Grief In the Shell: Madokapunk IC Thread

[Draken]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ-Roof)

Leon's eye refocuses.

*Bzzszzt* "I'm dialing Dr. Masaki for this one then. Would you rather go to her or have her come here?"

Spoiler: Message for Vocusta

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I've got a forensic job for you. Identify a weapon that's been made unidentifiable.

"As for my news. The prisoner you delivered gave me some interesting info, I am sending it over to your terminals on a secure line. Don't want any of this out in the open, would cause chaos."

Well, it is Yoshi's story.
Knights of the Purple Star. Heaven's Gate. JSDF. Arata's murder. Turning Mikos into real girls.

Right after, Leon turns to Nadica.

*Bzzt* "Speaking of, for confirmation's sake. Were you in on this project of Arata's, giving mikos souls so they could channel grief?"

Leon silently contemplates summoning Nuan and Nakano for further explanations, as well as getting ahold of Yamaguchi.

[Beans]

[Ward 3]
(ZT HQ)

Oh, a message! Vo reads it in her arglasses, the holographic text hovering in her field of vision. Identify an unidentifiable weapon? There's a challenge she's up for, something really interesting---and another inroad with those oh-so-fascinating mashous. How much will she have to rein her usual antics in, though?
She'll just have to see.

Spoiler: Text to Leon

Show

Send pics for advance viewing, bring ASAP. Better equipment @ lab for analysis but can come to you if necessary.

[Sucrose]

Satou shrugs at Turnbull's suggestion. If he's surprised, he doesn't show it. Maybe he's just too tired to jerk away.

"Already ran pretty much all the non-destructive tests I have, and a fair number of those go a ways into the substructure. From what I could see, inside's clean.

Still, the kids in the labs have a few tools I don't. No reason not to give them a crack at it."

At the Chief's followup, takes in the information for a few moments, then he shrugs again.

"If she comes to us, we can do some testing while we wait for her. Doubt she has many tools that our labs lack, aside from a database on where their materials came from. And a database, she can access from here."

Besides, she'll have more eyes on them this way. Unlikely that she played a role, but no reason to give her any chances to hide it if she did.

"...Anyway, JSDF would explain the familiarity with our sort of surveillance and lab equipment. And having a sniper who could pull off that shot at all. Might be worth looking into whatever we have on snipers of theirs that are fans of Mayor Arata. If they were just taking the shot, they would've aimed for center of mass."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ - Roof)

Nadica shrugs at Satou when he addresses her about one of her wayward pets. "...was wondering where he wandered off to. Thanks, I guess. I'll have the wranglers pick him up. Maybe beef up the cat-herding protocols in Waltz Tower."

She reads the interrogation and watches the connected parts of the interrogation over a handheld device, gradually giving Gomes the stink eye as it goes on. Especially with regards to the JSDF. She doesn't say anything though.

When addressed, she throws her hands in the air. "Well, you caught me." It's almost like he's mocking him. "Seriously though, he didn't invite me into his private club, but Zealtech helped, and that meant I could track the parts of the project that were in data. So I'm not all in the dark on that."

[Dorizzit]

[NMSF HQ]
Tower

Leysa is impassive at the various arrivals and discussion, sticking to the outside of the growing circle of notable individuals. When Yoshi's story is given out to the rest of the group, Leysa goes over the entire collection of information slowly and impassively; as the conversation progresses, she shows no kind of reaction whatsoever to anything said or anything that she reads or watches. Although not prone to outburst, this level of passivity is uncharacteristic for the expressive Mashou.

Finally, she sighs lightly.

"...I'm going to take a nap. Forensics ain't my thing. Buzz my phone if you need anything."

Without any fanfare, Leysa heads towards the nearest way off the roof and descends into the NMSF's HQ.

[Selinia]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Miki Harmonics Center]

"I have a supply, but I'm not so flush with the things I'll turn them down." Hoa nods at the offer.

"But look, kid, I think you're overthinking this a bit. Exit strategy? I can create some serious shrouds and visual blockers. Nuan's portals have range, and we can all use them. Worse comes to worse, from what you've said, you should have the firepower to just knock a hole in a wall so we can make a break for it. We know what we're capable of, we know the terrain, and none of us is dumb enough to pick a fight we can't win. And given we're talking about mashou here, it's hard to say what kind of powers we'll be up against, or what we might need to do to evade them."

