[BitP:R] Mortal World 2

[Draken]

Furousha

Donovan walks out of the back of the shop.

"Not much else to do, I will be heading back to the café Viatrix."

"Hey, a humanoid hollow! But doesn't feel like a menos. But menos wouldn't be doing much down here in the world of mortals anyway."

[Kayne650]

Hibiki's question distracts Mayumi, and she misses Viatrix's last question. She opens her eyes and looks at Hibiki. "Sorry, I was trying to find out what was happening. The technique that I just used allowed me to see through the beads that I used. Are you familiar with the Quincy concept of Ginto?"

While speaking, she closes her eyes again and refocuses her vision through the two Ginto, trying to make sure that she hadn't missed anything.

[Kuroimaken]

Well, it IS quite a lot of money. But the investment should be worth it.

Besides, it's not like Hasunaga cares much about money anyway.

"...I do hope you work with credit cards. I'm gonna have to do a lot of transfers so this doesn't arouse any suspicion. You know the drill."

[InyutheBeatIs]

[Back at Venti Buon...]

Probably the amazing part of Yui's almost ravenous buying was that Rosa was able to carry out her entire order...without writing anything down. It's like she's some kind of machine! Left and right, she sets the delicacies onto the tray, serving drinks like nobody's business.

After a while of this, she smiles at Yui. "Here you go." She says with a smile, as if it were perfectly normal for a human to order such ungodly amounts of food at one time.


[Furuosha Shop]

Carmelia stands there, looking around at the shop, settling on Viatrix. She wonders just...how exactly a human woman as young as her is running a shop like this, and on top of that, a shop that offers spiritual items at high prices.

However, she decides to stand there, and watch.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Venti Buon]


Yui blinks. "That little? Come on now, there's no need to be shy. You're not pushing me to bankruptcy here."

Silva waves a hand. No, I'm fine. Not that hungry. That, and she's not keen on other people buying stuff for her like this.

Then, the stranger hands Rosa his money and picks up his order, going to sulk in the corner table. "Fine, then! I understand if you don't have time for poor old Yui. Means I get to eat share too!" She then goes to make their order.

"Hello! Could I get two sandwiches, three donuts, three icecream cones, four cups of hot cocoa, one glass of orange juice... oh, one cup of black coffee and another of green tea as well... Ooooh! What are those green things?" It's clear this might take a while...

Silva chuckles a little as Yui places the order.

Well, somebody's a little hungry.

Mean while, the tall stranger puts his backpack next to his seat and settles to slowly chewing away his bread as he examines the odd trio. The young woman has very vibrant red hair... doesn't look like it's dyed. Green eyes... probably non-native as well. But why is she staring at me like I'm the Devil itself? The older woman and the boy are clearly Japanese, though there's... still something wrong about both. Especially the woman - maybe it's the unhealthy color of her skin? Has she seen a day of sunlight in her life?

Hey, that guy's still watching.

Yeah, just keep an eye on him. Just in case. She's still a little cautious right now.

After receiving all the assorted sweets, Yui smugly carries the tray full of various delicacies (and the two beverages for her companions...) to a nearby table and sits down. "Ah... these both look so delicious, I don't know where to start!", she wonders, holding two colourfully iced pastries on her hands. "I think I'll start with both! Itadakimasu!" She ravenously devours them, beaming in that creepy, sickly manner of hers as she munches them cheeks as full as a chipmunk. It's... well, certainly strange to see a middle-aged woman indulge in such a manner.

Silva smirks a little. She sure did pick a strange person to hang around.

Meanwhile, the stranger keeps staring at the group. No, there has to be something more. The boy - he's giving of a strong aura, a bad one. This bears investigation. Outwardly, the stranger goes on just like always, green unblinking eyes staring and taking in the events of the small cafe. However, to him, the physical world fades, leaving only...

!!!

Suddenly, the stranger jumps up, finishes his bread in few hasty bites and downs what's left of his water in one gulp, picks up his backpack, and strides out of the cafe.

