2025-07-27: Summer Fair

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<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.

Yongen-Jaya is having a fair today!

The neighborhood is heavily urban, but the main street running through it has a number of stores -- and in front of those, a lot of stalls have been set up. Local stores and ones from neighborhoods nearby are here; so are vendors selling street foods of all kinds.

There are mostly -- but not entirely -- locals here. They're talking cheerfully, but it looks like it is -- in large part -- an excuse for the locals to get together and chat.

One of the stalls is in front of Yongen-Jaya's koban, its one-room police station. There is a table here; one police officer is sitting in a chair well behind it, asleep.

And the other is Reiko Shimizu, wearing her Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department uniform -- blue vest, white shirt, blue slacks -- and with her hair up, in a ponytail. She has glasses on, and unfailingly, a smile on. The table has stacks of handmade paper fans -- pastel blues, violets, and greens -- with the kanji for "Yongen-Jaya" written across them when unfurled.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren has of course seen the flyers for the Yongen-Jaya Neighborhood Fair in the area. He lives here, and he walks through the area from time to time, so they'd be impossible to miss. He's actually been considering asking one of his friends to join him in checking it out.
    
    Then certain requests/demands were made of him and those had to take precedence. Now it's the day of, and he's come home from a half-day at school and changed into regular clothes, but...
    
    While sitting on his bed, he looks at his phone.
    
    - Invite a friend to join you at the fair?
     -- Ryuji Sakamoto
     -- Ann Takamaki
     -- Yusuke Kitagawa
     -- Makoto Niijima
     -- No one
    
    Ren's lips thin. "Hmmm..."
    
    "Wouldn't it take them a while to get here? Especially Yusuke," Morgana the not-a-cat points out from his seat also on the bed. "You should've at least asked someone while you were still at school."
    
    He sighs. "Yeah..." He's about to click his smartphone off, effectively choosing > No one, when he gets a text--from Akechi.
    
    He stares as he reads it. A couple more appear as he does.
    
    @>I hear there's a festival in Yongen-Jaya today.
    @>Perhaps I could find time to make an appearance if you had an interest in going.
    @>Walking around with someone staying with a local would lend me a rather down to earth feel, don't you think?
    
    He frowns and tells Morgana about them.
    
    "Huh... Akechi, huh? Well, I won't tell you not to." Morgana's tail flicks. "What're you gonna do?"
    
    "...Why not," Ren says, and texts back: @> OK. See you there.
    
    "I'll hang out here, then," Morgana says as he does so. "Good luck out there."
    
    "I'll bring you back a snack," Ren jokes.
    
    He full-body perks. "Oooh! Bring me sushi!! I've had a craving for tuna lately!"
    
    "...Not that kind of snack."
    
        ~ * ~
    
    But even so, when Ren steps out into the streets of Yongen-Jaya wearing his usual ensemble of thick-rimmed black glasses, an unbuttoned white short-sleeved shirt, a black undershirt, blue jeans, a wristwatch (despite having his smartphone on him), and black shoes, he glances around as he walks to see if there's any sushi-selling booths.
    
    It's unlikely, but you never know.
    
    Because of his distraction, though, he might just approach the booth in front of Reiko's koban without spotting the cops there first... 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

As the festival began, Hazuki Nakao is here! She decided to get out of the house, so she travelled from Shibuya to come hang out at a street festival where... she doesn't know anybody. Maybe that'll change?

The teen's dressed in her usual outfit - a black newsie-style cap, a black leather jacket and white shirt, a flower-clasped choker, compression gloves, pants, and nice shoes. Her fashion sense screams 'foreign' down to the labels, and probably isn't something someone's parents would let them wear, but she's clearly Japanese.

She looks kind of gloomy.

Currently, she's approaching the police booth, hands clasped in front of her. "Oh, hello, officer." she says with a certain shyness as she approaches. Reiko looks friendly, even if the other cop is... sleeping.

She's trying to pick a paper fan. She's struggling on color.

"Hmm... which one do you think is..." She pauses on her words, as if her Japanese wasn't that great, a bit accented as it is. Which one best fits a fan? Cool? Nice? "...cutest?" 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Damn.

    Damn damn damn...

    It's easy to play it cool and go 'let's find his Palace'. The problem is -- it turns out Tokyo is actually FUCKING HUGE?? A half-kilometre area is still like finding a needle in a haystack, Baofu! Damnit. The first of July is the deadline, and they've got to ferret out where in Kaneshiro's likely hangout spots that Palace can be. Also while being sleep deprived from fighting a GIANT SHADOW in the shape of--

    Heterosexuality? They aren't really sure why the Emperor and Empress were paired. Isn't that more of a Lovers thing? Hell Tower is weird. Sumaru's demons are more pure. They just tell dick jokes and run off with your Life Stones.

    It's no good. They've walked all the way up from Shinagawa up the Meguro River and ended up here in Yongen-jaya from the early morning. They're beat to all hell. They're still in their suit jacket and formal coat, black and white as ever, but they look extra...

    They look extra soggy today, somehow, despite not having done Magic River Teleportation.

    Myunghon doesn't even realise there's a festival on, until they stop fortuitiously by the koban -- glancing at Ren and Hazuki for a moment as she considers what colours are nicest. Like Ren, they also have a problem with the police at the worst of times.

    "How about a nice pink fan? It hasn't been that long since sakura season ended, and pink's a common summer colour."

    Their singular eye catches Reiko a moment later. "Oh... hello again. It looks like you won't be needing to fish me out of the river this time." 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    ---- EARLIER ----
    "You need to lower your voice more."
    "This is as low as my voice gets."
    "Ummmieeee, why are you always like this? You have to sell the illusion! You need to be mysterious!" Toki Murasaki was always the sort to be a 'big ideas' person. When those ideas got too big, she'd run to whoever was closest and was willing to help her out, one of which is her high school friend, Umie. Despite being the younger of the two, Umie sometimes wonders how Toki's enthusiasm hasn't lessened any since she's gone off into the adult world.
    "Why did you have to close down the maid cafe, Toki? It worked just fine when I worked there."
    "Ummmmieee, Maid cafes are overdone. Besides, the guys liked you because they thought you were fift--"
    Umie groans. "You want me to be your mysterious boy butler or not?"

    ---- NOW ----

    "... Maybe I should've gone with the Host idea. It's too hot to be wearing suits..." Toki, dressed in full butler regalia, fake glasses, and makeup to define her feminine face as more androgynous, sits behind her booth labeled, 'Marron Chatte'. It's decorated with trellises and fake silk topiaries, with slowly blinking strip lights stringed through the decor. There's a set up of teas on display, as well as some

    In front, are three tables in front, barely able to seat two people.

    "That's what the booth down the way is doing. We'd be in direct competition." Umie, likewise, is dressed as a butler, opting for a more boyish, innocent look. ("Oh, you could be a foreign butler! How's your French? French people have beauty marks like yours, right?" Toki exclaimed, earlier, as she curled Umie's ash blonde hair into an artful ponytail, complete with wavy bangs.)

    "The scent from the coffee place is so gooood. Maybe this area's got too much competition. You think the name's confusing?"

    Umie looks at Toki with a frown. "I never said it was a bad idea. We're just hanging out fliers, right? If the rental deal doesn't go through, no one's going to think much of it." She sighs. "Go get some coffee while you can. Maybe some fans? Maybe I'll spot someone I can snag in. We have to build a mystery, right?"

     Wait, is that-- Umie's lips turn upwards in a sharp grin. 

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

To anyone watching Goro Akechi's social media feed, a shot of him in front of the Leblanc, taking a selfie with that 'winning' smile on his face goes up promptly, as soon as the festival begins.

'Just me in front a cozy little place I quite enjoy for the festival today. #leblanc #akechikun #kaitoucase'

Despite there being absolutely no sign of him yet.

He does show up in short order, though, all smiles, as he hails Ren from a distance. "Amamiya-kun." And he's wearing the summer uniform still, like he took a half day from school before going straight to a case.

Well, he has a case, the one in his hands.

"I do apologize for being a bit late... I was held up. I hope you didn't have too much fun without me." His social media put that post up thirty one minutes ago. Before he then turns to Reiko and... "Oh, Officer Shimizu, I almost didn't see you there."

Wait, Akechi has never even greeted her before ever!?

That affable smile touches his face, "You're a true credit to the Tokyo Police Department, showing such... enthusiasm, for public relations work."

<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.

It's Saturday!

That means Akari Hoshi has a half school day. And she's finally over the grounding that she had - well, never mind why; she wouldn't tell you even if you asked why she hadn't been around a whole lot anywhere but school and home until this last week.

