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[Strider03]

"Look, come on in and sit down. Sounds like you've had a rough day." Shef directed her in to the apartment to take a seat on the couch. Meanwhile, he went and fetched his own key in order to compare it to the one she had shown. Possibly an Aramitama or Mononoke battle. But she answered questions from the police, so she wasn't a casualty. If she's actually dead, she must have died on the way home from the station. Another oddity, that the key is tangible. . .

After investigating the key, Shef stared curiously at the woman. "Tell me, what's the date today? If you'd like, we can go see the landlord in a little, and see if he can tell us something. But I'd like to hear a little more about this bit of gang violence though, it seems odd."

((OOC: Can I get the real date for today, if it's different?))

[Empiricist]

Shef
The keys are fairly different actually, vaguely the same type, but hers is very clearly for a different lock.

"Thanks? It's the ██, isn't it?"
...That is not the date. She's like a week off, assuming she's even talking about the same month.
"There were six of them, they dressed like luchadores I don't really know what why. They were on the train platform and this man in this leather outfit, like a biker outfit with the helmet and everything walked up to them. One of them immediately tackled him and he pulled out some sort of sword, I didn't get a very good view of him what happened next. Sorry uh, was that important?"

[Strider03]

"No, it's fine. . . That's not the date today though. We'll figure this out, don't worry. . . Please hold out your arm for a moment. I need to see something." Shef approached the couch, and tapped the woman's arm with both his left and right hand. Was she still immaterial? "Do you mind if I get the landlord?"

[Empiricist]

Shef
"Um, okay... sorry it's just really weird and... Wait you're not like a criminal or anything right? With your gun and... nevermindpleasepretendIdidn'tjustsaythat!" She gingerly holds out her hands, they feel solid. You can feel her body temperature, her pulse.

[Strider03]

"No, I'm not a burglar or anything. As I said, this is my apartment, so I thought someone was attempting to break in." Hmm. She was obviously solid. Perhaps immaterial only when in danger? Or just an immaterial head? Shef shook his head in frustration, before deciding on a course of action. "Would you like a cup of tea?" As he asked, the man went over to the kitchenette, and put on a kettle to heat up. He would drink some himself if the woman didn't need it.

While in the kitchen, Shef took out his phone from his pocket to answer the text that had surprised him. He also silenced the phone.

Delivery to the safehouse would be best, and then I'll pick them up. Additionally, can you find me info on one Hanako Kawaguchi? Born 199X, should have presence in police records as a witness.

After sending off the text, he dialed the number of his landlord, exchanged a few brief pleasantries, and then inquired about whether the landlord knew this woman.

[Empiricist]

Shef
"Um okay. If it's not too much trouble I mean."

Understood. Sending a request now.

"K-Kawaguchi?" There's silence on the line for a few moments and when the man on the other end he sounds a bit more solemn than usual "Yes... she used to live here, she went missing two years ago, they never found her. She was a sweet girl, I, I hope she's okay, I ho- *sigh* sorry never mind this old bastard's rambling. What begs the question? Disappearances like this, everyone forgets about them soon enough, the police, the newspapers, it's just family that's left to remember, can't say I'm that, but you get the point, it's bewildering to hear about it from someone else."

[Strider03]

Rather quietly, Shef responded to the landlord. "She showed up. No memory of the interim, I think. Why don't you come on over. Familiar face would probably be comforting." Shef adjusted the stove burner slightly before turning back to his guest. "Don't worry. The landlord knows you, and I invited him over." Shef smiled, before continuing with a question. "Do you remember anything strange from the walk back from the police station today?"

[Empiricist]

Shef
"W-what? That can't be- it- I'll be right on over. Give me five minutes." He hangs up.

"Oh, Mister Koizumi... he was always nice... and I don't think so? It was uneventful until I tried coming here, but my key didn't work." She shifts around in awkward silence for a bit.

The next time you check your phone, you would find a new message.
Hanako Kawaguchi is dead. She died two years ago. She must have come back somehow or something is impersonating her. We have a witness testimony attributed to her from this morning. Do you require back up?

