Sleepy to the Max - Open

[mermalaide]

"Those are tough lessons to learn as a little kid. Certainly, useful ones though." She nods about this. "I think most people gave me a wide berth because my family was local law enforcement mostly. I also think that they had no idea what to do with me." There was a grin, and it was a bit toothy in that the teeth were large canine like teeth. She had suppressed things back to a little bit of a crawl but, it had impacted her looks little. She didn't look horrible, but those teeth were big. "They did whisper about me being cursed though. I was terrible though, when I was younger, I would embrace that a little, by playing jokes." She had what someone would call German Sheppard energy.

"The clan I am from is very superstitious about looks, especially physical defects as they label it." She shook her head. Her sword in her lap and her hand resting on the lacquer. She seemed to regard it as an old friend, though it was not a living thing or yokai. "I am sure you can imagine eyes like mine, or the manifestation of doglike qualities caused a big problem. Honda, and in my cause the smaller family, Fujiwara use their girls for diplomacy and political marriages, which is very outdated. But if you have those imperfections, you are nothing, because you can't be marketed." She said this as a matter of fact. No bitterness.

For whatever reason, she felt a kinship with Max. Perhaps it was the shared label of pariah here, and the hunting nature that they both did, though hers was not paid in the same gig. "I think in a way my marked status freed me to do and pursue what I wished. I could be bitter, I am sure, but I wouldn't want to live any other way." There was almost a crooked, yet friendly grin. The teeth had receded if only a little. When thanked, she nodded again.

"It's good to be of help. The way I see it, it's a little less heavy to carry something together."

[datmass]

He noticed the teeth in a sidelong glance while still keeping his eyes mainly on the road. Something those with yokai power on any signficant level had to deal with sometimes: There were a number of traits and passive abilities that seemed to persist without outright pushing them down. It seemed that Momoji had to force back the canine teeth of the dog demon she was in a pact with. Max had, as you might guess, a more environmental issue with his. He had to concentrate to suppress the immunity to cold and not be so affected by heat in return. Or rather, he needed extra strength to operate through higher temperatures, which slow him down. He didn't, and wouldn't, have a notable physical trait for his abiilities, something identifiable on his body. He had his mother to thank for that one, as it dodged at least some of the potential bullets.

Max continued to listen intently, letting Momoji speak her peace about her life, how it was a problem in the familial sense to be marked with the canine traits, but actually a personal freedom in that she would not be used as someone's bargaining chip. Yes, Max didn't go for the girls-made-for-marrying tradition, really, because if anyone proved that they could be many things, it was the females of the Fuyunaito family. As she finished up with the part about a shared burden being only half as heavy, the hunter nodded.

"I agree to that, in some cases. Although, to my mind, there are some things that a person should handle alone because it is a certain responsibility to the self, and that others shouldn't be thrown in the way of it so that they in turn are not harmed by whatever befalls that person. Or, to take a more positive spin, some things have to be done alone gain a certain sense of accomplishment and boost to the self-esteem. We are communal beings, but we are also independent, in all our own way. It creates the duality where those things meet in the middle and fight, instead of behave. That said, a person with no]/i] answers should absolutely be helped."

And with that, as they were fairly-close to their destination, he decided there was no reason not to ask this particular question.

"Tell me something, Fujiwara-san. Would it be alright if I asked you to look into a particular subject, if it is in the Shinsengumi files, at all? This should not be anything terribly confidential, but they do get rather tight-lipped when a guy like me starts asking questions. It's a follow-up on a cold case of mine."

[mermalaide]

We need a little bit of both. No man is an island, but sometimes we kind of need to be one." She was watching as things rolled by from the car window. Momiji always liked that about being in the car. She thought about what he said about ice and thought he might have heat sensitivity. "You know there is a great cold soba place a few blocks from the guild. Very popular. Has cold sake as well." It sounded nice.

