Last stop...👻

[datmass]

It was just as well that the weapon vanished. They had nowhere to put it but the bag anyway, and frankly, the Teke-Teke would use to try and cut its way out, anyway. Now, as Momoji sent the message, Anri just took a vigilant stance and held it, her eyes scanning the area and her sword held low and off to the side in preparation of a swing. She remained focused and attentive of every sound or movement made in the vicinity, body poised to act as she awaited a response from the other on their status. Once the go was given, she moved along with Momoji, distraction basically impossible at this point, as even her desire for conversation had dropped. If the Teke-Teke chose that moment to try and tear its way out of the bag...

"If It breaks loose, I will stab it repeatedly, and then claim its arms as well."

There was absolutely no tolerance for an apparition's shit, as far as she was concerned. If they couldn't die with a little dignity, then they deserved none at all. Anyway, this was how things would hold until they got to their meet-up, something dire happened, or both.

[mermalaide]

"Agreed!" She finished up her phone messages and stowed it away. The bag she carried gave off a foul smell, one of rancid blood, after a few blocks it tried to slosh about in the bag like something was trying to reform. It was such a weird feeling. Her inugami like senses could smell the stink of something unclean with rancid blood and ill intent. This made her nose twitch a little and her jaw clench. 



She did not want to complain, but it was definitely disgusting. "We are getting close," She said after a few blocks up. She didn't want to say exactly where there were going. If she did, and it was trying to reform itself like she was thinking, that would just amplify it's will to get out even more. The bag started to feel a bit heavier with liquid. "You know, this is my first one of these. Most of the things they send me after are oni or the like."

The streetlights flickered yellow a little. The street they were now walking up was very antiquated. Most of the buildings were old and wooden. They passed some stone Buddhas that were strung in a line near an old stone and iron gate. It looked like it was practically stolen from the Meiji era.

[datmass]

The activity of the bag and its contents did not escape Anri's notice. Though her senses were not the same as that of Momoji's own abilities, it was enough that she could hear it moving, or at least that something was shuffling in there. Her ears awaited the sounds of any attempt to break free, and if it did not, then no harm done, but if it did... Oh, there would be such hell to pay that she would gladly deliver. Not so much eagerly, mind you, but with much diligence in the duty to put this creature down. As they neared whatever their destination was suppose to be, Momoji spoke of this being her first time taking on the likes of a Teke-Teke. There was a small nod from Anri on this, her eyes still scanning around for slight movement and subtle action.

"It makes sense to reserve the more haunting and cursed beings for those of a higher experience. A creature that is cursed to roam this Earth forever under whatever power that sustains them is more difficult than that of an oni, in all of its strong but definitely mortal state of being."

Not that this diminished the fact that Momoji had played her part very well, and as their reward for such a successful mission, they were heading to a place where - presumably - this bag and its contents would be purified, and that would be that. They must've been close now. Their surroundings were of a decade or two ago, and not in good repair.

[mermalaide]

Old temple buildings that were worse for wear. A man in Shinesengumi dress uniforms with a sword at his side, stood waiting for them, as well as what looked like an older priestess smoking. He gave her a slight look of disapproval and she exhaled. She looked like a dragon puffing like that and her eyes widened a little in surprise watching the two young women carry up the garbage bag of Teke.

"Right on time." The man huffed a little. He had a very cool demeanor. He would have been a good fit for an ice prince type character in an anime if he was younger. "Evening Sensei." Momiji placed the bag of yurei in front of the priestess, who made the effort to stub out her smoke on the heel of her wooden geta. "Let's get her into the courtyard. I have a ritual prepared, but don't leave. If she gets out, I won't be much of a match for her."

The man, Momiji's sensei shook his head in disapproval. "Can it Shibara Saito!" She huffed right back at him, her cheeks puffing. "You woke me up from my beauty sleep. You get what you get. Besides, the head priestess is still in Nara, try taking that thing anywhere else I dare ya!" She flicked her shoulder length ponytail in a final retort.

"Follow me ladies."