[Strider03]

No. Things are currently under control, and I'm keeping an eye on her. I'll give an update every five minutes. Send back-up if I don't. Need some more info on that testimony. Add. info: Hand went through her head when punching, but seems to have physical presence now. Apparently no memory of dying. Story is: set out for work this morning, saw fight, gave testimony, returned. How did she die?

Shef kept his face unchanging as he watched the woman. If she was an imposter, was she waiting for something? Him to turn away? "So, a few more questions: Where do you work? And were there any other witnesses to thi fight you saw?"

[Empiricist]

Shef
Understood. An Aramitama killed her using a field of twisted reality. Body was torn apart instantly.

"TJD Group, I'm an actuary, and yeah, everyone on the platform saw."

Soon enough you hear a knock on the door. "Hey Alex! It's me! Can I come in?"

[Strider03]

Everyone saw it. . . All the while keeping his voice calm and consoling, Shef said, "Hanako, was there anyone else testifying about the same event at the station with you? I. . . you can tell where I'm going with these questions, right? The date you told me earlier is not today's date. . . So. Either you're missing some memories, or you lost time somehow." He gave her a moment of silence to process that information, while he took the water off the stove top to cool for a moment before adding the leaves.

In response to the knocking by the landlord, Shef said, "Oh, just a moment." He made his way over, and opened he door for the man. "Come on in, make yourself comfortable. "

[Empiricist]

Shef
"Wait what? It, isn't?" She pauses for a few minutes mulling over it in silence "There were other witnesses, people testifying, why? I-I'm not going crazy am I?"

You landlord, practically barges in as you open the door, a fairly impressive feat for a man needing to a cane. He swiftly catches the lady in a tight embrace like a parent hugging a crying child, though usually in that situation the parent isn't the one to crying. "Hanako! Oh my God! Is-is that really you? Oh my God, oh my God, what happened to you? We were so worried? Are you okay?"
"M-Mister Koizumi? W-what do you mean?"
"Hanako, you've been missing for two years, didn't Alex tell you?"
"WHAT?"

[Strider03]

". . .I was getting to that." This was his own fault obviously; he should have told the landlord to keep that info to himself for the time being. . . "I know this is a lot to take in. Best thing right now is to piece together what we know, okay? And we'll do our best to help you." Shef sighed, reflecting on his errors in the past few minutes. He wasn't really the type for knowing how to properly break difficult news. No excuse though. Knowing that it might help in the long run, Shef brought over the steeping tea, and a mug for each person.

"So, Hanako, I want you to tell me if there's anything weird that you remember. We know that you were in the current time today when the gang fight happened, so something must have happened earlier to . . . transport you to this time. Any gaps in memory? And Mr. Koizumi, do you remember when you personally last saw Hanako?"

[Empiricist]

Shef
They spoke at length over tea, the initially awkwardness and shock now beginning to fade. The general gist of their answers being that Hanako didn't have any weird experiences save for finding that her apartment was now occupied by a gun wielding man with a mechanical fist, the latter detail she thankfully keeps to herself, and that Koizumi had last seen her earlier the week she died, or as far as he knew, went missing, passing by in the hallways oblivious as to what would happen next.

[Strider03]

Shef took a moment to type out a message to Enn.

Checking in. No danger thus far. Ideas why she would be solid except when I punched her? Currently seems to have no recollection of her death, or any gaps in memory to account for it. Please send important things to watch for if an impersonation?

"So. . ." Shef wasn't exactly certain what he could say now. Couldn't tell someone that you think she's a ghost, especially when she seemed able to touch things for the most part. . . Maybe not a ghost? Multiple timelines might explain it, having her exist in one where she was fine, and then being transferred over? I've got no mechanism that would cause any of these possibilities to occur though. . .In the end, he settled on something other than more questioning. A little abashedly, he said, "Sorry about scaring you earlier. I thought you were trying to break in, and that must have been incredibly frightening."