My pain is real!

"Somewhat" she answered off-handedly as the pair made their way into the artificial cave. "But I have a feeling it won't be too modern or western for your taste." Upon seeing him lean against the wall the woman casually pivoted on her heel and handed the food to him. "We're not there yet, Sou Sofou, but for now you can carry the food" she explained, resuming the journey once more under the assumption that Yuu would follow.

"There isn't any traffic through here right now, but this tunnel is part of a road. I don't know about Yuu, but I sure as hell would rather not have to deal with cars flying by while I'm trying to sit and eat." Only a few moments passed before the pair arrived at their destination. Pressed flat against the wall was a large, thick stone plate of perhaps 40 cubic feet against the side of which Barrie planted her hand.

"You could say this is an away base for me Nakano, a place I come to get some peace and quiet alone." Slowly, as the woman applied force and weight, the stone slid to the side to reveal a quaint, homey room within. A light similar to those outside gave a faint illumination that lit the area well enough. Sparse furniture dotted the small space, namely a table with two chairs, a large rug, and a rolled up Futon leaning up in the corner. Along one wall was a bench, it's alcoves filled with bullets and firearm parts. "Incidentally, given Nipon's strict firearm rules, this is also where I keep all my spare parts. Girl's got to keep her gear where she can get to it."

Ryder would enter the doorway first and motion her ancestor within. Once he'd entered, she would use a handhold carved into the stone to pull it back into position, concealing the hideaway once more. "Now" she said with a pleasant look on her face as she made her way to her seat, "you wished to assure me of your intentions? For now, why don't you go ahead and open the food, and tell me more about you. Your time alive, your meeting with my Quincy grandpa Nagataki, and anything else you can recall."

Nakano took the food readily, following the young woman to her base of operations. At first, he had no clue what to expect and the rather unique doorway she used helped assure him of their seclusion. “I see you have simple tastes, and a modern preference” he muttered as he opened his food, eating slowly as he began to collect his thoughts.

“You see… I grew up in the country, in a simple time, something impossible in today’s times” the aarancar started, enjoying his food “when young women would carry things rather than force their elders to, or when they were to be cooks and wives rather than gunmen…eighteen-ninety I believe.” he jabbed at the situation lightly. “When I was old enough to work, I had found the big cities had turned to adopt western culture…A superficial and meaningless set of ideals and throwing away their rich heritage. Unfortunately money was hard to come by and I was forced to take any job I could to provide for my wife and children.” As he started on his past, he was caught staring into the distance, slowly taking a few bites of fried rice now and then

“Eventually I found myself with the Yakuza; my boss had let his organization grow to the vast majority in today’s cities. We had an understanding, I did what was asked of me, trying my hardest to give my family the best, but when the boss’ son had taken over, I was no longer favored”

Yuu cleared his throat and looked about, seemingly snapped out of his trance “I was sent on errands which always involved high risk, the child was trying to get rid of me and pass it off as accident.. Members of the yakuza still liked me well enough to permit that much” he smiled a bit and put his chopsticks down “one day the subtlety was called off, and I was suddenly on the list for war, even at age fifty-two.”

“Masahiko was on Okinawa some time before I was, destroying the souls of men whom had fallen and been devoured by hatred, American and Japanese alike” Pausing for a moment, stroking his goatee “he was… a unique man, though we were on the island a fairly short time, I had grown to know and trust him dearly. I knew I wasn’t going to leave the island, so I sought him out for a final favor… Years prior I had married my daughter off to protect her, she didn’t deserve the life paid for by criminal acts. I asked for him to find my family, and watch over them as best he could, to tell them I had still loved them, and to apologize on my behalf for what I had done. With those words, I handed a very special charm”


Taking her seat as he opened the food, Emiko found herself experiencing some... anticipation? Here she was, seated across the table from a man who claimed to be her ancestor about to hear stories of the old days. During her childhood, Barrie had been more interested in games and sports to take an interest in the older members of her family. Things got no better in her teen years, as boys took precedent over games, and her unborn child replaced boys, and military preparations replaced them.

