2025-12-04: To Break The Shackles
- Log: To Break The Shackles
- Cast: Yua Ooshiro, Hiroto Nakamura, Miho Ijuuin
- Where: Katou Corporation office -> Eiji Kamiya's Palace
- OOC Date: December 04, 2025
- IC Date: August 20, 2012
- Summary: Yua visits Miho's place of work to bring her a bento, and meets Hiroto, one of Miho's coworkers, who helps her escape the sexist jeers of their coworkers. Miho arrives and talks with the two of them, where Hiroto reveals his other identity and Awakening. The three later meet up to discuss more in a Palace they plan to investigate, and Miho and Yua recruit Hiroto into their confidence after learning that he only fights for the conspiracy for the sake of his family. ALSO: Hiroto gets Yua nickname'd! He's been accepted!
(|============================== Narumi - Main ===============================|) -================================================= Sumaru City/Narumi Ward ====- The newest ward of Sumaru City is also the fanciest and most elegant--and, consequently, the most expensive. The crime rate here is low and the stores are top-class, so many rich and famous people make their homes here. The view is second to none, thanks to how it juts directly into the sea to the south; a yacht harbor ensures one can watch classy ships sailing by all day long. Because it's so new, there are sections of it that are still under construction, most notably the local subway lines, and some of the seedier parts of society have taken advantage of that to creep in and take root. That has nothing to do with the local science lab, conducting experiments for the good of society with top-notch security, and maybe everything to do with the sewer system next door. But one can't possibly want to go into the sewer--not when the five-star accommodations of Hotel Pleiades are available on the south beach. Hotel Pleiades is without question the jewel of Narumi. Because it also overlooks the yacht harbor, many rich, seafaring travelers get rooms here, boosting the local economy even further. The Astro Universe Theme Park here is home to the Astro Clock, the second largest ferris wheel in Japan.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua had some trouble with breakfast, this morning, which Miho had to help her with... and by the time everything was well, it was almost time for her to leave, and she had to hurry out.
Which means -- tragedy of tragedies -- Yua didn't have time to finish her bento.
Obviously, this won't stand. Yua took some more medicine, and returned to the kitchen, determined that at least Miho could enjoy some breakfast with any kind of flavour to it. (It's not fair that she has to eat bland food all the time now...) By the time she is done, she has created a work of art. The rice is shaped like a fishie with little seaweed gills and fins and seaweed flakes for scales; it swims in a sea of greens, with a 'sun' of a cherry tomato surrounded by pieces of red and yellow cucumber sitting low on the horizon, surrounded by delicious clouds made of shredded chicken.
Yua's kids are going to have a great time at lunch, but no one told her that bento are supposed to be for children. She decided in highschool that she wanted to make lunch for Miho every day just like she did for her younger siblings, and by God, Yua achieves her goals.
The next trick, of course, is getting it... to Miho's office. Luckily, Miho keeps a spare swipe card -- and Yua knows where she keeps it -- so getting up to her office isn't a problem. It's just...
Yua is a strange creature, as she appears from the elevator: dressed in a black dancer's leotard, skirt hanging to her knees and a purse about her shoulder, with shoes with ankle support and compression socks where her pointe shoes ought to be. Her teal hair is all done up in a tight bun which reveals the eyepatch over her left eye; she has a fabric decoration stretched over the back of her right hand, and an engagement ring on her left wedding finger. Her skin is notably tawnier than most of the mainlanders she's passed, here.
And, of course, she is carrying a bento.
"Mimi!" Yua chirps, as she enters the office block. "Mimiiiii...?" She stands on her tippy-toes to try and see where Miho might be in this sea of suits, but of course she is a little short for a lady, which means she definitely can't see over the cubicle walls. "Mimi?"
"Hey," one of the men elbows another, from where they're coming back getting cups of coffee. "Isn't that Ijuuin-san's...?"
"Shh!" His buddy whispers, sharply. "She can hear us!"
"It's fine, it's fine, she doesn't mind! Do ya, doll?" The first man smiles, walking up to Yua. "We've been wondering about her cute little lunchboxes. So -- she didn't really make them herself? Heh... you're both a little old for it, don't you think?"
"Mmm..." Yua frowns, taking a step back as she holds the bento to her chest, scowling to them.
"She's so cute," another man reflects, quietly, looking up from his computer. "Ah... a shame she's wasted with Ijuuin-san..."
"No, no," another man offers clarification, under his breath. "They're marrying her off, I heard, it's fine."
"Eh? You mean Ijuuin-san? I didn't even think she was on the market," the man distracted from his work replies.
