Scene #5907: Case #7

Owner	Pose
Grave Matters	The Setagaya special ward of Tokyo, Japan, in a world that has been unified for a few months, is experiencing a haunting. There was chaos and turmoil at first, and there still is in various parts of the world, but for the most part this Earth's people adjusted quickly to the idea of a Multiverse, especially Japan. Their psychological defense was to categorize the Multiverse as 'other stuff' and thus whatever weird rules it abides by don't really impact the rules of their world. If something weird happens, well, that's Multiverse stuff, it doesn't count. As far as most people are concerned, this Earth is one primarily of science, and the idea that magic and monsters could exist is not a universally held one, even if religious organizations still exist that tout those exact things but with differently flavored terminology. Japan is a country that, despite the steady progress of modernization (and futurization?) still holds onto its spiritual roots, even if in no more actual belief than praying at a shrine at the start of the new year or buying a good luck charm. But even they start to wonder if something like ghosts might actually exist when the supernatural rears its head. Matsuri Noriyama, Ruri Tsuguhara, and Shiho Shinozaki, the three magical girls/wizards who comprise the group known as Grave Matters, have been assigned to contain one such outbreak of spiritual hocus pocus before people start asking too many questions. They've invited along any other Paladins who are interested, and after a trip by train from Nerima to Setagaya in their civilian attire, while pretending not to know any strangely dressed Multiversal people, they have reached the right ward and walked the rest of the way to their destination. A narrow, two-story house, between two other similar houses. For those who didn't happen to board the magical girl express and are here for their own reasons... Well, this Earth, for whatever reason, has much more active magic levels than many other Earths, and the presence of death is a strong one, especially in Tokyo. It seems to leak out of wounds in reality, slowly rotting things away in the darkness. An active ghost in the midst of all that shouldn't be too difficult to track down, either by rumor and hear-say or by actual special abilities or knowledge. Matsuri, Ruri, and Shiho are all in school uniforms so as not to draw attention. "It's a low-power ghost, so let's just go in there and take care of it." Matsuri says. Ruri cracks her knucles and says, "This phantom will rue the day it dared to manifest in this city I have claimed as my dominion!" Shiho asks, "When did you ever claim that? Also, don't damage the house. This is a haunting. Violence is unlikely to be necessary. What we need to do is identify why this spirit is lingering and--" "YAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Ruri yells as she charges towards the front door. Matsuri and Shiho sigh and then run after her.
Dorian Pavus	The only thing that's really out of place about Dorian here is that he's clearly a foreigner -- his skin is a dark olive tone, his features more rounded than a typical Japanese man, and he's quite a bit taller and more stoutly built. Aside from that, he could be any well-groomed foreigner. You see, he's not wearing his typical leather armor and white cloak. He's still in white, mind you... but this is a white three-piece suit, with a dark steel-gray shirt and a lighter teal-colored tie. And in place of his triple dragon-headed staff, he carries a more modern-looking, sleek black cane. It has a dragon head at the top, worked in gold. Because of course it does. Dorian would be one of those that are here for his own reasons. Just because he's not a Paladin doesn't mean he doesn't have his ear to the ground. And he's heard about the 'silly rumors'. Being a spiritually-aware person -- and a necromancer besides -- this is just the sort of thing that would attract Dorian's attention. So it's not completely coincidental that he ends up in the same ward and at the same house as the girls rushing in following their associate. It's also not completely coincidental that he follows them in. Nor is it completely coincidental that he kind of 'smells' like death too, to senses that are so aligned...
Seras Victoria	Seras Victoria has decided to not wear her Paladin/Hellsing attire for this endeavor, and hasn't decked out with weaponry either. For one solo ghost she should just be support for the Grave matters gang, right? See what's going on, keep an eye open for funny business, that sort of thing. That's the plan, and so when she reaches the site of the consternation, dressed in blue jeans and a white blouse. Doubtless she has a pistol with a clip of Hellsing's blessed silver bullets on hand if needed, but it's well-hidden for now. "It's just a GHOST... how much harm can it DO?" Seras asks Ruri, as she's similarly unsure that violence is so necessary here! And this leaves her gobsmacked and gaping in disbelief - coincidentally displaying cute little fangs for the world, but oh well. "S-someone's sure exciteable!" CHAAAAAARGE! Finally she has the sense to ask, "So what exactly IS a ghost around here? Do ghosts talk? Or are they that sort that just floats down the same hallway every night and ignores everything going on...?"