At his question, her mind pondered for a moment. "I can, but two things, if it is there, it will depend on what it is, if the clearance is above my pay grade I might not be able to open it without permission. Some of the worst cases are like that. The other thing, is that I can't copy records, but if I find something I can likely let you know." It was hard, the Shinsengumi was very tightlipped, almost as much as the folks over at the Shinto Shrine Network, but she got it, real people need closure, and it was hard when the people that had them withheld them. It was especially hard when you had cold cases. There were still people left behind.

"What can you tell me about it?" She took out a pad to make some notes. Keywords and details would help her search. If she could help she would. 'Momiji-chan, we serve the public, we protect them, and we are here to make things safer. That is why we civil servants exit.' Her uncle stubbed his cigarette on the heel of his shoe. 'Some of those paper pushers forget that too easy. They think too high of themselves. But we are servants. Civil servants.' 

Her uncle's words rang in her ears. He was in his thirties then, and out of uniform, wearing that same rumpled Hawaiian shirt. His rolled country cigarettes and his constant tired expression was a sharp contrast to her father, his neat uniform and his grouchy, hard to read expression. "How old is this case?'

[datmass]

"Really? I'll make a note of that."

He did have trouble with hot foods, yes. It was really a bother, but he had to let some things sit until piping hot was reduced to merely warm. Otherwise, it burns all the way down. For the record, Max could still have warm sake, but it wasn't as appealing to him. He would mostly ever drink it to be polite. People having heat sensitivity without it being yokai-related helped in all things pallet-related, though. Momoji thought over the question, and Max felt himself tense up, ever so slightly. He hadn't asked for help on this at all, not even from Shiro. He asked...because she was right, and that this was an opportunity he shouldn't pass up, and he hated that he hadn't asked those closer to him, but he didn't want to bother them with his matter. By phrasing it as a cold case, however, perhaps he could get some info.

Naturally, Momoji first reminded him that there may be nothing at all, and if there was something there, she may not be able to access it or be permitted to speak of it to another. Max didn't imagine it would be intensely classified, not without good reason, but there was always the possibility that a good reason would exist. If she couldn't get the information, that was that. She was a special operative, but not with special privileges. There were limits to her abilities, as with anyone. With that said, Momoji posed two questions, asking for some key words and how long ago. She must've been thinking about a database search. Alright, then...

"The case was about five years ago. However, the information I'm looking for isn't about what happened, back then, but where a person involved went, after the fact. It's called The Valley, just that. I don't know if you have any records of it, but it's probably called that so it gets easily confused with 'The Valley of the Something' when people ask about it."

The 'case' was before he was even a member of the guild, truth be told. He joined only after that all happened, as it was a particular motivation to do so. That might not be apparent, as he was still an adult at the time, unless someone could verify some dates and times. The problem with The Valley, though, was that it was the sort of place you had to be in the know about, or else you might not know it at all. In Max's case...

"I can tell you about those that live there, though, if it narrows it down. It's a fox's realm, a communal one."

[mermalaide]

"I have a few sensitivities myself, so I can't help but try to empathize when I see it." Food was one of those things that everyone needed, but sometimes if you had an issue, it could be vexing to get something that didn't mess with you. Most things were piping hot, which she could only imagine being an issue for someone with ice abilities. Momiji watched him speak up about the case, recording some of the detail with her pen. "We do have some information on The Valley. The Shinsengumi likes to make a note of cases and the yokai involved. I would imagine that the Yokai Guild might have something too. They seem to track both friendly and non-friendly yokai really." That was another note for her to jot down.

"A lot of Yokai live communally as I have noticed. Tengu, Tanuki, and Kitsune are a few that come to mind. It seems like Nekomata and say things like Jurogumo tend to be rare ducks in that regard. Some of it is territorial behavior for hunting." This was very matter of fact. "What was the incident exactly?" She could try to look into communities. But they usually had records with specific filed incidents too. "You were saying there was a person you were trying to find?"


From what she knew about The Valley, it was a communal warren for Kitsune. This was only confirmed by what Max was saying. It was incredibly closed, to the point only people who had direct deals with the people there even got in, let alone knew about it. Which was different from some of the mountain Tengu, who could be somewhat isolated but tended to have humans wander in for training a good deal, even if some sites were very off limits. It was likely a security thing. But, it also made for wild rumors and speculation as to if it was there or not. 