Yui stops stuffing herself with sweets for a moment, confused by the abrupt gesture. "Mmmmhm mhmhs mhimm?"

Silva shrugs a little, still watching the door.

It's at this point that she notices the small, silver bead hovering in the air. She tilts her head a little and stares at it, slightly confused.

[Kayne650]

Mayumi, still slightly distracted by talking to Hibiki, doesn't have perfect control over her Ginto, and when she sees Silva staring at it, her surprise at it translates over to the bead, which seems to hop a little in midair and hides behind the light fixture. By the time Mayumi realizes what she's done, it's already too late to fix. If Silva had been suspicious before, she'd be terribly confused and probably a bit worried now.

Damn, Mayumi cursed inwardly. I've been altogether too careless lately.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Worried? No. Confused? Yes. Very much so.

For now, she just watches it. Doesn't chase it or anything. Just watch.

[strawberryman]

[Furousha Shop]

Viatrix pulls out a credit-card reader. "Helps to keep up to snuff on technology, yeah."

[Joint Ops Site]

Hibiki nods. "I've heard of it. Care to elaborate any?"

[Kuroimaken]

Hasunaga pulls out his Spiritcard(tm).

Cool clothes: 90.000 yen.
Soul Candy: 150.000 yen.
Being as cool as you can be as you beat spirits up and protect mankind: priceless.

[Kayne650]

Mayumi leaves her bead in Venti Buon where it is and diverts her left eyesight back to Hibiki. Her expression was slightly embarrassed as she looked at Hibiki.

"Forgive me, Hamasaki-san. Focusing on the Ginto requires a great deal of focus."

"What I'm doing is using a type of Quincy artifact known as a Ginto, which is usually a silver tube filled with liquid reishi, which we use to perform feats not unlike a Shinigami's Kido. My beads are Ginto that my family has specially designed to stay camouflaged, and designed to allow reishi to flow freely through the silver, which allows them to be reused, unlike most Ginto. This particular technique allows me to view distant places as if through my eyesight, by using those Ginto as eyes. It helps me in keeping this city safe, and allows me to effectively be in ten places at once."

Mayumi still looked distracted, but she was obviously trying to keep her attention on Hibiki, while still making sure that her Ginto weren't seen by too many people.

[Kasanip]

Haruaki and Sayaka
[Houheiden]

Haruaki stood with sereneness as he watched with content smile on his face. He nodded with approval at Kaito's demonstration.

"Very impressive." He remarked. "You seem to already be quite skilled." He said to Kaito. "Lifting heavy things is a good start, but I am curious what the accuracy of a throw is with a stone like this. It seems you have to imagine vectors from a different place than your standing. Are you in the baseball club? Perhaps an activity like this may help you too. Perhaps you like dart games? It would be a good practice too I think."


When Ayase's tail hit Sayaka's nose, she looked annoyed, but her face quickly returned to neutral.
Now it was Ayase and Ken, who said many speeches of justice and good and evil in a comical fight. Sayaka grimaced and looked on. Her eyebrow twitched but she didn't take her eyes off of the fight.

Haruaki applauded at the conclusion.

"That was very exciting to watch." He praised. "I suppose I am a little surprised. It seems your passions have no limits, and that's a good thing. However, perhaps we can learn to control it some more. Fighting a monster cat is a little different than fighting a hollow, I think you will find." But he put a hand on Ken's shoulder and a hand on Ayase's head. "I am happy you have found a training partner. It will be good for both. Though I wonder a little about a monster cat. Maybe like a normal cat you bring fortune?" He said with a smile.

"With your speech however, maybe you two would be better on a television show. I'm sure we can acquire some special suits and Sa-"

Sayaka put her hand on her father's shoulder.

"To allow such a thought to continue is completely forbidden." She warned in a dark voice. Haruaki's smile seemed to falter and drops of sweat swam on his face.

