Erosona (IC)

[Mark3000]

Friday September 23 20XX, Morning

Okuda Naomi

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Okuda Chitako's house was quaint. A small two story bungalow with a small herb garden in the back. You had become familiar with the house after coming saying for a while to care for your sister after her attack. She went missing around late May. She reappeared a few weeks later naked in a back alley. The people found signs of forced penetration but no DNA. Ever since then Chitako has been in a near vegetative state. She can still breath and eat on her own but she doesn't speak or even move. It was a trial to get the hospital to let you bring her home.

As you prepare Chitako her breakfast, Chitako's husband Choji walks into the kitchen. "Morning Naomi, what are you making today?" He asked as he gave you a hug. Choji was a fairly attractive man with wavy brown hair dressed in a suit. Even though he was in his mid 30's, Choji looked like a boy band member.

"I just have to head to work. Thanks again for taking care of Chitako." He said as he grabbed an apple and ran up stairs. Most likely to give his wife a parting kiss.

Aoi Kohana

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The new semester had just started and you were already being put in a difficult situation. Not only was Ichihara in the hospital, she had already had multiple students say they were going to miss class due to personal reasons.

"It looks like it's going to be a busy couple of days." Turning around you see Ms. Akiyama, the school councillor. She had long shimmering black hair and a beauty mark under her right eye. "It's a shame about Ms. Ichihara, that girl had a bright future ahead of her before this. Now I'm booked for the next three weeks straight." She said lighting a cigarette in the faculty lounge. "What about you Kohana? Do you have any plans for after your classes?

Sarah Boswell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You wake up to the sound of your buzzing alarm. Was it a school day today? You wonder as the sunlight shines through the window. Though news of Ichihara's attack has put a damper on your mold. While she wasn't a motor head, Kaoru always seemed impressed by your mechanical skills. The two of you would often hang out after work and just shoot the breeze.

The only question now was what to do with your day. You could go to school, you weren't known for your punctuality but your teacher was always a pleasant woman. You could pay Ichihara a visit and see how she's doing. Or you could always head of to the farm. Sora and Hoshi didn't seem to mind when you came by to rummage though their barn for parts. Hoshi had quite the collection of vintage automobiles

Reina Takahata

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The Ayakashi Monthly seemed interested in the serial rapes accruing in Emiko-chō, but not enough to put you in a nicer room. The Magazine had booked the cheapest room possible for both you and Tatsuya across from the Shoji Resort. The room was small and didn't even have a stove. Luckily, Tatsuya had brought a hot plate. He may have been a pervert but he was prepared. Gathering his supplies, he turned to you. "So where are we heading first Ms. Takahata?" He asked. You did have a few leads you could chase down. There was the police station, the hospital or this mysterious sex shop "The Velvet Room". You were given free reign on this assignment.

[Lorielle]

It had been a rough time for both her and Chitako, with both of their parents gone they were all they had left so it was only right that college was put on hold while she assisted with her sister. At least taking care of the herb garden passed most of the time. Naomi yelped at the sudden hug from Choji. "O-oh! i..i was just making some omelettes with some fresh herbs from the garden.. sis's favorite.." Naomi looked down at the ground as he ran upstairs. She felt bad about finding him attractive, that was her sister's husband! Naomi shook her head and finished up omelette then headed upstairs.

"Sis?" Naomi brought up the hot plate of food and sat down at the chair she had set up next to her sister's bed. "I made your favorite bacon omelette with cheese and fresh herbs." The busty young woman laid the plate on the table choji had bought for Chitako that allows her to eat in bed. "I also made some extra and left it for choji in the fridge for when he gets hungry."

[exalted]

Sarah groaned into the pillow as she blindly fumbled about the alarm, willing to give anything for just five more minutes of sleep. Grumbling, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, trying to summon the energy to do anything but failing to do so. Not that she really had anything to do right now, the prospect of going to school was anything but appealing, not after what happened to Ichihara. Sarah would have never publicly called the girl her friend, but she was at least the most tolerable of the ditsy airheads that populated the school. Even then, no one deserved what had happened to Ichihara... though a part of her wondered what it would be like.

Rolling from the bed, she staggered about, picking through the crumpled clothes on the floor to find what was least dirty or didn't smell and pulled them on. She needed to get out of the apartment and go for a drive. She decided to head out to the farm, see if she could get any work done to take her minds from things and do something productive.

[CondorBoH]

Aoi smiled slightly, still obviously stressed and tired looking, but at least she had the manners to put on a good face.
"Yes, it will be. But we'll manage, especially since the school has already organized an email-based system for the absent students to study. Though without being in a classroom, I worry about their motivation."

