Volatile Mixes (Shinya)

What was THIS place? The language was different but he was definitely fine here, it was closer to his native german really though his words had a rather nice lilt to them due to that fact.

Alwin was window shopping, wondering if the money he had on him was enough to get some of those weird candies he saw... He had learned through trial and error that some money was not accepted by others, mostly gold and such, and that some money was from the wrong time... And some money was for the wrong place even. How would they ever just buy anything like this with so many weird currencies?

None of the money he'd seen exchanging hands from his pressed against the glass features seemed to match what he'd brought and the man sighed mournfully before picking up his keyboard case. It seemed he was to play first, get snacks later.

His cheek puffed up in a pout before he began setting up his keyboard on a nearby corner. How annoying. He'd wanted chocolate first! Maybe he'd sing and play a grumpy song, made just for this occasion! His fingers played across the keys as he left his case open there to accumulate the presents in the form of money.

Humming to herself, Charlotte Cole had a lot on her mind. There was her job which was a constant distraction and then there was her newest job which she thought was only a temp gig.. but turns out it might actually be permanent. Ahh~ To be back at simpler times! She thought to herself as she exited a store. She just had bought herself some chocolate for the caffeine boost and was nibbling one when she heard some amazing keyboard playing nearby.

Looking around for the source, Charlotte spotted a young man playing for money on the nearby street corner. Curious, the young secretary walked over to inspect this man. After all, she hadn't seen him around before and wondered if he was a drifter passing through. She listened to his masterful playing while looking him over and nibbling on her chocolate bar. Hmm.. Not too bad looking if I do say so myself.. She thought to herself as she pulled her wallet out of her inner jacket pocket and dropped a twenty in the case.

Charlotte waited until he finished playing to speak to him. "Nice playing.. where are you from?" She asks, still nibbling on her chocolate bar. "I haven't seen you around here before.. Are you from the states?"

Money! Alwin preferred to think of them as presents, but he knew better now. It was money and it was used in the places where they had the same thingys on them to get the chocolate.

It was all so complicated to remember! And he only had SO MUCH TIME each day to do things! It was much too hard to remember what money went where and it seemed like all the gold sis had wasn't worth anything here! Maybe she just liked the color? That room was filled to the brim with that stuff though...

Finishing his song, Alwin looked up to see a... woman? Yes! She complimented his playing and Alwin preened as he did a rather glorious bow to her. "Ah! Thank you thank you! The...states? I am not from here! I just needed money for chocolate Madam!"

Not from the states? Hmm.. And that accent.. a foreigner? Charlotte thought to herself as she smiled sweetly at the man. "Chocolate, huh? That's all you were playing for? In that case, here! Have my extra one." Charlotte spoke, holding out the other chocolate bar she had. "It's gourmet chocolate too, I think you'll like it."

Peering at him from over her sun-tinted glasses, Charlotte bit off another piece of chocolate and smiled at him. "My name's Charlotte. Charlotte Cole. What's yours?" She asks, still wondering what a man like him is doing here since he probably didn't have a job due to playing on a street corner.

"Aaah chocolate!" Alwin's eyes practically glowed as he accepted the delicious delicious noms, staring at the bar quite entranced for a moment before unwrapping it. A quick bite was taken, his hand coming to his cheek as his eyes closed and he sparkled all over the place.

"Aaaaaaaah soooo wonderfuuuul~ Thank you Miss Charlotte Cole!" Alwin missed introducing himself for a moment having to take another bite. His blinking gaze was brought back up to her as his uninhibited smile returned. "I am Alwin Veihault!"

"Mister Veihault, then. Is that German?" Charlotte wondered as she furrowed her brow in thought. It certainly sounded like such, that's for sure! She returned his smile with one of her own, finishing off the chocolate bar and stuffing the wrapper in her pocket.

By the look of his content face and the sparkles, Charlotte guessed he was pretty big on chocolate. She didn't mind chocolate; it was mostly the caffeine rush that she was looking for. After all, her work sometimes ran into long hours. And that was for both jobs! "So? What do you think? Tasty isn't it?" She asks, giggling at how into the bar he was.

"So what are you doing here? On vacation? Visiting family?" Charlotte wondered, peering at the man. He couldn't possibly be poor.. right? Maybe he was a foreigner that didn't know a lot about how things worked here? "So don't you have any money?"

"Ja!" Alwin clapped his hands happily as the woman thought, having stuffed the candy bar into his mouth after his words and held it there to do such a happy motion. He was what passed for german really, it was too complicated to try and explain! Avelina had to him a long time ago and he couldn't really remember. She was something else, like him but different!