"Yes, tell me about the people there as well. I want to get a good idea about who I need to look into and maybe if they have files with the Shinsengumi or are known by the guild, I can information gather. Have you spoken to your friend at NAPI about this, they might have something as well" She paused. "If I can, I will try to ask around the Shinto Shrine Network. We have an older priestess that has ties with both the Shinsengumi and the Network."

[datmass]

At the point in which Max was essentially on the street of the station, pulling up, Momoji surprised him with immediate knowledge of The Valley. It was an obscure thing to know, and the yokai hunters only knew OF it, because it was not regarded as a target. They'd never known anyone there for violence, ergo no contracts, ergo nobody in the organization sought it out. Max knew more of the background himself, and made no attempts to enlighten them further. If they weren't seeing it as a threat, then the hunters didn't need anymore info from him. It didn't surprise him that the Shinsengumi knew of The Valley, but that momoji herself already had such information at hand. Once again, not a place of hostiles, so not a priority. However, it appeared their organization kept an eye on all things, harmful or not.

That's the sort of thing that kinda' worries a man.

There was no follow-up as though something troubled her about him asking, so it wasn't like they had attacked the place or something. They had learned of its existence, and what more they knew than that...it was up to Max to find out. He really should've asked Shiro more about this, or his mother, or even Anri, but...some part of him said no. There was a part of Max that didn't want to share this with anyone because he felt that it would somehow bring undue harm, that the knowledge would put them in the crosshairs, so to speak. It wasn't a logical feeling, something he could point to any reason for that to occur, but that was where his mind went. Was it something he got back then, or...?

No, it's because I want to protect The Valley, protect her.

In any case, Momoji wanted to know more, probably to narrow her focus and not speak of things he already knew. So...The Valley, then.

"I haven't asked Shiro about it because I wanted to see what I could uncover on my own without getting others involved. The more outward inquiries you make, the more it draws undue attention to you and those around you for asking. I kept it on the down-low, and I didn't bother the Shinto Network beecause there is a little unease between yokai and them, sometimes. Maybe all the times."

He pulled the car to a stop near the station, switching off before looking at her.

"The foxes of The Valley are peaceful isolationists. They live in harmony with the land, and so they created a realm that's exceedingly difficult to reach for their own protection. They don't hate people, but they don't want visitors. No one has ever been shown the way to go, and they don't usually leave. I imagine most people who know of The Valley know about it through other foxes, who also don't want it touched. There's a...a feeling about it, like the very mention of it prompts you to protect it, never give it away."

He actually wasn't sure this was true, but it could be, so he was going with it.

"The incident wasn't an incident. There was no fighting. I met one of the Valley kin, and I helped them with a problem they were facing, something they couldn't properly deal with in The Valley. I'd rather not specify what it was, for the sake of the client. I was suppose to get a follow-up from that, after the fact."

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

"If I ever come back, it will be for you. For now, I need time to sort this out, find the way to overcome... I'll deliver word, if nothing else, so at least you know how things turned out."

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

"Needless to say, I never heard from the fox again, and that worries me. I know they're long-lived, but that doesn't make you hyper-forgetful."

Max was telling the truth about The Valley, though. Theey didn't get visitors by choice, and most couldn't force their way in either. Nobody - outside of maybe other foxes - knew the physical location, or if it even HAD a physical locus, and those that do wouldn't tell. It was not a human's business to disturb such peaceful creatures. If Max actually knew one, once upon a time, the situation that brought that fox out into the open must've been extreme. Imagine such an isolationist, for a moment. They're not naive. They know the world well enough, but it makes them wary of who to trust. This one found someone worthy of that trust before finding some disreputable creature. It was understandable why Max was being cautious about this.

[mermalaide]

She listened carefully. "My understanding of it was it was a closed community. While the Shinsengumi does know about it, typically there is no reason to intrude, but it is good to know about so people can be kept away." She listened more about the non-incident which had been more or less something contractual between Max and the other party. "We generally have Shinto Shrine folks and the Yokai themselves mark up where some of these colonies are. It's more or less to keep people away from it so that they can continue to live in peace. There is a colony of Tengu that is similar to the north of here."

