Carloads of Carnage at the Carshow [Closed, JT, DP, R]

[Ranth]

Ranth tugged at the collar of his white shirt for what must have been the hundredth time as he walked down the crowded main street of the city of San Andreas. It wasn't the first time he'd worn a Gigai, but it was the first time he'd worn one that had been custom made for him as a fully fledged Shinigami and it felt bizarre to see a perfect reflection in every vaguely reflective surface he passed and yet feel like a stranger within his own skin. Then there was the matter of the clothing that it came with- a plain white shirt with short sleeves and a V neck that exposed just enough of his chest to hint at a vaguely athletic build with dark blue jeans and light blue sneakers with thick white laces to complete the casual look that one of his squad mates had assured him would be perfect for going about mostly unnoticed by the human populace during his day trip.

For his clothing wasn't the only thing he was trying for the first time. It was also the first time he'd taken leave from the Soul Society during his free time. In truth it hadn't been his idea, but rather a thinly veiled order from his 5th seat an superior officer Artorius Sidonis to 'get some air' and 'see what the human world had to offer'. In Ranth's frank opinion, he knew enough about what the Human World had from the various texts he'd studied in the academy, but when he'd tried to explain this he'd been laughed out of the room by his peers and eventually relented to come to this place to see a "Car Show". Of course, Ranth knew what a car was and the function it was meant to serve to most of the worlds population, but apparently the human's found value in other aspects as well. Aspects that his peers had tried in vain to explain to Ranth, but to no avail and so they'd just sent him on his way- what was the worst that could happen after all?

Unfortunately, upon arriving at the entrance to the enormous area that had been cordoned off to house the enormous variety of vehicles, Ranth realised that the vast majority of men he stood in line with wore suits whilst the women wore... less. A lot less. It seemed that the ticket he'd been given for this little holiday was of the VIP variety and as lavish golden bracelet was placed around his wrist to mark him as such, he entered the other side of the fenced off space and saw a map of the show space that made him do a double take. It was a map of San Andreas with an irregularly shaped red box that took up almost a third of the total space which was in turn filled with a series of different coloured lines that a quick glance at the legend down the left side of the noticeboard told him was where races would be held to demonstrate a number of the vehicles. Furthermore, the enormous space had almost a dozen different hubs scattered throughout, each one dedicated to a different theme. Muscle, Rally, Exotic, 4WD, Classic, Concept... the list of nonsense words went on and Ranth suddenly found it easy to tear his eyes away and notice the enormous banner that was hung over the entrance he'd just passed through. "Classic Showground", it read, which he reasoned meant that he was in the hub dedicated to that theme.

Looking around, he could see dozens of vehicles parked beneath branded pavilions- each one polished to such a ridiculous level of shine that he found himself staring for that alone. His attention was torn away from the mirror like vehicle as a glass was pressed into his hand and he turned with a start to see one of the under-dressed women carrying a tray of identical glasses smiling at him in a way that made him blush and avert his gaze and he heard her giggle as she wandered off off to serve what he realised were other VIP guests wearing the golden bracelets. Exhaling deeply as though he could expel his embarrassment as he took a sip of the bubbling golden concoction within the glass and found it rather to his liking as he wandered deeper into the sea of people and pavilions. He may not have had any true appreciation for what he was looking at, but he had to admit that for all the practicality that many of the vehicles he laid eyes upon lacked, they were certainly very pretty.

As he continued to walk, he eventually came to stop before a vehicle that bore the nameplate '1966 Shelby 427 Cobra' and unlike some of the other cars, this one was partitioned off by velvet rope and featured a sizeable crowd of impressed looking men who muttered to each other under their breath about Horsepower, supercharged overhead valves and... concrete shocks? It meant little to Ranth and he almost wished he had someone to explain to him what ll these people valued in a car that didn't look especially comfortable- or efficient- in what he assumed was the prime purpose of all vehicles. To carry people from point A to point B.

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

Glancing over the invitation one last time, Blair shrugged her shoulders and shoved it inside the pouch of her purple hoodie before stretching her arms over her head. Walking was probably one of the most irritating things to do, especially because it meant moving. She was enjoying her time at home with her feet up on her ottoman while she played her favorite Spyro game when her own father knocked on the door with a request to enter. She obliged, but not happily. The blonde preferred to not be bothered when she was relaxing, but her family didn't seem to understand that too much.

Regardless, she guessed it was for the best. Her father had been invited to a car show by a few nobles out on the other side of the country. Being a Jersey girl, Blair got excited at any chance to travel. It was practically in her blood. Sort of. Her parents got to go everywhere in the world on their own because of business and she longed for the day she'd be able to, herself. To start that exciting life, though, was a challenge. She didn't know how to go about it, but this could lead her in the right direction. Her father, a relatively well-known and extremely wealthy corporation owner for a business in New York, was always invited to things like these. She assumed he was passing the invitation on to her for experience purposes.

