Opportunist Offering [closed]

[gman]

After about another hour of walking Eiji was at the main gate of the small town. A small mountain community, the name of it escaped him after all he never stayed around long enough to know it. Near the main gate was a straw hat. After looking around and assessing that there were no bodies around he helped himself too  it.  It was large enough to obscure his face. First things first, the small convenience store in town. The bell dinged as Eiji entered. It was always the same girl who worked the counter. Eiji always had the suspicion that she slept in the back. Looking up from her book her face twisted in disgust as she saw him. 
"The same as usual?"  She asked him to get him out of her hair. "Yeah two packs this time. Oh and sign your name on this. New Miko at the shrine wants to know everyone's names." The woman got his cigarettes as he asked and side eyed the book he laid down. It wasn't in her nature to trust Eiji, after all stuff had a tendency to go missing when he was around. But it was a girls pen and book. She sighed and signed her name to it. Eiji handed over a 1000 yen note to pay for his smokes. Taking the book back when he signed he left without saying anything. Next stop the general store. 

[Ram]

“The car? Ah well, you see, we were camping in the local area and thought to pay our respects,” one of them tried to reason with the miko. The two surprised to see one at all as they muttered about some old lady supposed to be here. Mika shook her head and marched to the trunk. The bsuit went to get between her which only irritated her more.

“We’re visiting the shrine before setting up camp. If you can bless,” he tried to show reason but Mika shoved under his elbow and went to the trunk. Their protests to not open that were ignored as she opened the trunk and slapped the charm paper on a bundled sleeping bag. Cursing her incantation for the barrier to seal up around the object, she slammed the trunk shut and point at the suits.

“You’re not dumping that on these grounds!” Mika flat out demanded. “How dare you even attempt to drop that anywhere near my shrine.”

“How’d she know?” One of the men was bewildered with the other pulled a pistol from his jacket. Mika dug her heels in with a hand slapped the trunk of the car.

“I’m a miko of Ise, that’s what. Now take that away or else.”

“Or else what?” The man asked as he lined up a shot as the two stared down one another. The other man went to draw his own but his attention was turned to the car as he went to it and opened the passenger door. Out stepped a different man in a red jacket this time. Mika set her sights on this new one as he strolled up and put a hand out for the gun to be lowered.

“Lets talk,” he spoke when stepped put to meet the young keeper. His blue eyes looked over the girl and her less than stellar upkeep of her attire. Mika eyed him as well for what strange demands there were. Between all three of them she could spy red strings but not too many than the average person. One the other hand this man did have a strange nail jutting out of his right forearm. She quietly stared at it for a meaning when given her questions.

“You say you are a miko? What proof do you have?” He asked which irritated Mika. To think they would find her not legitimate. She looked at the car trunk and pointed at it once more.

“I can sense the tainted aura from that car of regret. I’ve sealed the body you have there. I won’t allow you people to mistreat this place like some funeral parlor. Give them a proper burial once they’re cleansed. Otherwise, I’m calling the police or consider yourselves resigned to the demons here,” Mika threatened.

“You’re bluffing. There’s hardly any cell reception out here. We don’t need to waste time on some kid here, sir,” he sneered before getting his head grabbed and forced to bow by the bald one. The red jacket clicked his tongue at the bald suit to have sideburns dragged into the car to wait. With little an apology for the outburst, the red jacket continued as though it never happened. “What’s your name?”

“Ajibana Mikazuki of Ise. Now take your car and leave my shrine.”

“Right,” he dismissed the empty threat and pointed at his right arm. “You were staring at something here rather than face me. What is it?”

“You have a—“

“Rusted nail and chains. Right?”

The girl caught herself and looked at him directly. Who would say anything so accurate?! Can he see it too? The man shook his head and motioned to the car.

“We’ll take the body away on our terms,” he clarified. “If you would be inclined to spare your time. We’ll leave the shrine as run down as it is.”

“And if I refuse?”

“We leave with two bodies and continue. As a proud member of Ise, what would that say to the people that got you there in the first place, hmm?” Behind him was the bald man waiting in attendance to the vehicle where the door was opened once more. The measure of disappointment wasn’t lost to Mika as he turned to climb back in the vehicle. She went to see him off with some final warnings about their actions but found herself pulled in by the man with the sideburns. The door closed behind her and the vehicle started up again, headed down the road to the main city.

