2025-09-05: Renewed Vow

• Log: Renewed Vow
• Cast: Ichika Kawase, Shinjiro Aragaki, Myunghon Yeo, Hibari Aoki, Masao Inaba, Hyousuke Suzuki, Shinobu Shimizu, Ririka Kawase, Julian Marlowe
• Where: Eiji Kamiya's Palace, The Metaverse
• OOC Date: September 05, 2025
• IC Date: Friday July 06, 2012
• Summary: An expedition to Eiji's Palace is organized by the Ogre and her friends and allies. It goes poorly.

---

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

A steady stream of well-dressed people goes in and out of the huge building ahead. Streelights illuminate the path towards open sets of double-doors; the building stretches tall, boxy and white. Lovely windows with curtains on the inside stretch along each side of the building; huge signs proclaim it the Kamiya Convention Center. There's a huge glass dome at the top, and numerous further signs on the way in. They advertise stations and displays; a restaurant first, a gift shop...

And of course, the biggest sign:

                            Kamiya Convention Center
                            <3 The Kamiya Wedding <3
                                   Featuring:
                         Eiji Kamiya and Ichika Kawase

Hearts adorn the walkways, while the Ogre comes to a stop some distance from the crowds, narrowing her eyes under her mask as she looks up at the sign again. A few moments to stare, and then she turns back towards the assembled group.

Ogre is dressed in the garb of an onna-musha turned modern; fine clothing underneath a modern soldier's armor plates, high-tech shoes, spiked fingerless gloves--and rose patterns all over. More to the point, thorned vines entwined about her armor, and an Oni mask that has large, curved horns and a crack at the eyeplate.

"So this is it," the Ogre says to the assembled. "It doesn't look like a fortress, but inside it twists and turns like some kind of maze. There's a bunch of rich assholes inside, and displays of like... stores and stuff. But that's not our target. Our target is the hotel rooms and offices. His dad is really influential... I'm hoping there's some evidence or something of some of the stuff they do in there. And failing that, maybe we can beat it out of the Shadow. But don't kill him. That'll kill the 'real' Eiji. ...That's not the plan."

"From what I saw before, there's also a steady stream of people going downstairs who aren't dressed so nice. ...But I don't know the deal there, just that they'll try to funnel you down there if they catch you."

"Questions? We don't have long before they notice us."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    He... was a problem for me... about a year ago.

    The words ring taut in Myunghon's head ever since they received the notice that the Ogre's going to be present at the Palace. There's no sensible explanation as to why they, heavily injured and concussed with a sprained arm, should be anywhere out of bed. But the counter-argument is an incredibly simple one, it turns out:

    They promised.

    And that's why Rumourmonger Merry is here, with a cast and sling on their right arm to add to their usual repertoire of bandages. The new Cognitive Coat is doing most of the work, and appears to be suspending them about a centimetre off the ground, the hems of the coat essentially extra appendages to keep them upright.

    They've been spending a bit of time in analysis, because they need to actually step up to their role as Navigator. "You're correct, Ogre. I can taste deception. The Palace is obfuscated in manners that soft belie its inviting public appearance. It won't be simple to penetrate the depths of the Palace -- we stand to lose to attrition if we are not cautious."

    The Ogre hopes for evidence of what he's doing. "I should caution you that such Treasures frequently take amorphous forms and require an additional level of cognitive provocation to access... but the specifics are still beyond me at this point, even after our successful run on the last one."

    They turn towards the two Cardboard Dragon companions they entered with. "... thank you again, for indulging me on this. I did not wish to back out of a promise." A pause, as their expression grows a little softer. "Please, may I count on you two to protect me?"

    Even being able to say that -- hesitating as they are -- is a step forward for them.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

Shinjiro is having a no good hell week. Ichika may have heard how he was arrested or may not have, but the truth of the matter is it's sucked. Helping Myunghon was the only good part about it, even if that's more bittersweet.

Even so, he made a promise. He was going to help how he could.

He's not dressed for a wedding, not with a fire axe held against his shoulder. His red coat is torn at the upper arm, but his beanie is newer, not yet worn. Myunghon will recognize it.

As he meets Ogre for the first time, Shinjiro nods once as they walk forward.

"So we get the evidence on Kamiya. You've got a plan to do something with it, I'm sure. Here's the question."

He rolls his shoulders. "If we get caught and they try to funnel us down there, what's the plan? Destroy them all? Go loud? Or prioritize an escape?" A glance. "I'm not planning on getting caught, but it's better safe than sorry."

He glances towards the two he came in with, before looking back to their masked leader. "We'll do our best, Ogre. It's been a shit week, but we're here to help." And then Myunghon asks him to protect them. He nods once, firmly, before stepping in front of his dear friend. "Focus on support if you can. If we need to run, I'll make a distraction."

Read: he's going to risk sacrificing himself. Myunghon's taken a step forward... Shinjiro, not quite yet, even if it's more subtle.

<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.

Hibari Aoki is not here.

But she had a chat with Ichika, and that chat led to Hibari offering to call up one of her friends - in this case, her 'partner in crime' that is able to go into the supernatural spaces Hibari cannot.

It's not the whole truth, of course. There is no partner. But it doesn't suit Hibari to have all her secrets out and about.

So that's why there's a Persona-user nobody here knows. A figure in a long coat, trimmed with white fur along the collar more as aesthetics than for warmth - it's a billowing coat, meant for aesthetics more than the coldest of winter days. She is on the heavy side, though the billowy nature of her coat disguises that to an extent, and she has a mask.

If you've met Fox, of the Phantom Thieves, this isn't his mask but it looks like it's of the same aesthetic: traditional Japanese, red and white. Except instead of a fox this is a broader shape, with stripes that go up from the cheeks and over the eyes in a wide arc, and wider, more triangular ears with red along the outside; it's a (very) stylized animal that is either a tanuki-ish badger or a badger-ish tanuki.

She gave her name as Mujina, who Ogre was expecting. Mujina is an archaic word, usually meaning 'badger' but sometimes 'tanuki' (and in a couple areas, 'civet', as they're an introduced species with no traditional name of their own).

"That's the kind of place you'll find evidence," she agrees. "I've been in a few places to gather information before. Don't worry; I'll help keep watch, and I'll cover our tracks if we have to retreat." This group is Navigator-heavy - and that includes Mujina - but unlike many, she's as good at hiding as she is at seeking. Possibly better.

There's a certain amount of distaste when she looks around. She wants to tell Ichika, except Ichika isn't here (hmm...) and also, Ichika doesn't know who Mujina is, and doesn't think Hibari would have been able to stick her head in, which makes bringing it up a little awkward. But... she doesn't like it.

She looks over toward Shinjiro. No mask, she thinks, though Merry has one. Hmm. "I'd recommend you prioritize escape, personally," she says. "If you start fighting in a Palace, the Shadows get stirred up. Especially if you start taking out the crowd."

"Plus," she adds, a little wryly, "I'm good at running. Distractions are probably covered."

<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.

    Masao "Mark" Inaba gets the call. He wasn't able to get any of his old friends in on this, so, he's just going to have to represent after a rough week on his own end.
 
     The kids at Kasugayama High deserve better than whatever the heck is going on in Sumaru City.
 
     He doesn't have a fancy outfit like the Ogre, still looking the part of the street artist he defines himself as. He listens to the Ogre's run-down of what's what. A place twisting and turning like a maze inside, yeah, he'd know that well. He's already got his own axe out, a two-handed axe that is meant to be wielded with two hands, that he's carrying with one. This is less a show of physical strength and more a sign this is someone who has gotten by on vibes in supernatural spaces.
 
     He recognizes a few people here - like Shinjiro, and Myunghon, the latter of whom he seems surprised to see after having difficulty reaching out to them over the last week or so (unaware of some of the finer details of what transpired).
 
     "Well, whatever's goin' on... I'm not gonna leave someone who came askin' for help like that hangin'." It's bravado, sure, but it's earnest. Masao presented as a rough guy in his youth - and he sure lived that as far as a bunch of spoiled tailor business kids in his neighborhood could - but he's always been a softie at heart.
 
     ...
 
     It is a little weird he can't get a Resonance read on some of them, but, it doesn't feel like they're about to run into a conscious trap of malicious intent on their part.
 
     "So, are they - the real world people going in and outta here - going to be aware of what we're doin'?"

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

Hyousuke looked to the sign, blinking only sparsely as his eyes dragged slowly across the letters. Seeing Ichikia's name on it was a strange thing indeed, though he made no attempt to voice such an opinion - not only would it be monumentally rude, but he had bigger things to think about. One of said things was questions. He still had the same queries as before, regarding the nature of Personas and conspiracies relating to them, but figuring that she meant ones regarding the immediate situation, that eliminated most of the candidates.

"What he said." He stated plainly in reference to Shinjiro, stretching his arms a little and rolling his neck in preparation for the fight to come. "But, thinking about out, are we trying to sneak in? Or are we just gonna smash 'n' grab? If we just get what we want and run, we dont need to think about fighting." The bandana he wore across his face muffled his speech a little, but the material was thin enough that it was barely noticeable. What was far more noticeable was the scar that ran down the middle of one of his eyes. Already a deep and prominent canyon carved into his flesh, half of his face being obscured only served to highlight it.

The shirt he wore - a t-shirt only by virtue of the sleeves having been ripped off - matched the bandana in hue, and to an extent, in purpose. His tensing muscles could be seen clearly, all of them leading down to fists clenched in leather cestuses, a small creaking emanating whenever his fingers so much as shifted. The outfit - an ensemble put hastily together while his true costume was assembled - was rounded off by a pair of rugged black pants, and polished boots to match. Simple, and perhaps a little corny, but it was durable and mobile enough that Hyousuke couldn't complain.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

It's been a busy week. The Ogre had reached out for help, and despite everything Shinobu isn't about to go back on her promise, not when the situation sounded so serious.

She looks at the venue, all dressed up with hearts, and the large sign announcing the wedding... Shinobu grimaces.

