[BitP:R] Mortal World 3

[KnightDisciple]

Nakahiro speaks quickly once Kaito picks up.

"We lost the trail, but found a note that was pretty clearly left for us. It says, 'If you want to see them again, meet in the warehouse district at noon.' It's probably a trap, but...if we play our cards right, we may be able to spring a trap back on them. We should probably all meet up somewhere and consider our options."

"Hn. Yeah, you're right. We need to all be together for this. Says to meet in the warehouse district. How about we meet-"

Kaito gives Nakahiro a street intersection that's not too far from the warehouse district, that ought to let them all gather and plan before heading in.

"I'll get Sora and Izumi up to speed. See you in a couple of minutes."

He hangs up and turns to the others.

"Nakahiro's group found a note. It said "If you want to see them again, meet in the warehouse district at noon."; we're going to meet up with all the others at that address before we head in. Hopefully we can come up with something to help us spring a trap on the kidnapper. Since this whole thing stinks of "giant trap"."

[Terry576]

Sora nods, rather absentmindedly. One might get the feeling that if Izumi and Val weren't involved, he would leave. Maybe go get some coffee.

And then go to the apartment, and avoid the hell out of Silva and Elder.

[Kasanip]

Sayaka
[Nakahiro team]

"I will call him." Sayaka responded to the request. She revealed her cellular phone and called Ken's phone number.

"Hello, Ken? It is Sayaka. We made it safely through, but there is a problem. There is a suspicious terrorist note that tells us we must go to a warehouse to find the kidnap victims. It seems dangerous, so we should all meet at OO street. Is everything ok for you?"

[nothingclever]

Ken swiftly picked up, "Everything is alright over here. We haven't found anything of note, so I'll pass your message on and we'll meet you there." He did as he said and they were on their way.

[InyutheBeatIs]

"Oh? Ah, this. It's a gentleman's gesture. It's meant for me to offer for you to loop your arm around mine, so that if you trip or something comes your way, I can pull you back." Hasunaga notes, with some small degree of embarassment. "It's fine if you don't want to take it, though. I just thought I'd offer. My parents taught me this as the right thing to do." It seems fairly obvious Hasunaga isn't entirely sure how to behave in this situation.

Carmelia seems to understand, but she seems somewhat opposed to the idea. Most likely, it had to do with the idea of being in extended contact with a human. However, there was something oddly fascinating about how this human was making an effort to be respectful towards someone like her. That, and given her current state someone to make sure she doesn't fall flat on her face and embarass herself would be rather nice So, instead of walking away in disgust, she simply lets out a resigned sigh. "Well...I suppose I do still need to work out the finer details of this accursed body. Also, you did say it was the proper thing to do, and it wouldn't do to appear anything but proper..." She straightened up, and walked up to Hasunaga's side. "Very well." She hesitantly reached out towards Hasunaga's arm, clearly not used to the idea. She even pulled back the instant her hand scraped against his arm, almost as if the idea of contact caused her to recoil. Eventually, however, she gave in and looped her arm around his. However, her arm was completely horizontal and as stiff as a statue, completely unyielding and over all just akward.

Before they walked off, however, she looked towards Hasunaga. "I doubt it would be normal to wear this hood in broad daylight. Should I take it off?"

[Kuroimaken]

"You're probably right. But I won't make you take it off or anything. It's your decision." Hasunaga pointed out. "Try to relax your arm. That appears out of the ordinary too; besides, it will tire you out that much faster." The old teacher's voice had a kind tone to it. He wasn't admonishing her so much as gently reminding her of what it was like to act human again. "Is there a specific place you'd like to go?"

[InyutheBeatIs]

For a moment, Carmelia considered enveiling the hood. However, the instant she thought of it she felt a shock of fear run through her. She felt as though doing so would expose her in some fashion. "I'd rather not right now." She then focused her efforts on relaxing her arm.

After a few minutes of painfully trying to relax, she manages to at least look slightly comfortable. Carmelia attempts a gesture of lightly clearing her throat, failing spectacularly by making a rather gross growling noise deep down in her throat. She just barely resists muttering curses at her current form. "Anywhere other than a dark alley would be preferable right about now. I do not care otherwise. You are the one who wanted to teach me, you should also serve as tour guide."

[Kuroimaken]

"I suppose it's fair, but a little credit would be nice. Why would I bring you to a dark alley?" Hasunaga noted with an expression of confusion. "It might be best if we get you used to things that humans normally do first. And judging from how tightened your fist was a moment ago, we'd better start with the basics."