Either way, it was appreciated despite the walking. She wasn't very familiar with San Andreas, but she knew enough and could read maps well. That, and smartphones were completely genius inventions. It was basically impossible to get lost so long as you had service. Blair just refused to ride a bus or some other form of public transportation because she didn't want to have to talk to strangers. That was reasonable, she thought. Lazily, the woman slid her hands into the back pockets of her blue denim shorts. Those accompanied her black leggings that were covered at the calf by a pair of brown boots that reached just below her knee. This was a typical outfit for her, but when it got warmer, her boots were exchanged for sandals. She liked to feel comfortable.

As she finally approached the show grounds and the magnificently glamorous building that was paired with them, Blair looked around, smiled, and sniffed the air. She was a perfectly average human as far as anyone else could tell, but she knew she was special somehow. She could see ghosts. She's seen them her entire life and they started appearing everywhere. Ghosts, monsters, and other strange things. She'd heard stories and rumors before, especially from a friend of hers who gave her the jewelry she wore all day every day, but it became a common thing for her. As such, she often kept her eyes open for things that looked weird or out of the ordinary. With her sniff, she whispered a comment.

"Mmmm. Smells like money."

And it did. The smell of expensive cars because of their leather and the obvious restoration work done on older models flooded the air like some kind of extremely highly-priced smog, except for the fact that it didn't cloud the area. It might as well have with how ridiculously pungent this scent was, but it was actually something Blair enjoyed. She was raised to appreciate expensive things and the work that goes into them, so she frequently did. This time was no different from those times. Unfortunately, though, she didn't get the memo about the dress code. Most of these people knew who she was, so it wasn't a huge issue, but she felt a bit out of place. Within a moment, she was through the doors with a golden bracelet around her wrist.

It didn't take long for someone to catch her eye. He seemed pretty young, at least he looked that way, and he was pretty attractive. Again, it was engrained into her skull to admire beautiful things, even if that thing was a guy. It was cute, though, because he seemed super confused about something as he looked at the vehicle. The older men around him appeared to be talking each others' heads off, but this kid was just standing around like he'd been struck with a case of "I don't really get it." Well, Blair was there to help. She was good at that much and could maybe get him to take his mind off things. She slowly approached him and tugged on the back of his sleeve. She was quite petite, so he may not notice her at first, but she avoided eye contact. She didn't want to startle him with the ruby-colored irises she was so well-known for having.

"This must be your first time, huh? I remember my first car show. This one is being sold by a guy who works for my dad's company. Neat, right? Although, I'm not much for older models. I'm more of a Tesla kind of girl. Plus, I just like modern designs better. They're much more feminine. Well, they are unless you're looking at basically any Ford. They definitely appeal to any human with a penis."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Blair's Stats}

Strength - [50] Points

Speed - [100] = [70] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [100] = [150] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [50] Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [50] Points

Senses [50] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [450] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Blair's Skills}

[Weapon: Explosives] {1}

[Martial Arts: MMA] {1}

[Analyzing] {1}

[Strength of Will] {1}

[Acrobatics] {1}

[Ranth]

Ranth jumped in alarm when an unexpected voice sounded beside him and he felt a light tugging sensation on his sleeve. Judging from the feminine sound of the voice, he was instantly afraid that when he turned he'd be faced with another of those scantily clad waitresses. However, what he found instead was empty space and he blinked in confusion before tracking the source of the sound as its owner continued to speak and he tilted his head down to find the owner of the voice was in fact a young woman... or perhaps girl was a more accurate description.

She wore attire that was as casual as Ranth's own, perhaps even more so actually as now that he saw her purple hoodie it seemed rather impossible to miss, especially when compared to the ultra formal attire of everyone else present. It didn't occur to Ranth that she might have been someone important- or at least, no more-so than anyone else here- and was actually relieved to have someone to talk to... until the sudden mention of the word 'penis' caused him to redden involuntarily with embarrassment.

"I... well yes, it is", he stammered- still off balance from the girl's nonchalant insertion of penis into her introduction. "It's that obvious?", he sighed feeling defeated as his eyes turned back to the car that they were now both standing in front of. A number of the words she'd said- namely Tesla and Ford- meant nothing to Ranth, but in context he assumed they were types of cars but beyond that he couldn't come up with anything else that any true car enthusiasts would certainly associate with either of them.

"I've never really had anything to do with cars", he admitted vaguely. "You sound like you know a lot about them though, but I suppose that's a dumb thing to say though since you wouldn't be here if you didn't like cars", he chided himself with a grin before remembering what she'd said about certain cars being feminine and appealing to... well... men. "I suppose I was just taught that vehicles were just ways to get around... so I don't understand why people get this excited or spend that much money, he continued with a gesture towards the 6 digit price tag on the plaque below the vehicle.