As soon as the cigarette was out, the teacher leaned away just a little bit. She quite disliked the smell of smoke, but if it helped those who did... well, who was she to judge?
"She still does. Ichihara is a strong young woman, with proper treatment and care she will be back on her feet. As for what I am doing... I don't have any plans today. Not yet at least."

[Mark3000]

Okuda Naomi

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Chitako remains non-responsive as you lay the food down in front of her. Once you bring the food to her mouth, she opens up and begins to eat. When she finishes, the housewife just stares out the window as the sunlight shines through. You look into her but they seem blank, unresponsive. You hear Choji eat downstairs and then leave the house. You can see him walk to the train with his suitcase.

As you look around the room, you see an assortment of pills prescribed by the hospital. You also notice a picture from Chitako's wedding. You remember she invited you to be one of her bridesmaids. As you appreciate the photo, you notice a business card. "The Velvet Room, House of Pleasure" There was even an address and phone number. A nurse was on her way to check up on Chitako, so you'd be free to check this place out.

Sarah Boswell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You speed through downtown and reach Makishima Farm. Outside you could already see Hoshi tending to the grapes. You drive up to the main house where Sora comes to meet you. "I'd recognize that engine anywhere, how are you Sarah?" she asks as she comes out to meet you. The twins were only a few years older then you. Both had wavy brown hair with dark brown eyes. They were pretty much identical in every way except demeanor. Sora was very tomboyish while Hoshi was very soft spoken.

With both their parents retiring, they were left with the farm. Though they seemed content. Sora was already dressed in overalls with a rag flung over her shoulder. "I was just about to head into the barn to work that old tractor, I could use an extra hand." The woman said with a wide smile. By "Old Tractor", she was probably talking about the 1974 Gran Torino she has stashed in the barn. Hoshi wanted to get ridden of it since it was technically unsalvagable but Sora was never one to turn down a challenge.

Aoi Kohana

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Kikyo Akiyama didn't seem impressed with your brand of upbeat optimism. As she took another drag, she exhaled away from you towards the window. "If you say so. You actually have quite a few absentees among your class. Who were they again." Kikyo said taking a moment to think. "That's right, Naomi Okuda and Sarah Boswell. Naomi I can understand, but that Sarah girl seems like a real problem child."I've already had to talk to her about her performance." She said with a sigh. Putting out her cigarette in an empty coffee cup, the councilor walked back to her office. But not before turning to you. "You seem a bit stressed out Aoi, here." She said as she pulled a card out of her breast pocket. "The Velvet Room, House of Pleasure". "Everyone needs a bit of time to themselves if you know what I mean hehe"

[CondorBoH]

Aoi's smile faded a little bit. Yes, there was that. But not all students were alike, some had to deal with things differently. Some had problems at home.
"I have no real answer to Sarah, short of calling home and requesting her presence. At this rate she mightn't pass. I'll see what I can do about her, but I have no promises."

She blushed plainly after being given the card. She'd heard of the place in rumours and had, honestly, been tempted to visit.
"Are you sure it is a good idea to carry that kind of business card around school? What if you dropped it and one of the younger students found it?"
Despite her words, Aoi took the card and stowed it away. Perhaps Kikyo was right...

[FragranceofMtDew]

As she got ready to start the first day of her new assignment, Reina couldn't keep herself from staring out the window at the resort across from her cheap hotel room. "Awwww man, I want to stay at a hot springs resort..." She groans while packing her bag. Of course, that wasn't the right attitude and she knew it. If she just kept up her hard work then someday she'd get some nicer lodgings. Shaking her head as if to push the negative thoughts away, Reina looked through her bag once more just to make sure she had everything she'd need. "Wallet.... check. Notebook... check. Pens... check. Business cards.... check. Water bottle..... check. Copy of this months issue.... check. Alright! Let's move out!"

Ready to go, Reina turned towards Tatsuya, though she found she hadn't been able to look him in the eye since she'd found those pictures he'd taken. "Let's start with the police station and see where that gets us." The facts of the case were important for this article, even moreso in this particular line of work as average readers would feel more engaged when you start with something they can relate to. It would be nice to find some people who knew about the history of this town as well and then of course there was that strange sex shop. One step at a time though, so once Tatsuya was ready to go, they would head out for the police station to see if they could get anyone to talk to them.

[exalted]

Sarah glanced back at old satin black Dodge Demon and smiled at Sora, it's 340ci small block and six pack were distinctly individual when compared to the what most people ran over here. It still made Sarah giggle occasionally that her American Iron was technically the import over here.