[gman]

The general stores door swung open as Eiji stepped inside. The man behind the counter head perked up when he heard the bell on the door ring. 
"Welcome to.." His welcome trailed off as he quickly recognized the reject standing infront of him. "Oh its just you. here for the regular pick up?" He asked as Eiji put the left over money on the counter.  He was a younger man about Eiji's age. Short black hair and glasses. Small frame. "Nah the basics. Old lady retired. Got a new girl up there now." Eiji also put down the note book. She also wants people's names. Guess shes gonna introduce herself later." The man behind the counter didn't question the odd request. "Oh she wants my name huh? Is she cute?" He asked with interest. "Cant say. Shes mean though that much i know." Eiji went around the store and picked up the items he could afford. Loading up his rucksack he pulled it closed. "Ill be back probably soon rather than later." He went back to the counter to pick up the book. He almost forgot it, good thing he didn't he figured breakfast would be off the menu. With the book back in his hands he walked out of the store and was on his way back to the shrine. 

[Ram]

The car left the shrine and headed back toward the main city of Nara. The roads and rocky tree line blurring in the discomfort of the crowded back seat. Seated between two suited men was a very disgruntled miko. Her arms folded and glaring at sideburns who pulled her in. The heel of her sandal pressing into his shoe. “You got some nerve to go abducting priests, mister,” she scowled in her staring contest with the man. “Return me this instant. Where are you taking me?” She demanded and was partly ignored as a child between the two adults speaking over her head to one another.

“We sure about wanting to take this one along? A bit noisy for the quiet temple keeper types.”

“Certain,” the man answered with brief glances outside the window. “Sit peacefully like good children till we arrive at our destination.”

“I’m no child,” Mika retorted.

“The way you both are talking, it will be ill becoming to present you both.”

“Both? Uh, I’m a child boss?” The sideburns guy pointed at himself dumbly.

“At any rate, you have yet to explain yourselves. Who are you people really?” Mika looked between the two of them impatiently. “It’ll be two hours to the city. I will scream.”

The red suited man clicked his tongue at the pair of children he must watch over. He tilted his head at the rearview mirror allowing for a diver screen to slowly pull up. Some privacy granted for contending with the pair with him. “Since we have a long ride, I will say this once and you will listen before we dump your bodies wherever we please. Nara’s mountainous region leave many desirable places to hide if one were to reach them. Therefore, there are plenty of yokai and yurei that make it their territory conveniently outside of the local city.” He explained and looked to Mika in expectation she was as much a listener as a bratty demander. “How was your time at the shrine thus far, miko?”

Mika gripped her hakama pants in recalling her first night. An unusual amount of demons roamed the forest outside the shrine. She expected maybe one or two but the veritable many was a surprise. “Hard to think so many are out here. There was a large uwabami that night among the other oni and gaki varieties. It was defeated so it shouldn’t be troubling the mountain anymore.”

“Defeated? You did miss miko?” The red jacket raised a brow. Hard to believe someone her size would have while sideburns was in awe to have heard of it.

“You must be joking. Normally hunters are out there defeating yokai like that. What’s a shrine keeper doing stuff like that?”

“I did! I even sliced off its fang out in the mountains!” Mika challenged the sideburns man. All the while the red jacket quietly mused over this information. He opened his phone and scrolled through his contacts to pull up photos and files. Researching on a few students by the name of Ajibana in the records.

“Whether she did or didn’t, her presence at the shrine does make her a legitimate miko to be staying there peacefully. Shrines in the country not kept under watch become derelict to nature.” The red suited man said which Mika nodded in affirmation despite only having stayed the one night so far. He soon pulled up the student files he was looking for and began reading them over. “For that, consider yourself a once in a life time offer.”

“Guess Ise knows how to pick them. Sending a girl to a run down place must have been a tough call.” Sideburns voiced, almost sympathetic which confused Mika at first till the red jacket interrupted.

“Where were you originally from?”

“Ah.. Nara,” Mika responded from a brief laps of sideburn’s choice of words. The phone was presented to her now with a class photo picture of a line up of students. Sixteen in all plus their instructors on the side. She stared at it in slow recognition to a few of the faces with two being also students she went to Ise with for the first few days. “What’s this?”