"Of course dear." Haruaki said. Sayaka returned to a silent position as Haruaki stepped back from Ken and Ayase.

[nothingclever]

"Thank you sir." Ken watched as Haruaki's visage faltered at Sayaka's words. That was definitely a tone he had never heard from her before. How could he possibly resist playing up on this reaction? "I'm sure Sayaka would do amazingly well in show business, but I can see why she wouldn't want to discuss the topic. She's probably just too humble and shy to imagine herself being the idol of millions that she knows deep down she'd inevitably be. Naturally she doesn't want such thoughts to go to her head." He turned and walked over to Sayaka. "Don't worry though, even if you never have your name in lights, you'll still be a star to me."

[strawberryman]

[Furousha Shop]

Viatrix grins smugly. "It'll take a while. Staying to hang around or coming back tomorrow is up to you." With that, she makes her way into the basement.

[Joint Ops Site]

Hibiki hmms. "Interesting. ...So, Yamashiro-san, now that this investigation seems to be complete, and we have an understanding of sorts... is there any further reason to stay here, or may I be on my way?"

[Houheiden Shrine]

Valeria puts her phone away, and sighs, stepping forward nervously. "Um... as for me..." She pauses, figuring it better if she showed, than explained. Pulling her hand over her face, black energy seethes from her body for a moment, before forming into her mask.

"...I'm not sure why I'm like this..." Val's voice is distorted to almost being unrecognizable, and as before her eyes are black, frightening orbs with purplish-pink irises.

[Kayne650]

Mayumi blinked and looked at him, with both eyes this time. "Oh, yes. Forgive me, Hamasaki-san. I didn't mean to keep you here. Yes, I do believe that our business here is concluded. I'll probably stay here for a little while longer, I still have a few things to do. Thank you for your assistance, Hamasaki-san. I have several things to think about."

Mayumi smiled at him and closed her eyes again, returning to her work. Thankfully, it had seemed that no one had noticed her beads.

[Terry576]

[Sora]

Sora drinks his coffee, and is suddenly feeling great.

He looks at Mahail.

Then back at the coffee.

Then to Mahail.

Then back at the coffee.

He sees the coffee as the coffee that other coffee he had tried could have been. And if he keeps coming back to this coffee shop, he can continue to get the coffee that is the best coffee.

In the back of his mind, he wonders why he's thinking in the terms of an Old Spice commercial. But that doesn't matter. He has the ridiculously delicious coffee.

And that's what counts.

[Steilos]

Henry stands continues to spectate as Valeria steps up.

And- well, damn. That was something. "Christ." the detective mutters under his breath, as he takes a step back towards Haruaki. A mask... He could've sworn he'd seen something resembling a mask sometime, but for the life of him he couldn't remember when.

[KnightDisciple]

Kaito just rolled his eyes at the overly dramatic display. Perhaps he should try getting used to it, but...ugh.

Haruaki and Sayaka
[Houheiden]

Haruaki stood with sereneness as he watched with content smile on his face. He nodded with approval at Kaito's demonstration.

"Very impressive." He remarked. "You seem to already be quite skilled." He said to Kaito. "Lifting heavy things is a good start, but I am curious what the accuracy of a throw is with a stone like this. It seems you have to imagine vectors from a different place than your standing. Are you in the baseball club? Perhaps an activity like this may help you too. Perhaps you like dart games? It would be a good practice too I think."

Kaito turned to face Haruaki and lifted an eyebrow.

"I don't play sports; I'm more of an academic. Besides, baseball uses your arm to throw, whereas this uses my brain. Really, I aim using geometry and stuff. Somehow, it just feels...natural. I suppose I could try darts, but I'm not sure how it would be good practice. It's...it's a completely different "muscle", you know? It feels like throwing darts with my hand to practice for this, would be like running to practice for arm wrestling.

As for accuracy..."

He turns and regards a tree, about 50 feet away. He points to a couple of points on one branch...and manages to hit said points with an equivalent number of small stones sent at high speeds.