"...This guy's got shit taste." She mutters, shaking her head.

She listens as the Ogre gives them the rundown of the layout and some of the problems they can expect to face. Shinobu nods her understanding.

"Makes sense. Get in, find something we can use, then get out... Anything we should watch out for?" She comments. She looks back at the group. Most of them unfamiliar faces, but there's some she recognizes. Her biggest concern right now is...

"No problem." Shinobu replies, shaking her head as Myunghon thanks her. ...She's still concerned about them being here... but she can't blame them for wanting to fulfill a promise they made. That's why she's here too, after all. "Yeah. Just count on us and try not to take any risks, alright? Aragaki and I are tough. Let us handle it."

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Entering a palace was certainly a new experience for Ririka. Another, different type of supernatural space, though... did it have a similar kind of vibe to Mementos in some way? She wasn't sure, and she'd have to set that thought aside for later.

The tall girl is in dark colors, black sneakers, cargo pants, and a black jacket zipped up tight. There's also a shinai bag slung from her shoulder.

She's wearing her own mask today, a wolf, that covers the top half of her face, though hers didn't have any supernatural protection, unlike Ogre's. And she'd been quite firm about not addressing her by name in there, only as 'Wolf', though she didn't explain why. (Though anybody who knows her last name might get a clue from the sign.)

When they made it in she took a moment to just listen to everything going on, before looking at the building...

That sign. She scowls under her breath, eyes narrowing. Both of her fists, hanging by her side, slowly clench.

That bastard.

"It's really busy in there," she comments quietly, after Ogre explains the plan. "I can hear a lot of Shadows moving around. It might take me some time to figure out the layuout but I'll do my best." She glances to the other Navigators here, listening to their input as well. To Myunghon and Mujina she nods. "... If you've done this before, then... anything else we should keep in mind?"

She glances to Mark. "... I'm not sure if most of those are real world people? I saw the Shadow of a person yesterday, it felt different."

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.

Vesper sure is someone who looks totally dressed for this. That fancy three-piece suit of his could absolutely be something to wear to formal occasions such as a wedding. But that's just a coincidence, it's not like he could decide what to wear, this is just what happens in cognitive spaces. Needless to say, he didn't go in as part of a group, but went on his own accord, arriving by himself. At least he's there from the start this time, instead of just kind of showing up in the middle of things.

For the benefit of those who haven't seen him before, he did a brief introduction, as always referring to himself as 'Vesper, Supernatural Investigator Extraordinaire'. A raise of the bowler hat in greeting is something that everyone gets, of course. He doesn't go into his deal with Ogre - even though he's not charging a fee, he's still treating this as a client relationship, meaning he's not going to say a word about who hired him and for what reason. He's here 'to assist', is all he'll say.

For the same reason, he leaves the call of how to do this to Ogre. Though while he'll follow her lead, he does have a general suggestion for his own part, the man in the stark white mask nodding as Ogre finishes speaking. "I have had some success in the past with the act of belonging where I do not. Seeing as I might fit in to the setting, perhaps I might attempt to do so again, to distract and perhaps gain intelligence?"

Other than Ogre, his gaze mostly lingers on Myunghon (out of concern, though their might interpret it differently given you can't exactly see his expression), and on this... Mujina. Another masked individual... by now there's reason to suspect a certain commonality between himself and others who appear so disguised. He can't help but be intrigued, but this isn't the time to ask questions that don't have to do with what they're all here for.

Ririka's remark does have to do with that, so he does react to that. "You likely are correct. Everything in a Palace is as its Ruler perceives reality. I presume that even those who do not appear to be Shadows will simply act out whatever part they 'should', according to this... scenario."

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

"Merry," Ogre says, looking in surprise to Myunghon as they approach. "Are you sure you're..." But they have people to protect them. As it happens, though--Ichika did hear about Shinjiro's arrest. "Yeah, I've got a plan," she says, nodding too to Mujina as she mentions that this is the right place for it. But Myunghon has a caution...

"I see. Well, we'll get whatever we can. I expect a fight, but with everyone here..."

"If it comes down to it..." Ogre frowns. The bottom of her face is visible, so that can be seen. "Go loud if you have to, but focus on getting out if it gets too overwhelming. Last time I was here... I had to bust a path out, too."

To Mark, "As far as I know," she says, "They're not real people. They just look like people. That's what I heard. Merry-san might know more."

Are they going to sneak, or smash and grab?

Ogre looks to Hyousuke. "Last time, I was able to walk right in. I only had a problem when I started making trouble, arguing with people."

Shinobu asks for things to watch out for, and Ogre shakes her head. "The Shadows turn into monsters. You know that part, I think. And if we run into the 'Ruler'... We might be in trouble."

Ririka comments, and she mentions what she can sense. Ogre looks between Ririka and Mujina then. "So you can get us around," she says to Ririka, lingering on her, and then turns to Mujina, "And you can get us out. OK."

A look to Vesper, and a nod. "Yeah," she says. "If you can talk to the whatevers in there, maybe you can learn more. That'll be even easier since..."

She gestures to herself. "I'm gonna attract some attention."

"But everyone..." Ogre hesitates, "Thanks." She looks at all the assembled in turn, and nods. "...Let's do this."

the Ogre turns, and starts for the entrance. The only way in seems to be the double doors.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Inside, people mill about, talking to each other--and 'well dressed' becomes more and more the case. The intruders stick out like a sore thumb immediately, some of the cognitions looking towards them with wrinkled noses.

"Honestly..."
"To show up in that?"
"What an insult to Kamiya-sama..."

The restuarant is on the left, proclaiming traditional Japanese foods. But there is food out here, too; sweet rolled omelets, black soybeans, herring roe. Traditional appetizers for a wedding banquet, and of course--don't forget the drinks! Servers walk around with trays of glasses... but none for the intruders. For the intruders there's soemthing else:

Shadows, in the distance, dressed in fine tuxedos with radios at their ears. One looks to the group of intruders and lifts a hand to his ear, starting to speak into the communicator. No hostile action is taken... yet.

But on the walls, the logos of many important companies in Sumaru and Iwatodai are emblazoned, with booths from their workers. But also on the wall are pictures and photographs. Everywhere there are rounded portraits of Eiji Kamiya's face--next to Ichika Kawase's, though her hair is black and her makeup altogether more conventional. But it's more than just the cute photographs; they're taken individually and together, in many combinations. The two of them holding hands; the two of them looking into one another's eyes. It's a very romantic set of photographs, as that goes.

But...

BGM: Worse Things - Johnny Hollow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLPypo2DXho

One in particular near the center may catch the eye. Eiji is standing behind Ichika, taller than even she is, his head over her shoulder. Her long, black hair is shiny. Her deep red eyes are part of a serene smile. And her hands are gathered about her heavily pregnant belly along with Eiji's.

Resolutely, the Ogre doesn't look at the photographs. If one looks closely, her hand has curled into a fist, her knuckles white.

But if someone wants to take a more subtle approach, there's certainly room for it.

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    There's no point in arguing Shinjiro's insistence on being a distraction -- they'd like to not distract him from the mission, and also, they're the one who can cast Trafuri now. Sometimes, wizards win arguments by just having the right spell prepared. They've got to put their best game face on, even if Shinobu and Shinjiro can tell they're pretty much operating on fumes. Shinobu's reassurance feels particularly invigorating. Ogre expresses her concern too. All they can do is promise:

    "I will. You'll have all the backup you need... and I'll be as careful as possible."

    But it isn't Ogre who's the only one masked here -- there's Mujina as well. Another masked Persona-User... and though Merry's mask is only their bandages, it perhaps cognitively counts as one as well. Mujina says she's great at running away, and Myunghon nods. "I agree. It's unwise to venture into a Palace without keeping your exfiltration route in mind."

    Masao is here as well. "Inaba-san. I'm sorry I've been difficult to contact the last few days. I did see your messages... I did need something from you as well." But his question is answered in part by Vesper, and Ogre as well.

    "As far as I know, you can run into Cognitive versions of real-world people in Palaces... as well as heavily distorted ones... or even idealised ones," Myunghon explains to Masao. Oh, that's going to hit very close to home without them knowing, isn't it? "But these are not connected to the people in the physical world. They aren't their Shadows."

    And Vesper! His presence does alarm Myunghon slightly, but it doesn't seem like they're here to stymie the group. It doesn't quite make sense... and their hypothesis that Vesper was a member of the Phantoms seems unfounded now. He has wisdom regarding the Palace, though.

    But Ririka asks if there's anything else they have to keep in mind. She has a wolf mask, so Myunghon doesn't immediately cotton that it's Ririka.

    "... ... ... Palaces collapse once the Treasure is taken. Be very, very ready to run for your life."

    But some of the Shadows, as they enter and draw attention, have some curious things to say. To show in 'that'... an insult to Kamiya-sama. They have the extra context as to what that means. But it still doesn't feel particularly good. The reception is full of delicious traditional foods, but... it's best to not be distracted here. There are photographs of the 'groom' and 'bride'. Ichika looks more conventional here, a further cry from how she presents herself now. They're lovey-dovey, or even married, expecting a child, but...

    Again, Merry has the context to know the distortions here... and they don't miss how they affect Ogre's expression.

    "They have no power over you," Myunghon quietly asides to Ogre. "You are the one with true power here. Make him realise that."

    ... those words again.

    But they need to clear the path forward. It won't do to have a fight here, so instead, Myunghon lets the Coat glide them beside one of the tables full of traditional Japanese foods.

    Their coat ribbon lifts a little plate and loads it up with some hors d'ouevers -- and then grows a little mouth and monches on a bit of sweet omelet, somehow, somehow, swallowing it.

    "Disgusting!" Myunghon expresses, snapping their fingers to the nearest server. "Server, you call this food? Do you know who I am? I am the great heir of the Yukichi Concern, Myorei Yukichi. I demand that you bring this back to the head chef and have him apologise to me, personally."

    It's all pomp and grandeur, but Myunghon fully believes in the weight in which actions have cognitively, and how names have great weight -- even if they despise them.