They sat a bit in the car when he turned the engine off. They were outside one of the stations it looked like, and a familiar one at that. "It must be an enchantment on the place that keeps it like that." Momiji had heard of it before. But it was still uncommon to say the lease. Almost like a pact or bond, keeping the other person from saying anything. "So you are more or less wanting to look in on the person in question? Do you have reason to think something has happened?" On the wind, she could smell vending machine coffee, even with the window up. "But, maybe I get ahead of myself, what was their name?"

She wanted to try to clarify as much as she could, mostly because if she did, there would be no time wasted in one spot or another. It was the way a bloodhound would focus on one thing, and would stubbornly follow that lead. "This seems more than just loose ends, this person was a client, but I feel there is a context to this, and I am not being made aware. Are they family, friend, a lover perhaps?" The smell of the coffee had perked her tired ache away a bit, but the outside of the car seemed to fall by the wayside, much in favor of being in the know.


She knew he was being cautious, it was written all over her face. But, still she was willing to everything she could to help. "If you want me to look, paint me a picture." She watched him closely. His body language told a lot. The trouble was, Kitsune by nature came in two flavors, the kind that loved to heckle and involve themselves with humans, and they kind that seemed utterly ethereal. Removing themselves like a dream from the human spaces, like they were a dream or a suggestion, and so very unreal.

[datmass]

The Valley, as far as Max knew, may not have an actual location, per se. So, if that turned out to be different, it'd be news to him. He was interested, if that was the case. Momoji seemed to accept the possibility that the place was protected, and as far as Max was concerned, it might not even be a lie. Let's just call that one up in the air, for now, and leave it at that. The only problem here was that Momoji was still asking more questions, and they were getting to be questions that he wasn't sure they would be helpful in the direction he wanted to go. Max wanted to see about contacting those at the location while our Shinsengumi agent here was focusing more on her, and he didn't want to breach their privacy. It was intensely personal, and the only reason Max didn't make a big reaction out of the lover comment-

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

-arms around each other one final time before they say goodbye-

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

-was that he had better control of himself than that, and that Momoji hadn't quite hit the mark. Granted, she could see that Max was beating around the proverbial bush because he didn't want to specify what had been said or done, but he had a reason for that, and it was his right to keep that private and between him and the other party. The body language he was giving off was something of a glare for trying to get very personal about this thing he'd wished to maintain that privacy, and a slight widening of the eyes when she asked him the general relationship between him and the client, but then kind of a 'Really?' kind of look before he sighed.

"I know a fox's ritual for marriage, Fujiwara. It's serious business, and this one had a mate, or still does. The context is that it wasn't a guild job, no, because I wasn't actually a member at the time, and this wasn't up their alley, anyway. The reason I took the job and treat it as my first case is because it was life-or-death, just not in the usual fashion."

He turned and looked forwards, watching the street and making sure nobody was looking at them quizzically, with these corpses lying on his car.

"Her name is Selena, and she is an Earth Kitsune of four-hundred-something years old, and very good at being human-like. She was pleasant, engaging, and - in a way - troubled. She needed outside help to deal with a memory she'd sealed off from an event that occurred The Valley, a very painful memory. No one there was equipped to handle it, because they were all trying to deal with their own. I agreed to help because I know another thing about foxes: They can die of grief. Even the ones who live peaceful lives and never harm a soul can fight, but if any feel genuinely terrible about what they've had to do, they simply do not go on..."

Turning a harsh glare on Momoji, now.

"...and that is why I don't want to talk about that part. I saw everything, and I'm not sharing that with another soul."

This was actually another clever dodge. The tragedy was real, but he was using it as the reason why nobody had the right to know. The truth is, though, that he did love her, and their moment was not strictly professional and not simply platonic. It was the hope and possibility of something beautiful and lasting, like her, that their time together was like a link between that could not be broken, while her life in The Valley may not so easily continue. He let Selena go to find out what she wanted to do with her life, because he respected her and didn't want to constrain her. Many is the time that Max felt he should've held on just a little longer... He trusted her judgement, but to never hear from her again when the promise was made, it worried him a great deal. With all this in mind, Max calmed himself down.

