[BITPR²] Kyuukyoku Gaiden: The Beachdown Apocalypse

[Frozen_Feet]

Meanwhile, the woman who is driving might have to think hard to stay on the road. She obviously got the car running and the wheels on the road, but when was the last time she's actually driven a human vehicle? It doesn't help that, while she has an idea which direction her destination is, the road isn't going in a straight line there. And all the roadsigns are full of unfamiliar names. Was she supposed to turn right just now? It's like some bizarre nightmare. Luckily, there isn't much traffic... oh wait, is that a police car parked on the side of the road? Yes, yes it is. How fast was she going again?

[Rater202]

(That's fine.)

"Yeah, um... I'm gonna teach you how to properly put that on later." Koutarou advises, slightly embarrassed for Sarah.

She does kinda look like a 'modernized' miko. That might be rubbing Koutarou the wrong way for a different reason than he realizes.

"...Okay then, I guess. If there's not something more important to do."

Meanwhile, the woman who is driving might have to think hard to stay on the road. She obviously got the car running and the wheels on the road, but when was the last time she's actually driven a human vehicle? It doesn't help that, while she has an idea which direction her destination is, the road isn't going in a straight line there. And all the roadsigns are full of unfamiliar names. Was she supposed to turn right just now? It's like some bizarre nightmare. Luckily, there isn't much traffic... oh wait, is that a police car parked on the side of the road? Yes, yes it is. How fast was she going again?

Not fast enough to risk damaging the vehical that she might have to live out of.

While Svetlana's knowledge of the living world is rather... onesided, she knows enough that you're supposed to stay within the lines while driving and that you slow down when you see law enforcement.

In fact, slowing to a stop and asking directions might be the smart thing right now, assuming that she can make out enough of the names to figure out which ones would coreespond to which location.

[Kuroimaken]

"Next stop, we're going to find you shelter. I somehow doubt we'll be allowed to stay at the same one as me, even if someone SOMEHOW believed you're my younger sister or something." The Shinigami considered.

"After we have settled down somewhat, we can resume our search for our next lead."

[Frozen_Feet]

Finding shelter isn't the real problem. Sarah probably would be let into Sillankorva for a night if she could pretend to not knoe Koutarou for a while.

The real issue still is Sarah's fear of "the system". A homeless underage girl trips even more red flags than Koutarou himself did. Trying to seek help from any institution will eventually alert the local police and child protection services. If Sarah could, or wanted to, deal with those constructively, she wouldn't be here.

Meanwhile on the road, the doors of the police car open and two officers step out when Svetlana slows down and stops next to them. One of the officers is a man, dark haired, the other a platinum blond woman. Both are dressed in identical blue overalls with badges on the front and "poliisi" written on the back.

If Svetlana doesn't step outside, the man will walk on the driver's side of her van and knock on the door. Or they'll wait untill she gets out. Either way, the question is the same: "Is there something we can help with, ma'am?"

Strange. Svetlana cannot tell what language he's speaking, but the meaning is crystal clear still.

[Rater202]

"Next stop, we're going to find you shelter. I somehow doubt we'll be allowed to stay at the same one as me, even if someone SOMEHOW believed you're my younger sister or something." The Shinigami considered.

"After we have settled down somewhat, we can resume our search for our next lead."

...Uh, I can take care of that myself, really...

This is probably not the best line of conversation.

Finding shelter isn't the real problem. Sarah probably would be let into Sillankorva for a night if she could pretend to not knoe Koutarou for a while.

The real issue still is Sarah's fear of "the system". A homeless underage girl trips even more red flags than Koutarou himself did. Trying to seek help from any institution will eventually alert the local police and child protection services. If Sarah could, or wanted to, deal with those constructively, she wouldn't be here.

Meanwhile on the road, the doors of the police car open and two officers step out when Svetlana slows down and stops next to them. One of the officers is a man, dark haired, the other a platinum blond woman. Both are dressed in identical blue overalls with badges on the front and "poliisi" written on the back.

