna.

"I said it in my letter, but, I won't resist if you want to take any kind of precautions. I'm...fully aware of the reputation that some demons have with certain people. I just want to let you know that I'm here peacefully. I wanted to ask to join the Vandenreich."

He knew that Ninsianna was a demon, like him -- and creatures like them could sense and experience emotional spectrums unlike any other species in existence. Every word that Kokuto spoke was calm, without so much as a hint of malice or disdain, and any probing by another of his kind would yield an equal state of peace and calmness, with a small hint of nervousness and concern, but above all, there was nothing but the truth.

NINSIANNA KISHAR

"There is no particular concern with regard to your race. The Vandenreich does not concern itself with matters of birth or origin. So long as the ideal of a more ordered world is upheld, any are welcome within our borders."

Ninsianna's nature as a demon, while very much similar to Kokuto's, was also one rather different. She had, after all, never considered herself much of a demon at all, never affiliated in any particular way with her kind or experienced much of their culture. She understood the nature of her existence only inasmuch as one understood the nature of their own body--the greater minutiae of her heritage was something she did not put much stock into.

"Your history will be examined, of course, though not on account of your bloodline. Elements of the now-defunct Shadow Fall and of the Kokuryuteshi take all forms and come from all walks of life, and while we welcome any who wish to join us, we also take the greatest possible precautions. Security and stability are paramount, particularly for a people who have undergone such hardship as those few survivors of the older Vandenreich."

Gesturing for Kokuto to follow her, Ninsianna turned and began to lead the way toward her office, through the City of Lights. She still gave off no indication of her disgust for one of her own kind, nor would she at any point in this discourse. Personal matters, for the Danava of Bureaucracy, may as well not have even existed. It would be as relevant to think about her hatred at the moment as it would be to simply speak about her family life.

"What has compelled you to seek out the Vandenreich?"

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ENTER THE WANDERING DEMON

Artist: SilvaGunner - Song: Hip Shop

Hearing that the Vandenreich held no concerns with his origin prompted a quiet sigh of relief from him. Maybe he had been worrying too much about it -- if a Danava like Ninsianna was permitted into the organization, perhaps it wouldn't be difficult for him to enlist. The thought of his history being examined wasn't troubling, as, frankly, there was hardly anything to be examined.

But, nevertheless, as she gestured and guided him toward her office, Kokuto promptly began following, nodding his head softly as he bore a quick, simple response to the fellow demon.

"I understand completely."

Despite her professional demeanor to the point where any secretary or receptionist in a regular position would be jealous of how ideal her demeanor seemed, there was something that still felt off to the Demon of Power. He couldn't fully sense it or put his finger on it, but it was a thought that continued to pervade his thoughts as he followed Ninsianna to her office.

Stepping inside after her and quietly sitting down, Kokuto had taken the time to briefly ponder how to word his response to her question. He had cut the bullshit and the life story out since it was hardly necessary. But, taking in a quiet breath, the devil spoke.

"After living so long and basically having done nothing but idle, wandering around for a sense of purpose and reason in this new time I'm in, another demon convinced me to stop sittin' on my ass. I want to do some kind of good for this world."

NINSIANNA KISHAR

"I see. Seeking purpose in an unordered world, then. That is a commendable aim."

Welcoming Kokuto into her office, it was immediately clear that this place was every bit the same as the woman who worked in it. A plain, undecorated office, every wall lined with bookshelves and the only natural light coming from a single window directly behind her desk. Every bookshelf was filled with unmarked black books, no titles visible on their spine.

"Would you like something to drink?"

It was mostly just a matter of politeness to offer him something. She didn't necessarily expect that he actually would need anything, though it wouldn't take much time at all if he did in fact want something. Either way, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"You understand that entering into the Vandenreich is a significant commitment, yes? While there are many of our members who do live within the City of Lights, all still commit themselves fully to this cause of a structured and peaceful world."

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ENTER THE WANDERING DEMON

Artist: SilvaGunner - Song: Hip Shop

Bland, plain, stiff, uninspired -- everything about the office spoke volumes about Ninsianna. Kokuto found himself briefly glancing over the items in the room, regardless of how plain they were, turning back to face Ninsianna as she asked if he wanted anything to drink, to which he held up a hand and shook his head, politely declining.

As she noted the significant commitment that entering the Vandenreich was, Kokuto's eyes narrowed slightly, then closing for a moment before opening. He remained silent for a short time, contemplating how to say what he wanted to, taking in a deep breath, before finally responding.

"If I didn't know and understand that, I wouldn't be sitting here right now."

Kokuto paused for a moment, before continuing.

"I've got people I wanna protect, and I want this place to be safe for them."

NINSIANNA KISHAR

"Then the Vandenreich will do all in its power to assure that you are able to protect them."

Ninsianna began drafting up the appropriate paperwork, form after form manifesting itself onto her clipboard as if it had always been there. She knew that much of this recruitment work might feasibly have been accomplished through automated processes, but she did not trust such mechanisms. There was value in them, certainly, but they could not have matched her own nature. That was simply a fact.

"What do you consider to be your specializations? Do your talents lie in the civilian or the military sector?"

Naturally, she would need a fair bit of information before she could hand him a full array of forms. In theory she might simply have had a universal set that encompassed any possible career path, but it likely would have been enough to fill a small textbook, and none but her would ever have had the time to read such a thing. Good record keeping always considered those who would read the records.

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ENTER THE WANDERING DEMON

Artist: SilvaGunner - Song: Hip Shop

The assurance that the Vandenreich would do everything in their power to make sure that he could protect the people he cared about -- Calypso, Ichijou, her mom, gave him a sense of relief. Despite his more recent attempt to try and keep Ichijou safe from the stigma that he faced as a demon after the events of World War 4, there was still a sense of powerlessness that he felt, because, ultimately, he had been alone.

He had no support from any organization and had worked on his own for hundreds of years since he had been freed from Hell. Perhaps he had gotten so used to it that he felt that he didn't need that support -- that he was strong enough to protect them on his own. But, after hearing about the Vandenreich's mission in the Americas, as well as a small nudge from a certain Demon -- Calypso -- it got through his thick, stubborn skull.

Bluntly, there was only so much that he was capable of alone. Even if he had made himself to be a Demon based in power, to be both the unstoppable force and immovable object, even he had his limits. As Ninsianna began drafting up the paperwork, the question of what his specialization was, took him by surprise. Particularly because...just based on those single words alone, civilian and military, didn't give him much to work with.

"Well, just by the names alone, I'd probably say military, but, uh, forgive me if this makes me look a bit uninformed, but, I don't really understand what that entails. If I may, could ya elaborate a bit more? If you're lookin' for particular talents that I have, I can do that, but I'm just a bit confused here, sorry."

NINSIANNA KISHAR

It was quite to Ninsianna's benefit that her very nature prevented her from having any reaction to Kokuto's response, otherwise she quite likely would have looked at him as if he were subhuman. She had felt as thought the question were rather straightforward, but she supposed that there were those who required a bit more direction.

"If you are to join the Vandenreich, what do you believe that you are capable of providing to the people? Are you a combatant? Or is your area of specialization more appropriate for non-combat roles, support roles or civilian matters such as agriculture? While the military arm of the Vandenreich may be what much of the world sees, we are not merely some private military. There are people we must support, and there are a great many roles in society that need be filled."

Ninsianna's voice was free of any chiding tone, a simple explanation that carried with it all the emotion of one reading out a receipt. She was, in a word, dull. But of course, that was precisely what one wanted in a secretary. To the point, free of thrills.

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