Akari spends a lot of time away from home, something she is allowed to do as long as she doesn't stay out too late, sticks to safe areas, and checks in once in a while. By the standards of places she has occasionally gone when she's left to her own devices, a little fair in Yongen-Jaya is positively normal, even if it's a bit of a hike from where she lives. She has her own reasons to come to Tokyo though.

This does mean she is *probably* the only person in a Seven Sisters Middle School uniform though. White skirt, blue top, white ribbon. She even has her backpack... which she has a Seven Sisters badge on. Huh. So *that's* how the girls wear the Seven Sisters patch. Eighth secret mystery solved!

Akari has been distracted in her quest (whatever that may be), however, by street cats. She likes cats. Cats do not like her, though. She hasn't ever figured out why, but currently she is crouched and trying to attract one to see if she can pet it, and the cat is having none of this, having retreated -

And now retreated all the way around the corner of an alley.

"Aw," Akari says, pushing herself up to her feet. 

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Ayame Watanabe does not live in Yongen-Jaya, but she knows a certain officer who does! So Ayame is here, dressed casually; she has a nice blue shoulderless top, with thin straps and long sleeves. Under that, high-waisted jeans and some nice shoes, good for walking around the city in. She has green eyes and brown-black hair, and she is not alone! Walking along at her side--currently holding her hand--is a girl of maybe 11 years old, standing a bit shorter than her mother and resembling her strongly, with long hair of the same color and green eyes. She is dressed in a brighter, more fun kind of outfit, a T-shirt with a star on it and a baseball cap over jeans. "Are we there?" she asks Ayame.

"We're here," Ayame confirms for her daughter, and on her other arm is her purse. She walks up to the stand and chimes in, "Personally, I think green is always cute. The little shoot doing its best to grow...!"

She smiles at Myunghon though, and at Hazuki both. "Pink is nice too, though."

Tohka, the child, says, "I like pink... Oh!!"

She turns towards Akari, and sees just a glimpse of--

"Kitty!"

"Hi, nee-chan," Ayame greets Reiko. And Tohka lets go Ayame's hand to come up to the counter. "Auntie!" she greets her happily. "Do you have a lot of cats in this district...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Much like Ayame, Shinobu is not a local, but she knows people who live in the area! One person, specifically. That's what brings her out here today - strolling through Yongen-Jaya's neighborhood fair. There's a lot to do and see here... and she's come away from the street food stalls with two trays of takoyaki.

She tries not to let let herself be too distracted... though Umie and Toki's booth does draw her attention briefly. ...She does think the butler look is pretty cute, though it's not her usual taste. It's weird to stare, though, and she's on a mission, so she continues - though not before possibly being noticed.

Where she finds...

"...Someone's popular today." Shinobu notes with a smirk. And who else would be here but...

"Hey, Ayame, Tohka-chan. Surprised to see you both here - guess we had the same idea." Shinobu greets her sister and her daughter, before looking toward Reiko.

She raises one of the takoyaki trays indicatively.

"Do you accept snacks on the job, officer?" She offers with a wink. ...She does a double-take, briefly. Is that Myunghon? ...Did they try Magic River Teleportation again? (Not this time, but Shinobu doesn't know that.) 

<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.

"Hello, young man!" Reiko says to Ren Amamiya, as he approaches. She smiles -- which means Ren is now face-to-face with a smiling police officer. This may not be a good thing, ijn his book. "Would you like a fan? I--ah, rather, we--"

She means the police at the koban. (She means herself, mostly.)

"--made them with love!"

She looks at Hazuki, too, then, and she blinks. She isn't quite sure what to make of her fashion. A foreigner, maybe? It's stylish, but it's different, too. She smiles; like she can be sunny, to make up for the gloom.

"Hello, young lady!" Reiko says. "I think..." She looks at a fan, with a magenta-and-cyan pattern on it, a little like a swirl. "I like that one, but I suppose 'cutest' is in the eye of the beholder...?"

Another guest, though, offers their input. Reiko pauses -- blinks -- and then smiles a little awkwardly at Myunghon. Okay, a lot awkwardly. "Yeo-san," she says. "I'm glad I don't have to fish you out. Welcome to the fair!"

It is a surprise to her, though when Akechi greets her. She looks at him -- she starts to say hello -- and then realizes who he is. Her cheeks color, slightly. "Ah! Akechi-san! I--I--" She does a short bow. "Thank you. I still do shifts at the koban--ah, Detective Uchijima said it's necessary until my paperwork for my promotion goes through..."

The paperwork has been 'going through' since January, of course.

She blinks at 'nee-chan,' then turns her head. She looks at Ayame and smiles, before she lifts a hand. "Onee-chan! And--oh, Tohka-chan!" she calls out, some of her professional demeanor dropping. "Thank you for coming all this way! Then, she laughs a little. "It's okay if she wants to play with the kitty for a bit."

This might, perhaps, alarm Myunghon. But then Shinobu walks up -- and Reiko blurts out, again: "Nee-chan!" She blinks, then she takes the takoyaki tray. She laughs when she does. "Well... I'm sure we can overlook it. Besides, that looks really good."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren overhears a few folks talk about fans. He glances in that direction, and while he doesn't recognize Myunghon (he didn't see them floating down the river over in Sumaru), he does recognize a fellow Shujin student in Hazuki (he's seen her in the halls, at least) and--right there--a couple of cops. Parents and children and students from other schools and more also mill about, but that's what, ahem, arrests his attention.
    
    Ren's expression freezes with wariness when Reiko addresses him--even invites him to buy a fan. "No, thanks," he says curtly. Then he steps to one side and delicately passes by the koban booth while the cops have other people to pay attention to and presumably won't hound him.
    
    Of course, naturally Akechi has to hail him right then. At least Ren has no social media presence and therefore doesn't have to be irritated by the time stamp on his most recent post. Instead, he just turns around, wide-eyed, to see Akechi in his summer uniform. That makes sense, but...
    
    "You're here already? I wasn't expecting that," he says, even though once he thinks about it a second later, he realizes he absolutely should have. He pauses and frowns over at Reiko as Akechi greets her, but does not join in. Distracted as he still is, just in a different direction, he doesn't spot Umie in her butler costume, grinning wolfishly at him; he's more concerned about how to remove himself from the area without looking suspicious.
    
    So, staying casual, he tucks his hands in his pockets and approaches Akechi, the person he is technically supposed to be here with. "What do you want to check out first?" Assuming you haven't cased the whole fair already, he adds in his head. 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

Hazuki nods as Myunghon, Ayame, and Tohka give their color opinions. "Hmmm... pink is classically girly, that's true, but..." Indecisive as usual.

And then, Reiko picks one! Her sunny demeanor is uplifting, but Hazuki's got a lot of gloom, so it's hard to truly fix her spirits, even as she tries to hide it in her own way. "Oh, that one's adorable! And I'm just allowed to take it...?" It doesn't cost money?!

Though, as Hazuki pans around the crowd (which makes her a little nervous to see all these people know each other, and also the local 'thug' from Shujin, as far as she knows him as), she spots-

The French, her sworn enemy.

Or, more seriously, a COOL BUTLER CAFE.

Assuming the fan is free (and paying if it's not), Hazuki nods to Reiko. "Thank you so much." She parts from the crowd, moving over to Umie.

"Oh, hello, sir! This is a lovely little cafe..." 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Reiko greets Myunghon in turn, and they shake her head to say, "I was not aware there was a fair today at all." They look really tired. Have they been up all night drinking or something? Drinking in the blood of your enemies, that is!! But then Reiko greets a woman with her children as 'nee-chan', and their eye widens slightly--

    And then Shinobu, of all people, arrives, and Reiko also calls her nee-chan.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    pffffFFFFFFFFFZZZZZZZZTTTT

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsMNg072OqE

    Just a moment. Myunghon's brain is trying hard to catch up to this reality. 

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko didn't know about the street market. She had been in town because she needed some brake rotors. Just because the thing died in a supernatural event doesn't mean it was permanently knocked out and.. the brakes were bad. You keep on top of those if you're riding.
 
 She is still in her Gekkoukan uniform. It's more disheveled than usual. People waking her up at 7 in the morning or not, her level of 'care' was critically low on that front. At some point she at least fixed her hair and sort of smoothed everything out. She still looks both tired and a bit scary, but the attitude's not scary at least. She hopes, since she's trying!
 
 She'd spotted the fair on her way back to the train station and... why wouldn't you stop in?
 