“The class of Nara’s sixteen ten years ago. You would the second one to the left. The pair behind you also went to Ise.” He said and lowered the phone. “Welcome back to Nara, miko Ajibana. You have accomplished your studies since the lectures.” An uncharacteristic nodd of his head. “Though I am no longer a formal teacher of the cram school, I would not be one to not offer something to a former student of mine.”

Mika looked at the photo and back at the red suited man. It took a few glances but it was indeed true. She did vaguely remember an instructor that looked not too dissimilar like him. “It’s a.. been awhile,” she was taken aback to meet someone of her time here but he held up a hand to put a halt to further greetings.

“To which, as a fellow citizen of Nara, I will arrange you to meet someone. You can accept or decline the meeting though I ill advise doing so. Simply behave a bit better than earlier.”

Stressing the warning left no room for error that Mika will be thrown out the side for anymore outbursts. The vehicle gradually left the countryside into downtown Nara. The forests giving way to business and shoppetts. Along with traffic was the car also put to a stop at times thanks to the many deer roaming the city. Eventually they found themselves into an underground parking garage and Mika was escorted into a business firm haunted by a looming aura around the building.

[gman]

As quickly as he arrived, he had left. Too many people around too really get into any pilfering. Oh well at least he could get back in another hour if he really hauled ass. His walk turned into a run as he held onto the rucksack strap wrapped around his chest. He barreled down the trail. Keeping up his pace his feet stomped onto the dirt trail. The rucksack effected his balance so he couldn't run as fast as he'd  like but the birds were singing and trees were swinging in the breeze. 
About an hour and a half later Eiji was dripping with sweat and out of breath. Panting he walked into the small home on the shrine grounds and dropped off the rucksack on the ground. 
"Miko. im back" Eiji yelled. No response Again he walked back outside and yelled for her. Huh. Must have been out doing Miko stuff. Which did leave him an interesting opportunity to mill through anything she might have stashed inside the house. Should he though? She could be back at anytime and he wouldn't want to be caught in the act. Oh well. His bandages where wet with sweat. A dive into the hot springs would help with that. If she wasn't back by the time he was done with his bath then she wouldn't back then he would dig through her things. Who knows, maybe some loose change lying about for extra smokes money. 

[Ram]

Lead by the red jacket and his two subordinates behind her, Mika followed a close hallway escort from the back storage room sorting area. Large bins and parcels filled them with no staff present as she looked about for the source of this presence in the after hours of this building. Upstairs she could smell smoke from the side office rooms and shadows behind frosted glass windows on numbered doors. The sensation didn’t come from these places. For a second Mika was told to wait at a door as the red jacket went in leaving the two men behind her to monitor the girl.

“More mellowed out after the long ride huh?” Sideburns spoke up with Mika tilted her head back at him. He looked pleased as punch for some reason as being the main reason she was literally dragged in.

“Excited to be kidnapping little girls?” Mika responded with the sunglasses man sighing at the both of them. Hating to be the minder of these two. “Cut that short while you’re in there. The lieutenant has his reasons. Though you certainly don’t act like a mild mannered Nara girl.”

Mika scowled at baldie’s snickered and kneed him in the leg starting a small scuffle and complaints that it was his fault despite it being sunglasses commenting. The door flew open behind her and she was picked up by her cuff of her robes. Quickly sunglasses grabbed baldie’s head and forced him into a bow as the door slammed shut on them. The lights in the hallway flickering at it did.


“So our work is done now, ya think?”

“Shut your immature mouth and wait.”

———

The red jacket and miko glared threateningly at one another in a quiet dare for making it this far before a loud grunt demanded their attention. The lieutenant took the miko and set her before the boss and pressed on her shoulders to forcibly sit down making her eye twitch a little at the pressure on her leg on the tatami mat half of the room. Across from her was a man who looked in his early 40s. Young enough to think and old enough to have seen a thing or two. He sat in business attire with a small serving table at his side holding a piece of paper and vessels of sake. There were two hooked prongs on his back shoulders buried and rusted with missing chains. Very old to have been there so long yet the connections were long gone at some point.

He poured himself a drink and had it first as a pallet cleanser with an eye on the red jacket. The jacket man remained standing as he motioned to the girl between them. “A miko of Ise. My group can vouch for her latent talents.” He explained with eyes shifting back onto her. Mika clenching the fabric of her robes on what this is all for.