"The Starsky and Hutch Mobile?" Sarah groaned questionably before she remembered to not use English, "You still trying to save the hunk a junk? What is it with you and my dad about that show?"

Falling in line behind Sora, she walked to the bar, killing a couple hours here working on junk was going to be better than dealing with whatever was happening at school.

[Lorielle]

Naomi fed her sister with a sad smile, she was happy her sister was alive, but her in responsiveness left a hole in her heart as she wished for the bubbly and bright older sister she had always know. With a muted sigh Naomi looks around and spots the odd business card. She wanted to gasp as to why her sister would have this sorta thing, she was married! Maybe it...no it has to be.. Glancing over to her sister Naomi takes the card when her sister wasn't looking, though she probably wasn't to begin with. Giving her sister a hug before taking the plate and heading down Naomi palms the business card. "This..isn't choji's is it..." She's almost horrified by the idea of it. The place sounds like a love hotel...but maybe it wasn't. To sate her curiosity Naomi dials the number found on the card and waits for an answer then makes a quick inquiry about what this place is.

[Mark3000]

Aoi Kohana

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Well if anyone finds it, it makes for an interesting conversation starter" She says with a bit of a chuckle. When you look up at the clock, you see it's time for your first class. You recognize the address on card so you can visit the boutique shop anytime.

As you make your way to class, a group of freshmen students pass by you talking about something. They stop to give you a bow and proceed on their way.

"Can you believe Ichihara was in to that kinda stuff" One of them said as they strolled through their smartphone.

"No way it's really her, it was probably photo shopped or something"

Reina Takahata

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Tatsuya gave you a nod and the two of you departed for the Police Station. As you walk, you get a better feel for the city. There was a real small town feel that radiated from every inch of the city. Case in point, the police station is more like a small office building then an actual station.

When you go in, the clerk officer gives you the same information that was given to other members of the media. Four victims all suspected of being sexually assaulted. There were signs of penetration and exhaustion but no DNA was found on their bodies. You also get date and time lines relating to when they were found. Outside of that, most of the officers remain tight lipped. Just as you're about to leave, you hear a gruff voice from behind one of the walls. "Meet me at Banzai Ramen across the street." He says before you hear footsteps.

Sarah Boswell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"I thought you of all people would appreciate an old american classic like that." Sora said giving you a slap on the back. Hoshi then comes over with cups and a pitcher of orange juice for the both of you. "Hello Sarah, we weren't expecting you to come so early, don't you have class today?" He asked. Despite his muscle body, Hoshi had a very motherly aura around him.

Sora just took a cup of juice and downed it in one gulp. "Look give the girl a bit of space. If she wants to work, I don't have any complaints. Lets get going Sarah." The mechanic says as she pulls you into the barn.

Inside the barn you see an assortment of farm machines surround by hay. To the back you could see the Gran Torino. Supposidly, Sora's father imported the car in the early eighties but it was damaged on the trip over. She had just gotten the rebuilt engine she ordered and needed your help installing the new engine. That's how you spend the morning, shooting the shit about the most random topics. Though it does turn to a weird topic.

"So have you heard of this Sex shop that opened downtown? If my folks knew about it, they'd loss their minds" Sora said with a giggle as she started on reconnecting the coolant line.

Naomi Okuda (Just going to go with this spelling since everyone else is)

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The dial tone sounds until you hear a female voice over the phone. "Hello, This is the Velvet Room. Your one stop shop for any item to satisfy your deepest desire. Are you interested in hearing about some of our newest items?" The woman says with bit of a seductive edge. "Oh I recognize this number, Miss Okuda is that you?"

[FragranceofMtDew]

Sometimes a small town like this is nice to visit every once in awhile, Reina had mostly lived and worked in big cities after all. "If you see a good shot, feel free to take it. We might need some filler photos depending on what all we can dig up here." She tells Tatsuya as they walk through the city, momentarily forgetting just what implications that could have for the pervy photographer.

Once they reach the small police station, Reina enthusiastically dives right into her work, introducing herself and handing out business cards to any who will take them. She always printed off a big stack before she would head out on a job since she felt it was an important part of getting people to take her seriously. At first she was surprised by how forthcoming the police here were, but soon enough she realizes that no one will tell her much more than what most papers had already reported. Still, she jots down everything she hears in her notebook just so she knows she has it straight from the source. The little detail about no DNA found was what had first interested her editor about this case to begin with, it really did give the impression that some sort of ghost was behind it. Just when Reina thinks she's not going to get anymore out of the police, a mysterious voice tells her to meet them at a ramen place nearby. "Well, that's good timing. I was just starting to get hungry and ramen sounds delicious!" Flashing Tatsuya a grin, she exits the station and heads over to this Banzai Ramen to meet their mystery officer.