"Not her, that pretty little thing -- though if the rumours are true, maybe that means Ijuuin-san is next..."
Dear God, Yua could start a civil war just standing here. The worst part is: Miho Ijuuin's been in a meeting for the past half an hour, and who knows when she'll get out? (Very soon, but they don't know that.)
But what kind of man working here would escort Yua to the break room so she could safely stow the bento she's brought for Miho...?
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
Hiroto Nakamura is at work in a cubicle today. Ever since his 'promotion', he has been working in this office, and is currently working on something that is technically not due for a while but will be done early anyways at insistence, since his whole problem is he's an overachiever who they're trying to break down into nothing by giving him harder work.
As he's working, he overhears the words that finally bring his attention to Yua. He's familiar with her existence, though they've never met.
Near-imperceptibly, as his coworkers talk about her in such a foul way, so... sexistly, his face shifts. Brows crease, lips curl, and eventually, he stands up. He can fit in a break...
Rising with his striped tie, and square spectacles, Whereto straightens it, before stepping over to Yua. "Ma'am, would you like to be led to the break room? If so, please follow me."
If Yua's observant enough, she might notice those signs as the starting of anger, as small as they are.
Should Yua follow, Hiroto leads her to the break room, which should currently be empty.
"Would you like some water?"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
When Yua's gaze darts to Hiroto, it's with the worried scowl of someone expecting even more misogyny; surprise widens her crimson eye, when he instead addresses her respectfully. "I, um..."
('Wan', she says, not 'ware'; it's the Okinawan pronoun, the kind of slip one might expect from someone flustered. It's also, in Japanese, the sound of a dog barking, which soundly informs --)
"Oh? Stealing Ijuuin-san's dog? Hah!" His coworker exclaims, clapping him on the shoulder as he walks past them. "It's your funeral!"
"Please, let's just go," Yua says, to the man, and the quiet of her voice can't mask the way it's wound tight.
She can see that he's getting angry, and she doesn't want to cause a fight in Miho's office after she forgot her lunch, too...
Yua hurries off behind him, and -- "ah!" -- when they enter, she hurries over to the fridge to slip Miho's bento safely inside. (No one would dare to eat her lunch, especially after what she's going to have to do to them now.) Closing the door, she peeks back up, and says: "S-some water would be nice... thank you."
A light pause, and she adds, to herself, "I think I can keep that down..."
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
Hiroto sees that worried scowl, and his expression does soften lightly, though the anger and frustration is still there. As she asks him to take her, he dos so, and they're soon in the break room. He watches as she slips the bento inside, and moves over to the water cooler, grabbing two cups and pouring an equivalent amount of water into each of them. He hands her one, before taking the other for himself.
"Here you go, Ooshiro-san. I apologize for my coworkers' behavior." The anger is calming, at least. He needs to control his face better, if people can notice...
"Are you ill?" he asks curiously. "We may have nausea pills somewhere, if that will help."
It is good to always keep some handy, especially with some of his own stomach sensitivities. Being nauseated at work is a reduction of productivity, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho would accept less flavorful breakfasts! That would be an acceptable sacrifice, for Yua's health. However...
That isn't the world they're living in at the moment. It's not that Miho doesn't appreciate it; it's just that she wories about Yua. And today...
Well, today, it's getting it to her.
Miho is dressed in one of her usual dark suits, with short green hair and... business. Miho is in a meeting, herself. She thus does not immediately hear anyone call Yua 'doll'. She does not immediately hear anyone speaking of Yua as her dog. But 'immediately' is not the end of how they talk about her.
But she gets out, and there are whispers. More than whispers.
"What a cute lunch! Perfect for--"
Miho narrows her eyes at the first man to speak up. She then smoothly walks across the room to the break area, opening the door, passing through, and closing it behind her.
"...Hello, Nakamura-san." Pause. "Yua."
"I was in a meeting..."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Oh! You-- you know me?" Yua asks, taking the cup. "R-really, it's okay, um... Mimi told me they weren't very nice, so..."
Sip.
"I, um -- n-no, it's not that," she shakes her head, after a moment to tell whether the water is going to actually settle properly. "It's, er... it's nothing infectious, um..." A blush spreads over her cheeks, as she realises she doesn't even have an excuse. "I--I'm pregnant," she admits, a moment later.
"Um... t-thank you, um...?" Yua starts, but before she can manage to get past her nervousness to ask for his name --
-- the door opens again!