"I'm no slouch. It's just like drawing a line between two points, really. If the target's moving, it's a lot harder, at least right now."

[Houheiden Shrine]

Valeria puts her phone away, and sighs, stepping forward nervously. "Um... as for me..." She pauses, figuring it better if she showed, than explained. Pulling her hand over her face, black energy seethes from her body for a moment, before forming into her mask.

"...I'm not sure why I'm like this..." Val's voice is distorted to almost being unrecognizable, and as before her eyes are black, frightening orbs with purplish-pink irises.

Kaito tapped his chin in thought.

"Hm. Hard to say. Maybe you somehow awakened an innate mimicry? And somehow...hrm. Maybe the mask is the most direct manifestation of it, and kind of a "focus" for it? Without tests on all of us, I'm not sure how many answers we can get. And I'm not eager to undergo those tests, not right now. Too many awkward questions."

[Dorizzit]

Houheiden Shrine
Exterior

Nakahiro folds his left, umbrella-carrying arm across his torso, then rests his right elbow on his wrist and covers his mouth with his palm as he looks at Valeria's transformation analytically. He cocks his head to one side, and remains silent for several seconds before speaking quietly, after Kaito has finished.

"Have you tried experimenting at all with your abilities? Do you know what you can do?"

[Kasanip]

Sayaka and Ken

Sayaka's fists trembled again. She looked up at Ken with like she wanted to say something but was helpless.

To be a shrine maiden of a balanced and neutral Shrine, it must be a place of peaceful existence. But maybe that's because all of the misfortune and chaos was absorbed by the young shrine maiden.

Of course it was not a job of a part time worker. Of course to hit a guest is forbidden also. And of course to hit in such a shrine of neutrality is a sin.

But to be raised in a house with Haruaki as a father, I don't understand why Sayaka is not such a character. If Ken was to live there also, suddenly it was 2:1. So for Sayaka maybe it was a feeling of to see a little sand-castle like her life to drown.

"Mr. Go. If you suggest anything of idols or stars again, I will send you to Lady Orihime for a performance." She warned, poking him in the chest.

Of course everyone at the time of youth wants to be idol or famous. So maybe such a dream is true or not cannot be known because Sayaka would not say such a thing.

Haruaki and Kaito

Haruaki shook his head. "I don't mean throw a baseball. Catch. The people in the back have to watch the baseball batter who hits the ball. To draw a line from yourself is easy. To draw a line from someone else and to find where you meet that point... That is math and baseball! To make a beautiful [out] and [double play] it is such a motion.

If you want to use your power to protect someone, you must learn to intercept a moving thing, something that maybe is not moving towards you or away. What if it is an attack coming at a friend? Or an attack with gravity or against it? This kind of physics class may be interesting to you, but also such a thing a baseball player must do without thinking.
And playing a sports club may make you healthier so you can fight better too."

"Of course of darts I meant to throw with your power and not arm. Ah, but please do not demonstrate on the trees. Don't you know who takes care of those?"

Sayaka made a dark face.
Not me." She announced. Haruaki agreed with a hurt look.
"Yes, it is me."

Haruaki and Sayaka and Valeria

Haruaki and Sayaka looked concerned.

"It looks unhealthy. How do you feel with it on?" Sayaka asked. Haruaki slowly put a hand towards the aura.

[nothingclever]

"That's strange, I thought I was standing in front of her right now. After all, you're clearly out of this world... Sorry, I'll stop, I'll stop. That last one was just too easy." Ken made a hasty retreat towards his impromptu partner. "Thanks for obliging me a moment ago. It was an honour to perform alongside justice personified. It's not everyday you get to meet a real life superhero," said the young man with a straight face. He then moved on to stand by Kina and engage in a serious conversation for a change. "How are you holding up?" He lowered his voice to avoid disturbing the others speaking.

