Sleepy to the Max - Open

[datmass]

Morning - Ueno Park

The sun had been up and arcing over the sky for some time now, and there was a tall man sleeping on a park bench. He was dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans, fairly-durable shoes on. He seemed to be in a semi-curled-up position, with one hand stretched out past his head. He didn't look like a vagrant or anything like that. In fact, he looked healthy and physically capable. Every now and then, there was an unexplained twitch, like a minor fit in his sleep. Anyone listening close might also hear a briefly-muttered "Why...?" from him. Not that the first person to notice him would be listening too carefully, or immediately noticing the sword that was also on the bench, under the man, at least at first. He just saw someone sleeping on a park bench when he shouldn't, because he was a city cop. Taking out a club, he tapped the bench near to where this guy's head was, so he'd hear and wake up.

"Hey. Come on, you can't be here."

The man stirred, pulling out of his sleeping position for a moment as he looked up with blue eyes.

"Ugh...morning already?"

"You know people aren't allowed to sleep in the park."

"Sorry, officer. I was wiped out from last night's activities."

"Been drinking, have you?"

"No, actually I was tangling with those."

He leaned up to point back beyond the bench to an area with a number of trees, allowing the officer to notice the sword now, followed by...what he'd been using it against. The cop's eyes widened as he saw the scene he'd been missing nearby. Four demons of various builds, all of them in various death poses from where they fell, some of them with stab wounds, some of them with evidence of pounding or slicing, and some still with evidence of now-melting ice spears jutting out of them. The officer stared at this for a moment, then dropped his gaze to ask the man some questions, only he was curled up and snoozing, once more.

"Wha- Hey, don't go back to sleep! I have to report this! Hey!"

[mermalaide]

Indeed, he had gone to report it, and there were signs everywhere. Why they had not closed the park was beyond him. There were signs mostly telling people not to fall asleep and telling them not to stray off the path or accept anything from strangers. There were signs in big red letters advising people not to follow people off the path or to run into the trees. We get it Ueno Park, you like signs! Momiji Fujiwara was constantly dragged out to this park, most of the people stayed on the path, but a lot of them did not, many were teenagers and kids. It was rare when she would have to retrieve an adult. The Shinsengumi generally let the first year grunts do park clean up, and while she didn't mind, this was a lot for one week. Yesterday evening it was something having to do with onis and delinquents.

"And I said very clearly, Hey you can't sleep here, and then he passed right out, can you believe that?" The park officer was rattling off his grievances when they walked up. They were very contrasted, he was short, but the the woman the officer was with was taller, had ruby colored glasses that looked suspiciously like a vampire from an anime. And long black hime-cut hair. Her half cloak was blue with the white markings of the Shinsengumi. She wore an katana at her hip, with a pale hand resting on the hilt. She knelt near him, hand still on her sword. When they had approached, she could smell the dead yokai and the blood. It was all over the place.

"Sir, I need you to wake up and identify yourself. I am an officer of the Shinsengumi." She looked him over, and he looked like he had been groggy and out of sorts. "Maybe he needs an ambulance?" The officer tilted his head confused. "How long did you say he has been like this prone?"

[datmass]

Heck, if she looked past the trees, she could see the dead yokai too, just as the officer did. We'll get to that soon enough, though. The man they were addressing was pretty tough-looking, not shabby in his appearance, and if he'd been wounded badly enough to not want to move, he didn't show it. Her senses didn't pick up anything of his blood, but there was...something else. His scent said human, but there was a hint of another thing that told a tale of a man gifted, or perhaps cursed, with something familiar. Something yokai, perhaps. Momoji asked the officer about how long he'd been here, and he shrugged.

"According to him, all night. It must've been somewhere between the last shift and my- Shit!"

He stepped back suddenly as Max went from prone to stretching, just then, pushing himself up by the arms and getting any kinks out of his spine before taking a seat, so that now he was essentially sitting on his sword, facing them as he scratched the back of his neck. The brief posture had seemed a bit wolf-like himself, or something near to that. He blinked at Momoji for a second.

"You seem a bit young for Shinsengumi, but I'll go with it."

