No More Sitting on the Sidelines [Rita/Lukas]

Sitting atop a building that overlooked the dazzling metropolis of the City Of Lights, Rita dangled her feet over the ledge as she happily ate from a box of egg wraps and sipped a hot cup of coffee as she took in the morning air. This moment of peace was blissful as she knew things on the earth would become crappier over time. How could they not with that damn hole in the center of Africa?

After a soft sigh, the woman glanced back behind her as she waited for her associate to arrive here with her. Aware of what she needed to do in the world, Rita felt conscious, telling her to act before the situation in Africa worsened. She couldn't be one of these rich assholes that sat on their ass and did nothing until the last second, and it was too late to do a damn thing. People were hurting, a threat looming, and she had all the resources to make some difference.

So, on that line of thought, she wanted to meet with Lukas to call in that bodyguard favor and perhaps even get some training in. But, regardless of what happened from here, she knew that place would bring nothing good, and she needed to get stronger herself.

Besides, there won't be much of a world to enjoy luxury if the world itself is in peril and war, eh?

"Right on time, Lukas~."

CITY OF LIGHTS
Lukas was not the type of person that usually owed favors.

When it came to money exchanging hands, that was what it was. He had lived his life as an assassin for so long, such things were as simple as breathing - pull the wire, send it out to the right bank accounts, leave no real paper trail. Few weeks later, and another corpse would be removed from the cycle. Favors, on the other hand? Lukas was not the type to owe. Not that he had so little decorum;

he just fucking hated it.

A brisk walk through the streets of the stadt held his mood evident. Bunched shoulders, hands shoved tightly into his pockets. Wind whipped silver strands by his face, eyes narrowed as he pushed past any incoming civilian. An address marked on a piece of paper, scrunched into the palm of his hand; a tall building, entered with a sigh. Part of the man knew he shouldn't be annoyed, the woman had done a lot for him. The rest was uneasy with the lack of detail.

"Herrin Gracen." Lukas would greet Rita as he reached the rooftop, pulling loose hair from his face. "What are we doing?"

As the wind blew, Rita took a moment to collect her thoughts and look at Lukas after wriggling her nose.

"Well, since I know you don't like to waste time, I'll get straight to the point: it's about Africa."

After speaking initially, Rita rubbed her chin and seemed contemplative for a few moments before picking her words more carefully.

"I don't have any good feelings about whatever hole popped up in Vastime's capital. There has been a shitload of new hollows popping up, no one knows what is down there, and the Gotei and Vandereich are guarding that thing like a hawk."

With another pause, Rita sighed and continued.

"So that tells me things are going to get worse when people keep secrets. This is where you come in as I've been moving my resources to Africa to help everyone displaced by the disaster, provide some relief, train, and possibly study the hole myself."

Now looking at him with a more serious expression, she kept on.

"I'll need you to bodyguard me as I do my explorations down there and to possibly have some sway with the Vandereich as I don't want to step on their toes. I'd feel like another useless bastard if I sat on my riches and did nothing until the last minute when things are unsalvageable. Does that sound doable to you?"

CITY OF LIGHTS
"Yeah, Africa's fucked." Lukas responded in similar tone, nodding with a mix of apathy and frustration in expression. "Traveled there when it first showed up, the hollows that were popping out of it were.... big, to say the least." His hands gestured as he spoke, holding either side up to demonstrate size.

A slight frown stayed affixed as arms lowered to cross the man's chest, gears turning behind his eyes. Silence overtook the air as he seemed to consider what Rita had said, a pursed lip. A shiver down his neck, a skip in the heart. I could take down a few of those fuckers. Without those damn distraction assholes, it'll be easy.

Overconfidence? Or a realization of ego?

Whichever it would end, Lukas' gaze met the woman's with approval, tying his hair back with a spare hand; the other reaching out to shake. "Alright, yeah, let's do it. When do we leave?"

Nodding, Rita was glad he saw the importance and severity of the mission and understood what he was getting into. So, after taking a moment to think, Rita stood up and looked at him before speaking.

"It's definitely not an overnight mission. I've got men over there now helping with villages where hollows are running amok, preparing materials to be shipped, helping the injured, and all that on top of managing my normal business operations and making myself stronger. So safe to say, my ass has been busy."

Turning back to the city and looking upward at the sky, she took a moment to pause before continuing.

"But, we can leave whenever you are ready. I think it will be important to at least speak to those in the Vandereich about my operation. I heard you guys and the Gotei are stacked heavily there, and I'd rather not have the Vandereich on my ass for that."

