"Oh, come on. How the hell is a ghost going to knock down this entire stand. Nonexistent things can't knock down existent things." Tango said with a roll of her eyes, pretending as though she hadn't just almost dropped the candy she was holding.
Cassidy smiled, “It was just a joke, per our earlier conversation.” He gathered a handful of the candy bars, beginning to set them back up in the stand, “But seriously, it is weird though, right?”
"Things fall. Happens all the time." Tango said with a shrug, methodically and quickly placing the bars back on the shelves of the stand. "Maybe we bumped it on our way in, putting it off balance enough to fall over."
“I guess.” He shrugged too, putting back the items he gathered before standing back up, “I just don’t remember bumping into it. I’m just saying it’s weird. Anyway…” he jammed his hands into his pockets, “I’m ready to go when you are.”
"Paranoid. Things happen." She shook her head with a snort, standing and accepting the two bags from the cashier. The man smiled, thanking both of them and wishing them a good evening as Tango led the way out of the convenience store.
Cassidy dipped his head to the man as he followed Tango. He let the door swing closed behind him, “I’m not paranoid, I’m just curious. I like the thought of angels and ghosts,” he chuckled lightheartedly, “At least just to imagine.”
"Tell me something." Tango said, raising an eyebrow as she turned to look at him, walking backwards and using Hinata's help to avoid crashing into things. Well, he was semi-helpful. Emmy had appeared once more, and was much more help than the teen, who kept getting distracted and messing with passerby. "If you actually saw, say, and angel, what would your reaction be? You're just minding your business, and suddenly find out that these creatures or beings exist that defy the laws of nature, how are you going to react?"
Cassidy’s mouth curled into a smug grin, “I’ve thought about that actually.” He kicked a stray rock off to the side towards another store, “I’ve tried to think about what to say to them, but I don’t think I would be able to say anything. I would just be dumbfounded and just stare at them with my mouth open like an idiot. Maybe a string of drool coming down from the corner of my lip.” He traced the imaginary drool from the corner of his lip down his chin.
Tango let out a laugh, that was more a huffed breath of air than anything, but still surprising. "Really? No screaming? That's a first. Everyone I've ever asked that says they'd be so open to it, but as soon as they think about it, their opinion changes." Her eyes sparkled with something knowing, an odd touch that made it look like she was hiding something about that. "You would make a great main character in a fantasy novel, then."
Cassidy shook his head, “Nope, no screaming. And I should hope I would do well in a fiction novel..” He touched his cheek thoughtfully, “..Because I write them all the time. Maybe I should write myself into one. What do you think?”
"You're kind of already doing that. That's part of writing, breaking yourself up into bits to make up characters." Tango pointed out, her eyes on a spot just behind Cassidy, where Emmy was floating. "But you could always just directly insert yourself. Who's gonna tell you not to?"
Cassidy shrugged again, “I suppose so, but many of them don’t resemble me at all. I have a favorite character I made that I love to hate. He’s a sociopath who dissects people in his basement for the black market, but he has a soft spot for children and he’ll protect them at all costs. He would never hurt a child,” he chuckled down to the sidewalk.
(I’m gonna be gone for the week on vacation and probably won’t be able to reply, but I’ll be back online by the 17th!)
((Hope you have fun!))
"Layers are what make a good character." Tango said, huffing a small laugh. Even with her generally emotionless expressions, she seemed more inclined to laugh around him now, after spending a bit of time with him. Something caught her eye though, and the more relaxed expression dropped into something calculating as she watched the ghost across the street. Something seemed off about them, though. They kept flickering in and out, like bad TV static, and it took her a moment to remember the last time she'd seen something like that. "Shit." She cut suddenly across the street, not waiting for traffic, though she did grab Cassidy's arm to tug him with.
(Thanks! I did have fun)
Cassidy helped at being pulled into the street. Of course he didn’t see what Tango saw, which only made him all the more ignorantly terrified, “What the hell?” He cried, “What are you doing?!” He ran alongside her after his mind caught up with the idea of changing course so quickly. He huffed with each breath as he followed her, “What’s going on?”
Tango didn't answer, her normally unreadable expression incredibly stormy as her fingers moved rapidly at her side. She met the ghost's eyes head on, speaking to the flickering figure. "Where." Her intent look paused the ghost's-though, this wasn't a ghost, was it?- startled 'you can see me?' halfway through, and Hinata's quick calming words got through to them. Tango released Cassidy's arm as she followed the woman-she was pretty sure the flickering and fading ghost was a woman-not slowing at all.
It wasn't even a block later that she came to a sudden stop, Tango following suit and pausing to listen. She seemed to hear something, and a moment later, the sound of talking and the dull slap of fists against flesh carried to them from an alley way just a little ways away. "Stay here." She instructed Cassidy, not pausing to see if he'd listen, before stepping into the alley.
Fear. That was the first thing Tango felt, and it was an emotion she was used to. She lived most of her life in fear. Fear of the angry ghosts she came across, fear for her father, and fear of people finding out what she could do were a few notable ones. The fear clawed up into her throat, icy tendrils threatening to close it and prevent her from any semblance of functioning. And the sight of two men standing over the broken and boodied form of what might've been a woman just increased that fear. So she used it.
The corners of her lips turned up into a smile, one that was very decidedly not friendly. All sharp edges and teeth-baring, the smile didn't reach her eyes, which belied the storm of emotions and fear in her mind. It was chilling, to say the least. Her eyes stayed on the men as the ghost flickered out of view and back into view over her body, like she was unsure what to do, but wished she could stop it. "Did nobody ever tell you that alleyways are a coward's choice of murder scene?"
