March 13, approx 6pm: El Segundo, CA

[Storyteller Joy]

The interesting thing about the ocean is the change in temperature between day and night, land and sea. Near the ocean’s salty tang the pull of different forces is often a stronger motion then other places. The beach was mostly empty, still early in the year it being march, and even with the high pressure rolling in slowly and heating things up it wasn’t quite enough to entice people to the cool waves of the pacific again.

The waves rolled in and out with their own rhythm. Unchanged by the humanity that lived and controlled its shores time and time again the ocean did has it always had- slowly wear away that which lived at its shores. The breeze of the air as it blew down from the land into the sea with the change of pressure created an evening breeze that tease and taunted her hair and clothes, as if it was personally inviting her to play.

Impossible, perhaps, a cruel trick of the imagination that the element of wind would want to play with her?

A cool “finger” of air teased under her collar before it joined it’s brothers and sisters. A faint memory of one of the fostercare sisters, what had been her name? Jodi? … It was Jodi’s voice the wind carried with it. Warning. Jodi had once said that a finger down the back of the neck was some kind of warning.

Truthfully it was just about the only “warning” she got before He showed up.

Fit to be tied with anger, the man who had been her foster father for years looked like he had gotten in a fight with the same wind that played with her. His hair was a mess, finger combed through and sticking up at all edges. His tie, so usually neat when in public was hanging half off his neck like a noose half finished. His once crisp white shirt hung half untucked from his pants. His big hands clentched open and closed with the promise of some violence left… half unfinished.

He tripped in the sand, and the laughter of the teenagers not far away seemed to make him that much more angry. In fact, in the dusky light… did his eyes turn red? Not the red that the camera sometimes catches, but a real, vivid crimson.

She’d have only a minute to run, perhaps less, before he was upon her- it’s true they were in public, and he had kept their little shows oh so private… but something about him tonight bespoke of a man long passed caring…

He hadn’t said a word as he got up from the sand and brushed his hands carelessly down his suit. But the body language was there. She’d pay for that too- the sand’s blatant disobedience to bow before him.

((Your choices are pretty obvious here, but this is kind of a "tutorial" you can use any of your basic or special moves. To Run it's going to be an "Act Under Pressure" roll. To "read a bad situation" (potential escape routes, etc.) may put you into harms way if he doesn't stop, but it'll give you more options on potential help and hiding spots in the area... And there's always... Kickin' some ass!! For a refresher "Moves" can be found here. )

[Storyteller Joy]

She froze, the poor dear, like a deer in headlights as he came upon her and finished the job of hauling her to her feet. His meaty paws on either shoulder as he hauled her against him. "It's all your fault. Who did you talk to? She's left me. They are looking for you- looking to take You away from me. But I won't let them. Your Mine. I found you first!"

His fingers began to leave bruises where they pushed into her arms. "I found you. Your Mine!"

Again, the red haze darkened normally brown eyes into something a little more sinister.

In fact, if not for the timing of one intimidating younger man in a suit, things might have gotten very differently in deed....

As it was Cal was thrown to the beach sand and her attacker was thrown toward the ocean. A quick, large gust of wind suddenly sprung up out of no-where, one of those "Freak" gust winds strong enough to blow a grown man off his feet. The Director, her foster father, vanished under suddenly turbulant waves. But it was the wind, moaning past her and toward the young man who stood not far from her that seemed the most 'alive' creature on the beach... People scattered, holding up phones. A few brave individuals dived into the water after the director....

But her savior stood apart, barely breathing as he watched the ocean. His hands swirled in small circles.... as if conjuring... or perhaps.. praying?

(take 1 hurt, bruises will fade soon enough... but a small memory of this encounter will remain for a bit.)

[Storyteller Joy]

The man had stepped backward, awkwardly as the young woman flung herself into his arms. Hell. He looked positively creeped out at the entire affiar. The hugging- and oh god the Kissing. He would have pulled her off, in fact, his hands went to her shoulders to do just that, only she slid off him and collapsed at his feet. He looked around to the people who looked at him, looked at her, and looked at the ocean. One kindly older couple almost approached, but a well placed glare from the man in the suit had them going the other way.

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped off his mouth with it before, with two fingers barely holding the edge of the thing, held it out to the weeping girl. "None o' tha' Luv. The ol' Bastard's gone now. Nevah ye fear. 'Ell would of done it fer free without the job, seein' as he's one of Dem sor's." The man knelt down on his feet, no part of his suit touching the sand as he offered the hanky again, bouncing it just in front of her. "Wipe dem tears luv. My job's not ovah til I take ye to a safe place."

He glared at a few more other well wishers... He'd give her a moment to stand on her own two feet...

[Storyteller Joy]

"Takashi." He watched her warily as he spoke. Now that she was more able to take in a few details she'd probably notice his hair was a sort of vibrant green. Unnaturally dyed, no doubt. He wore a suit, including a Hat that sat crooked to one angle on his head. His eyes were golden and shimmered in the fading light. He wore gloves too, even in the California heat. He smiled a tiny bit, just at the corners of her mouth, as she crossed her arms and attempted to grill him. So maybe there was a little iron in that spine after all.

"'ell's not a name, me girl, tis an expression. In this case, one of disgust." He sounded foreign, a mix of some kind of European accent with Japanese. The only hint to that Japanese culture was the slight olive tone to his skin, and his last name. The only name he gave her. "hisself deserved whatever finds him at the bottom' o' the ocean ne?"

He canted his head toward her. "Yer choice, of course, I'm authorized to take ye to a safe place, or ye can go back to His house n await da proper authorities. Ye have enough witnesses that it twas a freak accident, after all, no one can control the wind n waves." He winked to her, a conspirators wink. "Me, myself, I gotta head back to the headquarters." He flicked out his phone and text messaged someone with one hand.