 The weather's hot enough, she's down for snagging a fan. Getting in line behind the others at the police booth, partially as an excuse to just look around without looking like she's gawking. Bad enough when she's tired enough to really let that Osakan accent free.
 
 "Didn't use to be." She notes, somewhat distracted as she looks around. "Used to be the color worn by soldiers guarding the court. It's more recent!" An odd little history lesson. She adds in a quieter voice, "Green's nice too."
 
 She then catches herself and offers a quick, "Sorry." For interrupting, clearly. 

<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.

'Kitty!'

Well, that wasn't directed at her (quite) but Akari heard it anyway. "The cats aren't being very friendly today," Akari says to Tohka. She looks left, then right, as if judging adult presence. Well, there's Ayame, but there's probably no helping that, given they're together. So she adds, in a slightly conspiratorial tone of voice, "I heard the cats could lead you to treasure, but none of them want to stay..."

Akari that's Tatsumi Port Island... if you can see Twilight Fragments. And even then, she only read it in one rumour on the Dark Side, so who knows how accurate that is? You can't believe everything you read. (Well, she can. And frequently does. But that doesn't mean it's all true.)

She's also seen one other adult she recognizes... and one not-adult, because she's seen Akechi on TV, but right now it's the other that interests her more. What is Myunghon doing here? Is there a games booth? Is the Cardboard Dragon expanding into Yongen-Jaya? Or is she here to see the... butler cafe? Akari looks at the butlers, thoughtfully.

She may be judging your costume. 

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Well, the only for Middle School at least, Akari. Akechi's in the high school Summer Uniform. And as Akechi's eyes spot her, he looks briefly puzzled by the middle schooler from his school system chasing cats around.

"Aha... really? I guess the nature of the job causes me to come across as a little unreliable for showing up to these hang outs on time."

It's alright if Ren didn't see it, after all - him not commenting on it tells Akechi something more about him. And will tell him something quite different, if he starts.

Then again, he could always simply be feigning ignorance. Akechi hardly would mind that either.

"Well, why not here?" Akechi that smile unchanging in that affability, "Even if at times there's been tension between myself and this department, I do like to at least familiarize myself with their presence in the area."

He's doing this on purpose, isn't he? Despite the fact that Ren Amamiya and him have never discussed his criminal record before. Ever. He's a detective, so he has to know right?

Yet Ren would be hard pressed to prove it.

He turns towards Reiko, as she bows, "Really?" He puts a hand to his chin, smiling above the curl of his fingers, "Well congratulations on your upcoming promotion. Does that mean you'll be a detective? They truly are bringing their best and brightest up the ladder. I suppose that means we'll soon be co-workers of a sort, whenever your department consults me for a case."

And indeed he continues rambling on, ruminating aloud, "I've heard it said that female police officers are rarely promoted to Detective without tying the proverbial knot first... but I suppose times truly have changed. You would after all be proof of that."

He takes a step back and turns as Shinobu and Ayame approach, making it clear (directly) their relationship in Ayame's case, and more indirectly in Shinobu's, "Oh and these would be your sisters? I see that you truly are making the workplace a family friendly environment."

A beat.

"I know that I'd like a fan made with love." He says to Reiko, in contrast to Ren, if only to keep them here a little longer than is comfortable. "Perhaps we might even consider a picture? I'm sure your superiors wouldn't mind the additional publicity."
 
As he then looks to Ren all smiles, "Amamiya-kun... would you mind taking it for us?"
 
WOW WHAT A JERK!

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    As Toki departs on her epic journey To Get Coffee, her mysterious 'boy' butler considers. Would it be terrible to introduce yourself to a high school part timer who has shown that all he wants is no trouble, a wage for his time, and no expectation of shifts?

    Sorry, Ren, but Umie has decided that mischief needs to happen.

    Luck may be in Ren's favor, however, as a Hazuki appears!

    ... Except, Umie takes a moment to respond to Hazuki, having not yet learned to listen for 'sir'.

    "Ah, ojou-sama," Umie starts, with an artful bow. ( "Make sure to bow from the waist, yes, let the ponytail go over the shoulder, just like that!" Toki said, when they were going over their lines and coaching each other. )

    When she looks past Hazuki again, Ren is... now with...

    Is that Goro Akechi?!
        
    And is there someone else there, judging her? The girl from the Cardboard Dragon, in fact. She extends a gloved hand out to her. "As, two ojou-samas!" Ugh, she sounds like a muppet, saying it like that... "Would either of you like a sampling of our fine teas? Or some tea cakes?" Stand straight.

    This would have been easier if this was maid-themed. 

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Tohka is too old to selfishly demand some of Reiko's takoyaki. But she does want it. She peers at it thoughtfully, her green eyes avaricious for just a moment. Such is the way... of the older elementary student. "Aunt Shinobu!" Tohka greets too. "I wanted to see the fair too," she explains.

Ayame chimes in, "She did. She asked very nicely, even!"

"Mooom..."

"Hm hm." Then Myunghon happens. They weren't aware, and do look tired. "...Are you all right?" Ayame wonders, her attention settling on her.

Tohka immediately shifts behind Ayame as she sees the scary Moriko show up--but when she mentions a history lesson, she tilts her head. "Do you know a lot about courts?" she wonders. Then, she frowns. "You should wear your uniform more respectfully."

"Tohka-chan," Ayame says with a hint of admonishment.

"It's true! How you wear your uniform reflects how you feel about your school." The elementary schooler nods firmly on this point.

But she is coaxed away from JUDGING MORIKO by Akari's statement. "Treasure?" she says quietly, standing closer. "That sounds cool..."

She has this look at Akari: Akari is just enough older than she is to be Cool, but not so old that she's another Auntie. "How do you know which cats have treasure?"

Ayame smiles at Akari, but doesn't comment. Instead she takes a green fan and gets a pink one for her daughter, because of course she does. She considers Akechi for a moment, and considers saying something--but commenting on how long it's taking might give Reiko trouble...

"A little tension doesn't have to mean a bad relationship," she says instead. "Yes, I'm the officer's older sister," Ayame confirms. "I live in Sumaru, but thought I'd come visit. And if I'm lucky, Leblanc is still open to drop by while I'm here..."

Tohka makes a sour face. "I don't like coffee, though. It's so bitter!"

"I'll get you something sweeter," Ayame assures her. But Tohka is also having her head turned by... the butlers. Between Akari and Umie, Tohka is distracted.

But Ayame steps to the side, "Let's get out of the way of the photo, dear."

Tohka looks with big green eyes at Umie. 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Well, why not here?
    
    Ren's expression turns stony neutral; he does not verbally respond. No, they've never discussed his record--Ren is in no hurry to discuss it with anyone, and even Ryuji and the others had to explicitly ask him about it to get him to open up--but he finds it very hard to believe Akechi hasn't already dug it up. He might be hard pressed to prove it, but he's not a detective. He doesn't need proof to know what Akechi's doing and be irritated by it.
    
    Ren at least shows no interest in bothering Hazuki--but then, who knows when a horrible delinquent thug criminal might decide to riot? She could be in danger just being in his very vicinity! ...She won't be. But as far as she knows, she could.
    
    That's put more at issue when Umie goes into her butler cafe theatrics, and Ren turns at the sound of her voice to see her trying to service Hazuki. He takes in this scene; he turns back to Akechi, now chatting it up with Reiko and her family. He turns back.
    
    By the time Akechi asks Ren to take their picture, he is a blinking dotted outline.
    
    Wow. What a jerk.
    
    "Hey, Akabane-san," Ren greets her, standing to one side of Hazuki and Myunghon. "Is it all right if I get a sample?" Of anything, really. And he'll take his time sampling, too.
    
    (Leblanc, sadly, is not open for business at this time. When Ren mentioned the fair to Sojiro, right after a shift there where the cafe got slammed, Sojiro told him the place would be closed all that day.) 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Reiko says they can probably overlook it. Shinobu smirks, just slightly.

"Here you go. Gotta keep your energy up so you can keep an eye on things, right?" Shinobu says, handing the tray over to her. She spares a glance toward the napping officer. ...She wonders if this is a shift thing, or if Reiko's been left to fend for herself. She'll try not to be too judgmental here in public.

She looks toward Myunghon, briefly, as they... seem to bluescreen??

"...Uh, you okay there?" She asks. ...They'll probably reboot in a second.

She looks, instead, toward Tohka, offering her a smile. She doesn't notice the avaricious child eyes, desiring takoyaki. She doesn't realise that she should offer.

"Oh yeah?" She says, then looks toward Ayamae as she says she asked nicely. "Good job, Tohka-chan."