Cassidy stayed where he was told, but he couldn’t help but take a couple steps and only peer into the alleyway. Of course he didn’t see the ghosts, but the sight was no less chilling. He brought a hand over his mouth, “O-oh…” he breathed, staying quiet. Tango was talking to someone, but someone he couldn’t see. What the hell was going on?
The men stopped, one of them even taking a hasty step back before the other grabbed his arm with an obviously vice-like grip. The larger man, the one who hadn't attempted to flee, spoke in harsh Japanese to his companion, glaring wickedly at Tango, before speaking in English. He didn't know she spoke Japanese. "Who the fuck are you?" His voice seemed to waver slightly, likely thanks to the chilling smile on her face.
"Not important. You know what is important? Why the fuck you're beating this woman senseless." Tango, realistically, shouldn't have known the limp and almost dead figure on the ground was a woman, and the two men seemed to notice that. Tango's hands stayed at her sides, though she was signing again. After a moment, she pointed carefully at Cassidy, before making a 'phone' with her hands. If you're going to ignore me, then at least call an ambulance. He couldn't hear her thoughts, but she willed them at him anyway, her smile never dropping.
Cassidy pulled out his phone from his pocket with shaky fingers, willing himself to remember the Tokyo ambulance number. He pressed each number gingerly as he silently wished for each individual number to be correct. He lifted the phone to his ear and listened to the painfully slow beeps. Finally, someone answered. Now he just had to remember enough Japanese to get his point across to the person on the other end.
"That doesn't fucking concern you. You shouldn't even be here." The man growled, his hand reaching for one of his pockets, before stopping. Tango knew plenty about body language, and gestures, definitely enough to put together the fact that he had been reaching for a gun. But he had stopped.
The reason for that was the seven year old girl that only three people, one dead, one almost, and one courting death, could see, that had very quickly gone from child to eldritch horror. The alley was swamped with pure fear, a result of Emmy's rage at the man who'd been fully prepared to kill Tango. The blanket of heavy fear had resulted in the men, or more specifically, the man with the gun, being frozen with fear. And yet, Tango didn't seem too affected by it. "You're going to scare the others, Emmy. Dial it back. I'm alright." "Shouldn't, but here I am. You know, you might want to start running." When she was met with a confused and incredulous 'what?', she spoke again, voice steady as always. "I called the cops, you know. Before even stepping foot into this alley."
"You're bluffing." "Are you really willing to take that bet?"
Cassidy managed to speak enough Japanese-mixed-with-English to communicate the location and situation. Now all that was left was to wait for the ambulance–and more than likely the police–to arrive. He stuffed his phone in his pocket, sinking against the side of the building. He blew out a strained sigh through his lips. He was just supposed to take a walk and look around stores with his new friend. Even with his messed up beginnings, he could never imagine this on a first "date" (not quite a date).
"You better watch your back." The man growled, casting a wary look to the entrance she's come through, and then the one behind him. "You just made the wrong enemy."
"Tragic." Was all Tango had to say about that, and she watched carefully as the man grabbed his companion and bolted, disappearing around the corner. Once she was sure they were gone, she was at the side of the dying woman, couching and checking her over for her worst injuries. "Cassidy, did you make the call?" She called, shrugging out of her jacket and slipping out of her shirt to use it as a tourniquet on the woman's arm, where she'd been stabbed. Stabbed. They'd had a knife, and a gun, and who knows what else. And Tango had smiled at them. "Come on. You gotta make it 'till someone gets here."
Cassidy steppes our from behind the corner, “Yes, I did call them. I don’t speak much Japanese but I think they got the point and location.” He rubbed his hands together nervously, “Is she doing okay?” He took a couple more steps closer to Tango, “What was going on?” He had way too many questions—better start with two at a time, and even that might be overwhelming. He pressed a thumb into the heart of his palm.
"They were going to kill her." Tango answered, not bother to look up at Cassidy. Her eyes did flicker up to the ghost fading in and out like TV static, and her jaw set with determination, despite the fear sparking in her eyes. "Don't you dare. You have got too much to live for, so don't you dare give up like that." Shaking her head, she thought for a split second, before starting on CPR. She'd have to thank her dad later, if he didn't kill her for putting her life in danger first. "Come on, help is almost here. Stay with us, alright? Cassidy, I need something to help stop the bleeding."
Cassidy swallowed an looked around wildly, “I don’t see anything sterile here, I’ll have to go back to the convenience store.” He took stumbling backwards steps out of the alley, “I’ll be fast!” He dashed down the sidewalk back to the store they had just left.
“I need a rag!” He nearly yelled to the cashier. Did he know English? Oh, what was the word for a towel or rag again? He swore he knew it!
"Keep an eye on him, Hino." Tango instructed, and for once, the problematic ghost listened. He flickered out of view, following Cassidy down the street. "Alright. Alright. We can do this. You got family?" The lady had a son. A son she didn't want to leave behind. Her name was Rei Tokino, she was a nurse. Keep her talking, but get her back in her body. "He's too young for his mother to die, you hear? I need you to not give up. Get back to him. You have to keep fighting, to get back to your son."
The cashier, though startled, understood enough English to know what Cassidy was shouting, and had enough common sense to tell something wrong. He motioned for Cassidy to wait, disappearing into a backroom and returning not even a minute later with multiple rags. He handed them over to Cassidy, raising an eyebrow in question.