Small Fish, Big Ocean [Cala/Hana]

Cala had never considered their clothing anything particularly special, indeed they barely remembered that they and their other self had agreed to it because it was common in Japan, not truly understanding the significance. It began to make more sense now why so many individuals just... gave Cala money as they went about their business in Japan. Always saying something about a tribute or offering which just puzzled them the first time they heard it.

After doing some... somewhat subtle eavesdropping and hanging around others wearing outfits like their own they began to quickly grasp just how unwise of a disguise it was, all things considered. Perhaps Cala's only saving grace with this choice of clothing was that it seemed no mortals or individuals with Japanese ancestry or culture seemed likely to outright attack them. From what they could gather their outfit marked them as some sort of slightly respected role, if majorly reduced from what it was a long time ago.

Now with something more of an understanding of what their clothing indicated they should be doing, Cala actually took the opportunity to softly thank those who offered them funds. They were about the opposite of anyone holy, by definition, but it did not mean they did not appreciate the charity. Obviously they did feel guilty whenever someone tried to give them a LOT of money, and did their best to refuse these offerings, though sometimes the individual in question was too insistent and sometimes they relented and lowered it. It was an... awkward series of discussions nonetheless.

Regardless Cala was finally able to duck out of public and into a type of place they at least found somewhat familiar. It was an arcade, much like the one they had met Igen at so long ago.... they think.... but even if they all sort of did look the same Cala used their newfound wealth to get something to drink and, spying something familiar, went over to watch a pair of men playing a VR slasher game. A sort of survival game with twin headsets and fake swords while you and your partner roamed around inside the play area and tried to get as far as possible. Cala had played this once and not done very well, not being able to use any of their abilities and also being as nervous as they had been with Igen watching them had made them... clumsy. Regardless the two men did well, beating several bosses and Cala joined a small crowd in applauding them once they finally did perish. Softly sipping at their drink as they looked around the arcade.

None the wiser to the terrifying presence that would soon be approaching.....

For her first patrol, this was all pretty uneventful. 'Yes!' Thank whatever god that may be out there. Bored and wandering around the market side of town to break in her gigai, dressed like a school girl, Hana's attention was drawn by a business with flashing lights and oddly familiar looking machines. When she saw the size of the crowds, she thought to turn away, but something pulled her in. She browsed her way up and down aisles of games, watching the humans enjoy themselves until she came to a snack bar and bought a big strawberry banana smoothie.

As she left the snack bar, an applauding crowd caught her sight and she made her way over. Whatever it was, she missed it because people started scattering. Looking around for something to do, someone rushing by shoved her and the smoothie slipped from her grip as she caught herself. Cold, delicious, fruity drink went everywhere, including on the shoes of a girl in a priestess outfit. "Uhh... Damn it," Hana said, sighing and then bowing politely, "My apologies. It seems some people don't know how to pay attention to where they're going. I can help clean up."

Cala had just finished their own drink when someone was kind enough to bring them another....... granted it was in the form of it being spilled all over their shoes by a Shinigami but Cala was far, far from an angry individual. As the Shinigami, a small girl by the look of her and feel of her energy, Cala was honestly more taken aback by actually meeting someone weaker than themselves then the smoothie that spilled on their shoes. Glancing their lavender eyes down at the smoothie Cala would smile softly and tuck their hair back behind one ear, trying to be reassuring. They had, and still were really, someone prone to the same type of mishaps so they knelt down with Hana and shook their head.

"It's okay. I-I've definitely had similar things happen... umm... without someone bumping into me..."

After procuring some napkins from an employee who had come over to help, Cala aided Hana in wiping up the smoothie and, with that done, would extend a hand. Still trying to keep that soft, but reassuring, smile.

"I umm... I guess that's as good a way as any to meet someone. I'm Cala, it's nice to meet you."

Cala was distinctly aware that they were much less nervous around Shinigami nowadays, at least ones not outright hostile. Most likely due to the fact that their other self had successfully fought the ones they had run into previously and, to a much larger extent, thanks to Saiko and her influence Cala was always trying to remember that Shinigami were people behind their mission of hunting down Hollows such as themselves. Most seemed willing to talk or at least be understanding once Cala made it clear they didn't just attack random people so.... Cala just made the effort to put their best foot forward!

Getting a patience response surprised Hana, but it was appreciated. Hana was even able to pull up a small smile. Hana made sure to help with the spill as much as she could, though she fumbled around with the thin, mass produced napkins more than she liked. She got the pile of napkins to the trash and looked at her hands. They were sticky now. She pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer and squeezed a quarter sized drop into her palm, and held the bottle out to Cala.

"Would you like some? I hate going around all sticky." Hana said, giving some if Cala wanted, "My name is Hana Aoyama. It is nice to meet you as well." There was a strangeness poking at the back of Hana's mind like a dull needle. She was sensing something different, and she was sure it was coming from Cala, but couldn't place what it was. "I plan on finishing one of those. Would you like one? I'll pay."

Cala tilted their head at the bottle that Hana offered, but nonetheless nodded, and copied Hana's motions in rubbing the sanitizer into the hands. making them glisten and smell somewhat... strongly. This made Cala make a face, albeit briefly, before completely misunderstanding their new acquaintance.

"O-Oh umm... no thank you."

Cala glanced at the bottle, seeing it labeled as 'Hand Sanitizer', and shook their head.

"I don't think I'll need a whole bottle of that stuff just for today."

Shuffling from foot to foot Cala couldn't really think of other ways to continue the conversation aside from asking.

"S-So umm.... you really like hand sanitizer then, huh? To use a whole bottle in one day, I mean..... do you get dirty a lot?"