[datmass]

There was clear friction between the two, the Shinsengumi and the priestess. It probably didn't help that - whether by the lateness of the hour or due to the man himself - the priestess was in a mood very much like the Landlady from Kung Fu Hustle. That didn't matter. She was about right. Being woken up so suddenly to do a purification ritual already brought her out of her A-Game, and if she wasn't the main one here, but probably the best available in the area, then to put the demand on her with all these circumstances to take care of a Teke-Teke WAS an understandably tall order. As they followed the two with the bag still in Momoji's position, Anri remained vigilant, but spared the priestess a glance.

"We are grateful for your timely appearance and willingness to undergo the task, ma'am. It is a bit of an ask, given the circumstance, and so much appreciated."

Some would call it flattery, others would call it respect. Anri would say that just because she wasn't exactly good with people anymore didn't mean that she couldn't exercise the fine art of diplomacy to some extent. Besides, it was true, so no harm would be done in admitting it so. Soon, this thing would be sent to wherever it was suppose to go when it died, and that would be that.

[mermalaide]

"We are grateful for your timely appearance and willingness to undergo the task, ma'am. It is a bit of an ask, given the circumstance, and so much appreciated."

The priestess looked like she calmed down a little from the ask. Her face softened looking at the two younger women. She shot a glare at Momiji's sensei, but it had cooled a little. He brought out a file of information and leafed through it. From what I have gathered on our Teke here, Chiba Yuriko, sixteen, died in 1957 from a train accident.." He was reading things off for her. She took a look at the sheet he had and winced. They must have been post mortem photos from a corner's office.

"She was found near one of the platforms. The conductor said that she had climbed down onto the tracks, but from what police had recovered, she appeared to be climbing up and out of the tracks. Her parents didn't even know she was outside of the home. We can only guess why she was out that late." It could have been any reason. "Huh.." He grumbled. "Didn't see this before." He pointed at the paper and the Priestess looked a bit shocked. "She got hit by the Thousand Candle train." 

"Yeah."

Momiji was holding the bag with the Teke-teke in it and preying it would stop moving. It was making snarling gurgling sounds now. "As interesting as that may be, perhaps we could put Miss Chiba to rest? She seems to be getting..anxious."

As if on cue, the bag was moving again, and it was as if she had almost put a portion back together. The bag felt heavier. Momiji set the bag down and knelt near it. She exchanged a look with Anri, ready to subdue her again if need be.

[datmass]

A bit of background came into play, regarding the Teke-Teke. She had been hit by a particular train late at night, quite a few years ago...with a discrepency on the matter of whether she had crawled into, or was trying to get away from, the railroad tracks. Anri immediately suspected something. For while the girl had been a mystery in her presence there, a theory had already begun to form. She wondered... Well, it wouldn't change the girl's outlook to know, per se, but the priestess would surely help her move on. Anri paused, then decided it would do no narm in asking.

"It could be that she was headed for a late night rendezvous that went bad, ending in foul play. Nothing I could prove, of course, but I wonder. What was the Thousand Candle Train?"

Knowledge of the thing had escaped her, and she did not have the time nor the inclination to look it up now. Right now, though, Momoji was really making a good point. They had to deal with what was in front of them, not curiosities. Anri remained thoroughly aware of the Teke-Teke's movements this whole time. With the other girl putting the bag down now, the yokai was either going to burst out or do something. What, though, they didn't know.

"Ma'am, she is right. This thing has surely been trying to reassemble itself, and we need to put her to sleep."

Her sword was ever-vigilent. There wasn't going to be a single move without her knowing immediately.

[mermalaide]

The Priestess and the Sensei exchanged looks. "Sensei..?" Momiji looked at him when he raised a hand. He closed the file. "The nickname was Thousand candles, like the ghost story ritual, but back in the era of steam engines, but there were two trains from the Yamagutchi Railway Transport Company that would transport yokai bodies and human remains. During a fuel shortage, the conductor had the brilliant idea to use the yokai as fuel." His voice was grave sounding. "To the surprise of no one, the train gained some level of sentience."

The Priestess nodded and came forward to kneel near Momiji. "OM ARYAM SIRKAM BIMANASE UTSUMA MAHAKRODHA HUM PHAT." She put her hands to the bag and began to chant in a rhythm. Her words rand out in the courtyard. It was a prayer to calm evil spirits and to dispel the negative emotions that both the humans and yurei could have in a space. There were growls of protest coming from the bag, then something sounding like sobbing. "What has become of me?!" The voice was lamenting. The Priestess did not falter, if she did, the yurei would burst forth from the bag and attack, likely killing some of them in the process.

