2025-10-16: Wrong
- Log: Wrong
- Cast: Rin Sasaki, Ayame Watanabe
- Where: Wakanui Grill Dining & Bar, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: October 16, 2025
- IC Date: July 27, 2012
- Summary: Three people are out for dinner. A fourth and his friend arrive. Two people are abrubtly /out/ for dinner. Ayame senses something very wrong, and Rin already knew about it.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Wakanui Grill Dining & Bar is on the upper end of midrange dining. A pleasantly-decorated and warmly-lit interior, not too dim, not too bright; smartly-dressed and smiling waiters and waitresses; quality steak and seafood and a rather long selection of drinks for the evening crowd. The prices are more or less reasonable -- even if many people walk away feeling like they paid just a touch too much -- but there are a few more extravagent options for tourists or professionals spending on the company dime.
Currently, the establishment is reasonably busy, creating enough ambient noise that the next table over mostly can't overhear your conversation, but it won't become truly packed until later in the evening.
Depending on how long Ayame and her husband have been here already, Ayame may (or may not!) have taken passing notice of the young woman at a nearby table against the wall -- a thin woman in her late twentys, perhaps just a little above average height if she was standing, pale skin and soft featus currently creased with mild consternation or exhaustion. Styled, wavy black hair frames her face and spills down her back; manicured nails and glittering earrings and a wedding ring. She pulled out a laptop the moment she arrived, and has been toiling away ever since -- while she waiting for the waiter and then her order, while she was eating, and still now while she absently nurses another glass of red wine.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
It's a lovely place! Or at least, nice enough for a night out. Ayame and Ikkaku have a sitter, and decided to get steak! ...At a reasonable option. It was impromptu, after all. So reasonably busy, and Ayame thus has a chance to notice people who are around. Ayame has noticed the young woman against the wall--troubled by something, but very pretty. She's working on her laptop...
Ikkaku, too, noticed, but looks back to Ayame. "Hm?" he asks.
"Oh, just glad you aren't working," Ayame says to Ikkaku. "Since you do stay late a lot, still."
They prepare to resume their conversation; if the woman looked at them, Ayame will smile amiably, but otherwise...
Why should she bother her? Everything is fine.
Ayame lifts her wineglass to Ikkaku, and takes another sip.
Warning 'my-desc' for Ayame Watanabe(#524PenA):
player is missing description
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
The young woman does not take notice, as absorbed in her work as she is.
A few more minutes passes. A few more minutes where everything is still fine.
A waiter is leading a larger group through this section to one further in the back. At a glance, nine or ten men, all in suits and ties (even if some of them have been loosened for comfort as the night begins), mostly in their thirties or fourties, although one grey-haired gentleman must at least be fifty, and the youngest must certainly be some sort of intern. They are animated and deep in congratulatory conversation with each other -- something about a finished project and nearly scandalous amounts of research funding. One man in his thirties seems to be the hero of the hour and the center of attention. Tailored suit, tall, trim, darkly handsome, a charming smile, and a voice that's smooth on the ears.
It should just be another passing group in a busy restaurant on a Friday evening. Except...
For all his physical virtues, there is something deeply, deeply Wrong with that man in particular. The way he moves. The way he talks. The dark shiver of the terribly uncanny as he passes by Ayame's table. The waiter and his colleagues and nearly everyone else seem entirely blissfully oblivious to all of this, but to those with the correct senses -- it is akin to something that is not a man pretending at being one.
Ayame may notice that, at the same time as she experiences this, the young woman against the wall freezes completely, like a wild animal caught in the headlights. Her pale face is somehow even more pale, and her body tensed with fear. But caught up in their own jubilations and virtually oblivious to anyone around them, the group of men pass by without incident, towards the back, if they are not interrupted.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Everything is... not fine. Abrubtly. That man passes by, and Ayame blinks suddenly, wobbling in her chair. "Oh," she starts, and turns to look at him. There is just... something, about him.
"Are you all right?" Ikkaku asks.
"I'm fine," Ayame insists, "Perhaps a bit too much wine!"