Grave Matters	Ruri rushes up to the door, stops in an awkward position on one foot when she hops up to the front step and... Then puts both feet on the ground and knocks on the door. DETERMINEDLY. THESE ARE THE PUFFED UP CHEEKS OF DETERMINATION. >:I Matsuri and Shiho join her, with Seras following soon after. When Seras asks what harm a ghost can do, Ruri doesn't answer, but Matsuri turns slowly to look at Seras with in an eyes-half-closed askance manner. "Do you even know anything at all about ghosts?" In the process of looking back, she also notices the approach of a stranger. She didn't spot him coming along with them and he sure doesn't look like a local. She senses magic for sure. "Putting aside the fact that ghosts can be extremely dangerous, especially to non-wizards, the point is that it's drawing attention to the supernatural that we'd rather not--" Shiho starts to explain but is cut off when Matsuri reaches across and tug-tugs at Shiho's sleeve. Shiho turns to look back at Dorian as well, and picks up the same sort of things that Matsuri does. "Good day, sir." she begins, turning fully and bowing politely in greeting. "Is this your house?" Simultaneously an inquiry about if it's his property, and if not, why he's here, without actually being that direct about it. Ruri turns her head to look at what's going on behind her, so misses when the door handle starts to slowly twist and then open slightly, revealing darkness on the other side.
Dorian Pavus	"No, it isn't," Dorian replies easily. "Terribly sorry for the intrusion, but... well, let's just say my magic-sensing nose is tingling. I have a little bit of experience in dealing with magical things -- and ghosts -- so when I heard the rumors about the area I thought I'd come and see for myself what was going on." Then he seems to remember something. "Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself." He bows to the group of girls, including Seras. "Dorian Pavus, altus mage of Tevinter, scion of House Pavus." That's not going to mean much to anybody here, he knows. But that's kind of the point; he's indicating that he's Not From Around Here. And he does answer Seras, too. "That depends entirely on what kind of ghost it is," he notes. "You have those that do nothing but make people feel somewhat uneasy, those that actually drain energy from the living, those that try to possess the living... though that's more a demon, I suppose..." He trails off when the door opens. "Oh. Well. It looks like someone's answered," he points out, raising his cane to point at the door.
Seras Victoria	"Nooooooo.. not this world's, anyways." Why do you think she's asking, really? Seras can't hide the disgruntled face she's making at the question! With everyone else moving to confront Dorian, Seras actually somehow tunes out all of that goign on. SOMETHING about the house has her attention drawn instead. The Draculina's eyes shift from blue to a subtly growing crimson and she draws in a sharp unnecessary breath... Right in time for the door to fuly open. Seras doesn't waste ANY time here, acting on pure instinct a hand dives into a pocket and closes around her pistol.... but she doesn't draw it! "THATS not right.... Ruri, stay back!"
Grave Matters	Matsuri and Shiho share a glance as Dorian talks about magic and being a mage. "I see." the latter says. Either Dorian is assuming they're wizards too or doesn't care and is just making claims about magic to anyone who will listen. Either way, that's a problem. But any further discussion about ghosts and the plethora of threats they can provide are preempted by Seras and Dorian pointing out the door. Ruri turns around to face the door and says, "Eeh?" Long, slender, shadowy tendrils streak out from the opening as the door flies open, wrapping around Ruri, and pulling her inside in one swift movement, like a trapdoor spider. "Eeeehhh!?" Ruri protests in surprise right as the door slams shut again behind her. Matsuri calls out, "Ruri!" as she grabs for the door handle and struggles with it, trying to get it to open. Shiho says, "Wait!" and sticks her arm out to keep Matsuri away from the door. "Let's approach from the back of the house. We're less likely to be noticed, and it's unlikely that Ruri is in danger from such a low-level ghost. We can afford to take this slowly and carefully."
Dorian Pavus	Dorian's on alert the instant that shadow-thing grabs at Ruri. He quickly tosses his cane into the air, just enough that he can grab it by the haft. The eyes of the dragon head at the top of the cane start to glow, and a purplish aura surrounds the dragon head. Unfortunately his casting takes an instant too long... and the girl is pulled in. "''Kaffas''," Dorian curses under his breath, the purple aura beginning to fade. He looks to Shiho as she speaks, and raises an eyebrow. "I'm not certain I'd call something with very real, solid tentacles that's able to pull a human-sized amount of weight into a house and then bar the door enough that it can't be opened a 'low-level ghost'," he comments, his tone half wry and half incredulous. Looking to the group at large, "If anyone's worried about having someone here at the front, I can stay and draw its attention while the rest of you sneak around back." A grim smirk here. "I'm rubbish at stealth anyway."
Seras Victoria	"Ruri--!" Shadow tentacles have GRABBED one of their companions! Seras rushes to the door too, and is just about to consider employing her prodigious strength to the lock when Shiho comes up with this plan. "You... something just HAULED her off like a giant squid. HOW can you call that 'low-level?'" Flabbergasted is the draculina. "Well... if you're sure." She'll go with them to the back. But she's also going to look into any windows, even if she has to hop up to them.