He almost asked after her father and the company that she'd mentioned, but then realised that something like that was ahrdly appropriate to ask someone so soon after meeting them- especially of a girl. Though speaking of common courtesy reminded him of something important that he'd forgotten..."Oh!" He blushed again, this time in horror as he realised that in all his confusion and generally being overwhelmed he hadn't introduced himself. "My name is Ranth, by the way. I'm totally out of my element here, so it's nice to meet someone I can actually talk to"

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

Adorable, he jumped. Blair must've scared him a little bit when she suddenly appeared beside him, but she wasn't super shocked by that. It's not like she made much of a sound beforehand, and she didn't give him much warning. What she didn't expect was how long it took him to realize she was even there. After what seemed like a day and a half, he finally looked down at her. Blair knew she was short, but that was a bit much. She wasn't personally offended by his action or anything, but it was more of a solid reassurance that her height was a factor. Blair was a tiny girl. There just wasn't much she could do about that.

At least the two of them were in a similar situation. They were both very obviously out of place, but Blair may have been a bit more knowledgeable simply because of what her father did behind the scenes. Well, that and her closet obsession with cars. Sort of. She had an interest in them for quite a few years, and since her dad worked a lot with these kinds of businesses, she was able to learn a lot. But anyway, she could think about that stuff later. For now, she felt a little guilty for making this poor guy feel uncomfortable around her. She caught the bit of redness in his cheeks after her last comment and smiled a bit at him, careful not to show any of her teeth. She had been a target of sorts for bullies at a young age because of her red eyes and sharp, vampire-like canines. She didn't want a repeat.

"Obvious? Nah, but you definitely stick out like a sore thumb. I guess I have no reason to say that since I'm dressed pretty similarly to you, but I have an excuse. Comfort is a necessity in life. Our time on this Earth is too short for us to dress in such formal things. Well, unless you want to. And sometimes I do! But not today."

This guy seemed nice enough. He stumbled over his words a bit until he found his voice, but the conversation was welcomed warmly. Blair turned to him, almost having to crane her neck upwards in order to see his face due to the height difference. He was so tall. She finally got the chance to look at him and realized just how small she was, too. Her petite stature was something that was fairly obvious, but for some reason, she never really had the chance to observe it in comparison to someone else close to her. Everyone in her family was taller than her by a decent margin, either by a few inches to over a foot. She supposed she noticed that, but since she'd been with them her entire life, she didn't pay it much attention.

"Ranth, huh? I've never heard that name before! It's neat. My name is Blair Aldaine. Just 'Blair' is fine, though. Being formal with introductions was all but beaten into me as a kid. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, and we can always leave this place if it makes you feel weird. I only came to support my family, but that doesn't mean I have to stick around." Blair glanced around at the scene surrounding the two of them. "Alternatively, I can show you some of my favorite cars. I might be able to teach an old dog like you some new tricks."

[Ranth]

Ranth couldn't help but smile a little as the girl- who had introduced herself as Blair- made him feel a little more at ease amidst this place that was full to bursting with fabulously wealthy patrons and car enthusiasts alike. Although strictly speaking Ranth wasn't human, at the same time... he was, wasn't he? Granted, he had no memory of ever having lived as a human- unlike some of his peers- but that generally seemed to be a blessing rather than a curse, as he'd seen how those memories of a past life had shaped them and not always for the better now that they had what could only be described as a second chance.

"Yes, comfort is certainly a luxury that I prefer to indulge in as well", he agreed with a gracious nod of his head and plucked absently at his shirt. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about these tight fitting garments. Whilst he didn't always follow the proper dress code that most Shinigami wore, he had come to understand that as a member of the Kido Corps he had more leeway in that domain than the core 13 squads and he quite enjoyed the flowing white robes that he'd inherited from his time in the Rukongai.

Fashion sense aside, Ranth was sorely tempted to take the girl up on her offer to vacate the premises and go somewhere else, but there were two things stopping him from doing that. The first was that his friends had clearly put a lot of effort and possibly even money into getting him into such a prestigious event and it would be rude of him to put that to waste. The second thing was that it seemed somewhat improper for him to go off alone with a girl. Archaic thinking, perhaps, but the implication of such a thing almost brought a flush to his cheeks as he considered it.

"Actually, if you'd be willing... then I'd like to learn more about these cars. I suppose I only ever thought of them as a means to an end. Traveling from point A to point B and that being the end of it. I think that perhaps my friends thought I should come here to look beyond simple practicality. Either that or they thought it would be funny to send me somewhere that I'd be so out of my element", he sighed ruefully.

"I mean, why would someone pay over a hundred thousand dollars for a car that was made almost sixty years ago when any mass produced modern vehicle would cost almost a tenth of the price and by all accounts possess superior features and reliability? It just doesn't make sense to spend more money on something that seems... well... inferior to a cheaper substitute. What is it that I'm not getting?" His tone would make it obvious that he was genuinely perplexed by this observation and his eyes were almost pleading for an answer.