CITY OF LIGHTS
"You haven't -" a shift in Lukas' demeanor, his hand shifting up to the bridge of his nose. The skin turning read from the pressure, his eyes tightened closed similar - "- you haven't contacted the vandenreich? At all?"

Releasing his face, the man glowered at Rita for a moment. Turning away, Lukas waltzed towards the buildings edge, looking down on the streets below. If it weren't so crowded, he might have screamed.

"Okay, so, yes. You need to talk to the Vandenreich, things over there aren't super well managed. Thankfully," he sighed loudly, "Most of that would be arranging a bodyguard. So, probably not gonna be a lot. I'll put in a request for travel, that might take a little bit but, eh, probably not."

Lukas' mind turned to the idea of how things had been handled so far, with the mysterious 'hollow hole'. What created it worried him the most; the interaction he and the stadt had with Ichigo left his thoughts scarred. Was it an attack? Something waking up? A tear between the worlds? At the end of the day, all it did was waste sleep.

"Why the hell'd you call me out here without contacting them first?" Lukas spat into the wind, a faint bitterness to it all. "The paperwork is easy." he turned to face Rita, a shake of his head in turn.

"I can start getting my stuff packed."

Rita could sense the disdain from Lukas, but she figured she'd make things a bit clearer from her end.

"I think you misunderstand. They are aware of my presence in the country as I work with them and other orgs constantly in the routes my business runs. However, that hole is guarded by both the Gotei and Vandereich, and I'd like to speak with the Albedochiffren about creating some written alliance."

After shaking her head for a moment, she then found herself lost in thought before continuing.

"And no, don't think I'd ever send you out on something like this without first contacting them. I contacted you ahead of time to see if you were open to something like this, and if you were, then go through the proper channels. No sense in going through the trouble if you aren't able to do the mission, aye?"

Nodding her head, she added.

"A bit unprofessional? Sure, but I have to cover my bases."

And after reaching into her pocket, Rita handed Lukas a fat stack of cash as a sign of good faith. Sure, he probably didn't give a shit, but Rita's own consciousness just wanted always to make things square with people. So even if he was doing her a favor, she still felt it was right to provide some upfront value to people.

"Something up front to cover expenses for lounging, time, risk, and all that. There will be more when this is all done. It just ain't right to me to not pay for the headache, y'know?"

Looking back at the city, she tapped her chin and had a question of her own.

"I've done my research on them, so does this seem like something I should contact Ninsianna for? Or should I aim lower down the totem pool? Not trying to step on anyone's toes or go above anyone. So I figured you'd have a ground-floor view of things considering you work directly for them.

CITY OF LIGHTS
Then fucking say what you mean, lady. Lukas held back the aggression, the edge of his tongue tight between grit teeth. His forehead tight with folds, a hand rubbing with an intense pressure, before releasing as he'd turn back, dropping loosely to his side.

Catching the wad of bills, Lukas' gaze slipped down to it, flicking through it with a moment of near silence. Only the sound of flicking paper filled the air, considered words dancing between his ears. Polite words became more common as the numbers counted, pocketing the money to turn his eyes back to the woman.

"Like I said," his voice notably more gentle, "the paperwork is easy. I've already to submit some stuff, so just forward me whatever you need and I can bundle it all together. It's all going to Nninsiana anyway, my name might be able to shove it past the red tape a little faster."

Or slow it down. Ignoring his intrusive thought, Lukas signed with a nod towards Rita. "Meet you back here when it's settled, or cut straight to the airport? I'd say I could get us set up with some of the transportation tech, but it feels like having vomit smeared across your soul."

Hm. Well, it couldn't hurt to have the paperwork taken care of. So, Rita nodded and decided to go with the simple route of getting this done a bit faster through Lukas.

"Well, if you can get it through faster, I sure wouldn't mind. I might stick around here while you get that settled myself and probably get to know the city and the people more. Who knows, maybe I could make some more connections here."

Now pulling out her phone, Rita tapped it and smiled.

"So, when you get done on your end, let me know and we can get out of here once you got the all clear."

CITY OF LIGHTS
The airport was loud. Africa had become something of a hotspot, it would seem; the spiritual pressure in the room suffocatingly high for the human world. Lukas passed through security with a finger pinching his nose, looking through the crowds for Rita. His gaze slipped amongst crowds of various reporters, adventurers, the odd rogue earth-based shinigami.

Things have picked up since I came last time, huh? Finally, his eyes met the woman, a raised arm as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Hey, check's clear. We can go whenever." Patting the duffel bag slung over his shoulder, Lukas moved towards the exit, pointing with a thumb.

"Got a rental outside. I'm driving, though!"