Grave Matters	Matsuri heaves a sigh in response to Dorian. "I thought so. You have no idea how things work here. The ones we don't want to notice us are all non-wizards. So please stop showing off your magic in public, Mister Pavus. You already draw enough attention as it is." Then she starts making her way around the house to the back, passing windows with curtains drawn and just as much smokey darkness in them, obscuring vision. Shiho follows along and explains more diplomatically to both Dorian and Seras. "As my friend here has just explained, it's the non-wizarding community that we wish to protect by keeping them from exposure to magic and ghosts in this situation. The spiritual energy levels for this ghost are low, meaning that within a certain range it can manage various tricks and manifestations, but its actual impact on the world outside of its haunt is minimal. Further, since Ruri isn't entirely human, she's likely more 'physical' to a ghost than someone born in this world would be." Something that may seem incongruous with the image of a haunted house is how neat and tidy the outside is. They aren't having to climb through weeds or slip between dangling rotted fence boards to get into the back yard. It's all freshly mowed, the exterior is well-painted... Aside from the ominous darkness, it looks like a modern, well-kempt home. "We also explained to Miss Victoria already that wizards have natural spirit defenses that non-wizards don't. A ghost this low level would have a difficult time harming Ruri even if she let them. And as for letting them... Well, you've heard her before, haven't you?" As they reach the back of the house, Matsuri makes her way across the stone path in the small garden and grabs hold of the frame of the sliding paper back door once she's hopped up onto the patio. "She's the Crown Princess of the Underworld." Then she slides the door open and they are treated to the sight and yells of Ruri as she engages in some sort of frantic swinging motion. "ORAAAAAA!" she yells as she continues to swing something rapidly with her right hand. "ORA ORA ORAAAAA, <<YOU BASTARD!>>" she yells, throwing in some English for good measure. There's a tormented wailing noise emanating from whatever Ruri is swinging. "Don't you know better than to touch royalty!? <<You bastard!>>" she repeats.
Dorian Pavus	Dorian bristles a little at being given the third degree by what appears to be a teenage girl. "If it's so low-level, why did you ask for outside help anyway?" he inquires, a tad snippily. "Surely, if you're '''so very experienced''' with this, we '''ignorant outsiders''' aren't going to do anything but get in your way?" Despite his words he does follow, unless he's prevented from doing so. He's still going to try and help, if he can. If he's needed, from the looks of it! Ruri seems to have things well in hand.
Seras Victoria	Normally Seras would be curious and ask just what sort of situation leads to the Underworld having royalty. Morbidly curious at least, if just a little. But as she sees nothing special in the windows and the doors open.... Staaaaaare. Seras just stares, mouth gaping open and fangs gleaming oddly in the light. "Sh... she's beating up the ghost." Or so Seras thinks. It is pretty obvious. But the dvampires states this in a dryly disbelieving tone, as if what she's looking at is pure nonsense.
Grave Matters	"Hoooh? I thought you said you followed your senses here all on your own. I wasn't aware you were someone we asked to help us. My apologies for the misidentification, Old Man Pavus. Anyway, we better stop her before she breaks something." Matsuri replies blandly as she steps inside and says, "I'm coming in now. Thanks for having me." Shiho sighs and facepalms. "Mister Pavus, we specifically want to bring people unfamiliar with how things work here along so that they can become familiar. We don't blame you for not knowing, just as I hope you don't blame us for not knowing how such matters are handled in other worlds. We're glad that you felt inclined to come provide assistance and learn more about the situation. You as well, Miss Victoria." The most mature-seeming among the three teenagers brushes her gray hair back as she joins Matsuri indoors. "Ruri, please let it go now. I believe it has learned its lesson." Ruri stops swinging the ghost around, and the multi-limbed floppy shadow noodle that had once seemed like such an ominous ghost just groans nauseously as it dangles from the princess's grasp. "Oh, you came in from the back? <<Naisu Job!>>" Ruri replies, giving a thumbsup. She releases the ghost and says, "Oi, keep your tentacles to yourself from now on, okay?" Shiho turns to Dorian and Seras and says, "This is the part where we talk to the ghost and try to find out what's tying it to this plane. If we can resolve that, it will go away without causing a spectacle that could draw innocent bystanders into the mix." She gives a squinty-eyed smile at Dorian and says, "Though it seems likely that perhaps you knew that already, Mister Pavus." Matsuri points at the back door and says, "It only showed itself in the sunlight briefly and retreated quickly back to its haunt. In a situation like this, where our target has a clear environmental preference and restricted territory, we make sure there's at least one exit left open for us, since it can't escape or pursue us outside. We should actually open up a few more. Would you mind getting the windows? Thank you." The room they're in is an large, open room with a hard wood floor, surrounded on all sides by paper walls and doors. There's two futons on the floor, and a door has been slid aside, revealing a dark hallway beyond.
Dorian Pavus	Dorian's not going to let this get to him, he decides, and firing back would be letting these girls know they somehow 'won' against him. So he doesn't deign to respond. Besides that, he really doesn't know how one actually TALKS to a spirit, surprisingly. Where he's from, spirits aren't nearly so easily dealt with when they cause trouble. Apart from that, they're shoved in dead bodies for further study, like pushing a cork down inside a bottle.