"Mimi!" Yua exclaims, bounding over to her. She remembers her situation at the last moment, of course, to stop in front of her rather than leaping into her arms, though she clearly wants to. "I got your lunch done! It's in the fridge! T-this, um --"
She pauses, looking from Miho to Hiroto. "N--Nakamura-san? Nakamura-san helped me!" Yua sighs, with a terrible pout. "Everyone was being really mean, but he offered to show me where you kept lunch and stuff... and he got me some water!"
She holds the cup up, demonstratively. And then takes another sip. The water is probably not poisoned.
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
"My wife was watching your engagement announcement. Congratulations," Hiroto says politely, Seeing as it was a single episode of a single show, he must have a good memory.
As Yua stumbles upon her words on how to tell him why she's feeling ill, Hiroto is patient, sipping at his water. When she finally admits, he nods, a reassuring smile on his face. "Congratulations once more. Children are a wonder."
But she doesn't know his name... he's about to introduce himself, when Miho walks in and introduces him indirectly. She was in a meeting...
"Ijuuin-san, hello." He greets formally and properly, before turning. "Hiroto Nakamura. It is nice to meet you."
Miho, at least, may know some of the rumors about Hiroto, both in-office and in-conspiracy. The 'Sisyphus of Katou Corporation', his direct 'handlers' have been trying to overwork him to death perhaps literally, pushing impossible assignments on him to get him fired. He's never failed once, to the point that the conspiracy themselves 'promoted' him into a fixer - the Ferryman.
"Tough meeting?" he asks Miho, since small talk is HARD and AWKWARD.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho smiles at Yua first. She would've absolutely caught her... but it's best not. Instead, "Thank you," she says of the lunch. Then:
She looks to Hiroto again. She does remember the rumors on both sides, as a matter of fact, and so it's good that the water probably isn't poisoned. ...Yua would notice if it were. She's sensitive like that.
"My co-workers often forget their manners in the face of pretty women," she says 'diplomatically'. But not you it would seem, Nakamura-san. I appreciate your assistance to her."
Pause. "Not especially," as to the meeting, because she must always project Strength. "However, if I go out onto the floor now, I am likely to say something unkind to a co-worker. That would not be ideal."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Oh!" Yua exclaims, when Hiroto mentions how she was on television. She looks surprised, so perhaps it's not a usual thing for her...? "Thank you," she smiles, warmly. "I'm really looking forward to joining Kimi-san's family!"
And, it seems, she's really looking forward to adding to the Ijuuin clan. "Thank you!" Yua chirps, brightly. "It's still very early... but we're very happy!"
And then -- Miho!! Yua smiles to her, warm and big as the sun, brightening up the Underworld for her visit.
(Is she really just visiting...?)
But Yua is, indeed, very sensitive to things tasting off these days. Or even smelling bad! Perhaps that's why she's such a picky eater right now...?
Yua bows her head, politely, when Hiroto formally introduces himself. "N-nice to meet you! I, um -- I'm Yua! Yua Ooshiro!" She pauses, looking back up. "Um, though you knew that, since you remembered that episode on TV..."
SHE'S SO CUTE.
"He was kind to me," Yua smiles, to Miho, as if it's that simple. To Yua, it might well be that simple.
Still, those men out there... "Oh... are they still saying mean things?" Yua frowns, and then takes Miho by the wrist to lead her over to the seating. "Then let's sit down for a few minutes! If they're busy gossiping, that means they don't need you for work, right?"
She smiles, to Hiroto, as she puts her cup of water on the table. "Nakamura-san, you, too! You didn't like how they were talking, right? You shouldn't have to listen to that stuff. It's, it's... a hostile work environment!!"
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
Miho appreciates Hiroto, and Yua sees him as kind. "It was nothing. I would hope the ones I care for would be treated similarly." The brief furrow of his brow indicates he wouldn't *expect* that, though.
Miho is strong, and he respects that. He also respects that it's not ideal. "Of course." He understands that control is paramount.
Yua, though, is a ball of light. She tells them to sit for a few minutes, and he's PLANNING on excusing himself so they can have privacy, when she directs to him too. Hiroto considers, before nodding. He was getting angry...
"That's true. But unfortunately, it is not one I believe can be dealt with trivially. I will join you for a few minutes, then, as long as I am no bother."
If affirmed, he will take a seat with his own water.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"In this company, they would." Miho says that flatly. And then, "...But in the company outside, probably not. You're unusual to care so much about the affairs of women, Nakamura-san."
"I appreciate that kindness." She nods to Yua. Then, as Yua leads her over to take a seat, Miho accepts. Her shoes click against the breakroom tile.