<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.

"No," Mujina replies to Mark, as she agrees with Ririka. "They're more like... the idea of a crowd, I think. Nobody seems to be quite sure why they are the way they are. But they don't react in the real world. You can even kill them, apparently, and it doesn't do anything but upset the Shadows - I haven't checked that one personally, but that's the information going around."

"But Kamiya... he's different. He's the Ruler; this place is connected to him. So killing *him* is different."

Ririka asks her for advice, and Mujina has to admit, "I haven't actually done much of this before. Oh, I've looked around places, but not in a group like this. You've heard most of what I know." It's a lot easier to play it by ear when you're on your own.

She meets Vesper's gaze when Vesper looks at her. There's a slightly smug smile under that mask. "Found what you're looking for?" she says, before the group heads in.

...

Well, Mujina can't really blame them for not approving of her outfit. She does look a little disreputable, she supposes. The fur ruff is nice. But the rest is not wedding attire. Perhaps only Vesper can fit in among them. Shinjiro and Hyousuke and, yes, Merry too, look far too scruffy to be here. Mujina has a jacket and a mask; Ririka at least has the mask. Shinobu's not dressed up. Ogre is... Ogre.

As they walk in, Mujina slides one of her hands up her sleeve, gripping something inside. There's a faint tink-tink-tink, metal on metal, as she fiddles with something, barely audible (except maybe to Ririka). It stops pretty quickly, but while Ririka and Merry might be looking out, Mujina is looking in, preparing to cover up if something happens when it shouldn't. She sees those Shadows, and she's got an idea if they start to move in. To give them a *second* set of readings to chase after, heading elsewhere.

Mujina's nose crinkles as they pass the restaurant - either she smelled something she didn't like or she wants to take another look - and then up, around, toward the pictures. Which she actually stops to look at, for a moment, as if she belonged here and was invited to do so.

No wonder Ichika was so... Mujina doesn't finish that sentence, even in her head. Later. But man this is going to make Hibari's next conversation with Ichika feel more than a little awkward from her point of view; her supernatural knowledge has never interacted with her real life quite this much before. Right now -

Well. Between her own supernatural trick and Myunghon's very personal display, Mujina has an opportunity, she thinks, to try to get into the mazey back areas with some of the others. They do want something, after all, in the way of proof.

<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.

    A confirmation comes from multiple sources, on the street artist's inquiry. He nods to himself after silent acknowledgement of the clarifications and reiterations of what he's suspected - there's absolutely no mistaking it, then, being in this kind of place. ...He wasn't the part of his friends who figured the big picture of things out. (Of all the times - all the times! - to decide to wish Kei were around...)
 
     He lags behind the group a bit because of this quiet realization, on the verge of impeccable comedic timing as he catches up inside the convention hall-turned-twisted wedding reception party.
 
     "You do? ...All right," he's rubbing the back of his head, "wish I had better news 'bout the first one--"
 
     It's all cut off with some of the rude Cognition dialogue.
 
     "Tch, does this guy think everyone else looks down on people who aren't as wealthy?" He comments aloud. "Dude must be fragile about what he's got and how he comes off..."
 
     He stops his musing when he catches Ogre clenching her first before the countless portraits and photographs of the to-be-wed (in this guy's mind).
 
     He claps his hands together once, and rubs them. All right. Play it cool.
 
     "I'm here to take the wedding portrait! Yo!" He calls out, waving a hand. "Lookin' great today, yeah, 'bout that, I got like three backed-up appointments today!" Bragging about a busy schedule that half-exists. Bragging and bluffing was one of the ways he used to navigate Demons, before.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

The gaggle of strangers contained nobody Hyousuke knew well. He recognised Vesper, of course, and there were a couple of people amongst the crowd that he felt were familiar, but Ichika was the only one amongst them that he could say he knew. He regarded each of them with a little suspicion, unsure of who they were or what they wanted, but kept such thoughts quiet. If Ichika trusted them enough to let them in on what was going on, he knew better than to argue.

The looks and the stares inside the venue were nothing new. It was easy enough for him to blank them out - one might even think that he'd not even noticed them, upon first glance. But a look at his eyes told a different story. They flitted from spot to spot, barely even blinking as he analysed the situation, taking into account all around him. But he was no genius, and certainly no intellectual giant. Indeed, he was just looking for anyone that might start a fight with them, or try to get between them and their target.

However, despite his disinterest in anything but the practical - and, perhaps, the martial - he couldn't help but let his eyes catch on a painting off to one side. The face was undeniably Ichika's. Dense as he was, even Hyousuke could manage to recognise that much. But to see such a drastic difference in appearance between her and the person he knew... it forced his gaze to linger, and he all but had to tear it away. That was to say nothing of the man behind her, or the child she seemed to be bearing.

He hoped to pass it off as simply being cautious of new surroundings, and taking the time to process all the details of a Palace - something he'd never seen before, let alone ventured inside. But anyone seeing him look at the picture would have been able to tell that the sight concerned him enough to keep his attention. He didn't stand idle for long though, and in moments, strode to match Ichika's pace. He kept his voice low, speaking so only the two - or, if Myunghon was close by, the three - of them could hear, and even prying ears could only catch fragments of what he said.

"You alright?" Hyousuke asked. He didn't need to peer behind the mask or see her clenched fist to make an educated guess, but he had to ask all the same. "Just point if anyone needs a beating." Hardly the most delicate of reassurances, but he hoped his willingness to throw hands at a moment's notice would be of some comfort.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

Shinjiro does not know that wizards have no sense of right or wrong, and therefore does not predict a Trafuri.

"Bust out a path, got it," Shinjiro tells the Ogre, nodding to the faces here. He recognizes everyone but Mujina and Wolf, so it seems they have a slick team together.

When they pass through those double doors...

Shinjiro exhales like a bull. This is... this is hell. A wedding convention center with snobby rich folks.

He ignores the food entirely, instead eying those photos - and the Ogre's reaction. He won't question either... she must be a friend of Ichika's, and whatever's going on here puts Ichika at risk. If a child was involved...

"They've already made us," Shinjiro nods once in the rough direction of the security.

Shinjiro's brow furrows as Myunghon mentions true power again... who taught them that? He hasn't had the time to ask, but it nearly led them to a bad end before...

He hopes it won't this time.

Though, when Myunghon takes on the Myorei Yukichi name, he sighs. So they're making a distraction... how can he help...?

He simply steps up next to Myunghon, speaking in the same tone you'd expect security to. "Is this server bothering you..." he stops to figure out a phrase. He can't say ma'am. He won't let himself. But he already started speaking. He doesn't *look* like a private bodyguard, but he might be undercover...

He can try to fit into the cognition.

"Yukichi-sama?"

He dies inside immediately.

He'll never live this down.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu nods. That lines up with what she was thinking.

"Then we'll have to keep an eye out." She replies. Still, arguing with the people inside can cause trouble, huh...

...She might be in trouble here.

She nods back toward Myunghon, then.

"Good. I'll hold you to it." She replies.

And with that, they're ready to head inside. Shinobu follows the others through the double doors... and right away, she can hear people talking. Shinobu rolls her eyes.

Yeah, they can complain about her outfit all she wants. ...She's not even sure she owns anything that would satisfy them. That kind of outfit would probably cost more than the entire contents of her apartment.

She takes note of the hall, and the many logos on the walls. ...That's a lot of connections. And the photographs... she catches the way Ogre looks at them. ...Is that the friend she mentioned?

"...We've got eyes on us." Shinobu notes, looking up at the tuxedo-wearing men with radios. She glances toward Myunghon... who's taking a different approach. One of their coat ribbons... snacks on the refreshments?? That act they put on...

...It's no small thing, invoking that name.

The best thing she can do to support them now is join Shinjiro in looking tough near Myunghon, to better sell the bodyguard act.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka looks to Vesper and nods. "So this is how the Ruler perceives reality, huh...?" She glances at the sign again. Flatly, she says, "Then he's deluded."

She looks to Myunghon, as they offer that tidbit of wisdom. "... we're just here for information, not treasure. But I'll keep that in mind, thanks." She looks to Muhjina next and nods. "Okay."

She listens as Ogre makes decisions about the plan. Ririka takes a deep breath as Ogre comments on getting them around. "Right." She looks to Mujina. "Then let's both do our best." She nods as Ogre thanks them. "Of course."

As they enter, she feels like she stands out, and she can, of course, hear what the Shadows are saying about them. If she'd realized... but no, she would've insisted on wearing the mask, still, so maybe it doesn't matter.

She's trying to keep her ears open for everything happening around them, and she notes the Shadows in tuxes with ear pieces... but she still has to look, and those pictures... And that one with Ichika pregnant... Ririka can't hide a scowl of irritation rising in her throat, but like Ogre, is doing her best to ignore the pictures.

Myunghon and Masao have their own distractions. Rirka can hear Mujina prepping something but doesn't press on what it is, yet. If she wanted to make a distraction of her own she could go find a piano, but... that's not what she's here for.

She makes a point to catch up to Ogre's side. Quietly, under her breath, she says, "Hey. Check out those guys in the tuxes. They're watching us."

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.

Though he presents himself as an old hand at this, Vesper is already hearing amount certain things from the others that he wasn't fully aware of. Though all told, it's not too surprising to hear that the people here may be cognitive versions of actual people. He feels as if he may have underestimated the level of obfuscation, however. He doesn't exactly have an idea of how to reliable trigger a 'cognitive provocation' to get what they need, should that prove to be a requirement.

He does so dislike feeling ill-prepared. However, there are many here, all united in purpose. Surely they'll manage something, between the lot of them.

Vesper pulls his hat down, promising Ogre, "I will see what I can do. ...Do take care. Should things go awry, I'll move to assist in a more direct capacity."

The only other he addresses directly is Mujina, in response to her own address. A small smile is visible underneath his mask, as well. "My dear, I have not yet begun my investigation."