Seras Victoria	Once they're indoors, Seras seems to relax significantly. As though some great weight is off her. Any relief from the sunlight at all is a boon to her! But she's quiet as before. Listening, and watching, and nodding her understanding at the explanations... But FROWNS at the mention of needing to open windows. "R-right..." Well, she goes and does that anyways, opening up a few, but now that she's INDOORS she seems to skitter away from windows as quickly as they're opened. "It's being awfully quiet for an angry ghost..." She glances about at the surroundings. Unfamiliar with japanese houses, she peers confusedly at the futons.. "Was there a sleepover here before the haunting started?"
Grave Matters	Shiho leans over to look up at Dorian when he fails to respond. "...Unless I was mistaken? You earlier exhibited knowledge of ghosts and your magical affinity seems to be the same as ours, Death, so I thought you might be familiar with the reasons for a haunting and the ways to end one." She smiles and bows her head in apology. "There you see? You aren't the only one who doesn't know about other worlds. You have my sincerest apologies." She straightens and turns to look at the rather deflated-looking ghost. "Well, I'll try demonstrating what Necromancy means here then." She leans over the ghost and says, "Honorable Ghost, would you mind telling us what keeps you here?" The ghost looks up from the floor and groans out a long, drawn-out, "Ehhhhhhhh?" Shiho bending over it like that in her school girl uniform, silhouetted by the sunlight that shines through the back door, apparently has an affect on the ghost. Because it springs up, reinflating suddenly, and yells out, "OWOOOOOOHH! PRETTY GIRRRRL!" Ruri pins it to the floor with her heel after jumping on it as Shiho takes a couple steps back without showing any sign of emotion other than polite surprise. "What did I just say about keeping your tendrils to yourself!?" Matsuri sighs. "Don't tell me that what's keeping it here... Is..." Shiho looks nunplussed as she gazes down at the specter that makes contented groans while Ruri steps on him repeatedly and grinds him beneath her shoe. "...'Unfulfilled desires'." "Or in other words..." Ruri says as she lifts up her foot and then brings it down HARD. "It's a common pervert!" The floor splinters outwards from the stomp. "Oi! We have to call that in for repairs now you know!" Matsuri protests. Then she runs a hand through her hair. "Aw, geez. Let me try." A big scythe appears in her grasp from out of nowhere, which she swings around dramatically and then holds to the ghost's face, the blade gleaming. "Oi! Who are you? How did you die?" The ghost looks up at Matsuri with a very simplistic, cartoonish face and an unimpressed expression. Then it turns away, puffing out its cheeks. "Flat." He says, apparently rejecting Matsuri due to her figure. "What'd you say!?" Shiho turns to Dorian and says, "Perhaps this requires a man's touch. Would you mind terribly trying to talk sense to him?" Meanwhile, as Seras makes her way through the darkened and spooky house, menace seeming to waver in every open door and hallway, she makes it to a window in another room. She makes her tour of the house successfully, but then, from behind her, as she comes back to the bedroom area... A figure appears in the darkness holding a large, gleaming knife gleaming with some unidentified fluid. "Yoooung missss..." It says in a gravelly tone. Then the voice's owner rushes forward into the light...! And tries to clap her hands together over Seras's, knife still held in one of those hands. A kindly, plump old Japanese woman with curly white hair, about half as tall as Seras, says, "Oh, my! I wasn't expecting visitors! Please, come in! I was just cutting up some fresh fruit. Would you like some?" Well, SOMEONE has been mowing the lawn and maintaining the place.
Dorian Pavus	"Well... spirits in my world aren't generally sapient," Dorian replies. "When they start causing trouble, all that's left is to send them back to the Fade. Usually by beating them out of whatever it is they're possessing -- or '''who'''ever it is they're possessing in some cases. Tends to have the side effect of killing the person, or destroying the thing." He is, however, amused by the spirit's antics, and is laughing at the exchange between the spirit and the girls. "I say... that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" he asks the spirit. "She's still growing. I'm sure she'll blossom into a beautiful womanly figure one day.~" Though as Shiho turns to him, he blinks. He chuckles, then clears his throat a bit nervously. "Er... I do hope I'm not expected to bond with him over a mutual love of the female form," he observes. "I never did pick up a liking, myself." The Multiverse has made him a little bolder in 'coming out', as it were, but he's still not eager to share '''that''' little bit of information about himself unless it's necessary. So he skirts around it. No pun intended. "Though I suppose he'd be less... 'distracted' talking to me," Dorian realizes. Since he doesn't have all those nice soft lady bits that the spirit seems to find so fascinating. Shifting now into full 'logic' mode, he asks the girls, "All right then... how do you recommend I go about this?"