Cala winced internally, realizing that that might have sounded a little... insulting.... and quickly tried to correct this.

"N-Not.. Not that I mean.... there's anything wrong with that if it's just people making you drop things but uhh...."

Inevitably, upon being told Hana had, in fact, been talking about a smoothie instead of the hand sanitizer Cala would blink, flush in embarrassment, and nod.

"Ah-... yes that would be nice..."

Hana returned the hand sanitizer to her bag, raising an eyebrow at Cala. She looked down to her clothing, wondering if she spilled smoothie on her outfit, but it was as pristine as she expected. Watching Cala stumble over their meaning, it took Hana a moment to realize what Cala had gotten confused. She giggled.

“I was asking if you wanted a smoothie, not a bottle of hand sanitizer.” Hana said, giggling more as Cala accepted. She led her over to the snack bar and ordered her smoothie and gesturing for Cala to order their own. Hana pulled out her wallet and paid once the smoothies were both ordered. She took a drink. Delicious.

“I love these things,” Hana said, turning to Cala. “How is yours?”

A few seconds later, her phone rang. She thought it was a hollow alert, but instead it was warning her about the end of her shift approaching. She’d go back to the Soul Society in a few days. Hana sighed in relief, “Yeesss, no more woork.”

Cala blinked, made an 'ooooh' expression, the joined her in giggling about the misunderstanding. Cala had never had one before, at least that they could remember, but they nodded all the same and just to be safe in their mind got the same kind of strawberry-banana smoothie as Hana. Taking an experimental sip of it Cala hummed and smiled, deciding that they did, in fact, like smoothies very much.

"I-It's very good Hana, thank you."

Cala would idly sip at their smoothie as Hana let out a joyous exclamation about no more work. This made Cala blink wide, uncertain eyes at her and tilt their head. Cala then blushed softly as something occurred to them, a thought they did not enjoy, as they had just been about to offer that if Hana was not working then maybe they could play some of the games here? But.... that made Cala think back to their camping trip date with Saiko and then left them more than a little puzzled about what exactly constituted a 'date' to begin with. They had just met Hana and definitely did not want to date her, would asking to play arcade games be considered too close to a date? What if Cala said they did not want it to be a date, would that help? Even for being the more socially able of their two selves Cala's head hurt just thinking about it.

Cala would decide that, in lieu of complicated stuff, they would just be direct and honest. After all, Hana no doubt understood more about dating and the like than they did so if Cala just said they weren't asking like that then... well... that woudl be enough, right?

"Umm... Hana? If you are off work then would you maybe like to play some of the games here? A-As friends I mean, not as a date or anything."

Cala would give a small nod, reinforcing their verbal statement with physical action, and hope they hadn't made some sort of horrible social mess-up or anything.

Hana watched Cala’s reaction and smiled, drinking the whole time. She nodded as Cala confirmed she enjoyed it and then finally released the straw from her lips. “You are quite welcome,” Hana said and immediately began drinking again. Then her phone rang and she was off work. When Cala questioned about playing the games, she glanced around, but then Cala’s rather adorable explanation about it not being a date made her cheeks turn red for a brief moment. She wasn't expecting that.

“Ah, y-yeah, we could play as friends, of course.” Hana said and then looked around again, “Though, I have never played anything like this before. This is the first time I’ve ever been in one of these types of businesses. Do you know how? Are you supposed to start in a line and work your way through each of the games?”

Cala blinked rapidly as Hana blushed, internally feeling a bit guilty as they themselves had blushed around Saiko quite a bit and.... oh no.... had they hurt her feelings? They could only imagine how they would have felt if Saiko had said the same thing but.... Hana seemed to accept it... and all at once Cala went from very tense to very relieved. Unable to help smiling at having, seemingly, successfully navigated the awkward social situation Cala would glance at the VR sword-fighting game. That game, at the very least, they had SOME experience with. Thus, they gravitated towards it and well... with Hana obviously being a Shinigami Cala just assumed she would like cutting up enemies.

Crossing their arms softly Cala would hum and nod to the swordfighting game, sipping at their smoothie, which they balanced on their crossed arms and murmured.

"Well... I have played this one before. It's like an adventure game where you and someone else... o-or just you like it was last time for me.... fight through some levels using the fake swords. They get harder and harder as you go. I-I ahhh.... I didn't do so well last time honestly. B-But from what I saw last time I was in one of these you just put in some money, play, and you get these tokens you can turn in for prizes."

Cala would nod and motion to a big, exclamatory sign nearby to the VR swordfighting game that exclaimed "BEAT THE GAME: EARN 10,000 tokens!". Naturally only the sweatiest arcade-goers, or most wealthy, ever got very far but most people insisted you'd have to be inhuman to actually beat it without knowing the levels beforehand. A comment that Cala took rather passively as, well, definitionally they WERE inhuman.

The game they wandered over to looked interesting to say the least. She took one last large gulp of her smoothie, the cup already half emptied, and set it down on a small table to the side of the machine. She grabbed the strange sword controller and examined it, trying to figure out how it was supposed to work.

"Okay, this should be fun," Hana said, "Do we just put coins in it?"

Hana looked around, finding two slots asking for a specific coin. She remembered exchanging some Soul Society money for her trip here, getting something like that in return. She pulled out a wallet and searched through it, grabbing two of the required coins. She handed one of them to Cala so they could play together.

"You ready?" Hana said, extra excitement in her eyes. She loved trying new things. It always felt like an adventure, and the little previews on the screen before they put their coins in made her want to play even more. Once they both had their coins inserted, she readied herself, following the directions they provided.