"So, what I want to know is what happened, if she lived or not, because of my own actions. I did what I thought was best, and sent her on her way, but if she still died, I will never forgive myself."

[mermalaide]

She had not mentioned a Fox's marriage. At all. So that was a Freudian slip if she had ever heard one. "Marriage? Fuyunaito-san, I said family, friend, then lover. I need to know who I am looking for. Vagueness will not help anyone in this regard." She understood that this was a touchy subject. She did not flinch at the look. She knew questioning got people upset, it was not her purpose but the need for honesty was paramount. Momiji would be looking into everyone, mostly to get a better understanding. Especially if this was something that had her sticking her neck out.


"...and that is why I don't want to talk about that part. I saw everything, and I'm not sharing that with another soul."

It was not as clever of a dodge as he thought. Her staying of a neutral expression was very specific. Psychologically, she was having him imprint emotionally on the questioning, which were base neutral questions. Gaging by his reactions, the person in question was someone that not only meant more than words, but had been someone he had not want to really part from, but had too. She felt that deeply. Culture was the great divide between yokai and man at this point. While some of them were functionally working together in society, others clung to the old ways. Humans and half yokai had a may fly existence to them, which was sad. She could only imagine the feeling from that. But people made the most of their time, that was for sure!


She could smell the anxiety off of him and reached out with a reassuring hand. It was open in friendship but also as a deal. "Listen, if you are straight with me, Fuyunaito-san, neigh, Max, I will do everything I can to help you. Justice is more than just putting the bad guys away, at least it is to me." She looked at him in earnest. "Justice is also about giving people closure, finding missing loved ones. I took up this mantle to help people with a hand, up not a cudgel."

Momiji knew that not all officers and Shinsengumi were like herself, or her family, and she wanted this to change. She wanted to change it from the inside, to be something Japan could really be proud of. Was that what her classmates might have called 'cringe'? Possibly! But the idea of helping people and chasing leads made her pretty happy. She wanted others to have that peace. "We are just meeting, but I can tell this has impacted you a lot, and I would like to extend my hand to help."  Her hand was still there to take or pass.

[datmass]

It is and it isn't a Freudian slip. Max is tired, and so naturally he assumed that - with his knowledge of the party in question - that the comment about her being a lover was something implied. It was an accidental misspeak, but mainly putting the cart before the horse on that one. After this, and with Momoji drawing her conclusions, he started to rub his eyes, trying to get his head more in order. Obviously, he'd had a night's sleep, and he just needed to come out of the aftereffects to retain full concentration. That razor focus of his could only go so far if its origin point - the brain - isn't up yet. He stopped, though, when he heard the Shinsengumi agent say something unexpected. And it wasn't just that she said it, but that it was said with a conviction he knew all too well.

"You sound like Shiro when you talk like that."

He gave a nod of approval there, and took the hand firmly. In doing so, Momoji would feel an initial coolness that quickly pulled back - not simply vanished with human contact, but retracted into the man - with that grip. Max's expression shook off the last of the fatigue, and had on a solemn expression that gave off a small smile as Max began to understand why she was asking more questions than would be necessary to ask about a particular resident of The Valley. Then, there was a chuckle as he released her hand.

"I see. You're not just looking into The Valley. You want to search for her outside of it, in case she wasn't there. I looked, just in case, but I never found her out here, myself."

He sat back in his seat, facing forward for now, with his arms crossed.

"She's been through alot, seen death and destruction where none of her clan had...and returned it with a vengence. The memory I saw..."

His face hardened. She might see some of the wolf in him, right there.

"The Valley had been invaded. It's a paradise, Momoji. They want not, they need not, and they live in peaceful days, all year round. ...but then, a battle had managed to penetrate their sanctum, and the worst part is...some of the fighters were their own kind."

It was burned into his skull. He could never forget, never get it out of his mind, anymore than he could forget her.