A hostile work environment... "They would say instead that we're hostile; that we aren't adapting to the culture," she assures Yua.
But then to Hiroto, "...But we're accustomed to being stubborn, aren't we?"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"That's a normal thing to want!" Yua insists, to Hiroto, despite the fact that they really can't expect their loved ones to be treated well in a place like this.
It's a terrible place for 'Bring Your Kid To Work' day, that's for sure. Let alone your wife, or your... whatever Yua's going to be to Miho now she's marrying into her family. Cousin in law?
(Will anyone buy them being cousins...?)
"Mm, maybe it's not that weird," Yua adds, though, tilting her head as she considers Hiroto. "Since Nakamura-san's married, too! See that lovely ring?" His wedding ring!! "So," she adds, turning to him, "you must have women in your life you care about! Right?" Yua smiles, the expression all but sparkling.
Don't tell Yua how many of the men back there are also married and don't give a shit about their wives. Some of them are even having affairs with their secretaries...
"I guess it's tough..." Yua sighs, poking at her glass of water. "Well, every workplace is a little like that, right? Like, everyone at Shujin is always so stressed out... and then when you go to Kasugayama, most of the staff -- mm, except for a couple -- they're just counting the days until they get deployed somewhere else, so it's hard to get anyone involved in doing anything for the kids... mouuuu, but it's much, much worse in the office!!"
Yua pouts, taking another sip of water. "How are you supposed to adapt to a culture like that? By picking on women who come in? That's no good... and it's not fair to expect you to be mean to other women just so they don't pick on you, Mimi!!" Yua has, just, immediately picked up on the catch-22 of Miho's suit, the tension between her being a woman and simultaneously not feminine and available.
"You must be very stubborn," she decides, looking between them both. "But that's good! Stubbornness is just what people call determination when they're mad about it!"
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
"Am I? That's unfortunate," Hiroto tells Miho, before nodding over to Yua. "Yes. I have a wife and a teenage daughter," he explains. "Being a parent doesn't automatically grant you compassion, however... but it has taught me many things. Our son is only eight, so I'm hoping to instill the same values."
But Miho explains that they'd be the hostile ones. "It is better not to rock the boat, unfortunately. I don't necessarily want more overtime." Is that a joke? (It's a joke.)
"Teaching is a wonderful profession," he compliments, and it's clear he *likes* kids if he thinks that. But then, Yua talks about stubbornness, as does Miho...
"You have to be, in our line of work. But perhaps determination is indeed a better word for it."
The fact that it applies to both lines of work doesn't leave his mind.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
It is a normal thing to want. One would think. But Hiroto gets Miho's answer, and Miho continues, "I see. Well, they're lucky to have a conscientious father," she says.
Who would buy a pair of lesbians as cousins?
"It's important for boys and girls both to have a strong father. I can imagine you doing well."
She doesn't know him well enough for it to be more than imagination, of course. But she can imagine it.
"I agree," she says of teaching, and then looks to Yua. "...Every workplace has its foibles," she agrees, "But not all are the old clubs of this workplace. ...Yes, it's not fair. But it is how it is."
"Overtime, staying for drinks..."
"It is business."
"I do think I prefer 'determination'. You know, Nakamura-san. I suddenly think they might've had reason to keep us from talking much in the past."
"I think we could have things in common."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Yua gasps, her eye shining. "Mm, Mimi's right! A good dad is really important! If my dad hadn't worked so hard for us, Mimi and I might have never even met, you know? But he got posted to Sumaru, so here I am...!"
Still, that's true. Lesbians really just being cousins isn't very believable...
"It's weird," Yua tilts her head. "Everyone says not to 'rock the boat', but they know that boats are always rocking, right? Since the waves are moving all the time and stuff... even if the water's calm, there's still a little bit of movement!" Yua... it's a saying, Yua... "Mooouuuu... but if they're giving you too much overtime, you should complain!! Most of the men at the schools who take a bunch of overtime actually wanted it... I don't really get it, since some of them are really upset about not seeing their families much, you know?" Yua sighs. "But they say things like, 'I need this promotion to stay in Sumaru', or 'I want the principal to notice my hard work so I get a good recommendation'... then again, I guess I'm in a privileged position not having to rely on that kind of thing to support everyone..."
Yua, of course, doesn't even have to work. She could spend her days in idle leisure if she wanted to! But she still wants to spend time teaching, even though she's making Miho's home welcoming, too.