"We've got our general fallback point and a bag of tricks to get us out if things go seriously downhill, and Nuan's right - hopefully we won't need either. There's only so much we can do here."

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

"You absolutely can! We just need to plan around, well, you dear. For instance, I'm thinking we should really temper your initial press circuit with paired appearances. Those shows will be a lot less stressful for you if there's another mashou or two to take the questions if you start feeling overwhelmed. Press meetings are going to be tougher, but you can rehearse for those a lot more, we still ultimately have control over who gets into those, and they're rare besides. Most mashou only give them for big events in their career."

"As an added bonus, I'm willing to bet there are some mashou who you'd really love to meet, and doing a show with you is going to be good for anyone's career right now! Your excitement is going to do a lot to help put out the image of who you are, and you'll be making connections and associating yourself with the mashou community in the process."

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
[Sango Gardens < - > Wishcraft Foundation HQ]

Victor is greeted with a cheer and enthusiasm that bespeaks either a dangerously unnatural substance or an even more dangerously unnatural affinity for the morning shift.

"Helllllo! You've reached the Wishcraft Foundation, how can we help?"

Most managers eventually got a direct line to people in the foundation of actual relevance. So far, however, Victor still had to deal with the public call center. Anyone being contacted by the boisterous Russian man preferred a little bit of advance warning before picking up on him.

[Kuroimaken]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Miki Harmonics Center]

"I have a supply, but I'm not so flush with the things I'll turn them down." Hoa nods at the offer.

"But look, kid, I think you're overthinking this a bit. Exit strategy? I can create some serious shrouds and visual blockers. Nuan's portals have range, and we can all use them. Worse comes to worse, from what you've said, you should have the firepower to just knock a hole in a wall so we can make a break for it. We know what we're capable of, we know the terrain, and none of us is dumb enough to pick a fight we can't win. And given we're talking about mashou here, it's hard to say what kind of powers we'll be up against, or what we might need to do to evade them."

"We've got our general fallback point and a bag of tricks to get us out if things go seriously downhill, and Nuan's right - hopefully we won't need either. There's only so much we can do here."

"Every angle is covered by overthinking. Every possibility is conceived and prepared against. Every move of the chessboard is a chapter of a book we've read a thousand times.

That's just how we Kujoh are, Hoa-san. We got to where we are today by making every 'unexpected' move turn to a boring and predictable reality. It wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration to say we are in the prophecy business." Makoto offers with a smug grin.

"Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. I really do hope we can get by talking our way through first. If nothing else, I'm better at that than at punching my way through my problems."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

Rio scoots forward a bit at the mention of meeting other mashou and doing shows with them, and her expression is energetic and joyous in a way she rarely is, with her generally dampened emotional responses. "...really? Um... yeah! I'd like that!" Her smile is... really just kind of heartwarming. Rio might be in her early teens, but there's still a sort of pure, untarnished hope and naivety.

"...um... but... I don't have any more questions." She dials it down again when she realizes there's still a few candidates to go through. "...glad to meet you, Ikeda-sensei." Rio stands up and bows, her hood slipping a bit again. She slips it back down as she seats herself, flipping back through her notes and making a few additional ones.

Disregarding final statements, all there really was to do was move on to the next applicant. But... Rio's parents can definitely tell that she was inspired and impressed by Haru.

[Selinia]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Miki Harmonics Center]

Hoa rolls her eyes. "You really don't know what overthinking is, do you? That boast would be a lot more impressive if it didn't imply you took a thousand readings to absorb your lessons. I'd expect diminishing returns on readthrough five hundred or so."

That elicits a small chuckle from Nuan, but she holds up her hands, peacemaking.

"All right, all right. How's this for an idea. Makoto? How many Wishcraft wraith hunts have you been on? You know wraith withdrawal doctrine, right? We can use that as a base. It's not all going to be applicable, since wraiths are a lot less intelligent than people, but the core idea is sound - stick together and put as much distance as possible between us as our pursuers. We just need to get to the seawall. I don't think they'd pursue us into the NMSF's zone of influence, and I think we can trust each other's urban navigation abilities."

