Carthrat Who Hunts Elves!

[Bean Bandit]

The woman raised an eyebrow. "That's clear across the city." she informed Ritsuko drily. "I'm going to Jinbou-chou. after that, you're on your own. Take it or leave it."

[Carthrat]

"I'll take it," replies Ritsuko.

Huh. She's whatserface from the ROD TV series, that thing I watched one ep of at the anime club.. hum.. Yomiko Readman is from ROD, isn't she? Something else I never watched, but did see many pictures of.. I wonder..

[Bean Bandit]

The woman opens a the door for Ritsuko, and beckons her to get into the car.
"You know, you could have been waiting a long time...not many Japanese drivers know what you were doing."

[Carthrat]

Ritsuko shrugs, climbing into the car. "Suppose I was lucky you came by."

[Bean Bandit]

"Probably. What were you really doing way out here?" Ritsuko's benefactress asked as the red-headed teen closed the door, and pressed down on the throttle as she spoke, sending the car slowly back up to a highway speed.

[Carthrat]

"Looking for friends," replies Ritsuko, sighing.

Dammit! It's not holiday season.. or maybe I'm just easy to read.

Yeah-fucking-right. It's not holiday season. Dammit,dammit,dammit, I'm so *stupid*.

[Bean Bandit]

The woman nodded, apparently satisfied with that. "I take it you aren't a raving psycho, planning to kill me with the gun you have on you?" she asked, eyeing Ritsuko as though trying to determine just where she was packign the weapon.

[Carthrat]

"If I was, wouldn't I have done it by now?" replies Ritsuko, flatly. "I somehow doubt I'd find a more out-of-the-way place than the side of the freeway to commit a murder."

[Bean Bandit]

The woman gave Ritsuko a bland look. "Don't know a lot about murder, I take it?" she asked, turning back to the road. "What're you doing with a gun, anyhow?"

[Carthrat]

"I'm not exactly sure," replies Ritsuko. "Wanna hear a crazy story?"

[Bean Bandit]

"Well, it's usually me that's telling them." She responded. "Alright, shoot."

[Carthrat]

"You write books, right?" says Carthrat. "Imagine if those books, somewhere far, far away, came true.

Well, actually, it's something like that, except totally different. I'm sure you know all about manga and the like. Yeah, imagine if they were all true. Better yet, imagine if they were not only true, but all mixed up in one giant melting pot.

Well, that's what's happening here. I'd tell you your life is a fake, but that would be a lie, because you're right here living it, aren't you?

Anyway, I dunno if this world was here first or the manga was, but the point is, on *my* world- I'm an extraplanar being, get used to it- there's a bunch of stuff like that, converted into anime and whatnot, presumably like it is here, I really have no idea.

I'm here unwillingly, of course; technically, this isn't really my body, I've been forced to borrow it from it's previous owner in order to fight some duel or something. But the same thing happened to a bunch of us- that is, there's like 10 or something of us mixed up in this and we all know each other- and they're scattered around the world, all having taken possession of somebody elses bodies in some crazy contest of divine will.

It dosn't make much sense to me, either.

Anyway, I think we're supposed to find out where we all are, then work out exactly what it is we're supposed to do to win this contest, then go the fuck home.

Got that? Anyway, after I've said all that, I have absolutely no way to back it up, except that I know you're some author (but you're famous, aren't you?) and that one of the people I'm looking for is Yomiko Readman, and I know you know who she is. I think.

I can also tell you that I'm not out to kill her, and if you really want, you can take my gun off me. Heck, you can stripsearch me and impound my belongings if you want, but it's vitally important that I find her.

Crazy enough for you? I'm sure you've done better."

[Bean Bandit]

"Better, yes." She responded. "Crazier...probably not. The Paper girl...how's she mixed up in this? Wait, first off, gimme a name, chibikko."

[Carthrat]

"Ritsuko. Uh, Tanewaki Ritsuko," blurts out Carthrat. "She's mixed up in this through no fault of hers, though. Heck, she's not even Yomiko Readman anymore, technically. She's whoever it was who is borrowing her body- and her abilities- for the time being.

And my name ain't really Ritsuko, either, if you hadn't guessed, but I'm using it for the time being."

[Bean Bandit]

She frowned. "Alright, I'm going to see her anyway. Stick with me, and we'll talk to her, and see if she backs up this story."

"I'm Sumiregawa Nenene, by the way. Any cracks about my name and you'll be walking again."