"It is very very tasty. I like how smooth it is, much smoother than normal. So taaasssty~" His voice rose as he cooed over the chocolate, taking it from his mouth to speak before licking the chocolate from his lips and taking another bite. He chewed it, as polite people should he'd learned, before speaking. "Nope nope nope. I am just here because it is a place I haven't been! Princess is at school and I'd get her in trouble I learned. So I wanted to go somewhere else! And I don't know where this is so I don't have that money stuff. Its really confusing! Why can't everyone take the gold stuff? I thought it was important. She keeps a room full of it."

Alwin pouted just a bit at his sister and took another large bite of the quickly dwindling bar.

"Well I'm glad you liked it!" Charlotte replies cheerfully, then giggles at his eating habits. This one was pretty unusual by most standards, but for some reason she couldn't just leave him here with no means of getting money. "So.. you have gold but don't have actual cash? That's unusual.. but here, I'll show you what to do with that!"

"Pack up your things and follow me. I'll take you to a place where you can exchange your gold for money." Charlotte spoke with a smile. Maybe he was some sort of sheltered rich kid that just got out for once? He did say princess.. but that could mean a lot of things.

As Charlotte waited, she mentally wondered if this was some sort of scam, but then dismissed that as she could easily get herself out of trouble if she wanted to. She wasn't the Quincy Regent for nothing, after all!

"Thank you thank you. I'll get more! For you!" Alwin would totally do it when he could! He moved to pick up the money he was given, putting it all in his velvet crush coat's pockets as he was supposed to, knowing by now it was best to before someone else tried to take it.

"But I don't have any gold with me right now. I stopped taking it since people looked at it weird and Princess said I shouldn't draw attention too much. I did bring other ones though?" Alwin explained, knowing Princess had tried her best even if he had forgotten or just didn't seem to pay attention to her explanations. However it would be good to know...

Maybe that would work too?

Alwin did as ordered though, moving to pack up his keyboard with immense care and love really. He adored the item so he took good care of it and with a few snaps the item was sealed in its carrying case. Picking it up with the handle, the tall man smiled brightly before holding out his hand in a dramatic manner. "Lead the way Miss Charlotte~"

"Other ones? As in other currency? Yes that'll work too, not to worry." Charlotte spoke as she beckoned for the man to follow her to the nearest bank. Which luckily for her, wasn't that far away or else they'd have to drive there. The bank was only a block or two away and as they entered they were immediately seen to due to who Charlotte was.

"This bank is where you exchange currency for this country's ones." Charlotte explained as she led the way to one of the tellers. "You can find them in any country so seek them out when you have the wrong currency, okay?"

After ushering him forward, Charlotte smiled sweetly at him. She didn't know where the man came from or how he got here without knowing how to exchange currency.. but she just couldn't leave him alone. Maybe it was the position she was in now that was getting to her and she needed a distraction, but either way she was gonna make sure Alwin was taken care of.

"Oh! Yay!" Alwin sparkled more as she beckoned him forward, following behind her with a hop to his step. It seemed this place would trade all sorts of currency! How amazing, that was really amazing! He didn't know they had those places, but that made so much sense now!

Apparently people there knew the lady too and he beamed at them more, bowing lightly before smiling down at Charlotte. "I see I see. So I change this here, for whatever I have? Huh."

Well then he might as well pull it out! Setting down the case with care, the blonde man reached into his pocket and pulled out a few odd looking coins that looked...old. They were silver and printed in spanish, on top of those he placed old looking paper money as well. Some were what appeared to be in amazingly good condition american confederate notes and a few others were old notes printed in chinese.

He just smiled unaware of the enormous fortune he had just set out. "So what can I get with this?"

The bank teller just stared blankly at the strange collection of rare money that was worth a helluva lot to the right people, then back at Charlotte for help. Charlotte herself was quite amazed at the man's collection, thinking to herself that that's the reason why no one'd take his money; it was all dated waaay out of sync with the real world's currency!

"M-Miss Cole! W-We cannot ac-" The teller began to say before being quieted with a staaaaare from Charlotte. The teller gulped and quieted, waiting for the woman to speak.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to pull those out.. Are you sure you didn't just rob a museum for all these?" Charlotte chuckled lightly in a joking manner. She kinda figured that the man must have some connection to the spirit world, but that'll keep till later. She said she'd help him out and that she shall. Charlotte then stared at the bank teller and picked up one of the coins. "I'll give him the equivalent of cash for this single coin from my account."

"B-But.. Miss Charlotte! All of these.. they're..!" The teller quieted again after Charlotte stared at the poor fool again. This time they were getting stares from everyone; some wondering what was the hold up, others from their peers and finally from the bank's owner as if saying that if they didn't do it that'd be their job. Meekly, the teller counted out the large amount of money, shoving the other money back to the man. "Y-you keep the rest, this is more than enough."