... And was mildly surprised when he got something back almost instantaneously. "Curiouser and Curiouser..."

[Storyteller Joy]

Takashi chuckled as her expressions. "I ain't hurt little miss. No need to worry. My job is to fix messes not make 'em. Come along then, I'll take ye back to the Bed n Breakfast for a wee sit down. Then I'll fetch yer gear from the house once the Bobbies get done wit' it." He tucked his hat deeper on his head to shade his golden eyes from the majority of the crowd. He offered her his elbow.

The escort was brief to a white, windowless van. He opened the passenger-side door for her and let her in. She could see in the back of the van there was a lot of equipment, computers, surveillance gear, etc. It also had a lot of wrappers and one of the desk corners looked like it had been .... stabbed or clawed over and over. A knife with at least six inches of steel (some of that steel showing through the wood of the "desk" was embedded in the wood.

The screen was dark, whatever had engaged that amount of wrath was going to stay a mystery. Takashi went around the van and after a few moments he started it and pulled out of the beach.

It was quiet in the van, except for the sound of the van itself and the hum of the computers in the back.

"You go to School?" He glanced sidelong to her. The tone of his voice suggested that he might actually know the answer to that.

[Storyteller Joy]

Takashi blinked then gave a small grin. "Tha's fair." He kept his attention firmly on the road and began driving. "Twas less supposed to be polite conversation n more an attempt to make ye think I haven't been watchin' ye and the Director." He side glanced at her then his eyes went back to the road. "Ye seem to have a wee bi' o' magic to ye. If ye lived closer tae a portal ye probably would have been able to take care of Hisself without my help." Takashi tapped his fingers on the wheel, the only hint that he was a little nervous to talk about this subject. "Of da record girlie, I shouldn't be takin' ye with me. The Bobbies would put it off as a freak accident, wouldn't they? But ye be special. And ye have no one tae look after ye, not after Hisself made sure what family ye had left have been disposed off. If he had just played nice he'd be sittin' in a cell instead of goin' to the briney deep aye?"

He tapped his fingers quicker against the wheel. "But ye be special. Enough tae need a guardian. But what I be doin' is not work for good little girls see? And It may mean ye will need to leave this here area from time to time. My work takes me up n down the coast." He twitched his eyebrow. "I'm seven and twenty, to old for a gal like ye and I don't like babes. So I don't be needin' ye for anything more then just an extra pair of hands. If ye want to stay. If ye don't, ye can take up with the state n I'm sure they will take ye to another house." He took a breath and pulled the van over- not abruptly, but a steady slide to the shoulder. They weren't far from the director's house, near the library. "I ain't in the habit of Kidnappin'. Frankly ye'll be more trouble then I probably can afford. I just don't trust no one but Nell, and she's busy right now with the problems up in Seattle to settle ye with another female see? But I ain't going to take ye to someplace ye don't wanna get."

He took a breath and let it out. "I got secrets, see, and I don't need a wee lass with more sense then most gettin' her fingers caught in a pickle jar. If ye come with me tis' a year n a day contract. Ye stick with me a year n a day n i'll clothe ye, feed ye and make sure no one does anythin' to ye that ye don't agree with. At least, to the best o' my ability. I don't lead a calm life, lassie, but I can't frankly do any more harm to ye that the bastard didn't already take care of. And Like I said, if ye be wantin' when I catch up with Nell, I'll switch ye to her and she can take care o' ye until ye can be legally on yer own."

[Storyteller Joy]

"Medication?" His eyes weren't on her, but once again on the road as they finished pulling up to her now old house. "that may be a problem in the future. No matter. Get what you want to take with you, I will cover replacing whatever you need later. I'll be right here when your done."

He waited until she left the car before slipping out of the drivers seat and moving to the back portion of the van. He flicked the monitor on and the sound of keys typing quickly were the only other noises out of the van...until of course, she came back.

[Storyteller Joy]

Takashi didn't quickly shut down his pc when she reentered. In fact, he finished detailing up some documents and hit send. It'd take a few days for his Lawyer buddy to do what needed to be done- either passing that Bar himself, or finding another lawyer friend to do it for him. --- Lawyers were as thick as thieves- very handy when you were a thief.

He stood and stretched, moving back to the drivers side. This time he didn't try to make idle conversation. He just began driving to a quaint bed and breakfast that looked more like a house then a hotel. He didn't offer to carry her backpack either when they arrived. He simply hustled her off to their rooms, past the matronly woman knitting by the fire. The room only had one bed- but then he hadn't been expecting to share. In a very business like way he grabbed a pillow and blanket and dumped them onto the couch with his jacket.

"Bathrooms down the hall. I'll sleep here on the couch, ye be sleepin' on the bed. I'll see about askin' the Missus for a bite to eat. Ye may not feel like eattin' but my first day as your guardian I shall not be faillin'." He gave her a smile and left the room just as abruptly.

This room showed very little outside of the junkfood wrappers piled up in a trashcan and a dog-earred paperback mystery left near the bed. Otherwise there was very little that said someone was even staying here. Even the drawers seemed to only have a minimal ammount of clothing.

When Takashi came back he brought with him a few sandwiches of different types and some chips. He eat methodically and offered her green tea or soda to drink- pulling cans out of both of his pockets. Otherwise he made little in the way of conversation, and, after eating, wrapped himself up in his coat and the blanket and turned so his back was toward her-- and without so much as a good night, he appeared to fall asleep. Unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of his shoulders as he slept.

Leaving it for his new ward to turn off the lights and go to bed without much interference from him.