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

Blair stood back for a minute. She never really thought she'd ever come into contact with anyone who genuinely didn't understand vehicles like these. While she had a bit of an affinity for them, though mainly the newer ones, she recognized a fascination from others when their favorite makes and models appeared. It was a feeling she understood and empathized with, yet it wasn't something that could necessarily be shared. This man made that fairly evident in the way he was talking to her. The blonde scratched the back of her head in an effort to think of an answer, but it was difficult to make any come to mind.

"Well, I think it's sort of like anything anyone likes. There's a bit of a love for it and an enjoyment out of being exposed to it. I don't think prices really matter sometimes, and especially not when you can afford it. Think about it like this. You're a guy, so maybe this analogy makes sense. People buy video games because they want to play it and ignore the fact that it costs fifty dollars. Even after they beat it, they keep it for the sake of a memory. They may even play it again some day. As long as they can afford the console, they'll always have something to fall back on. But that doesn't mean they don't like other games. It's just something to do, right?" Blair leaned against one of the display poles.

She had the appreciation for these vehicles and everything similar because of her fascination with design. She could have brought up a jeweler or a shell collector or anything else, but every example is the same. You do it because you love it. Humans are simple creatures that get enjoyment out of simple things. Maybe they're a thrill-seeker or something, but it's all an average nature. Blair didn't see this as any different. People like cars because people like cars. Why would the price stop them? It certainly wouldn't stop her if she had the money. Yes, her family was wealthy, but she wasn't. Not as an individual. Her being there was based on use of connections, after all.

"Don't you have something you like to look at and no price could ever take that from you? Same thing. Granted, these are probably more expensive, but the people here can afford that and don't really care. Besides, look around you. Not everyone is a rich person. Some are just gear-heads."

That was very true. Despite being dressed nicely, if this man looked around at all, he'd see plenty of people admiring the cars without putting in bids or anything else. A lot of them were along a line with their hoods open, displaying the intricacy of the motor and engine inside. Some had the doors open so people could look at the dashboard and other controls, or even sit in it. This was what it was to be a fan. So perhaps Blair's understanding of that made her a bit more able to see their points of view. Ranth didn't seem to be on the same wavelength, but that made sense. He didn't feel the same about the same things.

"Maybe the real question I should ask you," Blair started, meeting his golden eyes with her scarlet ones. "is what you may be passionate about?"

[Ranth]

Ranth tried his best to follow Blair's explanation and the accompanying analogies that supported it. Analogies which, Ranth suspected, would have made much for sense to an actual human or perhaps some of the Shinigami who made more frequent visits to the human world in his free time. He'd never played video games- or games of any kind for that matter- unless he could count some of techniques that his mother had used to teach him arithmetic counted as games.

Be that as it may, he could hardly admit to such a thing to her without risk of the conversation moving into more... awkward territory. He doubted she'd believe him if he told her about Shinigami or Hollows or anything else of that nature, but in many ways it would be more problematic if she did believe him. Surprisingly, it was only now that he realised that the Academy had never really covered what to do if a human was able to see a Shinigami or the protocol of how to interact while using a gigai. Perhaps it was considered to be inconsequential.

In any event, Ranth cocked his head curiously and nodded appropriately as Blair explained the mindset of 'gear heads', which he took to be a metaphor rather than a literal indication of people having gears inside their heads. In the end, what he thought he could safely conclude was that to these people, money couldn't compare to the feelings that these vehicles could give them. So in a way, these vehicles that they considered priceless actually having a price made them... a bargain?

He was distracted from his overly logical analysis by an unexpected deviation from the topic at hand and blushed furiously as he realised that the first thing that came to mind when Blair asked him what was precious to him was Inara. Deciding that he definitely did not want to talk about Inara in this context for more reasons than he could count, Ranth wracked his brain for an alternative and was surprised when he actually found one.

"Well, you see..." he began, pausing briefly as he wondered how best to translate his goals as a Shinigami into something a human could understand before forging ahead, "I was adopted- or maybe hired is a better word- into a... family business of sorts. They fell on hard times recently and I think the best answer I can give to your question is that I'm passionate about helping them to get through it". Yes, that seemed accurate.

"What about you?" The words left his lips before he was fully aware that he'd thought of them. There was something about the girl that made her easy to talk to, even for someone as socially inept as Ranth. His cheeks flushed, less vividly this time as he back-pedaled a little. "I mean, I don't mean to pry or anything. It's just, you don't seem to be here because you want to, so much as because of business and uh, well, never mind", he cut himself off before his sudden case of verbal diarrhea could get him into any more trouble

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

He was awkward. Cute, but awkward. And it was highly unlikely that he would see Blair as anything but a child. She looked young, she was small, and she was hardly threatening in the least bit. The only thing she knew about herself for right now was that she could see these strange beings around her from time to time. Something on the news would pop up every now and then about a natural disaster, but Blair could actually see the strange beast that caused it. And the people with swords and bows and other random things that would stop them. She tried to ignore it for the most part, but it always managed to make its way back to her conscious mind.