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

Haru says her farewells with grace, smiling (and laughing a bit at Rio's honorific) and offering her contact information to Rio directly, in case the girl thought of anything later she'd forgotten in the moment. Chiyo already had it, of course, but despite her own managerial accolades, this was a business transaction that Rio's mother was not technically involved in save for an advisory capacity. It's only appropriate that the mashou be able to call her potential manager one to one.

But, time passes. The meetings are scheduled comfortably far apart, enough time for Rio and Chiyo to discuss the prospects in detail, or for Rio to recoup her thoughts and review her notes. The rain is relentless, thickening over the city as the afternoon slips away, and punctuating the sounds of urban life with the occasional flare and rumble of Raijin's heavenly drums. The second visitor arrives in the midst of such a cacophony, necessitating a second ring of the doorbell to compensate for the first being drowned entirely.

Himura Rinko is one of the most... adult-looking mashou Rio has ever seen. Between the obviously-tailored pantsuit (evocative of a uniform in its neatness and cut), the carefully applied makeup, the high heels, the meticulously styled russet curls falling around the mashou's face, and a whole host of other subtle cues, Rinko could very easily be mistaken for a woman in her late twenties. Albeit, an extremely petite one. Ultimately though, no amount of gussying-up could hide that she looks to be physically Rio's age, at most.

"Chiyo-san, Rio-san." Rinko greets the two formally, offering a small bow. "I expect it has been an eventful day already. May we begin?"

There is less small talk than with Haru, less introductory chatter. Rinko gathers herself for a few moments once everyone is seated and settled in, but is the first to speak on the topic of business at hand.

"Rio, tell me, do you understand what your role is, as a magical girl? Not your role as Koizumi Rio, or a member of the public sphere, or as an advocate of whatever causes you choose. The role fundamentally thrust upon you the moment you accepted your contract, the one that is bound to your very nature."

[Kuroimaken]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Miki Harmonics Center]

Hoa rolls her eyes. "You really don't know what overthinking is, do you? That boast would be a lot more impressive if it didn't imply you took a thousand readings to absorb your lessons. I'd expect diminishing returns on readthrough five hundred or so."

That elicits a small chuckle from Nuan, but she holds up her hands, peacemaking.

"All right, all right. How's this for an idea. Makoto? How many Wishcraft wraith hunts have you been on? You know wraith withdrawal doctrine, right? We can use that as a base. It's not all going to be applicable, since wraiths are a lot less intelligent than people, but the core idea is sound - stick together and put as much distance as possible between us as our pursuers. We just need to get to the seawall. I don't think they'd pursue us into the NMSF's zone of influence, and I think we can trust each other's urban navigation abilities."

Makoto was just about to retort to that when Nuan intervened. "Yeah, that's fine by me. Let's get going, it's no good if they think we're late because we're setting something up."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

As the new person enters, Kin does another cautious appraisal, giving Rinko his approval before lowering his guard. Akio offers a plate of strudel, as last time, and Rio sits across from Rinko just as the last appointment.

Rio is... a bit more tense with this person, though, but not out of disrespect. Rinko was a mashou, after all. She's not really expecting Rinko to take the initiative, and takes a few moments to reorganize before answering. "...um. A mashou fights wraiths." Concise, but something about boiling it down that simply leaves a dry taste in Rio's mouth.

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower)

Chiyo fights a reflexive glare up at Rinko. She realizes the mashou-turned-manager is getting to a specific point with this, and while she has an idea what that point is, it doesn't sit well that she put Rio on the defensive, in her eyes.

[Sucrose]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
[Sango Gardens < - > Wishcraft Foundation HQ]

Victor smiles a bit more broadly. He's rather familiar with this one; she tends to leave an impression. He paces the kitchen, gesticulating broadly enough that one can almost hear it at the other end.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Hina! Hellllooooo to you too! This is Victor! Have a request from my friend Mia! She'd like to ask for Leysa's contact info- she says she didn't get it in all the excitement yesterday. Could you give it to us, or get us in touch with Leysa's people?"
_______________________________
[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF HQ-Roof]

Satou watches Leysa go, behind his shades. His throat moves a little bit.