“So it is so.” The man spoke and took note of her less than pristine clothes. “Active. Good. We will require one that can hold their own.” He took another drink and pulled a paper out and set it forward. A blank rectangle with the top and bottoms folded. “Count that.”

A small nudge from behind Miko prompted her to take the envelope and look it over. Something dark seem to emanate off the cover as more as the lid opened in her eyes. Bills of 5,000 yen were piled up. A fast count of twenty was found before forced to set the envelope down.

“Simply put, we are in need of someone like you.”

“You intent to buy me outright?” Mika asked with a shake of the man’s head in return.

“Good business requires a trade. We of the Iroku clan intend to do good by that. Ise threw you to the wolves. Those mountains are nothing short of inhabiting dangerous creatures that many shrines become home to them if not a true kami.”

“I can handle the demons myself.”

“All for your shrine, I am told,” the man spoke with an affirmed nodd from the red jacket. “I am told the state of your shrine is rather worn at the end of a road not many hikers dare to go, let alone the locals themselves. No amount of hunters can comb the mountains clean of these spirits who make their dens there. There will be no peace and hardly any reward.”

Mika scowled at that caveat. There is no certain money to come. Ise doesn’t make donations to shrines that can’t be maintained. Any damages done would take lengthy government appeals no single person could pitch in on. All Mika can do at this current state was to preserve the place as told but lacked the means to make the shrine thrive. “What are you suggesting of me then? Is this some donation?”

“Donation?” The man laughed for a moment and slapped his knee. “I offer a more fitting reward for a miko that can tame ill presences.” He spoke as the lights overhead flickered again. Mika looked up at the ceiling lights as well and quietly stared at a shadow in the ceiling behind the lamp.

“Do you accept?”

“Yes… I see now.” She said, mostly to herself, as the traces from that shadow seemed to link to the money before her. She placed her talisman over the pile of money and chanted. The lights began to flicker and glow brightly as Mika trapped the money inside a golden box where the dark aura faded out from her sight. The lights overhead in the building began to gradually lose its glow and then the room went dark save for the glowing box in the room. Once the dark aura was cleansed from the money, the lights came back on as normal. The dark spot in the ceiling gone. Taking all this as the motions that Mika did accept, the man nodded and at last formally introduced himself.

“My name is Iroku Tsukabue the 14th. Current patriarch of the Iroku clan. The man behind you is Lieutenant Tetsuhiko Daima. Tetsuhiko, continue debriefing our new recruit here,” he bowed slight to the miko.

Mika, for her part, felt a bit relieved to find some measure of the air around this building eased as she came to realize this form of acceptance. This man was not lying about needing her abilities against the yokai around them. She looked down at the pile of money and picked it up, wondering why it had that dark aura around it earlier before addressing the patriarch of the Iroku.

“This won’t interrupt my services at the shrine, will it?”

“We Iroku are not such helpless people of Nara, Miss Miko. Your services will be brought up with the utmost discretion.” The head of the Iroku clan reassured with Tetsuhiko stepping away to inform the men outside further instructions for the evening.

[gman]

Drying off his hair with a spare towel Eiji had finished his bath. He didn't hear any noise at all in the shrine. It was dead quiet. Wherever that Miko was she was sure as hell taking her sweet time. Re applying the bandages all throughout his body Eiji donned his robe and new hat. Well shes not here. Why not invite himself in and poke his nose in where it did not belong. Mischief making was one of his few marketable skills after all. Entering the abode Eiji took the time to open the ruck sack he had placed eailier on the ground. Taking the time to put up all of the things he bought into their respective places they belonged. Now that was done He strode into the small bed chamber that the old lady used to use, and sure enough there was new stuff in there to rummage through. Opening one box in the corner revealed.... Clothes. Just clothes. Picking them up and putting them back in without a thought. He couldn't use any of that. Much too small, not even good enough to use as a bandage. Opening the box next to that had... books. Cracking a few open they failed to stir any thoughts inside his head. All nonsence he didn't need to know. Cept a unmarked one. Cracking that one open Eiji was surpised to see that it had fresh writing in it. Notes about Yokai. The handwriting it self was very proper, like daisuke's which meant it was hard for Eiji to parse it. Eiji closed the box after messily setiing the books back inside them. Not a single thing worth stealing. 
He walked back outside and sat down next to the front door of the small house. Lighting up a cigarette. At least he got extra of those. 