Vesper initially stays behind, seeking to avoid immediate association with the rest of the group. No offense intended, but that would damage appearances, in a situation where appearances are everything. When he does proceed through the double doors, he waltzes in confidently like he belongs there, having learned the value of acting the part. Something that he's an old hand at to begin with, he's well familiar with how this game is played. Acts upon acts, masks upon masks. That's just the way to approach things sometimes, even in non-supernatural spaces.

...Those pictures, though. He can only imagine how seeing all this would make poor Ichika feel. He has a pretty good idea, given those counseling sessions. Ultimately, that's why he's really here. To solve a problem that may not have a real world solution that he can be satisfied with.

"I do apologize, good sirs," he jovially addresses a pair of snappily dressed men at one of the corporate booths. "I'm rather tardy, I realize - am I too late to offer a word of personal greeting to the groom before the ceremony?"

His goal is to attempt to ascertain the whereabouts of the Ruler, that seems like a sensible priority. For the sake of monitoring and avoidance, if at all possible. But should it come down to it, acting as a distraction for the biggest threat to their activities could also be in the cards.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

They have no power over you, Myunghon says, and Ogre remains stiff, standing in place for a long moment. "...Right," she murmurs back. "I... have power, here..." She doesn't recognize the words as anything special. But Hyousuke comes up, and he asks. "I'll... be fine," Ogre murmurs back. "I'll do that. I'll be surprised if we don't run into trouble soon."

Nobody among the Cognitions seems to notice the coat eating. That's not a thing they have a frame of reference for. But Ogre notices. She blinks twice.

Mujina has a chance to sneak to the back. The large double doors lead elsewhere into the convention center; there's a huge empty space in the center, where internal balconies look down, hung with garlands and plants. There are a few cabinets before that--filing cabinets, that might have something useful in them, before one gets out of the sight of the others. And with the distractions in play, there might be a chance to get something out of them.

"Uh!?" The server is completely gobsmacked by Myunghon's approach. "But--you--" Then they say who they /are, and the Cognition's eyes widen. "Oh--I--Of course! Of course, ma'am! I'll--I'll go relay the message right away!" She scurries off towards the kitchens, scurrying /faster/ when Shinjiro the bodyguard shows up with a 'yipe!' of alarm. Shinobu's presence only enhances the effect, as two more servers '!' and scurry after.

A few people comment that they've been made, that they're being watched--Ririka says it directly to Ogre, who nods. "Not surprised," she murmurs. "Let's try not to spook them."

But Vesper approaches. He approaches in style. Distinct from the others. And so, at one of the corporate booths...

"Of course!" says a man in a suit. "The groom is accepting presents and greetings even now! I'd ask if you want us to pass them on, but... You're in luck!"

"He's on his way now!"

 <Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
A young man in a smart black tuxedo steps out. He is tall--taller than the Ogre, minus her horns--with black hair that stretches past his shoulders and deep, vivid yellow eyes. His suit has blue accoutrements, the color of--well, the real version's eyes. But Shadow Eiji's eyes are bright, and sharp, and always, always watching.

And now, he's here.

BGM: Blood of Villain (P5 OST) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOFiO3a0_oo

"I'll have to see your portfolio," he says first to Masao Inaba. "But if you're better than our old photographer... Why, we'll ship him off, too. We only need the best!"

A wide, sickle-sharp smile as he turns to Myunghon. "I hear there's a problem with the food? ...It seems the chef, too, will have to be... improved."

"As for the trash you came in with," Eiji wrinkles his nose, "You can go to the factories. Maybe the glue factory," he sighs, as if even looking at Hyousuke is an imposition on his senses. He rolls his golden eyes at Ririka, next. "Honestly, is this a costume party? How boring." He doesn't see Mujina, it would seem. That might give her the opportunity to grab some stuff!

Vesper, though, "At least you know how to dress properly. So I'll tell you what; I'll sell you one of these 'ladies'." The air quotes are obvious in how he says it, the derision clear. "They came into my territory so they're mine now, and they can be yours for... Hmmmm, what's this one worth..."

He considers Shinobu. "Fifty thousand? That's generous, isn't it? You can have her for a wedding present!"

A pause. "Oh, unless she's yours, Yukichi-san? Honestly, if your tastes trend there, I wonder if I have to have my chef shot after all... Honestly, your servants are so..."

He rolls his eyes. As he walks further into the area, it becomes clearer: he couldn't be older than eighteen, despite his grand ambitions. "Oh. And..." He looks bored, looking at the Ogre. "It's you again. Didn't you cause enough trouble last time?" A sigh. "Whores like you could never compare to my Ichika," Eiji practically spits. "Yes.... No matter how many times she tries to sully herself with others, I know she's mine first. Mine forever."

"She should've recovered from her discipline by now. My good man, Yukichi-san," he extends a hand to both, "Have you seen her? We're still looking for her..."

Those who aren't directly addressed might have time to steal some things. Those who are could hold his attention. But the Shadows?

The Shadows slowly start to walk around. In moments, the exit will be blocked. There's not a lot of time before this gets bad.

"Oh, start taking pictures of the guests!" he directs Masao. "We'll do a live trial! And if you aren't as good as you say, well..."

"You're more fuel for the fire! Hahahhaah!"

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Masao seems to be no novice at Demon negotation. Myunghon wonders, sometimes, what he's experienced -- age is not a reliable indicator of what someone's been through, when it comes to the supernatural. They leave him to his task, though, but they do nod to Hyousuke for a moment when he reassures Ichika in his own way, stepping aside to give him some room, in case it is more personal. They aren't acquainted for each other, but it's important that the Ogre has the people she trusts here.

    And Vesper... enters in that way they've seen before -- they're quite composed, they must say. Ririka misunderstands what the Treasure is, but Myunghon mentally bops themself in the head because, of course, it's quite hard to identify when someone is talking with a capital-T Treasure.

    Shinjiro evokes the forbidden name as well -- and there's a moment where their expression almost falters at how cute that is. Fortunately, Myunghon is familiar with acting, and keeps strong enough until the server leaves before they exhale gently. That seems to have worked. But the groom is-- on his way, and...

    A young man steps out, in a sharp tuxedo. His eyes are bright. But not necessarily Shadow eyes...?

    But Shadow Eiji wastes no time in addressing the concern they've raised, and once more, the game face has to go back on. There's a twisting sensation in themself -- the person they had a problem with... the person they had a problem with... why the glue factory?! Are they presenting like UMAs here...? He doesn't look like he's horsing around, though.

    But his colours are presented clear as he takes a shine to Vesper -- but then says that he'll sell the 'ladies'. Myunghon's mind and stomach start to warp further.

    Don't resist.

    They're trembling. What is this? Their mask should be perfect. Why is every single part of their body trembling? Their hands are shaking, underneath the coat. They're the ones with power here...

    But then Shadow Eiji ruminates on what Shinobu's worth, and there's a distinct motion as they step in front, their one visible eye cold. "She is mine, yes."

    They'll be screaming into their own pillow and kicking at what they just said there tonight, one is certain.

    They don't have time for a rebuttal, though, because they've turned their attention to the Ogre. The misogynistic slurs come out. Their hand's shaking further. The way this man lays claim to women should just bring forth disdain and anger. Why is it bringing fear out? Don't give them power. They recognise how severe a situation this must be for the Ogre too.

    But Shadow Eiji is giving them an opportunity, intended or not. Where is Ichika? "I shall go find her, Kamiya-dono. You are correct. She shouldn't be far." They wonder if there is a Cognitive Ichika here. It's very likely. But it's an opportunity to move toward the exit before it's blocked, because Myunghon understands tactical movement.

    "Shinobu-ssi. Shinjiro-ssi. Would you please escort me?"

    They walk -- half-assisted by the Coat, moving towards those Shadows, to make it more of a pain for them to try to encircle them. The best way to prevent an encirclement is to stop it from becoming a circle of wagons in the first place...

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

The servers may run off, but Shinjiro is still cringing internally forever. At least it worked...

But there's Shadow Eiji, and he has some words to say. Misogyny and disrespect to his friends and allies. He can ignore the disrespect to himself, but the way he talks to Shinobu causes Shinjiro's shoulders to roll forward once, sizing up Eiji as a threat, preparing to fight if needed.

Myunghon steps in and 'claims' Shinobu. He knows how that likely feels for them both... but he understands it, too.

They're all a group, and that means Myunghon's right protecting Shinobu, he thinks. Eiji can't just give her away.

As Myunghon trembles, Shinjiro steps up beside them, muttering something they only can likely hear (and maybe Ririka, who knows).

"Remember your *true* power."

They were going to succeed here. Myunghon just had to remember that to fight off the fear.

As they ask Shinjiro and Shinobu to follow along, he looks to the others moving to distract Eiji as they part. They're not actually leaving, of course - just cutting off the encirclement so they're not trapped, hopefully.

"Of course." He said he was going to protect them.

And in many ways... that's his priority tonight.

<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.

Mujina is not adverse to having a look around. She is, after all, in the information business - and while she promised Ichika she would not spread anything personal around, and she meant it, there's plenty of other things she might find in a place like this.

Also, she's nosy. There's a reason she does what she does.

And it's clear they're not done cleaning up in here. Mujina sees the cabinets and works her way over to them. One of her hands slides back up her sleeve as she fidgets with something up there, and whatever she's doing has a supernatural component; it stops her surreptious wander from drawing attention quite so easily as she slowly (and thus quietly) edges the cabinet open.

Mujina doesn't even look at the papers she's taking in depth. A quick glance, a scan of the covers, then they vanish inside her coat. Her coat is perhaps not as magical as Myunghon's but it's big and concealing and Mujina is well above average in the bulk department anyway; nobody's going to notice any suspicious lumps. She keeps all sorts of stuff inside her coat normally.

There's an increasing fuss behind her. Mujina pauses for a moment in her rummage. Maybe she should make the situation a little more chaotic, give the others another opening...