Apparently, he heard them, despite being supposedly dead to the world. Max pulled out his wallet and removed from it two cards, handing them over in short order.

"There's my ID, and my Yokai Hunters License. And they..."

He pointed to the bodies beyond some of the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He spotted the four of them making their next plans for the evening, causing them to turn and accost him as he stepped over.

"I have my doubts, but I'll ask you anyway. The Valley."

"What are you talking about?"

"That's what I thought."

He misted them all, and in the distraction began to wade into combat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...were my contract. Four demon yokai tearing neighborhoods apart, consuming stores they break into, and abducting and/or killing any person they come aacross, late at night. I called it in when I was done. I thought I asked them to page someone from the city to collect the bodies. Guess they never arrived."


The man's name was Fuyunaito...Max? Well, to each their own. Although, how knowledgeable was Momoji of those within the Shinsengumi? Was that a name she would've come across before?

[mermalaide]

"My age is not as concerning as you would think." She raised an eyebrow at him and looked over the card. "It's fine, there is a permit to deal with these with the city. Ueno is not for civilians, but he's Guild." Her senses were driving her a bit crazy, she didn't even have to look at what they were. (Rank C Passive- Garou. Active) Her nose was telling her that she smelled Oni specifically, and possibly a Gaki. If he looked closely, he could likely see the pointedness to her ears, and the sharpness of her teeth, though, she had been holding the Garou element in check with care, it was mostly to harness the senses in case she would have to do more tracking.

"Ueno hasn't had a Gouma Den in a while, but a lot of yokai flee here and ambush here. Supposedly there was a Tengu that took care of this area, but it's doubtful now, which is why you see a lot of that." She said so offhandedly repeating something her mentor had said. She remembered seeing a name on paperwork for a Fuyunaito, however it was anyone's guess what it was about. First year Shinsengumi deal with a lot of work related hazing. So hours were long and Ueno park detail, or demon cleanup was a thing. Some of the old timers did not like Guild members, they found that and clan involvement to be troublesome. While Momiji could admit that it could be frustrating at times, she valued the idea of everyone taking part in making things safer. It was only when people weren't respectful that she bared her teeth about it.

"Wait, so he's allowed to do that?" Momiji looked up, pushing those glasses on her nose that had fallen. For a moment Max could likely see her red eyes. "Yes and no. The Guild is allowed to hunt contracted yokai here, but not nap." They was a bit of teasing to that. "They city is also asking hunters to turn in the heads of what they kill, as well as dispose of the bodies." She stood up, and decided to hand the card back, choosing to rummage in her bag. "Part of the reason they are also asking for body disposal is due to the fact that something has been eating yokai remains and growing." She shook her head. 

She managed to pull out some heavy duty trash bags. "Here. For your catches and for clean up. I can stay and help you with that, then you will want to turn into the guild." He had four class C monsters there. Part of her wondered if she was in the wrong line of work. Hunters did make a lot of yen. But it was about caring for the people here, of hunting criminals, and that is what Shinsengumi and NAPI did. But, everyone had something in common here, getting rid of bad things.

When things in the night bump, we bump back.

[datmass]

It was mere commentary, as Max had a feeling that something authoritative existed in this young lady, regardless of age, which is why he just let it go. He did begin to notice the slight traits of something off in the girl's appearance, but that wasn't a crime. It just meant that she, like he, might've had some sort of advantage in life from the yokai side of things. In what form, he did not know, but it was likely there, and it seemed to be cued in the senses, at least. Max would have to confirm no tengu presence in a nod here. If there had been one, it would've helped him or thanked him or even told him to get his ass off of the park bench. He found himself giving her a bit of an 'Oh come on' look over the nap part. Not only did he need it, as Max didn't feel he was okay to drive, but he was still waiting on someone over the removal of the bodies.

The part regarding that body disposal being due to something terrible eating the bodies was news to him.