~Figures the old man would have a 'women belong in the kitchen' spiel to throw at me. Can't really blame the guy though, given his age and the time from which he had come.~ Despite her strong... independent spirit... miss Hughes had learned to be tolerant of the elderly. Anyone who grew up before the sixties got a little grace, though there were of course limits to what she would endure. Reaching over, the woman took her own box and set of chopsticks and began to down her own meal as best she could. No easy task for one with little experience in the use of chopsticks to be sure.

Minutes passed and Nakano Yuu went on to tell a bit of his life. Of how he had grown up in the country side, moved to the city, built a family, and ended up working for the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia. The most impactful part of what he said though, beyond confirmation of knowledge she had not given, was his recount of the battlefield.

"I know all too well what you're talking about there, Sou Sofu," she replied directly, setting the chopsticks down and wiping herself clean of a few spilled rice kernels. "We fought in different wars in different places, but war is never pretty. Your comrades dying all around you, explosions and chaos and death. If you could see those things Grandpa Nagataki was purifying it must have been even worse than is normal. I went through my first two tours without being able to see, and during each tour after that I was a Quincy."

Having cleaned herself off, the woman slid out of her green leather cloak and donned a hooded sweatshirt hanging nearby, at last covering her expansive cleavage. "We come from different times and different places, but as best I can tell, you're every bit as much my ancestor as you're telling me. You even told me part of my Grandma's story that I didn't know, that she was married before she met my Grandfather Nagataki." Reaching into her shirt, Ryder withdrew her Hamaya charm once more to gaze into the aged wood. "My name is Barrie, in case you wanted to know. It comes from Gaelick, of Ireland, and means, in essence, "The spear that brings victory."

Yuu kept his mind on the past as he finished his food, though when she spoke, he snapped out of it. “I see, it’s good to know he kept my bloodline safe throughout his life. My story, however, isn’t done. I offered to tell you information about my life” he smiled a bit “that includes the afterlife”

“as a soul I saw the ravished land turn into a western paradise, chained to the earth by my regrets and fears; regrets for never being able to see my daughter or son again, fear for my bloodline to end.” He paused “do you know the process? Where your emotions eat at you until you cease to become human”

~That includes the afterlife? This guy's going to pass on information about the hollow process? Ok, this is going to require my full attention.~ Leaning over the table, Ryder planted her elbows down and leaned on her chin, watching as the old man began his 'teaser.' "A paradise? You're going to have to explain that to me... how did it transform... were you taken somewhere else? How were you chained in a paradise...."

~Fucking old man. Don't lead in with something that good, that meaningful and interesting only to dead-stop and ask me a question. Get on with the story already!~ Irritated though she was, Emi carefully maintained her cool and answered as best she could. "Only a little. Not enough to waste story time explaining, Sou Sofu. Please continue with your tale, I'm eager to hear the rest of it."

All her Quincy grandfather had told her was the most basic of information. That Hollows were souls unable to pass on, whose time had run out and were consumed by their own emotions before they could be brought to the afterlife by a Shinigami's sword. She knew nothing of how the progress progressed, or what life as a Hollow was like. Only that normal Hollows were a threat that needed to be eliminated.

It was just another night in Karakura Town. The streets were busy and Emi was on his way home from school. He had stayed late for basketball tryouts and needless to say he made the team. He was a natural born athlete and on top of that he was an all-star basketball player back in the states. He rushed home from school while still in his blue basketball shorts and black basketball shoes. On his torso he wore a black V-neck shirt. As he moved through the crowd, Emi began to wonder why was there so much commotion. It was then that he seen a sickly looking man on a gurney escorted to an ambulance truck. However, that was not what intrigued him the most. It was the fact that there was a large amount of spiritual energy concentrated in the area.

Now at the front of the crowd, Taro observed the scene with the upmost curiosity. He watched worriedly as the medical team struggled to place the man into the back of the ambulance truck. What a weird scene. He thought to himself as he watched the back door of the ambulance truck violently close. It was not until he looked back up into the crowd that Taro noticed Mr. Ikagi, one of Taro's teachers at school. Taro hurried toward the man in hopes of finding out what was going on. "Mr Ikagi! Do you feel that too?" Taro asked his teacher. He knew that his teacher was also another spiritually aware individual. It was just something about spiritually aware people that just allowed them to know their kind. However, the two never spoke of their clear mutual similarities. Taro assumed that Mr. Ikagi would act as if he had no clue what he was talking about and thus Taro prepared himself for such a reaction.