A few moments later, and some of the Shadows - not all of them, but some of them - abruptly detect another intruder! One deeper in, as if it was tearing through the depths. Ririka and Myunghon feel it too, as do any other Navigators - along with a dull rumbling sensation for Ririka as much felt as heard, a taste of sake and deceit for Myunghon. The signal vanishes as it passes by, having only been detected for a brief time.

(There is, of course, nobody in there at all. But Mujina's style of 'anti-Navigator' abilities are slanted toward confusing the situation, and if she can draw some of them off elsewhere, rather than leaving all of them to block the exits...)

Once she has as many as she feels safe taking, Mujina closes up the cabinet and starts to head back, just as things get particularly spicy. Is that -

That's Eiji, she thinks. Shadow Eiji. She can see him; she can feel him. Mujina starts to move back toward the group, making sure to angle herself in such a way that Ogre can see her returning. The tension in here is so tight she can feel it against her skin, like a pressure.

And she's sweating. It's not the heat of the coat. Mujina just isn't used to taking this kind of risk, with or without other people. Her mouth feels dry and she *knows* her heart is pounding. Calm down, she tells herself, without much success.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

The air of the young man that swanned in was enough to have Hyousuke on edge. Actually focussing on him had Hyousuke tightening his fists instinctively. He was itching to do or say something, that much was clear, but he couldn't think what he was even supposed to do there. Bereft of ideas, stared down this strange figure, watching like an attack dog primed to lunge. such an image was only furthered when that thing in human garb dared to open its mouth. His lips curled into a snarl, baring the spit-glistening teeth under them, all clenched together so tight they threatened to snap off against one another.

He might have been looked upon with disdain, but Hyousuke looked back with a fierceness in his eyes that burnt so wild that it threatened to seem out into his face. It didn't even seem to matter to him that he'd been addressed - the man was so utterly detestable that, by the end of his little tirade, it was like pouring water into an already-full bucket. His anger overflowed, manifesting as muscles straining against his will, desperate to surge forward and beat the 'man' before him into a bloody paste.

The small part of him that remained rational managed to keep his anger in check, though only just enough to keep him from putting all that rage to use in a violent flurry of blows. He couldn't keep himself from stepping forward, slowly, but with a footfall so heavy that his boots might as well have been wrought from lead. There was no fear in his eyes, as sensible as that feeling might have been. His trembling wasn't because he was terrified, though few would blame him for such a reaction. All he felt, at that very moment, was barely-concealed rage.

Every breath he took rumbled in his throat. One might have thought they were standing next to a growling dog from the way that he sounded, all snarls and tensed muscles. When he finally did speak, every word had to be forced out past a jaw he could only barely pry apart. Each one dripped with venom, so thick in all he said that there could be no doubt that he hated whatever it was that stood before him and Ichika.
"If she's missing, go look for her." He growled. "You sure you've got time to waste on us?" He hoped that the Shadow would say yes. He desperately wanted an excuse to get into a brawl, and teach that talking pile of excrement a lesson. But nobody else had thrown a punch, and even he could infer from that that he wasn't supposed to start a fight.

<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.

    The man of the hour arrives, and Mark there is putting on the most mischievous winning smile he can, because that part of his youth hasn't fully left him yet as he just shimmies on up towards the yellow-eyed Shadow. This is a daring bluff, coming up to a guy at the seat of his power like that. Shadow Eiji is the master of this Palace...
 
     And the man claiming to be the portrait guy has his own frame of reference for what that means.
 
     "Man, you're already doubtin' the other guy? Sounds like I'm hired by default, huh! Yeah, I could show my portfolio--" Which he doesn't have, because he's not a photographer, and if Yukino overheard what he was doing she'd probably kick his ass on principle. She's just going to have to forgive him for making light of her passion, in the moment, if she ever knows of it.
 
     Interruptions come from Eiji dressing down company, assigning people to menial work, and... trying to sell off some of the young women here.
 
     ...That friend of Ogre's really was trusting him with something important if this asshole is that big of one. (The lowest the gradient begins starts at 'asshole,' that's how bad.)
 
     Luckily, he's dismissed to go start taking pictures of the guests. A live trial, then.
 
     "Psh, you got it, my man!!" Masao laughs, turns around... and rolls his eyes. Right, he's got a phone, it won't take Real Professional Pictures(tm), in fact it won't even really work in this space (not that he really cares that it does, or even think about that), but all he needs to do is just make a big show of it.
 
     "Right!! Before I waste any of my sweet professional film off my expensive-ass camera," Masao keeps bluffing along, "gather 'round! Hey hey!! You!" He calls for any of the Cognitions that might be in the way of those making more covert movements. "C'mon over and smiiile! Or you all are gonna be comparin' torn assholes and they're all gonna come up short to the biggest one of 'em all!"
 
     Of course he was going to go there.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

The servers scatter to fulfill Myunghon's request... and, that's probably a good thing. The fewer people here, the better - there's no telling what'll happen if/when a fight breaks out. Shinobu rolls her neck. So far so good -

- which of course means it can't last, as someone comments that the groom is on his way. The groom - the Palace Ruler. Shinobu grimaces. ...It would've been better if they could get in and out without running into him. He's young, but he moves like he owns the place - and talks like it, too. She immediately decides she hates him - and the more he talks, the more certain of that she becomes.

And then his eyes turn toward her, and she feels an ill feeling deep in her stomach at the way he sizes her up. She's just property to him - her, and women in general. ...It's gross. She feels gross. Disgust crosses her face.

"...The hell'd you say about me...?" Shinobu starts. It takes all her instinct not to haul off and punch him - to wipe that look off of his face with her fist... Her body is screaming for her to hurt him for that.

And then -

"Uh?" Surprise crosses Shinobu's face, cutting herself off, as Myunghon steps in front of her, declaring that she is, in fact, theirs - and that surprise is enough of a mental reset to knock her out of it and remind her of where they are and what the danger of giving into her anger would be.
Shinobu breathes in and out, trying to rein in her anger.

Myunghon asks for her and Shinjiro to escort them - and in the moment, that's the smart play. She nods, glancing briefly to Shinjiro. She offers him a brief nod - she saw the way he reacted, too, and she appreciates that.

"...Yeah. Right behind you, boss." Shinobu agrees, moving to follow them.

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.

As soon as Vesper hears the words 'you're in luck', he knows he's in anything but. But that tracks. He can't remember the last time he enjoyed the nature of an unforeseen twist.

"Ah yes. Speak of the devil," he allows himself one quip on Eiji's nature when his Shadow enters. He was hoping it would take longer than this before things had to be become terribly unpleasant. Before anything is even spoken, he's already fully convinced that he's not going to like anything of what he's about to hear.

And does he ever hate it when he's right. There's nothing quite like someone saying all the quiet parts out loud. Kaneshiro's Shadow was bad, but in this case, it's that much harder to keep emotional distance. Especially since he can't mouth off. He has to just let this happen. And to answer what was said to him in turn.

Now comes the part that he hates the most. Having to act as if he's on the same level as reprehensible individuals such as this. It's not the first time. Every single time, he hopes this will be the last. But there are always more of their like, aren't there?

"...A most generous offer, but considering the existing claim, I must decline, Kamiya-san. Surely you understand - there is little point to ownership unless it is absolute."

He doesn't have a problem with speaking lies. It's having to remain respectful that's the struggle. But what choice does he have? This man is their biggest obstacle - they'll never get anywhere while he's around. He needs to try and distract where he can. Appealing to the ego is generally a good route for that. He has to keep him - ugh - talking. Even though he would much rather not hear another word.

"I was rather hoping to hear more of your exploits, the secrets to your success as it were. You must have some inspirational advice for those seeking to follow in your footsteps."

He plants his umbrella down to lean on it, in what may seem to be a casual gesture. But he's gripping the handle real tightly. And should it turn out to become necessary... it's a good idea to already have your hands on your weapon of choice.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka nods to Ogre as she says not to spook the guards. "Got it."

Ririka is trying to pay attention to so much right now, certainly the shadows down here, but if they want to get to the other rooms, they'll need a path, and so her attention is elsewhere when she catches a fragment in the room--

'You're in luck! He's on his way now!'

Ririka blinks behind her mask. "Wait what?" She turns, and she can't help but clench her own fists again as Eiji--or at least, his Shadow--steps out. 'Ship them off?' 'Improved?' Who talks like that?

When Eiji comments on her outfit, Ririka bites back a comment and instead just folds her arms. What can she say that won't give herself away, here?

Oh, but it gets worse. Shadow Eiji makes an 'offer' to Vesper. "Oh you sick--" she scowls out. And she caught that line about Myunghon's 'tastes', too. She glances to Ogre to see how she's doing. "Hey-- don't let him get to you." She might need that advise herself with how tense she is. "Suzuki, same for you."

But she also catches the Shadows moving, and she feels Mujina's diversion deeper in. Some of their number are already headed to the exits, but for the rest, she reaches out telepathically. "This is Wolf. They're trying to block the exits, we need to go. Now."

Ririka drops one hand to tap at her thigh a little, anxious as she struggles with keeping track of everything. She hasn't dealt with this many Shadows in one place before.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Mujina is able to claim a number of papers--lists of names? A quick scan tells nothing else, but they may well be useful later.

The Shadow doesn't appear to notice that Myunghon is trembling. Instead, he spots that they claim Shinobu, and shrugs. "Ah, well. Can't account for taste." A grin to Shinobu. "You don't like it, do you?" he asks her. "But that's just it. Those without 'power' are doomed to the judgements of those with it. And you're a nobody."

But, "Will you now?" Shadow Eiji asks Myunghon. "Well, that would be a nice present..."

He dismisses Shinjiro completely at this point. But he looks with fascination, instead, at Hyousuke. He sees no fear in him; Eiji is interested by that. "Actually," he says, "You might be more useful than just a laborer. Why don't you work for me? I'll get you some better clothes. And all the targets to vent your rage on you want. Maybe... Heh heh."

"Yes, the fighting ring would be good for you..."

But he looks to masao then. "Ha! You're a lively guy. That's..." He pauses, and frowns. He doesn't quite get what Masao just said but he's pretty sure it wasn't compllimentary.

