Match of the Millennium

Description: Daniel is caught by Juri doing unspeakable things to the undead. Daniel, in turn, thinks Juri is a Miko. Wacky hijinks ensue.

[DANIEL]
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

That is the howling of the first of the two ghostly figures, lurking over the thick patches of grass under the moonlight. The one was a woman, the second was a man. Both are in various shapes of decay, ghastley faces wrapped in outdoorsy rags. Upon the tree is the vague markings of a heart, scratched in. There looked like there were names scratched there as well; but it has long been worn over. The man was pleading with his other. "Look, it's a very easy name to mispell!"

And standing between them, rubbing his temples, was the shadowy form of Daniel Jack.

The shade was dressed in his purple zoot suit; a three pieces suit with a broad-brimmed hat. His skin and clothes were all a deep, dark tone, the colors subdued and almost fading into the surrounding shadows under the trees. In his hand was a small talisman; a little lantern. It needed to be glowing green. It was not. And these two spirits were supposed to be the ones that would solve that problem. So he started up a conversation. ANd he regretted every moment. Releasing his temples, he blinks his yellow eyes as the woman screams, and decides now to interject. "Well I just think-"

"WHO ASKED YOU!?" Howls the duo, red eyes blazing at the shadow.

[JURI]
Why was Juri in the area is anyone's question, though if they were smart, they'd probably not ask. Regardless, she walks towards the sound of screaming in the woods, barefoot as she is, toes painted a loud bright pink. She has a fascinated look about her visage, as she calls out, "can you tone down this family feud...? This is supposed to be sacred ground, what with that stupid shrine and all..."

[DANIEL]
If they were smart, they would not ask.

The sudden rise of attention catches the ex-detective's attention. He turns away from the arguing couple, to look at the young lady with that fascinated look. Daniel straightens his posture, his gaze going down steadily at her bare feet. "Well hello there!" Was Daniel's response, as he adjusts his hat and gives his sweetest, fanged smile. The two ghosts look at each other, and then back to Juri. Daniel doesn't seem to notice them anymore. "Tone down... the family fued... sacred ground and the shrine..." He repeats back, with the acute insight of such a professional detective. And he snaps his fingers.

"You must be- why you must be the local miko!"

He states, using his incredible detective abilities to identify that Juri's garb absolutely would make perfect sense to be a shrine. He tips his hat again, the smile still burning. "And I do apologize for the noise, I am just performing a routine exorcism with some local distressed spirits. I will ask them to settle down, and-" Daniel cuts short as he turns around, as both ghosts seem to have disappeared without a trace. Daniel hisses with a sharp intake of breath, defeated frustration burning in his black heart. "Oh." He states, turning back to Juri. "I guess the exorcism is over!" Daniel considers his next, smart question. He sticks his arm out, leaning against the cursed tree.

"So what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

[JURI]
Juri was about to ask Daniel if he hit his head real hard when he repeats her own words back to her, until he draws his genius conclusion, leading her to laugh in amusement. The fact her left eye seem to glint with a purple glow, might have been ominous to most, but in this case...? Hell, he might just think it's a sure sign she is the local miko.

"Yes, powerful miko sometimes dissipate ghosts simply with their presence, remarkable, isn't it...?" Juri asks with a predatory smile on her lips. "I thought you already figured it out, the local Miko would be around the local abandoned shrine in the forest, wouldn't she? Better question is what are you doing here...'detective'?"

[DANIEL]
Purple glow, very nice.

"Well, it's an exorcism. Was, an exorcism." Daniel looks at that smile... and gets a funny feeling. A good funny feeling? No, not necessarily. He was getting a little nervous. When she mentions that she made the ghosts disappear, well, with the purple eye, yes. Yes, this was someone very powerful. And Daniel, for all his kindness and pleasantness, was trespassing. And making a scene. And acting sketchy. And yet, with his meal gone, it was getting important that he get them ungone.

So he goes and presses his luck.

"Uh, could you bring them back? Please?" He states, rolling his talisman between his fingers. "I was hoping to help them move on to the next life, in order to, uh, get their energy." He adds that last part hesitatingly. "It's a shadow thing, uh, but don't worry about me being a monster or anything." He smiles again, barely hiding his building anxiety. "You can check with Ayame, she's the other miko who helped me." He closes a fist on the talisman.

"I'm not trying to make any trouble here, I swear!"