Taking the money and counting it in seconds, Charlotte was pleased with the amount. "Two hundred thousand dollars for you to use anyway you'd like, Alwin!" Charlotte chirped happily as she led him back out of the bank once he collected his money. "So, where are you staying tonight?"

"...Maybe sis did?" Alwin pondered the robbing of a museum question with way more need than necessary. Museums were the old place with the old stuff. He wasn't even bothered by the teller's reactions or noticing how awed of this woman they were. He just wanted to be able to get things and that was it.

Everyone was staring and he just soaked it all in with a large, guileless smile as he took the money back. It seemed one was enough! How nice! His smile included he amazing savior and he just grinned more as they counted it out and he stored it in one of his many pockets. Giving the teller a sweeping, gentlemanly bow he turned on his heel and took his case with him to follow Charlotte with a bit of elegance really.

"OOOOOH. That's a lot then?" Alwin's mouth opened wide in shock and awe as she spoke... until it closed and he looked thought for for a moment. Was that a lot? And would it all be money just for this place? He followed after Charlotte and grinned at the next question. "Ah home! If I'm not back sister will be displeased and look for me. Avelina is such a grumpy pants."

He pouted and pursed his lips, looking to the side in pure grump as he spoke that. "Doesn't like me leaving the cave at all and makes Riichi watch me."

"Yup! That's a lot!" Charlotte replies with a light chuckle. She then pauses in thought as this man travels around a lot so that means he'd need some pointers. "If you take that money to banks in other areas, they can exchange the money for the money of that country, alright?"

Charlotte nodded absently to the man while studying him as they walked. Hmm.. potential boyfriend material? She thought to herself. While she was debating this, she ALMOST missed an important detail. "...Did you say.. 'cave'?" She asked Alwin, arching an eyebrow curiously at him.

No, she couldn't possibly have heard him correctly.

Though... that would explain a few things and raise questions about others. Like how he was seriously considering the fact that his sister might've robbed a museum. Oh dear lord, what has she gotten herself involved with?

"That is useful then! My thanks Lady Charlotte~" Alwin's braid swayed with his happy steps, more pleased laughs sounding as he tilted his head back. He could use this money in other places by taking it to building like these! How amazing! Lady Charlotte was almost as amazing as Princess!

He spun in a happy circle before pausing and almost stumbling, his coat continuing the circle despite his sudden pause. Alwin tilted his head, blinking and smiling still as he bent just a bit to be more on the level with the woman. "Yes? I did. A cave! My home with Riichi."

He knew by now it wasn't what people in these lands did and the man just turned after replying and continued with the bounce in his step unhindered by the admission of living in a cave. Oh well~

A cave.

A CAVE.

A CAVE!

Those words echoed in Charlotte's brain, leaving her in sort of a daze. How could such a handsome man live in a cave?! It made no sense! Not to mention his sister who keeps him there. But it all made sense in a way. Why he didn't have current money.. why he didn't seem to have any means of sustaining himself.. too many things were answered just by accepting that as a truth. Besides, he seemed too carefree about it to be lying.

"So Alwin, does your sister share your last name?" Charlotte asked conversationally, trying to find out more about this mysterious sister of his. "What does she look like?"

Alwin didn't notice any of Charlotte's unease and wonder, too busy watching all the other people out and about and also the many sights that existed to someone who lived in a cave most of the time. It was a beautiful and colorful world~ He was set on experiencing it all, holding his keyboard case tightly in one hand.

"She does, but she doesn't like it. Its supposed to be all secret and stuff, but I really hate her cover name schemes. Naki doesn't flow as well as Avelina. She could bare to choose prettier options." Alwin's voice was filled with disappointment, practically dripping from his lips as he scoffed at such a choice. He was walking along at a good clip, easily outpacing Charlotte before he realized he should be walking slower with a glance back over his shoulder.

His green eyes bright with mirth though, he gave her another smile and a laugh as his braid wagged lightly as well in a tail like motion. "She looks like me sort of. Her eyes are brown and green though and she is much much shorter. About here? I think! Her hair is pale, much paler than mine. Also she has a large chest! I didn't realize that ladies without them didn't mean they were children until Princess taught me! I think all her stuff went into her butt though."

Alwin nodded solemnly, accepting this a true facts really and assuming it was entirely what happened. Charlotte might know better though and he trusted she would correct him if he was wrong.