...Was it?

Either way, a number of Cognitions are happy to get in on the photo. "Aah, get my good side!" "Smile!" "I hope this goes in the album!"

A Shadow puts a hand up to his ear. "Hey!" he says. "Trouble in the west corridor!" Two of the Shadows take off that way after Mujina's illusion--and the perimeter is a little less secure, as Myunghon, Shinjiro, and Shinobu take up the spot by the exit and prevent the Shadows from closing the trap. For now.

Meanwhile, Ogre sees Mujina coming back in in her sightlines. Her mask obscures the way she looks at her--but the tilt of her horns is enough for Mujina to know she's been seen.

Meanwhile, Vesper responds. Eiji nods along. "That's true. Half-ownership is no ownership at all. Like my Ichika... i have to make her mine in the eyes of the law, too. Not just the eyes of God."

A wide smile at Vesper. "Is that so?" he asks. "Well..."

"It's a trivial thing, when you have a few connections, to funnel people here and there. They're looking for jobs; my father is hiring. But obviously, I wouldn't just rely on him. No, if I'm to surpass him one day, I'll have to deal with powerful people myself..."

"So a few bums disappear into the shadows, and I get the rewards. Experimental labs, whorehouses... I don't really care where they go. They're not my problem, after all."

"And all it takes... is an iron hand of discipline."

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

"D...Discipline?" Ogre breathes, finally, staring up at Shadow Eiji. "DISCIPLINE!?" She screams the second word. Hyousuke, near to her, might see the way she too steps forward, right alongside him.

"Yes," Shadow Eiji says, peering down at Ogre like she might be a particularly interesting bug. "Of course. She should've known better. She was having a girl. If she'd been bearing me a son like she should've, I wouldn't have had to be so harsh."

A choked noise originates somewhere near Ogre's throat. Ririka can see, this close. She's not doing well.

"You... you were never going to..." Ogre's voice cracks. "You BASTARD!"

Ogre charges, her shield flashing into her hand, her sneakers slamming against the wooden floors. A Shadow steps in front of Eiji--

Whatever happens there, there is very little time to intervene if anyone would like to. ...Plenty of time to join in, if that's what Hyousuke wants, though. Still, there are other problems brewing.

One of the Shadows vibrates. He wiggles. He bursts. And out of the ruins of that suited body come a divine figure atop a craggy stone marked with symbols of the Zodiac. His upper body is white, with golden hair and fine armbands--and he holds a knife. The Dark Sun sets his eyes upon the party.

"FOOLS!" the Dark Sun intones. He starts charging power.

Other Shadows start to twist and shift. A matador with a skull for a face appears in double, holding up his cloth and grinning.

This is a problem.

But since Myunghon and company have kept the exit open, not necessarily a fatal one.

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Shinjiro steps up and uses the magic words.

    Myunghon's breath is trembling further, but then they hitch up as they look at Shinjiro like they're expecting someone else for a moment. Disoriented, they shake their head, but then nods. "Thank you," as reality starts to assert itself again. They aren't able to spot Mujina or where she went, but moments later, they can taste deceit and sake -- that must be their distraction.

    ... how curious, they can taste such a thing now, when the real thing only ever tastes like fire and ash to them.

    Masao knows the role he's got to play, and is making a big show of his photography -- and they know they've got to take advantage of it. But they can't help but be a bit distracted at how angry Shinobu's getting... and how much-- their unpredictable statement caught her off guard. As they walk, they place a hand to their mouth to say timidly, "My apologies about that, Shinobu-ssi, but I had to be... assertive."

    DID YOU HAVE TO USE THAT WORD MYUNGHON WHAT THE HECK

    They're still deeply unseated. Anything could happen at the moment. They're in a bad position still. They can't account for all the variables, every single one of them is moving each frame and they can't get a lock. It's going to be bad even if most of them get out and one person gets left behind. They can't allow for that. Plan B, C, D2, D2 mod a, D2 mod b and D2 mod c are all already a bust, move to Plan Conditional A2, account for variable Palace Ruler being present...

    Yes. Take advantage of the sake-flavoured distraction. Occupy this spot. Assert yourself cognitively...

    But Shadow Eiji keeps speaking. He speaks of his crimes with such ease. Of course. There's no incriminating anyone here. Nothing what gets said in a Palace can even remotely become admissible in court, and... even if it were, the courts were already packed anyway.

    Discipline. That word again.

    Don't resist.

    Discipline... their throat is seizing up. Their lungs are on fire.

    Ogre's not taking this well either, and she charges-- but then a Shadow erupts in front of Eiji, and it's a massively powerful one. A divine figure atop a craggy stone. It doesn't take a genius to know the power he charges is immense, and it's agitating the other Shadows too.

    "This way, everyone!" Myunghon imperiously calls, even as MATADOR comes to claim their soul. fuck fuck fuck fuck they don't have a candelabra nor the jorts to appease them aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    "Fight while retreating -- watch each others' back, and do not let the Shadows corner you! Hurry!"

    Kudlak rises from their coat in a column of Blue, and just as expected, Shinjiro and Shinobu is empowered with their dark blessings.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

As they move, Shinjiro overhears Eiji still talking. But worse, what he and Ogre fight about.

Ichika Kawase... what did he do to you?

It's not his business. But even so, the tension of his shoulders and chest tells him he's angry at this human being. His entire existence.

He had said...

Discipline.

"Fuck you! Learn some goddamn respect!" he calls out at the Shadow.

Myunghon's blessing comes, however, as those Shadows come into play.

The Evoker is already in Shinjiro's hand. It goes up to his temple, a quick raise and a pull of the trigger. "Castor, charge!"

Castor is summoned, paces around for a few moments, and then rushes at a Matador threatening his group with bone-shattering strength. If Shinjiro cared, he wouldn't do a charge against a Matador.

But he's starting to see red himself.

...even so, he can't risk himself here. Myunghon is already escaping. If it's between saving the whole group or saving them...

He keeps his promise.

"Shimizu! With me!" he calls out, hoping they can double-tech the Matador to keep it off them as he makes a fighting retreat.

<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.

    Masao absolutely got away with calling the guy an asshole in his own seat of power (...so far) and he's just bluffing it up while leaving most the rest to do whatever they're going to do in order to find what they need. He makes a good show of it, but even seeing how eager the Cognitions are to get in on this... well, he's not going to dwell on it, he's just hitting buttons on his phone without care for composition, lighting, positioning, or whether the damned thing will capture anything (it won't, he doesn't care). Just the act of it.
 
     At one point he ropes one of the Shadowy Guards into it out of sheer bravado, arm around them and everything.
 
     ...
 
     Eiji's voice carries well in this space - why shouldn't it, it's his Palace - and the depths of just how deep into the asshole abyss this goes is blink-worthy that Masao's face goes flat 'what.'
 
     Ogre confronts on a point and Masao takes exactly three steps accidentally dragging the Shadowy Guard along when they wriggle and reveal themselves as a grinning skull in a matador outfit. Masao lifts his arm and takes some steps back, because even he's not gonna try and front against Matador.
 
     "...Yep, this is fucked," Masao asserts, as a column of blue energy rises around him. "We're clearin' a way out! Do it to it!"
 
     He's not close enough to help extract Ogre from that mess directly, but he's going to work with the rest to try to clear the way as the grassy-looking warrior that manifests as his Persona appears in a thin beam of light, shimmies back and forth, and sends floating balls of purplish energy with yellow ring emissions across several lesser Shadows.
 
     He tries not to think about the sight of someone pointing what looks like a gun to their heads to summon their Persona, as he embarks on that fighting retreat.

<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.

Lists are always useful. Lists are connections - and connections are how you figure things out. The shape of things, what's important and what isn't... lists can tell you all those things.

But Mujina doesn't have any time to read them here, so for now they're just going to be papers tucked into the inside pocket of her long coat.

Good, Ogre's seen her. Mujina returns the nod - everything is going well, they've got SOMETHING - less raw than the things Shadow Eiji is admitting out loud, perhaps, but another set of evidence. If Ichika wanted them to bring something back, this is a good start, and she's interested in finding out what the others heard - she couldn't make out the whole conversation at a distance.

But she sure makes out the word 'discipline', and that's when Mujina realizes that no, things are not going all that well after all.

oh shit oh fuck oh shit, Mujina thinks, momentarily shocked into inaction - she might pose as a cool cognitive rogue but she's a schoolgirl who's as far in over her head as anyone, with no experience for what to do when a Palace goes hot. And Ogre is going in -

What is THAT? Mujina has never seen a Shadow that looked like that one, nor the one with the cloak, nor a couple others she can see breaking out of their phantasmal cocoons. But it breaks her out of inaction, and she slides her hands out of her sleeves.

Her right hand has a pair of steel balls, which she spins around in her palm, rapidly, using small motions. Her left reaches up for her mask, grips it -

"DANZABUROU!"

The Persona that appears, rising over her, is not intimidating. A short, rotund animal, a raccoon-dog or a badger, wearing a haori and hakama, both with silver and gold thread. In one hand he has a gunbai, a lord's signaling fan, and over one shoulder on a rope he has a tokkuri, the traditional sake bottle-gourd.

He thumps his round belly with one hand as Mujina points, calling on a spell never seen... except, perhaps, by Mark, who may dimly recognize the call of: "Hapirma!"

Though its reactions are extremely variable on people, against Shadows it imbues a sense of proudness, a sense of self-confidence, a sense of *happiness* - they don't even need to act, because they feel like they've already won, too pleased with themselves to bring themselves to do anything at all. It also tends to make people talk, which is why Mujina has aimed it as she has; to cover the Shadow Ogre is up against, the Dark Sun... and Eiji himself.

Mujina is starting to run afterwards. She's not the fastest sprinter in the world, but at least she has stamina. And enough self-awareness to call for another spell, just as uncommon as the first: "Madoronpa!"