"Not one of their clan, you understand. Other foxes, violent ones fighting against oni in bloody conflict."

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

He saw it all from her perspective, the bodies at her feet, blood soaking her paws as the world turned blurry with tears...then RED. There was no turning away, no averting his gave, nor blocking out the terrible scream...

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

Max's head lowered.

"They killed her children... Other members of her clan died as well, but I felt her heart rip in two when she saw them. And in that moment, Selena used all her power to upend The Valley, close it like a giant mouth, smothering all those apart from the clan of earth, who could survive such an attack. The rest..."

He shook his head, looking at his passenger now.

"How could I not do everything in my power to help someone like that? She sealed the memory away to try and find some way to deal with it, to deal with what she'd seen and felt and done. I didn't believe that she could live a life with a hole in her mind, and part of her must have felt so too, or else why come to a stranger out in the world to help her...unless she wanted to be judged? Well, I felt she'd already been punished, and she couldn't just live like nothing had happened. So, I released the memory, and helped her with her grief as best I could. We parted ways a day and a half later...and there's been no sign since."

That was the full story. Max didn't say how involved he might've gotten with Selena, but he didn't have to. He'd gotten into yokai hunting to deal with yokai conflicts and protect those who were kind and desperately in need from those who would create horror and tragedy like he had clearly seen before...but he had also become one to be able to gain resources, hone his abilities, and pour all of his expertise into somehow finding her.

[mermalaide]

A frown did cross her face as Max recounted the truth of it. The pain was very evident in his tone and face. Momiji took a deep breath. "The hurt she must have felt is incalculable at such things I think." She thought about what she could possibly do. Reuniting them was top priority, but her safety was also. "No, I do not wish to intrude on such a place, it's not mine to do so. Typically the Shinsengumi does not intrude unless it becomes a matter of security. Clan, and even by extension, yokai ones tend to handle their own inner tempo, but this is horrendous." She looked saddened but not surprised.

Momiji did see him harden a little and the wolf come out when she gazed at him. She was studying his features and committing his details to memory. The way people spoke, how they seemed to pose themselves as they talked. It told a lot. "Hmm.." Grief and memory could be so damning. "It's likely she wanted to confront that burden, even if it hurt. She sounds kind but also very honest. It would be too easy for must people to forget, I have seem many that would choose that, only to have to deal with worse later, and it breaks them." But why would there be no sign? Could she have wanted to keep him out of yet more conflict by parting ways.

What did Selena know?

That was the real question, the one that dogged at her steps. What caused her to disappear? Was it safety? Could it have been revenge? It didn't seem in character from what was explained, but she seemed like maybe she had done things that she could not easily reconcile with. "Could there have been a temple or sanctuary that she could have gone to for atonement or even comfort? It sounds strange to disappear, but if she felt responsible for her own actions, could there have been something that she wished to face regarding this?" That was the million dollar question.

"So I think in the meantime, I am going to do some digging into a few files and contacts. If you think of anything, please get a hold of me." She breathed in deep and felt that she could smell a bit of moisture from rain that was a few steps away. "Let's table this for now, and check in with your guild. I owe the fellow behind the counter a word." The oni heads started to have a little bit of a smell. People moved in and out of the Guild. Momiji was listening to the sounds around them. "I will be with you a little longer, and then I will be out of your hair for the night."

Someone was yelling on the steps of the establishment and being shown out. Rowdy voices called from inside the guild that made it seem a little more like s bar than an inn. A tired looking old man was shooing someone off his steps with a broom. 

[datmass]

They were both left wondering why, with few answers, only guesses to give. It'd been a question on Max's mind for the past five years. He asked himself why there'd been no contact, and he berrate dhimself, demanding to know why he didn't take her to his mother, a wise fox of over nine hundred years old. He asked himself this, and flooded himself with a tide of 'if only' statements, like 'If only I'd stuck with her longer, even my own personal risk...'. It was terrible recursive thinking, a cycle of sadness and self-recrimination. Of course he blamed himself. For all he knew, his aid had no effect, and Selena dropped dead of her depression elsewh-

No. Stop thinking that way. You know she fall to pieces now.

