“Yes, how is our housesitter... Sukejaro-kun is it?  I hope he will do a better job than before.  Our errands are not going to complete themselves... so unless there was anything else?”

Reiko wasn’t sure sharing sleeping space with Yufu was a good idea, not unless she was going to be recruited and briefed.  Sukejaro was probably cowed enough to follow orders and not disturb their daytime slumber.  Again this was a matter for Yuugou.

"Oh it's no problem and it's not any bother either, Yufu-chan. Like I said, it's all good now."
"And you tell me about Sukejaro, is he in a lot of trouble ? Or are you willing to give him another chance ?"

The statue fascinated Ryuji.  It was the kind of thing he'd have wanted to display at his own home.  Although he supposed he was technically homeless right now.  It was strange to think that his mother's worry that he would end up on the street if he didn't become a doctor had, after a fashion, come to pass.  A slight smile tugged at his lips as he considered the irony of the thought.  Who knows, perhaps if he had become a doctor he would have balanced his karma before this had become necessary.  There was no way to know.

His slight smile faded as he turned to give proper attention to the events occurring in the rest of the room.  It had been over a decade since he had seen her last but he could never mistake her for another.  She had the same eyes as her cousin.  Irrational anger rose in Ryuji for a moment.  He turned away to once more consider the statue.  Anger; the straight punch.  Rational thought; the side-step.  The fault was his, not hers, and not anyone who she resembled.  He couldn't lie to save his life, so he would have no defense if she recognized him and so he'd have to avoid giving her opportunities to recognize him.  Well, this was going to be a lose-lose situation.  Terrible at lying and terrible at acting casual.  Better start figuring out an explanation for why the cremation didn't take.

Yufu raised her hand to point, slow but trembling, “Ryuji-san.” Then she fainted dead away, her head thankfulling smacking the bedded part of the futon.

Sukejaro chose that moment to come out of the bathroom. There was no doubt that he had perfected clothing himself in a hurry; he carried himself with the poise of a movie star, His deep brown eyes took in the whole scene. He kept his mouth shut.

A car honked three times outside, as if to accentuate the silence in the room.

"Ryu- ah, fuck me" As his attention was fixed square on the woman, Yuugou reacted quickly, dashing to catch the woman, dropping down to his knees.
With a confused expression, he looked down at her and tried to diagnose the situation. Though his medical know-how extended only to checking her pulse and shaking her around a bit.

Once he determined that she was fine( or rather gave up and decided she should be fine), he looked up at Ryuji. While Yuugou wasn't quick enough to figure out what exactly had happened, he did catch who's fault it was.
"What the fuck's your problem, huh ?!" he gazed at Ryuji with a look of half-offense, as if the quiet man had just shit on his carpet, and half-disappointment, as if he had specifically instructed him beforehand not to do that.
But he only held the stare for a few seconds, before turning back down to Yufu. In a way, not much had changed, he still needed to get her out of here ...

Shinji hadn’t fed lately. The anxiety around the induction had taken a surreptitious toll. His inhuman lust had been stimulated by the scene they had walked in on. Visions of his own hell opened in front of him, and then the human was unconscious, helpless.

Shinji lept past Ryuji and Reiko, to land next to where Yuugou tended Yufu. His jaws distorted into a maw larger than any wild animal. He growled as he prepared to gorge on her.

[OOC: everyone roll Initiative. It is a single d10+Dex+Wits, which makes it unlike every other roll you will make. Just Private Message those to me, along with the action you plan your character to take this combat turn.]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:15, Thu 12 Mar 2020.

"Looks like a 'lady faint' to me."

Reiko couldn't be any more helpful than that.  She moved over to brush away hair from Yufu's face, although the gesture somehow came out as a bit creepy.  Maybe it was just the way her shadow fell over the girl, her thin smile, or ambient Yin.  However a look of surprise crossed Reiko's own features when the blame turned on Ryuji... he hadn't even said anything to the girl.

"Maybe Sukejaro could see that Yufu gets home?"

By now Reiko had sat down on the futon and was browsing social media sites to pass the time by.  She didn't like idleness.  There was always things she could researching... clothes, tech news, and Instagram trends.  Speaking of Instagram, she added a quick post to keep her followers interested... and something for all the ghosts out there too.  Her fingers flashed across the touch screen.

And then all hell broke loose when Shinji leapt to attack Yufu

Spooked by the sudden movement, Yuugou looked to his side, seeing the runt's jaw twist open and outward and the fangs sprouting.
"- fucking runt!" Seeing the gravity of the situation, Yuugou threw a backhand at Shinji, not to snap some sense into him but to jam his maw before he could bite into her.

Unfortunately, Ryuji's attempts to 'act natural' probably drew more attention to him than if he had actually just been normal.  Maybe 15 seconds after he recognized Yufu-san she recognized him and fainted dead away.  In that instant Ryuji could feel all eyes, some real and some imaginary, go to him.  To the outside observer Ryuji might seem calm and collected if they didn't look at his eyes which were so wide with panic that if they were any wider they'd fall right out of his head.  But 15 seconds was a new personal record for him when it came to not being noticed when he didn't want to be noticed.