She waits, until he passes by. Until he's going further. She's not going to interrupt him. But when he passes, she whispers to her husband, setting her wine down, "Something is wrong. That kind of thing."
"Ah?" Ikkaku answers, and frowns, looking to the group, because that's the logical something. Ayame, for her part, is a woman of a little under average height, with long brown-black hair and a nice blue dress. Ikkaku has lighter brown hair, and green eyes.
And Ayame's eyes focus on that woman tense in the corner. Almost everyone is unaware...
Ayame looks over to her; if she can come out of her daze, she may see Ayame looking right at her, and if Ayame sees her do so, she'll beckon her over.
If not...
Well, Ayame might have to go to her.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
The moment that the group passes by far enough into the back that they are no longer in direct line-of-sight, the young woman moves with the alacrity of fright. Laptop closed and swept into a high-quality black leather bag, strap over her right shoulder as she rises from her table. She'
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
The moment that the group passes by far enough into the back that they are no longer in direct line-of-sight, the young woman moves with the alacrity of fright. Laptop closed and swept into a high-quality black leather bag, strap over her right shoulder as she rises from her table, a small, decorative purse in her hands, opening it and thumbing through it for something.
She's wearing a long, flowing black skirt, a silky, deep burgundy top, and open black kitten heels. She is moving quickly over to Ayame's table after the latter beckons, but is also already glancing towards the door. "Excuse me," she opens with a quiet, frantic tone. Now that she's closer, the terror in her eyes and voice are deeply evident and impossible to hide. She speaks quickly, her hands and voice trembling as she tries to pull several bills out of her purse. "I'm sorry -- I'm sorry, could you please pay the waiter for me when he gets back? Just -- just keep whatever's extra."
She stops trying to be precise and pulls out what is surely too much -- by easily three or four times -- sets it on the table, and is already turning towards the exit. You have maybe a few seconds to interrupt her.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
The young woman sure does seem to mvoe fast--but Ayame is prepared. She sees her at the table, and the clear terror in her eyes--
"Wait," Ayame says, and Ikkaku looks to her for a moment, wordlessly signaling that he's going to handle the matter of the money.
"Let me come with you," Ayame says. "I know there's something wrong about that man--it may be hard to trust me," she says, still quiet, "But I'd like to help."
Those few seconds are what she has--and Ayame is already moving to stand as she speaks, while Ikkaku makes sure to keep a lookout.
Warning 'my-desc' for Ayame Watanabe(#524PenA):
player is missing description
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin pauses, glances back -- her eyes immediately go towards the back, where the group of men disappeared to, before looking back to Ayame. She pauses for just a moment, mouth set in a thin line, as if studying the slightly-older woman. Then she nods once, wordlessly, before continuing towards the exit again with that same brisk pace.
Outside, the city is abuss with the sound of evening people and traffic. Rin keeps walking, low heels clicking on the sidewalk, maneuvering around any other pedestrians to keep the same, brisk pace. Ayame may have to hustle a little to keep up with her if that is her intent; it is clear that Rin has zero interest in staying anywhere close to 'here.'
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
The back. Ayame is steady when she looks at Rin, and completely calm. Also, completely serious. When Rin nods, Ayame goes with her. Ikkaku will handle the rest, including not keeping the extra money for himself--Rin will get it back later, hopefully. Assuming that they don't walk into traffic...
Ayame hustles, all right. She hustles on along, waiting for Rin to be ready to talk. She decides against trying to open the conversation here and now--
At least it's a warm night.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin doesn't speak a single word as they walk, but once or twice she does glance to the side as if to reassure herself that Ayame is still there. Three streets over, down a smaller sidestreet, a little further down, the noise and traffic starting to quiet here, then into a narrow, secluded alley between rows of buildings. If she's not local, perhaps she passed by it before, because there's enough intent to the turns she takes that it doesn't seem an accident.
The smell isn't the greatest here, but there also doesn't seem to be anyone else around to listen in. (It also almost feels like the place that might begin a chain of events that ends with one waking up short one kidney).