If Svetlana doesn't step outside, the man will walk on the driver's side of her van and knock on the door. Or they'll wait untill she gets out. Either way, the question is the same: "Is there something we can help with, ma'am?"

Strange. Svetlana cannot tell what language he's speaking, but the meaning is crystal clear still.

Svetlana steps out of the van. She's wearing just normal clothes, somehow having managed to avoid the swimsuit curse for presumably whatever reason she hasa van.

"Yes," Svetlana said, "I'm afraid I'm new to the area and I seem to have lost track of where I'm supposed to be going. Could I trouble you, Sir or Madam, for directions? I'm heading for a city in..."She pauses for a moment, pretending to be in thought, before pointing to where she felt her Ward's reiatsu, "that direction, if I'm not mistaken. I have a bit of trouble pronouncing the name, just a bit, so I'm afraid that's the best description I have for where I'm triying to go, but I belive I was turned around on the road."

The police might note a degree of vitiligo on the olive-tan woman's throat and around her right eye.

[Kuroimaken]

"I don't doubt that. But between the fact you're somewhere with a completely different geography, where you don't know how to speak the language, and us without the means to contact each other, do you honestly feel like splitting up is the wisest idea?" Koutarou replied. "You might be out all night looking for shelter, and if something happens, you won't even really know where I am. You're not exactly in the best shape to face a confrontation right now, are you?"

[Rater202]

"I don't doubt that. But between the fact you're somewhere with a completely different geography, where you don't know how to speak the language, and us without the means to contact each other, do you honestly feel like splitting up is the wisest idea?" Koutarou replied. "You might be out all night looking for shelter, and if something happens, you won't even really know where I am. You're not exactly in the best shape to face a confrontation right now, are you?"

(To keep things going while we wait for Frozen, also made a small edit to the last post)

"I know what your energy feels like, and you should have a good feel for mine. In a place like this it shouldn't be hard to find each other..."

...Besides, I don't really need my Fullbring to fight, not anymore. Not that firing Ceros in the middle of a city is a wise idea, but it's technically an option.

[Frozen_Feet]

On the road, the police don't really seem to care for Svetlana's appearance. "The closest city in that direction, hmmm? That would be Turku. You need to exit a ramp to the right after two kilometers, but after that it's mostly driving straight" The policeman points down the road. I can write the name down if that will help you follow the signs. It's about forty minutes of driving till you reach the center."

Speaking of time, elsewhere Koutarou still has an interview to catch. Tick tock goes the clock.

[Kuroimaken]

(To keep things going while we wait for Frozen, also made a small edit to the last post)

"I know what your energy feels like, and you should have a good feel for mine. In a place like this it shouldn't be hard to find each other..."

...Besides, I don't really need my Fullbring to fight, not anymore. Not that firing Ceros in the middle of a city is a wise idea, but it's technically an option.

Koutarou shrugs. "Your loss. If your energy suddenly disappears I'll know they got to you. Thank you for being my early warning system."

[Rater202]

On the road, the police don't really seem to care for Svetlana's appearance. "The closest city in that direction, hmmm? That would be Turku. You need to exit a ramp to the right after two kilometers, but after that it's mostly driving straight" The policeman points down the road. I can write the name down if that will help you follow the signs. It's about forty minutes of driving till you reach the center."

Speaking of time, elsewhere Koutarou still has an interview to catch. Tick tock goes the clock.

"Thank you," Svetlana replied, "and yes, having the name written down would be of great help, thank you."

Koutarou shrugs. "Your loss. If your energy suddenly disappears I'll know they got to you. Thank you for being my early warning system."

Sarah suddenly steps back and slouches a bit. The expression on her face gets a little... cagey. Fearful even. Like a wolf caught in a trap, just a little.

"...I know what you're doing. Do you really think you're the first person to try that argument with me? Pointing out how much danger I could be in, talking about a mysterious 'them?' **** you, I'm not going back in the system."