[strawberryman]

[Joint Ops Site]

Hibiki nods and bows. "Sayonara, then, Yamashiro-san." He turns and makes his way back to the city.

[Houheiden]

Kaito tapped his chin in thought.

"Hm. Hard to say. Maybe you somehow awakened an innate mimicry? And somehow...hrm. Maybe the mask is the most direct manifestation of it, and kind of a "focus" for it? Without tests on all of us, I'm not sure how many answers we can get. And I'm not eager to undergo those tests, not right now. Too many awkward questions."

"I... I don't know." Valeria fidgets. "I m-mean, I'm able to breathe smoke now like that..." She pauses, closing her eyes to concentrate, and for a moment, she breathes the same black, noxious mist of the Angry Janitor. However she cuts it off before it can cause any real damage.

Nakahiro folds his left, umbrella-carrying arm across his torso, then rests his right elbow on his wrist and covers his mouth with his palm as he looks at Valeria's transformation analytically. He cocks his head to one side, and remains silent for several seconds before speaking quietly, after Kaito has finished.

"Have you tried experimenting at all with your abilities? Do you know what you can do?"

"...Not beyond that, just now..."

Haruaki and Sayaka and Valeria

Haruaki and Sayaka looked concerned.

"It looks unhealthy. How do you feel with it on?" Sayaka asked. Haruaki slowly put a hand towards the aura.

"...I feel..."

Be honest with yourself, now...

"...I..." Val fidgets some more, lost in thought for a moment. "...When I took it off at first, I was confused, and scared... But... Right now, I feel like I've never felt before. I feel strong, and... whole." She looks up, to the shrine keepers. "...Kind of like when I'm dancing... Nothing else about me matters. There's just this, and as long as it's there, I don't have to worry."

[Kayne650]

"Sayonara, Hamasaki-san." Mayumi called in response. She hoped that she hadn't offended Hibiki with her distractedness, but this seemed to be rather important. As she had suspected, Hasunaga was with a Hollow, and was buying her a gigai! Mayumi had never heard of a Hollow wearing a gigai, and wasn't really sure how it would work, but it seemed to be happening. And then there was the incident at Donovan's cafe. Mayumi wasn't sure what was happening there, but it interested her no end. She closed her eyes and returned to watching the events unfold.

[tgva8889]

Kina Yoshimoto - Houheiden Shrine

Kina watches everyone go, not seeming to react much to Ken's show with Ayase. She notices their movements and specific actions, and she is quick enough to notice how well their blows were controlled to allow space to dodge. Her interest fades after a moment; the showmanship is not for her.

After a while, she listens to the description of Kaito's abilities and watches Val demonstrate her mask. She takes great interest in Valeria in particular. Though she remains where she is and says nothing, her eyes give away her feelings. It's uncanny. So accurate...what is it? A replica? She couldn't be one of them...What does it mean?

She is barely paying attention when Ken approaches her.

"How are you holding up?"

"Oh...um, me? I'm...I'm okay. N-nothing really to...worry about." She smiles at him, a nice smile but very similar to what she has been doing all day. "I...don't feel like I belong. Like...I don't have much to offer."

[nothingclever]

Ken gradually laid out his thoughts in a calming tone. "Well it's not like you have to have anything to offer. In a way, you actually do have something pretty significant though. You can offer your friendship to these people. It looks like at least Valeria could use some extra emotional support after what she's gone through. Besides, maybe you'll develop powers of your own at some point later on. Then again, maybe that's not what you want."

[KnightDisciple]

Haruaki and Kaito

Haruaki shook his head. "I don't mean throw a baseball. Catch. The people in the back have to watch the baseball batter who hits the ball. To draw a line from yourself is easy. To draw a line from someone else and to find where you meet that point... That is math and baseball! To make a beautiful [out] and [double play] it is such a motion.

If you want to use your power to protect someone, you must learn to intercept a moving thing, something that maybe is not moving towards you or away. What if it is an attack coming at a friend? Or an attack with gravity or against it? This kind of physics class may be interesting to you, but also such a thing a baseball player must do without thinking.
And playing a sports club may make you healthier so you can fight better too."