From her small purse, Rin produces a cigarette and lighter. Lights the former and brings it to her lips and takes a looong, deep drag, takes a few steps away from Ayame and turns her head when she exhales. Then, finally, she breaks the silence. She doesn't have a smoker's rasp when she talks; perhaps it's reserved only for times like these. "Why the fuck is he here," she begins, voice strained, speaking as much to herself and the empty alley as to Ayame. Stress and anger and fear and maybe just the slightest hint of hysteria all tumbling together. "Largest metropolitan area in the world and he is here. How. the. fuck?!" she repeats again before taking another long drag, as if demanding the universe itself to provide answers.
Her choice of language doesn't entirely match the rest of her presentation. Maybe that's also reserved for times like these.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame doesn't, either, but she keeps her purse handy. It's a very big purse, as it happens. It's a little awkward to walk through a city she doesn't know, and she for one is definitely lost, but her instincts tell her that Rin is someone to be protected, not someone to fear.
The smell isn't great, but well. Ayame has raised three small children so far. She is accustomed to mysterious smells.
And the smoke overpowers it a bit.
"Mm," Ayame vocalizes at first, and then looks down one way of the alley, and the other. "We're alone at least," she says.
"...Something was wrong with that man," she says again, unperturbed by the swearing--or perhaps, more perturbed by the man.
"May I ask who he is?"
"...I said I wanted to help. I mean it."
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin leans up against one of the alley walls, head leaned back as she takes a third drag with a deep, shuddery breath. "Thank you," she says quietly now, her eyes damp. Ayame may get the impression that underneath everything else, the younger woman is trying very hard not to break down -- in tears or terror or most likely both. The distance gained seems, at least, to have taken a bit of the edge off. "Thank you. I didn't really want to make the walk alone."
She shakes off the ash that's accumulating. "That was my husband." The wedding ring is easy enough to notice now if Ayame doesn't before. "And yes, there's something very wrong with him." By now, she's getting more acclimated to talking about things that would have strained her own disbelief only this time last month. And the kind woman that was willing to follow a complete stranger this far noticed something was wrong. Myunghon said that most people wouldn't.
"What is your experience with...strange things? Impossible things?" Rin isn't certain what else to call it, nor would she be speaking so frankly of it except for several conversations already in the last week. "I've been -- told this city sees its own share of it." Which is to say one person told her with extreme certainty that rumors become reality, but Rin rarely comes out this way. And it was just the one person.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame will be gentle. "Of course," Ayame says about the walk.
her husband... yes, she does see the ring. Something very wrong? She was willing to follow, and indeed, she is still willing to listen; Ayame's eyes stay on Rin, though she does look her over, at the matter of 'husband'; it may be easy to guess that she's looking for marks, injuries first.
"It does," Ayame confirms. "I've seen many of them myself. As has my husband." The man who was with her, one presumes. "My expereince is that it's in the interests of a lot of people that people think it stays impossible... But it isn't, always."
"So you can tell me even if you think it sounds crazy."
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
There are no visible marks or injuries -- which of course doesn't mean there aren't any. Rin may give the impression that she would never allow such a thing to be publically visible if did exist.
Rin exhales smoke in the opposite direction from Ayame again -- this is certainly not perfect, but she's trying to be at least somewhat considerate despite needing the nicotine right now -- before turning back to look at her with a wan smile. There's a deep pain in her eyes and her voice that she likely would not let be seen by a complete stranger if that stranger hadn't just walked this far with her to a shady, empty alley to listen to her woes.
"Well, I never did," in response to having seen many of them. "And I never asked to. Until one night, in my bed, there was a monster wearing the face of my husband. I have never --" She still hasn't figured out if there's a better word, so she keeps using it. "felt anything like that in my entire life. Like there was Something Else there." She looks away again. "Like being hunted."
Another long drag, another shuddery breath. "I'm -- told," she puts some stress on the word, to emphazise this part is not first-hand knowledge. "That it's called a Homunculus. A parasite that infects the psyche and eventually supplants or subsumes the host." A sharp, slightly-hysterical exhalation as she glances back at Ayame. "We're at that part, by the way."