Which is why he leads her to the Venti Buon.

"You don't need to be too worried about appearances here. This is a bar where people are spiritually aware... so you can just relax and act naturally. The Gigai shouldn't be giving you this much trouble, though. I wonder if there's something else getting in the way?"

[InyutheBeatIs]

((OOC: Sorry if I confused you there, or got any details wrong. ))

"Well, considering we were just in a dark alley, it wouldn't do to arrive in another one, would it?" Carmelia remarked.

Soon, however, they arrived in front of Venti Buon. Thankfully, there were no incidents involving Carmelia tripping or anything similar. However, as Hasunaga wonders what the problem with Carmelia's Gigai is, she thinks of a possible answer. Perhaps, she thought, it has to do with the fact that, for all intents and purposes, I am now one of you insects. Perhaps thankfully for her, she doesn't say that out loud. She does tense up a bit, however. "I suppose we should enter, then?"

[Kuroimaken]

"True." Hasunaga responds, even as he lets go of Carmelia's arm to open the door for her. See, he's an old school gentleman.

Once inside, he picked a table not too far off the center. They could still be seen by the staff, but not so much by the patrons.

"Humans do a lot of eating and drinking. Unlike Hollows, though, their appetites vary less wildly. A human normally cannot go without three meals a day - some more, some slightly less. How about we get started with something to drink, then?"

He waved to one of the staff.

[InyutheBeatIs]

[Venti Buon - Carmelia]

Carmelia simply nods her head and walks in through the door, looking around at the other customers. It took some getting used to this sort of situation, being around humans like this. She definitely seems hesitant to be in this place. Not in a shy manner, but in a "I really don't think I should be here" manner.

Carmelia sits down at the table that Hasunaga had chosen, looking around at the others with a little bit of suspicion. "So," Carmelia said, her voice almost instinctively low, "I suppose I should as well, to appear normal?"


[Venti Buon - Rosa]

Rosa noticed the wave from Hasunaga, and quickly showed up at their table. She noticed the odd, hooded, cloaked figure with him. Odd. She thought. However, she just smiled and bowed to the two of them. "Good morning. May I take your order?"

[Draken]

[Venti Buon]

"A hood and a cloak? Donovan, are we back in the middle ages? Shouldn't we be preparing some miscreant's most righteous execution then? Why are we serving drinks? I demand to kill!"

The man behind the counter slaps himself in the tie chest and coughs once.

[Kuroimaken]

[Venti Buon - Carmelia]

Carmelia simply nods her head and walks in through the door, looking around at the other customers. It took some getting used to this sort of situation, being around humans like this. She definitely seems hesitant to be in this place. Not in a shy manner, but in a "I really don't think I should be here" manner.

Carmelia sits down at the table that Hasunaga had chosen, looking around at the others with a little bit of suspicion. "So," Carmelia said, her voice almost instinctively low, "I suppose I should as well, to appear normal?"


[Venti Buon - Rosa]

Rosa noticed the wave from Hasunaga, and quickly showed up at their table. She noticed the odd, hooded, cloaked figure with him. Odd. She thought. However, she just smiled and bowed to the two of them. "Good morning. May I take your order?"

"I'll have a double mocha cream latte and three croissants. Carmelia-san will be having some grape juice." Hasunaga noted idly. He mouthed the words, Lower the hood, you're attracting attention in her general direction while Rosa jotted down their order.

[Dorizzit]

Nakahiro waits, seemingly patient, while Sayaka calls Ken. Once she hangs up, instead of speaking he waves everyone in the direction of the designated meeting place and heads that way himself. During the walk he remains silent, his face set in a focused expression. Thinking. Planning.

[InyutheBeatIs]

"I'll have a double mocha cream latte and three croissants. Carmelia-san will be having some grape juice." Hasunaga noted idly. He mouthed the words, Lower the hood, you're attracting attention in her general direction while Rosa jotted down their order.

Carmelia looked at Hasunaga as he mouthed the words towards her. Wait, looked is completely the wrong word. Glared. Yes, she glared daggers at the human now telling her to peel off the only security she had right now. There was only so much she was going to tolerate! She had just about had enough!

She simply gave Hasunaga a look from under the hood, a glare that he would probably swear gave off a gleam of malevolent light. That was her gentle way of saying "no", most likely.