Seras Victoria	Being what she is, Seras isn't snuck up on her easily. She tenses ever so slightly upon feeling a presence near her... and... "H-hello?" The knife, of course, has her attention IMMEDIATELY as the old woman bursts from the shadows, but her reflexes are great. Nothing about the way it's being swung around screams 'defend yourself' and so Seras is promptly HAND-SNAGGED, leading to quite some wide-eyed blinking. "O-oh... I'd have to pass, fruit and I don't get along. G-good evening, ma'am!" Only how is she supposed to explain this? Or figure out if the woman knows about the ghost... For now Seras decides to come up with an excuse. "... I thought nobody was going to be home today... do I have the wrong address for housekeeping?" She bunches her shoulders up, showing some embarassment at what's clearly 'oops, I started ventilating the wrong person's house'! Gives the old woman a very newbie-nervous-smile! ... Hopefully she won't notice the extra-sharp fangs.
Grave Matters	Dorian basically just agreed with the ghost that Matsuri is flat. Matsuri doesn't respond to the subtle insult, because that would mean letting the foreign wizard 'win', though she does slide her eyes to the side to glower at him briefly. "It's not like I want some pervert specter to be attracted to me anyway. I'm 13. That'd be weird." She puts her scythe back over her shoulder, and lets Shiho try to diplomancer things. Shiho waves off that idea. "While if that were what worked, I would not say, 'Don't do it', I am mostly thinking that he might--Yes, exactly." Less distraction. He might chill out and focus if he's just talking to Dorian. Ruri turns when some old lady springs out of nowhere, leeting the ghost up from beneath her heel in the process. Maybe he'll conduct himself properly now. "Ah, yeah, we're from the local girl scout troop, selling girl scout cookies! We saw the door was open so decided to wait for you here while this kind house keeping lady took care of her work!" It's the best Ruri can come up with. She's all sparkles and smiles, and actually sounds like a relatively normal person, not the hyperactive and semi-clueless princess she normally does. She has had to practice long and hard to fit into human society. It's been nine whole months since she first met Matsuri and started learning about the living plane, after all! "I would gladly sample some of that fruit, ma'am!" Shiho stands alongside Ruri, smiling prettily and supporting her story by lack of contradiction. "You may want to watch your step, miss. It appears that some of the floor boards have rotten and broken. It would be terrible if you were to trip and fall." Shiho's face suddenly turns a bit blueish purple, and the hands folded together at her belly shake, as a ghostly tendril starts worming itself up her leg, aiming to go higher. An aura of crackling energy forms around her, skin-tight, and the tendril is destroyed, forcing the ghost to recoil into a corner, groaning and cursing. Matsuri just walks up right next to Shiho, scythe still over her shoulder. "Soo, soo. Girl scouts. The cookies are outside. I'm working on my harvesting merit badge." "Oh, I see! That's unusual, though..." the old lady says, a hand on her cheek. "I just bought cookies from a girl scout troop a few minutes ago." Matsuri, Shiho, and Ruri collectively, 'Gehk.' as a big hole is punched in their cover story. "And you, young miss. You have the right house, but what happened to Yumiko-chan? She's been here every day for the past three years. I didn't know the agency hired Americans." Seras is actually from England or something, but Japan just kind of assumes foreigners are all American, and she certainly fits the top-heavy blonde stereotype expected of such. "These boards were rotten? And I just had the house renovated a month ago, after my dear husband passed away!" the old lady continues on, patting her cheek thoughtfully. Then she turns her squinted eyes beyond the four young women, and she sees something surprising. Her mouth drops open slowly, and she inhales! Then she dashes past the school girls, knife in hand, and...!
Grave Matters	Tries to gently take Dorian's hands in hers as she says, "My! Who is this handsome fellow? I don't often get called upon by such fine gentlemen these days!" Then she actually... Winks. The girls look at each other. Then back to Dorian. Frame jump to Grave Matters dragging the ghost out of the room and further indoors. "I'll leave the rest to you, Pavus-san." Matsuri says, looking over her shoulder and smirking all, 'Heh.' Shiho says, "We will extract the intel as best we can. Do your best." Ruri turns around, fists clenched, and gives Dorian a double thumb-sup. "<<Fight onnnnn!>>" Maybe Seras can come with and not have to try to explain to the old lady why she's here instead of Yumiko too. Between trying to backpedal out of a fib or deal with a pervy ghost, it seems the preference is clear. Teenage girls for sure.
Seras Victoria	Seras is still quite rattled by being accosted by a kindly woman who's STRANGELY wandering around with a knife in hand. That's fishy! Very fishy. In fact, it's starting to boher her! So when she's basically left behind... she turns to follow the lady back into the room with the others and answers hastily, "No, no, it's a new house we're taking on. I must have read the address wrong! ---e-erm, do you usually walk around with a knife out?"