"They also tell me they can help him, fix him, but it will take time. And while they --" she makes a vague gesture in the air with her free hand. "'Know things' and have 'made progress' on the first known case -- yes, apparently my husband is the second only known case, as if we haven't been unlucky enough -- there hasn't been a successful treatment yet." One more long drag, and she drops the butt into the alley (it cannot possibly make it any worse) and carefully puts it out with the bottom of her shoe.
"So -- there it is, if you must know. Why I'm an exile from my own home and why I'm -- fleeing in terror from the man that is, theoretically, my husband." There's that hint of hysteria in her voice again, but it's followed by a faintly ironic smile. "It's alright; you can call me crazy now. I would."
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame knows that not visible doesn't mean not present. But she won't press at the moment, either. Instead, she listens, and politely says nothing about the smoke--she doesn't even cough, since it isn't directed entirely at her. ...And frankly, it smells better than whatever is in that dumpster over there...
But one night...
Ayame tends to be an emotional sort of person; her vicarious worry and horror for Rin are clear. But she's...toldsomething. A 'Homunculus'. Ayame frowns at that. But the rest...
"No," Ayame says, "I don't think you're crazy. I think you're in a very frightening and bizarre situation."
She considers how best to demonstrate...
"The Joker killer tried to kill my husband," Ayame explains. "That's the most recent strange thing like that that's happened to us. I admit, I haven't dealt with a 'Homunculus' before myself. But I was able to help my husband."
"...Do you have somewhere else to stay?" she asks gently. "...I know a few people who specialize in this kind of thing; it sounds like you already have someone helping, but more can't hurt, right?"
"But above all: I believe you. I felt it from him. That man was not human."
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
The Joker killer...
Rin brings one hand to her face. Another small ripple of that soft, breathy, vaguely-hysterical sounds shake her. But it's obvious that it's a matter of shock rather than anything resembling making light of the very serious thing that Ayame just told her. There's a sort of desperation in her eyes to not be hearing this -- but hearing it she is.
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is a pattern.
"What..." she murmurs, staring, considering, horrified; glances up at Ayame, a hint of pleading in her gaze mixing with all the other emotions. The other woman said she'd seen 'many' such things, but this exact thing was still new to her. "What is all this? How much of it is there?" she asks, her voice breaking a little with the perceived enormity of whatever hellscape she is slowly walking into.
Another question. Another note of concern from someone whose name she doesn't even know. "I've been staying at rotating hotels since that night," Rin responds tiredly. "Which I assumed would be sufficient -- it's, what was it, 37 million or so people in the greater area? We're from Shibuya, why was he here?" she continues, and now her voice is notching up again. "If he's been following me -- or had someone following me -- he didn't seem to know I was there. But if it's not coincidence, is he just -- toying with me? Trying to wear me down so I just come back on my own?" She's pacing now, voice continuing to notch up. Ayame might want to interrupt this before it spirals.
And then Rin stops and looks back at the stranger. "I can't go back. That night, It was so --" Fear. She stops herself short.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame has never been the one introducing someone to these things; traditionally, she didn't talk about it, or else she was the one being talked to. But she's doing as much as she can, now. She detectsthe horror, of course, but, "Supernatural things exist, and happen," Ayame says softly. "They don't impact most people's lives directly... but they do sometimes. They affected mine, and now yours."
But, rotating hotels... Ayame is thoughtful at that.
"Shh," she starts. "He's not here right now, at least. And you don't have to go back to him. Not now, not ever."
She tries to soothe herwith that pacing, but there may only be so much that she can do.
"...My name is Ayame Watanabe," she finally introduces herself. "I can't account for why he was here... But it sounds like it would be wiser for you not to be alone, for now."
Warning 'my-desc' for Ayame Watanabe(#524PenA):
player is missing description
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Ayame's words -- or perhaps just her tone -- do seem to break through Rin's renewing, frantic, fervor. She stops and leans heavily against the one wall again, eyes closed, weeping quietly as one emotion simply gives way to another; the kind, gentle words are almost too much for her to take right now. And it's a little difficult to tell if she is always this mercurial, or if it's simply all the stress and pressure and revelations of dangers and horrors beyond the ken of mundane folk.