"OM ARYAM SIRKAM BIMANASE UTSUMA MAHAKRODHA HUM PHAT."

You could hear what sounded like the rattling sound of a train on the tracks, even though they were a good distance from them. Momiji looked at Anri and her eyes were a bit wide. All around them she could hear the sounds of a train, until it got deafening. The courtyard lights flickered, and the moving in the bag increased. "Please! Letmeoutletmeoutletmeout!" The priestess began to draw symbols onto the bag and the thrashing ceased as if multiple arms were holding the thrashing thing down. It was only the torso of a girl after all.

"OM ARYAM SIRKAM BIMANASE UTSUMA MAHAKRODHA HUM PHAT."

Momiji's sensei had his hand on his katana, ready to slice things open with a fatal stroke, but truthfully Anri was the only one poised to deliver a death blow. Momiji held the thing and the Priestess was working on it. "She needs to anoint the girl's head, everyone be ready."

The chant grew quiet and the head of the woman was uncovered. No longer did it look like the nasty Teke that had fought the two of them. No, She was actually rather pretty, sleeping peacefully. "Rest well young Miss. I pray that you find peace on the other side." She anointed the girl's brows with sweet, fragrant oil. When she was done, she went to place a paper talisman on her head. Without warning, the eyes snapped open. "Anri!"

[datmass]

"An-"

The story of the Thousand Candles Train was actually a shock to even her. Not that ssomething like that could happen, but rather that anyone in their right mind could ever be so stupid. Yokai are the very essense of haunting supernatural occurrance. Many are spawned by death curses or otherwise terrible deaths, like our Teke-Teke friend here. So naturally, fueling the boiler of a train with their bodies would possess the train! It was as dumb as building a church over an Indian burial ground in which several devil worshippers had gone through ritual sacrifice to summon Beelzebub to feast upon the bodies in the graves...and then thinking it was safe to hold mass there on ANY day of the week, but especially on the night of a blood moon! What we're saying here is that while the priestess began her chanting, Anri fully believed that if the conductor of that train wasn't already dead, he should be.

At no point did Anri lose her focus in all of this, but even if she had, there would be no way to miss the fact that thwew Teke-Teke had reformed in the bag, and was suddenly very aware of things going on. It was yelling for release as the ritual continued. The sounds of a train was not expected as this went on, but as the Teke-Teke was created by that of a yokai train, it seemed that remnants of the event hung close to the half-a-girl. Further proof of its being bound and unable to move on, it seemed. The process of drawing purification symbols on the bag and reciting the last rites seemed to be having its effect. However, the last part - annoiting the forehead with the sutra - was the most dangerous.

Momoji let out the head and all were prepared as the priestess approached, with Anri the closest and most ready. For a moment, it seemed like all would be well, but then the eyes snappend open. Everything that had been said thus far was what was on Anri's mind in the half-second of occurrance, right here and now, and in the latter half of the second, her blade descended with the Vacuum Strike on her blade, just to be sure. The strike would be true and on the neck, without any delay at all.

"-ri!"

No delay, at all.

I know that none of this was your fault and that you are the victim here, but even if you were to swear with every ounce of your being that you would devote your being towards only aiding that which is good, I could never bring myself to trust you. Goodbye.

[mermalaide]

Black blood spewed forth from the girl's mouth and from the space in her head that Anri struck. Momiji held her until she was completely dead. Well what counted for that as the priestess continued to the close of the exorcism. It was sad really. Part of Momiji wondered if what Anri surmised was true. Who actually knew why the girl had been there, until she saw something hanging almost torn from the girl's pocket. It was smudged with blood and dirt , yet still folded neatly.

It looked like a letter that had been folded over her heart and she wanted to retrieve it, but the Priestess got to it first. "Something she needed to say to someone it looks like. I think we can find the person she was going to mail this to, just so that she could rest a bit easier." It looked like a confession letter, and perhaps, indeed, that was why she had gone. She may have withed to deliver it personally.