So if she, as a human, was willing to call Ranth weird at all, she needed to take a good, long look in the mirror. She really should never be pointing fingers. Especially not in this case. If he was going to be a little awkward around Blair, then that was fine. Besides, she could be like that, too. She wasn't always sunshine and butterflies. Was she ever that way to start with? Nevertheless, she understood where he was coming from. Maybe he was like her. Maybe he saw odd things, as well. Should she ask? Was it worth it to bring up? Was it rude for her to say anything? Now, what would even be considered rude... She wasn't sure. Instead, she decided to focus on his redirected question.

"Me? Passion? Uh, yeah. I guess I have a couple of things that I like. I don't know. I'm just kinda starting off, right? There's this whole world in front of me. I don't even know where to start. Well, that, and... Okay. Can you not judge? You seem like a nice enough guy and all, and I really can't help but ask this. Do you ever... Uh, well. I don't know how to ask this, so I'll just come out and say it. Can you see ghosts, too?"

Okay, so she was also super awko-taco. Actually, that was really uncomfortable. Blair felt her cheeks get bright red as they burned her obvious blush. She was such an idiot! And he was cute! Not that she would do anything about that, but at least she recognized attractive people. Despite that, she was being a total idiot. And she forgot to answer his question! Ugh, awesome. She was really hitting it off so well. She turned around and tried her best to hide her face. She couldn't look at this guy right now! She was losing it. What a terrible thing to ask. She was just a human! She was normal! What business did she have asking something so random to a stranger?

"Okay, so, I'm sorry about asking that question. I'm being super weird, but I just got a feeling about you that made me ask it. I felt like I had to, I guess? Ugh. Great. Well, I guess if I had to answer your question, it'd be that I'm mainly passionate about overcoming my own insecurities. You've seen my eyes by now. They're not normal, right? And my teeth... I'd actually call them fangs."

Blair turned around and opened her mouth just enough to show off her canines. As promised, they were unusually long. They've always been that way and they earned her the nickname of "vampire" as a kid. Her scarlet red eyes didn't help, either. A lot of kids messed with her when she was younger. It was a bit painful, honestly. But she was able to overcome it. Violently, but she did. Blair sheepishly looked down to the side and dipped her head. She was so embarrassed. She not only asked the dumbest question in the world, but now she was being an idiot. Even more than usual! Wonderful. She was really doing a good job here.

[Ranth]

Ranth was honestly surprised to see Blair blush in response to his question- normally he was the one getting flustered and doing all of the blushing. Of course, seeing Blair blush only served to make Ranth blush more in return. In many ways, her perspective on life reminded him of his own position. After all, he was barely beginning his journey as a Shinigami and what better way to remind him of that than to find that he could relate to a human despite being several times her age.

It was at that point however that the conversation took a rather sudden and unexpected turn. "G-Ghosts?" He asked, stammering in what could have been perceived as fright, but was actually something more akin to guilt. For whilst Blair couldn't possibly have known it, she was quite literally talking to a 'Ghost' at that very moment. Sure he was using a Gigai so that he could interact with humans as though he were one, but what were the odds that he'd run into a spiritually aware human?

Protocol was actually rather hazy about what to do regarding spiritually aware humans who were on the cusp of discovering what lay on the other side of the veil that most humans never knew existed. For all his faults and social inadequacies though, even he could see the pain that clouded those crimson eyes and he felt pity, but more than that, he felt empathy.

The problem that Ranth faced though, was that although Blair was clearly struggling with her abnormal awareness, he didn't know if it would be a kindness to pull back the veil and tell her everything. Disregarding the fact that he probably would be breaking several rules as a Shinigami if told her anything, but seeing the hurt that flashed in her eyes as spoke of what was clearly a very difficult topic for her made his heart go out to her. Maybe there was some way he could ease her burden without breaking any rules...

"I'm probably the last person you should take advice from when it comes to insecurities", he said softly, "but if you're worried about being crazy because you see ghosts... well... would anything really change if you knew for sure?" He took a deep breath, unsure if he was doing the right thing or not at this point but knowing he'd said too much to turn back now. "Human's are fickle, as I'm sure you've noticed. They are at once enthralled and repulsed by things that they don't understand. Yes, your eyes are unusual and maybe your teeth are a little more pointy, but you should be proud of the things that make you unique. You're special Blair. I can see it and in time I think you'll come to realise it too."