[CondorBoH]

Now with card in tow, Aoi began to mentally prepare for the day of teaching. She was interrupted by the the students she ran into and couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about.
She stood behind them and cleared her throat.
"Now what are you talking about? There had better not be negative rumours about a student who was recently hospitalized."

[Mark3000]

Friday September 23 20XX, Afternoon

Reina Takahata

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You reach a small shop with a "BANZAI" sign up top and a bowl cutout right beside it. You walk inside to see the place is pretty empty at the moment. Most of the furniture from the chairs to the tables were made from wood and had an amazing amount of craftsmanship behind them.

At the countertop, you see a grizzled looking man sitting on one of the stools beside a younger looking woman in a suit. Both of them seemed to have already ordered. The man seemed to have gone with with a very spicy looking dish, while the woman had a simple bowl of miso soup. Raising his hand, he called you both over.

"Feel free to order what you like. This place doesn't really get busy until noon." He says as he slips to cards towards you. "I go by Ryuji Genji and this is my assistant, Momoko Modegi" He says as Momoko gives you a polite bow. After you introduce yourselves, Ryuji continues. "You don't seem to be from one of the major papers so you might have a bit more freedom to look into this." He pulled out a report that had details that were missing from the original report. Namely:

1: While no DNA was would, only Megumi Akamatsu was missing anything after the alleged assault. Namely her pants and undergarments.

2: After the incidents, there have been reports of images of the four victims being raped spread on various message boards. The subject matter was so extreme that they were dismissed as fake.

3: The only place all four victims had in common was the sex shop "The Velvet Room". The owner is currently on a short list of suspects.

Aoi Kohana

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Your classes go on without a hitch, thought you notice a few students are missing aside from Sarah and Naomi. You also the boys you ran into before were all chuckling as the hunched over a single screen. It was particularly detracting.

It wasn't until after classes were finished that you found out what they were whispering about. You receive a text message from Kikyo on your phone. "Do you know about this?" she asks with a photo attached. When you open the image, you see Kaoru completely naked being bound and fucked by what looked like ... a squid monster. There were several of these. All of them with Kaoru in more compromising positions.

[exalted]

"Yes, a classic I apreciate, a 69 Hemi will get anyone wet," She started, "But that... thing... whatever it is... aint."

Sarah was thankful Hoshi came up with a drink and sipped hers slowly to avoid answering his questions, thankful the distraction got it's own distraction as she was dragged into a barn to work.

"I keep telling you," She muttered up to Sora as she worked under the car, connecting the engine's plumbings and checking for leaks as she scooted about on a creeper, "You wasted your money rebuilding this low compression hunk a junk, the emissions laws and gas crisis killed this engine, anything after 71 really just isn't worth it. You should have found an older block or a newer 5.0 injected job."

Either way, Sarah was happy to be working, keeping her hands busy and dirty meant she wasn't lounging around with her thoughts. Her grease smeared face flushed red when Sora mentioned the sex shop and she rolled out from under the Gran Torino to look at her.

"A sex shop would mean a sex life," She muttered again, changing tools to roll back under the car, but leaving her waste and legs exposed outside, "Which would mean finding a guy who wasn't a total creep, jerk or loser long enough to let him get in my pants, and you know the sort of drop kicks we have around here."

Her thoughts strayed briefly to Hoshi but she quickly shook them off. The guy was her boss, it would just get messy and creepy if anything happened there.

[CondorBoH]

Aoi stared a little too long at the pictures, her face gradually growing darker shades of red. Oh. She was saving these.
It was in bad taste, especially considering the circumstances but... wow.
Eventually she managed to focus enough to send a reply to the councilor.
"Some of my students have been gossiping about something involving Ichihara, this must have been it. Someone must have been very disturbed to edit some kind of porn with her face."
Whoever edited it must have been fantastically skilled in photo editing. It was hard to think of any other reasons to why pictures like these existed.

Another text.
"As if it wasn't hard enough to keep them from using their phones in class."

[FragranceofMtDew]

Stepping into the quaint little ramen shop, Reina is immediately greeted by the pair that must have asked her here. "Reina Takahata, Ayakashi Monthly. This is my photographer Tatsuya." She introduces them, returning Momoko's bow and exchanging business cards with the two of them. "Hmm... Well, for ramen it's gotta be tonkotsu." She says, nodding sagely as she places her order and sits down to talk with the two officers while she waits for her food.