Spoiler: Subvocal message to Leysa

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Let me know if you want t' talk.

[Selinia]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Miki Harmonics Center]

Course of action set upon, the trio leaves the harmonics center by 'ferry' - in truth just an old fishing boat modified for a bit of extra seating space by an enterprising captain. From there, it's a relay of low paths, high paths, and occasional bouts of parkour required to navigate through the city to the cathedral-like ruins of the old school building. It is not the fasted possible route, but it allows for heightened vigilance, and is far less conspicuous than a team of mashou hurtling through the city at top speed. There is little trouble to note, however...

"Hold on. I feel something." Nuan gestures quickly to the others, freezing and moving a hand to her opalescent soul gem. As she closes her eyes to focus, Makoto can likely pick up on the same sensation. A prickling wrongness. A hollow chill.

"Wraithsign. Not strong, but... almost active. To the east?" Close, by Makoto's estimation, but not so much that the wraiths would likely actually target the mashou. Tangential to their destination, approaching the school from the south as they were. Nuan looks to the east, no doubt reaching similar conclusions to Hoa.

"Alright. It looks like we're... going to be taking a little detour, okay? No way we can assume someone else is getting that. Guessing no objections?"

Hoa shakes her head. Nuan looks to Makoto.

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
[Sango Gardens < - > Wishcraft Foundation HQ]

"Caaaaaaan do! I'll path a message right through to her, and she'll call you back when she's got time. She's on our deployment planner as on the job right now, so no promises for speed, but she'll get your message!"

Spoiler: Wishcraft Foundation Message: Leysa

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Hi there, Leysa! Dispatch here, we've got a request from Tanaka Mia to get in touch when you have a chance. Just drop her a call if you like, or let us know if you'd just prefer we relay your contact info. Thanks, good luck out there!

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

Rinko gives a teacher's nod of approval to Rio, and a slightly apologetic glance to Chiyo. Her hard, professional expression softens a bit, with a shift in temperament that almost feels like sheathing a sword..

"We do. That isn't something that should frighten you. But it is something I want to make sure you're aware of. It is very easy to forget the danger we face, if all you have done is look in at it from the outside. Injuries and yes, even deaths are a rarity now, but that is because we take precautions to make it so. We train, drill, and prepare in earnest, because even the simplest battle can sour in a heartbeat if we approach them sloppily or without due consideration."

The veteran seems to be choosing her words carefully, attempting to walk a line on which she can impress upon Rio the gravity of the situation without simply scaring her. Her calm, softer-than-expected tone helps.

"One more question for you, Rio, then feel free to ask as many of your own as you like. Have you tested your powers yet? I see you've mastered the transformation, at least, and I have been informed that you are quite knowledgeable about some of the nuances of mashou abilities."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

Rio eases up a bit after Rinko's presence softens, though Kin is still looking up from his bed quietly, leveling a watchful gaze on Rinko.

"...um, not really. Um... all I know is..." She looks to Kin for a moment, before looking back. "...well, I think I can hear Kin's thoughts? I don't... really know anything else..." She lets that soak in for a moment, also taking a moment to just think it over again, before going back to her list of questions. "Um, so..."

"What mashou have you worked with?"

"Who are your best clients?"

"Why'd you decide to be a manager?" There's a leaf of legitimate curiosity in this, since Rio has read about Ironheart Rinko and reviewed her history a bit before the meeting.

"Who do you think you've helped the most? ...um, as a manager..."

"And... um... what ways can you help me that are... unique?" She nods, indicating she's done with her questioning, going back to her default position of just... fidgeting nervously, and trying to keep her focus on Rinko.

[Selinia]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

Rinko absorbs these, thinking.

"...I'm afraid I have to answer those a tad out of order, interrelated as they are. But to your first, I've worked with nearly three dozen mashou since leaving the JSDF. Most of them were rookies, and most left my management after a few years - certainly, by the time you would have heard their names, they would have been out of my care. I expect you would do the same, were you to sign on with me. I can offer you little in the way of fame or recognition, beyond the admittedly considerable amount you have accrued for yourself already, and do not begrudge my clients looking to advance their careers once they have learned what I have to teach."