Garbed in her usual hunting attire, Emiko watched from atop a nearby building, praying for clues to the source of the epidemic that was slowly gaining momentum in the slums. For months the woman had made a habit of patrolling Karakura's streets at night, hunting Hollows that would appear and threaten the city, but this was something else entirely.

Given the way her usual marks gravitated to the region surrounding Karakura Circle and it's contained park, catching wind of the disease spreading through the slums had been a lucky accident for the Quincy Marine. For three nights now she has been monitoring the situation, using her weak spiritual senses and limited detective ability to try to put the pieces together. Something was different this time, however....

The people were coming and going, shifting and switching until it became impossible to discern one person from another. It was as if Roash were lost in the crowd, the mist, until an unfamiliar voice spoke out to him from behind. It wasn't those boogawolves from before, so who was it?
"Feel what kid? Have we met?" He was perhaps playing stupid as Taro clearly referred to the spiritual menace, or even just the eeriness it caused. With a shuffled Roash turned to face the adolescent gum-shoe. A large gap of concrete slabs were between them; the sidewalk. Orange-tinted trees whispered in a solemn night wind, along with the sounds of other urban clamoring. He looked unto Taro and pulled out a single cigarette from his pocket and placed it at his lips before lighting it with a mere inhale. "Ain't it late for a lad like you ta be out, playing detective?" Roash's English accent was passive as he addressed Taro. With a movement towards his bike, Roash was considering a quick detour to the hospital. A few more observations and it became clear to Mr. Ikagi that Taro was a student at Karakura high; he must've remembered him from some point or another. However, Roash didn't try to remember each student face like the other faculty, fuck that.

With a climb onto his bike Roash was slow to prep a take off. The metal springs in his shocks made a slight squeal as he properly mounted the peddle-powered vehicle.
"Anyway..." Another utterance accompanied by a small plume of smoke was suddenly halted as Taro's phone would proceeded to ring with a call. During the Ringing of Taro's phone, Roash would smirk and kick his left pedal. With a slow rolling motion he intended to escape Taro's pondering notion. It was time to investigate that trouble where he was bound to find a clue; the hospital.

From her vantage point above, Emiko observed all that happened below with a sniper's trained eye. There was no telling for certain, but that van hit looked all too planned, and the driver's display seemed like a performance rather than sincere expression of concern. Hell, most people would have called an Ambulance and let the professionals save the guy, rather than throw him around and risk further injury. Whoever the man with the red hair was, three things seemed all too clear to Ryder. He was an associate of Taro, he was either involved in this mess or about to be, and he was a powerful mortal, not unlike a Quincy or others whom she had met during her time in Japan.

During her multiple terms of service in the United States Marines, Ryder had learned all too well how a body looked when damaged or dead. To one of her experience, it was quite clear that not only was this redhead alive, but he didn't seem to have taken much damage from the van at all. Whatever was going on in this town, that man was her best chance to get to the bottom of it.

Scarcely a second passed after Roash was secured in the taxi before it tore off down the road with a puff of smoke. Wherever it was really going, and whatever it's true purpose may be, that cabby was certainly in a hurry to get there. Not that such driving was at all uncommon among taxies, but to Ryder it smelled fishy just the same.

Pocketing her phone after whatever conversation she may or may not had with Taro, the woman took firm hold of her rifle and rushed after the van. After three nights investigating this mess she was not about to let a lead get away from her. Swift Hirenkyaku steps carried Ryder from rooftop to rooftop along the Karakura streets, determined to finally catch the trail to putting this spiritually-related plague to an end.

Just as expected, Mr. Ikagi was playing dumb to the fact that he could feel spiritual presence. It also did not surprise Taro when Mr. Ikagi did not immediately recognize him. It was understandable since Taro had no classes with the man; he merely had seen him around the halls of Kakuraka High. "I know you can feel it to Mr. Ikagi. You don't have to play dumb..." He responded sharply hoping that Mr. Ikagi would take the hint that Taro was not in the mood of being patronized. He neglected to tell the Mr. Ikagi his name reasons only known to Taro.