[Ram]

Being left with the man in charge of the Iroku had Mika stare at the hooks dug into him hooked into both lungs it appeared. She looked at the cleansed money in hand before addressing the patriarch prudently, “So you have been haunted for some time now.”

“Indeed,” he took the sake cup and drank it down. “Troubles with these terrors come and go but these few years, encountering them has gotten increasingly bold. Kyoto is not too far from here yet the amount of disrespect to their presence has led to how things are today between carrying on our livelihoods and putting up with wild antics.”

Mika thought about this but felt a mutual expression that any issues with yokai continue to be more trouble than they’re worth. The girl nodded at his plight. “These are indeed more troubling. I am told this area of land hosts numerous shrines since the old days but not many are well kept or became den homes. I sense that this building may have fallen upon their curses but, for now, things should be bearable. I advise some care be taken to your entryways to help ward them off.”

“Hmph,” he grunted. Whether that meant something for Mika to do or say about did the Lieutenant returned to announce the car is prepared. Mika turned to the drinking man and watched him motion her to leave.

“Take that on your way out as investment. Use as you see fit for your shrine till your assignment.”

“Thank you for your patronage,” Mika bowed and exited the room for the ride back with the two aids. Tetsuhiko turning to the head of the Iroku and taking a seat where Mika once was.

—

Outside the room, Mika was escorted back through the building again. Her head turning to every door once more when searching for more ill auras. The sunglasses and bald men were with her once more looking oddly roughed up last she saw them.

“Better not turn down the boss’s gift,” spoke up the bald one before picking up chatting with the sunglasses man. “Weird blackout. Swear this building is so out of shape.”

“You’re the one assigned to find a cheap electrician. You’re running slow on that.”

“Says you. Give me the car and I’ll drag one over.”

“No.”

“Then how am I supposed to do that? Take some cutters and go to the box myself?!”

“The lights shouldn’t bother you much anymore,” Mika interjected as the man kicked the elevator door to make it speed up the reels faster.

“You saying I’m scared of the dark lil kid?” Baldy leaned in, jutting out his lip at Mika making her glare and slap his face with the envelope for getting too close.

“I mean I exorcised a spirit here. If it was bothering the lights then it should be gone now.” Mika corrected as Baldy had to be held back once more with his arm twisted back.

“Think you can act like a lil brat just because you got money, huh!”

A small crack could be heard as Baldy’s warm was pulled back from his shoulder. “You both want to deal with the Lieutenant if you both start a fight here? Shut up and get in the car.”

“Yeah, what he—ow!”

“Both. Of. You.”

Mika and Baldy climbed in the backseat keeping to opposite sides of the passenger seat as sunglasses exited the parking garage and turned the high beams on for the long drive back.

—
Back in the office, a few drinks were exchanged between the men upon discussing a questionable miko to the group.

“Well behaved as a miko should. I’ll have the men raise their efforts on collection week and keep the head count to a minimum,” Tetsuhiko spoke, thinking steps ahead for funding. A shrine is a costly endeavor.

“Agreeable as expected. Didn’t suspect a thing and only saw the demon before her. Ise certainly trains them. You sure this is an Ajibana? Her sympathy for the yokai is… lacking.”

“The student records match of my previous students to fit the age and appearance. Development of abilities has raised since then under Ise’s instruction. Shall I leave a missive to the family?”

“Hold off on the next response and maintain observations. Won’t want to raise the old man’s suspicions just yet before handing off. You did ensure those boys of yours dropped that off, did they?”

“In part of the miko’s actions upon arriving at the shrine, the body was dropped off in the back lot without concern of drawing attention during your meeting with her.”

“Good. Good. We may be able to take back a few areas. Good job keeping track of your alumni.” Boss Iroku poured out a drink specifically for Tetsuhiko as they continued to drink toward their improving favors.

[gman]

Well with no valuables to take and nothing else to do Eiji simply walked to the nearest tree and sat down. Lighting up another cigarette there was really nothing he could do but wait. Maybe go out and look for her if she was running around the forest, but then again there would be no guarantee she would even be out there to begin with. If she was in trouble she would just have to deal with it herself. That or she was out somewhere doing whatever girls her age did. 
Say what did even girls her age do? Eiji really only had a framework of granny to go off of, and what she did was just do chores around the shrine. A few of the stories granny did tell of her younger years seemed.. boring as hell to be frank. Maybe she was out at school or something along those lines. There were quite a few books in her possession. Not getting much in the way of schooling himself Eiji could only have a laugh at her expense. Well if she wasn't back by sundown then he would go out looking for her. But until then all he was gonna do is lie in the sunlight and take it in.   