"But I really like teaching!" Yua smiles, to Hiroto. "I've been planning some really cool new things for the kids when they get back... it's always tough when you're young and vacation ends, you know? So I've been reviewing all the popular new songs to figure out how the dance routines in their music videos go! I'm sure they'll love getting to do that! And once they're a little more used to coming to class every day, we can start going over how the movements work..."
Still, Yua pouts, as she looks to Miho again. "Hey, hey, but how are you supposed to do that when you're pregnant? The women working here can't stay for drinks then!" Yes, Yua, that's the point.
"Hmph!!" She huffs, with another sip of water. Yua is offended for the secretaries!
She looks from Miho to Hiroto, though, blinking her one good eye. "Hey, that's right! If you both don't like the culture, here, you can at least support each other! Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
"Thank you," Hiroto brushes off the compliments, because he sure is a bit uncomfortable receiving them, even if he appreciates them. But Yua starts on boats. He considers it. "I believe it's because the more you rock the boat, the more likely you are to fall overboard."
But, on overtime, he nods to both of them. "It is work. My situation with it is... peculiar. I am often forced to work late hours." He's not seeking sympathy, just to explain, even if he might get it anyways.
"That makes sense," he tells Yua, taking a long sip of his water. He remembers how he, too, wanted to be a kind of teacher... if only life had been different. "I am sure they'll appreciate it."
But Miho prefers determination, and that they had reason to keep from talking much in the past. Things in common. "Perhaps," he says. "You cannot grind one down as easily if they have allies." Ah, he's aware of what they're trying to do to him. (He always has been.)
Yua though, gets a glance. He doesn't actually know Miho very well for the pre-established 'they kinda keep us apart', but... she seems earnest about it. "I am willing to assist my coworkers, of course."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"True," Miho says of Yua's very good father.
"I believe it's as he says. ...But also probably a phrase primarily used by people who have never spent much time on the water."
It is a privileged position, of course. But Miho's is even more so. And as to work, well, "Yes. I understand." She offers that, instead of obvious sympathy, because--well, of course she gets it.
"That sounds fun," Miho says of Yua's plans. "And useful. A healthy mind resides most easily in a healthy body..."
But, how? "You aren't," Miho says. "Indeed, they would prefer if women largely stayed out, except as secretaries now and then."
A look to Hiroto, and a nod. "Yes," she says.
"It's something to consider, Nakamura-san. I at least would like it if we could speak more often."
"They try to lay traps before me, as well, of course. They do not like my successes much."
"...Not in business, at least."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"You're much more likely to fall overboard if you can't rock with the boat, though..." Yua points out, tilting her head the other way.
She's not making a philosophical point, though it might seem like she is.
She just likes boats!
Which is why when Miho explains that people who don't boat came up with it, she says: "Oh! I get it! It looks like the boat rocking is scary, so that's what throws you off! But it's okay," she assures Hiroto. "If you know how to use a boat, it's pretty easy to stay on deck! The most important thing is to work with the weather! If the waves are wild enough that you're getting tossed off your boat, you made a mistake long before the boat started rocking!"
Yua... really likes boats...
... and she might be a bit, you know, 'odd'.
She wrinkles her nose, though, when Hiroto says he has to work late hours. "It's okay," she sympathises, with him. "Sometimes I have to work late, too. It's really inconvenient to go out when you've already had dinner and bathed, you know?" Yua, no type of teaching on the planet has you going out after dinner and bathtime to do more work.
Yua doesn't realise for a second what it sounds like when an attractive woman who is known to have been exploited by organised crime says she has to do inconvenient work late at night, though.
She smiles sunnily at their appreciation of her teaching plots, though. She works hard at them!! Even though it's hard to get teenagers excited for school...
Yua pouts, when Miho points out that women aren't invited. "That's not fair," she sulks. "You work as hard as any of those jerks! But... it sounds like you're working really hard, too, Nakamura-san!" She adds, looking to Hiroto. "So it would be nice if you could help each other, right?"
She looks a little confused, though, when Miho mentions traps. "I don't think Nakamura-san is a trap," Yua points out. "If he was, he wouldn't have been ready to leave before I asked him to sit with us, right? No... I think he was just doing something nice!"
Yua might be a little confused as to what kind of traps Miho's office invests in.
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
Hiroto appreciates the BOAT FACTS HE'S LEARNING. He is used to infodumps, he has children, and even if it may be seen as 'odd' to come from an adult woman, it is honestly charming instead. "That makes sense. I will keep that in mind if I am ever on a boat," he says with a smile.