"What I can do is prepare you, Rio. At the moment, I have four students, and you would be my fifth. Xun Ai, Suzuki Shinobu, Tachibana Youko, and Fujita Sora, in the order they joined our group. You will be expected to spend a substantial portion of your time with this group, and ideally would spend at least three nights a week at the training center. You will be a part of a team, and you will learn how to operate as a team member. Perhaps more importantly, you will have the opportunity to train, study, and relax around other mashou of a similar age and experience level, without the pressures of learning in the midst of wraith hunts or other dangerous activities."

Spoiler: Knowledge: Mashou

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Rio recognizes these names only in the haziest of hazy senses. She remembers reading them on the 'new mashou' lists, and she's pretty sure Xun Ai has been a part of at least one fairly high-profile wraith hunt, but she's drawing a blank otherwise.

"This is your life, Rio. There's no going back on being a magical girl, and I know that I, at least, wouldn't want to renege on my contract even if I could. But you have a long life ahead of you, and as far as I am concerned, making sure you get to live it is my absolute highest priority. I take it as a point of personal pride that none of my clients have ever died under my management, and all but one is still with us today. I can offer you training of a caliber I feel confident to be the highest available, and I have experience in leading and organizing mashou both as individuals and cohesive units. I have connections with the NMSF and Wishcraft and will be able to put you in contact with some of the city's best instructors, and you can benefit from learning alongside your peers in a secure environment. That is what I have to offer. Is there anything you would like clarified? Explained?"

[Dorizzit]

[NMSF HQ]
Deeper

There is no distraction or lack of confidence in Leysa's steps as she navigates the NMSF HQ; any traces of her earlier worries have been eradicated from her bearing, and she is very familiar with the inside of the building. She's been here dozens of times before, as an ally, a witness, and on a few notable occasions, a suspect. None of those had turned out to be anything worth further pursuit, but Leysa had picked up a bit of a reputation among the NMSF's interrogators. She tended to treat the whole thing like a game, despite being free with the information she had. Further interactions after any initial debriefing were like pulling teeth.

Exchanging the occasional greeting with officers she recognizes, Leysa makes her way to the general-use quarters for dedicated assistants, picks an empty one, and shuts the door behind her. Sitting on the bed, she consults her phone and taps out a few quick messages.

Spoiler: To Satou

Show

I appreciate the thought, but I'm fine. Really. Just got jerked around a lot all at once yesterday. As of now, we're back in home territory for me.

Spoiler: To Wishcraft, and also technically Satou

Show

You can just give her my contact info. I'll try to remember to call when I can, but this job might take a while. Also, once Koizumi Rio has a manager picked out, can you pass on a message that I'd like to meet with her? Don't want to overwhelm the kid. Thanks!

~Leysa

Leysa drops her phone on the window sill and drops onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

[Kuroimaken]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Miki Harmonics Center]

Course of action set upon, the trio leaves the harmonics center by 'ferry' - in truth just an old fishing boat modified for a bit of extra seating space by an enterprising captain. From there, it's a relay of low paths, high paths, and occasional bouts of parkour required to navigate through the city to the cathedral-like ruins of the old school building. It is not the fasted possible route, but it allows for heightened vigilance, and is far less conspicuous than a team of mashou hurtling through the city at top speed. There is little trouble to note, however...

"Hold on. I feel something." Nuan gestures quickly to the others, freezing and moving a hand to her opalescent soul gem. As she closes her eyes to focus, Makoto can likely pick up on the same sensation. A prickling wrongness. A hollow chill.

"Wraithsign. Not strong, but... almost active. To the east?" Close, by Makoto's estimation, but not so much that the wraiths would likely actually target the mashou. Tangential to their destination, approaching the school from the south as they were. Nuan looks to the east, no doubt reaching similar conclusions to Hoa.

"Alright. It looks like we're... going to be taking a little detour, okay? No way we can assume someone else is getting that. Guessing no objections?"

Hoa shakes her head. Nuan looks to Makoto.

Makoto shrugs.

"Can't have a wraith crashing our party now, can we? It might even win us some points. Shall we go?"