The words had come so easily that Ranth had let them pass his lips unchecked, but as he finished speaking he suddenly realised that what he'd meant to sound encouraging could instead be interpreted in a far more flirty manner and he had to turn his face away from her to hide the crimson that spread across his face. Fortunately, their conversation would be blissfully interrupted as a woman approached the pair. "Excuse me sir, madam, will you be partaking in the test drive portion of the event? as VIP attendants, you're both invited to participate, you just need to let me know which model you'd like to drive, she explained as she held out a clipboard with a list of vehicle names that meant nothing to Ranth, but hopefully Blair would be able to decipher.

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

Special, huh? Blair never remembered being called special in a nice way. She was flattered and glad that she ran into this guy. He seemed genuine and unique, which were two qualities Blair seemed to enjoy the most. He also seemed fairly smart, but she wanted to test that out a bit more. It was certainly obvious that the environment they were in was not necessarily tailored to his interests, but it was sweet of him to come all the way out here. It wasn't just for her, but something about it felt that way. He had good potential to be an excellent friend. Perhaps he might feel the same.

But for now, she needed to choose a car she wanted to drive! Even though the girl was normally fairly calm and collected, she got excited about cars. She was very passionate about things she liked, and this was no exception. She smiled at Ranth before turning her head back to the other woman with an answer. Though she had her favorites, the blonde knew exactly which car to choose. It was popular, fast, capable, and famous. Tons of collectors knew about it or had heard of it, and some even owned it. That was enough for her. That brought out astonishing levels of excitement that Blair only attempted to contain.

"Bring me the Lamborghini Aventador. I wish to drive that one."

Blair was going to invite Ranth along with her, but she'd be the one behind the wheel. Parties like these always ended in her getting into some entirely-too-expensive car, tearing up the road, getting in trouble with her dad, and going home. But this time was different. Her dad wasn't even there. Grabbing Ranth's arm, she quickly pulled him over to the passenger side of the car after it was valet driven to them. The door was opened by the woman who offered them this opportunity and Blair all but threw Ranth inside. She warned him to put on his seat belt and she marched herself all the way over to the driver's side door.

The inside of the car was a marvel, to say the least. The seats were genuine black leather and even smelled like it. Almost everything was either a touch screen or bluetooth-enabled, as was typical for most modern cars made from endless money. That was something Blair wanted. Endless money. The ability to do anything and everything without much of a care in the world. What a blessing that would be. Inheritance was a joke in her family because her parents believed that you could get your own name for yourself and become successful, which was fair, but Blair was lazy. She didn't want to work too hard.

Blair looked at Ranth. "Before I go anywhere, do you have any questions?"

[Ranth]

Ranth followed meekly as Blair led the way towards the vehicle that she'd requested. Briefly, he wondered what had made prompted her to choose that exact car with such speed and certainty. It sounded like such an exotic sounding name that Ranth couldn't help but wonder how many people actually knew what a 'Lamborghini Aventador' was, even amidst car enthusiasts such as this. Indeed, the woman who had initially asked Blair for her preference seemed somewhat taken aback as she consulted the tablet she carried- as if verifying that such a car existed- and after several moments, the slip in her facade vanished and she was all smiles once again.

"Right this way miss Aldaine, we'll have it brought out to you momentarily". For a moment, Ranth thought that perhaps he'd been forgotten amidst all of the excitement of Blair getting a new toy to play with and Ranth himself expressing no immediate desire to have a car of his own delivered for him to test drive. This was just as well for the most part, because he doubted that asking for 'a car' would have gone down especially well in a place such as this. The idea of getting behind the wheel of a human vehicle made him nervous, but a small part of him was still curious though.

It was only then that Blair nonchalantly looped her arm around his and half led, half dragged him in the wake of the woman who had taken her request and within moments, a volcanic orange vehicle drove slowly into view. Despite his inexperience with vehicles, Ranth couldn't help but stare at the sleek vehicle that came to a halt before Blair and himself and he realised with a shock that the vehicle had no driver, it had been operating on some kind of auto pilot! "Your vehicle is ready miss, sir", the attendant said cheerily as she opened the door for them.

Ranth was in awe as he allowed Blair to drag him around to the passenger side of the vehicle and urged him to get in and buckle up. Feeling as though he were in some kind of waking dream, Ranth did as he was told and his head felt like it was on some kind of swivel as he took in the leather seats, the glowing dash lights, the gear stick between the seats, the tinted windows, the almost intoxicating smell of fresh everything and so many other sensations that he couldn't even begin to name.

Eventually, he realised that Blair had walked around and climbed into the drivers side seat beside him and the doors slid shut on hydraulic hinges. So awesome. But more than that, she'd asked him a question and as the engine started up with an oddly satisfying rumble that Ranth could both hear with his ears and ffeel with his body, he found that his mouth had gone dry as he sensed the power that this machine, no, this beast held within it. All Ranth could think at that moment was that this was no machine, this thing was alive!

