[BitP:R] Mortal World 2

[KnightDisciple]

[School Grounds]

Kaito stopped and turned to face Viatrix. He squinted a bit. She seemed familiar...but he was also pretty tired. So nothing really "clicked".

"Uh...I have class. I'm not late, but I want to keep it that way. Nice to meet you, though."

With that, he turns and begins heading inside once more.

[strawberryman]

[School Grounds]

Vi walks beside Kaito. "Come, now. Is that any way to treat a lady? I mean, you're a unique guy, right? Why wouldn't you be interested in unique wares?" The bount gives a knowing smirk.

[KnightDisciple]

[School Grounds]

Kaito stops and gives Viatrix a frown. He just stands there, evaluating her, for almost a minute. Finally, he speaks.

"Are you trying to sell me drugs?"

[strawberryman]

[Outside School]

"...What? No." Viatrix seems taken aback. Though she does kind of wonder if she could have used more tact. Oh well. "Tell me, you do see and feel and experience some things that other people don't, right? You've got that feel about you."

...Schweiter would roll his eyes if he had any. He quietly speaks up. "What my master here is floundering about is that you see spirits, correct? You have reiatsu. This usually means that you are spiritually aware." This might be alarming considering that an umbrella is speaking to him.

[KnightDisciple]

[Outside School]

Kaito blinks, his eyes widening, first at Viatrix's odd mannerisms, and second at...a talking umbrella? He didn't run away screaming, though.

"Point the first, the way you're addressing me is making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

Point the second, to answer the...talking umbrella...Yes. I can see spirits. I am, as you say, "spiritually aware". I am also growing closer to missing class. You have 60 seconds to make your point. After that, I head inside and do not stop for any sales pitch."

[strawberryman]

[Outside School]

Viatrix shrugs, pulling out a business card with the Furousha shop's location, just within the city limits. "If you ever want to check it out, I've got all sorts of nifty tools for you guys. Whether you're a shinigami, hollow, or something else. It's a dangerous world out there, never hurts to be prepared." The smirk hasn't disappeared.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for my master."

I hope it rains, ass. Her grin does seem strained for a moment.

"Think about it, eh?" With that, she lets Kaito break in front of her.

[Kayne650]

Fusichou High School

Mayumi, still going over her class rolls, looks outside just in time to see Viatrix walk away. Klossner-san? What's she doing here? I didn't think that she often actively promoted her own wares. Of course, I'm not sure what else she'd be doing here...

But, she was leaving. Maybe Mayumi might try to bring it up subtly to Kaito later and see what she had asked him. But why did she have to talk to Kaito, of all people? It was easier to get things past some members of the faculty than past him.

As her eyes returned to the roll, a specific name in class 3-2 caught her eye. Rex Irons. That name couldn't be a coincidence, but a member of the Irons clan hadn't been in Japan for years; why was one here now, and what was he doing in her class? Well, she'd have to see what he was doing here.

Deep within the S.W.O.R.D. Facility

Mostly quiet, actually, save for the rustling and low muttered curses emanating from a lab deep within the underbelly of the compound. They came from a certain frustrated scientist.

"No, no, no! Why won't this work? It should, all the variables are in place..."

He had been working on a recent pet project of his, the development of tattoos as a replacement for Quincy crosses. Unfortunately, they weren't known for their stability, and Vincent couldn't figure out how to fix it. The problem was how the Quincy's reiatsu would transfer through the tattoo, and particularly the irregular flow within.

"By creating the tattoo with spiritual silver, I should have enhanced the spiritual flow, increasing the 'viscosity' of the reiryoku, but instead it's more unstable than ever! If only I had more test subjects..."

Really, just another day for Vincent.

[Shades of Gray]

Sayaka
[School]

Looking a little more tired than normal, Sayaka comes to school early. Ken is staying at her house, and so she seems more distracted. Maybe because she has to teach him the proper things to do in the morning, so she wakes up earlier. Any supernatural incidents she has dealt with she is silent about. Of course maybe just her father's influence can be the reason.

I can't believe he tried to switch my uniform for the first year one again. She thinks with annoyance and a silent neutral face. But it would be easier to see most of them again. she thinks about the students she met before. No, I won't become tricked so easily. She thinks again.