That statement really pissed Taro off. Where did this man get off thinking he can undermine a Taro. Taro was not just some little kid. He was nineteen and he was a Quincy. Taro was doing his job; not out playing detective. He wanted to respond with a witty remark; however, his phone began to ring. ♫ I go hard in the mother fucking paint! ♫ That ring repeated until Taro retrieved his phone from his messenger bag. Ryder? He thought to himself. Now that he was no longer focused so heavily on Mr. Ikagi he could feel her presence in the area. "Sup, Ryder?" He asked causally as if the two were close friends. Though they have only meet a few times enough for the two to become carefully.

Unease filled the woman as she 'stepped' from rooftop to rooftop, watching the cab that carried not only the red-headed man it had slammed into but also Ashia Taro. "Dammit kid, what are you thinking" she muttered, still irritated with the way he had so casually greeted her and left her hanging to deal with the accident instead. In the ten weeks since they had met back in April, Ryder had developed a fondness for the boy not unlike an aunt or an elder sister. Only eleven years her junior and with five inches on her, Taro was hardly 'surrogate son material,' but a fresh rookie like him might as well be a child -age be damned- to a hardened war veteran of Ryder's calibre.

Screeching tires tore the blonde from her thoughts and brought the rifle scope to eye even as she landed atop the next roof. ~Should have stayed down red. Of course he's going to freak out, dumbass.~ Mental critique aside, Ryder watched on as the man punched his combined 'attacker' and 'savior' clean out with interest. Just who was this guy to so freely throw his strength around? And how might he be connected to this epidemic that was festering in the city?

Questions continued to grow, while answers paled in comparison. However, it would appear that one important question HAD been answered. This was no murder plot, nor a deliberate kidnapping. The reactions of the man in the van when shit hit the fan prooved that much, or seemed to at the least. So here was Ryder, a First Lieutenant Marine of the United States Forces Japan, standing at the edge of a random rooftop in bright city lights just asking to be seen and perhaps identified wearing that ridiculous battle uniform that belonged at a ren-fair.

Saving her questions for later, Ryder determined to focus instead on remaining hidden while resuming her pursuit. "The hospital, really? That hothead punched the guy out when he was already being taken here? What the hell is wrong with him." Hard and critical though she may be, the greater concern in Ryder's mind was for Taro, who had so eagerly gotten into the car this red-headed ruffian had highjacked for his own ends. The worst part was, with her spiritual senses as poor as they were, Ryder couldn't even tell which of them had the advantage if things went bad.

Fortunately, all those concerns were for naught, as the small convoy made it's way into the hospital parking garage without a hitch. A garage which, if Ryder's senses had been a little more fine-tuned, would have felt like a grave. A final Hirenkyaku step brought the woman to the front of the van just as it came to a stop. In an instant, Red was already out of the car and would see her if he only looked her way.

Built with the curves of a Goddess, crowned with platinum hair, and garbed in revealing combat garb more suited to a mideival fantasy adventurer than a modern soldier, Ryder's visage was sure to be a surprise. Even Taro had yet to see her in combat-regalia, and might be surprised by what he saw. One aspect rooted this view in reality, proving the vixen's existence as more than an illusion. A custom-built, semi-automatic rifle chambered in .338 Lapua, complete with scope, rested on the woman's shoulder pointing straight at Roash. "Mind telling me what's going on here, Red. It's not every day a friend of mine gets hijacked by someone who's supposed to be unconscious."

~Billy? What the fuck, does this guy even know Taro?~ Standing scarcely five meters away from the man, Ryder found herself wondering just what sort of person this was which Taro had gotten himself entangled with. He spoke english, but there was a... peculiar accent to it, one she couldn't quite place. Almost as though he had a distinct accent from somewhere, and was covering it with another. ~Savaloy... British?~ smoke, caustic and filthy emanated from the redhead as Ryder contemplated how to deal with him.