"Uh, just one, actually... have you ever driven one of these before?", he asked with a nervous chuckle mere moments before Blair gave her reply and then immediately proceeded to floor the accelerator with extreme impunity. The engine revved and roared with what almost seemed to be some kind of primal approval and then Ranth's world changed forever as the vehicle pounced forward- causing several nearby patrons to shriek with alarm as Blair navigated the short distance between their starting location and the entrance to the designated test track- a 13 kilometer track custom built to allow drivers to experience both the unbridled speed and the smooth as silk handling of the vehicles they commanded.

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

"Uh, just one, actually... have you ever driven one of these before?"

"Nope! But it's never too late to learn, right?"

Blair immediately floored it and forced the extravagant creation to jolt forward as quickly as it could. The minor bluff may have initially frightened Ranth, but Blair hoped she could convince him to feel otherwise. They made it to the test track in practically no time since they were flying through the display room and a multitude of faces stared directly at the blonde. They probably assumed she was crazy, which she was, but not in the way they thought. Blair laughed happily as soon as they made it to the road, practicing her drifts around curves and making the car drive faster than she ever imagined it could. What a blessing automotive technology could be.

She could tell that Ranth was having a good time based on the fact that he didn't tell her to slow down or stop, but she decided to cut the fun short anyway. She didn't want to overwhelm him, but she hoped he had a better understanding of how powerful these things could be. She admired them for their beauty, others admired them for their speed. It was interesting how the two sides differed but understood each other. Blair was able to get that. But once she slowed the car down, she saw a strange figure in the middle of the track. The car came to a soft stop just a couple hundred feet away as she inspected the thing.

She'd seen ghosts before, but this one was odd. She could tell it was real, and something about it was strangely human-like. She briefly looked at Ranth to see if he recognized what it was, especially since it was looking at them rather menacingly. With a relaxed motion, Blair opened the door on her side of the Aventador and got out. She was curious as to what was going on, but she was actually a bit worried about leaving Ranth's side. She had no idea what this being was, but it seemed rather monster-like beneath the former human features. And it was tall! Maybe about seven feet.

"What the heck is that?"

[Ranth]

"Nope! But it's never too late to learn, right?"

Ranth wanted very much to protest at that point. He wanted to calmly and thoroughly explain to Blair the benefit of practise and experience relating to any task- but especially relating to a skill that could put the lives of others at risk. Like a skydiving instructor. He could go on to explain the theories behind correct practice technique and the principle of '10,000 hours of deliberate practice to make someone an expert'. There were so many things he would have liked to have said, but in the end the only sound that escaped his lips was a muffled gasp of surprise as the vehicle accelerated and he found himself pressed back into his seat.

The screech of tires spinning and the smell of burning rubber filled the air as nearby pedestrians scrambled to get well and truly out of the way of the magnificent vehicle as it pulled out of its allotted parking space and out onto the test track that had been specifically laid out for this event. It was a multi million dollar event in terms of the planning, marketing and other administrative and legislative costs, but with the caliber of wealth that the key attendees possessed, these costs were outweighed by a handful of purchases and the event saw an incredible profit every year without fail and this year was already proving to be no exception.

A cost benefit analysis of this event was the last thing on Ranth's mind however as he not only experienced being the passenger in a human world vehicle of any kind for the first time, but for his first time to be circumstances like this with an incredibly powerful vehicle being deftly and expertly guided to lose control in precisely the right way to drift around corners and power down the straights. His heart was racing as adrenaline pumped through his body and the hyper awareness that only a fully fledged initiating of ones fight or flight response could achieve allowed him to drink in every detail and slowly began to become accustomed to it. Was this what people were talking about when they spoke of 'natural highs?'.

After what felt like it could have been an hour, but in reality was less than a few octane fueled, pulse racing minutes, Blair the vehicle came to a stop and Ranth felt the pressure that had kept him consistently pushed back in his seat vanish as he let out a breath he didn't know how long he'd been holding. He felt shaken, but after a few moments of careful consideration, he didn't think it was a bad feeling. In fact, he might even say he l-

"What the heck is that?"

Blair's puzzled exclamation snapped Ranth out of his introspection and he snapped back to reality to realise two very important things simultaneously. The first thing was that Blair was no longer inside the vehicle, but rather standing with one foot on the ground and one foot on the floor of the drivers side door as she peeked out over the top of the door at the figure standing in the street. Which brought Ranth to his second realisation... There was a Hollow standing in the street and Ranth's heart nearly skipped a beat as he realised that not only could Blair see it, but the Hollow seemed equally fascinated by her as well.

"Blair, could you please get back in the car right now. I don't have time to explain, but that thing is very dangerous and we need to get away from it", Ranth said quietly, forcing himself to be as calm as possible despite the fact that every other instinct was screaming at him to to panic. A sort of stalemate had been established between themselves and the Hollow, a spell of sorts that led to a kind of curious staring contest. The Hollow sniffed the air, tilting its head to one side as its curiosity towards the humans before it piqued. Normally it wouldn't have shown any interest in humans, but these two possessed a particularly sweet smell... especially the girl although it wasn't nearly developed enough to think in such articulate terms. It was a new Hollow, driven entirely by the same instincts that drove any wild creature. Hunt. Kill. Feed. At that moment, what little intelligence it possessed was struggling to process one question and one question only. Was this prey? Could the Hollow kill it? Could the Hollow eat it?

