[Day 8 - Early Evening] The Work Continues... (Closed)

[Kuni Junpei]

Junpei would halt his work and raise his brows at the entering Dragon, almost having thought initially that she would have had enough of the work and was gone for the day. He would take his finished can of iced coffee and pudding cup, tossing them in the receptacle beside him to make space for the files that she was presenting him. After giving a small adjustment fix of his glasses, she would look at her findings.

"Hm, so he was scoping out a smaller case on his own instead of having the heimen doshin do it. I suppose he had a hunch. This looks to me that it was very much related to our killer Kaiu Takeo. We could potentially pin his previous findings to the late Kaiu's trail of bodies and victims," he nodded on that note.

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

Junpei would halt his work and raise his brows at the entering Dragon, almost having thought initially that she would have had enough of the work and was gone for the day. He would take his finished can of iced coffee and pudding cup, tossing them in the receptacle beside him to make space for the files that she was presenting him. After giving a small adjustment fix of his glasses, she would look at her findings.

"Hm, so he was scoping out a smaller case on his own instead of having the heimen doshin do it. I suppose he had a hunch. This looks to me that it was very much related to our killer Kaiu Takeo. We could potentially pin his previous findings to the late Kaiu's trail of bodies and victims," he nodded on that note.

Ichitaiyo had to make some additions. "There are a few more.. considerations to make."

She shifted through the papers and pointed at the date of Asataka's last bit of work. "There are no more files following the exact one month before his passing. I find it very hard to believe that a case of such connotation, one that can cause huge public chaos and harm on the governance's credibility would have been left asides for such a long period."

Then Ichitaiyo pulled a receipt from Tetsuo Auto Repair, one year before Asataka's passing. "The vehicle had been relatively recently repaired and maintained, taken by one Kuni Eriko, that I previously glanced as his next apprentice after you had decided to travel the stars for your duty."

"Tetsuo Auto Repair is not any garage, but it is owned and staffed by it's sole propietor, Kaiu Nagisa, who has prepared Shiawase Rally winning cars, one of which she crewed herself. We're speaking of an specialist on installation of safely measures like roll cages and fuel cells. The probability of the late Magister's car facing mechanical neglect regarding the inflammable materials is rather low."

Ichitaiyo bowed her head. "Now, missing files and a death circumstance with a snag on it's reasoning on their own do not direct towards any conclusion. Each would be a mystery on it's own, it needs something to tie them. And there is one link."

She took the file from the crash investigation and opened it on the author's stamp, Kuni Ayaka. "There is a person with the power to both access Asataka's files and decide what is the official story under which the Magister has passed at the same time."

[Kuni Junpei]

Findings.

"Yes, I'm quite aware of Kuni Eriko," Junpei would interject earlier on in her findings with a tinge of annoyance, before she would go on. "She is more or less my kohai."

"Recently is a bit said loosely here, considering that it was a year ago. I don't doubt Kaiu-san's abilities to fix cars, but a master mechanic can only do so much for a car if it hasn't been touched for a year later. And to cast doubt on a yoriki, especially after one day in this office, with your standing and status, is more than a touch offensive but grossly out of line here, Kitsuki-san. I'm pleased that you find yourself overenthusiastic with these findings but this is quite a leap you're making here. I'd suggest you take a step back and reevaluate yourself in regard to what you're trying to accomplish here and what you're implying," He frowned at her with a glare that demanded that she know her place.

"But," he relented slightly, "I suppose you are correct about the gap in time between investigation and death. That is quite unusual. What do you, and your theories, suppose then happened during that time?"

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"Yes, I'm quite aware of Kuni Eriko," Junpei would interject earlier on in her findings with a tinge of annoyance, before she would go on. "She is more or less my kohai."

"Recently is a bit said loosely here, considering that it was a year ago. I don't doubt Kaiu-san's abilities to fix cars, but a master mechanic can only do so much for a car if it hasn't been touched for a year later. And to cast doubt on a yoriki, especially after one day in this office, with your standing and status, is more than a touch offensive but grossly out of line here, Kitsuki-san. I'm pleased that you find yourself overenthusiastic with these findings but this is quite a leap you're making here. I'd suggest you take a step back and reevaluate yourself in regard to what you're trying to accomplish here and what you're implying," He frowned at her with a glare that demanded that she know her place.

"But," he relented slightly, "I suppose you are correct about the gap in time between investigation and death. That is quite unusual. What do you, and your theories, suppose then happened during that time?"

She remembered her sensei for a moment. How among his various plays and acts, games and tricks, and harsh observations.. his words echoed harder than ever.

'The Truth is blind to status, glory, honor and beneficence. Truth simply is. And by unraveling, one is responsible by the latter.'

And now there she, assuming the risk of absolutely demolishing the Dragon's standing with the office, because of her hunger to Know, to grasp, the greed for the power that information held.

Ichitaiyo bowed down to the Magistrate, deeply, and held her position, as she she spoke. "I apologize profoundly, magister-sama. I preferred to lay out my thoughts rather than lay silent, as I thought that presenting this information was of more importance than my own infimal standing."