Distracted, she walks into the building down the hallway. The nurse's office seems more comfortable than her 2-1 classroom. But it is an aimless walk.

Ogawa Asuka

Ogawa was also aimlessly traversing the halls. She did not know where class 1-2 actually was, other than that it was on the first floor. The student still had time left before class began, and it was a good idea to get the general layout of her new school. Suddenly an older student caught her eye; she looked familiar. She had seen her once at a New Year's celebration. What was her name again? Sakuya or something?

She wheeled herself closer to greet the slightly familiar second year. "Good morning." She said with a bit of nervous hesitation. Was she mistaken in remembering her? Was she thinking of another student? It had been many months since New Year's, she may have been mistaken. "Are you- Are you from the Houheiden Shrine?"

[Kasanip]

Sayaka
[School]

Sayaka stopped and stopped her thinking. She was surprised by this student she did not recognize. A first year in wheelchair? Sayaka tried to think if such a student had been in the nurse's office before.

"Good morning." Sayaka replied with a small smile. The girl in the wheelchair had asked about the shrine. A little rueful, but polite, Sayaka answered.

"Yes, I live at the Houheiden Shrine. I'm Kondo Sayaka, a second year student. Nice to meet you. I'm sorry, if we have met I do not remember your name."

[Shades of Gray]

Ogawa Asuka

"I believe I met you last New Year's. I was, um, the one in the wheelchair. I'm Ogawa Asuka." She said plainly, putting her gloved hand forward for a handshake. "It's my first year here, and I'm a little lost. Do you know where Class 1-2 is?" Asuka asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

[Wahrheit]

[Rooftop]
Last Night

Nakahiro nods.

"Right, take your time. Also, you may want to sit down for this one."

Once Rex has prepared himself and given the go ahead, Nakahiro gently places the medal against Rex's broken bone. Closing his eyes, he begins the healing process. Bad as the broken arm was, this is much, much worse; the experience is agonizing. Worse still, it takes about twice as long as healing the arm did. When they're finished, Nakahiro stumbles back a few steps before sitting down, rubbing his own collarbone a little. He's now breathing very heavily.

"There. How do...how do you feel?"

Describing the full extent of Rex's pain during the healing is beyond the scope of this post; needless to say, it was... unpleasant. When the healing ends, Rex is left gasping for breath and drenched in sweat, unpleasantly pale.

"Like..." He tried to speak, but coughed several times. "Like I got kicked by Dad's horse." Rex didn't bother trying to move. "But better than I was. Th-thanks..."

[KnightDisciple]

[Outside School]

Viatrix shrugs, pulling out a business card with the Furousha shop's location, just within the city limits. "If you ever want to check it out, I've got all sorts of nifty tools for you guys. Whether you're a shinigami, hollow, or something else. It's a dangerous world out there, never hurts to be prepared." The smirk hasn't disappeared.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for my master."

I hope it rains, ass. Her grin does seem strained for a moment.

"Think about it, eh?" With that, she lets Kaito break in front of her.

[Outside School]

Kaito eyes the business card, before slowly, cautiously taking it.

"I'll keep that in mind. Have a good day."

With that, he turns and jogs inside, slipping the card into one pocket. While he'll manage to focus on his studies well enough, the encounter will likely be at the back of his mind for quite some time...

[Kasanip]

Ogawa Asuka

"I believe I met you last New Year's. I was, um, the one in the wheelchair. I'm Ogawa Asuka." She said plainly, putting her gloved hand forward for a handshake. "It's my first year here, and I'm a little lost. Do you know where Class 1-2 is?" Asuka asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Sayaka
[School]

Sayaka paused and then shook the hand awkwardly but kept a smile on her face. "Ah, yes it is always very busy at the New Year for First New Year Shrine Visit. Nice to see you again ms. Ogawa."

Sayaka stepped behind Asuka's wheelchair and began to gently push.

Class 1-2 is up and around this corner. This is the medical office here. Then it is after here, you can see the sign for the class on the hallway." She said while guiding Asuka.

"How do you like high school student life?" Sayaka asked.

[Terry576]

[Near School]

Sora curses Yui in his head some more, hating her and everything she does.

[Shades of Gray]

Sayaka
[School]

Sayaka paused and then shook the hand awkwardly but kept a smile on her face. "Ah, yes it is always very busy at the New Year for First New Year Shrine Visit. Nice to see you again ms. Ogawa."