But, Miho would like to speak to him more often... and Yua is clearly revealing too much about herself. (He does not think she's a lady of the night. Too incongruous with how casual she says it and what he knows about her and Miho.)
"I would like that too, Ijuuin-san. After all, it seems we are all frequently working right after midnight."
Casually, carefully, a gentle hint of Resonance flares. It's not a beacon, so no one outside the room is likely to notice, but he wants to make sure his message is clear - he is capable of conversing about both avenues of their work..
It's waves, much like that of the boat, calm and controlled. A symbolic dam is in place, keeping them from flooding outward. Yua's Navigator senses in particular might notice what it is like to be Hiroto Nakamura - you have to keep that dam steady yourself, or it will break and flood everything around it. Life is a battle of control.
It would seem slowly working with these two might be to their mutual benefit, after all. Miho is a rising employee mistreated much like he is even if in very different ways and reasons, and Yua is a teacher in an unsavory line of work she quite honestly probably doesn't deserve, especially if she has a child coming...
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Boats! Yes, Yua likes boats. Miho is aware of this. They should spend more time on the water...
"Yes. The sort of people who care most about not 'rocking the boat' do not want to adapt to weather, either."
She's adorable, is what she is. Yua makes an IMPLICATION and Miho... doesn't actually catch it this time. She takes her at her work. And the way they both work...
"Indeed, neither do I," Miho says of the traps. Yes, there are different snares they set before Miho. She in turn nods to Hiroto, and her own resonance gives a brief heartbeat hint of sulfur and steel.
Miho reaches into a pocket and extends Hiroto her card. "We should speak again later, I think."
"...Soon, you and I must return to this work. But I think..."
"It may be of interest, to discuss the other."
"For instance... at the rumored Akiyoshi building, in Iwatodai City. Have you heard of it? They say it's something of a... Palace."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"There are lots of ferries that run around! It would make a really fun day trip for your family, I bet!" Yua smiles, brightly. "And don't worry, ferries are super safe!!"
... maybe the Powers that Be want the weather to adapt to them, Yua thinks.
Luckily, Yua's terrible implications don't go misunderstood. Instead -- Yua does, indeed, feel that Resonance. And while normally she keeps hers under wraps...
Well. She glances to Miho, with a little wordless "?" of confirmation, and then unveils what she's hiding.
... and maybe she's not a visitor to the Underworld. Because what is here is underground; what is here is locked away. Stillwater drips, where it gathers, undisturbed.
Immured.
And then it is gone, as Yua locks away the dungeon where her heart lives once again. "Aww... already?" She pouts, before she looks to Miho a second time.
"Oh... oh! I get it. Our eyes are everywhere," Yua sighs, not quite having the heart in her for the call-and-response, but still not brave enough to be sassy about it. "... especially here..." She gestures out the window, vaguely, at all-of-Narumi.
Still. It's the kind of call-and-response Hiroto ought to be quite familiar with, in his own work.
This sweet little teacher lady is with the New World Order... and no doubt it's not just her.
Before Yua packs up, though, she makes sure to add one little thing: "... oh, the Akiyoshi building? Right! I was reading about that on the Dark Side of Sumaru!"
Yua might be bad at implications sometimes, but she's also been working with Miho for quite a long time by now.
It's quite a long time before everyone's off work, too, though. By the time they get into the carpark of the Akiyoshi building for Yua to recite some really quite accurate Shakespeare, the sun's already set. The front of the Kamiya Convention Centre receives its guests through fabulous double-domes, with a glass dome atop the building. There are side-entrances which aren't staffed by guards like those front doors are -- a shadowy wall...
And stepping in there, it at first seems like no one's here. It seems like no one's here because Yua has willed it, Shrouding the corner of that wall in deeper shadow.
When someone with Hiroto's Resonance enters the field, though, the jail bars driven into Gretchen's arms spread open as the disguise falls away, revealing Yua and Miho where they are dwarfed by the massive woman in white who is Yua's Persona.
"Don't worry," Yua assures him -- with no veils over her face, nothing to mask the way her eyepatch has been slid back to reveal an eye with three pupils arranged in much the same fashion as the 'face' on his own Mark -- as she beckons him forward. "No one will hear us, here. When we're in a place like this, Gretchen can help!"
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
Miho and Yua both understand, as Hiroto feels their own resonance. "Take care, Ooshiro-san. Good luck with your work, Ijuuin-san. I'll certainly have to check that out." He's heard of it, of course. It's part of his work.
Once work passes, Hiroto takes a breath outside the office, and pulling out his phone... there are sacrifices he makes for his family.