She looks Akechi, then, as he talks to Reiko. Bringing up the rate at which female officers are promoted... She wonders what he means by that.

"Yeah, that's right." She says - confirming the horrible truth, that she is, in fact, one of Reiko's sisters. "...Well, sisters gotta look out for each other, right?"

A picture, though... Shinobu gives Reiko a brief look, as it to make sure she's actually okay with that. 

<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.

"Oh, well... all right!" Reiko says to Ren, with just a moment's hesitation. Fortunately, with the large number of people stopping by the booth, she can't quite focus on that. Instead, she looks back at Hazuki.

She quickly nods. "Mm-hm," she says. "We're giving them out for free, until we run out. I'm glad you like it!"

She does a quick bow. "Please enjoy!"

Then she looks at Myungon. She smiles, shaking her head at them. "It's okay," she says. "You look tired, is..." She blinks as Myunghon looks at Ayame, then at Shinobu.

"Yeo-san?"

She looks at Moriko -- then she blinks once, before she nods. "Well, a little bit of history to go with the fans, then, miss!" she says, cheerfully. She looks back at Akechi -- and her smile falters, for a second, at the mention of the promotion. "Ah... yes. I'm very lucky," she says. "I couldn't have done it without Uchijima-san's support."

She smiles, though, at the mention of her sisters. "Mm-hm. I'm the yougest," she says. Then, she brightens back up. "I--I'd be delighted to, Akechi-san! Do you have a favorite color? Ah--"

She looks at Ren, apologetically. But he fled. She blinks again, then looks at Akechi. "I... think your friend is distracted?"

She smiles at Tohka -- then she picks up a piece of takoyaki, and offers it to her niece. "Here you go, Tohka-chan. Have fun, okay?" sh says. "This is where your Aunt Reiko lives. It's a nice town, with wonderful people."

She nods her head, before she looks back at Ayame and smiles -- grateful for her not bringing it up. She looks back at Shinobu, then, and she smiles aat her. "You're the best, nee-chan."

She looks at Akechi -- and then there's a slight nod to Shinobu. She is okay with a picture. Though... they now lack a photographer.

Alas!

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon blinks and realises they've just lost a solid minute or two, and another Gekkoukan student -- Moriko -- is here too. Gekkoukan students sure get around, huh? Tokyo's so damn far away, but they're all over the place... come to think of it, wasn't she also at the battle last night... ... nah, don't draw strings where you don't need to just yet, Myunghon. That said, you've seen them in the shop as well, haven't you...?

    Today's youth just have it really tough.

    Myunghon does catch Akari again for a moment, and has a soft smile for her as she plays with the cats. Out of the corner of their eye, Ren and Akechi also draw their attention -- that one's been on TV, haven't they. Hmm hmm... and the way they greeted Reiko and their service to the police department, with some measure of chargedness... wow, the way he's insisting on a picture...

    This boy has Karen energy... a retailer would know.

    The butler cafe has their attention next, but then Ayame asks a question. "Ah? Uh--" Myunghon sounds totally caught off-guard for a moment, unable to just soak in the marvelous pool that is their thought lake much longer. "Oh, I'm fine, thank you. I've just been on my feet all day." Shinobu all just confirms it, by the time Ren suddenly has reappeared next to them and Hazuki.

    This boy's pretty clever at disappearing between frames too. Must be that Teleportation Suou-san refuses to believe in. "You've got quite the handful, haven't you?"

    But, importantly...

    "S-Shinobu-ssi... so this is your... sister? ... two sisters?" Myunghon sounds surprised. "Reiko-san, Shinobu is your sister??" 

<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.

If Suzume was here, she would have plenty to say about how you wear your uniform, though she might not say all of it to someone Tohka's age. Fortunately (?) the group has to deal with Akari instead.

Akari is the kind of girl who could pass for slightly older than she is to someone younger than she is, because she's tall for her age; she has the kind of coltish, energetic, slightly clumsy look teenagers get when they've had a growth spurt they haven't really gotten used to yet. But, well, the uniform gives it away (Akechi may have *a* Seven Sisters uniform on, but it's not the middle school one) and it's not much of a secret to anyone who's lived through those years either.

But she is also the kind of girl who apparently has no trouble talking with someone younger than she is, uncool or not. "I haven't any clue!" she beams. "I thought I'd just make friends with some and see what happened."

Akari knows not to bother the police - for a couple reasons, though she's not doing anything *wrong*, certainly, so it can't be because of that... - but she is about to call out to Myunghon when she is addressed by Umie.

It takes Akari a moment, but her face lights up very suddenly, beaming. "It's you! The cat mask... perhaps you're a cat butler too... oh! I see! You're here to lead me to treasure!" Akari straightens to her full height and does a rather overfancy, overdramatic bow of her own, complete with swept arm and slight backstep. She *must* have learned that from a romantic anime or something, but she manages to pull it off. Somehow. Without looking more than, say, 80% ridiculous.

"Well, lead on, neko-butler! ...I miss the ears though..." Umie had those on *top* of her hat last time. They clearly weren't part of her head in her Cardboard Dragon costume. That is not going to stop Akari from commenting they're missing. 

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

"Only a little bit." She admits, wobbling her hand, "I just like color design though." Moriko's Gekkoukan, as has been noted a lot of them spend a lot of time doodling or similar. She shifts the bag so that it's over her shoulder and doesn't seem too upset about the precocious kid calling her out. "You're right, but today was a special circumstance." In that she had to probably be dragged out of bed, maybe literally. This is a protest clearly. "Just don't follow my example today, it's a bad one." She doesn't make any effort to fix it. But trying to tuck your blouse in and other things out in the middle of a festival seemed just as bad as a somewhat sloppy uniform. Pick your losses!
 
 "At least I'm not wearing an out of date suit though." Moriko may or may not have seen a lot of that.
 
 Butlers? She turns her head, looking around. Though she is briefly distracted with the other conversation happening. Is that guy hitting on the police officer?
 
 Myunghon's given a curious look too. And a half-wave. "Funny running into you again. " Then she gets a funny look on her face and she facepalms, "I mean outside of the shop. My brother was planning to head in soon." How had she missed that last night? Nightmare scape exhausting battles aside.
 
 She does try to offer a smile to Reiko at least! She still looks so serious and scary. "Just that kinda neat bit of weirdness right?" She thinks so. That colors can flip like that! "Congratulations?" She saw the falter, but that's what you're supposed to say. Right? 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

As Hazuki waits a long moment for Umie to respond, she finally smiles when 'he' does. She doesn't know what's going on there but as a consummate fan of Gender she's enjoying it either way.

"Ojou... I'm so powerful..." she says jokingly, before nodding. "I'll take the... sweetest tea and cutest cake, butler...san? Butler-san, right?"

And then, Ren Amamiya is next to her. Stay cool, Hazuki. He must have a good reason for being voted Most Likely To Join The Yakuza 2012. Maybe he has a secret backstory as an orphan, where he was led to a life of crime, a heart of gold underneath all that violence...

"Oh, hey, Amamiya! ...san. You're a tea drinker? Or do you prefer the <dainty> little cakes?" She says part of it in English.

A pause, as she looks back to Akari approaching and Umie. An overimaginative middle schooler... unless. "*Are* you a treasure butler? I'd like to come, too."

DON'T BLOW IT, HAZUKI 

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Whether Akechi notices Umie - notices Merry, there's no sign at first. Instead he's smiling at Ayame at her statement, "Oh? Is that wisdom of a married woman?"
 
Is he saying that to keep poking Reiko??? "For the most part, I quite agree, though... there is a reason I work mostly with the Prosecutor's Office these days. Perhaps we can call it a 'less than amicable separation'."
 
By the time he turns around to see that Ren has cruelly abandoned him to be without a photographer, Akechi does smile as Reiko notes he might be 'distracted'.
 
"Oh well... he seems to have moved on. I suppose it was too much to hope for - to think he'd remain engaged as we 'talked shop' some."
 
As he then turns to Reiko, still smiling, though perhaps with a sweatdrop on the side of his forehead.
 
"Ah well. Perhaps that Golden one?" He suggests, "And we can always make it a 'selfie'... don't you think that will reach out to the youth of the community better?"
 
Akechi stands side by side with Reiko, holds up the fan and, "Say Cheese." He says with a winning smile.
 
And a picture is taken! With his phone.
 
"Well I suppose I should go see where he went. It was nice meeting you and your family."
 
He uses Merry's engagement with the family as an opportunity to give her one surreptitious look as he taps on his phone before walking onwards.
 