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

Rio thinks quietly for a few moments before responding. "...what about normal school? And... Kin can come, too, right?" That latter question is obviously more important to her. She can't seem to think of anything else to ask, though. It wasn't particularly glamorous or exciting, but... she'd focus on learning her powers, getting to see what kind of mashou she'd be. She could certainly acknowledge the use in that.

[Selinia]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Fountain District]

There's not much more to be said, with Makoto's assent. The group departs.

The wraithsign is not far, lurking in the belly of what was once a high-class supermarket. The sort of place where wealthy housewives or househusbands would arrive to purchase only the most rigorously marketed produce trends at a substantial markup, paying premium for the assurance that their children would not be transformed into shambling mutants by a dodgy leek or tomato. Now the brackish waters of Old Mitakihara rise nearly to the rooftop, itself sporting a yawning hole near its center. The water within is black as pitch, and the malignant presence is... unmistakable.

You didn't get used to wraithsign. Even, or perhaps especially, someone as perceptive as Makoto would realize that. It was an unsettling sensation to say the least, though a pale shadow of the fathomless incoherence and rage of wraiths themselves. While a mashou's powers might grant them awareness of wraithsign, their minds retained enough fundamental humanity to recoil from the feeling, drowning it out with the faint sensory static so often associated with the creatures. Colors mute. Sounds fizzle and flow together. Smell and touch are distorted and off-putting, and Makoto can taste little but a hint of bile on his tongue.

This one is nearly mature, it seems. Were this the city proper, it would have been found and confronted sooner. It is fortunate that the boil is so small, in the scheme of such things, else it might prove a challenge too daunting to approach with a mere three mashou.

Nuan sparkles as she transforms fully, driving back the oppressive sensations and alighting on a twisted streetlight to observe the target. Hoa holds off for a moment, studying the battlefield first.

"...we're just in time, it looks like. Makoto, your powers are the most directly offensive of ours. Think you could stir the hornet's nest with something big? I can provide a good measure of cover from the counterstrike, and Hoa is best suited to taking out stragglers. How much mobility do you have, when you're going for saturation fire?"

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 6]
[Yumeiji Tower, Residential Levels]

"Your service dog is welcome, of course. He would be even as just an animal, but he seems to be linked to your abilities in some capacity, which certainly merits consideration. As for school... your own school is known for making accommodations to each student's unique situation, so if you wish to, it might be possible to continue attendance once classes resume. Otherwise, the Wishcraft foundation offers quality education through the university level, with curriculums tailored to suit the needs of mashou students. They can offer a degree of schedule flexibility and understanding that I have seen elsewhere only rarely."

"If that is all, I'm certain that you have had a busy day already, with more to do and no doubt things to discuss with your parents. I sincerely hope you take what I've said into consideration, and weigh your options with care."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 6]
(Yumeiji Tower, Koizumi Apartment)

Rio nods, and rises, bowing slightly. "...um, thank you, Himura-san." The new mashou was admittedly a bit intimidated by Rinko, but... she could acknowledge some of the points her experienced elder held to her perspective. And... she was right, she could always just switch out over time. But still, the decision isn't getting any easier.

Rio waits calmly until the next appointment, sharing her concerns with her mother as appropriate after Rinko leaves.

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ - Roof)

As the rain picks up, Nadica looks up with some slight annoyance for a moment, before she looks down again, apparently getting a message through her (new, since Gomes exploded the last one) phone.

"...guess the cat wranglers wanna talk shop about Spot. Any other massive revelations before I leave? I mean, I've got a homesick leopard waiting, so make it quick, everyone."

[Sucrose]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Victor is all nods and smiles, chatting amiably with Hina-san, before the answer comes in.

"Well, thank you very much! Have good day!"

With that, he shuts off the call with an excessively dramatic poke of his smartphone, and looks over to Mia.

"We have Miss Leysa's phone! Would you like to call right now?"

_______________________
[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ)

Satou shrugs, largely unaffected by the incoming rain. It's always drizzling in his heart.

"Don't care to help out with any of the lab work our people are doing? Thought you wanted in on the case."

[Kuroimaken]

[Old Mitakihara]
[Fountain District]

There's not much more to be said, with Makoto's assent. The group departs.