[JURI]
"Bring back...? Ghosts!? Don't be silly...nobody wants that," Juri snorts, looking a bit annoyed in the very manner of the question presented by Daniel. "So you're a detective of next life energy...?" Juri asks, arching a brow, and looking tremendously skeptical. "Ayame...I'll be sure to have words with her."

She soon starts tapping her foot, there's a rather unsettling air about her, as she looks Daniel over, "seems to me like you want ghosts to come to sacred shrine grounds...it's almost like you're up to no good. Do you think a cleansing is in order...? We must keep everything holy in these parts, I'm very good at making things holy."

[DANIEL]
Daniel's anxiety intensifies, though it takes a very different tone.

The ex-detective looks down at the bare feet again, and back up to the intense visage from the strange lady who merely snorts. The energy shifts around the detective. He wasn't afraid, but apprehensive. When the 'miko' talks about making things holy, Daniel adjusts his collar with his un-talisman'd hand "I wouldn't- I am just a free spirit, looking to help ghosts in ne- I mean, they need me, I, hm."

"Must be a hot evening." He asides to himself, swallowing as he averts his eyes.

He tries to change the subject. "I've already been cleansed quite a few times. Morrigan, Ryu Hayabusa, Ayame. I've had a whole mess of experiences on that. I'd be very curious about your idea of exercise- I mean, your idea of how you exorcise." He halts a moment. "Wait..." He pauses, fixing his gaze back towards Juri. He steels himself, the anxiety suddenly dropping away.
R"You're not pals with Honoka, are you?"

[JURI]
"A free spirit," Juri remarks, repeating what he said just as he repeated what she said earlier. "Maybe dress a little lighter, if it's a hot evening, no?" She suggests what seems common sense. Her head shifts a bit, as she looks sideways at Daniel, stretching out her shoulders a bit. "That's good...very good. We like cleanliness around these parts, vermin of course gets exterminated. As for Honoka, the name doesn't ring a bell...is Honoka someone important?" She asks, mulling something over.

[DANIEL]
"Well if you insist, young lady."

Daniel almost immediately works to get his jacket off; underneath is a pair of overalls over his grey button-up shirt. Hooking the thick Zoot Suit jacket over his arm, he gives that grin. "Now that feels much better, doesn't that feel better? Sorry if the shirt's not fitted, it's tough to dress for this muscles." He flexes a bit. "It's that Todoh-Ryuu Kobotjutsu. I'm quite a fighter, you know. Was King of Fighters 2016, team made it to the finals!" The bragging, yes. It was bragging. He gives a quick wink. "Now that's a we, I hear." He gestures down the path, looking out that way. He, too, arches a brow.

"Fellow sisters of the shrines?"

[JURI]
"Muscles are rewards for honing one's body, there's no fault in that," Juri expresses her opinion, apparently not offended one bit. "That is impressive, perhaps we should sparr sometime..." there's an amused grin on her face as she thinks of it, and then nods at his question, "I'm quite certain. I wish you luck in ridding the world of filthy ghosts."

[DANIEL]
Daniel Jack felt this was a positive thing.

Brushing his hand, he pockets the talisman. "Well, I can't brag. But if you need to go at it for one or two rounds, I cannot deny a lady a request." He tips his hat again. "I must warn you, it won't be easy. I do have a reputation of being quite the Ladykiller." He eases into it.

And then freezes, his yellow eyes going wide.

"Which is absolutely a nickname, I do not kill ladies! I am definately not a serial killer of ladies!" He shakes his hands before him, palms up. "Yes! Thank you! I am going- I think I am going to go and find those ghosts! There are probably plenty of other corpses in the area! I mean ghosts! I am not into dead bodies!"

Daniel hopes that will dispel any concerns of such.

[JURI]
"Are you...?" Juri suddenly sounds remarkably serious, a rather sinister glint in her eyes, "...a ladykiller?" Seems she just took him at his word, and by the sound of it, is rather intent to punish him in the names of all the ladies.

"Perhaps you should go find these ghosts...I do not go lightly on ladykillers....," it's almost like she didn't hear him explain how he didn't mean it literally. "You should go before I change my mind," she adds.

[DANIEL]
"Ah he, ah he. Right!"

As he babbles, Daniel quickly slips his jacket back on. Scrambling, he quickly adjusts his tie, and tips his hat. "Don't uh, don't mention this to Ayame or the other Mikos, right?" He asks nervously. Before finally, like a cloud passing over the moon, he winks out. Shadow form slipping between the gaps of the trees. Just a shape. Just a memory.

Just an escape.

Log created on 14:57:58 07/16/2020 by Daniel, and last modified on 10:04:46 07/17/2020.