The stalemate would be broken by one of two things in the end. Either Blair would move and trigger the most primal response of any hunter faced with something that was moving: chase. Or, given a few more seconds to consider, her smell would be enough to drive it into a salivating, ravenous frenzy. In both cases, Ranth's response would be the same: "Drive!" The hunt was on and Blair would need to drive like her life depended on it because... well... it did.

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

She'd never seen something like this before. It wasn't really all that much bigger than a person, but it looked entirely different. And it had something covering its face that resembled somewhat of a mask. Was it actually a mask? She wasn't sure. When it tried to open its mouth, the entire mouth opened. The whole thing. The mask's mouth. Something in her gut told her that this creature was probably dangerous, or perhaps that was Ranth saying that exact statement to her on his own. Either way, she was entirely too distracted to make any moves on her own. Blair frowned in both confusion and curiosity. She simply wanted to know more.

As an average human, Blair knew she wasn't particularly good at anything. She lied to Ranth before and actually knew how to drive, so her moves came from hours on a test track. It wasn't enough significant training to call her a racer, but it was definitely more than enough to call her a driver. Because of this, she desperately wanted to know if she had any specialness to herself at all. Her entire life she'd seen things like this creature. She had a friend growing up who called herself a 'Shinigami,' but that word had no real weight to the young girl. She didn't know what that meant and her friend didn't stick around long enough to explain. All she left was a gift.

Yet here they were. Blair was making a stupid decision and Ranth was trying to protect her. Ah, silly men. Always thinking they were right. It didn't matter that he actually was right in that given moment. What mattered was the fact that this blonde human thought she was more powerful than she actually had been. She didn't engage the creature and didn't move much at all, but she allowed the strong feeling of wonder to well up inside her stomach. Yet Ranth begging her to drive away was temping. She considered it for a moment, wondering if that was truly worth it. Maybe she could reason with this thing. This terrible, horrible, seemingly hungry thing.

"Ranth, we'll be okay. I can't shake the feeling that this thing isn't actually very dangerous at all. Well, not to us. Why? What is it? I promise that I'll throw both of us in this car right now and drive away if you truly believe we can't stop it."

And she was serious. She wasn't about to risk her life just to prove a point. The creature had looked at the two of them for a moment longer and ignored them. Blair was almost insulted. That thing had the audacity to cause her new friend so much anxiety, and it was going to ignore them?! Well, that just about did it. As the Hollow went about its business looking for victims, Blair chose to investigate instead. She left the car where it was and even kept the door open, but she slowly got closer to the being. It growled harshly like a dog protecting its food. Blair stopped. She knew then that getting closer was a mistake.

It looked somewhat like a baby. Not a literal baby, though, obviously. No, instead it just looked like a baby version of whatever it was. Like this thing had room to grow or something along those lines. Blair cocked her head to the side and studied it for a moment. Ranth would likely protest, but she was acting on her curiosity. The creature had something in its mouth, too. Strange. The blonde took a step or two closer to get a better look and finally saw what it was. It was a human body. A part of this body escaped and looked somewhat similar to an actual person, but the monster grabbed it with its long, claw-like fingers and stuffed the poor thing down its throat. Blair wanted to vomit.

The body was left to be destroyed on its own after the Hollow crushed it a bit. What the heck was that thing that left the body? Was that a soul? Was that truly a dead person? The poor girl's head hurt. She was too young for this. She was in school! How could she be caught up in something this dramatic? She barely allowed herself to get involved in things like that otherwise, yet here she was. And here this creature was, turning around again and showing interest in both Ranth and Blair. It approached them relatively slowly at first, but then started to speed up. Blair's expression changed to a bit of fear as she headed back towards the car.

"You're right. Let's go!

She grabbed Ranth by the arm and all but threw him into the vehicle. She didn't have to start it since she'd left it running, but the doors were shut and the locks were set. She prayed this monster wasn't going to be able to get inside. It started running at the two of them in a full sprint now, and Blair hit the gas so hard that it was absolutely going to fling the two of them into the backs of their seats. The Hollow pursued. Blair didn't know what to do about that part. The car was fast, but this Hollow was keeping up with them! How on Earth was that possible? She didn't think it was particularly strong. She couldn't understand why she felt that way, but she did. So what were they supposed to do?

[Blair Aldaine ❅]

I'm pretty sure Ranth has advanced significantly further than he was when we started this thread, so I'm actually going to go ahead and end it and report it due to our lack of posting. It'd be nice to get a little reward out of it, right?