The absolute last thing Sarah needs is another foster family that... Let's just say that trying to explain supernatural powers to normies never goes well and it's more or less inevitable. She doesn't need someone trying to exploit her for her powers, either. She doesn't so much suspect that Koutarou is planning that and more that he's starting to remind her of her old mentor.

"I don't need your help getting by," says the girl who only has clohes becuase the Shinigami she's talking to was there to help her, "I don't need anyone. I can take care of myself." And she totally hasn't gotten used to having a semi-permaant place to sleep and someone she can kind of sorta trust to watch out of her. No Sir Edmond Roberts. "I only came to you becuase you're my only lead on how the hell we got here."

It is readily apparent that the Shinigami has touched a nerve.

[Kuroimaken]

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

"It's kind of an adult response to a child wanting to be constantly on their own to tell her that she should not be alone." Koutarou notes calmly. "I didn't say anything about you going into a system of any kind. If anything, all I said was that you should stick close by for protection. I'm not arguing there's anything else you should be doing or anyone else you should be going with."

The Shinigami is actually familiar with the kind of rejection spiritual powers can cause on even the most balanced of families. Those are normally countered by the family having powers of its own, but since Hollows tend to prefer targets with larger amounts of Reiryoku...

...let's just say surviving a Hollow attack isn't always a blessing.

"It's not the mortals I'm concerned about. I'm pretty sure you can outrun or fend off pretty much any of them that comes your way. You know, short of an actual military or police response, but that's unlikely." Koutarou replies. "The fact we don't know what we're dealing with here, that's the bigger problem. That strange 'Shinigami' I told you about? Showed up in the dead of night. Sleep is when you're most vulnerable, you know."

[Frozen_Feet]

On the road, the police man writes a note and hands it to Svetlana. "You're welcome, ma'am. Have a safe journey." If Svetlana has no further questions, they'll let her continue on her journey. The white-on-blue roadsigns guiding her towards her destination are quite obvious now that she knows what to look for.

[Rater202]

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

"It's kind of an adult response to a child wanting to be constantly on their own to tell her that she should not be alone." Koutarou notes calmly. "I didn't say anything about you going into a system of any kind. If anything, all I said was that you should stick close by for protection. I'm not arguing there's anything else you should be doing or anyone else you should be going with."

The Shinigami is actually familiar with the kind of rejection spiritual powers can cause on even the most balanced of families. Those are normally countered by the family having powers of its own, but since Hollows tend to prefer targets with larger amounts of Reiryoku...

...let's just say surviving a Hollow attack isn't always a blessing.

"It's not the mortals I'm concerned about. I'm pretty sure you can outrun or fend off pretty much any of them that comes your way. You know, short of an actual military or police response, but that's unlikely." Koutarou replies. "The fact we don't know what we're dealing with here, that's the bigger problem. That strange 'Shinigami' I told you about? Showed up in the dead of night. Sleep is when you're most vulnerable, you know."

...If I go to a homeless shelter or something like that, someone will inevitably call in authorities and poof, I'm in the system. The second people find out I have powers, I'm either on anti-psychoatics if I don't prove it or I'm tied to the ground while an old jackass trie to force whatever Demon or Evil Spirit they thought I was possessed by out if I do.

Sarah's foster family had been weird. there's a reason why her failure to explain what happened in a way tey could understand led to her running away from them.

And... I can handle myself. I don't need that much sleep... and I'm a light sleeper.

Reminder that Sarah did not sleep at all in the last 36+ hours and it might be showing on her face.

On the road, the police man writes a note and hands it to Svetlana. "You're welcome, ma'am. Have a safe journey." If Svetlana has no further questions, they'll let her continue on her journey. The white-on-blue roadsigns guiding her towards her destination are quite obvious now that she knows what to look for.

"Thank you again," Svetlana said, and then got back in her mysteriously aquired van and drove off carefully, following the signs as needed and occasionally checking for any sign of her Charge's reiatsu as she aproched the city.