"I- I can explain-!" Ryuji began in a rush.  He was interrupted by Miura-san suddenly losing control and lunging for the unconscious woman.  Everything seemed to slow down as everyone began to move at once.  Ryuji's feet shifted and he sprang after Miura-san.  As Miura-san reached for Yufu-san Ryuji reached for Miura-san.  Ryuji didn't know how strong he'd be like this and so wouldn't want to trust his own strength to be enough.  Better to simply keep him from moving.  He knew just the hold to keep him pinned.  The only question is if he would be fast enough to employ it before a tragedy occurred.

Ryuji moved as fast as a windblown leaf and applied a hold that forced Shinji's head down to his chest and prohibited him from taking as much as a single step. Moments later, Yuugou interposed himself between Shinji and the fainted woman. Shinji struggled to break free. Reiko applied her own weight to holding Shinji still. Everyone had time to take an undead breath and speak while Shinji remained pinned.

"Tsk"  Yuugou relaxed and scowled down at Shinji, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Can tonight get any fuckin' worse ..." He let out a long sigh.

"Sukejaro, get me a set of pliers ... or a hammer would do... "

Ryuji was not a strong man and so he made no real effort to keep Miura-san immobile through his own strength.  Instead he made use of Miura-san's strength to keep him contained.  As he struggled Ryuji, through clever shifts and pivots, would try to guide him away from potential victims while trying to keep Watanabe-san in a good defensive position.  The panic was gone from Ryuji's eyes and had been replaced with an intense focus.  His voice, too, was the steadiest it had ever been in their hearing.

"We should remove potential victims from the area while we get him under control.  I believe I can hold him but I don't want to put other lives at risk if I am wrong."

Reiko pretty much sat on Shinji’s legs to keep him as immobile as possible.  If he called on Demon Arts, she wasn’t sure how much of a hindrance she could be.  Reiko then tried to sooth her angry Wu mate as only a Bone Flower could.

“Shinji-san... calm yourself and leave the girl alone, she’s done nothing to earn your ire.”

When Yuugou suggested pliers or a hammer, an uncertain look crept onto her face.  What exactly did he intend to do?  Ryuji’s suggestion sounded more reasonable...

Shinji struggled for maybe half a minute before his face returned to its normal shape. He muttered to himself, “I am back in control, you fucker.” Taking in how he was fully restrained, he said sheepishly, “I’m sorry? I wasn’t expecting that.”

Ten seconds later, Yufu started to come to. “What is…? But Ryuji-san jumped from that overpass.” She opened her deep brown eyes and shuddered again. She spoke to Ryuji where he still gripped Shinji from behind: “You’re not a ghost.”

Sukejuro had meanwhile been searching the room in a failed attempt to obey his boss’s request.

Yufu looked at Reiko and then at Yuugou. “What are all of you?”

Reiko exhaled in relief when Shinji regained his sanity.

“Shinji-san, do you feel well enough to go out tonight?  I would not think less of you for staying back...”

It was a partially true statement.  Reiko preferred her unstable Wu mate to remain behind so the rest of them could concentrate on their mission.  As for Yufu, it looked like the cat was out of the bag... and the Wu may as well come clean, if they elected to keep her.

“Who wants to explain things?  I think we could use a few friends and contacts... Yufu-san seems well disposed to most of us.”

Yuugou scoffed at Shinji. If he recovered that easily did he even lose control in the first place ? To Yuugou, it looked more like he let himself go.
"Pathetic."
"You can warn us next time, or y'know, maybe try growing a shred of self-respect ?"

He turned, giving Yufu and shrugged as he leaned down to grab his suit jacket.
"Yamada-kun spooked her so ..." He pivoted around on his heel and looked at Ryuji
"She's your responsibility."

He paced out of the way, stopping at the door.
"I'll go and see about getting her a room."
"Sukejaro, you come with. - We still need to talk a bit."
"And Shinji, you should come too. So we can get you sorted on the way back."

Ryuji waited several seconds longer than he probably needed to before he released Miura-san but Ryuji was not a gambling man and had no intention of gambling when there were lives at stake.  He moved a short distance away, feeling a little awkward after such prolonged contact with someone.  It also allowed him to avoid speaking up for a little longer.  Dealing with Yufu-san would have been his responsibility regardless of what Watanabe-san had said but he certainly didn't mind someone else calling the shots.

Ryuji paced slowly and ordered his thoughts while most of the others left with Watanabe-san.  As the door shut behind them he finally began to speak but his first words were to simply ask for more privacy.  "I'm sorry, Reiko-san, but could you let us speak privately?"

He and Yufu-san were at one side of the apartment and once Reiko-san had taken at least a step away Ryuji began to explain in a quiet voice.  "I am cursed, Yufu-san.  The debts incurred by the sins of my past lives have come due and suffering in life was not enough to repay them so I must now also suffer in death.  My suffering will continue until my debts are paid or until I am returned to hell."  He fell silent for a moment before continuing.  "I cannot speak for the others, but they are similar to me.  We live despite having died but it is not true life."