"Of course of darts I meant to throw with your power and not arm. Ah, but please do not demonstrate on the trees. Don't you know who takes care of those?"

Sayaka made a dark face.
Not me." She announced. Haruaki agreed with a hurt look.
"Yes, it is me."

Kaito shrugged.

"I'm not really a sports fan, sir. So, while I can see where you're coming from, I'm not joining the baseball team. A bookworm like me signing up for baseball would raise suspicion. Something I don't want right now. I'll probably just find ways to practice directly with my talent."

He looked at the trees, then back to father and daughter, a casual expression on his face.

"The trees will grow back, and I figured it would go over better than aiming for the back of Ken's head."

[Houheiden]


"I... I don't know." Valeria fidgets. "I m-mean, I'm able to breathe smoke now like that..." She pauses, closing her eyes to concentrate, and for a moment, she breathes the same black, noxious mist of the Angry Janitor. However she cuts it off before it can cause any real damage.

Kaito gives a faint nod.

"That suggests some level of "mimicry" to what you can do. That mask seems tied to the mimicry somehow. Obviously, you don't just mimic via proximity. Perhaps you can "attune" yourself to the unique energies of Hollows, but not all spiritual beings? Thus allowing you to mimic their powers, though at a somewhat reduced rate."

"...Not beyond that, just now..."

"I think all of us will need to look towards practice and experimentation with our powers in the near future."

"...I feel..."

Be honest with yourself, now...

"...I..." Val fidgets some more, lost in thought for a moment. "...When I took it off at first, I was confused, and scared... But... Right now, I feel like I've never felt before. I feel strong, and... whole." She looks up, to the shrine keepers. "...Kind of like when I'm dancing... Nothing else about me matters. There's just this, and as long as it's there, I don't have to worry."

Kaito started pacing a bit, hands behind his back, rocks still orbiting his body.

"Perhaps you've been developing your powers for a longer period? I mean...well, you've had health issues. Perhaps manifesting these abilities helps your body compensate more fully for the aftereffects of your condition? Hence feeling stronger and "more whole"?"

He shrugged helplessly.

"I'm honestly guessing and inferring here."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Venti Buon]

Yui finishes her meal and leans back in her chair, satisfied. "Ah... that was great. Now, do you have something you'd like to talk about?", she chimes, giving a curious look at her companions. When she notices Sora isn't paying the slightest of attention, she pouts, pulls out her map and rolls it up, then thwacks him over the head.

"Ah... that was great. Now, do you have something you'd like to talk about?", she repeats, giving a curious look at her companions.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Venti Buon]

Silva stifles a laugh for a moment, then responds.

How long have you known about Hollows?

[Frozen_Feet]

"Again with that line of thought, eh?", Yui replies nervously, fanning air with her hand as if she suddenly feels very hot. "What are these hollow creatures you talk about so much?"

[Terry576]

[Venti Buon]

Yui finishes her meal and leans back in her chair, satisfied. "Ah... that was great. Now, do you have something you'd like to talk about?", she chimes, giving a curious look at her companions. When she notices Sora isn't paying the slightest of attention, she pouts, pulls out her map and rolls it up, then thwacks him over the head.

"Ah... that was great. Now, do you have something you'd like to talk about?", she repeats, giving a curious look at her companions.

Sora is hit then curses quite loudly.

"&$@$! What the !@@! is your problem!"

It takes him a few second before he realizes what she'll probably do.

[Frozen_Feet]

Yui's dark eyes narrow and shoot a nasty glare across the table at Sora. For a moment, he might think she'll hit him with the map again. "Young man, those are not the kind of words I like hearing. You should be mindful of your manners", she scolds him. "Besides, it's your own fault. How can you not pay attention when there are two beautiful women around you? Your whole life will walk past you if you always have your head in the clouds."