It was those kind eyes of hers. Selena didn't leave him wondering on purpose. If she still felt she would still die, the thing that she would do is reassure him that everything would be alright now, that he wouldn't have to worry. No...she wanted him to know, to tell him what happened. Sometimes, Max felt that the memory of their time together was the next thing on the chopping block, but after the first time, it seemed unlikely that she would do so again. No, Momoji was probably the most correct, that whatever she had wanted to deal with was what caught her up. He just hated not knowing, because...

"It's possible that she wished to make some sort of amends to those that she had killed, or their next of kin. Foxes hate killing other foxes. If there is a location specific for this, I don't know it. I suppose a fox's shrine is as good a place as any, but if you're looking for any regarding the foxes that attacked, I'll have to sift through the memory again and see what kind I remember. That may help on a location. I hadn't given that half of things much thought, because I thought maybe she'd be incommunicado from The Valley."

They had to get this moving. This conversation was fruitful, productive. It made him think that maybe he needed help all along because his brain had just been stuck this whole time until someone from the outside unplugged it for him. Momoji may've called herself a black dog, but she was more of a noble wolf in her willingness to lend a hand. Max opened the door to step outside with an "Agreed.", as soon as she suggested they get back to the matter at hand. Stepping out, there appeared to be some activity, and there'd previously been some bad weather. The smell of the bodies was...a thing. Definitely had to dispose of them as soon as possible. The old man interrupted his shooing to face them.

"Ah, finally decided to come out and say hello. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, if you could help the young lady with the trunk, please. The gaki and the heads for payment are in there. I'll handle the big bodies here."

"That's alot of weight to be packing on that car of yours. Don't overburden it or the suspension'll snap."

"Actually, I took that into account and had that and other things reinforced, but thanks for the concern."

Max would get to work on the cumbersome oni, removing the ropes holding them down. He'd ask the old man where the disposal area was while unlocking the trunk for Momoji. She was good to help, of course, but there wasn't any need to overburden her, so he figured heads and the smaller creature for them while he did some of the heavy work.

[mermalaide]

"It's possible that she wished to make some sort of amends to those that she had killed, or their next of kin. Foxes hate killing other foxes. If there is a location specific for this, I don't know it. I suppose a fox's shrine is as good a place as any, but if you're looking for any regarding the foxes that attacked, I'll have to sift through the memory again and see what kind I remember. That may help on a location. I hadn't given that half of things much thought, because I thought maybe she'd be incommunicado from The Valley."

 "That seems like a plan." She nods to him, prepping to get out of the car. The weight of the oni bears down on everything and an old man that seems familiar comes out and engages them. "We should be able to carry this together, I won't leave it all to you. Disposal is around the side." Momiji gestures to one side for him to move. It's an unlocked gate with a fellow hanging in the back with a crematory oven. He would take things and burn them for them. He also collected organs (if they were on the list). Hunters were paid in full for everything. So there would be a receipt for that too. "We can take the bodies and get a receipt for anything they keep, everything else has to be burned, then we can take the heads to Nishimura-san."

Nishimura-san heard his name probably, but more than likely heard the commotion. He had rolled up sleeves, salt and pepper hair. He was an older man that looked perpetually tired in one way or another. "Miss Fujiwara, see you have been busy." He looked a little surprised, but took out a cigarette and lit it up. "These are curtesy of my friend here, Kenji. He has the heads divided, but let's get these oni out and dealt with." He shook his head and went around and into the gate for a large wheeled cart. It looked like something you would put heavy luggage in. "You all can use this. Come inside afterwards and bring me those heads. I will be inside waiting at the counter for you."

Momiji nodded. "Well, that helps."

She was ready to help load. They could get a big one and one of the smaller ones in there. It would take two pushing though. "They have a good place to eat inside. Have you been in this one before?" It was likely. Max looked like he had been around everywhere. In the gate two people were sitting on a bench having coffee near a good size incinerator. How someone could stand to do so was beyond her. It stunk. Like badly. The two saw what was being hauled in and jumped up to help. "Been a lot of oni lately." The woman that was in a jumpsuit looked pretty strong. "Oh you wait, Night Parade is coming soon. You will see more o' them." The man with her wore something along the same, but he also had tall rubber boots. 