[Kuroimaken]

"Uh-huh. And that is the most sane thought you've had in a while, I'm sure." Koutarou sighs. "Look, I get you have trust issues. I don't think they can technically put you in any system if you're a citizen of another country. And like I said, maybe no one will believe me if I say we're related, but I can at least pass for a legal guardian. Keep on the run and you'll just end up exhausted and with no answers."

[Rater202]

"Uh-huh. And that is the most sane thought you've had in a while, I'm sure." Koutarou sighs. "Look, I get you have trust issues. I don't think they can technically put you in any system if you're a citizen of another country. And like I said, maybe no one will believe me if I say we're related, but I can at least pass for a legal guardian. Keep on the run and you'll just end up exhausted and with no answers."

...I lasted fine on my own for years the first time.

(A little something to keep it moving in hopes that Frozen turns up)

[Kuroimaken]

"The first time, you say."

Koutarou is honestly torn between outright demanding she stop being so stubborn or leaving her be for being so stubborn.

[Rater202]

"The first time, you say."

Koutarou is honestly torn between outright demanding she stop being so stubborn or leaving her be for being so stubborn.

"Yeah, the first time was on my own I did just fine. Killed some hollows, completed my fullbring, mapped out a third of the united states. I've got the same power as a menos and unlike them, I'm not mindless or stupid. I can handle most things fine. Just because I spent the last... I forget how long because days are weird in Hueco Mundo living with an Arrancar, that doesn't mean I forgot how to take care of myself."

What Koutarou sees is stubbornness is a combination of Sarah legitimately being that terrified of the system or being taken advantage of and partially the cosmic being pulling her puppet strings not wanting to move the scene on until he knows for sure if another cosmic being who hasn't been around lately is coming back.

[Frozen_Feet]

On the road, Svetlana has little difficulty sensing Sarah. What might worry her, though, is that there's another, unfamiliar source of Reiatsu right next to her. A Shinigami Reiatsu.

As she gets closer to the city, it becomes more apparent they are moving around in relation to her. It might occur to her that normally, sensing them from this distance when they're not actively using spiritual powers, should be near impossible. By all rights, they should get lost amidst all the other people. But... she doesn't really feel other people. Even as she enters the city, with buildings, other cars and people all around, spiritually the world feels empty beyond the limits of her mundane vision.

In any case, she'll have to navigate the narrowing streets and dense traffic to find some place to park her van. In the city, there is no longer any obvious straight route towards her goal. She can't even tell if Sarah is somewhere reachable by car.

[Rater202]

Sarah doesn't give Koutarou a chance to respond--If Svetlana can feel Sarah, Sarah can feel Svetlana and her current guarding is far more likily to be cooperative about this than the Death God.

Sarah turns on a dime and begins to leave--as soon as the cost is clear, she'll be bringer lighting away.

Svetlana, meanwhile, begins looking for a secure place to park the van in case she has to leave it for an extended period of time. A secluded alley way or other location where there arne't likily to be many people looking or coming by would be ideal, but a parking lot--a no-pay one--would work in a pinch.

If Sarah's attempt to leave is uninterrupted, Svetlana will pulse her reiatsu briefly to let her charge know that she knows that she's coming the second she becomes aware that Sarah is heading her way.

(There we go, a chance for Koutarou to get to his meeting.)

[Kuroimaken]

Hmmm. Now this was a tricky decision to make.

Keep wandering about without a lead, or following this INCREDIBLY stubborn girl who won't admit how alone and scared she is.

Coming to think of it, though, she did give him one.

Koutarou is off to try and find a way to watch The Matrix.

[Frozen_Feet]

It takes some driving around in circles in the city to find a parking spot that's all of free, secluded and large enough to fit a van... but eventually Svetlana manages and finds a spot along a small street by the riverside. As soon as she gets out and releases her Reiatsu, she senses Sarah leaving towards her, hinting her that she's notices her.

Seeing Sarah will probably be a relief to Svetlana, but it's an open question how Sarah will react to seeing her "guardian" - because not only is Svetlana wearing unfamiliar clothes, she's in an unfamiliar body. Svetlana's build and facial features are recognizable, but any trappings of being an Arrancar are gone. No mask fragment, no Hollow hole, even her skin and hair seem subtly off compared to her spiritual body. In short, this is the first time Sarah has seen Svetlana as fully human.