Dorian Pavus	Dorian starts -- holy crap, she's got a KNIFE?! He tenses to defend himself, but even he has qualms about attacking an old woman. Once it becomes apparent that she's not actually going to attack him, he bows to the old woman. And as she takes his hand, he raises HER hand to his lips for a kiss. Not the one with the knife, of course. "Merely a traveler," he offers as he's asked who he is. "My name is Dorian. I noticed the door open and came in to see why. I'm from a place where doors can't be left open, you see, so I thought I would investigate." It's not completely a lie. And he's used to telling half-truths. See, normally Dorian would just tell the older lady the problem, and let her know there's something horrible in her home. But the three girls have asked him not to reveal the supernatural truth to her, so he instead starts to try to repair the holes in their story. He looks to Ruri, since she said the story first. "Ah, clearly one of your fellow Scouts has her territory overlapped with yours," he notes, to the mention of girl scouts already having been here. "Simple clerical error. Unless she's trying to horn in on your territory?" And the boards? He taps his cane on the ground near the ghost that the old woman apparently can't see. "There might have been a bad board used. You may wish to call them back out to inspect their work. Never can be too careful, yes?" Redirect, redirect! "My condolences for your loss, madam," he offers, placing a hand on his chest. Seras's question actually is a good one, and he's eager to know why. Maybe she just forgot she was holding the knife? He nods to Shiho, with a half-smile. He'll do what he can to keep the lady occupied.
Grave Matters	The old woman seems quite flustered by Dorian, her wrinkled cheeks reddening. "Oh, what a charmer~! The girl scouts do sometimes seem to operate like yakuza sometimes, shaking down houses for money with their cookies. But they're just so precious!" She nods thoroughout Dorian's explantion, making no attempt to argue against his logic. Yes, yes, it all makes perfect sense to her. Of course that's the case! She doesn't even pay attention to (or perhaps notice) the three girls going into her house. "I'm Tanabata Mihoshi! But you can call me Mihoshi-chan!" She waves off the condolences with her knife-wielding hand innocently, chopping gestures resulting that practically make metallic slicing noises in the air. "We had many years together, but that old coot had been sick for a long time. I'm just glad he finally got his peace. He wasn't even fit to leave his bed for the last few years! It was so sad that Yumiko-chan, kind as she was, had trouble tending to him because she hated to see him that way!"" She wipes at the corner of her eyes with her pinky. While still holding the knife. This just makes her squint in pain though as she gets fruit juice in her eyes. At the question of the knife from Seras, she turns and squints. "Hmmmm? Oh! How foolish of me!" she says while still waving it around merrily. "I forgot to put this down when I saw you, young miss! Let's return to the kitchen and I'll take care of my cutlery properly!"
Dorian Pavus	Dorian resists the urge to breathe a sigh of relief when his support of those stories seems to hold up. That would definitely look suspicious. Though he only knows a little about these 'Girl Scouts'; about all he knows is they make cookies that are pretty good. He chuckles quietly at the introduction. "I'm very pleased to meet you... Mihoshi-chan," he offers in his most charming voice. He's aiming for the heart-bubbles with that one! He does draw back a little when the knife goes slicing through the air. Her strength seems a little unusual for a woman her age, and this is a little strange to him, but there's no easy way to ask how or why. Not without revealing he knows more than he's letting on... or that there's more going on hre than a confluence of seemingly unrelated things converging at once. He will follow the old woman into the kitchen, however. "I'm glad he's at peace, then," he notes, to her words of her husband being sick. Though he's not so sure he's as 'at peace' as Miss Mihoshi thinks. He's probably the ghost the girls are dealing with. The old woman did say that her husband had died very recently, hadn't she?
Seras Victoria	Seras murmurs her frustrations about how this mission has gone so weird so fast under her breath. How much she might, in a corner of her mind, wish she had Alucard's trick of mesmerizing people. Because she's not sure HOW they're going to hoodwink this lady into not realizing anything's suspicious. Unless she's just so kindly and sweet that she doesn't think critically at ALL. Though the lady's story turns towards her disabled-then-deceased husband, her face scrunching up in pained sympathy. "...is this day cursed with weird luck? I uh. I should find the right house, I suppose." Now that things are calming down, Seras decides to glance about the room.. especially on the lookout for anything Odd and Ghostly. And listening to her instincts...