The wraithsign is not far, lurking in the belly of what was once a high-class supermarket. The sort of place where wealthy housewives or househusbands would arrive to purchase only the most rigorously marketed produce trends at a substantial markup, paying premium for the assurance that their children would not be transformed into shambling mutants by a dodgy leek or tomato. Now the brackish waters of Old Mitakihara rise nearly to the rooftop, itself sporting a yawning hole near its center. The water within is black as pitch, and the malignant presence is... unmistakable.

You didn't get used to wraithsign. Even, or perhaps especially, someone as perceptive as Makoto would realize that. It was an unsettling sensation to say the least, though a pale shadow of the fathomless incoherence and rage of wraiths themselves. While a mashou's powers might grant them awareness of wraithsign, their minds retained enough fundamental humanity to recoil from the feeling, drowning it out with the faint sensory static so often associated with the creatures. Colors mute. Sounds fizzle and flow together. Smell and touch are distorted and off-putting, and Makoto can taste little but a hint of bile on his tongue.

This one is nearly mature, it seems. Were this the city proper, it would have been found and confronted sooner. It is fortunate that the boil is so small, in the scheme of such things, else it might prove a challenge too daunting to approach with a mere three mashou.

Nuan sparkles as she transforms fully, driving back the oppressive sensations and alighting on a twisted streetlight to observe the target. Hoa holds off for a moment, studying the battlefield first.

"...we're just in time, it looks like. Makoto, your powers are the most directly offensive of ours. Think you could stir the hornet's nest with something big? I can provide a good measure of cover from the counterstrike, and Hoa is best suited to taking out stragglers. How much mobility do you have, when you're going for saturation fire?"

Makoto truly hated what the wraithsign felt like. Taste, especially; to him, it felt like he was eating cruddy tar. (No surprise, since even his tongue was modded to detect ingestible toxins.)

"Not much. My powers have a pretty big firepower-to-recoil ratio, and the bigger the firepower, the least bullets I've got. I've been trying to find a way to either compensate for the recoil or use it to move around, but I still haven't gotten the hang of it." It didn't help his training options were fairly limited. You couldn't program the unpredictability of a wraith. At best, you could use simulations of previous hunts, but those grew predictable far too fast. No good as training.

"On the upside, the enemy being in such a large body of water gives me something I can exploit. I might even be able to slow them down, if they react to cold anywhere near what normal living things do. Or, if we could find a way to seal them in shortly after the blast, we could pressure-cook them.

So my question to you guys. Hot or cold?"

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ - Roof)

"Did I say I wouldn't be back?" Nadica shrugs. "I just have other **** to do than wait around on Vo's twitchy ass. Bee-bee-ehl." She rolls for the edge of the roof and initiates her wheelchair's rocket mode, blasting off again.

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Mia shrugs dismissively as she slurps the last of her noodles.

"Nah, 'mean..." Another slurp. "It's pretty early. Can call her later. I'd probably just be a bother." Hmmm...

"And I guess that Rio kid wouldn't be in their network yet, but that's fine. Maybe I could stop at her school. ...I mean, they probably have the day off, but still."

[Draken]

[Ward 3]
(ZT HQ)

Oh, a message! Vo reads it in her arglasses, the holographic text hovering in her field of vision. Identify an unidentifiable weapon? There's a challenge she's up for, something really interesting---and another inroad with those oh-so-fascinating mashous. How much will she have to rein her usual antics in, though?
She'll just have to see.

Spoiler: Text to Leon

Show

Send pics for advance viewing, bring ASAP. Better equipment @ lab for analysis but can come to you if necessary.

Satou shrugs at Turnbull's suggestion. If he's surprised, he doesn't show it. Maybe he's just too tired to jerk away.

"Already ran pretty much all the non-destructive tests I have, and a fair number of those go a ways into the substructure. From what I could see, inside's clean.

Still, the kids in the labs have a few tools I don't. No reason not to give them a crack at it."

At the Chief's followup, takes in the information for a few moments, then he shrugs again.

"If she comes to us, we can do some testing while we wait for her. Doubt she has many tools that our labs lack, aside from a database on where their materials came from. And a database, she can access from here."