Meanwhile, Koutarou has about an hour's time before his police interview. If he wants to "watch the Matrix“, what is he going to do in that time?

[Kuroimaken]

"Walk around, mostly" is as good an answer to that question as it gets.

[Rater202]

It takes some driving around in circles in the city to find a parking spot that's all of free, secluded and large enough to fit a van... but eventually Svetlana manages and finds a spot along a small street by the riverside. As soon as she gets out and releases her Reiatsu, she senses Sarah leaving towards her, hinting her that she's notices her.

Seeing Sarah will probably be a relief to Svetlana, but it's an open question how Sarah will react to seeing her "guardian" - because not only is Svetlana wearing unfamiliar clothes, she's in an unfamiliar body. Svetlana's build and facial features are recognizable, but any trappings of being an Arrancar are gone. No mask fragment, no Hollow hole, even her skin and hair seem subtly off compared to her spiritual body. In short, this is the first time Sarah has seen Svetlana as fully human.

Sarah arrives shortly after, appearing in a burst of bringer light. She looks at her guardian, seeing the not-at-all Arrancar looking uniform and the lack of a hole in the throat and mask on her face--honestly, the vitiligo in the corresponding locations is probably helping with the recognition, and, after taking a moment to thoroughly feel the Arrancar's reiatsu.

"So... You've got two eyes?" Reminder, Sarah is socially stunted. Horrific trauma, trust violations, and being alone does that to people.

"Yes," Svetlana replied, "though my vision hasn't changed. Are you alright, child?"

"...Yeah."

After a bit more awkward small talk, Sarah fills in Svetlana on what she knows. Then Svetlana notices the tiredness in Sarah's eyes.

"Child, when was the last time you slept?"

"...It's been a while"

"Well, we have basically nothing to do for now," unless the Shinigami Sarah mentioned wonders over this way or else someone approaches or attacks them, all they can really do is wait or find semi-permanent shelter and there's time for that. "You can try to rest for now," Svetlana gestures to the van. there should be a back seat or a cargo area where the girl can at least lie down, right?

Sarah bit her lip.

"Child, Sarah, have I ever done anything to betray your trust or make you feel unsafe in my presence?"

"...No."

"A young woman needs her rest, child. An hour won't hurt you, and you have my word that, should you fall asleep and something important were to happen happen, I will wake you."

Sarah sighs. "Okay." Blink and you'll miss it, almost quite literally, Sarah briefly hugs the Arrancar. Svetlana smiles.

Sarah enters the van and lies or sits wherever she can get comfortable. When she takes off her acquired jacket to use it as a pillow, Svetlana smiles again. "Miko's clothing suits you. It's rather cute." Sarah blushes at the compliment.

(So, basically Sarah is napping or dosing, so barring something major for the next In Game hour or so she'll be out.)

[Frozen_Feet]

The van has an empty back area to lie in, sure, if just sitting or curling up on the passenger's seat at the front doesn't suit Sarah.

After she's at rest, Svetlana's left with flat nothing to do. The sun is veering to the West but it's still high in the sky. Though still... when did Svetlana, herself, sleep? What's the last thing she can remember from before she found herself behind a steering wheel?

Meanwhile, Koutarou's steps are not taking him towards Svetlana, at least not consciously. Instead, he finds himself on a bridge across the river, some way back to the police station.

There's a person leaning on the railing, looking over the water. He sticks to the eye because he's almost seven feet tall and his bare arms are covered in tattoos and ritual scars, his hair dyed in white and red stripes.

Still, Koutarou would be excused for not recognizing him, but he turns his head and addresses him as he walks by. "Hey. You seem lost. Looking for someone?"

It's Shen Yi. His voice sounds off, but his uggly mug is certainly the same as it was when he and his criminal gang came knocking on Seireitei's gates.