Charlotte absently nodded, not noticing Alwin was escaping from her until she looked up and he was letting her catch up to him again. Naki.. Naki.. where have I heard that name bef- Charlotte thought to herself, then her eyes went wide. "AH! HER!" She exclaimed, "That soul munching escape artist!"

She didn't mean to sound angry, but it came out like that. Just her quincies have had run-ins with Naki enough times to make the girl notorious amongst them. And the fact that her brother was standing right before her made things... complicated. "So that means you're a.. bount?" Charlotte asked Alwin cautiously. She had no reason to fear him as she could easily handle herself.. but it was good to handle things with a degree of tact.

"Not that I mind, just.. it's surprising." Charlotte spoke softly as she peered at him curiously. "And you call her princess.. why's that? Are you two royalty of some kind?"

Alwin hopped a few inches from Charlotte at her exclaimation, not expecting such a reaction nor the words she said. A soul munching... escape artist? What did soul munching mean? Avelina was quite good at escaping things but that didn't mean... That was an insult wasn't it?

Alwin pouted for a few seconds before Charlotte's second response distracted him. He gave a few happy nods and patted his chest. "I am a bount! But what's that stuff about soul eating mean?"

"Mind? Why would someone mind?" Biting his lower lip and playing with his fangs, the man brightened and shook his head in response to the second question. "Nope nope! Princess is not Avelina. Princess is Princess! I met her when I went to the human world for the first time! She's really really nice!"

Charlotte was quite confused by HIS confusion over the matter. It was so bad that she began to question what she knew as fact if it was indeed fact! "Oooookay.. you're a bount.. and you don't eat souls?" She asks curiously, then runs a hand through her hair, bewildered. "What is this? The twilight zone?!"

Okay, so princess isn't Naki so that doesn't make them royalty of any kind. Gotcha. But how has Alwin survived so long without eating?! Charlotte thought to herself as more questions than answers seemed to pile up. "So uh.. Alwin? What do you eat?" Charlotte asks, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. "How do you sustain your body? You did know bounts need to eat souls to survive, right?"

"...?" Alwin merely tilted his head, much like a large confused dog while staring at Charlotte. Souls? Twilight zone?

Shading his eyes with his hand, the bount peered up to the still up sun and shook his head. "No twilight to be seen! And this doesn't seem a zone."

It's possible he was mistaken, he was only a few weeks into this whole sunlight thing though the man had never truly forgotten it from his youth. As Charlotte questioned him though about things he ate, Alwin's bright green eyes turned on her once again. "...I don't eat! I don't know. Magic maybe? Maybe I am a mystical lost prince Bount?"

It was possible and probably why he had been locked up by his sister! He just continued to smile guilelessly and nod. "It would explain a lot... But I didn't know we ate souls. I guess that also explains a lot too! Mm, I should go though. You are asking a lot of weird questions and seemed to dislike my sister. It would be bad for me to give her secrets away, I bet she'd be unhappy."

Unhappy would be the smallest of it and with his mercurial actions, as usual, the man opened a garganta right then and there near the edge of the sidewalk. He definitely intended to leave, grinning up a storm before stepping back.

"It's not that I dislike her, it's just she caused me a number of headaches so I guess I came off a bit harsh." Charlotte spoke, frowning as he opened the Garganta. Shouldn't only hollows be able to do that? Or was it Arrancar? It was hard keeping track of which race does what sometimes. "You don't have to leave if you don't want to. I'm merely curious about you, that is all."

He stepped backwards towards the Garganta and it seemed like he really was gonna leave. "Well, if you must leave and you end up in some other country, just use my name at any bank like the one you've seen and they'll exchange your money for the currency in that country." She says quickly, holding up one finger. "Remember, it's Charlotte Cole."

Honestly, this man was a strange one. Maybe she should look into the Bounts and see if there's any anomalies like him. Or maybe she'd get a hold of his sister and ask her directly. Yeah, fat chance of that happening!

"Still... I said things I don't think she'd like at all~ Not if you are one of her antagonists." Alwin laughed, deeply and without any hint he felt Charlotte was a bad person. Just she was one of Avelina's nemesis it seemed... Even if they did seem to not dislike each other? He had no clue how his beloved sister felt.

Instead he gave a tiny little finger waggle of goodbye, before giving a sweeping and majestic bow that flung his braid over his shoulder. His keyboard was lifted up as his arm crossed his chest, seemingly weighing nothing to the unhuman man. "I will always remember your name, Madam Cole. I owe you a boon then for all your help! I'll return one day and repay it, ahahah."

Definitely, he would return to her side... Much like he would return to Princess' and all his other friends. Giving a dazzling smile, the man stepped back into the portal and disappeared along with its closing maw.