"Reina? I'll be home late again tonight. Mm, yeah, it's more work, came up last minute. No, I'm okay, I promise. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you too."
And then, it's time to take a train to Iwatodai. Once actually there, he recites the Shakespeare fairly well (he, too, is a classics reader) and steps forth into the Kamiya Palace.
His Resonance rings out, and he's stepping forward. His body language, Yua and Miho will immediately noticed, has changed. No longer is he an awkward, Clark Kent-ing sort of salaryman who seems gentle and soft. While his face is neutral, his body language is alert, paying attention to all vectors of information around him. He keeps him arms loose to his side, in case he needs to strike at any point (Shadows, not Miho and Yua - he doesn't think they're a danger to him right now, though he doesn't underestimate them if they were, either).
"Hello again," he says. "It seems we all bear the same sign." A pause.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am the Ferryman." That's a name *Yua* might have heard of as well. A remorseless fixer who completes every job with efficiency and without complaint.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Their eyes are, indeed, everywhere. But eventually Miho is off work; she has been working extra lately, given the time off she was able to get. ...There are times at which she considers doing away with the facade...
But then they'd expect more of her 'out of office' work in return for her resources, of course.
The person Miho would call is already here, though she does text Eiko, to keep her abreast of what will be expected of her.
SHe doesn't recite the Shakespeare. Instead, she makes a disgusted scowl as she puts together the meaning in this case.
She notices, though. She notices that body language...
"We do," Miho says, and inclines her head. Bear the same sign. "...Though I come by it differently, you see."
Gretchen can help. "I wish to bring you into my confidence," Miho says to Hiroto. "But to do so I must understand one thing." She looks to Yua, and back to Hiroto.
"For what resason do you fight for our mutual contacts?"
"I fight primarily for Yua. ...To recover and rescue her, I joined the conspiracy. Now, I require what they can offer to keep her and my friend alive."
She shared something with Yua on the way over; that they helped to care for his family, in the True World, after he fell.
"I share this because I believe that we could work together for our own benefit--for our families' benefit--rather than only theirs."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"We do," Yua affirms, to the Ferryman -- who, indeed, she's heard of. She might have feared him more if she hadn't met Hiroto, first... though it's not as if they're two separate people. She felt the way that dam was holding back the waters. "Though mine is hidden from their sight."
Her arms are bare, and that is useful, now and then.
"Were I in a place like this," she says, "most times I would veil myself, disguise myself, become the Bride named Yumi... but it is sufficient to hide ourselves here, I think." She pauses, looking back to the Palace. "We should not enter this place, this day. The hour grows long, and weariness grows longer." She sounds... a little more odd, but... perhaps it's nothing?
"I am fighting because I must," Yua shares, in turn. "Because the Powers that Be control medications I require... for this reason, they believe I am but a tool they possess. Recchi and I both are doomed this way... until we are free of their coercion, we are assets they still use." She frowns, looking up to Hiroto -- to the Ferryman. "Yet they know not what they leash. I am no doll; I am a Queen."
If he was there, in the True World... surely, Yua thinks, she can trust him.
But Miho would know best who to trust, in a place like this.
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
Hiroto listens as both women speak. Before he shares his reason, he allows them to explain their own...
Something twitches in his face. It's a softening, not a hardening. He can agree with what they're saying.
"I was given this life as a... promotion." The bitterness is tangible. "For 'exemplary work ethic'. They intended to break me, I believe. What they did instead is slap a shackle on me."
He sighs, taking a side step to look out at the sign of a noise, before turning back. "That shackle is not just mine. Should I fail, my family takes the penance. Should they be a distraction, they will be removed. Should I escape, they will have to flee, too. We are all bound in the same chains..."
"And I wish to shatter those chains where we are bound."
Hiroto looks firm, resolute at this.
"Before you make any decision or offer any alliance, I will give you some information myself, as it would not do to blindside you. The Powers that Be hand me around as a tool. Currently, they have me targeting one I believe you may know." He's read some of the individual's file, and it adds up with school choice, ages, and patterns he's seen on the job.
"Myunghon Yeo. They are not a kill order, but I have been assigned to intimidate them by their own family. It is not an order I can break lightly. They seem kind, however, truly passionate about the literary arts."
The fact he's naming and gendering them correctly may be noteworthy. He is not one of the traditional NWO fascists, it seems.
"I thought it was only fair to let you know how exactly they are pulling the chains."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"...And I, the Groom named Miyu," Miho confirms after Yua introduces herself.
It is indeed not as if they're actually separate people.