[Kuroimaken]

The resemblance is staggering to be sure, but between the complete lack of Reiryoku and the fact that this "Shen Yi" could not possibly be the same guy keeps Koutarou from doing anything more untoward than having to shake the look of surprise from his face.

After all, timeline-wise, it doesn't add up. Shen Yi had certainly been a Plus for much, much longer than the five years he's supposed to be 'missing'.

"Ah... no, not really. I'm just, um... I've got a lot on my mind and a lot of problems to look up solutions for. Mostly, I'm looking for part-time work. Doesn't have to pay well, but I'm not exactly qualified to do much."

[Rater202]

What's the last thing she can remember from before she found herself behind a steering wheel?

Mostly, she was in Las Noches, in her quarters in the sexta district. Still without an Espada... Actually, there had been some talk about Svetlana herself taking the seat but Svetlana had no clue where that had gone.

Earlier that morning she'd been helping her charge refine her Ceros and come to terms with the... sudden, clearly, hollow based mutation in her powers. They'd talked and Svetlana had finally gotten Sarah to agree to let Las Noches' scientists try their hand at figuring out why Sarah's power had reacted as it did and why her focus item had been absorbed into her body.

Regardless, the child had exhausted herself practicing Cero, enough that Svetlana had decided it prudent to skip that day's lesson on the laws of Las Noches.

The next thing Svetlana knew, she was in a false human body in a van.

From her recap, Sarah's experiences had been the same prior to waking up on a beach in a bathing suit.

[Frozen_Feet]

Svetlana's distracted from her thoughts by the sound of something splashing in the water. If she looks around, she notices a person sitting on the riverbank, skipping stones across the water. It's a man. Brown hair, pale skin. Mirror shades. Wearing grey jeans and a black biker jacket made of leather, a white snake biting its own tail on the back of the jacket.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Shen Yi's doppelganger scoffs and shakes his head. "Work. Sure." He points at Koutarou's face, then leans his elbows against the bridge railing and crosses his legs. "That look just now. You've seen me before. I can tell. But your brain, it's not doing anything usefull with that info. So let me ask you: what if I'm the one you were looking for?"

About ten minutes to the interview. Koutarou could still catch it if he bid farewell to this guy and ran across the bridge.

[Kuroimaken]

The really amazing thing is that he can tell time so precisely without anything resembling a watch.

Besides, if this guy is who he's claiming to be, there won't be a problem with him running top speed.

"I don't swing that way." Koutarou replies, making his first gay joke ever since he went into Division 1. "You look exactly like someone you can't possibly be. And now you're claiming that you are something you can't prove that you are.

That sounds like a distraction to me. A red herring."

[Rater202]

Svetlana makes a judgement call: Sarah'saura is at rest, the van ins't that far from the water, if there's an emergency she can be back to it in an instant thanks to Sonido, even if this humanbody couldn't withstand the full extent of it.

she goes down to the water.

Hello sir, she says by way of introduction.

[Frozen_Feet]

The funny thing about the modern world is that there are clocks everywhere. As long as you can lift your eyes off your toes, you'll find either a digital display or an analog face embedded to the side of a building, or hanging on a wall visible through a window.

Not that it matters if Koutarou chooses to not care. Shen Yi's doppelganger bursts in laughter at Koutarou's joke. "Ha ha. Gotta admit. A sense of humour is not a thing I expected from you." He leans forwards and slaps his palms against his legs, then stands straight. "But really, that's not the biggest joke here. Listen to yourself. How many assumptions you packed in just a few little sentences. Really fun stuff." He spreads his arms and looks around. "But let's unpack those. What on Earth could I be distracting you of?" Other than his interview, anyway.

Meanwhile, by the riverbank, the man picks up another stone and throws it, without even turning to look at Svetlana. Splosh, splosh, splosh it goes as its skims the water before finally sinking under the waves.

"Hmmph. 'Sir'. No-one's addressed me like that since I left the army", the man says, apparently watching as the ripples expand on the surface. "How's your day been? Enjoying the scenery?"