When he does catch up to Ren, he smiles, "I'm sorry, was I boring you?"
 
He then looks at Umie, and smiles in a manner that's a touch smug, "...I suppose it's hard for anyone to compete with the opportunity of being served by such handsome butlers."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Green eyes look at Umie, from afar. Umie, looking to Ayame, grins. She'd offer a cake, but that should be up to the parent, not her.

    Butler-san. Butler-san? Damn it, Umie forgot to ask about names! "Butler-san is fine, my lady," Umie manages.

    'Hey, Akabane-san,' greets the person Umie was going to try to surprise. How does he keep doing that? Umie has to fight to keep from jolting upright with her samples.

    "Greetings, ouji-sama," she then greets with a grin, going behind the booth to get out a selection of sample tea cakes, while preparing a small sample of honey tea for Hazuki.

    '...I suppose it's hard for anyone to compete with the opportunity of being served by such handsome butlers.'

    Suddenly deciding to humor Akari, Umie holds up a hand like a paw. "Nyan~~, no treasure here. Only treats."

    With a flourish, she welcomes in Akechi now, her voice just pitched just a little more soft, and higher pitched. "It would be an honor to serve the Detective Prince as well."

    Luck may be with Toki yet. Speaking of that, ahahaha, _where is Toki when Umie needs her_????

    (It turns out the coffee Toki was smelling was in her mind, as she's currently in front of Leblanc, staring at the 'CLOSED' sign and just gaping at her misfortune. Clearly, she needs to look for *another* booth with coffee.) 

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

"Oooh," Tohka says to Akari. "That's a good idea! I hope you can do it! And if I find any cat treasure here I'll tll you, too."

Then to Moriko she looks and tilts her head. "Well, as long as you know," she seems to allow. "I guess everyone has bad days. I won't!" A pause. "I'm Tohka. What's your name?"

Out of date suit...

Ayame smiles at Reiko, and Tohka suddenly turns to take!! "Thanks, Auntie Reiko!!" She devours the takoyaki delicately. "Mm!" she agrees, it does seem like a nice town.

Takoyaki town...

She beams at Shinobu at being told sshe did a good job.

"Two sisters," Ayame confirms for Myunghon.

The wisdom of a married woman, though? "Hmmmmm," she says. Is he implying that's a marriage wisdom? It's not a very nice implication, and he does seem to be being very pleasant. ...Ayame decides not to make the wave and says, "Yes. But I'm sure a detective already knew that." A pause. Less than amicable... "Well, good luck. There's a lot going on in the area that must need your attention."

But then she catches Tohka staring at Umie, and laughs softly, nodding Umie's way at that look. It's fine.

Meanwhile, Ayame smiles as Akechi goes, despite that one moment where she was sensitive, and...

"I suppose I shouldn't distract you forever," she says to Reiko, "But..."

"Isn't someone going to introduce me?" she says to Myunghon and company.

"Mom! Moooooom!" Tohka says. "I want to go see the butlers..."

"There's a line right now," Ayame says gently. "We can go when those people have been seen." 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    "Hmm?" Ren glances over at Myunghon as they seem to address him. He's not totally sure, though--and he's not sure what they mean by 'quite the handful' either--so he leaves it at that. Let them clarify if that really was meant for him. (Commit to nothing, especially with an adult you don't know.)
    
    He does chuckle a little, a faint sound behind a slight smile, at Hazuki's ojou-ke, though. He also doesn't expect her to talk to him--though he does note the way she adds on a -san after a slight pause--but there've been a few Shujin students who seem to have given him the benefit of the doubt lately. He decides to do the same for her.
    
    "Mostly coffee, but tea's good too," he replies. What was her name, though... She's in Ryuji's class, he thinks. He's not sure about that, either. It's not like they've introduced themselves to each other. (Ren does not question how Hazuki already knows his name.) He looks back at the cakes, noting her English. He's... not that good at English, but he can wager a guess on the meaning based on context. "I haven't tried them yet, but they do look good." He looks up at Umie. "I'll give those a try too."
    
    Akechi catches up with him then and asks if he was boring him. Ren turns and looks him dead in the eye.
    
    "Yeah," he replies.
    
    He lives right around the corner, Akechi. He can leave and go home anytime he wants to. Remember: you asked him here; he didn't ask you. ...so the intensity of his stare might seem to convey. But then he comments on the butlers, and he turns back towards the booth.
    
    "Yeah," he repeats, mildly this time. "I thought it looked tasty." A beat. "Glad you decided to join me."
    
    He offers Umie a lopsided but sincere smile. "I'm not the 'ouji' here, though." But she already acknowledged that--Detective Prince and all. He'll accept one of those sample tea cakes and take a small, thoughtful bite. A moment of chewing later, he decrees: "Pretty good." No tea yet, but Umie's getting bombarded here; Ren will content himself with what he's got, whether he gets any tea or not. "Thanks," he adds. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Reiko seems to be okay with being photographed, so Shinobu nods back. She won't intervene in the picture-taking - moving back so Akechi can get his selfie.

She meets her later look, though, as she glances around at everyone, then back at Myunghon... who seems struck by the revelation put before them.

"Uhh, yeah." Shinobu confirms, she massages the back of her neck. "Wait, did I never tell you...?"

She pauses - and then looks between Myunghon and Reiko as the implication hits.

"...Wait, you two know each other, too?" Shinobu asks. It feels a little bit like the two halves of her life have collided without her even realising... It's probably fine as long as she doesn't get into some of the other things they get up to. That Gekkoukan kid seems to know them, too - she spares Moriko a brief glance - so it's not that strange for them to know each other, right?

If only she knew.

Ayame speaks up, though, and Shinobu looks her way. ...Right, they probably should introduce each other.

"...Right, sorry, nee-san." She looks toward Myunghon. "This is Ayame, my older sister. I'm the middle, and Reiko-chan..."

Shinobu looks toward Reiko.

"...is our youngest." She concludes. 

<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.

"Mm-hm, she's my older sister," Reiko says, with a look at Myunghon. She tilts her head -- then her eyes widen a little. "Wait... do you two know each other?"

She looks between Myunghon and Shinobu, back and forth, for just a second. Then, she laughs because Shinobu asks the same. "Yes, I once fished Yeo-san out of the river."

She does look back to Moriko, though, and nods her head. "Mm-hm. It's interesting," she tells her. She looks back at Akechi. Her expression falls for a moment, at the mention of a married woman. But, that's the stats -- and she recovers after a second. She smiles -- and then shakes her head. "It's all right. A selfie sounds great," she says. "Maybe it'll help fix relations between our departments?"

She laughs. It's a joke. She poses with him and the fan -- and she smiles for the photograph. "Thank you," she says. "It was a pleasure, Akechi-san. I'll see you at the office someday, I'm sure!"

She looks back at Tohka and smiles, brightly. "You're welcome," she tells her. "Now, enjoy, and I hope you have a lot of fun!"

Then, she looks at Ayame. She blinks her eyes -- staring for a second. "R-Right! Introductions!" Fortunately, Shinobu has it covered.

Reiko beams, then makes a peace sign with her hand. "I'm lucky enough to have two big sisters looking after me!"

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An7ZD-s6aHY

<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.

"Excellent," Akari grins at Tohka. "And if I find any, so will I!"

But it looks like the only treasure she's going to find is the possibility of treats. Fortunately, treats are also acceptable to Akari. "That suits the Baronette Lune as well," she says, despite not being in *any costume at all*. "Or, well... me, anyway."

She glances up at Ren and Akechi, and then past them a little bit toward Hazuki. She still only knows who one of those people is, though she looks at the other two as if trying to place them. She has a pretty intense gaze, but there's no suspicion in it - rather the opposite, Akari tends to come off as guileless. She's just trying to remember if either of them been on television with Akechi before where she saw it. Her parents like Akechi.

She isn't entirely sure why. They don't like it when *she* plays detective.

Eventually she decides they weren't and so Akechi must know them from elsewhere. The normal answer would be 'from school'; Akari's imagination pants several much more interesting portraits ranging from 'inaccurate' to 'extremely inaccurate, and also impossible', but she doesn't actually blurt any out, though she does give Hazuki specifically a knowing nod for no apparent reason.

Her mouth is full of sample cake, though. She has to swallow before she speaks again: "An excellent treat!" she says, followed by another one of those too-fancy bows. "I thank you for this offering!"

More normally: "I like your costume, too. I didn't know you wore so many; I thought it was just for the card shop..." Well, that's the only time she's seen Umie before this! And it was a cosplay day, so, you know... reasonable assumption. "Your hair goes so well with it..." As opposed to Akari's, whose stands out no matter what.