"Why?" she begs to know of the universe, or perhaps just the alleyway, and she doesn't seem to be talking about the monster wearing her husband's skin anymore. "I never asked to know any of this." Nor she does seem to be speaking of Ayame adding another data point, but rather...all of this in its entirety. "I can't possibly have done anything so terrible to deserve -- all this."
"Rin Sasaki," she responds tiredly when Ayame does finally introduce herself. Maybe she's finally burned through all the fear and shock and adrenaline of seeing -- feeling -- the thing that is not her husband again, or at least come close to it. "His family would ask too many questions," she continues quietly. "My family would ask too many questions and are also too far from my clients. Our friends are mostly mutual." Pause. "Well. There's my lawyer who's a friend from our college days. They've always hated each other. But I can't -- I really can't trust him to be a gentleman." Although she says this plainly, there's no rancor. For whatever reason, she doesn't hold it against him.
"But thank you, Watanabe-san, for listening -- and not telling me I'm crazy, after all," she finishes.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame is willing to acssume it's the stress. After all, she's crying. She reaches into her purse and pulls some tissues, offering them to Rin in silence. She won't draw attention any more than that. But the question...
"I don't know," Ayame says simply. "I don't think it works that way."
But she introduces herself eventually... And there, the family. Hm. "I see..." She doesn't question the one who 'can't be trusted', because she knows the type. Insteadshejust listens,and...
"You're welcome," Ayame says. "Let me give you my contact information, at least. You can call me if you need to talk. Or if you feel unsafe."
"Or even if you just get lonely on the run."
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin dries her eyes and tries to pull herself together again. The evening is wearing on, and wow, this really isn't a great place to have a conversation. "That's very kind of you, Watanabe-san," she says with only a slight break in her voice this time. After they exchange contact information, there's a moment of hesitation. "I -- think I have some questions for you if you ever have time. I hate all of -- whatever this is, but it also seems as I'm no longer permitted to avoid it." Whether or not her husband being there was pure bad luck, the fact that her path took her directly into that of another person that is familiar with 'all this' -- and unlike before, she was doing nothing to intentionally seek them out, even if she didn't fully understand what she was seeking -- makes her a little uneasy.
Even if she is grateful.
"I should be getting back to the hotel, and surely your husband is getting a little worried by now, but. If you have time in the future. I increasingly feel as if I am woefully underinformed and underequipped for whatever I have walked into."
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin dries her eyes and tries to pull herself together again. The evening is wearing on, and wow, this really isn't a great place to have a conversation. "That's very kind of you, Watanabe-san," she says with only a slight break in her voice this time.
After they exchange contact information, there's a moment of hesitation. "I -- think I have some questions for you if you ever have time. I hate all of -- whatever this is, but it also seems as I'm no longer permitted to avoid it." Whether or not her husband being there was pure bad luck, the fact that her path took her directly into that of another person that is familiar with 'all this' -- and unlike before, she was doing nothing to intentionally seek them out, even if she didn't fully understand what she was seeking -- makes her a little uneasy.
Even if she is grateful.
"I should be getting back to the hotel, and surely your husband is getting a little worried by now, but. If you have time in the future. I increasingly feel as if I am woefully underinformed and underequipped for whatever I have walked into."
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
It really, really isn't.
"I would want someone to do the same for me," she says. Questions? "Certainly," Ayame says. "I could introduce you to my friends, too, if you end up having any questions I can't answer." She pauses. "...Yes. I understand." She has lost things to the supernatural, herself. But...
"Very well," Ayame says. "Yes, I'm sure he is. Though, ah..."
"Could you lead me as far as a main road?" Ayame asks. "I'm a little lost... But after that, I'll certainly let you be."
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin pauses for a moment at the request, looks around, and then, although only a little, laughs genuinely for what may be the first time in two very, very long weeks. (It is not at Ayame). "Oh my god; yes, of course," she replies as if just noticing just how far off the beaten path she took them both. But she has a very good sense of direction, honed all through her college years of getting lost in the Tokyo streets. "I am very sorry, Watanabe-san."
She is very glad to break off at the main road, however, and not take a single step closer to the steakhouse that is probably now forever tainted to her. (Which is a shame; their wine was very good).