That made him pay alot more attention, as his mind worked on a probable cause. Nothing had come up this way to do that, obviously, but eaters of the dead who grow strong on said dead would be of a strong and dangerous persuasion, as well as disgusting. Max would probably see a contract about that soon, and if he didn't, then it'd be about time to offer to find it with a little help from Shiro. The only problem, of course, was where to look, seeing as how the thing in question was devouring crime scenes. It was troubling, to say the least, but it - along with Max's own suspicions about this group - might be worth a follow-up.

Max accepted the bags, although he was a little disappointed.

"Thanks, I would appreciate the help. Nobody told me about the policy change, although given what you've said, I can see why they would do that."

He stood up, pulling his sword up with him as he did now.

"And I guess picture-sending is equally not-valid for about the same reason."

Proceeding over to the first body, which was lying against a tree, Max kicked it down so his chopping wouldn't damage said tree, and began working with the bastard sword.

"You know, when I discovered this lot, they were discussing plans, organizing their movements. It seemed a little too involved for mere joyriding."

First head was gone, and he bagged it, moving on to the next, the Gaki. It was a Gaki, and it'd tried to eat him, outright.

"I think they might've been working to purpose, as in towards a goal that somebody else laid out for them."

Down went the bastard sword, removing that head now.

"It's something to look into, and I know an investigator who could help with this and your 'cleaner'. Can't know for sure if there's any connection there, at least not yet, but with the right evidence, we could figure out the cause and get it off of the streets."

[mermalaide]

"From what I understand the policy has been in the last 48 hours. If you have been in the field, you probably missed it. A lot of people have. This is my third call of this nature tonight. They are asking us to let any hunters we encounter know, and to help with clean up." She nodded an acknowledgement. "It's no problem really. From what we have found out so far, it eats weaker yokai and dead ones. It hasn't nabbed any humans yet, but that means nothing." She bent down to cut a head off of one of the bodies and stick it in one of the bags she had for him.

"As for the picture, I think they want to weigh and do something with the parts, study them, make medicine, ect. The pictures started to be something they didn't except starting this summer, and it had to do with a college student cheating the system with some very good forgeries. Our local Guild chapters are very finicky because of this." It did not bother her, it was like turning in homework and other formalities. You did what you had to to get paid right? She walked over to hand him a bag. When he mentioned the plotting, she did not seem surprised, not quite. "Some of the older Shinsengumi swear they get together and plan these things. I don't feel a lot of this are random. Maybe with Gaki, they tend to grab what they can, but Oni? People don't believe these things are smart. They are, just not like in the way some Yokai like Jurogumo are."

She shook her head, crouching down again to examine something. "I certainly wouldn't mind any help or input. We won't know about the connection between these things until another thing crops up. Which is a little scary in that it's not predictable. Though, if I had to guess, it might be a Shibito. But they usually cause an infestation. Which means, logically that something big is hiding out somewhere." The police officer was still there and he coughed. "Please don't say that Fujiwara-san. Cannibal ghouls are the last thing we need!" He look legitimately freaked out.

[datmass]

So, the policy was very new, which he could've easily missed by not looking up the site in between the other things he did. Forty-eight hours ago, he would've been probably teaching a class. He'd made the smart move of not having them all throughout the week, so he had plenty of time to be out on jobs like these, but he still had to be involved enough in order to keep people interested. Running a business is NOT easy. The young Shinsengumi went on to explain what she knew about the 'Cleaner', saying it'd taken down weaker or dead things, no humans. It might've meant nothing, or it might've been a goal. More information was required, on that one. The weighing and resource-management made sense, but Max almost swore when he heard about the kid forging the whole thing.

"That little...! Can you believe that? I mean, we work hard here, as anyone can plainly see, and this guy just wants to scam the system? Great idea, kid. You just failed economy. If they can't pay us to do this work, alot of us wouldn't do it, and the rest would be overwhelmed."

He was semi-noisily bagging stuff right now, though what temper he'd just displayed was actually well-controlled, for all the irritation he had for this.

"That leaves 'smart guys' like him with their asses hanging in the wind, waiting to get chomped. I do not know what to say."