[Venti Buon - Rosa]

Meanwhile, Rosa simply jotted down the order, and bowed immediately afterwards. "Alright, I will be back with your order in just a moment." She gave them both a smile, before walking back towards the counter to relay the order, as always.

As she reached the counter, she looked over at Donovan with an almost unnoticable expression of concern. "Donovan-sama, are you alright?"

[Kuroimaken]

Once Rosa moved away, Hasunaga looked in Carmelia's direction. "You're pretty new at this whole 'blending in' business, aren't you?" He noted with a mix of slight mortification and amusement.

[InyutheBeatIs]

Carmelia looked at Rosa as if she were part of a conspiracy that was intent on destroying her, before Hasunaga started talking. "I've only been human for a few hours. Of course I am."

She turned her head back at Hasunaga, but not before shooting a few more distrusting glances towards the counter. "So, now what do you wish to discuss?"

[Kuroimaken]

"You're new at the trusting thing, too." Hasunaga half chuckled. "You can relax a little. This cafe thrives on being a neutral point. So long as there's no trouble, they'll have no beef with you.

Why do you ask what I'd like to discuss, exactly? I thought you were the curious one."

[InyutheBeatIs]

Carmelia sighs. "I suppose you're right." She mutters. Afterwards, she tilts her head ever so slightly. "True, but...to be honest, I am not sure where to begin."

"Perhaps we should start with you. Why did you decide to become a teacher?"

[Kuroimaken]

"I needed to make a living. After Japan lost the war, I realized how rapidly the country was changing. How terribly we'd been forced to bow our heads to someone stronger than us. Heh... at least it wasn't like the Bakumatsu*.

Anyway, I figured if there was a little bit of our culture to salvage, it'd be the language. So I majored in Japanese and started teaching."

Spoiler

Show

*Bakumatsu refers to the period at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate (Bakufu). It is synonimous with Japan's last and bloodiest civil war. After a very long period where no foreigner was permitted to enter Japanese soil, Admiral Perry and a squad of armed ships demanded the opening of Japan's ports for trade with America. The firepower available to them forced negotiations with Yoshinobu Tokugawa, the Shogun at the time.

Between a mix of civillian dissent due to the immobility of the class system of the time (imposed by Hideyoshi Toyotomi a couple of centuries prior), the greed of the merchant class, and the political views of some differently-educated nobles, Japan erupted in a civil war. Despite the Bakufu's numeric superiority, the usage of cannons, gatling guns (then the biggest innovation in the battlefield) and personal firearms supplied by the Americans forced Yoshinobu Tokugawa to retreat. He took asylum in a temple and declared surrender to the imperialist troops in a political maneuver that prevented a long and destabilizing war like that of the Sengoku period.

To wit, Hasunaga's comparison isn't entirely fair. The Bakumatsu was at best rushed by the Americans' actions; the political climate was unstable at best then, and tensions were running at an all-time high (there was supposedly very real risk that Japan would become a foreign colony such as India). The bomb, however, was used as an attempt to bring the war to a close quickly (cruel an alternative though it may have been). That the US was just starting to emerge from the Great Depression and thus needed consumer markets was more of a happy coincidence for the Americans than anything else.

[Draken]

Donovan looks at Rosa.

"Having problems with the Jam, nothing unusual."

Jam...Merlich.

[KnightDisciple]

[A Short Time Later, Designated Meeting Place

Kaito and the others in his group made excellent time, and arrived first at the location he'd given Nakahiro, and that hopefully had been passed on to the other group as well. Kaito himself was now pacing a short distance back and forth, his face tight with stress.

"What's taking so long?"

[Dorizzit]

[Designated Meeting Place]

Nakahiro's group arrives roughly a minute after Kaito's group. Nakahiro picks up the pace when he sees Kaito and the others, breaking into a sprint. When he reaches them, he stops and waits for the rest of his group to catch up before speaking.

"Sorry that took so long, we would have been here sooner, but there was a car accident right in front of us."

[strawberryman]

Valeria arrives just behind Nakahiro, frowning deeply and holding the note. This is really bad... who could be doing this?

[tgva8889]

Kina Yoshimoto - Nakahiro's Group (Day 19)

Kina arrives after Valeria, bending over to rest her hands on her knees. "We're here...phew..." After panting for a few seconds, Kina stands back up. "Looks like we're still waiting."

[nothingclever]

Ken and the others arrived on the scene at about the same time. Seeing Kina Ken spoke, "I'm glad we weren't separated for very long."