Sayaka stepped behind Asuka's wheelchair and began to gently push.

Class 1-2 is up and around this corner. This is the medical office here. Then it is after here, you can see the sign for the class on the hallway." She said while guiding Asuka.

"How do you like high school student life?" Sayaka asked.

Ogawa Asuka

Asuka was uneasy as Sayaka started pushing her. She never really liked having people push her, but she wasn't about to refuse her hospitality; it would have been rude. She took the time to relax, taking off her gloves and laying them on her lap. "It's very different. My old school was farther away, so I had to be driven to school by bus. But this school is a lot closer, so I can get to school by myself." The student said with a smile, obviously pleased with this fact. "The teachers also seem very nice ever since I came here." She admitted. Asuka knew that in the past most people were nice to her due to her condition, but these teachers seemed genuinely nice and helpful.

[strawberryman]

[Outside School]

"That went well."

"That went terrible."

"Oh, shush, you. The worst that happens is he doesn't come to the store. There's plenty of other fish to reel in here, I bet." Viatrix cracks her knuckles, and passes through the school doors.

"You're going to land in detention."

[Vincent's Office]

Vincent's phone rings. When he picks up, it's Nero (or, rather, Agent 01).

<Agent 09. I have a quite interesting lead for you to pick up. I'll send the data to you now.> Vincent's phone/computer almost instantly receives pictures of the file on a mysterious dagger. <This was stolen from a museum in Bordeaux. It was the only article missing, and not only was the museum burnt to the ground, but our sensors picked up a hint of spiritual energy left behind by the culprit. My current theory is that it may have been another Quincy; and, to have known about it, they may have been close to the owner, so it is possible they live somewhere within the city of Phoenix Town, or tied to a regional family. What is your opinion, Agent 09?>

[horngeek]

School Rooftop

Izumi looks at Rex anxiously. "Anything I could do to help?"

[Draken]

Mihail nods. His feet are already taking him to the right direction, but he stops to see that the headmistress is still in his wake. It'd be rude to outpace her too much.

Reene keeps up in her stride with little trouble. She is quite fit, and isn't wearing any horrid things to walk in, like heels or some such.

[Frozen_Feet]

Once it's clear Reene isn't going to fall behind, Mihail seemingly stops paying attention to her. It doesn't take long for the two to reach the secretary's office. Mihail stops at the door after opening it for Reene, hoping that she will do most of the talking.

What follows is likely a short and rather dull discussion about what will be the new janitor's working times, what is his pay, how long the contract will last and when will he start.

[Kayne650]

[Vincent's Office]

Vincent's phone rings. When he picks up, it's Nero (or, rather, Agent 01).

<Agent 09. I have a quite interesting lead for you to pick up. I'll send the data to you now.> Vincent's phone/computer almost instantly receives pictures of the file on a mysterious dagger. <This was stolen from a museum in Bordeaux. It was the only article missing, and not only was the museum burnt to the ground, but our sensors picked up a hint of spiritual energy left behind by the culprit. My current theory is that it may have been another Quincy; and, to have known about it, they may have been close to the owner, so it is possible they live somewhere within the city of Phoenix Town, or tied to a regional family. What is your opinion, Agent 09?>

Vincent answers his phone, and isn't entirely surprised to hear Agent 01's voice on the line. After all, only nine people in the world have this number.

He listens carefully, taking in every word. An interesting problem, to be sure. "A dagger? Hm, that's not exactly unique for a spiritual item in general, but I might know something about this. If I'm correct, the knife is actually a Quincy artifact, which makes it unique in that it is the shape of what is ordinarily a melee weapon, which Quincies rarely, if ever, use, due to our propensity for ranged weapons."

"As for the break-in itself, it's quite possible that a Quincy stole it. Phoenix town has, after all, a disproportionate number of Quincy families, most of them old and rather powerful. Off the top of my head, I can think of the Hisamori clan, one of the minor nobility of the Quincy clans. They may have decided that the knife belonged to them, rightfully or otherwise. There is also the Yamashiro clan, who specialize mostly in research and development, and therefore might have desired the knife for its unique properties, for purely scientific reasons or otherwise. I can look for more suspects, if you like."