So yes, as long as it kept things rolling for the system at large, Max was willing to put up with it. Better than the entire thing going bust because someone wants to go buy an island in Okinawa and retire or something. He nodded his thanks when Momoji handed him a bag, as he'd filled this one. When talking of oni...

"I agree, especially since Oni come in different flavors and complexity, and therefore cannot be entirely predictable."

He figured something else was directing them, either just a different kind of yokai, or another of their kind with a greater deal of complexity. It was entirely possible for their could be an oni warlord, like an...onimusha or something. Fujiwara-san, as she was referred to by the cop, posed the idea of a Shibito being at work, except it didn't fit the profile, so something else could be behind it.

"Well, it's possible the two issues - the Cleaner and the Mastermind - are two different creatures. If they aren't, then we have a major problem."

There was a little more bagging to go, now that the last head was taken care of, but Max paused to address the young lady directly.

"Are you contactable easily enough through the Shinsengumi network, or would you prefer this not reach a higher-up until it's a little more concrete?? I'm going to put you in touch with a Detective Kunekawa, if that's alright. He's good. I trust his findings and he's good in a fight."

[mermalaide]

"Oh everyone was pretty livid and when they captured him, they had to put a bag over his head to hide his face! It was a bit scandalous actually. Thankfully no one was hurt, but because of the levels of fraud, they are requiring physical registrations now. As well as in person ID, though I was sure that was something that they required before." She shook her head as she dragged some body parts into the other trash bag. Momiji also hands him the bag with the head she collected. "They haven't sentenced him yet, but I heard he could get four years in prison for using AI software and editing preexisting pictures. If someone had been hurt though, I am sure it would have been worse. Thankfully they caught him before  he had spent anything. I feel a little sorry for his parents." He had brought so much shame to them in such a short time. Who knows if they would even be welcome in that neighborhood. 

Momiji was trying to be very careful about picking up everything. She did not want that thing to get a single scrap, though, it would attack humans if it was starving enough. She thought about what he was saying about there being a possibility of two things and not one. "It's possible. Until we get more information, the door is open for possibilities." Everything seemed to be picked up but she had to walk about and inspect too. "Ah. Foot in the bush." Or well there was a part. "That must have been some fight."



"Are you contactable easily enough through the Shinsengumi network, or would you prefer this not reach a higher-up until it's a little more concrete?? I'm going to put you in touch with a Detective Kunekawa, if that's alright. He's good. I trust his findings and he's good in a fight."

"I am contactable somewhat. Everything goes through my mentor. But I do have a cell phone." She looked for a card from her front pocket. It had one side that had a cell phone and email. The other side is Shinsengumi contacts for her. "You can get ahold of me by phone or email. I will keep my eyes and ears open. Do you have a contact yourself?" She thought about it. "I wouldn't mind meeting your friend as well."

[datmass]

To the conclusion of the fraud case and the necessity for better verification, Max just shrugged and said "It's nothing I can't handle.". It was an inconvenience, but he could live with it. As Momoji continued the story and helped clean up the bodies, now that all the heads were properly collected, she would see that Max hadn't hacked them to bits, for the most part. The odd limb was on the ground, but he went for vital points so they wouldn't scatter all over the place. He DID have to pull out what remained of the icicles, though. They might tear the bag, otherwise. The man was currently working out the logistics of where to physically put these bodies involving his car and hauling them away. Mounting 'em seemeed the best option, for the bigger three. The gaki was at least smaller than the rest, and he could probably dump that in the trunk. In regards to the comment about the fight itself, he said "It was brief, but brutal.". He didn't wanna give 'em much of a chance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trained to recognize the 'beats' of a battle, the flow of combat measured in a traceable rhythm and pattern of motion, Max not only slipped underneath the initial heavy-handed swings, but he hopped over the leaping Gaki as they tried to exit that mist. He disabled certain parts of their bodies to diminish their combat abilities, taking off a foot or an arm, and then began the process of stabbing true or launching ice attacks. It hadn't been perfect, as they'd still hit him a couple times, but creating his OWN rhythm in this was something he was very good at. The only downside was that he'd ended it quickly by ending it strongly, and by that we mean he tired himself out in the process, and that is how he came to be on the bench instead of going home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Though...the real irony here is that if he hadn't done that, forcing himself to stick around as he did, he might've been in hot water and missed getting his payment for this. And of all the Shinsengumi he'd met - barring ONE - this was perhaps the most accommodating member of that group that he'd ever met, giving him a card and everything.