[tgva8889]

Ken and the others arrived on the scene at about the same time. Seeing Kina Ken spoke, "I'm glad we weren't separated for very long."

Kina looks up at him. "Um...thanks. I, um, I mean, me too. Um..." She turns away and back to the rest of the group.

[InyutheBeatIs]

"I needed to make a living. After Japan lost the war, I realized how rapidly the country was changing. How terribly we'd been forced to bow our heads to someone stronger than us. Heh... at least it wasn't like the Bakumatsu*.

Anyway, I figured if there was a little bit of our culture to salvage, it'd be the language. So I majored in Japanese and started teaching."

Spoiler

Show

*Bakumatsu refers to the period at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate (Bakufu). It is synonimous with Japan's last and bloodiest civil war. After a very long period where no foreigner was permitted to enter Japanese soil, Admiral Perry and a squad of armed ships demanded the opening of Japan's ports for trade with America. The firepower available to them forced negotiations with Yoshinobu Tokugawa, the Shogun at the time.

Between a mix of civillian dissent due to the immobility of the class system of the time (imposed by Hideyoshi Toyotomi a couple of centuries prior), the greed of the merchant class, and the political views of some differently-educated nobles, Japan erupted in a civil war. Despite the Bakufu's numeric superiority, the usage of cannons, gatling guns (then the biggest innovation in the battlefield) and personal firearms supplied by the Americans forced Yoshinobu Tokugawa to retreat. He took asylum in a temple and declared surrender to the imperialist troops in a political maneuver that prevented a long and destabilizing war like that of the Sengoku period.

To wit, Hasunaga's comparison isn't entirely fair. The Bakumatsu was at best rushed by the Americans' actions; the political climate was unstable at best then, and tensions were running at an all-time high (there was supposedly very real risk that Japan would become a foreign colony such as India). The bomb, however, was used as an attempt to bring the war to a close quickly (cruel an alternative though it may have been). That the US was just starting to emerge from the Great Depression and thus needed consumer markets was more of a happy coincidence for the Americans than anything else.

Carmelia remained silent for a moment. "...It sounds horrible." She says, not exactly sympathetically, so much as a statment of fact. What part she was talking about wasn't exactly clear. Perhaps she intended it that way.

"At least you manage to get by. That is always preferable."

"So, next question. Do you always try and spare beings like me and try and educate them on the mortal world?"

Donovan looks at Rosa.

"Having problems with the Jam, nothing unusual."

Jam...Merlich.

Rosa nodded her head. She understood what Donovan was saying all too well. After all, Jammerlich wasn't exactly the kind of neck-tie to keep quiet.

"I see."

"Donovan-sama, there are a couple of things I would like to ask related to the strange events happening lately. When do you think would be a good time to talk?" Rosa asked as she prepared to send out the order. It was odd. The way she talked was almost as if there were no conversational shift at all. She just simply asked the question.

[Draken]

[Venti Buon]

Donovan raises an eyebrow.

"We can talk after the day is over."

[Kuroimaken]

Carmelia remained silent for a moment. "...It sounds horrible." She says, not exactly sympathetically, so much as a statment of fact. What part she was talking about wasn't exactly clear. Perhaps she intended it that way.

"At least you manage to get by. That is always preferable."

"So, next question. Do you always try and spare beings like me and try and educate them on the mortal world?"



Rosa nodded her head. She understood what Donovan was saying all too well. After all, Jammerlich wasn't exactly the kind of neck-tie to keep quiet.

"I see."

"Donovan-sama, there are a couple of things I would like to ask related to the strange events happening lately. When do you think would be a good time to talk?" Rosa asked as she prepared to send out the order. It was odd. The way she talked was almost as if there were no conversational shift at all. She just simply asked the question.

"You're not the first of your kind I've spared. You are, however, the first to be curious about my reasons; most who do take up my offer either run away, seemingly forever, or try to use what they perceive as 'softness' on my part to get past my guard and kill me.

I am actually no expert on Hollows. I know that souls that go unpurified long enough turn into them, I know they eat other souls to fill the void they feel inside, and that they share some common characteristics. I do not know what makes some Hollows think while others go feral, and for the most part, whether a sentient Hollow has a 'heart' to speak of. Whether one of your kind has a sense of right and wrong at all.
If I had to give it a reason, it would be that I want to know what goes through the head of one such as you."