"The only thing that bothers me is the fact that there was a trace of reiatsu left at the site. See, Quincy don't emit reiatsu like most spiritual beings; we obtain all of our power by absorbing ambient reishi and releasing it in our arrows. Therefore, the only way he would have left that trace is if he fired his bow in the complex, which seems awfully sloppy to me. After all, there are plenty of perfectly mundane ways to commit arson."

There is silence for a minute on the line, then Vincent's voice comes back. "Oh, that's what that is! Yes, I remember this now, it's a most fascinating little piece of equipment. Known simply as "Thrice-blooded" in Asian Quincy legends, this dagger is said to have been used in an ancient and frankly horrifying ritual that was said to radically increase a Quincy's powers. However, its use was limited by the nature of the ritual itself," As Vincent speaks, Nero can probably hear the squeaking of a chair as it rolls around, indicating that Vincent is moving from table to table as he checks his various computer monitors. "Which involved the wielder of the dagger cutting open three other Quincies, then drawing their blood through the blade itself into themselves, which supposedly gave them the reiatsu-absorbing abilities of the three Quincies whose blood they absorbed, which would of course drastically increase the wielder's strength. A most fascinating weapon indeed..."

A pause, and then, "Of course, whether it can actually do this is an entirely different matter. Legends have a way of getting out of hand. But our culprit is probably someone who believed this legend, or another of the numerous stories regarding this blade. Does that help?"

[strawberryman]

[Phone Conversation]

For a long while, Agent 01 is silent. Obviously contemplating the information. However, given his position, he quickly drums up a plan.

((Btw, the <>s indicate another language: in this case, he's speaking english.))

<Agent 09, given your expertise in the area as well as your heritage, I will pass this investigation on to you. I don't think I should have to stress how valuable such an artifact would be to our cause. Can I trust you in this?>

[Draken]

Once it's clear Reene isn't going to fall behind, Mihail seemingly stops paying attention to her. It doesn't take long for the two to reach the secretary's office. Mihail stops at the door after opening it for Reene, hoping that she will do most of the talking.

What follows is likely a short and rather dull discussion about what will be the new janitor's working times, what is his pay, how long the contract will last and when will he start.

Which is why we will skip all of that.

With everything set and Mihail employed, Reene turns to him and makes a short reverence.

"I'm glad to have you with our staff Mihail-san. I will be back to my office now."

And then she goes on her merry way...

She has this nagging feeling that students went to the rooftop, where several of the air-conditioning systems are located, which means the place is dangerous and forbidden.

-----

[Outside School]

A small bird flies into the school grounds.

[Dorizzit]

Spoiler

Show

Describing the full extent of Rex's pain during the healing is beyond the scope of this post; needless to say, it was... unpleasant. When the healing ends, Rex is left gasping for breath and drenched in sweat, unpleasantly pale.

"Like..." He tried to speak, but coughed several times. "Like I got kicked by Dad's horse." Rex didn't bother trying to move. "But better than I was. Th-thanks..."

[Rooftop]
Last Night

Nakahiro nods and smiles.

"Glad...glad to hear it. You're...probably going to feel weak for a few days, and may exhibit a significantly increased appetite. I'm guessing that that's just your body compensating for burning so much energy at once, but...I'm not sure."

Slowly, he picks himself up and stretches stiffly.

"Anyway...I'd probably better get back to my house. My parents are going to be worried enough as it is."

[Frozen_Feet]

[School, Secretary's office]

Mihail looks after Reene for a long while. To outside observers, it prolly looks like he's ogling the, admittedly attractive, headmistress as she goes. But more than how her body looks or what he might want to do with it in private, Mihail has to wonder if it's truly hers. Few things escape his vision, and he can tell Reene is not completely "natural" in the sense most people use the word.

Briefly, he wonders whether it'd be wise to bring it up, and how soon. It's not like his encounter with Eirine, or Henry or the girl at the cemetery - nothing obviously tied to the ghostly realm is happening. She might consider it invasion of privacy if I said anything.

Then, he pushes it out of his mind, twirls his new keys to the school in his hands, wishes good day to the secretary, and walks to the storage of janitorial supplies to fetch a rake.

The school yards are dirty. Someone has to do something about it.