Hmm. Fujiwara Momoji... Okay.

If he'd doubted before, it was only due to the fact that Momoji must've been a special sort of member. After all, she appeared to have some sort of special abilities, though Max was guessing not purification or general spiritual powers. More likely, a yokai power, but if her own organization was okay with it, it couldn't be bad. As for his own contact information, Max shuffled through his pockets.

"Think I have to print a few more... Ah! Here we go."

He did have a card. It was for his business, the Fuyunaito Dojo.

"I only have those for my day job, but you can use that to get a hold of me. I'll tell Shiro to give you a call, but if the need is imminent before he does, just ask for Detective Kunekawa through NAPI."

He then started gathering the now-full bags for moving.

"Shall we? My car is outside the entrance."

[mermalaide]

She took the offered card and tapped it into her phone. That way it would be at her disposal whenever she needed it. "Certainly. I thank you for the ride. She would help him carry everything to his car as well. Including the bodies. The heads he could turn in, but the rest would be incinerated there. Shinsengumi had set up points along with the guild to accomplish this, and it had been a fairly quick response on their part. She would make sure that the policeman that they had been speaking with got safely back to his post as well. Ueno was just a rough place. She felt sorry for anyone having to actually be posted here without somewhat tough abilities.

"I thank you. I will try not to disturb things too much without cause. I think I remember seeing this Dojo. I am always curious about different styles. I mainly practice Kendo and swordsmanship, however, unarmed combat is it's own reward. You aren't always in reach of a weapon." She said this as one combat tactician to another. Such things were valuable amongst warriors, she absolutely believed that. She seemed to be a dry person, mostly business, but friendly. "I will keep an eye out for a phone call. If I do find out anything else, I will get ahold of you both before then." She made a point to write down the name Kunekawa.

When they were alone and the officer was safely back at his post she felt as if she could speak a little more freely. "Full disclosure. Typically I don't say anything, but I can tell you have noticed my demeanor somewhat. So I will fill in that blank." She hadn't read his mind, but she could tell he was observant, and so was she. Some had said scrutinizing. Which was fair. "When I was young, I encountered an inugami. It was hanging around our kennels, for my family trained police dogs. My father and uncle both are part of the police department." She was calm and had taken care to buckle up when offered the passenger seat. "Typically, inugami are very bitter towards humans, for they are dogs that have been treated most horribly in life, that carry a grudge in the afterlife. But, this inugami was very touched by how we cared for these dogs. Particularly, how I cared for the dogs in our kennel."

There was a warmth to that. 

"That kindness changed my life I suppose. But, because of this, and due to my family's involvement with law enforcement, I chose to use my talents to work within the Shinsengumi. I am somewhat young, but I suppose most first years are. I am taking my first year of training before I am completely inducted into the ranks." She hoped this would be a good answer. Momiji thought that he might not ask, but she believed in being very honest with whomever she was working with, at least in this regard. No secrets if she could help it. She knew some hunters did not like yokai, or had to separate themselves, which was fine, but she always wanted to give the other person a choice.

[datmass]

There was alot that Max could haul on his own, but he was still tired to some extent, and this would've taken multiple trips out and back. They continued to talk as they got moving, with the officer still around them for this. The car in question was a fairly-robust model Subaru Impreza, which wasn't known for being a big car, but Max had a little work done to make sure that it's get-u=and-go also had a decent amount of torque where necessary. It was in the standard Subaru blue, which he always felt was a nice color, even though it was the standard deck-out for the vehicle. It was relaxing in its aesthetics, you see. In their conversation, he nodded at the part about being in reach of a weapon.

"Yeah, I've got a decent grip too, but they disarm me, sometimes. I mean, some of them can really hit, and you really need to fall back on something credible. My sister is way better at exploiting leverage in a fight, but I'm skilled enough to pass on what I know, and that keeps more and more people safe."