Eventually, though, she addresses Akechi: "It's important to look your best when you're in an outfit. Butler or not!" She apparently approves of these costumes. Akechi and Ren aren't really *in* costumes (or they are, but she doesn't recognize them as such) so she has less to say about that. To Hazuki: "Were you looking for a treasure butler? Because apparently it's the cats around here that have the treasure..." 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Oh, this boy is interesting. Just look at the way he talks about reaching out to the youth of the community like he's an out-of-touch 45 year old. But Myunghon doesn't feel a genuine sense of out-of-touchness there, no... it's the kind of masking that's supposed to put people off, the way his companion just blinked out of sight and is beside them again. When their eyes catch for a moment--

    Myunghon catches the whiff of the madness of a detective. It's a very familiar scent.

    Ren doesn't quite respond, but that's fine from such an off-handed comment -- there's a guardedness to this young man, even though they're quite capable at hiding it all behind a guise. They're starting to understand how the dynamic between the two is working out, though.

    It's pretty cute, in a way, the way they goad each other on.

    The card-shop owner gives Moriko a nod. Then a raised eyebrow. "Moriko-kun. The two of you are free to drop by anytime. We have the new set selling already, and they're selling just like pancakes. But if you'd like, I can reserve a few packs for you." But perhaps, after last night, they'd be more interested in some Skill Cards instead...

    Shinobu suddenly wonders if she never told them -- and there's a look of ABJECT TERROR like 'no?????' as they glance between her and Reiko, and her and Reiko, and her and Reiko again, and then Ayame also speaks up! "A-ah, um--" Myunghon is EVEN MORE caught off-guard now!

    "My name is Myunghon Yeo. I'm the owner of the Cardboard Dragon in Hirasaka, Sumaru... and I, ah, I am frequently acquainted with your younger sister, Shinobu-san, and... ah, yes, your youngest, Reiko-san, has fished me out of the river at least once...."

    THAT SOUNDS WEIRD??? COULD YOU BE ANY MORE OF A WEIRDO

    HELP -- QUICK COPIUM STRATEGIES

    ...

    ...

    Myunghon's gaze is suddenly a million kilometres as they play with an animal cracker in their hand, flipping it between their fingers. Of course, this is going to BACKFIRE horribly because there are CHILDREN present and children LOVE Koala March.

    You've been outwitted, Myunghon Yeo!! 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

Hazuki responds to Ren with a smile, and then realizes they've never introduced. Should she? What's the harm, he likes cake! "Oh! Hazuki." A beat. "Hazuki Nakao..."

And then DETECTIVE PRINCE AKECHI GORO IS THERE. She hadn't quite realized it yet... a celebrity- and Ren is with him?!

Ren must not be that bad! He's friends with a detective! Maybe he's being turned to the path of the good and narrow, where he'll become a valiant knight of justice...

Trying the tea and cake, Hazuki gives a thumbs up as she gets out her wallet. "...do you take tips?" she whispers, trying to understand if Umie will take a TIP for... well, honestly, it's just the effort.

Akari knows. What does she know?! Hazuki stares back at her, slowly becoming concerned, until Akari asks the question. "Well... if they're a butler, and can get treasure, and I follow, I get treasure. That's the secret, right? But if the cats give treasure..."

Hazuki may be a little odd, sometimes, and also it's fun to play along, as her heads goes looking for the cats. Maybe they'll lead her to the truest treasure of all: happiness. 

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

There's a certain almost wry smile on Moriko's face. "I'm aware. It's good to be reminded sometimes though." She's heard similar often enough though! "Nice to meet you." She offers a polite little half nod with that first smile though. "Moriko Kumamoto." Keeping it nice and simple. Also making sure she says that to both mother and child!
 
 There's that butler thing again. "With the penguin suits?" She couldn't help it.
 
 "Detective?" She looks to Reiko first, at that. That's her obvious guess. She doesn't mention enjoying a certain forever manga. Or a few others even.
 
 "I can give you a few book titles to look at if you want to learn some more." Said before she forgets. She says as much to Tohka as she does to Ayame.
 
 Shinobu's glance is met and she offers that full wry smile, "I play with my brother a lot." And that's her excuse. She actually plays a lot solo too. Don't worry about it!
 
 No one has explained skill cards to her yet! She'll probably need a forced tutorial at some point. "Yeah. Yeah I can swing by with him." She likes the game. She just doesn't admit it as much. Even she's got her points of not quite wanting to just admit nerdery.
 
 Aloof biker's easier after all! "Anything I should watch for in it?" Probably. There always is!
 
 Should she know this Detective Prince?
 
 Maybe? 

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Ren does stare at Akechi, and Akechi smiles back for a time, though, there's something a touch apologetic that comes into his smile, like he's not quite letting him score a point so much as allowing that his actions were a little rude.

A smidge.

He brushes off the response that he was boring him, because he's already given an alternate on it being hard to compete with butlers like this.

"Well, I had every incentive to follow. Call it the 'allure' of delicious snacks." He replies, not admitting that he disengaged as soon as possible to catch up to him. Because of course, he would never admit that.

Umie's theatricality though, causes an immediate chuckle, "Are you certain?" As he places a hand to his chin, "Immediately making declarations such as there being no treasure here - makes it sound as if that there is in fact treasure. And that would be an irresistible challenge for a detective like myself." There's something a touch wolfish - yet whimsical, "Perhaps it might even be on your person."

He's certainly not looking at Umie's gloved right hand. Absolutely not.

And there's another smile Akari's way, "Well I do know the value of looking my best. They say that clothes do make the man..." And Akari, might note how his clothes look clean and pressed, despite being late in the day.

Either way, he eventually says to Umie, "I believe I'll have what he's having." As he makes a nod Ren's way, still smiling at her, "In matters of taste - I don't mind deferring to his judgment just this once."

A beat.

"Unless, you wish to confess that their is in fact treasure to be found after all?"


<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Ayame is unaware of Ren's TROUBLESOME NATURE and thus is not paying too much attention to him other than associating him with Akechi in her mind as she sees them together. That's probably fine.

To Moriko, "Our name is Watanabe," she clarifies. "I'm Ayame Watanabe." Tohka smiles at Moriko, and bows a little. "Nice to meet you, Moriko-san!" A nod. "Yes," Ayame agrees.

"I like penguins," Tohka says, surprising no one. But she adds, "I'm interested in books!"

Ayame meanwhile is now watching Myunghon, because Shinobu and Reiko both have a lot of things to say to them. "It's fine, it's fine," Ayame assures Shinobu, but she is curious. Tohka smiles at Reiko and sets to peering around looking for more cats--

But Shinobu watches Myunghon. "The Cardboard Dragon!" Ayame replies brightly. "I hear that you have both books and cards! I'd like to drop by sometime..."

A pause. Out of the... The words kind of go through her head on her face. She tilts her head. "Out of the river? Oh, dear."

But Tohka is distracted from butlers. Like it was fated, Tohka turns--and looks up at Myunghon. "...!"

"Is that a Koala March?" Tohka asks Myunghon.

Ayame is still caught up on fished out of the river. "I didn't know Reiko-chan was doing such heroic things..."

But Tohka will remember Akari. And the treasure!! ...probably. She's staring at Myunghon now. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    A paper plate (but with a floral print so it looks fancier~) as given to Akari, with some extra samples to give to Tohka, if the treats manage to make it over without being eaten. "A butler knows how to blend in as the situation needs. Nya~" Maybe 'cat butler' should be a thing? Akari may be onto something.

    "Eh, you're a proper prince in your own right, Amamiya-kun," Umie says with a grin, her voice temporarily pitched at the tone she usually assumes in that much less mysterious job of 'konbini clerk' in the lucky realm of the three sevens. She chuckles, handing over his order. "Here you go. I'll get you your tea in a moment." Ren's the prince of 'not leaving Umie high and dry during a sudden busy spell', as far as Umie is concerned right now.

    For Ren's benefit, Umie doesn't seem at all to recognize him from that time in Mementos. However, as anyone who has seen her use her Persona would notice, right now, she registers as a normal person, lacking any Persona. It'll hopefully stay that way _if Toki gets here_. (Toki is currently distracted by the host booth down the way. Do they have coffee? Oh, hey, she knows that waiter! Time to catch up.)