It becomes a lot more difficult for the Shadows to track them - especially Mujina herself, Ogre, and Ririka, who's standing nearby to Ogre. They look faded to the eye, like you could see through them if you weren't actually focusing directly on them.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

The warnings he'd received on both his conduct and the positioning of the Shadows fell on deaf ears. He heard them, and he processed them, but they didn't matter much. He wanted to punch Eiji. He wanted to break that fecal pile sculpted into the vague shape of a human. He wanted to drive his knuckles into his face until his knuckles were bloody and bruised. He wanted to fuel himself with that anger, and lay waste to every misbegotten fiend that prowled through the Palace. But, even so, it wasn't enough to make him start the fight.

Then Eiji mentioned the fighting ring. He'd be a spectacle. He'd be an amusement - someone to dance to their tune until they tired of him and tossed him aside. He'd not thought that his rage could reach new heights after hearing everything that the shadow had said, but it seemed that he was wrong about even that. Memories flared up in his mind, and his fingers coiled so tight that the skin on his knuckles grew a ghostly shade of pale, and his nails threatened to shred through the skin on his palm. He offered no response - nothing verbal, at least. One look at his face was enough to draw a conclusion. Rage blinded him, all but searing away whatever sense he might have once held. It was only by instinct that he managed to restrain himself, and the training that his teacher had instilled in him.

Even as his anger reached peaks it hadn't climbed for months, a voice in the back of his mind - weak as it was - demanded that he show some discipline. It commanded him to wrest control of his emotions from his instincts, and defy whatever urge he had to lash out. But that part of him grew quieter with every passing moment. It almost worked, and though he still bore hellfire in his gaze, Hyousuke kept still. Until he spoke of discipline, and Ichika, and heirs, that is. Were it not for Ichika herself landing the first blow, he might have done so himself.

His own blow followed close behind. The only warning he gave was a brief flash of bronze surging towards whichever Shadow was nearest. He didn't care which, just as long as that mighty shield slam hit *something.* But as the edge was taken off of his incandescent rage, even if only for a moment, he was lucid. Not much, and certainly not enough to make him want to retreat, but it was just enough to make him see the rationale behind it. With laboured breaths and quivering body, he turned to Ichika.
"Move! Now!" Was all he could bring himself to utter, before Achilles' sword left a silver trail arcing through the air towards whatever was closest.

Bereft of sense though he was, Hyousuke could see the wisdom in retreat. He hated that they had to do it, and that he couldn't vent his rage while holding the line. He wanted to carve a bloody path through to that self-assured prick, and cut him down to size. But things had gone to pot, and to stay there any longer would be suicide. Briefly, he looked to Shinjiro, wondering if he would be needed to hold the line, but his eyes caught on Ichika too. He didn't know her circumstances, or her anger, but the thought that it would anchor her to this hellhole prevailed over his need for righteous slaughter.

Hyousuke didn't think about what he did next. His body moved on its own, his mind firing off instinctive impulses with barely a rational thought to be found.
"Watch my back!" He bellowed out to whoever could hear. "We're leaving!" He leveraged every fibre of muscle in his body to heft Ichika into a fireman's carry, and bolted for the exit. He didn't have time to convince her to flee, and he certainly didn't have the time to help settle her mind. They had to go, and he couldn't take the risk of her being too stubborn to see it.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu glances toward Vesper. She doesn't know him, but she figures he's trustworthy if he was invited to this. ...He has a lot more restraint than she does, dodging around the offer like that.

The Shadow grins at her, at Shinobu feels that ill feeling again.

"'Power', huh. ...We'll see just how much 'power' you really have." Shinobu mutters. She wants to hurt him. She has to keep that desire in check, while they've been given an opportunity. She starts to follow Myunghon, shaking her head at their apology.

"Don't worry about it. ...Don't think that guy would understand anything else." She replies. That's the only thing he understands.

But unfortunately for them, he keeps talking. Keeping her anger in check gets harder and harder.

"...You sick bastard. Toying with people's lives..." Shinobu seethes. 'Discipline'. That's not the word she'd use for what he's talking about.

His words cause the Ogre to charge - and all hell breaks loose. Shinobu swears under her breath - not that she can blame her. Shadows appear - a man atop a stone, and a grinning skeletal matador...

"Right behind you, Aragaki." Shinobu replies, and Shinjiro calls out to her. Her staff is drawn, spun around quickly overhead to knock back anything else that might be trying to close in on them. As she moves, she's infused with power courtesy of Kudlak and she offers Myunghon a nod - before rushing toward the Matador from the opposite direction as Shinjiro, staff racing for the skeleton's skull with greater power.

"You heard them!" She shouts out, echoing their call. "This way, move in groups!"

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka's stomach is churning by the minute more and more byu the minute. People disappearing from the streets, being sold... Can any of that be real? He's a high school senior, for crying out loud.

She's really hoping all that talk is just... part of some delusion, like the rest of this place is. But she honestly can't be sure, and that worries her. His family managed to kick Ichika out of Sevens, prevent her from enrolling at Gekkoukan... She shivers, just a bit.

But then she stares. Just because the baby was... because of that... her jaw drops. "Just because... because of that..." She takes a step forward. "Do you have ANY idea--!?"

Ririka might not be doing much better than Ogre at the moment. But that noise from Ogre catches her attention, and she cuts herself off mid-sentence. "Ogre--" Shit. Right. "Come on. We gotta go."

But Ogre feels like attacking, instead. "Wait--" And then she recoils as The Dark Sun reveals itself. "Fuck--" And then Matadors. "These guys way outlevel us!" she announces, perhaps unnecessarily.

She reaches into her jacket, and pulls out her own Evoker. There is a slight tremble and a clench as she brings it to her head. "AMPHION!"

In a swirl of blue flame and broken glass a large man made of stone appears, one with heavy boots laden with gold chains and padlocks, and holding a golden, somewhat futuristic-looking lyre in his hands. She points at The Dark Sun, the biggest threat here. "Make some noise and keep that guy busy!"

Amphion's hand moves to the lyre, and strings made of light appear at his touch. But what comes next isn't music--it's literal noise, distorted chords made of almost-beautiful notes but in gestalt sound horrible. Wave after wave of this terrible noise blasted directly at the Dark Sun to cover their escape.

Ririka wastes no time in running after that, hoping the distraction will be enouigh. Hyousuke's got Ogre. Good. "Suzuki! Come on, this way!" She tosses a quick nod to Mujina as thanks, and if she gets outside will attempt to track anybody else that might be straggling and in need of help out. "Come on come on come on..."

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.

Vesper... gets a little more than he bargained for. Even with everything he's seen so far, it's still absolutely baffling how freely these Shadow versions of people just... brag about their most awful deeds and plans. He's just freely admitting that he's on board with human trafficking. He can't help but wonder how someone even grows up like that. What kind of man would his father have to be, to have raised a son who thinks this way?

...And how can he stand to listen to this? Sometimes he thinks there must be something wrong with him, to be able to keep his calm even when hearing the most infuriating statements. He has his own father to thank for that, he supposes. Well, it's kind of standard procedure by now, isn't it? Put your own feelings aside, and consider those of the ones around you. People are counting on you to provide stability where they lack it. For their sake, you must endure.

...Yet all endurance has limits. Though his may have lasted a bit longer, it's almost a relief when Ogre decides she's had enough. This is of course bad for their effort, but considering how quick they were to encounter Eiji's Shadow, perhaps this was a foregone conclusion. He's not going to blame anybody for losing their temper over this - especially those who are aware how Ichika would feel about this. He knows this was a personal matter for Ogre, so he can't claim to be surprised that she's the one who charges first.

"Ogre!" he calls out, the best thing he can think to do being to appeal to reason. "Remember the mission! This isn't how we win!" If they can't find the evidence they needed, they need to confront Eiji himself - which isn't something that can done with such a heavy guard protecting him.

He leaves it to those in closer proximity to her to handle the matter from there. It's absolutely time to withdraw, but just in case...

"Raffles!"

Raising a hand to his mask, he summons the half-graceful, half-lumbering Persona, calling the half that isn't holding the giant cricket bat, but the one holding the diamond-tipped cane. Summoning protective auras, Raffles boosts the defense of Ogre and Hyousuke to offer them some resiliance against any parting blows they might take following their attacks.

...They'd better have been parting blows. Because he too has to hurry and make himself scarce after that, rushing out after the rest of the group, his umbrella at the ready in case of further trouble. "Make haste!" he calls out, as the superfluous, obvious advice in this situation.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Myunghon calls out the retreat. They use their power to enshroud Shinjiro and Shinobu both. In turn, they're able to stop one of the Matadors cold, scoring a critical hit that knocks him down--but it won't last long. If they don't retreat, he'll gt back up and take his revenge.

The other Matador is briefly indisposed as Masao Negotiates his way a few steps--and that may be a critical few moments.

But the Dark Sun is not stopped. He takes the Ogre's attack head-on and doesn't blink. "Ho ho ho," he starts to say--and then Hyousuke strikes him, too. "You--"

It is trivial to get Shadow Eiji to feel confident; that spell just gets him laughing. "Kill them all!" he tells his Shadows. "We'll see what the bodies are worth!"

Just before the Dark Sun completes his spell, Hapirma strikes him, too. "Yes," he says. "Yes, flee from my might!"

It would be difficult to convince Ogre to flee--but picking her up outright seems to shock her enough that she doesn't fight it. "But--" she starts, but she can't get her words in order.

Shinjiro and Shinobu, with Myunghon, will have to be the rear guard, because stopping to deal with Matador has prevented them being the first out the exit, even as close as they were.

Hyousuke's back is watched. Mujina may not be the fastest runner, but her spell makes them harder to target, and Raffles's makes them hardier when they are targeted--

Which they are, as it happens. Driven off-course by Amphion's attack, nuclear fire slams down into the floor just behind them as they rush out, and the outside is already buzzing with activity. But the Shadows don't follow them out.

ALARM LEVEL: ||||||||||

Shinjiro and Shinobu, as stated, take up the rear; Hyousuke gets out with Ogre sooner, then Ririka and Mujina, then Vesper and Masao--

And finally Myunghon and their 'bodyguards'.