"You should get something pretty good, Max."

[datmass]

With them both outside now, they started to get to work, but as it stands, they were getting some help on this, first by directions, and then by a sturdy wheelbarrow. Max's initial lift, as Momoji greeted the man in charge of this place, turned into a lowering onto that. The heads would be sorted later as the gaki was placed on top of that and they could get that going, with effort. She seemeed to know him from some prior dealings. Max had never met the man, but he seemed like someone who'd been in the business quite alot, enough to have had his fill of death, perhaps. He was courteous enough, and he'd be waiting inside for them when they were done. Excellent. So...he and Momoji started pushing the 'barrow along with him as they proceeded off to the crematory, Momoji asking him if he'd been here before.

"No, I'm not usually out this way. It's just that I picked up on the yokai coming back here to regroup, and here I am."

"You should get something pretty good, Max."

It was about then that the smell hit them like a wave. Momoji's own senses were yokai-pact enhanced, but Max's were also pretty acute, so they both winced at this. That, and it's used to burn bodies, so it's going to be pretty horrible. They naturally proceeded forwards as the two attendants started talking.

"I'll need food. I don't know how badly I want food. We'll see."

Stopping the wheelbarrow, he stepped forward to talk to the two that worked the incinerator.

"Alright, so we have two more oni besides the one here. It was kind of an assault group or a gang. All the heads are separated for processing. I dunno if any of the organs were to be saved, although I have a friend in the NAPI who says they may be checking to see if the sudden rise in violence if metabolic or brain-related, rather than just the Night Parade."

It was something Shiro mentioned in a previous conversation. He didn't know if it had any connection to the policy change or not. It was just one of those things that NAPI pursued in an ongoing investigation of 'Why yokai be like that, sometimes.'. The two workers understood and knew pretty much what they were doing. If they had anything extra to do, they'd get on it. Max went back to get the next body. If the wheelbarrow wasn't quite enough for two oni at once, he'd carry it on his back.

[mermalaide]

"You can dump 'em right there. I will take this. I can check our list. We do get NAPI asking for stuff to study, the Shrine people too." The woman was already checking the list for the man who was getting ready to lift. "Naw, just the brain on these guys, so Kenji will take the heads after they weigh 'em. Looks like a class b or c." He shook his head and pulled the Oni body out, sans head of course. "Yeah just brains from them. Nothing for the Gaki though. Nobody cares about those, just that they are dead." She shrugged and marked the list, before getting up and joining her compatriot.

On the way back to the next one to load into the incinerator, Momiji sighed. "It's nasty work. Something refreshing to drink might make you feel better after this, then you can decide if you would want to eat or not." She moved to help him, bringing the cart closer and moving to grab one end of the oni. "Personally, I am a ramen kind of person or at the very least, beef skewers. However, you like cold things right? Chilled tofu seems unoffensive." It took a little bit of thought. She felt a tad nauseous moving the smelly bodies, which were not that ripe to a normal nose.

"You know, Night Parade is very soon. I wonder if that is part of it.. though, in retrospect, we have been finding oddities lately."

Was it getting chilly or was it just her? It would be night in a few hours, but technically the heat from the incinerator should have quashed that. The ashes were in the air again, which meant that the first oni was on the fire. "This stays between us, but we have been finding parts of demons, and like I said earlier, some bodies have gone missing all together." She shook her head. "What's missing is usually brain or organs. It's bizarre. Hence why they were originally saying we might have a ghoul nest, but even for a ghoul nest, it's odd."

When they got the next one into the gate to dump in front of the man and woman Momiji looked at him and grinned that wolfish grin she had. "That fellow with the salt and pepper hair was Kenji. He runs this particular guild chapter. You must have caught his attention if he came out to say hi. Usually the fellow is all over the place. He makes wonderful roast beef sandwiches though."