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- Masahiko Irie - By now it's no secret that Izo and Masahiko have different ways of going about dealing with things -- it's a fact that the Irie heir has put to use more than once. What isn't as public is the disagreement between them as to the role of the Yakuza in supernatural matters, and while they've begun to tackle that ethical debate, there isn't any clear point of compromise in sight. This may or may not be a serious problem.
- Seiichi Miyamoto - After the combat in Mt. Mifune that foiled (apparently) the apocalypse, a wounded Seiichi stumbled down the mountain to find a wounded Izo already at the temple, being attended to. The monks provided tea and hot water for washing, and the pair had a careful chat, during the course of which both men agreed that they weren't good guys, but they probably weren't really bad guys, either. Seiichi did mention that he had some idea as to who might fit the description, though. It wasn't more than a day or two before he was proven right.
- Miwa Saitou - Miwa isn't much like the majority of Izo's associations. Petite, conservatively dressed, slightly anxious, she puts him in mind of a doe: not the type of girl that usually populates his day-to-day life. Nevertheless, she went out of her way to track him down at his place of work sheerly for the sake of vetting him as an association of Naomi's -- so clearly, knowing Naomi means knowing Miwa, to greater or lesser extent. He makes her uneasy, but he's also literally covered for her twice already -- so maybe one makes up for the other.
- Naomi Suzuno - If there's anything Izo appreciates in someone else, it's well-informed adherence to logic and an inclination toward the practical. Naomi has all three. Naomi's taken the time to fill in more than a few blanks about events in Sumaru, for which the gangster is appreciative; with every passing encounter, he finds himself more inclined to extend her the rarest of his offerings: a modicum of trust.
That trust holds for now, and may even be on the rise...though of course, this being Izo's life, complications are swiftly asserting themselves.
- Itsuka Mizuhara - Small girl on a motorcycle. He almost ran her off of the road. It's a problem.
- Mariko Ohmukai (REVERSED) - A former junkie and a Yakuza hostess who seems to be trying to mend her life, and her reputation. She wants things from Izo that he isn't willing to give her -- possibly because he's not willing to give them -- and recent developments have put even his well-intentioned interest in her health on the line.
- Thora Kobayashi - Kobayashi is a powerful presence on the fringes of Izo's social circles. She's closer to Masahiko and Akio than she is to Izo himself, but inevitably, supernatural turbulence in the city has landed them in the same place at the same time. People he likes seem to like her, and that's good enough reason to file her under the mental header of 'One of Ours.' She gave him a kanebo. It didn't last long.
- Mai Namikawa - As relations between the Kagutsuchi and SEES continue to erode in spite of efforts to shore them up, Izo's turned to Mai, aware of the teen's position as go-between for the factions, and hoping to contribute in much the same way. While they haven't traveled too far down that path of reconciliation yet, they've discussed other plans, and Izo was present in the fight against her shadow both times, demonstrating what sort of loyalty he's capable of.
- Kyo Enda (REVERSED) - Izo may have washed his hands of Yisa, but Kyo is another story. The shadow-possessed put him in the hospital after successfully getting his hackles up. Hermits are fast learners -- Izo won't make that mistake again. This isn't over.
- Tatsuya Sudou (REVERSED) - This guy's importance has been something of a mystery: first he was a bad guy, flinging fire at people in the Dark Hour; then he was a good guy, helping people to save the world. In neither of those circumstances did Izo take his moral orientation personally.
Then, Sudou decided that he wanted to play with the Yakuza, and stepped into the shoes of oyabun for the local Sumiyoshi-kai presence. The Sumiyoshi-kai -- who are responsible for his presence here in Sumaru at all; who want him dead; who want to kill his family. That makes things very personal. He has officially jumped from somewhere in the middle of Izo's 'Who Are You Again?' list to the very top of his 'Death Is The Only Solution' list, even edging out Kyo Enda by a comfortable margin. Right now, Izo has a few personal concerns that need sorting out...but they won't keep him away forever. Expect fireworks.
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