The conversation was indeed very business-like, at least for starters, as the larger bodies had to be tied on the vehicle itself, while the gaki was stuffed in the trunk. Thank god for reinforced glass. Can't have these things damaging his car, even in death. Still, this would only be a minor inconvenience, as he could handle the drive, regardless. It was when the officer was let off and they continued to drive on towards an incinerator point that Momoji decided to talk more freely. Max listened to what sounded like the beginning of a pact relationship. He had mostly guessed that something of this nature had occurred, and that it was part of her in with the Shinsengumi.

"That must be a precarious thing, given the Shinsengumi's general attitude towards yokai. I know they're not all the zero tolerance type, but I can imagine there are a few frowns in the rank regarding those who may share a bloodline or a pact relationship with one."

There was a pause here as Max thought about how to word this. He felt that Momoji was decent enough, but the yokai side of him was rather private and personal. He was registered, of course, but the nature his mother was actually NOT registered. She'd stated, as a spiritualist, that she had heavy spiritual awareness and communication with other beings, but made no reference to her abilities as a kitsune.

"Mine is a bloodline, but it's a bit...ummm...odd. I don't know the other party. It was a brief trist around the time my parents were getting together. It's all a bit personal, and as a result, I am ice powered."

It DID cause him some eembarrassment, and it was easy to see why he might not want to tell a member of the Shinsengumi, either.

[mermalaide]

She was impressed by the type of car, though cars were not usually something she had knowledge about. Her father and uncle had a car that they had used for police work. Most of the police there were paired and had something like the Toyota Passo. They were little zippy cars. This was more like the racing type car that you would see on an anime. "I have been knocked out of my geta once or twice. I have not been disarmed yet, but I have been thrown through a shop window." That had been pretty terrifying, at least for the people eating ramen there.

She thought about what he was saying about the Shinsengumi and about her own experience. "Some of the old timers are like that but it is even less common then you would think. Most people have abilities anyway, and that typically comes from lineage. Yokai pacts are more uncommon, but everyone has something nowadays. Someone like that would be hard pressed to find any help from peers here. " She thought for a second. "Except for Nulls. But they would still have a hard time around those folks as well." She had met only one Null and he had actually made her very uncomfortable. It was nothing he said or did, per se, it was just the feeling he gave off. Her mentor explained that it was normal, but she still shivered a little. "It's very rare now to encounter humans who do not have a lineage or a pact."

"It okay if this is a private matter, I would imagine that it can be a sensitive topic. I did mention my own lineage because I noticed that you noticed a few things about myself and wished to make you more aware, I tend to be very up front with people. I also wish you to know that as I have been in the Shinsengumi, it is generally rare to get someone that is prejudiced in that way, I have dealt with a few, but it is not the norm in Kyoto. I would say that it is the high concentration of integrated yokai that tends to make this a thing." She coughed out of an awkwardness. "I hope that helps a little. You need not go into the sensitivity of your line, but know that I and those I work with in particular would not judge you for this. Shibara-sensei is only ridged when it comes to rules, not lineage of people..."

There was a long pause. "I think it is because we cut a lot of clan and familial ties when joining the Shinsengumi. There is a reason for that though." It was something that she was a little morose about. Her hands slid into her pockets and she looked elsewhere.

[datmass]

Truth be told, his car was actually pretty affordable. Shiro, on the other hand, spent more on his car, but then again...he didn't have to maintain a property as an investigator. Oh sure, Max had said he really needed to go the full distance on this, get an office with a desk and a secretary, but Shiro wasn't having it. He wasn't a trenchcoat investigator, so he didn't go there. Besides the fact, the cane felt out of place in that setting. Nevermind. Not important. They got their ideas of a decent car to drive from those three guys in the UK. You know, the big orangutan, the short angry man, and Captain Slow. Max gave a sympathetic wince at hearing she'd been thrown through windows in her fights already. Those were not good memories to have.

"I hate getting thrown. I can land properly and bounce back, but often is the case I'm breaking something in my path."