And she straightened. "My thesis is that someone wanted said information hidden. And we both know that Kuni Asataka-sama would never comply to an instruction like that." She glanced down to the papers. "He found something they didn't want known. And he would easily notice the missing files..."

Her eyes went to the Magister's. "Kaiu Takeo didn't just engage in 'serial' killing- it was organized, using clan resources like the military vehicle he was using in the scene of the crime, and using a building that had to be provided to him, lest someone have it assigned or request it and find about the operation. Those elements speak of corruption at a governance level."

And lowered her face, as respect of the topic demanded. "Furthermore, the killing was not just 'serial', but systematic. There were tools and engineering put at disposal for this. One could even say it had a Ritual goal. For Something Worse." and she faced back again. "Kuni Ayaka is merely part of a system. I would like to request we question her regarding the missing files, from then we can attempt to unweave some truths. If she has a justifiable explanation, I will bow away in shame as it demanded, and you will never hear of my name again after my temporal stay is over."

[Kuni Junpei]

This was a painful pill to swallow, not because he found himself wholly convinced by the Dragon, but more that this was a far bigger matter than she was assuming, beyond the gross negligence of one established yoriki in the office versus a conclusion she made on a few files. Now the government and corruption are involved? That alone should have ousted her from the office without a second thought.

Junpei would stand from his seat and make his way toward the woman, standing right into her personal space which might be considered rude to some but standard witch hunter procedure to others. "These are very dangerous assumptions, Kitsuki-san, ones that could potentially have you ousted from the island immediately and also drastically lower your standing of the Dragon Clan here by association, regardless of your standing with them, you are still part of that Clan."

He walked off with a shake of his head. "We're still looking into Kaiu Takeo's hideout, and the conclusion of that investigation might not be finalized for weeks, despite having all of the parts in front of us. The military vehicle was part of his duties of patrolling the mountain, while the building was presumptuously commandeered after being abandoned for so long. I don't think that they were licensed, or any deed was given to him directly. We did find in his hideout that his hit list included the governor, the karo and some civil servants. And also, why wasn't Kuni Asataka killed in the same manner? It feels like we're being led to believe that these are related. Yet, it just doesn't add up," he gave a dismissive shake of his head.

"Asataka didn't just drop off the face of the world after his previous investigation, and was found dead. He didn't go missing, he had a job, routine and appointments. There must be some trail here..." He frowned. "I'd rather you follow up on what he was doing and fill in that blank than point to particular suspects and the government accusingly without any follow-up work. You've stepped over the line here, now you're at the edge, one more misstep and I will mention this to the karo and governor."

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

This was a painful pill to swallow, not because he found himself wholly convinced by the Dragon, but more that this was a far bigger matter than she was assuming, beyond the gross negligence of one established yoriki in the office versus a conclusion she made on a few files. Now the government and corruption are involved? That alone should have ousted her from the office without a second thought.

Junpei would stand from his seat and make his way toward the woman, standing right into her personal space which might be considered rude to some but standard witch hunter procedure to others. "These are very dangerous assumptions, Kitsuki-san, ones that could potentially have you ousted from the island immediately and also drastically lower your standing of the Dragon Clan here by association, regardless of your standing with them, you are still part of that Clan."

He walked off with a shake of his head. "We're still looking into Kaiu Takeo's hideout, and the conclusion of that investigation might not be finalized for weeks, despite having all of the parts in front of us. The military vehicle was part of his duties of patrolling the mountain, while the building was presumptuously commandeered after being abandoned for so long. I don't think that they were licensed, or any deed was given to him directly. We did find in his hideout that his hit list included the governor, the karo and some civil servants. And also, why wasn't Kuni Asataka killed in the same manner? It feels like we're being led to believe that these are related. Yet, it just doesn't add up," he gave a dismissive shake of his head.

"Asataka didn't just drop off the face of the world after his previous investigation, and was found dead. He didn't go missing, he had a job, routine and appointments. There must be some trail here..." He frowned. "I'd rather you follow up on what he was doing and fill in that blank than point to particular suspects and the government accusingly without any follow-up work. You've stepped over the line here, now you're at the edge, one more misstep and I will mention this to the karo and governor."

Ichitaiyo bent deeply.

She was at the border of abyss, about her every dream about to be crushed, for every moment of abuse she had received to have been proven rightful.

There was wisdom in giving up. Being forgotten, allowing the Magister lay down the matter. Failure wouldn't destroy her, it would destroy her clan's work, Kanna's work...

But she couldn't let it go. A beast scorging through the dark woods, following the scent of blood with frenzy, taking loops, wrong forks, but hungering to claw and make Truth hers.

No matter the consecuence that might unleash.

"I apologize for my impertinence, Magister-sama. I will deliver a more through investigation."

And.not.needing to be dismissed, not begging for scraps, she set out onto the night, into the shadows that sheltered, seeking the point upon which she would pounce.

[Kuni Junpei]

Junpei would return to his work once the Dragon left. He would eventually stop his work and give a glance at the small shrine sitting on the side, dedicated to Asataka.

/scene