Reina reads the report with interest, jotting down notes and asking questions about what she sees within as she does. Megumi's name gives her pause, but she doesn't see how that particular fact will further the investigation so she doesn't ask about it. "Do you have these images? Or could you tell me which board I could find them on?" Using them for the article wasn't exactly an option since it sounded like they were pretty indecent, but they were certainly worth looking into. "Just who is the owner of the Velvet Room?" Meeting with a potential suspect was certainly dangerous, but the Velvet Room was already on her list of places to visit and it would be good to know what she was getting into beforehand. "Oh, and... Why exactly are you telling me this? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything, it's just no one else at the station would give me anything they hadn't already told the press." Is her final question as she finishes writing and looks up at the two before her.

[Mark3000]

Sarah Boswell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"I was talking about the show but I guess you don't care much for either" Sora said with a small laugh. "And don't give me that junk about emission laws.There are somethings more important then money. Beside it's because of this hank a junk I can spend some alone time with you."

Sora was just getting another set of tools when she heard your answer. "True that. It's slim picking out here in the sticks. But you don't have a guy to go to one of these places. Haven't you ever touched your self before?" She asked without skipping a beat. Sora was always pretty open when it came to sex. In an more formal workplace it may have seemed weird but not in this casual atmosphere.

Aoi Kohana

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You get a text reply from Kikyo.

"If these are edits, they are disturbingly good." she says before you hear a voice call from behind you.

"Using your cellphone like that sets a bad example for the rest of the students." You look up to seen the Academy's Chancellor, Gora Hariyama. He was a hefty man who wore thick glasses and seemed to favour cheap suits. With a balding head and a stern face, Gora was an intimidating figure.

"Are you finish for the day Ms. Kohana. I don't remember if you advise for any of the school's clubs. If you aren't busy, could you pay Miss Ichihara a visit? It might be good to have a teacher visit her from time to time." He says as if giving more of an order.

Reina Takahata

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Momoko and Ryuji continue to eat as you read the reports. When asking for the images, Ryuji hands you a sealed folder. "I had my tech boys pull off the images to examine them. They seem to go up on different pornsites and spread though messages boards like 4San. They said that even when monitors tried to remove them. They reappear the next day. When examined, they didn't show any signs of editing either" He said as he was about to take a swig from a can of beer, only for Momoko to slap his hand. "Sir, you promised your wife you'd drink less." She said as she passed the detective a can of green tea. "Thanks Momo" The detective says as he takes the tea.

"The owner of the Velvet Room goes by Inga. Full name Inga Romanoff. She opened the shop only a year ago but it seems to have only just hit it's stride. All four victims were reported inside or outside the building but ..." The detective said as he paused for the moment. "The reason she's on the short list is because she's gotten on the wrong side of some of the townspeople. They say a sex shop as out of place in a small place like Emiko-cho. They also don't want to draw attention to the assaults. Makes the city look bad. So I'm hitting alot of brickwalls. But someone outside the system might be able to dig up something real."

[CondorBoH]

Aoi stiffened suddenly, glad that she had enough word-space on screen that it blocked the... images from view.
"Mr. Hariyama, you surprised me. I was discussing with Counsellor Akiyama about a series of disturbing edited images that the students have been spreading around, about Ichihara. I'm sure she could explain more. To be honest, I had planned on visiting her at the hospital, but I didn't want to announce my plans to do so in case something else came up. Is there anything specific you want me to bring up to her?"
The visit would be a friendly one. Aoi would go easy on giving the poor girl any school work, she needed her rest and recovery time without having to worry about studies.

[FragranceofMtDew]

Reina takes advantage of the time the detective spends answering her questions to chow down on her own bowl of ramen, smirking slightly as Momoko scolds him for trying to drink. "Since she's a suspect, have you run a background check on Inga yet? Any past offenses." She inquires between bites. Putting a name to it made the Velvet Room a little less mysterious, but there was still a lot of promise to this case in the other information she had just gathered. "Ah, right. I heard that folks around here are still pretty ashamed of this city's past. Well, I'll keep asking around and let you know what I dig up."

Once she's finished her meal, she turns her attention to the other file the detective had handed her. Pictures that you couldn't truly delete of the web... now that was exciting! Reina was a little hesitant to open it up right here, it was apparently too extreme even for porn sites after all. But this was for work! Or at least so she told herself as she opened the file to see what was inside.

[exalted]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHFuzbeTPew

"yeah, things like performance, horsepower, torque, throttle response, acceleration, power to weight ratios - you know, minor things," Sarah continued to banter about the engine in Japanese as she worked until Sora directly questioned her masturbatary habbits.

"Da fuck you say?" She blurted out in English in shock, before recovering to speak in Sora's tongue, "No... ye.. what does that have to do with anything?"