    The honey tea is done, Umie handing it over the painted white board that serves as the... serving table? Cashier's desk? Serving table. Yes. "Your honey tea, <my lady>," Umie says, pivoting to English now, having caught Hazuki's choice of words earlier. French was not her subject, but neither was it Toki's, which... may explain the name of the cafe, a little. "And here is yours, <sir>," Umie then says to Ren now, a moment later, after serving Hazuki her honey tea. And then--

    'do you take tips?' Hazuki asks. Oh. Oh no. Umie forgot to ask Toki about that. "... Our establishment accepts only your gratitude, oujo-sama," Umie answers a scant second later. "For that is a proper treasure of its own."

    'Perhaps it might even be on your person.' As Umie's hands assemble the next plate, she looks up with a neutral smile, perhaps a bit cocky, a bit coy, owing to her current role--

    Something about the way Akechi's words tread, and where his eyes absolutely are not looking, makes her fall out of the moment. This is... flirting. It's just flirting. Part of the illusion. Finding treasure. Treasure butler. ".... Surely you jest, Detective Prince. A simple butler such as I? Mysterious?" As if to emphasize the point, Umie raises her left hand this time, adding a cute "Nyan~," at the end. "A wonderful selection. Your friend has a fine taste in tea. You should listen to him more~"

    The tea was on hand, thankfully, so Umie's preparation time is shortened. "Here you go, <my prince>." She's on a theme here, okay?

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Reiko has the exact same question for her that she had. Shinobu meets that look of Abject Terror with a slight apologetic look of her own and a shrug of her shoulders.

"Ahh... good." Shinobu replies with a nod, as Ayame assures that it's fine. She looks back toward Myunghon who, caught off guard, and provides. Shinobu nods as Reiko explains that she's fished Myunghon out of the lake before, confirming the statement.

"That sounds about right." She comments. There is a complete lack of surprise on Shinobu's face, as if this is nothing out of the ordinary... and considering she's done the same herself, before, it really isn't.

Maybe one day Ayame will fish them out of the river, too, and they'll pull off the fabled hat trick.

"Ahh, that explains it." Shinobu nods, as Moriko offers her explanation. "Maybe I'll see you around."

"Yeah, uh - I take shifts at the Cardboard Dragon every now and then. They've been a big help." Shinobu explains. So that's how she knows Myunghon - and also explains how she knew enough of the place to bring it up, when the three sisters met up the other day. 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Akechi smiles back... and is it Ren's imagination, or does he look a little chagrined?
    
    Hmm.
    
    Well, it's not enough to change his behavior, and anyway, it's in acceptable tolerance levels of assholishness. Even his insinuation that Umie is hiding some kind of treasure in front of children doesn't seem malicious, just playfully dickish. Ren doesn't mind that about him, even as he doesn't outwardly acknowledge it. It makes him interesting.
    
    "Thanks," he tells Umie, opting not to argue about whether he's a prince or not. If it's a joke, it's a joke, and if she's being serious, she has a right to how she feels. He does watch her curiously for a moment. ...She doesn't seem to register as anything unusual, but... Well, he knows for a fact that she is. He gives her a nod of gratitude and accepts the sample cup of honey tea in his other hand.
    
    Akari's staring at him. Ren gives her a curious look back, but he doesn't read into it; he is hanging out with a famous high school detective. The normal, boring answer is that she's probably a fan of his and trying to check out these teenagers who are apparently hanging out with him. He looks back at his companions.
    
    "Nice to meet you, Nakao-san," he tells Hazuki mildly. Is Akechi reforming him? Well... it's an easy conclusion to make, given the information she has. Ren doesn't offer any new information on that mark; he looks past her at Myunghon as they start panicking and flipping an animal cracker around. ...He looks away. He doesn't know what's going on with them and the Cop Family, and he doesn't want to make them feel even more pressured.
    
    "Just this once?" he echoes Akechi instead, tone still mild--and never mind that he's just trying the butler booth's offerings out rather than giving a recommendation. He is still munching on that tea cake. Being sample-sized, it and the tea are gone pretty quickly. He chuckles as Umie backs him up, and adds, "Yeah, you should listen to me more."
    
    After that, he moves out of the way of the butler cafe booth. Other people are looking to get in line, and he doesn't want to crowd Umie while she's working. ...Something about the way she looked at Akechi for a moment there, though...
    
    "Where to next?" he asks Akechi, taking a few steps away to encourage him to follow. If Umie's bothered by his playful dickishness, he'll pull him somewhere else. 

<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.

Reiko beams when Ayame calls her heroic. But, she always looked up to her older sister.

"They claimed it was teleportation," Reiko tells Ayame, with that calm, happy tone that means she is having fun with a situation. That she smiles in a cheerfully placid way is simple artifice... that someone who knows Reiko well would spot.

"I provided them with coffee, to get them on their way," she says. And it may sound like Reiko doesn't know Myunghon that well. She has only met them the once.

...but, she also realized their gender.

She looks at Tohka -- and blinks once at her, and then at the Koala March -- and looks back at Myunghon with an apologetic smile.

Then sh e looks at Myunghon and her eyes go a little wide. "Oh--right! It's near you," she says. She had asked Shinobu about it, after all. "That makes sense, nee-chan." She pauses to consider. "Small world, isn't it?"

<Pose Tracker> Akari Hoshi has posed.

"If you find any, let me know! I don't think the cats like me very much," Akari admits. "Maybe I should have brought cat food or tuna or something...?"

Akari knows many things.

Some of them are even true.

Whatever she thinks she knows about Hazuki, though, she's not telling! Mostly she just has the wrong idea about how well the three high schoolers that showed up together know each other. She may be inventing reasons for them to have met, which are only all the more wild because she has *no idea who Ren and Hazuki are*.

"Cat butler..."

Akari's brows furrow for a moment in increasingly deep thought. She looks for a little corner of the table to set the plate down (Tohka is absolutely going to get some of those samples) and reaches into her bag, pulling out...

Well, this is at least familiar to Ren, because she has a little sketchbook, with a pencil slid into the wire rings it's bound with. She opens it to an empty page and starts to doodle. Sketching isn't Akari's focus but she's still decent, and right now she's getting a costume idea. If she doesn't put it on the page it will make her fingers itch for hours.

Not literally. But, well. You know.

Akari's sketch is rough but gives the basic idea. She's gone for catgirl in the art, with particularly floofy hair, though the actual clothes selection is more masc-leaning; a jacket with a deep V and a little X of additional straps over the upper chest, just below the neck; a buttoned shirt beneath. She's gone for kind of a swallowtail... jacket? tailed vest? so that it can split around a cat's tail, and she's definitely added the ears. It starts rough but she starts to add detail to the costume as she goes.

She's vaguely distracted for the moment, not really looking up. She's that kind of person, apparently. Though she is listening: "Really, there's treasure everywhere you look! It's just, you have to find the right kind of treasure for you." She peeks over the edge of her sketchbook for a moment, half-hiding a smile. Did she notice the (possible) flirting? The (not actually present) romance in the air...?

This, too, is another thing she does not say. 

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko nods, "Yeah, nice meeting you both." Returning the bow lightly. She can be proper! Even if she's dressed in the dark. In protest.
 
 She does pat herself down, finding her little satchel that she scoops a notebook from. (There are card decks listed in there. She's a nerd!) Which she writes down a few of the books she'd used to reference things from! Handing it over to Tohka. Despite her messy appearance (Today) she does have really nice hand writing at least!
 
 Admittedly either after she's gotten the plate of treats settled, or just before just in case. Umie's given an apologetic look.
 
 "Penguins are cute." She can't deny that at least.
 
 She does give Shinobu a more serious look though. Offering a brief hand in apology, "Might not have recognized you. Busy night."
 

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

"Oh, is this an acquaintance of yours?" He asks Ren when it comes to Hazuki, "... They must be a new transfer as well." How did he figure that!? Well because Hazuki was offering to tip.

People used to Japan's way of life certainly don't.

Umie indicates that Ren has excellent taste however, and Akechi smiles at his comment that he should listen to him more, "Oh? Should I?" He considers the matter of whether he should listen to him or not... like he's taking it seriously...

... before answering in the most unserious way possible, "Is that your pitch for being hired on as an image consultant?" He says, with a slight tease, "I do pay rates well above industry standard."

And indeed, it's obviously just flirting with Umie. "Aha... well, you see. In my line of work you learn that the people who are the most normal are in fact - the most mysterious of all."

He cants his head Ren's way, "Take Amamiya-kun..." Is he saying that Ren gives off a vibe of being extremely normal??? The most normal?

Absolutely.

"Why, I wonder if he'd contend to be the most mysterious individual of all currently present." It's in that moment, he locks eyes again with Ren, smiling broadly, "It's no wonder that any time I offer to him always feels well spent."