Grave Matters	Mihoshi leads the way back to the kitchen. It's a nice kitchen, clearly belonging to an older couple (or just an old lady). Cat clock on the wall, bear cookie jar, some various Japanese-specific decorations and aesthetics, but mostly just a modern kitchen, unlike the more traditional-Japanese bedroom. She washes the knife when she reaches the sink, scrubbing it by hand rather than using a dish washer. For as modern as it is, it must be rough not to have one for someone her age. Though perhaps doing things manually is part of how she stays fit? "Would you like anything? Please, please have a seat at the table! I could brew you up some tea! And of course I have these Florida Oranges, directly from Florida!" She must think she's offering him a taste of home or something. Meanwhile, behind Dorian, in the doorway leading out into the hall, there's a sudden commotion as Ruri goes tumbling by, entangled with the ghost and punching it. "YoshaAAAAAA!" Shiho and Matsuri chase after it a second later. The sound begins and cuts out when they pass the door. Hopefully that's going well. Time to gather some information! Meanwhile, Seras may pick up the aura of the ghost throughout the house, or not, but nothing SPECIFICALLY stands out. However, since she's the only one who stayed behind, she's the only one to hear a voice speak up from nearby. "Excuse me..." There's a young Japanese woman in a house keeping uniform standing at the back patio, hands folded neatly. "...No one was answering the front door. I'm Yuriko. Sanzaki Yuriko. May I ask if, um..." She looks Seras up and down, and then asks, "...Am I being replaced?" Seras, house keeper extraordinaire, has some explaining of her own to do. Thankfully, it seems Yuriko draws her own conclusions when she sees the broken floor. Her eyes widen. "Oh! You wouldn't happen to be with the police would you? Has there been an accident? I hope Mihoshi-san is safe!"
Dorian Pavus	Dorian starts a bit at the sound of the commotion behind him, and turns his head to see the source of it. He winces a bit, looking back to the old woman, hoping SHE didn't hear it. In case distraction is needed, Dorian notes, "Ah, thank you." He sits at the table, in a chair that would not make it as unnecessary for her to look at the door as possible. He doesn't want to chance the 'Girl Scouts' tumbling by the kitchen door again like errant, violent tumbleweeds. "Some tea would be lovely," he replies. It'll also keep her eyes off the door longer! He starts to think. Maybe something he can find out about the ghost here? Might be of some help to the girls. He tilts his head, and tries to think of how best to begin. Well, why not the direct approach? "Hm... I know it hasn't been long... but do you feel up to discussing your late husband? I must admit to a degree of curiousity."
Seras Victoria	Oh this is just peachy! Seras is startled - and that's odd. She's hard to sneak up on. So that just has her turning around with wide eyes. And almost immediately shaking her head! "No, no, nothing to worry about! I was supposed to do a consultation elsewhere. Got the wrong address. The job's all yours!" She delivers that last sentence with a cheery lilt to her tone and a genuine, if slightly sheepish smile! "She just walked off towards the kitchen, just fine! This is... " Seras purses her lips, and would be sweating bullets at an effort to come up with an explanation if she COULD sweat. She can't! ".... have WEIRD things been happening in this house? I heard a story like this, once.." Seras attempts to divert the question in a way that might just be helpful!
Grave Matters	Mihoshi smiles happily as she goes to retrieve the tea kettle and start the stove top going. "Hmm... My dear Asahi. He was quite the rascal in his youth. So energetic! He worked at a construction company. Many long hours of hard labor, to make enough for us to live comfortably. I couldn't do much for him as his wife but tend the home." The ghost goes scuttling by in the opposite direction it went last time, Matsuri swinging her scythe wildly. "Sorrraaa! Come back here you bastard!" she yells before she's out of sight and earshot. The other two girls run past a moment later. Missus Tanabata doesn't appear to notice as she goes on with her story. "Unfortunately, he worked himself for so many years, that his body started breaking down." Mihoshi continues as she pours the water into the kettle. "He couldn't walk anymore, and became completely dependent upon me to move about. And eventually I got on in years too..." The ghost rolls down the hall the other direction again, Shiho hot on its heels, but floating through the air magically on her parasol. "We need to speak with you!" Matsuri and Ruri go chasing after her a few seconds later, gasping for breath and clearly flagging in their pursuit. It's surprising it took Matsuri that long with that huge scythe still in hand (and now dragging along the floor behind her. Blade up, thankfully). Meanwhile, with Seras, Yuriko's eyes widen a bit as she asks about anything 'unusual' going on. "E-eehh? Like what exactly?" She steps inside the house in a bit of a hurry and kneels down next to the floor boards to try to make some semblance of a floor out of the broken wood. It's incredibly dangerous for an old lady with Mihoshi's... 'Awareness' to have a hole in her floor. "I... Must admit I do sometimes feel a sort of... Presence. As though someone is watching me from the shadows... With craven, lewd eyes..." That's very specific. "But there's no one living here but me and Tanabata Mihoshi-san. And her eye sight and hearing are both failing her. I doubt she would even be able to see a meter away in the dark!" she laughs a little in a not-mean-spirited way. More laughing at the unlikelihood of Mihoshi being the weird peeper.
Dorian Pavus	Quite the rascal, huh? Seems to fit with what they've seen of the ghost in the house fairly well, Dorian realizes. He starts a bit at the commotion again, and then winces. Thankfully the old woman doesn't seem to notice this time either. He almost has to wonder why. But he's not going to question providence right now. No, instead he turns to her again, and asks, "A rascal, hm? How so, if you don't mind my asking?" He pitches as voice as normally as he can, given there's a supernatural fight going on in the next room...