Inside, shouting can be heard.

Dad's home. There will not be a better chance to keep running.

"S-...scatter!" Ogre calls, still carried by Hyousuke.

But her voice is thick. It's hard to talk at all.

<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.

    It's a cluster! Whatever sort of squad cohesion that allowed Masao and some old friends to form tight unbroken formations (outside of ambushes or people getting knocked down) isn't quite there, in this rag-tag bunch, and his path away from the reception hall ends up differing significantly from a number of them.
 
     "Shit," Masao can feel his heart leaping out his chest, or maybe just this place feels like it in the very air? He can't quite describe it but it's the same effect as he can feel the immense wash of heat flooding out behind himself. He only stops to make sure there's a headcount of people he knows went in there, and by the time Myonghon and their 'bodyguards' are clear(-ish) of being in there...
 
     "Hell yeah we're scatterin'," Masao echoes, and he's not fully clear where 'Palace' ends and 'reality' begins as of yet - though invariably it'll briefly dump him where he entered the Metaverse with everyone - but he keeps his running momentum as such he has his back turned to the group when they make the return to reality.
 
     "Seriously... fuckin' lab experiments," the street artist exclaims incredulously. It's easy to get hung up on someone being incredulous about a nonsensical science fiction kind of thing. He places a hand on the back of his head like it's even more horrifying than that.
 
     If anyone approaches, he throws up a hand and takes it as a cue to walk off a bit sooner than he otherwise might.
 
     A nerve has clearly been touched.

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Being the rear guard suits Myunghon just fine. They're focused on not dying a terrible death, as they try to buy time to keep the exit occupied and thus not blocked by the hordes of Shadows turned aggressive, as people make their fighting retreat. Their attention is most on Ogre, because they're uncertain if she'll need additional assistance, but Hyousuke's got Ogre into a fireman's carry. "Good! I'll cover you!"

    They launch several ribbons from their Cognitive Coat at this, which strikes one of the Matadors attempting to chase after them. Shinobu and Shinjiro's got one of them knocked down, then--

    "!!"

    One of the Matadors gets close enough that they nearly impale them with his sword, but it goes straight through and the Cognitive Coat-- no, don't let it be torn!

    --the Cognitive Coat's slithered around in an O-shape, as if prehensile and cognisant of danger. "Away with you!" A burst of Estoma, and even that powerful Shadow's forced to respect their boundary for a scant few seconds -- but what a precious few seconds it is.

    "Keep going! Do not stop until we are out of the Palace!" Myunghon calls, even as Kudlak has to bodyblock a powerful spell from just flooring them -- it still sends them skidding out of the wedding reception room, and they have to grapple on the railing to keep themself upright.

    "Shinjiro-ssi, Shinobu-ssi, after you!" Myunghon thrusts their arm out and creates an emergency slide with their Coat so they can just jump on down and slide on out instead of have to find and possibly fight their way down the stairs. They follow suit a moment later, demonstrating that newfound confidence with their Cognitive Coat as they leap down onto thin air and grapple down, seizing fixture after fixture to control their descent.

    Of course, the moment they hit reality and leave the supernatural space that comprises Eiji's Palace, they're going to pancake really hard onto the ground.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.

Hyousuke's rage faded with every step. His veins had burnt with adrenaline and anger before, but everything he could feel and hear - even if not clearly, and without seeing any of it - was enough to have it all give way to dread. Something had descended upon them. Who or what it was, he didn't know, and he had no intention of finding it out the hard way. Not when they'd provided just the distraction he needed to get clear of the Palace. His legs screamed with the effort of running full-pelt with someone on his shoulders, but enough adrenaline coursed through his body that it was little more than a dull ache. He would pay for it later, no doubt, but his focus was on but one thing - escape.

He didn't notice when he'd finally crossed the boundary. It took him stumbling, tripping, and falling flat onto his face to finally be brought back to reality, as if the concrete itself had needed to slap him out of his stupor. Mercifully, he didn't seem to have been hurt too badly - some scrapes and bumps from the fall, and there'd be one hell of an ache in his legs come morning, but nothing that a hot shower and a long rest couldn't fix. His own health was far from his concern, however, and he looked about for Ichika before extending a hand towards her, should she need it.
"You good?" He asked, the words perhaps flippant, but the tone far from it. Given his ragged breathing, it seemed to be about all he could manage.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

As the group escapes, Shinjiro and Shinobu taking that Matador down briefly, he turns, and-

Myunghon's nearly impaled like at Sevens. His heart catches in his throat, and he's running- but they can protect themselves this time. He needs to trust them more to take care of themself, he realizes. He slows as he sees that, a breath of relief, and nods in affirmative. "Let's go!"

Once they're slip and sliding on the coat, which he does not think about more than a second, they're in reality. The three likely came in on their own, so it's unlikely they're with the masked others...

But those who are with them will probably see Shinjiro himself try to lift Myunghon up. If they can't walk under their own power, he'll ask Shinobu to help him prop them up until they get back to Cardboard Dragon. He'd usually fireman carry... but he has support here, and he wants to rely on it, like they're relying on him.

<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.

Hibari has been told all her life that she's bad at gym class.

Which is, really, not entirely untrue. She isn't terribly fast on her feet, getting her to climb those ropes was a disaster, and as for gymnastics - forget it.

But what she does have is stamina - she might not go that fast, but she can keep at it for a while - and, really, running out of a Palace while someone inside lobs nuclear fire at your feet is a pretty good incentive to pick up the pace. Pretty much the best one, really.

"Ow hot hot hot!" Mujina has either lost some of her I'm-so-cool posing or impressed them with her guts, at least in front of this crowd, because she is running out with her heels *literally* on fire; her boots are smouldering from the blast, though her coat remains mercifully intact.

Is her coat a cognitive coat, like Myunghon's? Well, sort of... Hers is less impressive though.

She stomps several times as she leaves, getting the scorching off her boots, before calling to Ogre, "I'll send her to contact your friend soon!" By which she means Hibari will be in contact with Ichika. Sometime after Hibari's heart rate goes back down and, ideally, she gets a bath. Two baths. That place left her feeling grubby in a way she is not prepared to put into words. Especially that Shadow...

Mujina would like to help some of the others get out - Myunghon, in particular, seems to need some assistance, and Hibari knows them even if Mujina doesn't - but that would give away her secret, wouldn't it. So instead Mujina turns sharply and vanishes into an alley between the convention center and another building. She's going to leave the Palace - but she needs to leave it away from the others.

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.

You don't have to tell Vesper 'scatter' twice. He's well-used to judging others' escape paths so that his won't end up matching any of theirs.

Running, yet again. It's almost nostalgic. Though has he ever truly stopped running?

No time for such thoughts. He could see Ogre being carried, which is... well it seems out of character, but considering the situation, it may be for the best. And since it's Hyousuke doing the carrying, that's the two people he was most worried about persisting in fighting here covered. Granted, he doesn't know everybody who was present equally well, but there's no time for a full assessment.

Breaking away from the rest of the group beforehand is ultimately mostly meaningless. After all, once Vesper crosses the border where Eiji's Palace ends, he's just going to end up reappearing where he entered. Which, thankfully, wasn't in the same place any of the others did.

This venture may not have gone as planned as all, but as long as you survive, you can try again. And he's certainly going to be in touch about What's Next... but that's for later worry. For now, he has to hurry and get himself of the area. Though naturally, should anyone happen to see Julian Marlowe passing by out there, that would have to be just a coincidence...

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

The Matador is downed. As much as she's inclined to strike while it's down, Shinobu knows that escape is the priority right now. That leaves the three of them as the rear guard...

...But that suits Shinobu just fine. She was always going to stop and make sure that everyone else made it out first.

"Right." Shinobu calls back to the Ogre as she sounds the retreat.

Acting as the rear guard opens them up to attack, though, and a Matador appears to strike Myunghon. Shinobu moves to try to intercept, but she's too far away -

- but Myunghon evades it thanks to their Cognitive Coat. Shinobu breathes a sigh of relief. And, thankfully, they provide an escape route. Shinobu nods toward Myunghon, leaping onto the slide created by their coat and sliding down it once she's certain Shinjiro is escaping, too. She turns around at the bottom immediately, to make sure they can get out.

Thankfully, they grapple down, and she leaves alongside Myunghon and Shinjiro... and when they collapse, she immediately moves to support them alongside him.

They made it out alive, at least, and it seems like so did everyone else...

...but they have a bigger problem, now, with the secrets the Shadow dropped.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka pants as she bursts through the exits, stopping for a moment to catch her breath. But just a moment. "That... th-that fucking..." She's shaking, trembling a little. Her heart is pounding "... that asshole."

She spins around to face the hotel, yelling at the top of her lungs. "You think you can get away with treating people like that? With... with treating my sister like that? HUH!?"

Of course, it's easy to yell at someone when they're not right in front of you, isn't it? But right now she'd rather be mad than anything else. Anger will keep her going.

But Ogre calls to scatter. "... yeah." She turns and heads for the edge of the Palace to the real world. As she transitions between the two, she takes off her mask and stuffs it into her backpack before making her way down city streets, a dark look clouding her face.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

The Metaverse remains--but it's not the group's problem for now, as everyone is able to successfully make their own escapes. The Shadows do not pursue outside the convention center, though there's the sounds of combat within even now. Did something happen? Other than them? Maybe. But now isn't the time to figure that out. ...The Palace will still be here later, after all.

For better or worse.

But Ichika is there, when Hyousuke puts her down, the Ogre's mask and armor gone in favor of ordinary clothes--green cargo pants, a skull top. And her makeup is already ruined with tears.

"I-I," Ichika starts, though she is a little battered too. She looks up at Hyousuke's hand, and reaches to take it to help her stand up.

...It'll be a minute before she lets go.

But eventually, "I... have to go."

And she will.

She doesn't actually answer the question.

But the night goes on. Maybe they can beat the Dark Hour to their homes. ...Maybe.