He does enjoy the tea, and the tea cake. Even allowing a crumb to artfully stay on the side of his mouth for enough time that it seems like a completely candid - charming boy next door moment.

Before he eventually wipes it off with a napkin.

Ren however asks where they ought to go, and Akechi considers the matter, before, with a smile, "Well you did say I ought to listen to you more, how about I allow you to pick where we go this time? Though..." He grins, "...I'd ask you not to bill me until we've agreed on terms..."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    -Pop!-

    Just like that, as Tohka asks if that's Koala March, Myunghon is swung from one end of the pendulum to another, as they brightly smile for her and kneels before her. "That's right. Do you like them? Would you like some -- ah, is that all right? Look!"

    In another deft sleight of hand, Myunghon's made three more Koalas appear as if magic, onto of their palms.

    ... they're surprisingly good with kids.

    But Ayame mentions how Reiko's done such a heroic thing, and Myunghon has this bashful laugh that sounds kinda put-upon, but is also not untrue: "Ah-- to be honest, both Shinobu-san and Reiko-san have been lifesavers. Please, I can't thank you enough."

    They've switched from Shinobu-ssi, because they're not as comfortable anymore.

    When Ren looks in on the Cop Family situation, he probably can tell the way they've just plowed straight through whatever discomfort into a congrous, disarming mask. Someone who's so used to doing that off the drop of a hat.

    T-then Reiko sells them out like that! They're masked enough to just play it off with a laugh. "That is true. And, Reiko-san, I just made enough money the last fortnight to try the game I promised you I would play!"

    And just like that, a topic switch, to manage the conversation in a flow they're more comfortable with. 

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Reiko should be happy! Ayame was not expecting Shinobu and Reiko to be lifesavers for them, though. And she does catch that 'them', and quietly updates her mental schematic. She may ask about that later, though. "Teleportation?" Ayame asks, with a tilt of her head. Ayame has not seen the teleportation. However...

"I do!" Tohka says of the cookies, and Ayame inclines her head. "It's all right," she says. She hasn't forgotten Moriko, but now there are cookies and this is a higher priority. "Ohhhh," she says, when the koalas appear. "Yay! Thanks, auntie!"

"That's kind of you," Ayame says. "The game, though? I'm interested in this talk..." 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    The problem with hiding in plain sight is that there will always be those moments when paranoia overtakes you.

    But it can also pass, as Umie deploys her usual strategies, looking to Akari's sketchbook, or Ayama with Tohka.

    It was simply a little grey cloud imposed by her imagination. The sun is back out, and she is simply Umie Akabane.

    Umie chuckles, her head ducking just a little as some of that tension floats away in notes of earnest laughter. "I see now why you were always the popular one at Sevens, Akechi-san. I can attest to his work record, though. That's no mystery at all."

    There's someone behind Umie now. Someone taller.

    "-Uuh." It's Toki, arriving at Umie's side with drinks. "Hold on, is that--?! Goro Ake-"

    "We're butlers, nyan," Umie says, snagging the coffee from Toki's cardboard tray, "Everyone's a prince or a princess here, remember?"

    Subtly, Umie gives Ren a signal with her left hand, out of Toki's field of vision: he better sneak off now or Toki will engage in fangirl mode on his poor friend. 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    The sketchbook is familiar to Ren, and for that reason he doesn't give it more than a cursory glance. It does register, though. It's kind of nice that Akari feels so comfortable with herself that she's willing to just whip it out in the street without regard for what others might think. You go, middle school girl.
    
    And--the right kind of treasure, huh... Ain't that the truth.
    
    "Not really an acquaintance. We just go to the same school," Ren tells Akechi. He hums quietly at his deduction, but doesn't speak for Hazuki on that remark. Instead, he smiles back at his teasing. "Depends. Are you hiring?" he jokes back.
    
    His eyebrows rise at the suggestion of his simultaneous normalcy and mysteriousness. He glances at Umie, then shrugs at her before meeting Akechi's eyes anew.
    
    "..."
    
    He smiles slightly at the compliment, but his feelings are mixed--mixed like maybe Myunghon's are mixed behind that mask they throw back on. Does he mean that no matter what? Or is he only saying it because he's marked him for a case?
    
    ...Well, the answer to that is obvious, huh. But regardless of the reason, it is nice to hear from him and Umie both.
    
    But then Toki looms. Ren catches Umie's signal and gives her a discreet nod. As he walks off together with Akechi, he smiles back, broader this time. "Today'll be a freebie, then," he replies. "There's a supermarket nearby that has good snacks, so they're bound to have a great booth..." 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

"Small world." Shinobu agrees with Reiko with a nod, then looks toward Moriko. She shakes her head.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Wouldn't expect you to." Shinobu replies casually.

Her attention shifts, briefly, toward Myunghon as they offer thanks. ...She notices the switch in address - but she doesn't comment on it.

Instead, she smiles just slightly at Tohka's excitement, before looking up at the others.

"Yeah?" Shinobu asks, as the conversation switches topics - she takes a step back, finding something to lean against casually. She's more than fine letting conversation proceed like this. 

<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.

Reiko blinks at Myunghon's magic trick. They didn't know they could do that. She scratches at the back of her head, before she smiles. She looks at Ayame. "She really likes those, doesn't she?"

When Myunghon mentions that they got the money to purchase a copy of Drake Adventure III, Reiko brightens up -- her fingers reaching up to adjust her glasses, before they slide off her nose. "That's wonderful!" she says. "You have to tell me what you think, Yeo-san."

Then, she looks at her sisters. "It's Drake Adventure III! You know, the one I played a lot when I was younger--and, um, a few times since?"

She can enthuse about it for hours. And if the fans are forgotten for a bit...

...well, there are worse things.

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon rather understands the teenage urge to not want to be seen as a nerd -- they were like that, once, and looked like a different person. So, in order to give Moriko a bit of deniability space: "Your brother might be interested in the new vampire baker mythic -- if they're planning on playing at the GPs, that's going to be a hot card for the meta, so I'd recommend reading up on the counters to it."

    Myunghon in truth has not that much idea about it, but being a card shop owner means you have to keep up enough with the lingo to be able to advise your customers.

    "It took quite a bit of doing, because apparently it's very popular right now, but I did... I've never played a video game in my life before," Myunghon admits, as they turn back towards Ayame. "But Reiko-san was very excited about it, so I decided to try it out for myself."

    ~*~

    THE CARDBOARD DRAGON

    "Woaouw," Gumiho blinks a few times as they run a box cutter down the package that's just arrived -- and a Baestation III in mint condition's arrived inside of it! "Boss splurged out for something like this? With the pennies they have? Tsk. And they don't give me more bonus pocket money."

    The blue-haired worker rummages through. "Hmmm. What game did they get..."

    A copy of a BS3 game with a handsome, rugged Western Adventure Man standing in front of a lost city of Gold comes into sight. It reads:

    DRAQUE'S ADVENTURE III: HONOUR AMONGST THIEVES

    Prepare for disappointment tomorrow, Reiko. 

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

"And if I were?"
 
Akechi asks back, asking in a manner where it's difficult to say if he's still joking or not.
 
Perhaps just to see what his reaction might be. Nor does he give any sign of whether it's just because Ren is marked for a case...
 
... or if it's something else...
 
Toki does get a charming smile, as he stands, "Well, this 'Ouji-kun' will be on his way. Thank you for your service." He says to Umie, because one should always leave the fans wanting more.
 
A satisfied fan wouldn't do at all.
 
Which is why Toki only gets to see that, and him walking away with Ren...
 
"Well well - I'm glad we could come to terms. If they have your recommendation... then I'm sure these snacks will be quite good. Perhaps even..."
 
It's a lovely day here at the festival, another hang out with a promise of many more in the future, with a person who makes life for him so very...
 
"... to die for."
 
... interesting.

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko can't argue about being beaten out by cookies. She'd have done the same at ...this age probably.
 
 "It is." She admits to Shinobu, offering an apologetic look still, hands up, "I really do feel bad though." She's usually kind of distracted, to be fair.
 
 With the conclusion of nerd talk, she does nod to Myunghon quickly, "I will let him know." She's quick enough on the uptake. He might even actually be interested in that one! "I heard something about a Squirrel Rebel I wanted to look at too." Mostly because she wanted to see the art of something like that.
 
 At least it's clear that she can look happy. Even if she's still got that kinda deadset look going no matter what! "You going to be in shop tomorrow?" Might as well swing by either way. She hefts her bag, "Would drag him out tonight, but I've got to install these and then I can do- other things too."
 
 It's a nice evening out!

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