Seras Victoria	Lewd eyes. Seras' own go a bit wide at this, as if she's not sure HOW to take such an accusation. The faintest of flinches on her face, a squinty look of distaste. "... Hard to see how creepy feelings could put a hole in the floor. One of my fellows probably tripped. I'll have someone come out and patch this up, no cost!" And she IS thoughtful enough to take out a small notebook and jot down a few notes! But then the almost-conspiratorial hushy tone of earlier returns. "S-so, a creepy gaze feeling. It doesn't worry you?"
Grave Matters	"Oh, well, you know~!" Mihoshi says, blushing as she waves off the question with one hand. Then she decides to elaborate after all, at least in some respects. "He loved to dance, to play jokes on people, and always said what was on his mind even if he got in trouble for it. A sweet, honest man. He was extremely energetic in a lot of ways. I think not being able to move when he wanted to anymore really ate at him. Thankfully, we hired Yuriko-san on and she helped take care of Asahi when I no longer could! He kept getting worse and worse, but she stayed by his side the whole time!" The ghost goes skittering past once more like a vague, spectral crab with tentacles, holding a pair of panties above its head and hollering with joy. "HAAAAAAAAA! PANTSU! PANTSU!" Matsuri and Ruri lead the way this time in the chase, heading back towards the bedroom. Shiho comes running afterwards, one hand holding down her floofy skirts as she calls out, "Give those back right now! I need them! Return them now or I'll make ghost-crab-over-rice out of you!" "E-eeeeh? Put a hole in the floor...? I thought you just asked if anything weird was going on, not what cause the floor damage." She piles wood scraps over the hole, and then just remains there as she looks uncomfortable about Seras's line of questioning. "What reason should I have to be worried? Are you implying I have reason to be concerned? It's not as though I've done anything wrong! It's probably just nerves due to... Well... Mihoshi-san's husband passed away a few months ago. Having a death happen so close... It's bound to set off one's nerves, right?" Suddenly the ghost comes cackling and crawling on its multi-tendrilled 'legs' into the room, right as Matsuri comes crashing down on top of it with both feet. "OOF!" Asahi's ghost lets out. This is followed by Ruri emerging from the darkened hallway and tripping over the sudden obstacle in her path, landing on top of Matsuri and knocking her flat on top of the ghost. "OOF!" Matsuri lets out. Then Shiho tries to skid to a halt, but flailing with a parasol in one hand and the other trying to retain her dignity through skirt suppression, she goes off-balance and lands on top of Ruri. "Yaaaaahhn~!" Ruri lets out. "Oi," Shiho says coldly as she looks down at the princess. "What kind of cry was that? And more importantly, why are you all piled up in the middle of the doorway--" "Err..." Yuriko begins as she looks upon this, and then turns to Seras as she asks hesitantly, with a forced smile, "Friends of yours...?" Then the ghost lifts its spectral head in response to hearing Yuriko's voice. "Eeeeehh?" it groans as it peers at her. Yuriko looks back at it. "Eh?" she says, her eyes empty for a moment. "YURIKO-CHAAAAAN!" the ghost wails as it gets big heart eyes and tries to crawl out from underneath the three-girl dogpile to come after the house keeper. "Noooooo! I'd recognize that awful voice and those leering eyes anywhere! You're supposed to be DEAD!" Yuriko cries out in horror as she takes shelter behind Seras. The old lady finally seems to hear the noise going on behind her. "My... I wonder what that's all about?
Seras Victoria	"Whah--" An AWFUL lot happens at once! Girls everywhere! And the ghost comes barreling out into the room... ... What's worse, the GHOST is now recognized as such by Yuriko. Cover is blown! Seras grimaces. Since Yuriko has chosen to use her for cover, she straightens her stance and-- And attempts to TACKLE the old man's over-enthusiastic ghost and pin him to the floor using some police grapple-fu and her vampiric strength! Hopefully she doesn't go right through him or anything. "Settle... down! You're causing a lot of trouble for everyone!" She pleads with the spirit, having momentarily forgotten the old ghosts's obvious motivation!
Dorian Pavus	Dorian listens to the story. Though the blush, combined with what he ALREADY knows about the ghost, pretty much says everything, even if Mihoshi doesn't want to answer it. Thouhg instead of asking further, he agrees, with a sympathetic tone, "Ah, I can understand -- I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was ever in that state. It's such a shame, to lose one's vitality like that..." He pauses again, at the antics of the ghost, and suppresses the urge to facepalm. Though when the woman wonders about the noise, he notes quickly, "Oh, probably nothing! You know young people these days -- always so full of life and energy. I expect they're merely playing, that's all." Being able to lie with a straight face is a wonderful talent. Hopefully it works here.