"I trust your judgement," Miho says. "If your senses indicate that entering the Palace is a poor idea.. then I will keep us out of it." A pause. "But another day, we should investigate," she says. "There may be matters of interest to us. And if not..."
"There may be matters of use."
But he twitches. And then he speaks.
"So we all operate under chains," she says. "Mine, through Yua and Remi. Yours, through your own family."
"...Your candor is appreciated," she says, and looks to Yua, and back to Hiroto. "However, I also once was set to target Myunghon Yeo. They have a habit of surviving even fatal intentions."
"I am confident that they will survive yours, as well. Whether they wish it or not."
"There's no need to break that order. They can handle it. But knowing their own family is involved... that's interesting. That may be helpful, later."
"It was fair. Myunghon Yeo is a friend to us, despite what I have said."
"And so since you have made clear your condition..."
"I will share a truth. I did not earn this Mark by standing before Gozen. They recruited me because I already had it. Because another's will lurks behind the scenes."
"Because I have my own ambitions that I will see fulfilled. Yua will be free. ...And so will your family, if we join forces. I will help you to shatter those chains."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Another day," Yua agrees with Miho, with a faint smile. "When we are strong and stronger. We will need her, here. Recchi. This is a great power... too great to handle lightly." What she senses of it, from the outside... she knows they must be ready.
Yua does seem worried, to hear that he's targeting Myunghon, though she looks to Miho first. "Myucchi... if you think they'll be okay, then..." She sighs, looking back to Hiroto. "... we all are asked to do things we wish not. I have blamed boys too easily for this before... I will not make that mistake with you, now. But Myucchi is our dear friend," she adds, clasping her hand to her heart. "Please, do what you can."
Though she knows that mightn't be much.
"They forced me into it," Yua says, of this life, reaching up to press a hand to her cheek, "though... this Mark... I received it of my own free will. They said they'd let me see Mimi if I cooperated with them... of course, they were lying. I couldn't even rip them to shreds with the power they'd given me... my Mark is a quiet thing. Too quiet to summon demons whence I tread... though it slips past Persona-Users' notice much more easily than Mimi's, at least for a time."
She frowns, her hand reaching up to rest at Miho's arm. "Mine is... wrong," she surmises, at length, looking down. "It hurts me... in a way Mimi's never has. They did something to my eye, but... I don't know anything about it."
She sighs, looking to Hiroto, again. "Regardless of their transgressions," she insists, "I will bring about Mimi's ambitions. That's something I decided without being tricked at all."
<Pose Tracker> Hiroto Nakamura has posed.
The Groom and the Bride. Hiroto nods, as he considers more what they have to say. Myunghon Yeo is strong, and will survive. They are chained by the people they love. It is a cruel, twisted fact of life, that the wolf that would bite to defend themselves gets chained or culled, Hiroto thinks. Were they those wolves? Well...
If you try to tame a wolf, it either becomes a dog... or it turns on you. He refuses to be the former. He has no love lost for the conspiracy.
"I am sympathetic to your hardships. When they gave me the Mark, I saw such unspeakable things. I am no longer in full ownership of my body, and likely not even my soul."
A breath, and a nod.
"...I am amenable to an alliance. To survive in this world... one cannot simply go alone."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Another day... Yes. They will need another. That is true. But with Hiroto--with the Ferryman--perhaps, the four of them...
Miho says to Yua, "Have faith in them. They have survived much before. Even me."
But Yua was forced into it, and..
"They lied to you in many ways. ...To me, as well, but I am more concerned with what they have done to you."
Hers is wrong...
"Mine may be the only one that is 'right'," Miho opines on the mark. "I have Seen things. I See a path before us."
"And I will guide us there. We will work together, then, an alliance."
"And may their sinless world tremble before us."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua isn't a dog, as much as they make cruel jokes about it. It's not the sound of a dog barking; it's the word for her will.
"You're right," she smiles, to Miho. "They're really tough..."
But what they have borne -- lies and horrors -- they darken Yua's gaze, as she slips her hands around Miho's arm.
"When we took audience with 'him'... the Powers that Be arranged such a thing," she remarks, scowling, as she dwells on Gozen for a moment. "Yet Mimi was blessed of her own accord... and I believe in what she has Seen," she says, drawn close to her. "Though I cannot see that world, for all the sight they have given me... nothing can shake my faith in Mimi. She's always been strong enough to protect us... so it's her goals I really care about."
She smiles, reaching out to Hiroto with her other hand.
"They never should have underestimated us, Ton-chan!"
He has a cute nickname. It's over.