[Ram]

“Hey…. hey… you’re snoring,” Baldy learned over and looked at the miko huddled up in her corner of the car. Whatever. Snooze ya lose, as they say as he ate into a wrapped double burger. Sunglasses quietly ate up front as well, one fry at a time and a dark coffee in the holder. Some hour to reaching the edges of the city they stopped by for food. Out of obligational awareness by the teller, they purchase one kid’s meal for the one in the back. Mika hadn’t touched hers since and dozed off staring outside after a while.

“Hmph, suddenly carefree and sleeps on the job. Why the boss even keep us this late. You think he would treat his own kids any better and this miko shows up,” he complained and licked up a ketchup smear.

“Orders now that she’s part of the job now. Probably one of us before you know it. Cheaper than those bounty hunters for yokai.”

“Not necessarily. They go to the highest bidder and lack obligations. Be the same as us if our professions were different.”

“Yeah yeah. Coming out to dumb nowhere. Should have been simpler to leave the two behind.”

The car’s highbeams turned on as it got darker for the back mountain roads. Sun setting over the neighboring peeks in the rearview mirror. In the dying light for what could be seen glowing past the trees overhead as they rolled up on the shrine once more, Mika was shoved awake and given the kid’s meal box.

“Huh wha? The heck is this thing?” She looked at the yellow handled red box but had little time for answers as Sunglasses opened to door for her to step out.

“We’ll be back to pick you up till better communications is made,” he elaborated briefly and returned to the driver’s seat. The car rolled away as it arrived before the engine could be heard as he sped to race back to civilization.

Mika looked at the box in hand and opened it a little, some smaller box with a chicken picture on it and potato sticks with fruit slices. Another plastic bag was in it as well but couldn’t tell if that was food at all. Her expression more drained and groggy from the brief power nap for all of today’s happenings. She ate one of the potato sticks and crunched on how its barely lukewarm texture. She’d rather starve than find the stomach to eat.

The girl looked around and saw little else in the shrine as it grew darker save for a light at the shrine house. Must have forgot to turn that off. She headed back inside and slide the door open to see if she’d get away with another dead sleep but found something else as the box fell from her hand to the porch.

“A thief?!” Mika quickly looked through the ransacked room and searched through her belongings. Her two boxes opened and the items pulled into disarray. Quickly she accounted for each item. Only her room was this way. Each item was unpacked from its box with hurried fashion in a way to fully unpack as she should have done earlier. The kinono set up on a hanging rack with her school uniform, booked stacked to the shelf and personal care and phone put on a table. With the final piece of her phone set down on the night stand, Mika noticed something odd. Everything out in the open and nothing was missing. Who could have done this?

Mika looked at everything once more to find nothing lost or out of place. So if nothing was stolen and there’s hardly anyone who would come here, there only left one other person.

“Orochi!” Mika yelled as she opened the sliding door open again. He had to be somewhere on this mountain. “Orochi! You better come out and explain yourself before I go find you!” He was supposed to be here and with that errand. Nevermind the errand, she gave away a notebook and pen to borrow! Mika grumbled at the notion of relying on him for anything but he is the only witness left. In a sense that he didn’t go wherever the hell his camp is. did Mika dread to have to march out there. “Ooh if I gotta go out there myself,” she grumbled. Ready to go find that flashlight and start searching. First demons and now her stuff being searched through!

[gman]

He couldn't remember going to sleep but he did, waking to someone screaming his name at the top of their lungs. Sounded mad. Sounded like.. that Miko. 
One Yawn later and Eiji was back on his feet. Spitting the filter out of his mouth as he took steps towards the yelling. The lights were on in the shrine house, Did he forget to turn them off or did She turn them on? Hardly mattered really. As he got back onto the shrine grounds Mika would be able to feel his presence long before she saw him. "What is it, you don't have to scream out loud like that." Eiji said as he approached the flashlight wielding priestess "Explain what? if you got hurt today doing whatever the hell it is you do then you really have no one else but yourself to blame." The smell of grease was in the air. In that red box she had. 
She had food. Shit, she wasn't gonna share if he was gonna act like a jackass. He coughed bluntly and course corrected. "I mean i did prowl the woods and the grounds looking for you. Just couldn't find you is all."