[Kasanip]

Ogawa Asuka

Asuka was uneasy as Sayaka started pushing her. She never really liked having people push her, but she wasn't about to refuse her hospitality; it would have been rude. She took the time to relax, taking off her gloves and laying them on her lap. "It's very different. My old school was farther away, so I had to be driven to school by bus. But this school is a lot closer, so I can get to school by myself." The student said with a smile, obviously pleased with this fact. "The teachers also seem very nice ever since I came here." She admitted. Asuka knew that in the past most people were nice to her due to her condition, but these teachers seemed genuinely nice and helpful.

Sayaka
[School]

Sayaka's mood darkened a little in thinking of 'teachers', but her neutral attitude comes again quickly.
"Most of the teachers are nice." She said. "You have some good classmates, so don't be nervous about it. Of course, if you ever need help, please ask, ok?" She said as they arrived at the room.

[Kayne650]

[Phone Conversation]

For a long while, Agent 01 is silent. Obviously contemplating the information. However, given his position, he quickly drums up a plan.

((Btw, the <>s indicate another language: in this case, he's speaking english.))

<Agent 09, given your expertise in the area as well as your heritage, I will pass this investigation on to you. I don't think I should have to stress how valuable such an artifact would be to our cause. Can I trust you in this?>

((OOC: I know, but Vincent is replying in Japanese because he's gotten used to it))

The smile is almost audible in Vincent's voice as he responds."Agent 01, you have not made a mistake with this. I can assure you that I will have your culprit in hand in a matter of weeks. I accept your assignment, Agent 01." Vincent hangs up, looking back at his monitors. Blood, huh? Maybe, just maybe, that was the ingredient that his tattoos lacked...

[Shades of Gray]

Sayaka
[School]

Sayaka's mood darkened a little in thinking of 'teachers', but her neutral attitude comes again quickly.
"Most of the teachers are nice." She said. "You have some good classmates, so don't be nervous about it. Of course, if you ever need help, please ask, ok?" She said as they arrived at the room.

Ogawa Asuka

Asuka nodded. "Don't worry, I will. I don't think there will be any problems though," She assured the older student, putting her gloves back on, "It was nice meeting you again, Sayaka-Sempai. Have a nice day." She said with a warm smile.

[Prime32]

[School]
As Sayaka heads back, the door of the medical office opens and Ayase steps out, nearly crashing into her.

"Oh! Kondo-san..." A smile seems to flicker on her lips for a moment, but it's quickly gone. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." She'd never really talked much with the others in her class, though Sayaka had always seemed one of the more sane ones...

[Terry576]

[Near School]

Sora pants as he walks up to the school door, almost falling over.

"Never... Again. Next time... I see Yui... I'm going... To hurt her so bad."

He groans as he enters the school.

[Kasanip]

Ogawa Asuka

Asuka nodded. "Don't worry, I will. I don't think there will be any problems though," She assured the older student, putting her gloves back on, "It was nice meeting you again, Sayaka-Sempai. Have a nice day." She said with a warm smile.

Sayaka returned the smile. "You too." She hoped Asuka would have a nice time in the class. Some of them were spiritually aware she knew, but a peaceful high school life would be nice.

[School]
As Sayaka heads back, the door of the medical office opens and Ayase steps out, nearly crashing into her.

"Oh! Kondo-san..." A smile seems to flicker on her lips for a moment, but it's quickly gone. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." She'd never really talked much with the others in her class, though Sayaka had always seemed one of the more sane ones...

Sayaka

Sayaka managed not to be hit by Ayase.
"Oh, ms. Sasaki. It's no problem." Sayaka said in surprise. Actually Sayaka, for missing all of her school days of sickness and 'family affairs', she was not very close with many people. But after the recent events...she wanted to. Maybe a normal life was impossible for her, but after meeting the others in the incident, she thought that it would be nice to not be lonely.
Something about Ayase made Sayaka stare a little. A familiar feeling. Ah, but it was rude to staring. Then she remembered Ayase was seemingly hurrying.

"How are you? Is there a rush? Oh, is it almost time for class to start?"
Suddenly Sayaka felt very lost in her thought.
Of course Ayase isn't a monster cat.

...She was coming from the health office?

Sayaka looked concerned. To be a health officer suited her personality.
"Are you ok?" She asked.