He was something of a battering ram when hurtling through the air. It wasn't pleasant any time he did so without his own volition. In any case, Momoji began to reassure him that the outward look at Shinsengumi responses to those with pacts and bloodlines were not as bad as he initially thought. That would certainly be a relief, but you know how it is, sometimes. There's always a guy that ruins it for everyone else. Still, she was right that it was all too prolific a thing for everybody to turn their noses up at it. That was probably why the kids at school latched onto the possibility of a familial scandal, not a yokai one. As Momoji began to go on, and lament about how it was more the Shinsengumi discpline that was so alienating, and not so much people's opinions, Max let a sigh through his nose on that, feeling the mood shift from the passenger side himself.

Anri...

It was never ideal a thing to do, but it was what she wanted, what she felt would help the most in her life, rebuild that foundation of trust in the world, once more. Max didn't delve upon that right now, didn't want to. But...he decided that it was okay to let the curtain drop, just a little. This girl had gone out of her way to help him, and he certainly would like others in the Shinsengumi who understood where he was coming from. Just a little, mind you. Only she could decide it was appropriate to signal 'Oh, by the way, I am a very powerful fox in retirement.'. As for Max...

"It's just that some view it as something akin to an infidelity, even though it occurred before marriage. My mother is a spiritualist who often traveled, once upon a time, and up north she encountered a foreign yokai on his last legs. Your powers can probably scent the wolf on me, to a degree. I never met him because he's gone now, and in his wake was a revelation that almost tore my family apart."

[mermalaide]

"I felt guilt about that window. I am also sure I ruined the date of the couple there. Wounds heal, memories are a little harder."

She had to think of the right thing to say. Surely that was messy, but it was not her place to just or speculate. Camaraderie was important amongst fellow warriors. "I think that people have to understand that we are not our parents or or forbearers. What your parents do is not up to you, also, while I would not condone adultery, something like that seems complex, and not for everyone else to speculate on." That was fair right? "Furthermore. I find that children will find a reason to pick on another child, even if there isn't one because they are lacking in empathy and hearing adult conversations without context."

The way she spoke was as if giving a friend the kindest advice she could. If Momiji doubted or believed what he had hinted at, you could not tell for she gave no reaction to that at all. Certainly she would be tough in a poker match maybe. "It is something though that has always bothered me. But I often think that the one's not picked on never think of that. I was not picked on, not exactly, but a few people treated me with fear, or avoided me all together. I would hardly say I have really noticed." The wide birth and expressions were noticeable, certainly though. She could smell it on them.

Such things were a litmus test in her mind.

"So, the guild then? I should help you and check in there before resuming my rounds. Tonight is a little better than most, but I am still on call for now."

[datmass]

This was advice he'd heard regarding the issues of his life, and to be fair, it was advice he mostly took. It's just that it was still a black mark on his history, a sore spot under the skin that you don't bring up in conversation, most times. Max would just as soon not bring it up, just as there were other things he would not broach the subject on at all, not even sometimes with Shiro. Not unless he was sure that he needed his help. That much really was a private matter, perhaps the most that he had ever had in his life. He continued driving along even as Momoji spoke, letting her get all that she had to say out first. And when she was done, he would try to reassure her a bit on this.

"Don't worry. It's not the thing I get downtrodden or terribly angry about. It's just a topic that I don't throw out there too casually. A private matter, as I said. Besides..."

And at this, he'd now smirk.

"The only real trouble I was in was from winning all those fights the kids would pick at me. I kinda' had all the know-how to fight, early on. My mother is very good at her disciplines. Only one who can beat my sister."

This would move them onto the subject about the guild HQ or nearest station, to which Max nodded.

"I'm already en route. I had it planned out before I ever left home. Thanks for your help, Fujiwara-san. And thanks for the understanding too."

He may've been the older of the two, but Max was being polite here, as he saw no reason not to, on the whole of things. It wasn't long to their destination, and he was largely ignoring what anyone might say about their...ahem...baggage on board. They probably wouldn't fall off. The heads were in the trunk with the gaki, at any rate, so the worst that could happen was a complication, not a loss.