"The train station was very sparse back then. It was barely a platform, and certainly not as safe as it is now. If that came out of her pocket, and she went to retrieve it, well, it explains much." Momiji's senpai had pulled the cap down, and the brim of his officer style cap shaded his face. There was a little light and movement across the courtyard a few paces. He looked to it, as had Momiji who was still holding Teke.

In the archway two students appeared to be standing, and conversing. A male and a female. She looked like she smiled shyly and the young man lent his arm to her, offering her a bit of help and to lead the way. "Somehow I think the message is fine where it is. He seemed to find her okay." Her eyes were red in the dark, naturally picking up any light. Her ears perked a little, and she seemed to have a lopsided grin.

"Well done."

[datmass]

Judging from the evidence left behind, it might have been as Anri thought, that the girl had been out for some kind of rendezvous. And while the appearance of the girl's spirit along with a boy's WAS unexpected, it did not totally surprise her. This happened in the 1950s, after all. The boy could easily have died in that time, where a part of him remained to see the girl once she was no longer cursed. Anything was possible. Anri quietly cleaned off her blade as this unfolded, and once it was all over, turned to the others and said...

"A good night's work. I fully expected to take a leg injury on this one, but it seems I was a little too fast."

She now sheathed her sword, just holding it at her side, as her usual belt was not on her, at the moment.

"It was nice to work with others, for a change. I usually just do this alone. If there are anymore jobs waiting for me, please tell the recipient that I'll be wanting to suit up for them, unless it's either an emergency or they need more subterfuge, like tonight."

The same even tone-voice, even after all that, though a hint of a kinder demeanor remained. It was hard to tell if this was just her, or if it was a professional attitude she had adopted. It could be anything, as anything was possible when understanding that this girl was related to Max.

[mermalaide]

"It was indeed. You both did well." Momiji's mentor, Saito Shibara bowed lightly and stiffly to the ladies. "I will fill out the rest of tonight's paperwork. Consider it my thanks for a job well done." He was nice when he wanted to be, but he was formal, and just plain tough at times. Most of the trainees didn't think he liked them, but it wasn't true. If anything, Saito cared about everyone he trained. It was just hard to express himself formally.

"That train has caused more than a few incidents, if you ask me." The priestess gathered up the bag, which was now just a bunch of ash in a sack. She planned on making a memorial for the deceased, so she would stay dead really. She took her cigarette case out of her hakuma style pants, already ready to light up a smoke.

"It is indeed nice." Momiji said to Anri. "It's not often I get to hunt these things with a compatriot, though, there has been the occasional Gouma den." She got up from the stone paved ground and was brushing herself off. A cold drink and a hot bath sounded nice. "I may have to take you up on that. We caught her rather quickly, and without casualties or damage. That tends to be rare, even with the best laid plans."

The comment about incidents was surprising. "There have been more?" The priestess got the bag of remains completely together. "Mostly people losing limbs to that train, it's twin had a major wreck in the mountains. It was an ugly thing. I have many ideas about it." She put another smoke to her lips and lit up again. She either really liked such things or she had seen much, her black hair was streaked with an iron gray, and while she looked older, she was probably in middle age.

"You know, both trains were put under lock and key in some scrap yard somewhere. They told the public that it was done and both trains had been destroyed, but I don't know if I believe that." She exhaled, looking almost like a dragon. "You don't exactly have proof of that," Shibara looked at her with some annoyance. He didn't like speculation. "No, not really, it's just a hunch. We all get them."

Momiji watched them bicker. "Are you staying at the manor, Anri?" She wondered if she would see the other girl in the barracks or training grounds like herself. Shinsengumi often came and went for periods, sometimes living in the manner if they were in the city.

[datmass]

Somebody else filling out the paprerwork was a nice touch. It allowed her to get on with her day...or night. Whatever. The priestess was going on about the train. Anri stayed around, for now, to hear what exactly she had to say about it. The whole story told could only be beneficial, though as she spoke, Momoji had interjected taking her up on an offer? What...? Anri looked confused for a moment. She hadn't made...oh wait.

"If you mean working together, I would not be against it. It's just that my methodology has grown to include measures taken for rapid speed or stealth."