[Ram]

Mika was sliding to get her shoes back on when that ill feeling of dred came up. The light-cone beamed in the direction of the hedges and trees. In minutes the leaves and brush were parted by that demented looking layabout. Mika scolded at looked him over. Nothing in hand. Well, no, she checked the house a bit before where it was far more orderly than her room. Some items now stocked that the miko glossed over all that as she glared at the vagabond.

“Not about that! Just, argh, just answer and you can go back doing whatever. Were you looking through my stuff?” Mika demanded. She wasn’t expecting an truthful answers from the way he strolled over in no hurry. Saying he was keeping an eye on the ground, huh? Yeah right.

“Patrolling? Yeah… I don’t see why you’d do that.” The miko doubted. “You were probably sleeping somewhere after that errand. Speaking of…” She moved the light lower so it wasn’t shining right at him and his aura. No need to see that damn medusa appendages.

“Did you really even do as I asked? I don’t see the notebook anywhere.” Mika asked now that there wasn't a need to yell. One part wondering if he really did anything at all and if he even noticed where she had been for the past few hours. Orochi didn’t look all that phased so maybe not even a thing. Some grounds keeper he is.

[gman]

Eiji did his best to look shocked and appalled, downright horrified even. Maybe it could have worked had he remembered that his face was bandaged for one and for two his new hat obscured his face. "I would never do anything like that. Perish the thought even." He didn't remember if he even put everything back the way it was. Not that it mattered. He lied as easily as he breathed. "Of course i ran your errand for you." His eyes darted down to the box she was holding. "I even put it all away for you." As for the notebook he couldn't remember where he put it. On a side note his back hurt. Lower back. Then a lightbulb went off. He had stashed it in a fold on his back. Pulling it out he handed it to her. "Only saw the dude and the girl today. Town was kinda empty." Dude and girl were hardly good descriptors but he  hardly cared to learn their titles. "And i do Patrol! For fun. If you find yokai out here no one cares if you smash em."

[Ram]

What was he even doing? The flashlight tilted upwards as his bandaged face and drop as he continued talking. No point in wasting more batteries. She went to put the flashlight down and pick up the res box. She set it on the table after dropping it to keep the tatami clean.

“So what were you even doing at all these few hours?” Mika asked for what excuse he’d come up next. He stretched and reached around him in an odd manner to finally produce the book. Amazing. Her tired eyes opened a bit wider to see the book was there at all. But a ‘dude’ and ‘girl’? Can he be anymore nondescript about it? This is why she asked for their names to better go off of.

She snatched up the book and opened it up to find the two names. Hand writing was terrible but legible somehow. “So you really did,” Mika being genuinely surprised Orochi would have done anything at all while ignoring the patrolling comment. Looking for demons shouldn’t be any more of a problem if Mika can fully run the barrier system. Having accomplished that she did note he was looking at the box in question. The miko nudged it left and right to see if his head tracked it. He… did technically fufill the assignment.

“Here.” The box was set on the porch so it was easier for him to reach it. “Burn the paper remains when you’re done.” Mika left the box there. She repeated to herself that she wasn’t hungry for any of the jostled food inside. She certainly didn’t want anything more than a bath and sleep for a more official shrine day tomorrow.

[gman]

 "Just being useful like i always am." Maybe he was laying it on thick there but he really, really wanted what was in that bag. "Course i did. I always complete my tasks. And in a timely manner mind you." And with that, the pact was sealed. His arms snatched up the box in a flurry of movements. Ripping it open he grabbed the box and shoved the soggy processed chicken into his mouth along with most of the fries. The Age of the food really didn't matter too him as he scarfed down. 
With all of the fast food devoured Eiji moved the bag just a little ways away from the porch before setting fire to it with his cigarette lighter. The grease from the food also helped with the small blaze. "That was pretty good. Where did you go off to? Not that its any of my business but i thought you Miko's where supposed to be to stay around the shrine in case some big ole yokai show up and start causing trouble. I mean i could take care of it but i don't have the flair you all got." 
He asked as he put his hands out to feel the fire.