Besides, she'll have more eyes on them this way. Unlikely that she played a role, but no reason to give her any chances to hide it if she did.

"...Anyway, JSDF would explain the familiarity with our sort of surveillance and lab equipment. And having a sniper who could pull off that shot at all. Might be worth looking into whatever we have on snipers of theirs that are fans of Mayor Arata. If they were just taking the shot, they would've aimed for center of mass."

Leon considers the options for a moment.

*Bzzszzt* "You go to her. This isn't Masaki's modus operandi anyway, she is as clean as she can be."

Which, granted, probably isn't very clean.

Either way, Vocusta gets her picture. As I recall it is not so much a gun as it is a pile of gun parts.

"I have to go decide what to make of the JSDF and their battleship."

[Sucrose]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ- Roof)

Satou frowns, slightly, but nods.

"Roger that, Chief. I'll pack this up, and head over, then."

He glances at Duncan.

"Appreciate it if you'd come with, Turnbull. Getting a bit tired."

With that, he starts walking for the stairs, and from there, the quartermaster. Before long, he's just carrying a reasonably large package, rather than an obvious set of mangled high-end gun parts. From there, it's off to Zeal Technologies through perhaps the least conspicuous means of movement in existence-public transport.
_____________________________
[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Victor pauses. It's easily late enough that Leysa would be up by now. This sort of hesitation is...unlike the Mia that he knows. And she certainly wouldn't normally be making excuses. She has such courage...but....there was one area where she might be less certain of herself....

Victor lets out an involuntary gasp!

"MIA, YOU MUST NOT FEAR! SHE WILL SURELY RETURN YOUR AFFECTION! COME, I WILL CALL HER! YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO SAY!"

He begins dialing, a great smile upon his face. His client has found someone!

[strawberryman]

[Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Mia doesn't think anything of it when Victor goes into his palace of thought. It was not exactly an uncommon occurrence.

When he speaks (well, shouts, really), though, Mia spits out broth and noodles forcefully, coughing and hacking by the sudden implications her manager apparently reached. "Vic... *kaff*... what the... *kaff*... don't you..." Coughing on noodles, she takes a last ditch attempt. With apologies in her eyes, she hurls the bowl at Victor's hands. As gently as possible while maintaining velocity.

[KnightDisciple]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF HQ- Roof]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ- Roof)

Satou frowns, slightly, but nods.

"Roger that, Chief. I'll pack this up, and head over, then."
"
He glances at Duncan.

"Appreciate it if you'd come with, Turnbull. Getting a bit tired."

With that, he starts walking for the stairs, and from there, the quartermaster. Before long, he's just carrying a reasonably large package, rather than an obvious set of mangled high-end gun parts. From there, it's off to Zeal Technologies through perhaps the least conspicuous means of movement in existence-public transport.

Duncan doesn't seem to let the lack of real response to his boisterous entrance deter his enthusiasm. He lets the Chief and the others do the initial planning; he's still playing catch-up, after all.

His eyebrows raise at the mention of a battleship, but he doesn't make a fuss; the Chief's on the case, so worst-case said ship ends up a pile of scrap, right?

At Satou's request, he just nods.

"Aye, Old Man. I'll come with ya. You can even nap on the way, and I've got spare energy bars."

Modron only knows how much of his income he spends on energy bars, coffee, and booze.

[Kuroimaken]

[Nadica's Awesome Pad]

When Nadica gets home, to her surprise, the lights are already on.

"I don't know what surprises me more, Simba. That you're still cheating your ass off at this game or that you can somehow sneak a card in there without opposable thumbs."

There's a man in his late fifties, with an eyepatch over his right eye and smoking a cigar playing cards with her lion, whom grumbles in response.

Nadica can tell from the smell the cigar isn't from her stash, at least. (Seems like good stuff though. Maybe he'll tell her where he got it.)

[Sucrose]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 15]
(Sango Gardens)

Victor is so focused on dialing that he doesn't notice the bowl until it knocks his phone out of his fingers. He watches it skitter down to the floor, before immediately diving after it.

"YOU MUST NOT RUN FROM YOUR FEELINGS!"