...which reminded Anri that she would have to head back to her bike on foot, so she had a bit of a walk ahead of her. Talk between Shibara-san and the priestess indicated that there was the possibility, no matter how unlikely, that one of these yokai ghost trains may still be in existence At this, the young lady's eyes narrowed.

"Rest assured, that should I ever see one of these trains for any reason, I will personally tear it to pieces."

They didn't call her the Punishing Strike - among other names - for nothing. Once Anri had a target, that target may as well be getting hunted by a Terminator. She absolutely will not allow anyone or anything that needs to be punished or killed to stay standing. Momoji then asked if she was staying in the Shinsengumi manor, to which Anri shook her head.

"I have my owwn apartment in the city. It may not be the most efficient or convenient of choices, but I value a certain level of privacy - the ability to close a door and expect no visitors - to have time to oneself uninterrupted."

She didn't feel right in a barracks, as it would probably lead her to be quieter and even more withdrawn than normal. For Anri, it was a serious matter, though even for a normal person, this sort of thing is understandable. After this, Anri said that she needed to get to her bike and would turn to leave.

[mermalaide]

"That is something we have in common then, not necessarily the stealth but certainly the speed." Momiji was thankful to have the bond of the Inugami within her. Her speed had been greatly enhanced, to the point where she could be pretty terrifying. It was interesting though, she had not many other female compatriots within the Shinsengumi, and a fellow sword woman no less! That was a nice thing to think about.

"Rest assured, that should I ever see one of these trains for any reason, I will personally tear it to pieces."


Saito Shibara raised an eyebrow under his cap. He had never been so surprised. "you.. you are going to fight a train?" He looked somewhere between annoyed and flabbergasted. In his youth, he had been the what some of his elders teased him as a stoic, pretty boy swordsman. Usually, his face was inert, and one could not move it to emotion really, but this, this had him surprised. All he could think was, you do not isekai Anri, Anri apparently isekais you. That and Wii music.

"Sensei. If I may, it is not like it is a physical train. It is a yokai, so it mayhap be a very different experience."

Saito turned and looked at Momiji, his protégé with the critical eye of a thousand suns. He did regain his stony composure however. Though, Momiji was sure she would likely be doing katas when she got back until her arms fell off. "You are not helping." She did not shrink from him, but that look was intense. "Ah. Apologies."

"I have my own apartment in the city. It may not be the most efficient or convenient of choices, but I value a certain level of privacy - the ability to close a door and expect no visitors - to have time to oneself uninterrupted."


"We live all over the place. It is not a big deal, though, the facilities are very nice at the mansion. Many extra places to train and resources. But then, it is known among us." Momiji tried to clear the air a little. She was often the awkward one in most groups due to seriousness, but she was trying to work on that, she knew it made regular people uncomfortable at best. "Would you like company as you walk? I think you left your bike back towards the station yes?" 

[datmass]

Anri was completely serious, though she said nothing further on the matter of the train. She only let off a slight smirk at the veteran's surprise. It wasn't bravado or anything foolish like that. The fact is that Anri simply could not tolerate a ghost train of stupidity created by humans who made a terrible mistake to exist. She could not allow it to be, so it was in her mind that if she should see this thing, then there would be no delay in rending its parts and discovering whether or not rupturing its boiler would be the same as stabbing something in the heart. She would earnestly pursue such a quest because - just as she could not ever trust the Teke-Teke to keep still during the ceremony - she could not stand something like that to live, and that was that. Momoji would attempt to quell her mentor to...some degree, leaving her to then catch up with Anri now. It was actually kind of odd that the other girl would consider herself the awkward one, when Anri felt it was that way for other reasons. Still, she nodded at the question.

"Yes, I did leave it, for sake of the subterfuge. You can accompany me, if you like. I will be on guard, of course."

As in, 'I have no intention of switching off me until I hit the pillow and sleep', meaning that while she wasn't in a stance, she was ready to strike at a moment's notice, always prepared to be attacked. ...all the time... But...really all the time? She certainly seemed that way. And yet, that seriousness had a familiar ring to it, didn't it? Another fella who rarely let himself off the hook, for personal reasons.