Reiko soon found herself alone, with Yuugou talking to his 'buddy' and Ryuji talking to his... ex?  Girlfriend?  Whatever!  Reiko just sat herself down in a chair and scrolled through Social Media again (her go to activity for any occasion).

"Oh, I found us a coupon code for the bar."

She called out her success over her shoulder in Ryuji's general direction in that typical 'annoying Millennial' habit.  The art of communication with barely any communication.  The chances of the Wu actually wanting a drink was minimal, but Reiko remained unperturbed.

The staircase back-and-forthed as Yuugou descended,  Sukejaro trailed him just close enough to quietly fill him in. “The big boss’s nephew heads us now. I think he’s been disguising our network’s output with his own financials. But now we’re all about expansion. I had a machete under the futon. These have been rough times.”

The manager actually bothered to twist his head when Yuugou had pounded on the window.
“What, sir?” The man had these beautiful, sad eyes underneath a toupee.

Upon hearing Yuugou’s request for another room, the man responded, “Just 12,000 Yen, a single on the 6th floor.” Sukejaro forked over the cost from his wallet. Yuugou realized his own cash flow was somewhat lacking.

Keys were slid through the slot, and the manager went back to watching his show.

Her followers had jumped to 7,400 on Reiko’s Instagram. She must be doing something right.
Sitting apart as she was, Reiko was clearly able to see Shinji gently open the door, step out and close it behind himself. Not saying a word.

It was doubtful he was headed to the bar.

But, if he was, Reiko could help him get that third bottle of sake free.

Yufu’s mouth dropped open a little bit as she searched for words. Finally: “You have to tell my cousin. She was shattered when she heard how you went." Yufu’s brown eyes roamed up and down over Ryuji’s body. “Not a scratch,” she said, half to herself.

Yufu’s head started shaking back and forth. “But no, you’re a monster? A monster? But you speak so softly.”

Yuugou sighed at the news. "Fuck... We'll see about getting sorted, eventually. Right now I'm all booked up, business all over: Shinjuku, Shibuya, some fuckin' air base and who knows where else."
"Say, did someone else inherit my car ? Or did they have to let it go ?"

Yuugou cringed when he realized he had to let Sukejaro deal with the bill. He grabbed the keys and stepped outside, grabbing himself a cigarette and offering Sukejaro one.
"Here's my new phone number. Obviously, don't put it in with my name and don't answer unless you're somewhere private. Send me all the guy's numbers when you can."
Yuugou spent the rest of the cigarette shooting the shit with Sukejaro, mainly chiding him about keeping a machete under his futon like some savage third-worlder or chinaman would do.
When the cigarette was done, he swapped keys with the man and sent him up to "warm up the room for Yufu-chan", also offering to send any of his stuff up with her.

While Yuugou didn't have a whole of cash left, he had plenty to go for a quick midnight groceries run, the cigarette having reminded him that celebrations were in order.

With little pressing business to do and Shinji sneaking out, Reiko decided to tag along with the Dragon.  Who knew how long Yuugou would be away for... or how long Ryuji’s conversation would be?  Reiko shot a 'call me' signal to Ryuji first and then hurried to catch up with her Wu mate.

"Shinji-san, where are 'we' going?  Did you want to hit the bar... or was there someplace else calling to you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:55, Fri 20 Mar 2020.

Ryuji flinched at Yufu-san's words of her cousin.  A surge of heartache rose within him and he shook his head adamantly.  "No, please.  You mustn't tell anyone.  No matter how strongly someone was affected, how much worse would it be if they found out that my suffering was now eternal?"  There was also the fact that Ryuji didn't quite believe a woman who had inflicted most of his suffering in life would suddenly care for him again in death.  He may still love her dearly in spite of himself but he could no longer believe that she held any positive feelings towards him.  No, she was a schemer and she was likely just grabbing all the sympathy she could get.  He wondered how long it had taken her to shift from gaining sympathy from his presence to gaining sympathy from his absence.

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone what I've become."

Yuugou started out into the familiar streets on his way to the nearest konbini. Cars passed infrequently, but there were still a number of people on the streets. The night air carried the scent of yakitori smoke from a still-open restaurant.
The door of the 7-11 dinged as Yuugou walked in. The only other patron stood at the checkout counter: a towering whipcord of a man, not less than 6’3”, wearing a cheap gray suit. The man turned his head to notice Yuugou and hold his gaze for just a few seconds. His conspicuous Chopard watch was revealed as he reached out for the chips and Pepsi on the counter.
He didn’t actually pay.
The tall man walked past Yuugou and out of the store.
As Yuugou was not actually hungry or thirsty, his purchases were somewhat leaner than in his living days. He did find some cheap champagne and a few snacks. Sukejaro would doubtless enjoy them more, but Yuugou had at least enough Yang chi rolling around inside him to appreciate the taste.
The clerk was unfamiliar to him and looked young enough to still be in high school.
Transaction concluded, Yuugou exited the konbini.
Lounging against the glass window, the tall man called out to Yuugou: “That’s some crap champagne.”